Singapore MPs to Table Motion on Food Resilience and Waste Reduction

Four People's Action Party parliamentarians from the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) on sustainability and the environment will table a private member's motion calling on the government to enhance food resilience and reduce food waste. The motion, which will be debated starting September 8, seeks to ensure access to affordable food amid climate related risks and geopolitical uncertainties, including Middle East conflicts and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

The MPs behind the motion include GPC chair Poh Li San, deputy chair Nadia Ahmad Samdin, Valerie Lee, and Ng Shi Xuan. They intend to urge the government to strengthen local food production capability, improve supply chain resilience, and support the alternative protein industry. Ms Nadia suggested rethinking the treatment of agricultural land and considering food resilience as a priority during Singapore's 2027 chairmanship of ASEAN.

Regarding food waste, Ms Poh noted that Singapore generated nearly 800,000 tonnes of food waste in 2025, averaging approximately 128kg to 130kg per person annually. The MPs plan to call for better coordination within the food redistribution ecosystem and greater support for food charities. They also intend to ask the government to distinguish between food loss, which occurs before consumption, and food waste, which occurs after, to better target solutions.

While both reports cover the same policy goals, they differ slightly in focus. The center leaning report emphasizes the need for upstream infrastructure improvements and public stewardship. The center right leaning report places more emphasis on the specific economic drivers, such as rising prices, and the role of food technology and young Singaporeans in the industry.