Cover Fourth generation farmer Kenny Eng on the importance of food security
Fourth generation farmer Kenny Eng on the importance of food security
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Here’s how the director of Gardenasia is hoping to redefine Singapore’s relationship with produce and farming, in pursuit of adequate food security
Kenny Eng has been exposed to the farming industry since young. The current fourth-generation farmer at Nyee Phoe Group and director of Gardenasia shares how he calls his father’s nursery his “second home”. Joining the family business soon after graduating, he has served as director and principal consultant for over 20 years.
Eng’s approach to farming goes beyond mere food production, envisioning a future where agriculture is woven into urban life, offering sustenance, entertainment and education—a concert he terms “hortitainment”. Hoping to bridge the gap between Singapore’s urban populace and its agricultural roots, Eng has started various initiatives and platforms to foster a new appreciation for local produce and sustainable farming practices—one of them being The Local Farm.
Above Director of Gardenasia Kenny Eng
Director of Gardenasia Kenny Eng
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A purpose-led and sustainability-focused brand, The Local Farm provides communities with local fresh-farm food while building meaningful connections between local farmers and communities. Established in 2019, the initiative puts the focus on farmers with its motto “no farmers, no food”, highlighting the critical role of agriculture in the nation’s food supply.
He shares: “The Local Farm was started with the broad objective to create greater awareness of our local farms and simplify the process of buying local. Over the years, The Local Farm has been heartened by the strong support of people who have enjoyed our range of Farm-To-Table products and services, and grown in their appreciation and support for our local farms.”
Below, Eng shares how Gardenasia draws locals closer to nature, its latest Farms to Families campaign and more.
What were the trials of creating The Local Farm?
The idea behind The Local Farm as an aggregator of and advocate for local farm produce was ahead of its time. So right from the start, we knew that it would require time, intentionality and effort to get our stakeholders on board with our cause.
For a start, we knew how important it was to get the buy-in of our local farmers. Secondly, we had to position the brand at the right level for Singaporeans, whom we knew would be willing to spend on well-curated products that are responsibly sourced.
By featuring quality local farm-fresh produce that are sustainably and ethically sourced on platforms like The Local Farm Festival and the Bistro by Gardenasia (The Local Farm), we were able to draw many Singaporeans to our cause. Over the years, our local farmers also started to appreciate how our Farm-To-Table initiatives have helped to open up new opportunities and regularise demand for their produce.
Can you share more on Gardenasia’s curated experiences that help draw people closer to nature?
We believe that people will naturally start appreciating nature and making farm-to-table choices more when they begin to experience its value for themselves.
With The Local Farm, you not only get to taste quality local farm-fresh produce, you also get to experience being at the farm and close to nature. Our programmes and platforms include guided tours with The Local Farm Adventures and farm stays that are suitable for families, community groups and corporate retreats.
Can you share more about supporting local farmers?
As a fourth-generation farmer, I’ve experienced both the challenges and opportunities in the industry. And it’s my view that local farmers will continue to play an important role in food security. Nowhere was this more apparent than during Covid-19 when supply chains and imports were severely disrupted.
As part of our 30-by-30 national food security plans, the Government has invested significantly in infrastructure and technology to support our farmers in high-tech, high-yield farming. The last few years have therefore seen a growth in food tech start-ups and companies working with alternative proteins.
As we are increasing our supply, we must have the demand for our local produce. There are also ways you can support our local farmers. Firstly, choose local produce over your usual selection of imports. If you're dining out, explore farm-to-table restaurants that support local produce.
Singaporeans can also support our farmers by donating towards our Farmpack for Good, a community initiative that provides beneficiaries with local farm-fresh produce. This is also a great option for companies looking at giving more impactfully with a duo cause campaign.
What is a common misconception about the local farmers’ community?
For a city-state with more than 250 land and sea-based farms in Singapore and our surrounding waters, the notion of farming seems rather outmoded and distant to the average Singaporean. But given our national push for high-tech farming and the increased interest in sustainability and food tech, we hope to see more Singaporeans interested in farming as a viable profession or in choosing Farm-To-Table as a way of life.
Local farm produce is also considered more expensive and lacking in variety or quality. But we don’t think that’s the whole picture as disruptions to food supply are real. In terms of quality, there isn’t any evidence that our local farm produce is inferior to imports. On the contrary, our farmers have built quite a reputation for quality and stringent checks by our authorities.
What is the company doing to help achieve the government’s 30 by 30 goal?
Guided by our mantra “No Farmers, No Food”, The Local Farm continues to facilitate and simplify the process of buying local. And we do so through our Farmpacks for Good, Ready-To-Eat products and Bistro menu items like our Assam Chowder and vegetable-based gelatos. We also work closely with industry partners in the HoReCa sector, corporations and community organisations to actively promote our local farm produce.
Can you share more on the Farms to Families campaign? How did it come about and what is next?
Farms to Families stems from the idea of connecting our farmers with the wider community and vice versa. Starting with families in need, we partner with community organisations to curate and deliver our Farmpack For Good. These curated packages of farm-fresh produce are sourced ethically from our local farmers, at fairtrade and are a wholesome food source for our beneficiaries. To date, our Farmpack for Good initiative has benefited more than 2000 families in need. We hope to work more closely with companies and other community organizations to reach out to more beneficiaries.
At a broader level, Farms to Families also speaks of how The Local Farm curates and integrates our range of Farm-To-Table initiatives to meet Singaporean families where they are, especially when it comes to meeting their expectations of great-tasting food that is responsibly sourced.
How do you hope the industry in Singapore will change in the next few years?
As part of its 30-by-30 plan, the Government has increased funding and invested heavily in technology and infrastructure. This supports high-yield production. But if there isn’t enough demand for our local farm produce, there wouldn’t be a strong enough incentive for our farmers to increase their production.
Where do you think The Local Farm stands in such a crowded market?
The Local Farm is a pioneering initiative aimed at transforming the local farming landscape by promoting fair trade practices while focusing on providing for underserved communities.
Our model is centred around establishing an equitable marketplace that unlocks the potential of sustainable urban agriculture by empowering local farmers to build a resilient food supply ecosystem. Through the financialisation of local harvests, we endeavour to fortify the local farming ecosystem. More importantly, our local farmers trust us to support them. We’ve also built a strong goodwill with Singaporeans as a curator of quality Farm-To-Table products that are responsibly sourced, at fairtrade.
What next for The Local Farm?
The Local Farm continues to partner with industry and communities to encourage and facilitate purchases from our local farms.
And when it comes to championing support for our local farms, we lead by example. For our use of at least 15 per cent of local produce in three or more food categories of our menu, our Bistro by Gardenasia (The Local Farm) was accorded the highest tier of the Farm-To-Table Recognition Programme by the Singapore Food Agency in 2023, alongside bigger market leaders like RWS Sentosa.
We are also working closely with community organizations to support families in need with our Farmpack for Good. By providing families with quality local farm-fresh produce, we are also stabilising the demand for our local farms. This helps ensure the commercial viability of our local farms, and in turn, contributes towards our 30-by-30 national food security plans.
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Images: Kenny Eng
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Amanda Goh was the former senior writer for Tatler Singapore.
