Household farms not a long-term fix for national food security, say experts

 They say it should complement broader strategies, not replace Malaysia’s national food system.

Agriculture and food security minister Mohamad Sabu recently encouraged those living in houses with gardens to grow fast-growing crops and boost domestic food production. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Encouraging Malaysians to grow their own crops can support food resilience, but is unlikely to serve as a long-term solution to the country’s food security challenges, experts say.

Shakirin Mispan of Universiti Malaya said home farms do not solve deeper structural matters, such as Malaysia’s reliance on imports and large-scale production. “Household farming can reduce some daily costs, but it cannot stabilise food prices or replace the role of the larger food supply system,” he said.

He said key food items such as rice, meat, eggs, and essential ingredients still depend heavily on large-scale production and imports.

Nasir Shamsudin of Putra Business School said an agricultural programme, Bumi Hijau, introduced in 2006 by then prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, had struggled to sustain long-term participation. Similar challenges are likely to persist today, especially in urban areas where space, time and resources are limited.

“Studies on urban farming in Malaysia indicate they face difficulties in maintaining long-term engagement due to limited support, resources, and lifestyle constraints,” he said.

Shakirin said the lack of long-term structure, incentives and institutional support also risks turning such initiatives into short-term campaigns. “Without these elements, such initiatives risk remaining short-term campaigns rather than evolving into durable food production systems,” he said.

On March 13, agriculture and food security minister Mohamad Sabu ordered his ministry’s officers to plant their own crops, citing the war on Iran as having a potential impact on food supply.

He also encouraged those living in homes with gardens to grow fast-growing crops as an additional step to boost domestic food production. The suggestion drew criticism from an MP, who said it was unlikely to resolve food security issues due to its limited scale and impact.

Mohamad defended his proposal, noting that countries such as Japan and Singapore also promote urban farming despite having strong food security systems in place. - FMT