Food is the New Cool: Announcing Future Food Asia 2020
ID Capital announces the fourth edition of Future Food Asia – APAC’s premier AgriFoodTech competition, and its title partners
Singapore, January 20, 2020
For immediate release
Food has always been a necessity, a source of joy and a way of cultural expression. Food has always been cool. But with revolutions in alternative protein, genetically edited crops and vertical farming, coupled with rising concerns over sustainability, food has new ways of taming nature. The Future Food Asia 2020 (FFA 2020) conference will help discover out just how ‘cool’ food is, separating the fad from the future.
A fine balancing act is in play, where the AgriFood sector attempts to increase its production with diminishing resources while improving its ecological footprint. Future Food Asia recognizes Asia Pacific’s critical role in this act, not only as a pool of consumers but also as a source for solutions. Over the past three editions Future Food Asia has empowered 38 early stage startups from Asia Pacific by providing them the stage to present their cutting-edge innovations and distributed US$ 1 million in awards. Most importantly, FFA has developed an ecosystem of industry experts, entrepreneurs and thought leaders to provide all attendees a multi-faceted view on key industry opportunities and challenges.
FFA2020 will continue the endeavor of advancing entrepreneurship and innovation in the AgriFoodTech sector in Asia Pacific. A unique feature this year will be the Plant Protein Innovation Award provided by Bühler Group and Givaudan. The two champions of the FoodTech revolution will also co-host a Plant Protein Masterclass to provide critical insight to entrepreneurs in the domain on the secrets of scaling plant-based food formulations and manufacturing.
Corteva AgriscienceTM deepens its engagement and joins as a Title Partner, as FFA aligns with its collaboration strategy designed to encourage the further development of the Asia-Pacific agriculture technology start-up ecosystem. Further to establishing a global analytics center of excellence and a R&D lab in Singapore, Corteva aims at using new innovative approaches to make agriculture value chains more productive and sustainable.
Future Food Asia has also on boarded Dole Packaged Foods among its new partners. Dole is on mission to make Nutrition & Wellness accessible to as many people around the world, as possible, reducing the gaps between people and healthy nutrition. As they begin to deepen their engagement with start-ups to strengthen initiatives in pioneering the healthy nutrition revolution and upcycling food waste streams, they will be an important partner in Future Food Asia.
The conference will also feature tête-à-têtes between leading entrepreneurs, as well as stimulating discussions on major challenges in the sector, such as the supply-side shocks caused by African Swine Flu and other biosecurity threats.
The Future Food Asia 2020 award event will be held in Singapore on 2-3 June 2020. Ten finalists selected by the FFA jury will showcase their innovations and compete for the US$ 100,000 grand prize. Applications for the award are now open at https://futurefoodasia.com/ffa2020/.
Future Food Asia is made possible due to the continued support from our partners:
- A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), Singapore’s lead public research agency, once again associated to the FFA Jury as an expert partner;
- Corteva AgriscienceTM, previously the agriculture division of DowDuPont and now an independent public company committed to enriching the lives of those who produce and those who consume ensuring progress for generations to come;
- Dole Packaged Foods Worldwide, a division of Dole International Holdings, one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of high-quality packaged and fresh fruit with operations covering more than 70 countries;
- Bühler Group, the leading global technology supplier to the food processing industry;
- Givaudan, the leading global flavours company, creates lasting flavour and taste experiences that touch emotions across key segments including beverages, sweet goods, savoury and snacks; regardless of product category Givaudan’s passion is to make food and beverage products taste delicious;
- ADB Ventures, an Asian Development Bank (ADB) program supporting entrepreneurs to scale technology companies for sustainable impact in Asia and the Pacific.
“Future Food Asia Award is an excellent platform to foster greater collaborations between multinational companies and startups in Singapore and in the Asia Pacific region. This supports EDB’s efforts to develop Singapore as a leading centre to develop and commercialise Agri-food tech solutions that can sustainably feed the world.” said Lee Eng Keat, Executive Director, Agrifood, Commercial & Professional Services at Singapore Economic Development Board.
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 A*STAR
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore’s lead public sector agency that spearheads economic oriented research to advance scientific discovery and develop innovative technology. Through open innovation, we collaborate with our partners in both the public and private sectors to benefit society.
As a Science and Technology Organisation, A*STAR bridges the gap between academia and industry. Our research creates economic growth and jobs for Singapore, and enhances lives by contributing to societal benefits such as improving outcomes in healthcare, urban living, and sustainability.
We play a key role in nurturing and developing a diversity of talent and leaders in our Agency and Research Institutes, the wider research community and industry. A*STAR oversees 18 biomedical sciences and physical sciences and engineering research entities primarily located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis.
For more information on A*STAR, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg
About Corteva Agriscience
Corteva Agriscience is a publicly traded (NYSE:CTVA), global pure-play agriculture company that provides farmers around the world with the most complete portfolio in the industry – including a balanced and diverse mix of seed, crop protection and digital solutions focused on maximizing productivity to enhance yield and profitability. With some of the most recognized brands in agriculture and an industry-leading product and technology pipeline well positioned to drive growth, the company is committed to working with stakeholders throughout the food system as it fulfills its promise to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come. Corteva Agriscience became an independent public company on June 1, 2019 and was previously the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont.
More information can be found at www.corteva.com
About Dole Packaged Foods
Dole Packaged Foods Worldwide is a division of Dole International Holdings, one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of high-quality fresh and packaged fruit-based products, with operations covering more than 70 countries around the world.
Dole is on mission to make Nutrition & Wellness accessible to as many people around the world, as possible, reducing the gaps between people and healthy nutrition. More information at https://dolesunshine.com
About Bühler
Billions of people come into contact with Bühler technologies to cover their basic needs for food and mobility every day. Two billion people each day enjoy foods produced on Bühler equipment; and one billion people travel in vehicles manufactured with parts produced with our machinery. Countless people wear eye glasses, use smart phones, and read newspapers and magazines, all of which depend on Bühler process technologies and solutions. Having this global relevance, we are in a unique position to turn today’s global challenges into sustainable business. We want every human being to have access to healthy food. We want to do our part to protect the climate with energy-efficient cars, buildings, and machinery. Our motto is creating “innovations for a better world.”
Bühler invests up to 5% of turnover into research and development. In 2018, over 13,000 employees generated a turnover of CHF 3.3 billion. As a Swiss family-owned company, Bühler is active in in 140 countries around the world and operates a global network of 30 production sites. More information on www.buhlergroup.com
For further enquiries:
Vianney d’Hostel, Regional Marketing Manager Southeast Asia
Bühler (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand
Mobile: +65 9148 1405
E-mail: [email protected]
About Givaudan
Givaudan is the global leader in the creation of flavours and fragrances. In close collaboration with food, beverage, consumer product and fragrance partners, Givaudan develops tastes and scents that delight consumers the world over. With a passion to understand consumers’ preferences and a relentless drive to innovate, Givaudan is at the forefront of creating flavours and fragrances that ‘engage your senses’. The Company achieved sales of CHF 5.5 billion in 2018. Headquartered in Switzerland with local presence in over 145 locations, the Company has almost 13,600 employees worldwide. Givaudan invites you to discover more at www.givaudan.com.
About ADB Ventures
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 member countries—48 from the region. ADB Ventures supports entrepreneurs with finance and technical assistance to scale technology companies for sustainable impact in Asia and the Pacific.
About the Singapore Economic Development Board
The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) is the lead government agency for planning and executing strategies to enhance Singapore’s position as a global business centre. EDB dreams, designs and delivers solutions that create value for investors and companies in Singapore. Our mission is to create for Singapore, sustainable economic growth with vibrant business and good job opportunities. For more information, please visit https://www.edb.gov.sg/.