National Food Resource Area Land Use Planning Study

According to the World Food Conference, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation or FAO (1996), food security exists when everyone, at all times, has physical and economic access to adequate, safe, and nutritious food to meet their needs and preferences for an active and healthy life. Lack of food supply forces a country to import food, raising awareness of the need for food security in a country. Increased production capacity of various agricultural and livestock products is required to minimize reliance on food imports and to promote farmers’ socio-economic well-being. Aside from the development of proper infrastructure and the installation of smart technologies, climate change also plays a role in developing food supply sources.

The Kajian Perancangan Guna Tanah Kawasan Sumber Makanan Negara conducted by PLAN Malaysia aims to prepare a land-use master plan for the preservation, conservation, and improvement of the national food resource area by 2040. The study area encompasses Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territory of Labuan, particularly the rice granary areas, livestock areas (pastures), Aquaculture Industrial Zone (ZIA), and other food source areas identified throughout Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territory of Labuan. This study identifies abandoned and new agricultural lands that have the potential to serve as food source areas for the country, analyses issues associated with agricultural development, as well as recommends good governance practices based on the latest approaches of the food resources and agriculture sector.