Is Singapore’s ‘30 by 30’ food security goal too far-fetched?

Singapore has a penchant for ambitious targets. While laudable, it has fallen short at times. In football, it set a goal of qualifying for the World Cup by 2010. That target was revised to 2034.

In the food industry, the city-state announced a 30 by 30 plan in 2019 that sets out to locally produce 30% of the city-state’s nutritional needs by 2030. The target, however, may prove too ambitious if more isn’t done to hit it.

Despite making strides, some agritech investors and players tell Tech in Asia that the 30 by 30 goal remains more of an aspirational target than an achievable one.

“Singapore knows that it’s not going to be producing beef at scale, ever,” says Jonathon Quigley, partner at New South Wales-based agritech VC firm Cultiv8.

“I think it’s a stretch – I don’t think we’re able to meet it in terms of the trajectory we’re on right now,” adds Ray Poh, founder and managing director of hydroponics farm Artisan Green.

In land-scarce Singapore, alternative protein startups and novel farming methods take up a sizable share of VC funding to agritech firms. But not all investors are convinced that they are the way to go.

Quigley says that he understands why some investors are backing cellular agriculture “from a frontier investment perspective.” However, he points out that the sector is “just not of interest to us.”

In Singapore, Cultiv8 invested in Hydroleap, which has devised a way to treat industrial wastewater – including those from dairy and food processing plants – using less energy than traditional methods.

We struggle with cellular agriculture due to cost.

Local food production hasn’t quite moved the needle, although disruptive technology could lead to dramatic improvements in the future.

As of the fourth quarter of last year, local production of hen shell eggs, seafood, and vegetables as a percentage of total consumption remain comparable to 2020’s numbers, according to a report from the Singapore Food Agency.

They also make up just 28.8%, 7.3%, and 3.3% of total consumption in the country, respectively. The 2022 report doesn’t mention the contribution of locally farmed land animals.

Why scaling cellular agriculture is difficult

A promising answer lies in alternative proteins, which have quickly become the poster child of Singapore’s 30 by 30 goal.

Cellular agriculture, for instance, can broaden the range of protein options available to customers and lower the risk of import disruptions, therefore improving food security – if produced at scale.

The case for cultivated meat

Uncertain environmental impact

Limits to vertical farming

Egg-cellent results