Integrated policies for a resilient food system

LETTERS: When we hear about food security, many picture supermarket shelves stocked with rice, vegetables, meat and other essentials. But full shelves do not necessarily mean a food-secure nation. Food security is about whether people can consistently access sufficient, safe, nutritious and affordable food — today and during times of crisis. This is at the heart of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2), which calls for an end to hunger and all forms of malnutrition while promoting sustainable agriculture. For Malaysia, achieving zero hunger requires more than ensuring that food is available. It requires a food system that can withstand economic shocks, climate change, supply disruptions and changing consumer needs. We have a diverse food system, but it remains dependent on imports for several important commodities. Recent national statistics show high import dependency for products such as mutton and beef. Garlic, onions and some fruits are also substantially sourced from overseas. Such dependence is not automatically a weakness, but it can become a vulnerability when global prices rise, shipping routes are disrupted, or extreme weather affects production. Malaysia's Food Act 1983 provides an important legal foundation for food safety and consumer protection, supported by the Food Regulations 1985 and Food Hygiene Regulations 2009. These regulations establish requirements concerning food safety, hygiene, standards, labelling and other aspects of food control. The Food Safety Information System of Malaysia (FoSIM) further supports monitoring and regulatory implementation. However, food security cannot be achieved through food safety law alone. A food system begins long before food reaches the supermarket. Agricultural production, fisheries, livestock, food processing, distribution and trade all contribute to whether food remains available and affordable. Laws and policies covering these sectors therefore need to work together, not operate in isolation. Malaysia's National Agrofood Policy 2021–2030 (NAP 2.0) recognises the need for a sustainable, resilient and tech-driven agrofood sector. More recently, the National Food Security Policy 2030 has placed greater emphasis on strengthening the food system across production, distribution, consumption and food-waste recovery. Their success ultimately depends on implementation. Farmers, fishermen, livestock producers and food entrepreneurs must be supported not only to produce more, but to produce sustainably and remain economically viable. Technology can improve productivity, traceability and resource efficiency, but innovation must also be accessible to smaller producers. At the same time, consumers need better nutrition literacy so that food security is understood not simply as having enough calories, but as having access to safe and nutritious diets. There is another side to the food-security equation - what happens to the food that we already have. Food that is produced but wasted does not contribute to food security. Reducing household and food-service waste, improving storage and distribution, and finding opportunities to transform food by-products into useful ingredients can help make better use of existing resources. Ultimately, "availability is not accessibility". Food may be present in markets, yet still be unaffordable or nutritionally inadequate for some households. Thus, zero hunger must be approached through an interconnected framework involving the law, agriculture, economics, nutrition, environmental sustainability and responsible consumption. Food law can provide the backbone, but agricultural, economic, environmental and social policies must provide the strength to make food security a reality for everyone. The challenge is to connect them effectively. DR KAMINI SHANMUGAIAH Head, School of Law Enforcement, Malaysia University of Science and Technology (MUST)