Call it "grape expectations', but avid gardener Asari Rafie is sure he can defy the rigours of Singapore's tropical climate to produce grapes from the vines creeping along his balcony railings.
His green thumb has, since 1998, been turning out produce from rice to tomatoes in his home at Jurong East or at a nearby community garden. He has become so adept at gardening that he is almost self-sufficient, needing to buy only a little extra produce from markets.
The part-time taxi driver, 70, said his gardening has taught him the value of food - a lesson many Singaporeans are now also learning amid the disruptions to food supplies due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Nowadays, people just go to the supermarkets to buy food. It's very convenient, and I often see people wasting food, throwing it away."
The need to reduce food waste to boost Singapore's resilience has become a far more urgent issue in recent weeks.
As Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat noted after a visit to a local fish farm earlier this month: "We have to think about how we can reduce our own food waste. And in that way, we can meet our needs without excessive strain on the system."
Food security expert Paul Teng, an adjunct senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University, said disruptions to food supply during the pandemic are related to labour shortages.
Singapore's food security strategies have enabled it to tide over supply chain disruptions caused by Covid-19 so far, said Professor Teng.
"But if the crisis is a protracted one lasting more than six months, there might be a need for people to step up to supplement the Government's efforts," he added.
Prof Teng said community gardens could also provide a buffer in case of global food supply shocks, citing how such gardens helped people in Europe get through such periods during World War II.
Also, while high-tech farming initiatives may take time to ramp up, boosting local production by encouraging community gardening could be achieved over the shorter term.
"Vegetables, especially locally adapted and indigenous vegetables, are relatively easy to grow and maintain, and most have high nutritive value," he said. "In times of crisis, getting more community participation to deal with the crisis is important."
Mr Ng Cheow Kheng, group director for horticulture and community gardening at the National Parks Board, said the nationwide gardening movement has grown from one in 2005 to more than 1,500 community gardens today.
While community gardens are not permitted to sell their edible produce because they do not have a farm licence, the harvest is usually shared with fellow gardeners and neighbours.
Take Choa Chu Kang Park community gardeners. They recently came together to donate more than 120kg of their harvest to social organisations providing front-line services such as Bethany Nursing Home, said Mr Ng.
A Ministry of Trade and Industry spokesman said a multi-pronged strategy has been put in place over the years to ensure that there will be enough food and essential supplies for everyone as long as people buy in a responsible manner.
The spokesman added: "While we may have to make some adjustments to our choices in the short term, we have sufficient food supplies for all Singaporeans and will continue to review our strategies to ensure adequate supplies."
