Latest news with #selfsufficiency
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Reducing our reliance on others for food — Suhaiza Hanim
JUNE 4 — Food security has become a significant concern in Malaysia, particularly concerning current global developments. Rising costs and a reliance on imports make it harder for many Malaysians, especially those in the B40 category who are already impoverished, to obtain reasonably priced, wholesome food. The ongoing global food crisis, which has been made worse by disruptions brought on by pandemics, geopolitical conflicts, and climate change, has also affected Malaysia. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), more than 60 per cent of Malaysia's staple goods, including rice, wheat, and dairy products, are imported. Since food prices increased by 8.9 per cent in 2023 alone, even a little increase in worldwide prices results in a greater cost of living for people here. This strain is challenging for B40 households, who spend over one-third of their income on food. Enhancing agriculture as a community-based approach to boost food security Given this, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has underlined the need for self-sufficiency as a crucial element of Malaysia's food security strategy. Though initiatives to expand domestic farming have shown potential, rapid development is hampered by structural issues such as smallholder farms' small size and high running costs. Additionally, the movement towards agritech has accelerated, with projects supporting smart irrigation, vertical agriculture, and sustainable agricultural methods. However, time and substantial financial commitment are needed for these endeavours. The farming industry in Malaysia, which now accounts for less than 10 per cent of GDP, would require significant reorganisation to facilitate a substantial rise in self-reliance. Food security has become a significant concern in Malaysia, particularly concerning current global developments. — Picture by Hari Anggara Insights from global models Similar issues have prompted aggressive actions from several countries. For instance, by integrating technology, Japan has effectively reduced its need for food imports. Japan has experienced a 15 per cent boost in agricultural productivity via robotic farming and precision agriculture techniques, dramatically reducing its reliance on imports for staple foodstuffs. The urban agriculture approach in South Korea also provides insightful information. Rooftop and communal gardens have been established in Seoul, giving city dwellers access to fresh vegetables while easing the burden on food imports. This strategy is mirrored in a pilot project in Penang that started in 2023 and has shown promise in urban areas; nevertheless, growth is required to have a quantifiable impact across the country. Meeting the B40 households' needs In this regard, the increase in food prices increases the danger of starvation and malnutrition among Malaysia's most vulnerable people, especially the B40. While community-based food banks have lessened part of this load, a more comprehensive strategy is required. Programmes such as Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH) and MyKasih have provided short-term respite, although they are sometimes insufficient considering the food inflation rate. Experts increasingly call for subsidies primarily for necessities to help those with lower incomes. According to economist Datuk Mohd Salleh, 'financial assistance should go hand-in-hand with capacity-building programmes that empower communities to grow their food,' underscoring the significance of social protection in ensuring food security. In Malaysia's densely populated areas, expanding urban farming programmes might give low-income families additional sources of income and a sustainable way out of food reliance. Setting out on a new path Malaysia must address both short-term demands and long-term risks to increase food security. Although attempts to fix prices through subsidies could offer temporary respite, a revolutionary approach emphasising independence and creativity is necessary. Apart from that, Malaysia's food industry may greatly benefit from the resources offered by the FAO's Global Initiative on Food Security, which supports sustainable agricultural production, especially in crop diversity and sustainable water management. To sum up, Malaysia has to actively encourage local agriculture while reforming its policies to address food insecurity. By reducing its reliance on foreign markets, Malaysia should better safeguard its citizens from price shocks and ensure that food is constantly available and affordable, especially for those in the B40. * Datin Seri Prof Dr Suhaiza Hanim Datuk Mohamad Zailani is the Director of the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies, Universiti Malaya. She may be reached at [email protected]. ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Piedmont Health presenting new laundry trailer to Compass For Hope
AUGUSTA, Ga (WJBF) – Compass For Hope is a community driven organization with a mission to help the homeless in our area be self-sufficient while offering aid for them to better their lives. The second laundry trailer was officially put into service Sunday and the Executive Director for Compass For Hope, Mike Garrison, says it will make a huge difference for the people in need. 'It's such a blessing. I always say that we're chasing a crazy dream trying to help homeless people and it's so wonderful when companies and organizations like Piedmont get on board with us and support that crazy dream that we've got,' Garrison said. Garrison explains they were only able to do around 8 loads of laundry with one trailer, but now they are able to double that to 16. He says it may attract more people, and they will hopefully be able to give them fresh clothes. 'Clothing is a very unique situation with the homeless community because regardless of the manufacturer, it's only valuable until it can be replaced. Now with us being able to launder some clothing maybe we extend the life of some of those garments that they have and stuff doesn't end up as trash on the streets,' said Garrison. Piedmont Health is the sponsor presenting the trailer to Compass For Hope. One of the board members with Piedmont Health, Hugh Hamilton, says it was an honor to be able to do something like this and got emotional speaking about the impact compass for hope has in our community. 'In all of our busy lives there are things that go on that we are just not aware of and this is a real eye opening experience to come here and see how many people need this service and the wonderful job they do to serve our community,' said Hamilton. The organization hopes to make an even bigger impact in our area with this additional trailer. If you wish to learn more about Compass For Hope you can find the link here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Truth behind Hannah Spearritt's 'off-grid', prepper life in Costa Rica, her VERY environmentally unfriendly car and her unlikely shopping habits
Former S Club 7 star Hannah Spearritt has recently delighted her Instagram followers with posts from her idyllic new tropical home in Costa Rica, where she and her partner Adam Thomas are determined to 'live off the land'. Hannah, 44, changed her bio to: 'Prepper, survivalist and creator now living the uninhibited jungle life.' But as these exclusive photos show, even an eco-warrior needs the occasional visit to the supermarket in their gas-guzzling 4x4. Last week, Adam, 45, loaded up the couple's 3.0 litre diesel Hi Lux pick-up with the weekly shop at the huge BM supermarket in Dominical, about half an hour down the mountain from where the couple and their two young daughters have based themselves. Hannah and Adam's hillside estate with its own waterfalls and stunning views of lush green valleys is a far cry from their life in Britain, which they waved goodbye to in January. Hannah announced to her 348k Instagram followers that the couple now plan to 'learn permaculture' so they can 'live off the land' growing fruit and vegetables. But locals and other expats in the hills above Dominical on Costa Rica's Pacific coast, told MailOnline that the challenges of self-sufficiency can be 'immense'. 'Of course it depends on several factors such as how much dough you have, how much land and above all, how much experience,' said an American member of the local ex-pat Facebook group, Domi Crew. 'It can be done, of course, but there are a lot of people who've tried and underestimated how difficult it is, then been forced to look for some other kind of paid work instead to get by.' If that should happen to Hannah and Adam, there would be plenty of opportunities in the thriving tourist and surfing resort of Dominical, should the couple decide to work. The town is less than half an hour's drive down the mountain in their huge gas-guzzling 3.0 litre diesel Toyota Hi Lux pick-up which Hannah showed off on Instagram recently. There is a wide range of luxury hotels, yoga retreats, craft breweries, high-end restaurants, natural food stores, fast food restaurants and a huge BM supermarket, where the couple have both been seen. Though some Instagram followers have assumed the couple's wooden house with glorious views of the sunrise from the terrace would be 'off grid', it almost certainly is not. More than 99 per cent of the many villas and farms dotted in the forest are on mains electriicty and most boast air conditioning and high-speed internet as well, delivered either by fibre optic cable or satellite. Judging by photos posted by Adam on Facebook in their airy kitchen with a high vaulted ceiling, the family won't lack any mod cons in the home. At the supermarket this week, MailOnline spotted Adam loading a trolley high with goods including loo paper and bread to take home. Before heading back to their apartment, he emptied the truck of some rubbish including a soft drink cup from McDonald's. One real estate agent in Dominical told MailOnline: 'There is a very healthy property market around here and it's driven by foreigners. Many of them are digital nomads running their business from here because it's beautiful, with the jungle, the beaches and the quality of life. 'But actually making a living from the land is a tough job, unless you have significant resources and know-how, or have enough property to rent it out to paying guests.' It's not known how much capital Hannah and Adam have between them, but their plans to open a holistic food store in Twickenham had to be shelved last year, reportedly because of spiralling costs. The commercial property in the heart of Twickenham village, bought in Hannah's name in November 2018 for £520,000 with a mortgage, was sold in March, having been on the market for £900,000. Adam announced the couple's move to Central America back in January with a foul-mouthed attack on Britain, declaring 'F*** the UK and f*** the f***ing lot of them. We GOOONE!!!'. His intemperate Facebook post was accompanied by a sweet photo of his two daughters, Taya, five and four-year-old Tora, in a hammock at their stunning rain forest house. But the bitter tone of his invective against politicians of all hues, and 'nosey jobsworth c***s in every government department and the NHS' raised another question. Could an ugly incident which saw the couple clash with police and social workers three years ago over an injury to their baby daughter have been a factor in their decision to quit Britain? The move to Costa Rica brought to an end a well-publicised nightmare few years for Hannah, which included the death of her ex-boyfriend and band member Paul Cattermole in 2023, her awkward departure from S Club 7, a disastrous breast implant surgery resulting in years of ill health and a spell in rehab to wean her off powerful pain killers. But less well known is one of the darkest chapters in her 2023 autobiography, Facing the Music, billed as a 'searingly candid memoir', concerning a clash between the couple and social services. In December 2022, while house-sitting for friends in Virginia Water, Surrey, press reports branded the couple 'homeless' while they were between rental flats. When then toddler Tora suffered an injury, believed to be caused by a dog jumping up and scratching her eyelid, Hannah wrote: 'We found ourselves on the radar of social services, an absolutely ridiculous situation to be in, totally unjustified.' She recalled the horrific incident when she ran toward the sound of Tora's screams: 'The scene that I came upon in the living room will stay with me forever. Tora was standing on the couch, eyelids horrifically lacerated and the worst facial injury I've ever seen.' At the hospital, she wrote: 'One of the nurses came in, and asked Adam if she could have a word with him outside. What I didn't know was that as soon as he left the room, the police were waiting for him and arrested him, taking him off in handcuffs. 'What was already a terrible situation had ramped up to something indescribable'. Hannah claimed that media reports about their temporary homelessness had somehow convinced the authorities that it was likely that one or other of them had inflicted their daughter's injuries. She said: 'It's truly frightening to think that someone with absolutely zero evidence can paint a picture like that which influences someone being arrested and locked up while their daughter lies in a hospital bed, waiting for major surgery.' She added: 'It felt like persecution, one of those police states that people talk about. 'Honestly, I don't think I can ever forgive the people responsible, although we've made every effort to forget about it, and them, as quickly as possible.' Nevertheless, while the social services conducted their investigation, she said, the family had to live in accommodation where other responsible adults were present. She added: 'This was adding insult to serious injury and bearing in mind my gradual decline in health generally, I was really beginning to despair.' It wasn't the first time Adam Thomas had been investigated for alleged violence. In 2016, he was charged with attacking Hannah in a domestic argument, and intimidating a witness. But when the case came to trial, it collapsed, and he was found not guilty of common assault and witness intimidation during a hearing at Kingston Crown Court. The court heard that three prosecution witnesses were not available and that the case could not proceed. Adam Thomas was found not guilty and discharged. Hannah and Adam are believed to have chosen Costa Rica to settle after enjoying a trip to the stunning location in 2018. The visit originally inspired them to set up the café, Fire and Earth, in Twickenham in 2022. However, it was never ready to open fully and they sold up earlier this year. A source said: 'It's the latest in a sequence of setbacks. The new plan is selling up and moving to Costa Rica to live off the land.' Meanwhile Hannah, who has suffered from an autoimmune condition since 2013, had been set to join her former band on their comeback tour in 2023 but pulled out following a feud over contracts. Following the row, the other members - Rachel Stevens, Jo O'Meara, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh and Tina Barrett – announced that they would continue as a five-piece. All the mod cons are available to the family with 99 per cent of the many villas and farms dotted in the forest are on mains electricity and most boast air conditioning and high-speed internet Hannah was said to have been blindsided by the S Club announcement, with her being left on bad terms with the band in which she rose to fame in the early 2000s. She then reportedly drafted in lawyers and made the bold move to release her autobiography on the same day the band would have taken to the stage. Before Paul's death, all seven members of the chart-topping band initially confirmed they were reuniting for a landmark 25th anniversary tour. Hannah initially refused to join the line-up, citing a lack of childcare and only agreed to join when music manager Simon Fuller offered to pay for nannies to come along. Two months later, band member Paul died, and Hannah then accepted a five-figure sum to tell her story, which left a bitter taste in the remaining band member's mouths. The Dancing On Ice star apologised to S Club's fans for deciding to leave but said she had to do what was best for herself and her family.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
The Berkshire farm where it is always a perfect summer's day
With climate change making life increasingly difficult for some farmers, and rising political tensions around the world often disrupting the food supply chain, a Berkshire company is looking at how we can become more Innovation Agritech Group is growing crops indoors 365 days a to grow in the British climate, basil, coriander and lettuce leaves are being nurtured on a series of 16ft by 16ft (5m by 5m) vertical this is not, but, at IAG's indoor farm in Bracknell, the agricultural technology company is looking at providing herbs and foods in the UK all year round. Farmers fear what a prolonged dry spell will mean for harvests later this year. Last year, England suffered its second worst on not looking after her 300 cattle on her farm near Swindon, Wiltshire, Liz Webster heads up the Save British Farming campaign group. She said the changing climate is a huge challenge to her policies in recent years have prioritised the environment over food production, she said, adding: "We have exposed ourselves to a huge deluge of imports, which is destroying our home production and that's plainly ludicrous." Experts such as the University of Reading's Prof Richard Tiffin have said while the UK does import huge quantities of fruit and vegetables, it is more self-sufficient than most, at least when it comes to the basics. The director of science said it was a different story when it comes to soft fruits and more exotic vegetables."We're about 75% self-sufficient when it comes to things we can produce domestically. In fruit, we're probably around 15% self-sufficient," he said."However, the last thing you want is to be 100% self-sufficient. Not only is it extremely difficult to achieve but that also means you're at the behest of the weather in your own country." He said we could take a leaf from the Netherlands' book. The Dutch are masters of growing the most fragile of fruits and herbs indoors, in tightly controlled environments, he said."They're a relatively small land country and it's undoubtedly the case the government has invested heavily in some of these indoor production facilities and we're probably behind that," said Prof Tiffin."They're a role model we should be following." In Bracknell, IAG is taking the weather and climate change out of the equation, creating an indoor farm where every day is a perfect summer's dayThe lighting system mimics the rise and fall of the sun, with the light each plant gets tweaked to suit the species' individual preference. IAG's commercial director Dean Barron said plants in most indoor farms sit in water trays using a system called hydroponicsBut IAG is planting individual seedlings in coir plugs, where minimal water is said: "We use a system called aeroponics because we believe that getting oxygen to the roots is a lot better than having it stood in water."The system uses 95% less water than standard agriculture and 30-35% less than hydroponic processes, said Mr Barron. Growing everything this way means they are also immune from outside events like the war in Ukraine or the flash floods which hit parts of Spain last autumn, destroying thousands of hectares of fruit and vegetables."We can grow in here 365 days a year. Border closures don't then come into play so we won't have to rely on imports that way either, whether that be by sea, air or whatever.," Mr Barron said. Indoor farming is just one of the solutions being looked at to make our food sector more there is one big problem - power like IAG's hoover up large amounts of is suggesting we should be aiming to produce everything indoors but Prof Tiffin said we could do much worse than follow the lead of the country better known for tulips, windmills and clogs.
Free Malaysia Today
09-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Indonesia seeks to end rice imports this year as output jumps
Indonesia's rice output has been forecast to increase 11% in the first half, according to the statistics bureau. (Wikimedia Commons pic) JAKARTA : Indonesia is set to stop importing rice this year for the first time in decades, thanks to surging production and stockpiles in one of the world's top growers of the staple food. 'Domestic output is expected to increase to at least US33.8 million tonnes in 2026, up from a target of 32.8 million tonnes this year,' said vice minister of agriculture Sudaryono. 'National rice reserves more than doubled to 4 million tonnes in May from 1.7 million tonnes in January, as production improved following a drought-induced slump last year,' according to ministry data. The plan supports President Prabowo Subianto's ambition to reduce reliance on other countries. Since taking office in October, he has been championing food self-sufficiency in the world's fourth-most populous nation, where 280 million people consume around 30 million tonnes of rice annually. Prabowo's campaign has gained momentum amid rising global tensions and climate disruptions. Indonesia imported 4.65 million tonnes of rice in 2023-24, the highest since 1997-98, due to crop damage from El Nino, according to US department of agriculture data. The nation has bought rice every season since at least the 1960s, the agency's figures show. 'Having food security is like preventing people from getting sick,' Sudaryono, who like many Indonesians uses one name, said in an interview on Wednesday. 'It is cheaper than curing them,' Sudaryono added. The expanded reserves could even allow for exports, a rare phenomenon in the nation. 'At least two neighbouring countries, Malaysia and the Philippines, have asked to buy rice from Indonesia, said Sudaryono. 'Currently, about 1,000 tonnes is being prepared for shipment to Malaysia's Sabah and Sarawak,' he said. Indonesia produced 8.61 million tonnes of rice in the first quarter, a 53% jump from the same period last year, thanks to more favourable weather during the rainy season. 'With additional efforts taken to boost output during the dry season of May through July, production may beat the target,' he said. Indonesia's rice output is forecast to increase 11% in the first half, according to the statistics bureau. Sudaryono said that around 37,000 of the ministry's so-called agriculture extension workers have been deployed across the nation to help farmers lift their output. The ministry also sought help from the military to assist with the process. 'Each of them monitors two or three villages to identify what needs to be done and what we can provide to help them boost production. 'Every day, they report to the officials in Jakarta who will then take proper actions,' he said. The government also plans to convert more swamps into rice fields this year by installing a drainage system so that water can be evenly distributed. 'Swamp areas are mostly under water and become suitable for planting only during the dry season, when water levels drop,' he said. The target is to convert 500,000 hectares of swamps into farmland this year, up from 350,000 hectares in 2024.
