https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2024.11854
A systematic review of the role of integrated farming and the participation of universities in ensuring food security: Malaysia’s effort
Submitted: 21 September 2023
Accepted: 9 February 2024
Published: 29 March 2024
Accepted: 9 February 2024
Abstract Views: 893
PDF: 199
HTML: 16
HTML: 16
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Authors
Food security is critical for promoting health and well-being and achieving sustainable development, especially in developing countries. Despite the recent efforts to improve it, food security is still a concern due to the rapid increase in populations, conflicts, and natural disasters worldwide. Universities, particularly agricultural universities, play an essential role in addressing food security issues by researching, developing new technologies, and providing education and training to farmers and other stakeholders. The main objective of this review is to discuss the role of universities and integrated farming in ensuring food security, specifically in Malaysia. It includes a brief overview of the different types of integrated farming methods that can be used to improve food security and finally discusses the Student Farmer Entrepreneur program, which can be crucial for promoting food security by increasing agricultural productivity, promoting local food production, encouraging sustainable agriculture practices, and supporting rural development. This review also considers the significant impact of the Malaysian government and universities on food security. With integrated farming and the Student Farmer Entrepreneur program, food security can be further improved.
Abu Bakar WAM, Ismail S, Sidek S, Rahman RA, 2019. Prevalence and factors affecting food insecurity among university students in Pahang, Malaysia. Mal J Nutr 25:59-67.
Ahmad NSS, Sulaiman N, Sabri MF, 2021. Food insecurity: is it a threat to university students’ well-being and success?. Int J Environ Res Public Health 18:5627.
Akem TE, 2022. Public health and food security, focusing on utilization. Med Rep Case Stud 7:001.
Alam MM, Siwar C, Wahid ANM, Talib BA, 2016. Food security and low-income households in the Malaysian east coast economic region: an empirical analysis. Rev Urban Reg Dev Stud 28:2-15.
Albrecht S, Wiek A, 2021. Food forests: their services and sustainability. J Agric Food Syst Community Dev 10:91-105.
Ansar M, Fathurrahman, 2018. Sustainable integrated farming system: a solution for national food security and sovereignty. IOP Conf Ser: Earth Environ Sci 157:012061.
Arshad FA, Alias EF, Nuh KM, Tasrif M, 2011. Food security: self-sufficiency of rice in malaysia. IJMS 18:83-100.
Assani Seidou A, Offoumon OTLF, Sanni Worogo SH, Houaga I, Koara Yarou A, Azalou M, Adambi Boukari FZ, Idrissou Y, Houinato M, Alkoiret Traoré I, 2023. The effect of the silvopastoral system on milk production and reproductive performance of dairy cows and its contribution to adaptation to a changing climate in the drylands of Benin (West-Africa). Front Sustain Food Syst 7:1236581.
Baek SH, Smerdon JE, Dobrin GC, Naimark JG, Cook ER, Cook BI, Seager R, Cane MA, Scholz SR, 2020. A quantitative hydroclimatic context for the European Great Famine of 1315-1317. Commun Earth Environ 1:19.
Bakar THSTA, Hajar RS, Abdullah FA, Liew JY, Nor MM, Norhafizah MZ, Rosli F, 2022. Youth ıntention on agricultural entrepreneurship. IOP Conf Ser: Earth Environ Sci 1102:012022.
Bala S, 2022. Malaysia is taking steps to control rising food prices amid inflation says minister. Available from: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/28/malaysia-is-taking-steps-to-control-rising-food-prices-says-minister.html.
Bansal S, Chakraborty P, Kumar S, 2022. Crop-livestock integration enhanced soil aggregate-associated carbon and nitrogen, and phospholipid fatty acid. Sci Rep 12:2781.
Behera UK, France J, 2023. Farming systems research: concepts, design and methodology. Adv Agron 177:1-49.
Bernama, 2023. Budget 2023 proves govt’s concern for agricultural sector. Available from: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2023/02/883822/budget-2023-proves-govts-concern-agricultural-sector.
Bin Rahman ANMR, Zhang J, 2022. Trends in rice research: 2030 and beyond. Food Energy Secur 12:e390.
Boufous S, Hudson D, Carpio C, 2023. Farmers’ willingness to adopt sustainable agricultural practices: a meta-analysis. PLOS Sustain Transform 2:e0000037.
Business Today Editorial, 2023. Industrial research in Malaysia: SIRIM and the crucial ındustry-academia collaboration. Available from: https://www.businesstoday.com.my/2023/08/05/industrial-research-in-malaysia-sirim-and-the-crucial-industry-academia-collaboration/.
Carney PA, Hamada JL, Rdesinski R, Sprager L, Nichols KR, Liu BY, Pelayo J, Sanchez MA, Shannon J, 2012. Impact of a community gardening project on vegetable intake, food security and family relationships: a community-based participatory research study. J Community Health 37:874-81.
Celik ÖM, Ozyildirim C, Karacil Ermumcu MS, 2023. Evaluation of food insecurity and its association with food consumption and some variables among college students. J Heal Popul Nutr 42:90.
Chai Q, Nemecek T, Liang C, Zhao C, Yu A, Coulter JA, Wang Y, Hu F, Wang L, Siddique KHM, Gan Y, 2021. Integrated farming with intercropping increases food production while reducing environmental footprint. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 118:e2106382118.
Colorado State University, 2024. Economıcs of food securıty. Available from: https://foodsystems.colostate.edu/research-impacts/economics-of-food-security/.
Columbia University, 2024. Food security. Available from: https://climateandlife.columbia.edu/content/food-security.
Dawson B, 2016. Seeking insights into integrated animal-horticulture systems. Available from: https://horticulture.ucdavis.edu/blog/seeking-insights-integrated-animal-horticulture-systems.
Depenbusch L, Farnworth CR, Schreinemachers P, Myint T, Islam MM, Kundu ND, Myint T, San AM, Jahan R, Nair RM, 2021. When machines take the beans: ex-ante socioeconomic impact evaluation of mechanized harvesting of mungbean in bangladesh and myanmar. Agronomy 11:925.
Doustmohammadian A, Mohammadi-Nasrabadi F, Keshavarz-Mohammadi N, Hajjar M, Alibeyk S, Hajigholam-Saryazdi M, 2022. Community-based participatory interventions to improve food security: a systematic review. Front Nutr 9:1028394.
Ezanee AAM, 2022. R&D key to food security during crises. Available from: https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2022/09/828739/rd-key-food-security-during-crises.
Farm Fresh, 2024. Sustainability. Available from: https://www.farmfresh.com.my/sustainability/.
Fatima A, Singh VK, Babu S, Singh RK, Upadhyay PK, Rathore SS, Kumar B, Hasanain M, Parween H, 2023. Food production potential and environmental sustainability of different integrated farming system models in northwest India. Front Sustain Food Syst 7:959464.
FGV Holdings, 2023. Integrated farming. Available from: https://www.fgvholdings.com/our-businesses/plantation/integrated-farming/.
Filho WL, Setti AFF, Azeiteiro UM, Lokupitiya E, Donkor FK, Etim NANA, Matandirotya N, Olooto FM, Sharifi A, Nagy GJ, Djekic I, 2022. An overview of the interactions between food production and climate change. Sci Total Environ 838:156438.
Flaherty K, Dardak RA, 2013. Malaysia: recent developments in agricultural research. Available from: https://www.ifpri.org/cdmref/p15738coll2/id/127780/filename/127991.pdf.
Food and Agriculture Organization, 2006. Policy Brief: food security. Available from: https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/faoitaly/documents/pdf/pdf_Food_Security_Cocept_Note.pdf.
Food and Agriculture Organization, 2023. Suite of food security ındicators. Available from: https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/FS/visualize.
Galloway NJ, 2021. Campus farm fuels food security at Stockton. Available from: https://stockton.edu/news/2021/food-secure-ospreys.html.
Gao CC, Yang LS, Liu F, 2021. Hydroclimatic anomalies in China during the post-Laki years and the role of concurring El Niño. Adv Clim Chang Res 12:187-98.
Garcia K, Halmos V, Thongjued K, Dupuis JR, Gonthier DJ, 2023. Net effects of pasture-raised poultry on arthropod communities driven by top-down and bottom-up forces in a mixed-cover crop system. Front Sustain Food Syst 7:1162753.
García-Díez J, Gonçalves C, Grispoldi L, Cenci-Goga B, Saraiva C, 2021. Determining food stability to achieve food security. Sustain 13:7222.
Gebremariam MK, Vaqué-Crusellas C, Andersen LF, Stok FM, Stelmach-Mardas M, Brug J, Lien N, 2017. Measurement of availability and accessibility of food among youth: a systematic review of methodological studies. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 14:22.
Gedik MA, Günel T, 2021. The impact of climate change on edible food production: a panel data analysis. Acta Agric Scand B-S Soil Plant Sci 71:318-23.
Glenn KC, Alsop B, Bell E, Goley M, Jenkinson J, Liu B, Martin C, Parrott W, Souder C, Sparks O, Urquhart W, Ward JM, Vicini JL, 2017. Bringing new plant varieties to market: plant breeding and selection practices advance beneficial characteristics while minimizing unintended changes. Crop Sci 57:2906-21.
Grinnell NA, van der Linden A, Azhar B, Nobilly F, Slingerland M, 2022. Cattle-oil palm integration – a viable strategy to increase Malaysian beef self-sufficiency and palm oil sustainability. Livest Sci 259:104902.
Gros-Balthazard M, Battesti V, Flowers JM, Ferrand S, Breil M, Ivorra S, Terral JF, Purugganan MD, Wing RA, Mohammed N, Bourgeois Y, 2023. What lies behind a fruit crop variety name? A case study of the barnī date palm from al-‘Ulā oasis, Saudi Arabia. Plants People Planet 5:82-97.
Grove RH, 2007. The Great El Niño of 1789-93 and its global consequences: reconstructing an extreme climate event in world environmental history. Mediev Hist J 10:75-98.
Gupta G, Mehta P, 2017. Roof top farming a solution to food security and climate change adaptationfor cities. In: Leal Filho W. Climate Change Research at Universities, Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 19-35.
Hassan H, 2023. Malaysia turns to smart farming to boost food security. Available from: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysia-turns-to-smart-farming-to-boost-food-security.
Hird V, 2017. Farming systems and techniques that promote biodiversity. Biodiversity 18:71-4.
Hoque M, Akash, Mondal S, Adusumilli S, 2022. Way forward for sustainable livestock sector. In: Mondal S, Singh RL. Emerging ıssues in climate smart livestock production. Academic Press, Cambridge, MA, USA, pp 473-88.
Ibrahim LA, Abu-Hashim M, Shaghaleh H, Elsadek E, Hamad AAA, Alhaj Hamoud Y, 2023. A comprehensive review of the multiple uses of water in aquaculture-ıntegrated agriculture based on ınternational and national experiences. Water 15:367.
Idris NDM, Siwar C, Talib BA, Berma M, 2012. Socioeconomic impact on farmers in Malaysia: a case study on integrated agricultural development project. Am J Appl Sci 9:579-83.
Ikram I, 2023. World Bank: Malaysia’s price control mechanism causes supply shortage rather than lower cost of living. Available from: https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/654574.
International Trade Administration, 2023. Malaysia - country. Commercial Guide. Available from: https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/malaysia-agricultural-sector.
Izwan Syafiq R, Asma’ A, Nurzalinda Z, Rahijan AW, Siti Nur ‘Afifah J, 2019. Food insecurity among university students at two selected public Universities in Malaysia. Malaysian Appl Biol 48:101-10.
Jamil NM, Sulaiman N, Adznam SNA, Badari SAZ, 2020. Financial problems associated with food insecurity among public university students in Peninsular Malaysia. Malays J Nutr 26:411-23.
Jiang X, Zhang W, Fernie AR, Wen W, 2022. Combining novel technologies with interdisciplinary basic research to enhance horticultural crops. Plant J 109:35-46.
K. PG, Panda S, Padhi SN, 2016. Aquaponics: an innovative approach of symbiotic farming. Int J Bioassays 5:4808-14.
Kanwal M, Gogoi N, Jones B, Bariana H, Bansal U, Ahmad N, 2022. Pollen: a potential explant for genetic transformation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Agronomy 12:2009.
Khorramnia K, Shariff ARM, Rahim AA, Mansor S, 2014. Toward malaysian sustainable agriculture in 21st century. IOP Conf Ser: Earth Environ Sci 18:012142.
Kusumanagari I, Ellisa E, 2021. Community garden as a way to achieve neighborhood scaled food security. IOP Conf Ser: Earth Environ Sci 716:012064.
Kuzovova N, 2022. Childhood during the Holodomor 1932-1933 in Ukraine (in the South of Ukraine). J Fam Hist 47:59-77.
Liu J, Abbas I, Noor RS, 2021. Development of deep learning-based variable rate agrochemical spraying system for targeted weeds control in strawberry crop. Agronomy 11:1480.
Loofbourrow BM, Scherr RE, 2023. Food ınsecurity in higher education: a contemporary review of ımpacts and explorations of solutions. Int J Environ Res Public Health 20:5884.
Mahmood J, Rajaram NN, Guinto RR, 2022. Addressing food ınsecurity and climate change in malaysia: current evidence and ways forward. Malaysian J Med Sci 29:1-5.
Majd MG, 2013. The great famine & genocide in Iran. University Press of America, Lanham, MD, USA.
Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, 2021. National agrofood policy 2021-2030. Available from: https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/mal211654.pdf.
Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, 2023. Malaysia performance ın GFSI 2022. Available from: https://www.kpkm.gov.my/en_US/gfsi-2022#:~:text=Malaysia%20is%20ranked%2041st%2C%20down,compared%20to%20the%20previous%20year.
Mishra V, Aadhar S, 2021. Famines and likelihood of consecutive megadroughts in India. Npj Clim Atmos Sci 4:59.
Montes de Oca Munguia O, Pannell DJ, Llewellyn R, 2021. Understanding the adoption of innovations in agriculture: a review of selected conceptual models. Agronomy 11:139.
Muhie SH, 2022. Novel approaches and practices to sustainable agriculture. J Agric Food Res 10:100446.
Mukhlis M, Noer M, Nofialdi N, Mahdi M, 2018. The ıntegrated farming system of crop and livestock: a review of rice and cattle ıntegration farming. IJSBAR 42:68-82.
OECD, 2020. COVID-19 and the food and agriculture sector: issues and policy responses. Available from: https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/covid-19-and-the-food-and-agriculture-sector-issues-and-policy-responses-a23f764b/.
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2010. The right to adequate food: fact sheet no. 34. Available from: https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/FactSheet34en.pdf.
Oh S, Lu C, 2023. Vertical farming - smart urban agriculture for enhancing resilience and sustainability in food security. J Hortic Sci Biotechnol 98:133-40.
Olesen RS, Hall CM, Rasmussen LV, 2022. Forests support people’s food and nutrition security through multiple pathways in low- and middle-income countries. One Earth 5:1342-53.
Paramesh V, Ravisankar N, Behera UK, Arunachalam V, Kumar P, Solomon Rajkumar R, Dhar Misra S, Mohan Kumar R, Prusty AK, Jacob D, Panwar AS, Mayenkar T, Reddy VK, Rajkumar S, 2022. Integrated farming system approaches to achieve food and nutritional security for enhancing profitability, employment, and climate resilience in India. Food Energy Secur 11:321.
PEMANDU, 2009. Chapter 15: Transitioning from agriculture to agribusiness. In: PEMANDU. Economic transformation programme: a roadmap for malaysia. Available from: https://policy.asiapacificenergy.org/sites/default/files/ETP.pdf.
Peng W, Berry EM, 2018. The concept of food security. Encycl Food Secur Sustain 2:1-7.
Philip A, 2015. [Malaysia] Food safety in Malaysia. Japan Med Assoc J 58:180-4.
Piñeiro V, Arias J, Dürr J, Elverdin P, Ibáñez AM, Kinengyere A, Opazo CM, Owoo N, Page JR, Prager SD, Torero M, 2020. A scoping review on incentives for adoption of sustainable agricultural practices and their outcomes. Nat Sustain 3:809-20.
Raghuram N, 2022. Recycling crop and animal waste is a win for green farming. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/d44151-022-00121-6.
Rahman RA, Dardak RA, 2021. Green nanotechnology for sustainable agriculture in Malaysia. FFTC J Agri Pol. Available from: https://ap.fftc.org.tw/article/2833
Rajikan R, Shin LH, Hamid NIA, Elias SM, 2019. Food ınsecurity, quality of life, and diet optimization of low ıncome university students in Selangor, Malaysia. J Gizi Pangan 14:107-16.
Raof SA, Hatib Musta’amal A, Atmareni H, 2020. The challenges faced by the agriculture lectures in ımproving teaching delivery at Malaysia agriculture vocational colleges: a competency study article ınfo abstract. J Educ Res Indig Stud 2.
Rathore SS, Babu S, El-Sappah AH, Shekhawat K, Singh VK, Singh RK, Upadhyay PK, Singh R, 2022. Integrated agroforestry systems improve soil carbon storage, water productivity, and economic returns in the marginal land of the semi-arid region. Saudi J Biol Sci 29:103427.
Razak SMA, Sulaiman N, Rahim HA, 2014. The consequences of food ınsecurity among students receiving financial assistance ın public ınstitutions of higher education. Malaysian J Consum Fam Econ 17:141-61.
Rezai G, Shamsudin MN, Mohamed Z, 2016. Urban agriculture: a way forward to food and nutrition security in Malaysia. Procedia Soc Behav Sci 216:39-45.
Sani SA, Osman ND, Saari EM, Idrus WARW, 2022. A Review On Food Security Policy On Agriculture And Food İn Sabah, Malaysia. IOP Conf Ser: Earth Environ Sci 1103:7.
Smil V, 1999. China’s great famine: 40 years later. Br Med J 319:1619-21.
Song J, 2019. The coming of the Vikings. In: Song J. Denver’s Chinatown 1875-1900: Gone but not forgetten. Brill Academic Pub, Leida, Netherlands, pp 15-43.
Swaminathan MS, Bhavani RV., 2013. Food production & availability - essential prerequisites for sustainable food security. Indian J Med Res 138:383-91.
Taylor’s University, 2024. Taylor’s impact lab: food security and nutrition. Available from: https://university.taylors.edu.my/en/discover-us/taylors-impact-labs/the-labs/food-security-and-nutrition.html.
UN WFP, 2022. 10 facts about child hunger in the world. Available from: https://www.wfpusa.org/articles/10-facts-child-hunger/.
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, 2024. Institute of food security and sustainable agriculture. Available from: https://ifssa.umk.edu.my/en/.
University of Malaysia Terengganu, 2022. Universities contributors to nation’s development and society’s well-being. Available from: https://www.umt.edu.my/highlight2022/universities-contributors-to-nations-development-and-societys-wellbeing/.
USA for UNHCR, 2022. Famine explained: definition, causes and facts. Available from: https://www.unrefugees.org/news/famine-explained-definition-causes-and-facts/#:~:text=A%20famine%20classification%20is%20the,of%201%2C000%20people%20die%20from.
Vijayanathan J, Rawichandran D, Abdullah MZ, Koter R, Ahmad R, Anuar MAH, 2022. Agroforestry practices to achieve sustainable and climate resilient forests. J Trop Plant Physiol 14:1-12.
Wei Y, Müller D, Sun Z, Lu M, Tang H, Wu W, 2023. Exploring the emergence and changing dynamics of a new integrated rice-crawfish farming system in China. Environ Res Lett 18:064040.
WHO, 2023. Urgent action needed as acute malnutrition threatens the lives of millions of vulnerable children. Available from: https://www.who.int/news/item/12-01-2023-urgent-action-needed-as-acute-malnutrition-threatens-the-lives-of-millions-of-vulnerable-children.
WHO/UN, 2019. UN report: global hunger numbers rose to as many as 828 million in 2021. Available from: https://www.who.int/news/item/06-07-2022-un-report--global-hunger-numbers-rose-to-as-many-as-828-million-in-2021#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20people%20affected,away%20from%20its%20goal%20of.
Wong CC, Dobberstein N, Peyyeti H, 2022. Transforming Malaysia into a more food-secure nation. Available from: https://www.kearney.com/industry/consumer-retail/article/-/insights/transforming-malaysia-into-a-more-food-secure-nation.
World Bank, 2020. Malaysia Economic Monitor - sowing the seeds. Available from: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/203971608306440334/pdf/Malaysia-Economic-Monitor-Sowing-the-Seeds-Abbreviated-Report.pdf
Zhou ZY, Wan G, 2017. Food Insecurity in Asia: why institutions matter. Available from: https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/366791/adbi-food-insecurity-asia-why-institutions-matter.pdf.
How to Cite
1.
Hameed Sultan MT, Shahar FS, Mohd Zain MI, Komoo I. A systematic review of the role of integrated farming and the participation of universities in ensuring food security: Malaysia’s effort. Ital J Food Safety [Internet]. 2024 Mar. 29 [cited 2024 Nov. 21];13(2). Available from: https://www.pagepressjournals.org/ijfs/article/view/11854
Copyright (c) 2024 the Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.