Food Security

Food Security?
I saw an article in The Straits Times about ensuring food security for Singapore, by investing in agriculture farms (i think, vegetables and crops) in China.
They would be led by SFI (Singapore Food Industries), a Government-Linked-Company.

Furthermore, SFI would study the feasibility of setting up pig farms in China.

I can't find the exact article about the argicultural investment by Singapore, but I found a linked article regarding the SFI feasibility studies.

"The long—term objective is to provide supply of food, not just for local consumption, and export to Singapore, which is in line with the overall objective of ensuring food security in Singapore," Mr Mah said.

Generally, if you want food security, you probably mean you want food security in uncertain times, where food supplies are limited and the market is disrupted.

In normal times, you can easily purchase food from the market. Even if prices are high, as long as the market function normally, Singapore, as a relatively wealthy country should not be facing food security issues.

So the grip of it is that countries want to ensure food security in abnormal times. Where money alone may not secure food for your population. This fear was stroked recently with competing demands of food supplies (bio-fuels), and dwindling supplies (droughts in Australia, for example), and many countries restricted the export of food crops. Some countries such as India, Vietnam limited the export of rice, even with adequate supplies for their home countries. These unnecessary restricted stroked panics and created disruption in the market supply, inducing even more exporting countries to exercise caution and importing countries to fear.
(note: thank the credit crisis for putting a stop to inflation and fall in price of your fragrant rice)

So we are worried of food security in irrational times. I am not sure of the wisdom of putting Singapore food farms in the world's most populated country. China has vast amount of mouths to feed, and limited agricultural land. As it is now, it is a net importer of food. Furthermore, as an authoritarian government, the right to rule rest on the responsibilities to take care and feed her citizens. In times of crisis, I believe that the China government would take every opportunity to ensure food security for her own citizens. And I would not blame them for that.

So what kind of a food security is this, investing farms in China?