Many balconies in Singapore may be dressed up with ornamental plants and patio furniture, but at the Joe family’s Orchard Road condominium, a high-tech farm blooms. A brown tank is home to 11 tilapia fish, which produce waste that is used to fertilise vegetables such as basil and perilla. A vertical hydroponics system produces arugula, lettuce, bok choy, curly kale and kai lan.

Food security expert Professor Dr Paul Teng,  Adjunct Senior Fellow at RSIS said every small effort contributes to the country’s food needs and households can do their bit by growing vegetables, participating in community gardens and reducing food waste. “As the pandemic has shown, having your own source of vegetables also means the household has some resilience to guard against any temporary shortages in the usual commercial sources,” he said.