Singapore International Agri-Food Week 2024 to Catalyse the Transition to Sustainable and Nutritious Food Systems in Asia

SINGAPORE, Oct. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Singapore International Agri-Food Week (SIAW) returns for its fourth edition from 18 to 22 November at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands. Asia's leading platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and collaboration, SIAW gathers global industry leaders, policymakers, decision-makers, and innovators to explore groundbreaking solutions, forge new partnerships, and advance agri-food technology development and adoption across the region.

Themed 'Scaling Innovation in Asia's Agri-Food Systems', SIAW 2024 comprises four constituent events: the Roundtable on Novel Food Regulations, the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit, the Agri-Food Tech Expo Asia, and the Global Agri-Food Scientific Symposium. These events showcase the latest innovations in sustainable food production, while providing attendees with multiple opportunities to create and share solutions amongst a like-minded community committed to driving impactful change in the region's agri-food industry.

The week will begin with the SIAW Welcome Reception, an exclusive, by-invitation event held on the evening of 18 November 2024. It will be officiated by Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Gan Kim Yong. The reception provides a unique opportunity to engage and network with a distinguished group of agri-food corporates, start-ups, entrepreneurs, business executives, investors, policymakers, research scientists, and trade partners.

The SIAW is jointly organised by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Temasek; supported by Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), and Singapore Tourism Board (STB); and with organising partners Constellar and Rethink Events. The largest edition to date, SIAW 2024 expects to welcome 12,000 attendees from 82 countries and regions, 300 exhibitors and 400 speakers.

Nurasa, a wholly-owned Temasek company that focuses on accelerating the adoption of affordable and appealing sustainable nutrition solutions, is a Gold Partner for SIAW 2024.

Scaling Innovation in Asia's Agri-Food Systems

Asia will contribute significantly to the projected 9.7 billion global population by 2050. By that time, Asia and the Pacific would have also more than doubled the number of persons aged 60 and above, from 630 million in 2020 to 1.3 billion in 2050 - representing a quarter of its population. To cater to a growing ageing population, the demand for access to greater quality food and better nutrition will continue to rise rapidly. The ability for food systems to meet this demand will in turn be susceptible to climate change, environmental degradation and supply chain disruptions.

Asia plays an indispensable role in the global agri-food landscape. As the largest producer of rice, it feeds over half of the world's population and accounts for 90 percent of global production. The greater Asia-Pacific region is also the largest and most diverse agricultural market globally.

Scaling innovation, and enabling coordinated effort for collective impact, remain critical enablers in transforming food systems in Asia to be more resilient, sustainable, and accessible. Strengthening food resilience in Asia will also have a positive impact on the global value chain. To achieve this collective vision, Singapore, as a stable and connected global-Asia node, serves as a vital food technology hub, a key supply chain player, and a trusted food and nutrition centre, convening and connecting a global ecosystem of food producers, suppliers, technology providers, policymakers, regulators, and other industry players. Against this backdrop, SIAW 2024 has curated content spanning across regenerative agriculture and aquaculture systems, to protein diversification and accessible nutrition, providing an invaluable platform for catalysing the transition to a sustainable and nutritious agri-food system in Asia.

Regulation for Tomorrow's Food: Roundtable on Novel Food Regulations

Organised by SFA since 2019, the by-invitation Roundtable on Novel Food Regulations is a platform for regulators, local and international industry players, researchers, and members of international organisations to discuss latest technologies for novel food production, challenges in safety assessment, and explore opportunities to advance the regulatory approach while encouraging food innovations. This includes key topics such as the development of a safety-assessed ingredient list for cell culture media components, production of fermentation-derived novel food products, and global regulatory best practices.

Accelerating Climate Resilience and Nutrition in Asia: Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit

Organised by Rethink Events in partnership with Temasek, the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit is the anchor event of SIAW, bringing together 1,000 global agri-food stakeholders over three days to address the key pillars of climate adaptation, decarbonisation and nourishment.

From regenerative agriculture, biological inputs and AI-driven solutions to climate-smart aquaculture, novel proteins and precision fermentation, the Summit will explore the innovative solutions and financing strategies that are meeting demand for nutritious and affordable foods.

Guest-of-Honour Dr Koh Poh Koon, Singapore's Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, will deliver the opening keynote, setting the scene for three days of C-level thought leadership, networking and technology discovery. The illustrious 100+ speaking faculty features an A-list of agri-food pioneers and investors, including Olam Agri, Mondelez, Shell Energy, Google, World Bank, CP Foods, BASF, FrieslandCampina, Unilever and Thai Union.

Dozens of regional and international start-ups and scale-ups will feature at the summit, with cohorts presented by Enterprise Singapore, Innovate UK, MARS, Hatch and The Yield Lab Asia Pacific.

Into the Future of Food Sustainability and Security: Agri-Food Tech Expo Asia

Organised by Constellar, Agri-Food Tech Expo Asia (AFTEA) is a focused exhibition platform with a living lab environment, thematic experiential zones, sandbox and community-based learning for the agri-food industry to launch, showcase and testbed their solutions. This year it will provide direct access to 300 exhibitors, including 100 start-ups and 20 international groups, showcasing the latest innovations, practices, and strategies. An expected 10,000 attendees will engage with global leaders, industry experts, suppliers, corporates, start-ups, institutes, and pioneering innovators in Novel Food Technology, Urban Farming, Alternative Proteins, Aquaculture, Safety & Sustainability, Technological Solutions, and more.

New this year is the Precision Fermentation Pavilion, a dedicated space showcasing the latest advancements in precision fermentation technology; as well as the Climate-Smart Practice Forum, featuring senior executives of World Bank, Mars, RIZE, Mae Fah Luang Foundation and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Cementing its position as Southeast Asia's biggest platform convening the agri-food tech start-up ecosystem, AFTEA is also introducing the Agri-Food Innovation World Championship. Organised by Constellar and Innovate 360, the Championship aims to identify, support and celebrate innovative early-stage start-ups with high growth potential in the areas of agri-tech, food sustainability, health & wellness, and deep-tech.

Global Agri-Food Scientific Symposium – Innovation and Sustainability: Transforming the Food Landscape

Organised by SFA and the Singapore Institute of Technology, the Symposium aims to bring together researchers, scientists, and technology solution providers to encourage knowledge exchange and catalyse scientific discussions amongst those with an interest in the food ecosystem. It also serves to advance cutting-edge science, technology and innovation, and foster collaboration to build agri-food capabilities for climate-resilient and sustainable food ecosystems. This year's theme is "Innovation and Sustainability: Transforming the Food Landscape" and will feature academic and research experts presenting across four tracks: Aquaculture, Agriculture, Future Foods, and Nutrition & Food Safety.

With the urgent challenges facing global food systems, SIAW continues to be the nexus for the region's agri-food ecosystem, bringing together research and development, policy discussions and business innovations to enable collaboration and action unlocking collective impact in the agri-food sector.

Please refer to Annex A: SIAW 2024 Constituent Event Highlights; Annex B: Quotes by Organisers and Partners; and Annex C: Corporate Profiles.

Access the full media release and Annexes here.

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Singapore International Agri-Food Week 2024 to Catalyse the Transition to Sustainable and Nutritious Food Systems in Asia

BANGKOK, Oct. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Students of the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University came up with the idea of "COCOLAMP" — light bulb shades that divert lights on the beach that interfere with the spawning of sea turtles and help sea turtle hatchlings to crawl safely into the sea. This innovation is for the conservation of sea turtles, and the promotion of their coexistence with humans. 

Sea turtles in Thailand are at risk of extinction. There are several threats. Among them are lights from hotels, resorts, and restaurants along the beach where sea turtles lay eggs. Most importantly, these lights confuse the baby turtle hatchlings. Instead of going into the sea, they would crawl to the lit areas, and get stranded on the beach, exposed to attack by predators, and eventually die from dehydration. 

This problem is driving the Turtle Rangers team of students from the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, to develop "COCOLAMP", a bulb shade that will help divert the lights to suit the sea turtles according to the Turtle friendly principle, so that the baby turtles can crawl into the sea safely. 

"We studied sample data from Anna Maria Island, Florida, United States, which showed that creating a light-friendly environment for sea turtles can significantly reduce the number of lost hatchlings, so we invented the "COCOLAMP" innovation to help solve the problem while maintaining a human lifestyle. We want people and turtles to live happily together," said Ms. Monnapat Sringern, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, one of the members of the Turtle Rangers team, referring to the idea of developing "COCOLAMP." 

COCOLAMP is friendly to sea turtles and nature

Ms. Monnapat shared that COCOLAMP is an innovative light-diverting bulb shade for sea turtles that has been designed with the principles of sea-turtle-friendly lighting in mind based on recommendations from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which states that the light must be at low wattage using low-wave bulbs and fitted with covers to prevent the light from shining towards the sea.  

In addition to designing sea-turtle-friendly equipment, the Turtle Rangers also designed COCOLAMP to be environmentally friendly and supportive of the community economy. 

"COCOLAMP is made from coconut fiber sourced from within the community, bonded by rubber, and coated with silica from rice husk. The rubber coating bonds and strengthens the fiber while keeping it flexible and water-resistant. Silica from rice husk helps with repelling water, dust, and grime. COCOLAMP is durable, easy to install, can be used in any environment, inexpensive, and most importantly, biodegradable," Ms. Monnapat summarized the highlights of the innovation. 

How to install and use COCOLAMP

Ms. Monnapat said that it is not difficult to install and use the COCOLAMP. Just cover the bulbs on the beaches that are in use at night where sea turtles have been reported to lay eggs. The COCOLAMP will help to divert the light from the sea.

"Installing COCOLAMP will help optimize the beach light environment for sea turtles to spawn and hatch and will also allow baby turtle hatchlings to crawl safely into the sea." 

In addition to lamp covers, COCOLAMP also has Line Chatbots to help collect data and evaluate the use of the device after installation and actual use. 

"Users can submit data and reports on the installation and performance of COCOLAMP through Line Chatbots, which enables systematic data collection to analyze usage results. Chatbots can also provide information and advice on the installation and maintenance of COCOLAMP," explains Ms. Monnapat. 

Raise Awareness about Sea Turtles, Support the Economy and Community Tourism

COCOLAMP is not just a device that optimizes the beach environment for spawning and incubating sea turtles, Ms. Monapat and the Turtle Rangers also hope that this innovation will spark inspiration in all stakeholders in society, including tourists, entrepreneurs, and locals, to come together to conserve sea turtles and the environment. 

"We believe that the installation and use of this innovation will be another force in raising awareness in the conservation of sea turtles that are at risk of extinction and promote eco-tourism related to sea turtles, which can earn up to seven times more than hunting turtles for food and decorations, maintaining a sustainable balance between tourism and the conservation of natural resources," said Ms. Monnapat with a smile. 

Currently, the Turtle Rangers are developing and testing the performance of the "COCOLAMP" in the lab before producing them to be installed in the surveyed areas for evaluation. 

"In the future, we have plans to develop COCOLAMP into a start-up business and intend to design other innovations that are environmentally friendly," concluded Ms. Monnapat. 

Read the full article at https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/185805/

About Chulalongkorn University

Chulalongkorn University has made the world's top 50 university list for employment outcomes, which reflects both the high employment rate and workability of Chula graduates. The university is also listed as the best in Thailand for the 15th Consecutive Year (since 2009), according to the newly released QS World University Rankings 2024, putting Chula at 211th in the world, up from 244th last year.

Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChulalongkornUniversity
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/chulauniversity
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/school/15101896/

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

COCOLAMP Saves Lost Baby Sea Turtles, An Innovation from Chulalongkorn Students