Climate change is detrimentally impacting our global food systems, causing unpredictable weather events affecting food production and supply worldwide.
Asia is particularly susceptible to climate risks due to its diverse geography. With 60% of the world’s population residing in the region, 75% of whom depend on agriculture for their livelihood and food, the impact of climate events like El Niño could significantly worsen food security challenges.1
Developing high-yield climate adaptation strategies, including drought-resistant crops, bio-based inputs, controlled-environment agriculture and data-driven precision agriculture, is crucial for ensuring social and economic resilience in the region.
The entire agri-food value chain needs to work in unison to accelerate climate resilience and nutrition in Asia. Fostering collaborations within Asia Pacific and beyond, the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit on November 19-21 in Singapore will bring together over 1,000 influential stakeholders addressing food security, resilience and nutrition.
Each day of the summit will have a focus: Climate Adaptation Strategies (Tuesday, Nov 19), Decarbonisation (Wednesday, Nov 20), and Nourishment (Thursday, Nov 21). It is crucial that the agri-food ecosystem address all three of these important pillars to mitigate the effects of climate change, reduce carbon emissions from food production and accelerate access to nutrition across regions.
From farmers and seafood producers to technology providers, food brands and investors, the summit unites leaders at every step of Asia’s agri-food value chain, to discuss how technology and investment can be targeted for climate-positive impact in the Asia-Pacific region.
International leaders and high-profile representatives including Singapore’s Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Unilever, Olam Agri, Mondelez, Thai Wah and Growy will share their priorities and roadmaps to incorporate resilience and sustainability into business strategies.
Distinguished thought leaders in the industry confirmed to attend include Anita Neville of GAR, Le Van Quang of Minh Phu and Ira Noviarti of Unilever, among others.
Programme Highlights: Accelerating climate resilience and nutrition in Asia
Geared for agri-food decision-makers with business interest in the Asia-Pacific region, the programme weaves expert keynotes, panels, sector-specific breakout, intimate group roundtable sessions, start-up showcases and 1-1 meeting rooms which can be booked through the Summit App.
Each day of the summit will have a focus relating to specific challenges across each step of the value chain: Climate Adaptation on Day One, Decarbonisation on Day Two and Nutrition on Day Three.
Guest of Honour, Dr. Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment will open the summit and take to the main stage to deliver opening remarks.
The Precision Agriculture panel on Day One will explore overcoming adoption barriers, the role of drones in APAC and advances in sensor technology, aerial crop management and carbon emission tracking. C-Level leaders joining the panel include Simone Barg, Senior VP, Agricultural Solutions Asia Pacific, BASF, Sharon Tay, Director, Food Manufacturing and Agri-Technology, Enterprise Singapore, Miguel de Andrés-Clavera, Group Product Manager, Partner Innovation, Google and Abhay Swarup Mittal, CEO, Aetosky.
With climate shocks affecting food production across the world, it is impossible not to spotlight how indoor agtech is addressing food security, water conservation, and biodiversity challenges. The Innovation Spotlight on Day One, ‘Protected Cropping & Indoor AgTech’, spotlights companies BoomGrow, Olar, Growy, Arianetech and Perfection Fresh.
The panel ‘Investment Opportunities for Climate Adaptation in Asia-Pacific’ will investigate popular tech categories for investment and scaling from lab to market. Moderated by Adam Anders, Managing Partner, Anterra Capital who is joined by Leow Li-Vern, Director of Investments, Seviora Capital, Subhadeep Sanyal, Partner, Omnivore, Michal Klar, Founding Partner, Better Bite Ventures and Claire Pribula, Managing Director & Co-Founder, The Yield Lab Asia Pacific.
Restructuring rice production systems can alleviate methane reduction, enhance crop yields, improve grain quality and generate higher product value for farmers. Joining this important conversation on Low-Carbon Rice is Ling Min Hoon, Investment Director, Genzero; Dhruv Sawhney, CEO, Rize; Ezhil Subbian, Founder & CEO, String Bio; and Dirk Jan Kennes, Head of Food & Agriculture Research Asia, Rababank.
The opening panel on Day Three will focus on ‘New Approaches to Regenerative Agriculture for Soil Health and Carbon Sequestration’. Focusing on the financial mechanisms, technology and partnerships which are accelerating uptake, the pane is joined by Nana Kuenkel, Cluster Director Agriculture and Food; Giz Thailand, Ira Noviarti, Executive Vice President, Unilever; Ho Ren Hua, Director and CEO, Thai Wah; and Stephan Weise, Managing Director for Asia, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT.
Alongside the main stage panel debates, smaller featured sessions are designed for delegates to tailor the programme to their priorities, and boost targeted networking:
- Sector-specific breakout sessions provide a dynamic setting where participants can dig deeper into specific topics around agri-tech, food-tech and blue food, discussing critical operational issues or solving key pressure points, connecting with potential business allies essential to their success.
- Small roundtable discussions covering key priorities for agri-tech, food-tech, blue food and investors are an ideal setting to ask questions, share insights and exchange contact details.
Decision makers joining the summit in Singapore this November 19-21 include ADB, Earth Daily and Rabobank, among others.
Propelling Asia Pacific Agri-Food Innovation: The Networking Hub
A major role of the summit is to facilitate connections between investors and entrepreneurs with ready-to-scale solutions. The summit features international innovators solving the biggest pain points in Asia’s agri-food system, showcasing exciting technologies in pitching sessions and the Networking Hub.
Regional accelerators and investors including The Yield Lab APAC, Dao Foods and Buhler will showcase start-ups from their portfolios, with the latest case studies and success stories around navigating the funding landscape and scaling operations.
The pitching sessions across Day One and Two are split between early-stage and later-stage, making it easier for agri-food investors and companies to discover what they are looking for.
From start-ups primed for growth to scale-ups ready for expansion, delegates can meet hotshots at their booths, during breakout sessions, or during a pre-booked 1-1 meeting to uncover the next big solution that could future-proof their business.
Find out more about speakers, full programme, registration and venue and accommodation information.
Download the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit brochure.
When: November 19-21, 2024
Where: Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Level 3
References
1. Reuters. El Nino may hammer Asian farms with dry weather, but shower American growers. June 2023.