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AS the global winds of war heighten due to US president Donald Trump’s art of the diplomatic deal, fears are growing about the world’s food security. According to research journal Nature , Russia and Ukraine play critical roles in global food supply as well as in feed and fertiliser production. In fact, the two “breadbasket” countries are reported to export more than 54% of the world’s supply of wheat, barley, and oats.
It is no surprise that the current tensions have raised serious concerns; United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation data shows that three years of the Russia-Ukraine war have not only disrupted Ukraine’s crop production and the global food supply-chain, but also exacerbated a global rise in food prices. Furthermore, over 20 nations, including Asia’s emerging wheat basket India, have declared stringent prohibitions and restrictions on grain exports after the start of the war, worsening the global grain supply and food availability. As for Malaysia, although it has reduced its dependency on the Black Sea region’s products, it still imports around 20% of its fertiliser from Russia.
“The global landscape we see today is one of where food security has become a pressing concern,” notes Assoc Prof Dr Bakri Mat from Universiti Utara Malaysia. “From the recent Covid-19 pandemic to conflict zones, food security is often synonymous with crisis. And this is about more than just availability; it is about access, utilisation, and stability.
“And in time of crisis, food can even become a weapon and manipulated as a tool in geopolitical conflict.” Food security Malaysia imports over 60% of its food needs; according to Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, Malaysia’s total agricultural food imports from January to November 2023 amounted to RM71.6bil.
In a written reply in Dewan Rakyat last year, Mohamad said grains and grain products, which are imported from Australia and South America, had the highest import cost, RM10.84bil. Imports of animal feed material came up to RM7.
85bil while meat and meat products totalled around RM6.61bil. Assoc Prof Bakri explains that food security refers to ensuring that all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.
“But when a crisis happens, whether due to supply disruption, economic instability, or political unrest, this access becomes threatened.” The food security expert was speaking at the recent “Realising the Right to Food in Malaysia: Bridging Gaps and Ensuring Food for All” forum organised by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) in Kuala Lumpur. The forum gathered researchers, civil society members and private stakeholders as well as policymakers to discuss the challenges in Malaysia’s food system, including the government’s role in ensuring people’s right to food.
Suhakam chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Hishamudin Yunus reiterates that food is not just a commodity but a basic human right. Highlighting a UN report that showed up to 757 million people had gone hungry in 2023, with 900 million facing food insecurity, he adds that while Malaysia enjoys economic growth, food accessibility remains a serious challenge, particularly for urban poor communities. “The government should adopt a human rights-based approach to food security and social protection.
Malaysia should also ratify the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, which recognises the right to adequate food,” he says. Concurring, Parti Sosialis Malaysia chairman Dr Jeya-kumar Devaraj also warns that Malaysia is highly vulnerable to food supply disruptions, as the country produces only 31% of its calorific needs. He points out that a global crisis affecting supply chains could lead to severe food shortages as Malaysia relies heavily on rice and wheat imports.
“If a global supply crisis occurs, richer countries will stockpile essential food items and Malaysia may struggle to secure enough supply at affordable prices. Local rice production remains insufficient, covering only about half of national demand,” he says. Weaponising food A food security crisis can exacerbate hunger and unrest, and deepen political instability, says Assoc Prof Bakri, who cites the 2008 food price crisis that led to internal and regional conflicts across the globe, such as in Haiti, Thailand, and Tunisia – which later contributed to the start of the so-called Arab Spring in 2010.
“So if you look at Tunisia, for example, you see that the Tunisian uprising started in the rural areas, where a young man running a vegetable stand set himself on fire to protest the high cost of living and corruption in the country, and protest then spread across the region as the Arab Spring.” The Covid-19 pandemic, which broke out in 2020, meanwhile has shown how both global and domestic food systems can further be disrupted, he adds. “Today, countries have responded to food security in various ways.
Exporting countries often ban exports, while importing countries experience shortages and high prices.” But what is even more alarming is the deliberate use of food as a weapon, Assoc Prof Bakri highlights. “Throughout history, food has been weaponised, manipulated to achieve political and military objectives.
“This can take many forms, such as blockades, sanctions, sieges, or control of food aid. And countries in crisis, or those already struggling with food insecurity, are often the most vulnerable,” he says, referring to four categories of countries as mentioned in a 2022 FAO report. Beyond this direct deprivation, food security can also be undermined through the destruction of infrastructure, such as farms, crops, storage facilities, crippling local production, and making the population dependent on external aid, he adds.
“Market manipulation further weaponises food by inflating prices, making basic necessities unaffordable for vulnerable groups. “Additionally, both natural and man-made famines can be exploited to destabilise the region, force population displacement, or suppress political opposition, turning hunger into a tool for power and control.” Lessons for Malaysia Fortunately, Malaysia does not rely much on Russia and Ukraine for our food imports, says Assoc Prof Bakri.
However, it is still very important to note that any global conflict can cause disruption in the supply chain, he stresses. “So what are the lessons learned from Malaysia? I think we need to focus on facilitating trade. And second, diversification.
Third, we need to learn from the action taken by others, especially Qatar,” he says. In 2017, he says, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt imposed a blockade on Qatar, cutting off the country’s mainland route and limiting its food imports. “This resulted in about 40% of Qatar’s food supply being cut off.
There were initial concerns of food shortages. However, with Qatar’s rapid response, there was no significant food crisis.” The main steps taken by Qatar were to diversify its food imports and invest in the development of a domestic agricultural sector.
“Qatar immediately turned to alternative suppliers such as Turkey and Iran. Air and sea routes were established to ensure continuous food supplies. “Qatar also rapidly invested in domestic agriculture, particularly dairy production.
By 2018, Qatar became 95% self-sufficient in dairy production,” he says. The Arab peninsular also built a substantial strategic food reserve of essential staples like wheat and rice, ensuring long-term food security. By 2019, the country had managed to stockpile food reserves for the use of its own population in times of any emergency.
“So we need to emphasise on diplomatic flexibility and improve our domestic production. And also we must not forget the importance of strategic reserves. “Right now, I’m not so sure how long our food reserves can last.
I think about 4.4 months, inclusive of everything. According to records, we have about 290,000 tonnes of rice reserve kept by Bernas,” he says, adding that it is also vital to encourage public awareness.
(Bernas is Malaysia’s state trading enterprise in the international rice market.) Jeyakumar meanwhile suggests that tubers such as tapioca and sweet potatoes be cultivated as alternative carbohydrate sources in the country. He also urges the government to implement stricter policies to protect agricultural land and prioritise food security over short-term profits.
“If we don’t act now, we will pay the price when the next crisis hits,” Jeyakumar says..
