Unveiling Malaysia’s Food Security Preparedness: A Content Analysis Perspective

Abstract

Food security is always a global concern and raises various issues. The absence of food security may result in conflict, civil strife, poverty, starvation, malnutrition, undernourishment, and increased susceptibility to disease. Many countries have formulated specific policies to address the issue of food supply, sustainability, and preparedness in food security. Malaysia is no exception. Several government policy documents have mentioned food security as one of the highlights of the government agenda. However, food security preparedness issues in these documents were minimally evaluated. This study aims to evaluate the emphasis of Malaysian policy documents on food security preparedness and supply. The National Food Security Policy Action Plan 2021-2025, National Agri-Food Policy 2.0 2021-2030, and Budget 2023 Malaysia Madani reports have been selected and analysed using content analysis, looking for similarities through the set keywords. As a result, the National Food Security Policy Action Plan 2021-2025 focuses more on food security preparedness than other policies. It addresses issues like availability, access, consumption, stability, and sustainability. Four themes have emerged in content analysis: crisis management, preparedness, collaboration and agriculture. These variables indicate the need for better preparedness for food security. Furthermore, recommendations deemed appropriate for enhancing food security and proactive preparedness efforts are also outlined.