Industrialization and Sustainable Food Security: New Challenges for Malaysia
AbstractThis paper calls for a renewed analysis of industrial policies in light of recent threat to the food security agenda in Malaysia. In particular, three new challenges and their implications for food security policies are discussed. National strategies to promote economic liberalization since the 1980s undermine the development of sustainable food security agenda. These challenges include (1) realignment of national policies from agricultural based to industrial based, (2) conversion of agricultural land, and (3) increased imports of food. This paper argues that analysis on food security agenda highlights a fundamental contradiction at the heart of the industrial project. It contends that unless current agricultural policies are drastically reformed, traditional patterns of food insecurity will continue to pose a greater threat to sustainable food production in Malaysia. This paper concludes that strategic government intervention is required to promote food security in the country.KeywordsFood securityIndustrial policyFood productionSustainable development