Page 22 - Berita Sunway - Issue 76
P. 22

NET ZER O




















                                                                                                                                                                                Climate change, the Russian-Ukraine war and the COVID-19
                                                                                                                                                                                pandemic are among the factors disrupting global food supply
             CLOSER                                                                                                                                                             Malaysia, which imports up to 24% of its food to meet
                                                                                                                                                                                chains and food security in recent years, resulting in food
                                                                                                                                                                                shortages and price hikes of foods such as  poultry, beef,
                           BRINGING THE FARM
                                                                                                                                                                                vegetables and wheat products.

                                                                                                                                                                                domestic demand, is not exempt from food security challenges.

                                                                                                                                                                                 ese include an overconcentration of import sources,
                                                                                                                                                                                increasing risks of more extreme climate events, low
                                                                                                                                                                                productivity in the agrifood industry, as well as slow adoption
                                                                                                                                                                                in smart farming technology and techniques by local small
                                                                                                                                                                                farmers, according to Bank Negara Malaysia’s ‘Closing the

                                                                                                                                                                                Sector’ article published in its third quarter 2021 bulletin.
                                                                                                                                                                                As the world’s population is expected to reach 9.8 billion people
                                                TO HOME                                                                                                                         Food Gap:  e Role of Structural Improvements in Agrofood
                                                                                                                                                                                by 2050, the global demand for food would correspondingly
                                                                                                                                                                                be at least 60% greater than today.

                                                                                                                                                                                Closer to home, Malaysia’s food imports rose from RM51.4
                                                                                                                                                                                billion in 2019 to RM55.5 billion in 2020 – indicating an
                                                                                                                                                                                increased reliance on food imports.

                                                                                                                                                                                As such, the central bank raised the critical need to address
                                                                                                                                                                                domestic and external food security challenges to ensure food
                                                                                                                                                                                is available, easily accessible and in stable supply for all.
                                                                                                                                                                                Indoor vertical farming using agritech technology is one way to
                                                                                                                                                                                improve Malaysia’s farm-to-table food supply chain, BNM
                                                                                                                                                                                noted, as it maximises the country’s untapped potential in
                                                                                                                                                                                raising agri-food production by utilising idle land and
                                                                                                                                                                                abandoned buildings to grow a variety of food crops.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Indoor vertical
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             farming using
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             agritech technology
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             is one way to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             improve Malaysia’s
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             farm-to-table food
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             supply chain









         22
   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27