# New Singapore Food Agency to Oversee Food Safety and Security, the National Parks Board to Oversee Animal and Wildlife Management, as well as Animal and Plant Health

- **Source:** Ministry of National Development
- **Published:** 2018-07-26T02:30:00.000Z
- **Author:** Ministry of National Development
- **Original:** https://www.mnd.gov.sg/newsroom/press-releases/view/new-singapore-food-agency-to-oversee-food-safety-and-security-the-national-parks-board-to-oversee-animal-and-wildlife-management-as-well-as-animal-and-plant-health
- **Topics:** Government & Policy

## Featured rationale

Consolidated oversight may streamline regulation for farms and food businesses, potentially supporting investment in space-efficient urban farming and related agricultural property operations.

## AI summary

The Singapore Food Agency was formed while AVA’s non-food plant and animal functions transferred to NParks, with both changes taking effect on 1 April 2019.

## Original article

Consolidation of functions and integration of expertise will enhance service delivery and deepen capabilities 

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA), a new statutory board, will be formed under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) to oversee food safety and security. SFA will bring together food-related functions currently carried out by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA). The integration will enhance regulatory oversight over all food related matters from farm to fork and further strengthen our food safety regime. It will facilitate better partnership with food businesses to develop new capabilities and solutions, and seize future opportunities. SFA will also provide better services to Singaporeans and businesses by harmonising regulations across the three agencies.

In parallel, all non-food plant and animal related functions of AVA will be transferred to the National Parks Board (NParks) under the Ministry of National Development (MND). NParks will become the lead agency for animal and wildlife management, as well as animal and plant health, and will work closely with the community and other stakeholders to enhance Singapore’s positioning as a City in a Garden. 

Mr Lim Kok Thai, Chief Executive Officer of AVA, will be concurrently appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (Designate) of SFA.

Lead Agency to Develop Food Supply and Industry – “From Farm to Fork” 

As the lead agency for food-related matters, SFA will partner food businesses to strengthen capabilities, tap on technologies to raise productivity, undertake research to develop new lines of business, and catalyse industry transformation. This will be done in collaboration with economic agencies such as EDB, Enterprise Singapore and A*STAR. Our local producers can provide vegetables and fish supplies that are protected from adverse environmental conditions by tapping into innovative technologies in high-tech farming and aquaculture that enable intensified production via controlled processes. Examples include vertical vegetable farms that optimise space, and indoor fish farming that reuse treated water. By working closely with all stakeholders, SFA will strengthen Singapore’s food security and resilience against geopolitical risks and climate change, and position our companies to seize exciting opportunities in the future economy. 

SFA will also facilitate more business-friendly regulations with oversight of all food safety and food security policies. For example, by harmonising licensing standards and combining existing licenses for food businesses, including farmers, food manufacturers, food retailers and food service operators, businesses will be able to adapt and transform their business models seamlessly and look at new ways to grow their operations. SFA will be better positioned to engage food establishments that are currently licensed by NEA and AVA, and support them on their plans. 

AVA, NEA and HSA have been working together to regulate food safety across the food supply chain, from production, import and manufacturing to retail. SFA brings together all food-related resources and capabilities to enhance food safety, and will oversee food safety regulations across the entire chain. A dedicated agency will strengthen our management of foodborne disease outbreaks to protect public health, through closer coordination of responses to food-related issues, including product tracing and recall, and engagement of various stakeholders and the public. This enables the SFA to address lapses more quickly and more holistically, and streamline public feedback to one point of contact. 

To deepen our capabilities in food safety, a National Centre for Food Science (NCFS) will be established under SFA to consolidate the food laboratory capabilities of the three agencies under one roof. The NCFS will bring together key competencies in food diagnostics, and research and development in food safety to ensure that food continues to be safe for consumption and standards are benchmarked internationally. 

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli said: “Safeguarding Singapore’s food supply is increasingly challenging due to the complexities of global food supply chains as well as the impacts of climate change. We are already seeing the effects of climate change, such as plankton blooms from warmer sea waters and increasingly erratic rainfall patterns. The formation of the SFA is timely as Singapore aims to turn our food challenges into strategic advantages. The SFA will work closely with industry and R&D partners to develop new solutions and products, and seize global opportunities in the food industry. These could include climate-resilient farming solutions, advanced food manufacturing techniques, and food products with the Singapore quality assurance. Doing this will help make our food supply future-ready, and provide good jobs to Singaporeans in the food industry.”

City in a Garden

Singaporeans appreciate living in a City in a Garden. However, given our dense urban living environment, there is a need to carefully manage how people co-exist harmoniously with wildlife and domestic animals. The transfer of AVA’s plant and animal related functions will allow NParks to provide one-stop service to Singaporeans and stakeholders on animal management and animal welfare issues, manage human-animal interactions, and improve the detection of and response to zoonotic diseases. 

A new Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) will be formed under NParks, as the main touch-point on animal-related issues for pet owners and businesses, and animal welfare groups. It will also take on AVA’s current role as the first responder for animal-related feedback, and continue to uphold high standards in animal welfare and health. 

With a comprehensive overview of urban and natural ecologies, NParks will be better positioned to manage human-animal interactions as they become increasingly complex and interrelated in the future. Combining NParks’ expertise in wildlife conservation and horticultural science, and AVA’s in animal and plant health, and animal management, will ensure that efforts to conserve Singapore’s natural heritage are holistic and science-based.

Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee said: “While we have done well to balance urban development and conservation of our natural heritage, there are opportunities to achieve greater synergy by bringing together the plant and animal roles. All of us have a collective responsibility to protect our flora and fauna. With NParks as the lead agency for animal and wildlife management, as well as animal and plant health, we will work more closely with stakeholders to develop a science-based management approach, with holistic strategies and more effective responses.” 

The formation of SFA and the transfer of functions to NParks will take effect on 1 April 2019. In the interim, AVA, NEA, HSA and NParks will continue to carry out their existing functions. The agencies will continue to consult and engage stakeholders and industry partners. As part of the re-organisation, they will also revisit and fine-tune regulations and processes.

## Chinese translation

> Translation model: grok_cli

### 新设新加坡食品局统筹食品安全与粮食安全，国家公园局统筹动物与野生动物管理以及动植物卫生

整合职能与汇集专长将提升服务交付并深化能力

新法定机构新加坡食品局（SFA）将在环境及水源部（MEWR）属下成立，以统筹食品安全与粮食安全。新加坡食品局将整合目前由新加坡农粮与兽医局（AVA）、国家环境局（NEA）及卫生科学局（HSA）负责的食品相关职能。此项整合将加强对从农场到餐桌所有食品相关事务的监管，并进一步强化我们的食品安全体系。它将促进与食品企业更好合作，以发展新能力与解决方案，并把握未来机遇。新加坡食品局也将通过协调三家机构的条例，为新加坡人及企业提供更好服务。

与此同时，农粮与兽医局所有非食品相关的植物与动物职能将移交国家发展部（MND）属下的国家公园局（NParks）。国家公园局将成为动物与野生动物管理以及动植物卫生的主导机构，并将与社区及其他利益相关方密切合作，加强新加坡作为花园中的城市的定位。

农粮与兽医局首席执行官林国泰先生将同时获委任为新加坡食品局候任首席执行官。

发展粮食供应与产业的主导机构——“从农场到餐桌”

作为食品相关事务的主导机构，新加坡食品局将与食品企业合作，加强能力、运用科技提高生产力、开展研究以开拓新业务线，并催化产业转型。这将与经济发展局（EDB）、企业发展局（Enterprise Singapore）及科技研究局（A*STAR）等经济机构协作进行。本地生产者可通过运用高科技农业与水产养殖的创新技术，在受控流程下实现集约化生产，从而提供免受不利环境条件影响的蔬菜与鱼类供应。例子包括优化空间的垂直蔬菜农场，以及循环使用经处理水的室内养鱼。通过与所有利益相关方密切合作，新加坡食品局将加强新加坡的粮食安全及应对地缘政治风险与气候变化的韧性，并协助我国企业把握未来经济的机遇。

新加坡食品局也将在统筹所有食品安全与粮食安全政策的基础上，推动更有利于营商的条例。例如，通过协调发牌标准并合并现有食品企业（包括农民、食品制造商、食品零售商及餐饮服务经营者）执照，企业将能无缝适应与转型商业模式，并探索扩展业务的新途径。新加坡食品局将更能与目前由国家环境局及农粮与兽医局发牌的食品场所互动，并支持其发展计划。

农粮与兽医局、国家环境局及卫生科学局一直合作监管从生产、进口与制造到零售的整个食品供应链的食品安全。新加坡食品局将汇集所有食品相关资源与能力以加强食品安全，并统筹整条供应链的食品安全条例。专设机构将通过更紧密协调对食品相关问题的应对（包括产品追溯与召回），以及与各利益相关方和公众的沟通，加强我们对食源性疾病暴发的管理，以保护公共卫生。这使新加坡食品局能更快、更全面地处理疏漏，并将公众反馈整合至单一联络点。

为深化食品安全能力，将在新加坡食品局下设立国家食品科学中心（NCFS），以将三家机构的食品实验室能力整合于一处。国家食品科学中心将汇集食品诊断以及食品安全研发的关键能力，确保食品持续安全可食，并达到国际对标标准。

环境及水源部长马斯戈斯·祖基弗利说：“由于全球粮食供应链的复杂性以及气候变化的影响，保障新加坡粮食供应日益具有挑战性。我们已经看到气候变化的影响，例如海水变暖引发的浮游生物大量繁殖，以及日益反复无常的降雨模式。新加坡食品局的成立恰逢其时，因新加坡正力求把粮食挑战转化为战略优势。新加坡食品局将与产业及研发伙伴密切合作，开发新解决方案与产品，并把握食品业的全球机遇。这可能包括气候韧性农业解决方案、先进食品制造技术，以及带有新加坡品质保证的食品产品。如此将有助于使我们的粮食供应面向未来，并为新加坡人在食品业提供良好就业机会。”

花园中的城市

新加坡人珍惜生活在花园中的城市。然而，鉴于我们密集的城市居住环境，有必要谨慎管理人与野生动物及家养动物的和谐共处。移交农粮与兽医局的植物与动物相关职能，将使国家公园局能为新加坡人及利益相关方在动物管理与动物福利议题上提供一站式服务，管理人与动物的互动，并改善人畜共患病的侦测与应对。

国家公园局下将成立新的动物与兽医服务处（AVS），作为宠物饲主与企业以及动物福利团体在动物相关事务上的主要联络点。它也将承接农粮与兽医局目前作为动物相关反馈第一响应者的角色，并继续维持动物福利与健康的高标准。

凭借对城市与自然生态的全面视野，国家公园局将更能管理人与动物日益复杂且相互关联的互动。结合国家公园局在野生动物保育与园艺科学方面的专长，以及农粮与兽医局在动植物卫生与动物管理方面的专长，将确保保育新加坡自然遗产的努力全面且以科学为基础。

国家发展部第二部长李智陞说：“尽管我们在平衡城市发展与自然遗产保育方面已有良好成绩，但通过整合植物与动物相关职能，仍有机会实现更大协同。保护我们的动植物是大家共同的责任。以国家公园局作为动物与野生动物管理以及动植物卫生的主导机构，我们将与利益相关方更紧密合作，制定以科学为基础的管理方法，采取全面策略并作出更有效的应对。”

新加坡食品局的成立以及职能向国家公园局的移交将于2019年4月1日生效。过渡期间，农粮与兽医局、国家环境局、卫生科学局及国家公园局将继续履行现有职能。各机构将继续咨询并接触利益相关方与产业伙伴。作为重组的一部分，它们也将重新检视并微调条例与流程。