Empty shelves in supermarkets have been an almost emblematic image of the coronavirus crisis. Government assurances and the rapid replenishment of the shelves have served to calm bouts of panic buying. But as the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic persist, nations need to uphold their commitment to protecting the sanctity of food supply chains that circle the globe and feed billions. The world food production outlook remains stable, barring a few regional problems like the locust swarms threatening crops in the Horn of Africa, some parts of the Arabian peninsula and South Asia. But short-sighted policies could upend the table. At least two sources of trouble are looming. With a third of the world under some form of lockdown, the ability of farm workers to raise crops could come under question, conjuring up the prospect of harvest failures down the road.

This is where governments must step in. Just as they moved to prioritise the needs of healthcare workers to save lives, they must rise to protect agriculture and the farming industry. It is critical to guarantee the movement of workers to farms, the availability of seeds and fertilisers, and to provide reliable access to storage, transportation and distribution facilities. Populations, economies and export markets depend on it.

Another potential source of grief is protectionism. The last time the world witnessed such a menace was during the 2007-2008 global food price crisis. Some countries restricted exports while others imported food aggressively, creating large swings in food prices. As the Covid-19 outbreak spreads, borders are being closed to people but cargo flights and container ships continue to ply.

There are some signs of concern, however. Vietnam, the world's third-largest rice exporter, has called a halt on signing new rice export contracts. The intentions of Russia, the world's largest wheat exporter, are uncertain while Kazakhstan, the largest source of wheat flour, has already banned exports. Amid the flux, the supply chain connectivity agreement signed this week between Singapore and its partners - Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, Myanmar and Brunei - is commendable. Their commitment to keeping trade lines open for land, air and sea freight is worthy of wider emulation. Singapore's efforts to build up the resiliency of its food supply have been paying off. Almost 90 per cent of its food is imported but the count of suppliers has grown to 170 nations and regions. The goal of scaling up local farms to produce 30 per cent of the nation's nutritional needs by 2030 looks achievable. In 2019, local farms produced 14 per cent of leafy vegetables, 26 per cent of eggs and 10 per cent of fish. Growing food overseas offers an additional margin of comfort. With its three-pronged strategy, Singapore not just meets food security challenges but is able to stay ahead of them.