LETTER | An estimated 3.1 billion individuals worldwide - 42 percent of the population - were unable to afford a nutritious diet by 2022.

Approximately 900 million individuals were experiencing acute food insecurity. The impact of food insecurity is becoming more apparent in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, as a result of inflation, climate change, and disruptions in the global supply chain.

Despite Malaysia’s status as a food-producing nation, food security remains precarious. In 2022, more than 23 percent of households reported that they had reduced their food portions due to its affordability.

The country’s food import bill surpassed RM60 billion, underscoring the necessity of reforming national food systems and the over-reliance on external food sources.

Malaysia now has a strategic opportunity to advocate for innovative food security solutions throughout the region and nationally as it becomes the chair of Asean in 2025.

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is one of the most potent, yet frequently underutilised, levers for transformation.

TVET, a game changer

TVET institutions are in a unique position to effect systemic change by providing the next generation with practical, sustainable, and future-ready skills that are applicable throughout the entire food value chain, including production, processing, distribution, consumption, and waste management.

Malaysian TVET is crucial to the national agenda. The 12th Malaysia Plan and National TVET Policy is aimed at boosting enrolment and make it a preferred educational pathway.

Malaysia has about 1,000 recognised TVET institutions, including polytechnics, community colleges, and private training facilities.

TVET institutions can train students in sustainable agriculture, smart farming, agro-food processing, and food waste management to satisfy the needs of a resilient food system.

The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry’s Youth Agropreneur Programme teaches young Malaysians vertical farming, aquaponics, and precision agriculture.

Right now, Malaysia suffers from limited arable land, ageing farmers, and variable food costs, making these skills essential.

TVET can help recruit youth to the agro-food sector, since 70 percent of our farmers are over 60.

Environmental sustainability

Environmental sustainability is another area where TVET can make a substantial impact. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that Malaysia wastes over 4,000 tonnes of edibles daily.

By incorporating training in composting, food waste valorisation, and green technology, TVET graduates can support a circular economy and reduce the environmental footprint of the food sector.

Malaysia can promote cross-border TVET collaboration, standardisation, and sustainable food system knowledge exchange as the Asean Chair.

Malaysia’s leadership of a TVET-ASEAN Food Security Taskforce would reinforce its commitment to inclusive, skilled-based, and sustainable development.

Ultimately, TVET is a regional opportunity, not merely a national answer. Malaysia, as the Asean Chair and reforming nation, may promote a paradigm where technological skills drive food security, environmental stewardship, and social inclusion for all.

Writer is an academic of the Faculty of Business and Communication, Universiti Malaysia Perlis.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.