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SUMMARY
We often hear about how high Malaysia’s food import bill is, and therefore, an urgent need to do something to ensure food security.
However, how true is the assumption that a high food import bill equates to a threat to food security? To put it differently, does having a low import bill (i.e Malaysia produces and consumes almost entirely domestic food) mean a more food-secured nation? What is the point if we can produce all the key food items domestically if it was done at the expense of the environment, food safety, and costing the taxpayers billions of Ringgit?
To do this, we need to understand four topics explained in this article:
a) Deconstructing Malaysia’s 2021 Import of Food Items
b) How Do We Fare Compared to Other Countries
c) Diet: A Changing Trend and the Influence on Malaysia’s Import
d) Self-sufficiency Level: Is It the Only Way to Measure Food Security?
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