Skewed priorities in Sabah's food policies: (Post-)pandemic mediated deglobalisation and food security

• Published in: Social and Political Deglobalisation: Covid-19, Conflict, and Uncertainties in Malaysia
• Main Author: Suffian F.
• Format: Book chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Nature 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85205409091&doi=10.1007%2f978-981-99-6823-7_9&partnerID=40&md5=a4a690bca507257c979940da4d221f08

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of food security globally, given that lockdowns and trade restrictions have disrupted related supply chains. Recent policies by various countries to impose export bans-specifically to secure domestic interests-are a sign of deglobalisation. This puts pressure on those which are dependent on food imports, particularly developing countries that prioritise industrial crops over agro-food production. Even within such countries, subnational variations exist. This chapter examines food policies in the Malaysian state of Sabah and highlights the specific challenges faced in expanding its agro-food subsector, particularly how its local food policy has received little priority. Instead, policymakers misallocate state resources (e.g., investment, technological advancement), implement ineffective policy configurations and pay less attention to the welfare of farmers as well as small- and medium-sized enterprises in this subsector, therefore stifling efforts to expand the food industry, especially paddy production. Thus, policymakers should emphasise food security and supply chains accordingly, given the need for serious effort to expand local production and capacity. © The Author(s), Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023. All rights reserved.