FOOD security has been a significant concern for Malaysians, particularly since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The fluctuation and volatility in food prices have also raised alarms regarding the nation’s food availability. The term food security has then often been associated with the prices of eggs and chicken, availability of rice, and the state of padi plantations.

However, food security extends far beyond the conventional concepts. It is not just about securing enough food, but also fostering self-reliance within communities, enabling them to sustain and thrive through their own sustainable means, drawing upon local knowledge and establishment of community support. My recent visit to a morning market or “tamu” in Tuaran, which is located 40km away from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah was an eye-opening experience. It reshaped my comprehension of food security. During the visit, my mentor brought me around and introduced me to all sorts of locally grown commodities, or also called “sayur kampung”, which are sold in siezable amounts that could prevent food waste. With unique local recipes, these commodities are favoured by the local communities who rely on their own food resources. From traditional vegetable like “terung pipit” (mini brinjals) to homemade fermented food “busou”, there was a high level of self-reliance and utilisation of local knowledge in translating a sustainable local food system. 

In other words, self-sufficiency in food security should encompass not only individual self-reliance but also empowerment of ground communities, facilitated and stimulated by affected bottom-up policy interventions. Some practices from New Zealand, which has navigated a broad spectrum of strategies to tackle food security, could provide some key perspectives that offer a fresh approach to understanding food security within the Malaysian context.

Community farming ensures empowerment, mutual support

Firstly, the concept of a Community Supported Agriculture model or crop sharing could be leveraged to encourage local farmers or even communities to farm. By participating in such programmes, communities in New Zealand invest in local community farmers, buy shares of their harvests, and ensure access to fresh, locally sourced produce. This not only promotes community camaraderie, but also nurtures self-reliance in securing fresh and wholesome food. At the same time, some local communities that run small stores within the community could be further empowered. Supporting local and small-scale stores is also a positive way to enhance food security as these stores often offer a diverse range of products, ensuring access to the specific foods we need while fostering entrepreneurship within our communities. 

Leveraging food, farming in rural and urban areas

Besides that, foraging for naturally growing, wild foods are also highly encouraged in New Zealand to safeguard food security at community level. Aside from reducing dependence on commercial sources, reviving ancestral knowledge, food foraging is also an indication of the community’s self-reliance. In the Malaysian context, food foraging is not only an advantage for rural communities. City folk could look out for edible greens such as “paku” and “raja ulam”, which are also part and parcel of the Malaysian’s local delights. To some degree, urban communities could also create container gardens, which is highly effective even in limited spaces to empower them to produce their own fresh vegetables and fruits, promoting self-sufficiency in food production and indirectly aid in mitigating the high cost of living.

Making farming and agricultural attractive

Willing Workers on Organic Farms, or better known as woofing, also presents an opportunity to gain valuable agricultural skills. It is a worldwide movement to connect   visitors with organic farmers working on organic farms to promote cultural and agricultural exchange. In exchange for food, accommodation, and agricultural skills, visitors or known as WWOOFers can enhance their self-reliance in food production by contributing labour to the organic farmer owners. In Malaysia, woofing is a relatively new concept and currently only 15 hosts are participating in this global network. Such community-based initiatives should be highly supported to enable wide range of income opportunity for the nation’s food producers, and simultaneously uplift the agricultural sector as an attractive sector to the younger generation. 

Food preservation using local knowledge

Preventing food wastage forms a key part of food security. Reducing food waste through effective food preservation techniques is essential for promoting self-reliance. Learning how to can, dry, and store food ensures that nothing goes to waste. In my “tamu” experience, many foods preserved are part of their daily dishes eaten with cooked staple food like rice and potatoes. This is certainly proof of how the local communities utilise their local knowledge in processing the food and reducing food waste. In Malaysia, we waste 17,000 tonnes of food daily, and out of these, 24% or 4,005 tonnes are still edible. The wasted food can feed 2.9 million people with three square meals a day. 

In essence, self-reliance is strong among many grassroot communities in Malaysia, and this needs support and empowerment. Running workshops on vegetable gardening, right ways to produce composition, and animal butchering can support the communities to take control of their food production. Sharing knowledge within the community is also a vital step towards self-sufficiency. Food producers ought to be acknowledged and encouraged as self-reliance in food security is most potent when communities work together. Sharing seedlings, collaborating on garden projects, and building strong community support networks all contribute to a resilient and self-sufficient food ecosystem. 

My “tamu” experience revealed that food security is not just about what is on our plates today, but also about empowering communities to provide for themselves, drawing on local knowledge and mutual support. By adopting these practices and policies, we can reshape our understanding of food security and work towards a more self-reliant, sustainable, and empowered future for Malaysia. – November 1, 2023.

* Iris Ng Pei Yi reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.