Asia’s only focused exhibiting platform for agri-food  technology, Agri-Food Tech Expo Asia (AFTEA) returns for its second edition this year  from 31 October to 2 November at Sands Expo & Convention Centre. Organised by  Constellar with international content partner DLG (the German Agricultural Society),  AFTEA is a key participating event of the Singapore International Agri-Food Week  (SIAW), hosted by Temasek and Singapore Food Agency (SFA), and supported by the  Agency for Science and Technology (A*STAR), the Economic Development Board (EDB),  Enterprise Singapore (ESG), and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

With a focus on building capacity, security and resilience in Asia’s agri-food system,  AFTEA 2023 aims to inspire efficiencies in urban food production through the extensive  showcase of agri-tech solutions and technologies by almost 200 exhibitors from 25 countries and regions. This year’s edition is 30% bigger in exhibition floor space and will  host 75% new exhibitors, including new country pavilions from Australia, Bhutan and  Spain, as well as representations from China, Finland, Hong Kong, Japan, New  Caledonia, Philippines and Tahiti.  

Alongside rising populations and rising wealth, Asia now accounts for more than 60% of  global protein consumption. The Asian consumer appetite for conventional meat and  seafood is also projected to increase by 33 per cent by 2030 and 78 per cent by 2050. This puts immense pressure on protein markets in Asia to meet this demand in a  sustainable and scalable way while meeting the region’s climate goals. To this end, the  desire for healthier and sustainable food is estimated to drive 55% of food spending in  Asia by 2030, equivalent to USD$2.4 trillion. 

“Building food resilience and security in Asia is a collective responsibility,” said Paul Lee,  Chief Executive (Markets), Constellar. “As the region collectively accelerates net zero  ambitions, Constellar is proud to drive change in Asia’s food production systems through a focused platform like Agri-Food Tech Expo Asia for Asia’s agriculture sectors. The Expo  plays a pivotal role in catalysing the development of the region’s agri-tech ecosystem, by  convening key players and decision makers from around the world to explore ideas,  solutions and technologies. We hope this continues to spur innovation that strengthens industry capacity and capabilities, as we build a food secure Asia for future generations.” 

Visitors to AFTEA 2023 will have extensive opportunities for networking, learning and  knowledge-sharing over the three days.  

Highlights at AFTEA 2023 

• Agri-Food Tech Change Makers Pavilion: Powered by Impact Circle and Innovate  360, in collaboration with Space F, nearly 40 start-ups from Singapore, Indonesia,  Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand will gather to pitch their solutions and services to  potential partners and investors.  
• Lim Chu Kang Agri-Food Hub Showcase: Envisioned to be a highly productive,  sustainable and resource-efficient agri-food cluster, the exhibition by the Singapore  Food Agency at AFTEA 2023 showcases the overview of the vision for Lim Chu Kang  (LCK) as Singapore’s flagship agri-food production hub of the future. Visitors can get  a glimpse of the future of LCK, with the exhibition featuring design ideas for the LCK  Concept Master Plan. These includes its potential farming practices and facilities,  such as an innovative stacked farm concept which will optimise land use, a district  cooling facility to provide cooling needs for farms and reduce energy consumption,  and a centralised waste treatment facility to process farm waste collected from the  district and reduce the negative impact from the environment. 
• World’s First Cultivated Meat Pavilion: Hosted by the APAC Society for Cellular  Agriculture (APAC-SCA), exhibitors Avant Proteins Pte Ltd, Umami Bioworks Pte Ltd,  Meatable B.V, Gourmey, DPR Construction Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, JS Biosciences Co  Ltd, Vital Meat, and Kosmode Health will showcase their alternative protein production  and products.  
• Living Lab Tech Showcase: Companies Arianetech Pte Ltd and GRAIN International  Pte Ltd will be demonstrating how their high tech urban farming systems are capable  of growing produce with higher yield.  
• Circular Unite Community App: Together with Alibaba Cloud and Circular Unite,  AFTEA 2023 will encourage participants to download the app and heighten their  awareness on carbon footprint reduction, learn about their environmental impact of  their everyday choices and commit to taking actionable steps towards a greener  future.  
• Founder’s Hub: The Founder’s Hub will be focused on supporting start-ups in their  journeys by providing them a safe space for them to pitch with exhibitors from the  Cultivated Meat Pavilion, Canada and the United Kingdom, learn HR trends from  Synovivo Consulting, and also empowered with inspiring stories from successful  founders like Shiok Meat, Umami Bioworks, and Blue Aqua. The Founder’s Hub will also play host on Day Two to the finalist teams from the Republic Polytechnic – Trendlines Agri-food Incubation Programme, as they pitch their agri-tech solutions to  win a coveted 6-month incubation contract with Trendlines AFIC.

• Sandbox: Participants can uncover investment and collaboration opportunities in  Bhutan, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore and Spain. They will also be able  to explore the market potential of novel ingredients with Nutricell Bioscience Molecules  Pte. Ltd, ways to achieve sustainable food production with Siemens, as well as  discuss approaches to advance careers in Singapore’s agrifood and tech sectors with  Workforce Singapore (WSG).  

Other exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge technologies and solutions include Aerospring  Hydroponics, the Association for Small & Medium Entreprises (ASME), Haskell, GROW,  Jah Cultura, Mindsprint, Nanyang Technological University’s Singapore Agri-Food  Innovation Lab and Food Science & Technology Programme, PRIVA, Republic  Polytechnic’s Urban Agricultural Centre of Innovation, the Singapore Agro-Food  Enterprises Federation Limited (SAFEF), Signify Singapore Pte Ltd and Temasek  Polytechnic.