Building greater capacity, security, and resilience in Asia’s agri-food system

As climate change increasingly impacts the stability and security of food production and distribution, ​discovering​ strategies and solutions ​that​ build the resilience of today’s agri-food system​ has never been more urgent. ​

In response to these pressing issues, the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit, Asia’s flagship leadership event, is set to take place in Singapore, October 31-November 2, 2023.

The upcoming event is set to bring together over 1,000 influential figures from various sectors including, agri-food businesses, producers, brands, seed companies, ingredient providers, growers, pioneering entrepreneurs, and investors. They all share a common objective: to build the resilience, security, and capacity of Asia’s agri-food system.

The summit aims to address a wide range of challenges, from supporting smallholder farmers and seafood producers in the region to expanding the presence of novel foods and tackling energy efficiency in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). It seeks to innovate solutions to meet the growing demand for nutritious and affordable foods while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions across the supply chain.

Structured around specialized tracks focused on agri-tech, food-tech, CEA, and blue food, this summit will serve as a platform where the world’s leading agribusinesses, food brands, growers, entrepreneurs, and investors will come together to engage in innovative discussions. These discussions will revolve around how technology and investment to maximise their positive impact on the agri-food value chain within the Asia-Pacific region.

Distinguished speakers from notable companies like Temasek, ADM, Syngenta, Thai Wah, Olam Agri, and Kellogg’s are among the line-up of over 100 international experts set to take the stage at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore.

Distinguished speakers​

• Ministerial Keynote Address​ Alvin Tan, Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry
• Sunny Verghese, Co-founder and Group CEO, Olam Agri
• Yanjing Wang, VP, R&D – AMEA, Kellogg Asia Pacific
• Joseph Taets, SVP & President of APAC, ADM
• Simone Barg, SVP Agricultural Solutions APAC, BASF
• Vincent Wei, Co-Founder, Archisen
• Kiersten Stead, Managing Partner, DCVC

The events programme, carefully crafted with input from its esteemed international Advisory Board, delves into critical industry challenges and explores avenues to accelerate the development of innovative solutions and partnerships.

The summit programme hosts a range of captivating sessions across the three days, each dedicated to exploring crucial aspects of the challenges facing the entire agri-food ecosystem.

The action kicks off on October 31 with the opening plenary sessions addressing the issues facing the entire Asia-Pacific agri-food ecosystem:

• Opening Keynote Address with Sunny Verghese, Co-Founder and Group CEO, Olam Group​, Singapore​
• Building Resilience: Food Security at the Intersection of Agriculture, Water and Climate with leaders from Eco-Business, Thai Wah, Temasek and ADM​
• Decarbonisation: Forging the Roadmap for Emissions Reduction from Food and Agriculture Systems with leaders from PwC, Rize and ADB​
• Ecosystem Building: Extending South-South Cooperation and Connecting the Dots across the APAC Region with leaders from World Business Council For Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Grow Asia, BASF, Olam Group and Universal Robina Corporation ​

For the rest of the summit, the agenda then splits into two dedicated tracks: Agri-Tech and Food-Tech on Day 1 and 2, then Indoor AgTech and Blue Food on Day 3. Early highlights from each track include:

Agri-Tech​

• Enabling the Transition to Sustainable Smallholder Farming ​with The Sustainable Smallholder, Syngenta, Cassava Farming Group and Jiva
• Investing from Farm to Fork in the Current Economic Climate ​with Trendlines Agrifood, AFunder, DCVC BIO, and Wavermaker Impact
• Sustainable Smallholder Farming session​ with Technoserve

Food-Tech ​

• Meeting Nutritional Needs in Asia: Exploring Culturally Relevant Approaches and Dietary Considerations ​with FoodNavigator Asia, Kellogg Asia Pacific, FrieslandCampina and A*STAR
• Understanding What Drives Consumers Across Geographies and Generations​ with The Good Food Institute APAC, NTUC Fairprice, AI Palettem and SaladStop! Group

Indoor AgTech​

• The State of CEA & Vertical Farming and the Road Ahead ​with Equilibrium and Boomgrow
• Financing the Future of CEA in a Challenging Economic Environment ​with CITI and Siemens Financial Services
• Exploring the Impact of AI on Agriculture​ with Kissan GPT, Digital Green, Bill and Medlinda Gates Foundation, and Slime Darby Plantation Berhad

Blue Food​

• The Seaweed Revolution: Capitalising on the Global Opportunity​ with Temasek, CH4 Global, Sea6 Energy and Coast 4C
• Driving Digital Transformation in Smallholder Aquaculture ​with Jala Tech, Aquaconnect, eFishery, RAS Aquaculture and Seagreen.

Complimenting the main stage debates is a series of daily breakout sessions to offer deeper interactive conversations. This includes popular roundtables, daily start-up pitch hours and Start-Up Arena, offering insights into the latest technologies and solutions on the horizon of the agri-food landscape.

The event’s flourishing Start-Up Arena will introduce a diverse selection of international early-stage agri-food entrepreneurs from around the world. These promising innovators will take the stage in live pitch hours dedicated to each sector — Agri-Tech, Food-Tech, Indoor AgTech and Blue Food — to showcase their ventures, exemplifying the dynamic landscape of innovation within their respective industries.

As attendees navigate the exhibition space, they will have the opportunity to connect with innovation teams and stay updated with the most recent developments. A diverse selection of companies including Thai Wah, Sormac, Clextral, GEA, Profuse Technology, Growy, Agilent and DSM-Firmenich among others, will be present to share their groundbreaking developments. These interactions with industry pioneers and disruptors facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape and its future trajectory. The event stands as a convergence point of innovation, providing grounds for knowledge exchange and collaboration.

The event offers an array of networking opportunities, including breakfasts, lunches, drinks receptions, lounges and a dedicated one-on-one meeting hub tailored for scheduled meetings. The online networking platform and app open two weeks before the summit for delegates to connect in advance and plan out their days with valuable meetings.

Senior representation is confirmed already from innovation-leaders across the agri-food ecosystem from agribusinesses, CEA, aquaculture, technology providers, regulators, investment, food brands and retail: