Food Security and Import Substitution: The Role of Local Protein Value Chains

Many countries in Southeast Asia and MENA rely heavily on imported protein—poultry, fish, and livestock products—to meet demand. That dependence strains foreign exchange, creates vulnerability to global price and supply shocks, and often sidelines local producers. Import substitution is not protectionism for its own sake; it is a strategic choice to build domestic capacity, jobs, and resilience.

Local protein value chains, when built to scale, can displace a meaningful share of imports while improving food security and supporting rural livelihoods. The condition is that they are structured, investable, and aligned with government programmes—which is where institutional operators and capital come in.

We design and operate integrated livestock and aquaculture platforms that plug into national food security and agricultural development agendas. Our footprint in Malaysia, Egypt, UAE, Qatar, and broader Southeast Asia is built around this alignment: government-linked or strategic partners, clear offtake and market access, and metrics that matter for policy and investors.

The result is protein infrastructure that supports import substitution, productivity, and traceability—without requiring governments to run the operations themselves. That is the role we are built to play.

Food security and import substitution are long-game objectives. They require capital, technical depth, and operational discipline. For investors and partners who share that horizon, the opportunity is to back platforms that are already on the ground and aligned with what nations need.