A girl runs through deserted farmland in Myanmar's Sagaing region where floods buried valuable fertile soil under several feet of mud which later dried hard and cracked, making land preparations very difficult and expensive (Photo: news.un.org) Hanoi (VNA) – The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Myanmar government have signed a multi-year framework agreement to improve nutrition and food security in the country while safeguarding and sustainably managing the use of natural resources. At the signing ceremony in the country’s Nay Pyi Taw capital on February 19, Kundhavi Kadiresan, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, said the agriculture sector has a major role to play in addressing food insecurity and malnutrition through agricultural diversification and rural income generation. This Country Programming Framework intends to help Myanmar achieve three primary goals, namely enhancing food security, … [Read more...] about FAO assists Myanmar to improve food security
Food security
Singapore works to enhance food security
The Singaporean Parliament on February 12 pass a new law on the establishment of a new agency to oversee food-related issues. (Source: www.todayonline.com) Singapore (VNA) – The Singaporean Parliament on February 12 passed a new law on the establishment of a new agency to oversee food-related issues, a move to turn the country into an agriculture and food hub of the region. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is set to be formed on April 1 under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. It will be the sole agency to consolidate the regulatory oversight of food safety and security, climate change response and food contamination. In addition, the SFA will support the country’s agricultural sector in scientific and technological research and application to find new development opportunities. During the second reading of the Singapore Food Agency Bill on February 12, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli emphasised that food … [Read more...] about Singapore works to enhance food security
With farms atop malls, Singapore gets serious about food security
Comcrop’s 600-square-meter (6,450-square-foot) farm on the roof of one of the malls uses vertical racks and hydroponics to grow leafy greens and herbs such as basil and peppermint that it sells to nearby bars, restaurants and stores. The farm’s small size belies its big ambition: to help improve the city’s food security. Comcrop’s Allan Lim, who set up the rooftop farm five years ago, recently opened a 4,000-square-metre farm with a greenhouse on the edge of the city. He believes high-tech urban farms are the way ahead for the city, where more land cannot be cultivated. "Agriculture is not seen as a key sector in Singapore. But we import most of our food, so we are very vulnerable to sudden disruptions in supply," Lim said. "Land, natural resources and low-cost labor used to be the predominant way that countries achieved food security. But we can use technology to solve any deficiencies," he said. Singapore last year topped the Economist Intelligence … [Read more...] about With farms atop malls, Singapore gets serious about food security
City improves food security, produce quality
Vu Duc Thang, deputy director of SGS Viet Nam, says the use of technology will improve both yields and quality of agricultural products. – VNS Photo Van Chau HCM City is seeking to improve the traceability of agricultural produce sold through both modern and traditional retail channels in an effort to improve food safety. The use of high technology is seen as the major solution to tackle problems in food security and produce quality. To meet consumer demand, the agricultural sector needs to be more efficient and produce higher quality goods, according to a report from the city’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Duc Thang, deputy director of SGS Viet Nam, said on November 30 at a conference in the city that the use of technology would improve both yields and quality, and enable enterprises to join the global value chain. In January last year, the city began experimenting with different methods to trace the origin of products. The Phu Loc Agricultural … [Read more...] about City improves food security, produce quality
ASEAN+3 steps up cooperation in food security
Signing ceremony of MoU on agricultural and food cooperation between ASEAN countries and China (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The 18th Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministers on Agriculture of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (18th AMAF+3) took place in Hanoi on October 12. In his opening remarks, Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong, as Chair of the meeting, said the event takes place amid challenges to food security, fierce competition in agricultural production and trade, and more severe impacts of climate change. Over the past years, the regional countries have seen great progress in agriculture and forestry derived from changes in household income, consumer taste and food distribution system as a result of urbanisation and industrialisation, he said. This poses both opportunities and challenges to ASEAN and its three partner countries in ensuring food security and safety, narrowing development … [Read more...] about ASEAN+3 steps up cooperation in food security