• Series of events to put a spotlight on innovation in supply chain resilience, urban food systems, alternative proteins and affordable nutrition
• Industry leaders to explore strategies for sustainable systems and production to build a vibrant agri-food hub in Asia
• Regulators to discuss challenges and solutions to assure safety of innovative food offerings

September 24, 2021, Singapore – Temasek today announced that the inaugural Singapore International Agri-Food Week (SIAW) will take place from 15 to 18 November 2021. The event which aims to catalyse sustainable food production in Asia, will be held in partnership with Economic Development Board, Enterprise Singapore, Singapore Food Agency, Singapore Tourism Board, and event organisers, Rethink Events and Constellar.

Guest of Honour, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Heng Swee Keat will attend the launch event of Singapore International Agri-Food Week (SIAW). The Week brings together the world’s leading food producers, agribusinesses, entrepreneurs, investors, research institutions and policymakers.

Notable speakers from international organisations, such as BASF, Cargill, Nestle, Tyson Foods, Unilever, The World Health Organisation, and the Tony Blair Institute, will be involved to share insights on scaling agri-food developments across Asia. Speeches and forums during the four-day hybrid event will be livestreamed globally.

As the world looks beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be a renewed focus on innovative solutions to bolster food security and strengthen supply chains, so that economies can rebuild and emerge stronger. SIAW aims to provide the opportunity and platform for global participants to share ideas, collaborate, showcase latest technologies and hear from industry leaders and entrepreneurs around these important goals.

Singapore International Agri-Food Week (SIAW) 2021 includes three key events to be held over four days:

Day 1: November 15, 2021

• SIAW Launch Event – The inaugural SIAW launch event will be graced by DPM Heng Swee Keat. It will include an opening address by DPM Heng, along with the signing of the SIAW Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Temasek, EDB, ESG, SFA, STB, Rethink and Constellar. During the SIAW launch event, industry experts will be invited to join in for a fireside chat on driving agri-food innovation and collaboration opportunities in Asia.
• Roundtable on Novel Food Regulations – The Roundtable on Novel Food Regulations will kick off the four-day event and it will provide a platform for regulators, local and international industry players, and members of international organisations including the Food and Agriculture Organization, Codex Alimentarius Commission and World Organisation for Animal Health to come together to share best practices and experiences on technical issues surrounding the regulation of novel foods. 
• Now in its second edition, the forum will take on a hybrid format. Participants will be invited to discuss the challenges in safety assessments of novel foods and explore opportunities to advance the regulatory agenda in a manner that encourages food innovations.

Days 2 – 4: November 16 – 18, 2021 

• Asia Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit – Now in its fourth year, the summit convenes the world’s leading agribusinesses, growers, consumer packaged goods and ingredient brands, entrepreneurs, investors, retailers and policymakers to share ideas and collaborate towards greater security and sustainability in Asia’s agri-food system.
• Hosted by Rethink Events, the three-day hybrid summit will combine both in-person elements and a full virtual experience tailored to an international audience.
• Discussions will focus on empowering smallholder farmers, building resilient supply chains, scaling alternative protein production, enhancing nutrition, and optimising controlled environment agriculture and aquaculture.

To signify our continuous commitment to build a vibrant agri-food ecosystem in Asia, the Singapore International Agri-Food Week will include the launch of Agri-Food Tech Expo Asia in 2022.

• Agri-Food Tech Expo Asia – Organised by Constellar, the Expo provides a focused exhibition platform with a “living lab” environment, thematic experiential zones, sandbox and community-based learning for emerging and established industry players in the agri-food industry to launch, showcase and testbed their solutions. The inaugural edition of the Expo will focus on key themes such as Aquaculture & Urban Protein Production, Food Safety & Security, Food Waste Management, and Smart Farming.

For more information on these key events, please visit www.sginternationalagrifoodweek.com.sg.

Quotes by Partners and Organisers

Temasek International – Mr Anuj Maheshwari, Managing Director, Investment (Agri-Food)

“The pandemic has put a spotlight on the resilience of our food and agriculture supply chains. Technology adoption and innovations are key to transforming the sector, advancing sustainability and resilience across the global food system. Innovative solutions, new technologies and compatible regulatory systems are needed to strengthen food safety, security and resilience – not only in Asia, but across the globe. That’s why agri-food is a crucial and rapidly expanding component of Temasek’s investment portfolio.”

Economic Development Board (EDB) – Mr Damian Chan, Executive Vice President

“Urban cities globally will require innovative agri-food technologies such as alternative proteins, aquaculture and urban agriculture to ensure and improve food resilience for current and future generations. Singapore’s strategic location in Asia, vibrant R&D ecosystem and trusted business environment position us well as a hub for companies and stakeholders to capture this emerging growth opportunity in the agri-food space. We welcome the setup of Singapore International Agri-Food Week and look forward to the exchange of ideas and facilitation of partnerships that will shape the future of food systems in Asia.”

Enterprise Singapore (ESG) – Ms Dilys Boey, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Food, Healthcare & Biomedical

“Global partnerships across research institutes, Government, established and start-up private enterprises are key to driving agri-food innovation in Asia. Such partnerships strengthen the global competitiveness of Singapore and Asia-based start-ups in agri-food technology as they look to overseas markets, and conversely, open doors for international startups to anchor in and leverage Singapore as a launchpad to the region.”

Singapore Food Agency (SFA) – Dr Tan Lee Kim, Director-General, Food Administration, and Deputy Chief Executive Officer

“Global trends, such as climate change and population growth, deeply influence the world’s food security. The adoption, adaptation, and creation of new innovative technologies is the key to addressing these challenges, by sustainably producing more food with fewer resources. Both regulators and the agri-food industry must work together to enable new innovative food to not just feed the world, but feed the world safely. The Singapore International Agri-Food Week brings those at the forefront together to discuss the regulatory approaches towards new innovative food.”           

Singapore Tourism Board (STB) – Mr Yap Chin Siang, Deputy Chief Executive

“The launch of Singapore International Agri-Food Week, in collaboration with local and overseas event organisers, is testament to Singapore’s enduring status as a premier hub for global business events. As we progressively re-open our economy and resume larger MICE events, we welcome leading companies, investors, and thought-leaders from around the world to participate in this new event, and to support the fast-growing agri-food sector in Asia Pacific.”

Rethink Events – Ms Jennie Moss, Founder and Managing Director of Rethink Events

“We’ve seen many exciting partnerships forged at the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit over the past four years, and we look forward to continuing to support high-level connections and conversations as part of Singapore International Agri-Food Week.”    

Constellar Holdings – Mr Chua Wee Phong, Chief Executive, Markets

“We’re excited to bring together Asia’s key players in the agri-food tech sector to catalyse collaboration and growth. The pandemic has given us the opportunity to build innovative audience engagement solutions which enable impactful global business networking. We look forward to hosting a unique O2O (online to offline) hybrid experience, bringing together stakeholders safely in a post-COVID world to activate impactful networks, explore opportunities and embark on partnerships, to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of Asia’s agri-food sectors.”

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Media Contacts (on behalf of Singapore International Agri-Food Week):

Samuel Chee                                                 Goh Jun Jie

Weber Shandwick, Singapore                        Weber Shandwick, Singapore

SChee@webershandwick.com                      JGoh@webershandwick.com

About Temasek

Temasek is a global investment company with a net portfolio value of S$381 billion (US$283b, €241b, £206b, RMB1.86t) as at 31 March 2021. Headquartered in Singapore, it has 13 offices in 9 countries around the world.

The Temasek Charter defines Temasek’s three roles as an Investor, Institution and Steward, which shape its ethos to do well, do right, and do good. As a provider of catalytic capital, it seeks to enable solutions to key global challenges.

With sustainability at the core of all Temasek does, it actively seeks sustainable solutions to address present and future challenges, as it captures investible opportunities to bring about a sustainable future for all.

For more information on Temasek, please visit www.temasek.com.sg.

About Economic Development Board (EDB)

The Singapore Economic Development Board, a government agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, is responsible for strategies that enhance Singapore’s position as a global centre for business, innovation, and talent. We undertake investment promotion and industry development, and work with international businesses, foreign and local, by providing information, connection to partners and access to government incentives for their investments. Our mission is to create sustainable economic growth, with vibrant business and good job opportunities for Singapore and Singaporeans.

Visit www.edb.gov.sg for more information.

About Enterprise Singapore (ESG)

Enterprise Singapore is the government agency championing enterprise development. We work with committed companies to build capabilities, innovate and internationalise. We also support the growth of Singapore as a hub for global trading and startups, and build trust in Singapore’s products and services through quality and standards.

Visit www.enterprisesg.gov.sg for more information.

About Singapore Food Agency (SFA)

As the lead agency for food-related matters, SFA’s mission is to ensure and secure a supply of safe food for Singapore. SFA works hand-in-hand with the industry and consumers to grow our three “food baskets” – Diversify import sources, Grow local, and Grow overseas, as well as ensure food safety from farm-to-fork.

As part of Grow local, we set ourselves the ambitious aspiration of “30 by 30” in 2019. This refers to the efforts we are undertaking to build up the capability and capacity of our agri-food industry to produce 30% of our nutritional needs locally in a resource-optimal and commercially- and resource-sustainable manner by 2030.

SFA also partners food businesses to strengthen capabilities, tap on technologies to raise productivity, undertake research to develop new lines of business, and catalyse industry transformation to ensure food security.

For more information on SFA, visit www.sfa.gov.sg.

About Singapore Tourism Board (STB)

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is the lead development agency for tourism, one of Singapore’s key economic sectors. Together with industry partners and the community, we shape a dynamic Singapore tourism landscape. We bring the Passion Made Possible brand to life by differentiating Singapore as a vibrant destination that inspires people to share and deepen their passions.

Visit www.stb.gov.sg or www.visitsingapore.com for more information.

About Rethink Events

Rethink summits are created by experts in agri-food, to tackle the issues most crucial to stakeholders throughout the value chain. With its global network of senior-level industry advisors, Rethink Events produces highly-focused leadership summits, including the renowned World Agri-Tech and Future Food-Tech series. Its experienced team is committed to providing world-leading platforms for knowledge-sharing, debate and high impact networking for business leaders and innovators focused on sustainable growth in the agri-food system.

Visit www.rethinkevents.com for more information.

About Constellar Holdings

Constellar Holdings connects a global eco-system of event partners and consumers through a holistic portfolio of intellectual property (IP) in the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) industry.

As Asia's partner of reference for curating innovative event and venue experiences, Constellar activates impactful networks to bring global markets, businesses and consumers together for sustainable growth. With our expertise and dedication, we are invested in helping you build trusted relationships with stakeholders for the long term and enabling cross-industry collaboration through world-class audience engagement solutions.

Visit www.constellar.co for more information.