Cities Linked Through Food Trans-Boundaries: The Case of Singapore as an Agri-Pelago

Abstract

As a city-state that imports 90% of its food, Singapore is vulnerable to food insecurity. By relying on overseas sources to sustain its food supply, Singapore is at risk for food shortages and price fluctuations beyond its control. While arable land in Singapore shrinks due to development, there is increasing interest in domestic food production. Food security is impacted by changes in Singapore’s food production; however, even with increases (rooftop, vertical farms; technological advances), the small city-state is unlikely to achieve food independence. It is, therefore, critical to consider potential changes in food demand by the urban populations in the top countries that Singapore imports food from—as there is likely to be increasing competition for rural sources. Singapore might be an island, but it is intimately linked to the cities that rely on the same rural landscapes to meet their own urban food demand. This chapter investigates some of the social, political, and ecological linkages that situate Singapore within an agri-pelago of cities linked through food trans-boundaries.