The winners of both prizes will be announced at the Future Food Asia 2022 conference which will be hosted the week of 6th June 2022
Singapore, February 9th, 2022
For immediate release
The return of Future Food Asia (FFA) was announced on January 10, 2022, with the start of a new application season for the USD 100,000 Future Food Asia Award. Since its inception, FFA has acted as a catalyst for collaboration, accelerating the work of entrepreneurs in the agrifoodtech sector. To further realize innovations exemplifying the future of food, FFA is thrilled to support two of its partners – Cargill and Thai Wah – who have decided to award their own prize.
The Cargill Food for Good Award
Even as the demand to feed a rapidly-growing global population rises, so has the challenge to meet this need with healthy, nutritious and sustainably-produced food. Against the backdrop of climate concerns, increasing affluence and greater focus on healthier living, consumers are becoming more mindful about the impact of their food choices on both their bodies and the environment. More and more, they are seeking foods that are not only good for their health but also for the planet. The booming demand for plant-based / alternative proteins, immunity-boosting products, natural and organic ingredients are just some examples of this ever-growing conscious consumption.
As a company with the vision to nourish the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way, Cargill is proud to present one inspiring start-up with the “Cargill Food for Good Award”. The winning start-up will be one which is innovating new food solutions that do good – for people, product and/or planet. The winner will be awarded an in-field or lab-paid pilot, access to in-house experts and collaborations with Cargill Innovation Centers in the region, and be mentored by a Cargill project champion who will help them navigate the organization and leverage the benefits of the award.
Marcel Smits, Chairman of Cargill Asia Pacific and Global Head of Corporate Strategy says, “For the second year running, Cargill is pleased to join Future Food Asia as Title Partner and to present a new Award that harnesses the power of innovation and new technologies to meet evolving consumption demands. Asia is at the heart of global economic growth and a hugely influential consumption region where the themes of health, nutrition and wellness are expected to greatly impact the kinds of foods we consume and how they are produced for a long time to come. In response, we are looking forward to partnering with the Cargill Food for Good Award winner and other like-minded companies to realize ground-breaking food solutions that would help nourish the world – safely, responsibly and sustainably.”
The Thai Wah Prize for a Circular Bio-Economy
Over the years, dire messages about the fate of the planet has led to the question – and for many a belief – of whether preserving the planet and growing the economy are mutually exclusive. At Thai Wah, this challenge has been revisited with opportunity, by extracting new value from wasted side streams to contribute to a circular bioeconomy. By closing the loop and extending these benefits to the farming community, Thai Wah proves a balance can exist between conservation and growth.
Thai Wah will be launching RoseEco, the first generation wave of tapioca based bioplastics as part of the overall circular economy efforts to create new, affordable and scalable solutions. To further the transition towards a climate positive economy, Thai Wah will also be sponsoring the “Thai Wah Circular Bio-Economy Prize”, focusing on 2 key areas, Biomass Bioprocessing and Bioproducts. Thai Wah will also include advisory solutions that will help farmers contribute to this objective. The recipient of the prize would be one that is able to help repurpose biomass into a useful or valuable product. The winner will receive full support from Thai Wah for their application development as well as pilot trial implementation. They will also have access to Thai Wah’s strong team of strategy and R&D professionals, with further assistance in their go to market strategy upon product validation.
“Over the last few years, Thai Wah has been investing extensively in our capabilities in agronomy research, farm development, R&D and data analytics to build a strong and innovative value chain from Farm to Shelf. In addition to the agri-biotech platform and Thai Wah Ventures, the launch of our new platform RosEco positions us strongly towards building solutions for a circular economy. We are excited to play a key role with other innovation partners, startups and creators to help drive Southeast Asia’s net zero journey” says Mr. Ho Ren Hua, CEO of Thai Wah.
Both Cargill and Thai Wah will make their final selection based on a curated list of Future Food Asia Award start-up applicants that address their respective objectives. These two awards will be announced alongside the USD 100,000 Future Food Asia Award at this year’s conference.
FFA 2022 will be held on the week of 6th June 2022 as a 1 day in-person conference and 3 days of virtual conference. Applications for the FFA Awards are now open until the 1st of April 2022.
About ID Capital
ID Capital is an investment company headquartered in Singapore specialized in the domain of AgriTech and FoodTech in the Asia-Pacific region. ID Capital is a pioneer in the agrifood sector in Asia-Pacific and has contributed effort and capital in also catalyzing the ecosystem in the region through its Future Food Asia platform launched in 2016. Its thesis is built on the fact that in this growing vertical, Asia-Pacific is the nexus between high growth and high stakes. ID Capital is also an Appointed Partner for Startup SG Equity for the AgriFoodTech sector.
For further enquiries please write to [email protected]
About Cargill
Cargill’s 155,000 employees across 70 countries work relentlessly to achieve our purpose of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way. Every day, we connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients, and people and animals with the food they need to thrive. We combine 155 years of experience with new technologies and insights to serve as a trusted partner for food, agriculture, financial and industrial customers in more than 125 countries. Side-by-side, we are building a stronger, sustainable future for agriculture.
About Thai Wah
Founded in 1947, Thai Wah Group is one of Southeast Asia’s leading Agri-Food companies now operating in 5 countries with over 15 locations. Led by its core vision to create innovation and sustainability from Farm to Shelf, the company is a pioneer in B2B starch and starch related products such as glass noodles, vermicelli, tapioca starches and modified starches. The company’s core strengths lie in its deep R&D, farm supply chain strategy, operating capabilities and global sales and marketing network. More information at www.thaiwah.com