As we advance towardsa climate-resilient urban planning model, our local farms should not be left behind. In my speech during the second reading of the Food Safety & Security Bill in January, I highlightedthe crucial role farms play in ensuring Singapore’s food security, especially with more frequent extreme weather patterns in future. We should therefore equip our farms with effective mitigation measures against climate change.
Currently, grants under 30 by 30 vision predominantly focus on high-tech solutions, leaving a gap in support forlow-tech, sustainable farming practices. While high-tech innovations have strengthened our food security, we must also recognise the potential of tried-and-tested low-tech methods that can enhance the resilience of our agricultural sector.
The role of low technology solutions in climate resilience
Low-tech agricultural practices, rooted in traditional knowledge and ecological principles, offercost-effective and sustainable ways to mitigate the effects of climate change.Many of these techniques have been successfully implemented elsewhere worldwide,and Singapore can benefit by adapting them to suit our land-scarce farmscape.
A good example is the Bec Hellouin farm inFrance, which employs permacultureto create a high-yield, sustainable system on a small land area.Permaculture mimics natural ecosystems by fostering synergies between crops andanimals. This approach includes growing different crops side by side, rotatingthem accordingly, and designing water channels for natural irrigation.
It has proven usefulagainst extreme weather events - despite enduring three consecutiverecord-breaking dry summers, the farm experienced minimal disruption. Byinterweaving a diverse root network with dense vegetation, the soil retainedmoisture like a giant sponge, shielding crops from extreme weather. Moreover,this technique has proven more productive per square metre than conventionalmechanised farming, garnering interest fromscientific institutions worldwide.
Similarly, our fishfarms can incorporate natural solutions like aquaplants to improve climatere silience. Aqua plants provide shade and cooling, stabilising watertemperatures, and prevent algae blooms by absorbing excess ammonia while producing oxygen. Importantly, they reduce the risk of hypoxia—oxygen depletion—a significant challenge during Singapore’s hotter months when warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen. While technology remains crucial for precise monitoring and control, aquaplants offer a valuable low-tech complement for fish farms.
However, such low-techsolutions are not necessarily low-cost. Permaculture consultations are offeredby local companies like GWS and Habitat Collective, but require substantialinvestment in research, adaptation, and implementation to be effective at acommercial scale. The availability of funding for these solutions will provide adequatesupport for adoption by farmers. In this way, Singapore can build a moreresilient and sustainable agricultural sector, better prepared for climatechange challenges.
