Lockdowns whet appetite for organic food
«I started farming for my family, but I soon discovered that it's a viable and sustainable business,» he said, CHINA DAILY reports.
While Simon is happy that his passion has become a money-spinner, he did not expect the coronavirus pandemic to result in a windfall.
Soon after the Malaysian government imposed a movement control order, or MCO, in mid-March, the orders he received for produce rose to more than 100 as consumers forced to stay home bought food online.
Simon had to refuse most of these orders, as his farm can only produce 150 kilograms of vegetables a week. While the government has gradually eased lockdown measures in recent weeks, he believes that consumers will continue to buy directly from farmers, especially those who raise organic crops.
«In the past, Malaysians could buy vegetables everywhere, but because of the MCO, they started buying online. That's when they reached out to farmers and became more conscious of what and where they were buying,» Simon said.
Online shopping is now the norm in Southeast Asia, as governments throughout the region have enforced lockdown and social distancing measures to check the spread of the virus.
However, these measures have temporarily disrupted the supply of food from farms to cities and towns, with public transportation services suspended and trading outlets shuttered.
This situation has prompted urban residents to seek alternative ways to buy food.
One of the most popular options is to buy directly from farmers through e-commerce sites and social media networks. Meanwhile, others residents have started to grow vegetables at home.
Mary Ann Sayoc, public affairs lead for the East-West Seed Group, or EWS, said urban gardening has been a big hit in the Philippines during community quarantine.
EWS supplies seeds to wholesalers and distributors, but outlets had to close in March when the Philippine government introduced lockdown measures. Sayoc said her company then went online and started selling seeds directly to consumers.
As of mid-September, it had sold more than 30,000 seed pouches, and Sayoc said EWS would not quit the retail market anytime soon.
«Home gardening is not just a fad－it's part of the new normal. The pandemic has heightened public awareness of the importance of growing safe and nutritious vegetables for home consumption,» she said.
Wong Jin Quan, program manager at management consultancy Padang & Co, which is based in Singapore, expects governments in Southeast Asia to promote urban gardening even after the pandemic.
«Urban gardening will continue to grow as governments recognize it as a potential alternative to diversify food sources,» Wong said.
He added that as city population densities rise, food security will become a pressing issue.
«If anything, the pandemic has merely accentuated fault lines within global food supply chains and accelerated industry and governmental support for commercial urban gardens,» Wong said.
Starter kits
In the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture has allocated 400 million pesos ($8.26 million) to promote urban gardening. Agriculture Secretary William Dar said, «This is part of our household food security arsenal.»
The department is distributing starter kits to households and local governments to encourage them to grow vegetables.
Each kit contains a packet of assorted vegetable seeds, an instruction brochure and sample designs for pocket, container and community gardens.
Meanwhile, the Singapore Food Agency is leasing out the rooftops of public buildings for vegetables and other food crops to be grown. This program is in line with the city-state's «30 by 30» goal, which aims to produce 30 percent of its food locally by 2030.
Food and agriculture industry experts said the rise of urban gardening and buying directly from organic farmers are part of the farm-to-table social movement, which has gained traction in the region in recent years.
The movement became popular in the early 2000s, when advocates of sustainable agriculture promoted seasonal produce sourced directly from farms. This provides small farmers with more income, as they do not have to rely on middlemen for sales. Consumers are also assured of quality and safety, as they can trace the source of their food.
Advocates of the farm-to-table movement also promote the welfare of small farmers, the importance of an ecologically sound farming system, and the cultivation of heirloom crops－fruit, flower or vegetable varieties commonly grown before World War II, but which are not used in large-scale modern agriculture.
In Southeast Asia, the rapid rise of the regional economy has failed to boost the agriculture sector. From 2000 to 2015, the region recorded annual GDP growth of more than 5 percent.