The Global Food Security Index (GFSI) 2022 places Malaysia at 41, and the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry is working harder to move it up one spot.
The Global Food Security Index (GFSI) 2022 places Malaysia at 41, and the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry is working harder to move it up one spot.
Senior principal assistant secretary Syukrie Mohd Nasir of the ministry’s policy and strategic planning division said Malaysia, which received a score of 69.9 and performed moderately, saw a decrease of 1.6 points from the previous year.
“First, through the National Agrofood Policy 2021–2030 (DAN 2.0) and another Food Security Action Plan, we are creating specific Action Plans.”
“Thirdly, we are interacting with the various organisations that act as reference sources. We are also improving cross-agency coordination on data sharing.”
He stated in a keynote address at the Bursa-HLIB Stratum Focus Series XV (15th) here, “This includes the Statistics Department, Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, Health Ministry, and the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry.”
Additionally, according to Syukrie, the ministry is improving access to food resources by empowering marketing initiatives like Madani Agro Sales to all facets of society.
He claimed that the ministry plans to create a seed hub centre and have more seed varieties through its research and development activities, especially for paddy and rice, which are currently largely imported, as rising food prices continue to present challenges for the nation and the rest of the world.
He continued by saying that the ministry must also create an effective and welcoming investment policy, establish strategic alliances with various parties, including businesses with ties to the federal and state governments, and concentrate on modernising the agrifood sector through automation, mechanisation, and technology.
“We must have reliable baseline data. We are currently working with the World Bank on a study on digitalization in Malaysia to look at the most recent trends in technology adoption for the industry.
The adoption rate is currently only 0.4%, according to Syukrie.
The Global Food Security Index uses a dynamic scoring model with 28 distinct indicators to evaluate the availability, affordability, and quality of food in 113 different countries. These factors are measured in both developed and developing nations.