Check out These Urban Farms in Singapore
Today, Singapore relies heavily on other countries for its food consumption. More than 90 per cent of our nutritional needs are met by food imports from countries such as France, Malaysia and the United Kingdom.
Earlier this year, the Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli revealed Singapore’s “30 by 30” goal. The plan? To raise our locally produced food from less than 10 per cent to 30 per cent by 2030. This way, Singapore will hopefully diversify our food sources and become less susceptible to sudden shifts in the global food market.
“Just like water security, food security is an existential issue for Singapore,” said Mr Masagos. “Despite Singapore’s lack of natural resources and agricultural land, our officers have worked hard over the years to ensure that we have a secure supply of safe food. Singapore Food Agency will seize opportunities by turning the challenges into strategic advantages, just like what we have done for water.”
To meet the “30 by 30” goal, Singapore will inevitably count on its local farms. And if you’re new to the local farming scene and you’re curious of what homegrown farms do, here’s a quick look at five of the local farms that participated in Sprout 2019.
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Comcrop
When we think of rooftop farming, we think of ComCrop. As Singapore’s first commercial rooftop farming company, ComCrop uses natural sunlight to grow its pesticide-free produce indoors. Some of its locally grown greens include fresh Chye Sim, Green Emerald Lettuce, and Basil Pesto.
Photo: Instagram/@comcropsg
Kuhlbarra
Specialising in premium barramundi, Kuhlbarra rears baby fishes on the Pulau Semakau island. To ensure a healthy growth process for the fishes, the company performs daily checks on the water quality. It also prides itself in delivering the freshest and finest barramundi “via an unbroken cold chain” from farm to doorstep within hours.
Photo: Instagram/@kuhlbarra
Meod
Local farm Meod grows greens such as Xiao Bai Cai, Mizuna and Green Lettuce that promise to be safe for consumption, fresh and sustainable. Additionally, Meod’s produce are all sans nasties like chemicals, pesticides and GMOs to ensure the best quality greens for its consumers.
Photo: Instagram/@meodfarm
Susternir Agriculture
Think strawberries can’t be grown in Singapore? Think again. Thanks to Sustenir’s clever use of technology, strawberries can be harvested here. That, along with its kale are grown in a controlled environment aka smart indoor farming without any soil. This means the greens and fruits are not exposed to pesticides, insects or external pollution. For those who prefer to drink your greens, Susternir also sells juices such as Kale Yeah!, Pina Kaleada and Kaleribbean (pictured).
Photo: Instagram/@susteniragriculture
Edible Garden City
For the past seven years, Edible Garden City has been working with other companies on “foodscaping”, a process that turns underused places into gardens. Some of its food gardens can be found at OUE Downtown Gallery, Pathlight School and The Summerhouse. Besides that, the farm also supplies fresh greens and flowers to restaurants, and conducts workshops and farming programmes for students and the public.
Photo: Instagram/@ediblegardencity
By Hayden Ng.