COMMENT | Almost 10 million Malaysians face food insecurity. Initiatives to support alternative food sources are taking root, but challenges remain.

The pandemic’s impact on food supply chains showed how quickly urban communities can face shortages and spiralling food costs.

In Malaysia, the price of cooking oil spiked in February 2022, following record prices for soybean oil and palm oil in 2021.

Unicef estimates the pandemic will leave 9.76 million Malaysians food insecure.

In response, a growing movement seeks to convert empty spaces in Malaysian cities into urban farms.

Malaysia’s government is acutely aware of the country’s dependence on food imports and wants to see the agricultural industry boosted by...