As the world grows smaller due to the acceleration of globalisation, a single event on a major scale can disrupt this finely tuned system. And that event has come in the form of Covid-19. As the pandemic gripped the world, nations turned off the tap on agricultural exports, prompting the World Bank to urge that the flow of food be kept going.
The Covid-19 crisis is demonstrating that it is now vital to understand the fragility of global food supply chains, the vulnerability of food security to different sources of disturbance - and to increase domestic food production on a large scale.
The need to strengthen local agricultural produce grows even stronger against the backdrop of ever-worsening climate change consequences, widespread instances of fertile land turning to desert, water crises, and the extinction of animal and plant species - and with it, huge damage to biodiversity.
One aspect of this is that there is also great importance in food security and agricultural production that does not adversely affect the environment and the climate.
As nations move to improve food security, many have now increasingly looked inwards, turning to domestic production.
In 2019, Singapore's Environment and Water Resources Ministry (now the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment) announced the ambitious "30 by 30" goal, where 30 per cent of the Republic's nutritional needs are to be produced locally by 2030.
Singapore currently imports about 90 per cent of its food. Israel, having a much earlier head-start, already grows and produces 85 per cent of its food and is still investing heavily in the process.
This has made Israel not only largely self-sufficient, but also an agricultural exporter - despite being dwarfed geographically and being mostly arid.
What is food security?
Clearly, food security is an important element in a nation's national security.
Yet, what is food security? It is the stability in supply and accessibility of food to the entire population, as well as its availability at a fair price for all with the caloric and nutritional values needed.
A serious challenge to food security may ignite additional crises and cross-border tensions. Therefore, it is important to prevent such challenges.
As the world moves to improve food security, Singapore and Israel's longstanding relations and excellence in innovation can form an amazing synergy.
Already, between Israel and Singapore, this has culminated in ISAFE, or the Israel Singapore Agri-Food Exchange, happening online on Feb 3-4. This features speakers and companies, big and small, from the two nations.
ISAFE is just one step in showcasing the many technologies being used in food production in anything from urban farming to aqua farming, and in the research and development under way, such as at entities including the Singapore-Israel Industrial Research and Development Foundation.
Israel's farming techniques aim to maximise crop output, such as using drip-irrigation, which increases yields while removing over-reliance on "dry farming" and its reliance on rain.
This method of irrigation is a focus of Rivulis, a global micro irrigation innovator that fuels vineyards and greenhouses globally. Temasek acquired a majority stake in the company last year.
Then there is "precision agriculture", which supplies all of a crop's needs, specially tailored to its requirements. Sensors detect, analyse and execute what is necessary for the crop. If a crop has fallen to disease, the artificial intelligence is capable of deploying drones to provide individual treatment.
An example of a company involved in this area is Taranis, which uses artificial intelligence to enable drone cameras to capture high-definition pictures of crops from the air. Temasek has invested in Taranis.
The use of data can lead to more bountiful harvests as well. Israeli company CropX produces software for soil sensors that growers can easily put in place. Another firm, SeeTree, uses big data and artificial intelligence to provide tailored data on each tree and crop.
Alternative protein
Covid-19 has exposed the extent of the world's reliance on animal-based food. The closure of slaughterhouses and meat packaging facilities, due to employees contracting Covid-19, gave the market of plant-based substitutes and other protein alternatives a big push.
With 7.6 billion mouths to feed and projections that the planet's population will hit 9.8 billion by 2050 and 11.2 billion by 2100, this growth is marked by unprecedented challenges in terms of survival.
One such challenge is to ensure the continued and adequate production of sustainable and nutritious food as the average lifespan of humans increases.
Rapid changes in lifestyles have occurred amid technology and economic developments, which will have a significant impact on the consumption habits of the average consumer.
As almost 80 per cent of agricultural land is used to feed animals, the growth in human population and consumption indicates that this trajectory is not sustainable - not to mention the damaging impact on Mother Earth.
In Israel, Beyond Meat makes protein substitutes from plants and as of 2019, had a market cap of US$4.7 billion (S$6.2 billion). Aleph Farms, on the other hand, has taken another approach and geared its research towards producing meat grown in a laboratory.
Israel has done extensive research in this area and its start-ups are on the front line of global development of such foods. Then there is Singapore, which has about two dozen firms testing lab-grown fish, beef and chicken. Therefore, this is a potential area where Singapore and Israel can cooperate strongly.
Indeed, according to Forbes, one report estimates that 35 per cent of all meat will be cultured by 2040.
Israel would be happy and honoured to share its humble experience and knowledge in these areas, and especially with a nation so interested in urban farming.
We, as governments, ought to be prepared and accountable to our community and population - just as we also need to be accountable to our planet and future generations.