Strategic Stockpiling and Crisis Production

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The importance of strategic stockpiling comes to the forefront when global supply chains and production lines are disrupted during times of crisis. Stockpiling is not only about storing supplies and equipment but a broader consideration of what are the more pressing dangers or threats that may disrupt national economies and livelihoods.¹ To ensure that food and essential supplies remain available, many countries have built and maintained national stockpiles over the years. For example, this can be seen from strategies deployed by organisations such as the Singapore Food Agency² and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore³ to diversify food sources,⁴ the United States’ Strategic National Stockpile⁵ of medical supplies and Finland’s National Emergency Supply Agency which maintains different stockpiles from fuel to medicine and food.⁶ Stockpiling efforts can also be enhanced by international cooperation. For instance, there are also roadmaps on institutionalised oil stockpiling based on the Energy Cooperation framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) + 3 (China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea).⁷

Strategic stockpiling and crisis production planning are an ongoing effort as it is not enough to rely on stockpiling or diversification. As the current pandemic has shown, food production has to continue despite social distancing while increasing demands for medical equipment and drugs must be met. This provides an impetus for industries to innovate and revolutionise production and manufacturing at an accelerated pace, where some of these crisis production models may eventually be converted to new modes of operation.

Explore the resources below to find out more about strategic stockpiling and crisis production planning.

Videos and Podcasts

1. Coronavirus: Where did all the food go?

Coronavirus: Where did all the food go? (2020, April 2). BBC. Retrieved 2020, July 2 from https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3cszjpm

2. The market for emergency vaccines is like no other

Source: The market for emergency vaccines is like no other. (2020, May 18). National Public Radio. Retrieved 2020, July 2.

3. Is our food supply under threat?

Is our food supply under threat? (2020, March 29). CNA. Retrieved 2020, July 2 from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/video-on-demand/talking-point-fy1920/is-our-food-supply-under-threat-12581846

4. Panic buying toilet paper? We look at the psychological reasons for stockpiling

Source: Panic buying toilet paper? We look at the psychological reasons for stockpiling. (2020, March 13). HuffPost UK. Retrieved 2020, July 2 .

Websites

1. Your brain evolved to hoard supplies and shame others for doing the same.

Preston, S. (2020, March 27). Your brain evolved to hoard supplies and shame others for doing the same. The Conversation. Retrieved 2020, July 31 from https://theconversation.com/your-brain-evolved-to-hoard-supplies-and-shame-others-for-doing-the-same-134634

2. Public stockpiling and food security

Caballero-Anthony, M., Teng, P.P.S., Shrestha, M., Nair, T., & Lassa, J.A. (2015, May). Public stockpiling and food security. S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Retrieved 2020, June 29 from https://www.rsis.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/PB150603_Public-Stockpiling.pdf

3. Off our trolleys: what stockpiling in the coronavirus crisis reveals about us.

Wilson, B. (2020, April 3). Off our trolleys: what stockpiling in the coronavirus crisis reveals about us. The Guardian. Retrieved 2020, July 2 from https://www.theguardian.com/news/2020/apr/03/off-our-trolleys-what-stockpiling-in-the-coronavirus-crisis-reveals-about-us

4. Why are people stockpiling toilet paper? Four experts give their opinions.

Lucy, M. (2020, March 8). Why are people stockpiling toilet paper? Four experts give their opinions. World Economic Forum. Retrieved 2020, July 2 from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/why-are-people-stockpiling-toilet-paper-four-experts-give-their-opinions/

5. Why we’re running out of masks.

Khazan, O. (2020, April 10). Why we’re running out of masks. The Atlantic. Retrieved 2020, July 2 from https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/04/why-were-running-out-of-masks-in-the-coronavirus-crisis/609757/

6. COVID-19 and its lessons for innovation

Tan, P. (2020, April 29). COVID-19 and its lessons for innovation. Singapore Management University. Retrieved 2020, July 6 from https://cmp.smu.edu.sg/article/covid-19-and-its-lessons-innovation

Ebooks

1. The Local Food Revolution: How Humanity Will Feed Itself in Uncertain Times

Brownlee, M. (2016). The Local Food Revolution: How Humanity Will Feed Itself in Uncertain Times. USA: North Atlantic Books. Retrieved from OverDrive. (myLibrary ID is required to access this ebook.)

2. Macroshift: Navigating the Transformation to a Sustainable World

Laszlo, E. (2011). Macroshift: Navigating the Transformation to a Sustainable World. USA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Retrieved from OverDrive. (myLibrary ID is required to access this ebook.)

3. Healthcare Disrupted: Next Generation Business Models and Strategies

Elton, J., & O’Riordan, A. (2016). Healthcare Disrupted: Next Generation Business Models and Strategies. New Jersey: Wiley. Retrieved from OverDrive. (myLibrary ID is required to access this ebook.)

4. Commercializing Successful Biomedical Technologies: Basic Principles for the Development of Drugs, Diagnostics and Devices

Mehta, S.S. (2008). Commercializing Successful Biomedical Technologies: Basic Principles for the Development of Drugs, Diagnostics and Devices. UK: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from OverDrive. (myLibrary ID is required to access this ebook.)

5. The Prepper’s Canning Guide: Affordably Stockpile a Lifesaving Supply of Nutritious, Delicious, Shelf-Stable Foods

Luther, D. (2017). The Prepper’s Canning Guide: Affordably Stockpile a Lifesaving Supply of Nutritious, Delicious, Shelf-Stable Foods. USA: Ulysses Press. Retrieved from OverDrive. (myLibrary ID is required to access this ebook.)

Journal articles

1. Stockpiling Ventilators for Influenza Pandemics

Hsin-Chan Huang, Araz, O. M., Morton, D. P., Johnson, G. P., Damien, P., Clements, B., Meyers, L. A., & Huang, H.-C. (2017). Stockpiling Ventilators for Influenza Pandemics. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 23(6), 914–921. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2306.161417. Retrieved 2020, June 29 from NLB's eResources wesite. (myLibrary ID is required to access this ebook.)

2. Changes in and shortcomings of control strategies, drug stockpiles, and vaccine development during outbreaks of avian influenza A H5N1, H1N1, and H7N9 among humans

Lin Mei, Peipei Song, Qi Tang, Ke Shan, Ruoyan Gai Tobe, Lesego Selotlegeng, Ali, A. H., Yangyang Cheng, & Lingzhong Xu. (2013). Changes in and shortcomings of control strategies, drug stockpiles, and vaccine development during outbreaks of avian influenza A H5N1, H1N1, and H7N9 among humans. BioScience Trends, 7(2), 64–76. https://doi.org/10.5582/bst.2013.v7.2.64. Retrieved 2020, June 29 from NLB's eResources wesite. (myLibrary ID is required to access this ebook.)

3. Influence of perceived threat of Covid-19 and HEXACO personality traits on toilet paper stockpiling

Garbe, L., Rau, R., & Toppe, T. (2020). Influence of perceived threat of Covid-19 and HEXACO personality traits on toilet paper stockpiling. PLoS ONE, 15(6), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234232. Retrieved 2020, June 29 from NLB's eResources wesite. (myLibrary ID is required to access this ebook.)

4. Freezing time, preparing for the future: The stockpile as a temporal matter of security

Folkers, A. (2019). Freezing time, preparing for the future: The stockpile as a temporal matter of security. Security Dialogue, 50(6), 493-511. Retrieved 2020, July 30.

Chinese, Malay and Tamil Resources

1. 陈振声：公众不必抢购或囤积物品 我国有四管道确保食物库存充足

李思敏。（2020年2月10日）。陈振声：公众不必抢购或囤积物品 我国有四管道确保食物库存充足。联合早报。Retrieved 2020, June 8.

Mr Chan Chun Sing: The public does not have to snap up items as the Singapore government ensures that we have sufficient food stocks, diversified supply chain, and self food production capacity. The government is also working closely with regional and global partners.

2. 我国自产手术口罩 满足本地医疗机构和人员需求

黄顺杰。（ 2020年5月6日）。我国自产手术口罩 满足本地医疗机构和人员需求。联合早报。Retrieved 2020, June 8.

Singapore has begun domestic production of surgical masks to ensure sufficient supply of masks for medical personnel. This is in view of the global shortage of masks during the pandemic. It is also highlighted that besides domestic production, the diversification of the sources is another way to ensure sufficient masks for use in Singapore.

3. SM Teo: S'pura perlu bina daya tahan lebih kukuh sedang negara bangkit dari pandemik Covid-19.

SM Teo: S'pura perlu bina daya tahan lebih kukuh sedang negara bangkit dari pandemik Covid-19. (2020, June 11). Berita Harian. Retrieved 2020, June 16.

SM Teo highlights the importance of resilience to emerge out of the Covid-19 pandemic. He outlined three aspects of Singapore’s resilience in dealing with COVID-19 that is, in its crisis response, economic resilience and social resilience.

4. S’pura terima bekalan telur pertama dari Poland.

S’pura terima bekalan telur pertama dari Poland. (2020, June 5). Berita Harian. Retrieved 2020, June 16.

Singapore received its first eggs shipment from Poland as part of its strategy to diversify its food supply.

5. Amrin Amin, Saktiandi Supaat beri jaminan stok bekalan stok bekalan negara mencukupi; nasihatkan penduduk jangan beli berlebihan.

Amrin Amin, Saktiandi Supaat beri jaminan stok bekalan stok bekalan negara mencukupi; nasihatkan penduduk jangan beli berlebihan. (2020, March 17). Berita Mediacorp. Retrieved 2020, June 16.

Two Members of Parliament, Amrin Amin and Saktiandi Supaat, assured citizens that Singapore has enough food supply in its stock amidst the movement control order in Malaysia which affected some food supply from Malaysia.

6. மூத்த அமைச்சர் டியோ சீ ஹியன்: சேமிப்பும் மீள்திறனும் வலுவடைய வேண்டும்.

மூத்த அமைச்சர் டியோ சீ ஹியன்: சேமிப்பும் மீள்திறனும் வலுவடைய வேண்டும். (2020, June 3). Tamil Murasu. Retrieved 2020, June 3.

பொருளியல் மீள்திறனைப் பற்றி விளக்கிய அவர், கிருமி காரணமாக வாழ்வாதாரம், பொருள்விநியோகச் சங்கிலி ஆகியன பாதிப்புக்கு உள்ளானது என்றாலும் நம்மிடம் அத்தியாவசியப் பொருட்கள் இருப்பு இருந்ததால் நிலைமையைச் சமாளிக்க முடிந்தது என்று கூறினார்.

Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean: Resilience in a changing external environment. We have managed to maintain our food and essential supplies through stockpiling, diversification and self-production. This is the result of building up industrial capacity and economic resilience over the years.

Disclaimer/ Rights statement
The information in this resource guide is valid as of July 2020 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history on the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
All Rights Reserved. National Library Board Singapore 2020.

References

¹ Lakoff, A. (2020, April 2). Coronavirus: Strategic National Stockpile was ready, but not for this. The Conversation. Retrieved 2020, July 31 from https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-strategic-national-stockpile-was-readdy-but-not-for-this-135266

² Singapore’s Food Supply. Singapore Food Agency. Retrieved 2020, July 5 from https://www.sfa.gov.sg/food-farming/singapore-food-supply/meeting-singapores-food-supply

³ AVA's Food Security Roadmap for Singapore. Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore. Retrieved 2020, July 5 from https://www.sfa.gov.sg/food-for-thought/article/detail/ava's-food-security-roadmap-for-singapore

⁴ Ng, J.S. (2020, March 23). The big read: Singapore has been buttressing its food security for decades. Now, people realise why. CNA. Retrieved 2020, July 5 from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/covid19-coronavirus-singapore-food-security-stockpile-national-12563280

⁵ U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2020, April 16). About the Strategic National Stockpile. Public Emergency Health. Retrieved 2020, July 30 from https://www.phe.gov/about/sns/Pages/about.aspx

⁶ The National Emergency Supply Agency. (2020). Huoltovarmuuskeskus. Retrieved 2020, July 31 from https://www.nesa.fi/organisation/the-national-emergency-supply-agency

⁷ Kimura, S. & Morikawa, T. (eds.). (2018). Potential of Oil Stockpiling at Oil Terminals in Southeast Asia. Indonesia: Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia. Retrieved 2020, July 30 from https://www.eria.org/uploads/media/ERIA_RPR_2017_04.pdf