Kuala Lampur, Aug. 19 -- Malaysia's National Agrofood Policy (NAP) 2021-2030 promises a bold vision: self-sufficiency, high-tech farms, and a circular economy driving sustainability. Yet behind the glossy blueprint lies a harsh reality - decades of underinvestment, fragmented governance, and climate vulnerability threaten to rot this ambition before it ripens. Embracing circularity isn't just eco-friendly jargon; it's a survival strategy. But without confronting core challenges, Malaysia risks sowing seeds of failure. The core challenges involve more than just poor soil.

One concerns what is referred to as the smallholder squeeze. Eighty per cent of farmers work plots under one hectare, trapped in low-tech, low-yield cycles. There are ci...