Strengthening Food Security in Malaysia through Effective Land Use and Land Management Decisions

The agricultural sector has long contributed significantly to Malaysia’s economic growth, particularly through industrial crops such as oil palm, cocoa, and rubber. However, the strong policy emphasis on these lucrative commodities has inadvertently resulted in the agro-food sector receiving comparatively less attention. This imbalance in policy priorities has contributed to limited domestic food production and increased dependence on food imports. One of the key challenges is the limited availability of land allocated for food crop cultivation. This issue is further compounded by the absence of adequate legal restrictions on the conversion of agricultural land for industrial, commercial, and other non-agricultural purposes. The National Land Code 1965 does not specifically restrict landowners from applying to convert agricultural land to non-agricultural uses, thereby providing limited legal protection for land that could potentially support domestic food production. Ensuring a sufficient, stable, and nutritious food supply is essential for Malaysia’s sustainable development, economic resilience, and national well-being. Therefore, this study examines how land-use decision-making and land management practices can contribute to strengthening food security in Malaysia. Particular attention is given to the allocation, protection, and productive utilisation of agricultural land for food cultivation. The study also considers the importance of balancing economic development with the need to preserve sufficient land resources for sustainable food production. As the relationship between food security and sustainable land management in Malaysia remains relatively underexplored, this study seeks to address this gap by examining how effective land-use policies and management approaches can enhance domestic food production and contribute to long-term national food security.

Land Management, Land Use, Food security, Legal Restrictions, Economic Development

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