Missteps in achieving food security

THE red flag on food insecurity in Malaysia and globally has been constantly raised by agriculture experts and economists. The call to take action on this very basic human need has fallen on deaf ears, however.

We certainly do not need crises as wake-up calls. Preparedness and foresightedness are part of good governance.

I remember former Agriculture and Agro-based Industry minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek exploring the growing of genetically modified (GM) corn in Malaysia in 2018 to support the demand for poultry and livestock feed.

He directed the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) to study the science and socio-economic aspects. As part of the consultation team, I met the minister and briefed him on how the Philippines had successfully adopted GM corn.

Mardi scientists thought they could get GM seeds from multinational companies and do field trials before adopting GM crop cultivation. Unfortunately, I could not agree with that approach, as seeds developed elsewhere will not thrive in our conditions. The failure of such crops would be fodder for critics of biotechnology to conclude that our GM crop cultivation was not successful.

All the countries that adopted GM crops cross the existing crop with their local commercial verities to suit local biotic and abiotic conditions. It takes time, but that is the way science works. There are no shortcuts!

This is just an example of how Malaysia is fond of low-hanging fruits and quick fixes. It is time to build our stamina for high-impact projects that will yield long-term benefits.

Turning agriculture land into high-tech parks is another prefect ingredient for food insecurity. Farming communities would be displaced, and many would cease their activities, spelling disaster for the already shrinking number of farmers in the country.

There is another issue involved in food security – social licensing, which is reflected in the growing romanticisation of food production. Everyone wants a story attached to how their foods are grown and produced while modern technologies like GM are demonised.

For example, the Sri Lankan government, just before going into financial meltdown, banned the import of fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides with an idealistic plan to go fully organic. It sent shock waves through the agriculture sector, which saw a dramatic fall in yield and prompted a surge in food prices. It also crippled the country’s US$1.5bil tea industry, which provided employment to nearly a million people.

While everyone is talking about approved permits (APs), I wish to highlight the different ways in achieving food security in Malaysia. There are tonnes of other aspects, such as talent, political will, provision of incentives and subsidies, and research and innovation, to use in addressing the challenges in farming.

DATIN TS. DR MAHALETCHUMY ARUJANAN

Executive director, Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre