“Hey bro, we Singaporeans number 1 again leh.”
Really ah, in what?
“Guess la, very cool one.”
Hmm, that we are number 1 in Mathematics and Science?
“No la, that one lose to China already lol.”
Oh, I know! Singapore Airlines number 1 again right.
“No leh that one lose to Qatar already.”
Walao eh then we number 1 in what.
“We number 1 in eating good food la!”
Walao eh this one also proud…
“Bro you cannot tell meh just look at your stomach area.”
Bro, you going to be Number 1 person slaughtered by me.
Singaporeans best-fed two years in a row
Although this fact came as a surprise to me, I got over the surprise pretty quickly after examining how squishy my midsection turned out to be, and the fact that I must always have chocolate on my table (like really).
Singapore has been determined to be the most well-fed population in the world by the Global Food Security Index.
It assesses whether people have adequate access to nutritious food that meets their needs.
The Index judges for three criteria: affordability, physical access to food, the safety of food, and how nutritious it is.
How did we Singaporeans become number 1 in inexpensive and nutritious food, considering that we spend 5 dollars on sugary bubble tea drinks every other day?
Well, it seems like normal people do not drink as much bubble tea as me, myself and I.
For ordinary food items, food in Singapore is plentiful and accessible, with prices being extremely low at coffee shops, for instance.
An interesting reason as to why Singapore’s food security is so strong is because of its policy of food source diversification.
Food source diversification means that Singapore will try to source for food from many different countries, and not depend on any single source, so as to ensure a strong and continuous supply of food.
Last year, Singapore has imported its food from more than 180 countries, compared to 140 countries in 2004.
Furthermore, there are local farms that utilising new technology and government subsidies to provide new variety of food options.
A key factor is due to Singaporeans’ increased purchasing power
(i.e. Singaporeans got more money to spend)
This means that Singaporeans have been able to better afford food, and also opt for more nutritious and healthier foods that might have costed more.
Okay in spite of all the jokes and the amazing fact that food in Singapore is plentiful, we should always remember that that was not always the case, and that food is still scarce for many people around the world and even in Singapore.
Let us be grateful for the food we have and not waste any arbitrarily.
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Happy eating!
Now, please excuse me as I go for my second lunch. What, you guys only have lunch once a day?