Examining Food Security in Singapore During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Necessarily Exploratory Study

Abstract

This dissertation was designed to assess Singapore’s current and projected food security based on the national response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and projected impacts of the country’s emerging agrotechnology sector outlined by the Singapore government’s “30 by 30” plan to increase food self-sufficiency from 10% to 30% by 2030. However, when the qualitative data collection concluded with a substantial non-response error, the dissertation shifted to a critical reflection on the research process and conducting research during a pandemic. An exploratory case-study research design was utilised to determine the extent of Singapore’s ability to fulfil the four pillars of food security – availability, accessibility, utilisation, and stability – and evaluate the reasons for non-response and necessity to redesign the method of inquiry. Results of this study demonstrated the value and potential of broadening examinations of the research subject area as well as the research method. The findings may offer researchers and academic advisors with a critically reviewed consolidation of data on Singapore’s food security policies and strategies, along with guidance on pursuing similar research projects that would mitigate the challenges of attempting data collection during a global public health crisis.