food for all food report 2008

Prepared by: Heather Chi ([email protected])© Food for All (www.foodforall.sg)

LOCAL HUNGER , Local hunger issues are currently being further investigated under Food for All’s

“Sector Scan of Food Rations Programmes”, a survey supported by the CommunityDevelopment Councils (CDCs). See appendix.

Main Issue Actions Taken Actions Forward1. Significant

number ofhungry and poorelderlycouples/individuals and lowincome families

• Unemployment• High cost of transport

restricting access tojobs, cheaper foodsources

• Ignorance about foodrations programmes(dried/cooked fooddistribution) amongstthe needy

• Door-knocking by RCs/NCs/VWOs/NGOs tofind hungry and poorpeople and refer them toFRPs

• Financial and jobassistance from CDCs,RCs and VWOs

• Food drives by schools,companies and youthgroups

• Detailed researchinto reasons for andfactors contributingto local poverty

• Systems whereby“beneficiaries” cando tokencommunity work inexchange for foodand/or pay tokenamount for month’ssupply of food

2. Significantnumber ofhungry migrantworkers (malecontractworkers andfemale domesticworkers) orprovision ofculturallyinappropriatefood

• Low and low-middleincome families cuttingFDWs rations to baremin

• Insufficient food/wagesgiven to contractworkers

• No food provided whencontract workers in legaldisputes

• Food costs taken out ofworkers wages

• Kitchen utensilsconfiscated from dormsas punish-ment

• Ad-hoc food rationsprogrammes set up bymigrant groups TWC2(www.twc2.org.sg) andHOME(www.home.org.sg)

• Provision ofdinners/breakfasts bycharitable F&Bestablishments andtemples

• School projects, e.g. TheRice Drive:http://thericedrive.blogspot.com/

• Advocacy to passlegislation on theright to food formigrant workers (ofat least S$X permonth, during legaldisputes, etc.)

• Communitykitchens in migrantresidential areas,e.g. Little India andGeylang

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Food for All is an anti-hunger collective that takes its cue from the London Food Link (http://www.sustainweb.org/londonfoodlink/), functioning as a dynamic network organization to bring everyone in Singapore who is interested in, and taking action, on food issues together in dialogue, discussion and collaboration!

This summary, presented in highly accessible tables and bullet points, is the product of preliminary research conducted from 2007-08 on the issues of local hunger, local agriculture, food security, ethical food, nutrition, and the gaps within the local food system requiring both immediate and long-term action.

Food for All’s mission is to encourage conversations amongst various stakeholders in the food industry – producers, consumers and everyone in between - in order to achieve the aim of creating an equitable and sustainable food system in Singapore and beyond.

Our vision is a world with Food for All! Bon apertit!

ISSUES COVERED:Local hungerLocal agricultureFood securityFood safety, ethical foods and nutrition (incl. eating disorders)Overseas food programmesOther food-related environmental issues


3. Limited types offood rationsprogrammes –most are freecooked food anddried goodsdistribution

• Food is usuallypurchased from retailersat high cost

• Handouts mayencourage dependencymentality

• One-off help may notsustainable in long run

• Lack of consideration ofnutritional value andbeneficiaries’ preference

• MYMCA’s My Mannashop(https://www.mymca.org.sg/outreach/OS-mymanna.html):volunteer-run“supermarket” in whichelderly can themselveschoose foods withrecommendations fromvolunteers

• Kampong Senang’s(http://www.kg-senang.org.sg) ‘pay whatyou want’ organic café

• Annalakshmi’s(www.annalakshmi.com.sg) ‘pay what you want’volunteer run qualityIndian restaurant

• Programmes whichallow needy tocontribute to thegrowing and/orpreparation of theirown food (withnutritional advice,and also a tokencommission)

• Arrangements forgreater variety offood to bepurchased at lowercost fromwholesalers anddistributors (or free,if food is in excess)à volunteers tohandle transportand distribution

4. No centralizedsystem forknowledgemanagement andlogistics for FRPs

• No platform for raisingawareness of FRPs todonors, volunteers theneedy and otherstakeholders

• Duplication of servicesand unnecessarycompetition b/w FRPs

• Abuse of system byshrewd people who takefood from multipleFRPs and resell toretailers

• Food for All isdeveloping an onlinedatabase of food rationsprogrammes in Jul 2009,to be updated bi-monthly, includingcompilation of FRPs ininfo-kit for distributionto all CDCs and FRPsà will need assistancein publicity andmaintenance

• Possibility ofcreating otherdatabases, logisticsarrangements andknowledgemanagementsystems (do contactus [email protected])

• Dialogues betweenvarious FRPs andCDCs on howFRPs can bestreamlined andmade moreeffective

5. Provision ofinappropriatefood to the needy

• Resale of dried goodsthat needy do not like orare unable to cook

• Poor allocation ofresources as supply offood rations not linkedto demand

• Shift from foodprovision programmes tovoucher schemes (e.g.Northwest CDC) àneeds evaluation ifmethod is cost effectiveand sustainable

• More research intoneeds ofbeneficiaries andactive considerationof alternative waysfor needy tosupplementincome/foodthrough activeemployment

• Legislation for theprovision of foodby children (if any)

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6. Food inflation –high food pricesputting food outof the reach ofthe poor

Note: This information isbased on preliminaryresearch and needs to beverified.

• Hoarding of supplies bylarge retailers (e.g.NTUC, Carrefour, ColdStorage…) and airlines(SIA), with excess laterthrown away or returnedto suppliers when thereis no more demand àinefficient allocation offood

• Mark-up of 25-30% onpart of retailers (listingfees, advertising feesetc. squeezing suppliers)

• Control of prices bylocal monopolies (e.g.Prima for flour, SengChoon for eggs)

• Control of stocks bydistributors to capitalizeon higher prices (duringrice crisis in May 2008)

• Sharing of experiencesby industry insiders withNGOs (Food for All)and consumers

• Distribution of NTUCvouchers by CDCs to theneedy

• Involvement of the massmedia in raisingawareness of food pricehikes (causes andsolutions)

• More consumeraction: lobbying forlower prices (lowermarkup) andrelease of supplies.

• Ground-upinitiatives to enablecitizens to buydirect fromwholesalers anddistributors/suppliers

• Distribution of“near expiry”canned goods, andalso unwanted vegfrom wet marketsto FRPs

• More research intopower dynamicswithin local foodsystem à politicaleconomy of food inSingapore and theregion

7. Few linksbetween foodrationsprogrammesand foodindustry

• Lack of a properunderstanding of localfood system and ways“wasted food” can bebetter allocated to thecommunity and FRPs

• Lack of consideration ofcommunity needs in theprocess of “conductingbusiness”

• Food from the Heart(www.food-heart.org)actively mobilizingvolunteers toredistributed unwantedbread from bakeries toFRPs

• Number of charitablerestaurants providingfree or subsidized mealsfor the poor andhomeless

• Number of F&B (e.g.Food #03:www.food03.sg)establishments lookingto set up communitykitchens and soupkitchens

• Developing ethicalfood businesses thatsell and price forthe poor (e.g.supermarket thatdiscounts goodscloser to expiry);

• Distributioncompany that sellsbaskets of food toneedy in exchangefor basic help(work-for-food)

• Business entity forbrand owners,manufacturers andretailers to‘dispose’ excessstocks

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LOCAL AGRICULTURE

• Research conducted by Heather Chi ([email protected]) as part of an undergraduateresearch module about the impact of state policies on local agriculture. Sources includeKCA, AVA officials and local farmers.

Main issues Actions Taken Actions Forward1. Lack of

awareness andunderstanding offarming amongstpublic, privateand peoplesectors

• Farmers contributionto local food securityand communitydevelopment notacknowledged

• Stereotyping of localfarmers as poor,backward, dirty, old,weird

• Failure to understandmulti-functionalpotential of farms: asa source of food,residence, business,educational institution

• Lack of appropriateagricultural policiesand marginalization innational developmentdiscourse

• Kranji CountrysideAssociation(www.kranjicountryside.com), Singapore’s mainagricultural cooperative,has brought together anumber of farms in LimChu Kang to conduct jointadvocacy, transportarrangements, promotionsand outreach with the aimof promoting SG’scountryside

• Ground-Up Initiative(http://ground-up.initiative.org) conductsweekly farming activitiesfor team bonding and looksto raising awareness ofagricultural sector throughsustainable livingprogrammes

• A number of farms haveopened up their premisesfor the running of cafes,culinary schools and farmtours to raise awareness.Farms like Green Circle(www.greencircle.com.sg)and Bollywood Veggies(www.bollywoodveggies.com) also do homedeliveries of organicveggies.

• Cielo Sereno (www.cielo-sereno.net), a group thatpromotes organic food inSingapore, also organizesfarm tours

• Filmmaker Eng Yee Penghas produced two films –Diminishing Memories Iand II that document thelives of Lim Chu Kangresidents past and present

• Active promotionof farms tours aseducationalprogrammes fromschools from theangle ofunderstanding foodproduction andenvironmentalprinciples.

• School talks onfarming and foodproduction, usingSingapore casestudies

• Summerprogrammes/internshipswhereby studentswork with a localfarm (similar toWorldwideOpportunities inOrganic Farming orWWOOF-ing)

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2. Lack ofintegration offarming into therest of Singaporecommunity

• Farming is potentiallyan avenue for lowincome families togenerate income byempowering familymembers who cannotbe employed toproduce crops thatsupplement their dietand help them savecash for other uses

• Farming has potentialto bring familiestogether and, throughhealing the earth, healthemselves andencourage furthercohesion (copyrightGround-Up Initiative)

• Urban farms cancontribute to a vibranturban landscape andmake better use of‘empty’ void decksand cosmetic greenspaces to grow food

• Ground-Up Initiative(http://ground-up.initiative.org) conductsweekly farming activitiesfor team bonding and looksto raising awareness ofagricultural sector throughsustainable livingprogrammes

• Kampong Senang(www.kg-senang.com) iscurrently running aprogramme to deliverhealthy local organicvegetables to people withcancer

• Go Organic Farm(http://www.goorganic.com.sg/) utilize a uniquemethod of growing food inboxes to prevents spread ofdiseases and optimizegrowth and have developed‘farms’ for hotels & prisonshere, a possible model forHDB ‘farms’ too!

• Initiation of neighbourhoodgardens and hydroponicsfarms in a number ofestates and schools

• Increased initiativeamong localretailers and F&Bestablishments topromote local veg(tends to be saferand healthier, withlocal demand nowincreasing too)

• Renting of smallplots of unusedland within currentfarmlands forfamily cultivation

• Establishing smallscale “guerilla”farms in HDB toprovide“employment” tothe young andelderly

• More research intoways in whichcurrent agriculturalland can be betterutilized for nationaldevelopment

• More dialoguebetween farming,public, private andpeople sectors

3. Farmer’sconcerns:insecure tenure,misuse ofagriculturalland, high cost offarming and lackof transportationand marketoptions

• Tenure of 10-15 yearsmakes it difficult forfarmers to break even/make profit as they donot dare to expandfarms for fear of notbeing able to have thesame plot of land inthe future

• Upfront, once-offpayment of rentfavours cash-richfarmers

• Use of agriculturalland for storinggranite instead of cropproduction in areas

• Active lobbying anddialogue between farmers(largely represented byKCA) and the Agri-Foodand Veterinary Authority,Singapore’s food regulationbody

• More research intoappropriateagricultural land-use policies thatcomplementSingapore’sdevelopment

• More activepromotion of localorganic farmingand organic foodfor environmentaland health reasonsby NEA and MOH,and groups workingwith them

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FOOD SECURITY AND WASTAGE

• Research conducted by Heather Chi ([email protected]) as part of an in-houseassignment, sources include AVA officials and food distributors and suppliers, as well asretailers, F&B workers and consumers.

Main Issues Actions Taken Actions Forward1. Narrow

definition offood security inSingapore

Note: Singapore has274 farms covering753.22 hectares of landgenerating income ofS$97.9 million in 2007.(AVA Annual Report)

• AVA’s food securityteam completelydevoid of agronomistsor agriculturalspecialists, businessoriented with focus ondiversifying sources offood imports only

• Singapore has noagreements with anygovernments regardingfood imports (unlikewater imports, withdeals sealed betweenSingapore, Malaysiaand Indonesia)

• Singapore imports 97%of food, with mostlocal productionconcentrated on high-profit temperate crops(and not tropical cropswhich are quick-growing and sturdy),and ornamental floraand fauna

• Singapore only self-sufficient in quail eggs

• No expertise inSingapore with regardsto food productionEXCEPT farmers (noAVA division, nocourses in universities)

• Kranji CountrysideAssociation(www.kranjicountryside.com), Singapore’s mainagricultural cooperative,has brought together anumber of farms in LCKto conduct joint advocacy,transport arrangements,promotions and outreachwith the aim of promotingSG’s countryside

• Dialogues between fooddistributors and suppliersabout how to secure foodsupplies

• Food for All activelyraising awareness of foodsecurity issues throughpublic talks andworkshops

• National FoodConference toencourage dialoguebetween variousstakeholders (govt.bodies, foodsuppliers andretailers, consumers,environmentalgroups, farmers, etc.

• More public talksand exhibitions onthe local foodsituation

2. Problem of foodwastage andinefficient allocationof food inSingapore,exacerbating foodinflation

• Hoarding of food bysuppliers during pricehikes to capitalize onhigher prices

• FoodXervices’s(www.foodxervices.com/)innovative method ofselling baskets of goods(rather than full cartons)to F&B establishmentswith specific needs toreduce wastage

• Development of abusiness entity(Food Bank) forbrand owners,manufacturers andretailers to “dispose”food rather thandump

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• Hoarding of food (esp.seasonal food likecranberry sauce duringXmas and abalonesduring CNY) by giantretailers

• Hoarding of food byF&B establishments:poor planning ofinventory needs bycooks and managers(esp. airlines, army,caterers, but also cafesand restaurants)

• “Hoarding” of food byconsumers: kiasu and“culture of abundance”

• Wastage of largeamounts of fresh veg atwet and wholesalemarkets

• Lack of mechanisms tocollect near-expiry or“expired” stock fromretailers andredistribute tocommunity

• Lack of incentives toreduce wastage offood: cooked, produceand dried goods

• Food competitionssuch as Sakae Sushi’ssushi-eatingcompetitions, wastelarge amounts of foodand risks hurtingpeople competing

• Utility of food wastenot extended throughenergy-generation,compost making, etc.

• Food from the Heart(www.food-heart.org)actively mobilizingvolunteers to redistributedunwanted bread frombakeries to FRPs

• Number of trialcommunity kitchens, suchas Food Not Bombs andFood #03(www.food03.sg) utilizes“wasted” veg from nearbymarkets

• Alpha Biofuels(http://www.alphabiofuels.sg/), our home grownbiofuels company, makesenvironmentally-friendlyfuel from used cooking oilcollected from hawkercentres

• Go Organic Farm(http://www.goorganic.com.sg/) sell homemadefertilizer made from soybean waste and fish meal

• NUS canteens and severalother F&B establishmentssending food waste to IUTBio-methanization Plant(www.iutglobal.com) tobe used in energyproduction.

• Development of anopen informationplatform for theindustry in order toequalize prices andachieve a moreefficient allocationof food for society(seen as a HumanRight)

• Courses in Shatecand hospitalityschools on inventoryplanning (perdish/meal/workingday) to reduce foodwastage in actualF&B operation

• Promoting of CSRinitiatives amonglocal restaurants – togive unwanted butfresh cooked food tohomeless and needylocals and migrants

• Consumer action topressure foodsuppliers andretailers to reducehoarding and mark-ups

• Legislation on foodwastage in SIA, SFIand F&B outlets

• Distribution of food“wasted” fromcatering butnevertheless fresh tomigrants’dormitories –collection fromvolunteers atcatering HQs

• Donation of excessstock of seasonalfoods to FRPs incommunity

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FOOD SAFETY, ETHICAL FOODS AND NUTRITION

• Research conducted by Heather Chi ([email protected]) as part of an undergraduateresearch module about the relationship between organic food, environmental health andpersonal health, as well as eating disorders and the Fair Trade movement. Sources includefood science and nutrition graduates, organic retailers, farmers and consumers.

Main Issues Actions Taken Actions Forward1. Lack of

consumerprotectiondue tovagueness of‘HealthierChoice’ labeland totalabsence oforganicstandardsand crediblelabels

• Significant numberof food scares (e.g.Prima Deli,melamine, etc.)throwing Singaporefood safety intoquestion

• ‘Healthier Choice’labels largelymeasures salt, sugar,fat, saturated fat,dietary fibre andcalcium; littleconsideration of fullnutritional value offood (mineral waterand many snacks are‘Healthier Choice’)

• No organicstandards governingorganic foodsfarmed and soldlocally

• Public education on nutrition andorganic foods by groups such asCielo Sereno (www.cielo-sereno.net) and VegetarianSociety (www.vegetarian-society.org).

• Initiative by large number ofretailers, including OrganicParadise (www.organic-paradise.com.sg), KampungSenang (www.kg-senang.com.sg), etc. (full list canbe found on Organic SGyahoogroup:http://groups.yahoo.com.sg/group/ organicSG)

• Dialogue betweenHPB, food scienceand nutritionacademics, holisticlifestylepractitioners andorganic retailersand consumersregarding nutritionand food standards

• Dialogue withAVA and HPBregarding risks ofimported foods

• Development ofmore informativefood labels,including organiclabels

• More food scienceand nutritionresearch intoviability of eating“expired” goodsthat may have 2-3more years of life

2. Food allergiesandintoleranceamongSingaporeans: littleawarenessamongst foodindustry

• Difficulty in eating-out for people withsevere allergies dueto ignorance ofserving and cookingstaff (andmanagement) ofpeople with specialdietary needs

• Food Allergy Singapore(http://foodallergysingapore.org/)is a support group set up to raisepublic awareness of foodallergies, help parents withchildren who have food allergiesand promote research into thecondition.

• Consumer actionto lobby formandatory labelsfor commonallergens (e.g.peanuts, eggs, etc.)

• Incentives forF&B to cater topeople with specialneeds, with regularinspection

• Public educationon food allergiesand intolerance

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3. EatingDisorders

• Misuse of good foodby people withmental health, self-esteem and bodyimage issues

• Lack of awarenessof these publicly“taboo” disorders

• Lack of support andavenues of treatmentfor people at-risk orsuffering fromeating disorders

• Eating disorders inSingapore fuelled byslimming ads, massmedia, peer pressureand insensitiveremarks

• EDs exacerbated bylack of low-costtreatment available,public taboo andlack ofunderstanding ofhow societal factorscontribute to EDs

• Food Is Not the Enemy campaignlaunched in 2007 by ProjectWiTHIN (www.projectthin.com)and Food for All(www.foodforall.sg) to raisepublic awareness of eatingdisorders, conduct research intoeating attitudes and eatingdisorders and develop low-costonline and group therapy supportplatforms for ED survivors andsupporters. For more information,please email Jin Yao([email protected]) orHeather ([email protected]).

• SGH Life Centre conducts a freeand public ‘Support for EatingDisorders’ programme thatfeatures presentations and peersupport programmes for EDsurvivors and supporters everyfirst Thursday of the month, 7.00-8.30pm @ SGH Life Centre,Bowyer Block A (Clock Tower)Level 1, Singapore GeneralHospital. More information:www.sgh.com.sg/MedicalSpecialtiesnServices/SpecialistCentres/LifeCentre/Support/

• Public awarenessand research oneating disorders

• Conducting bodyimage and self-image workshopsin schools

• Conducting arttherapy and otherpeer supportprogrammes forED survivors andsupporters (EDsurvivors can beempowered to leadworkshops)

• Fund raising tosupport FINTEand SGH

4. Ethical foods:abundance ofcheap junkfood andshortage ofaffordableorganic andfair tradefoods

• Cheap junk and fastfood, whichcontributes to poorhealth,environmentaldestruction frommass production offood and humanrights abuses, iscommon and cheap

• Lack of affordablealternative foods:vegetarian andvegan options, fairtrade foods (whichensure farm workersare paid a fair price)

• “Image problem” foratas organic and fairtrade products

• “Meatout for 1 Day a Week”campaign to raise awareness ofenvironmental impact of a meatdiet in schools

• Similar public education talksand workshops conducted byVegetarian Society(www.vegetarian-society.org),Cielo Sereno (www.cielo-sereno.net), Ground Up Initiative(www.groundupinitiative.org)

• Public awareness through fairsand movie screenings by FairTrade SG(www.groups.yahoo.com/group/FairTradeSG), and school groupssuch as Team Shift (RGS),Equator Initiative (RJC) andFood 4 Thought (NUS)

• Interactive onlinemap to show‘where our foodcomes from?’accompanied bypublic educationand outreachefforts

• Provide incentivesfor retailers andF&B andhospitalityestablishments toprovide organicand Fair Tradeoptions at low cost

• More mediapublicity on harmof “cheap food”

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5. Lack of foodoptions fromcommercialretailers forbabies inelderly inSingapore

• Insufficient varietiesof healthy food forbabies and elderly inSingapore

• Incentives forsuppliers to bringin healthier foods,especially forbabies and elderly,given Singapore’spromotion ofreproduction andaging population

OVERSEAS FOOD PROGRAMMES• Inclusive of food aid and agricultural support programmes, packaging of food and

transport of food

Main issues Actions Taken Actions Forward1. Potential for

Singapore tosupplynutritious foodfor disasterrelief around theregion

• Food- and expertise-rich Singapore cando more to help thehungry around theregion in disasterrelief situations

• Organizations such as MercyRelief(www.mercyrelief.org),World Vision(www.worldvision.org.sg),and Red Cross(www.redcross.org.sg)currently conduct suchmissions

• The Nargis Action Group(http://www.doubleactionmyanmar.org/) collected anddonated food to aid thepeople of Burma afterCyclone Nargis, as did manytemples and communityorganizations, formal andinformal

• Possibleinvolvement of moreorganizations, suchas the InternationalVolunteerismAssociation(www.iva.org.sg),to monitor foodcrises around theregion and mobilizelocal response to it

2. Engagement ofSingapore-basedgroups inagriculturaldevelopmentprogrammesaround theregion

• Vision Network(http://visionnetwork.org/)conducts a series of ruraldevelopment, agriculturalextension, disastermanagement and ecotourismworkshops to assist poorcommunities around theregion.

• Research andimplementation ofappropriateagriculturalinterventionprogrammes byexpert teams andNGOs, or the AVA

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OTHER FOOD-RELATED ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES• Inclusive of food packaging and food transportation

Main issues Actions Taken Actions Forward1. Food packaging • Problem of ‘take-

away’ culture inSingapore leading tolarge amount ofdisposed foodpackaging

• Problem ofenvironmentally –unfriendly foodpackaging andcontroversies overeco-packaging suchas corn starch

• School-based campaignssuch as NUS ‘Rebate2Earth’campaign charging 10c foruse of plastic bags atbookshops and drink stallsaround campus

• Nationwide campaigns suchas ‘Bring Your Own Bag’campaigns every Wednesday

• Proliferation of “eco-bags”in local supermarkets,bookshops and homesolutions shops

• Olive Green(www.olivegreen.com.sg)manufacturers biodegradablecutlery out of corn starch

• Rise in popularity of non-disposable cutlery incatering arrangements

• Step-up promotionof anti-waste, anti-bag culture inSingapore in schoolsand offices

• Research intoenvironmentalimpact of foodpackaging,especially locally

• Lobby for ban onstyrofoam cups andpackaging andincentives for F&Bestablishments toswitch to lower-impact packagingoptions

2. Transport of food • Large amount offuel used in foodtransportation,especially whenexcess unsold foodfrom suppliers needsto be collected fromindividual retailoutlets

• Increase in numberof CNG stations inSingapore toencourage fooddistributors toconvert fleets

• Encourage“carpooling”between suppliersfor collection ofunsold stock,possibly by a thirdparty enterprise

~ END ~

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APPENDIX

List of Food for All Surveys

- Eating Attitudes Test: www.foodforall.sg/eat.html- Sector Scan for Food Rations Programmes:

www.foodforall.sg/foodsurvey.html

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food for all food report 2008

Documents