Singapore’s first focused exhibition platform for emerging and established industry players in the region’s agri-food industries to launch, showcase and testbed their innovations and solutions makes its debut this month. Agri-Food Tech Expo Asia (AFTEA), a Constellar event with international partner DLG (the German Agricultural Society), opens 26 October as a key participating event of Singapore International Agri-Food Week and will be held at Sands Expo and Convention Centre Halls A and B.

With agriculture a key sector in Southeast Asian economies and accounting for about 11% of ASEAN’s gross domestic product in 2020 according to the World Bank, increasing shortage of agricultural land and setbacks from various challenges in recent years such as climate change, supply chain disruptions and farm labour shortage stemming from COVID-19 have drastically affected agricultural production in the region.

“There is an increasingly critical need for collective action and expertise to accelerate the pace of technology adoption and innovation in the region. We look forward to connecting the agri-food tech community in the region as AFTEA plays an essential role in catalysing and facilitating these exchanges,” said Mr Jean-François Quentin, Group Chief Executive Officer, Constellar.

AFTEA’s inaugural edition spotlights knowledge sharing and technology solutions to address farming and food supply challenges to improve quality, efficiency and output of agricultural processes, increase crop yield and self-reliance. Delegates can expect over 200 exhibitors from more than 15 countries such as Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore and the United Kingdom. AFTEA will also be hosting several worldwide and regional launches of agri-tech solutions and innovations in the following segments.

• Aquaculture: Next-generation aquafeeds and production systems from Seatobag; insect-powered shrimp and fish feed by INSEACT; seaweed farming via mobile technology by Sea Green; IoT solutions for integrated aquaculture by Rynan Technologies.

• Food processing and packaging: Biodegradable PHBV polymers by BioCircular (Biotics); processing systems for fish, meat, insects and plant-based proteins by Alfa Laval.

• Food safety and security: Fully traceable beef production systems by Polkinghornes; a smartphone-based handheld diagnostics platform for early detection of critical diseases, monitoring cattle health and screening milk quality at farm level by Faunatech Solutions; a multi-functional testing instrument for professional plant production by STEP Systems GmbH; an organic and food-grade traceability solution by Natural Trace.

• Novel food technologies: Bee-free honey by Bee-io Honey; advanced biotechnology platforms by Plantae Bioscience to create purpose-designed plants, enhance nutrients and implement cellular agriculture.

• Sustainability and resource management: Circular agriculture systems and IoT automation for farming management by V-Plus Agritech; trendspotting tools by AI Palette; tree and plant management system by AMG Concept; sustainable and chemical free water treatment and sanitisation systems by Pure Active Water; Web3-based applications by Sinisana Technologies for better resource management; curation, distribution and retail of boutique wines from sustainable vineyards by Code Green.

• Urban/smart farming: Plug-and-play smart micro farms by Mustard Seed Ventures; all-in-one smart greenhouse solutions by Adas Hightex; plant nutrition solutions by Biophilic; indoor high-value fungi cultivation by Grower Agritech; plantbased organic solutions for food and livestock by Tamuz Technologies; the first state-of-the art indoor vertical farming facility in Singapore utilising 100% proven Dutch horticulture technologies, by Urban Farming Partners Singapore.

• Plant-based and alternative proteins: Cultivated seafood by Umami Meats; cellcultured meat by CellMEAT, Gelatex, Meatable and Steakholder Foods; non-GMO vegan protein by Nextferm; precision-fermented, animal-free milk protein by Perfect Day Inc; low GI, high fibre, high prebiotics plant-based fibres by Alchemy FoodTech; egg alternatives by Hegg Foods; high-moisture plant-based tuna by WTH Foods; plant-based ingredient solutions by Futura Ingredients.

Facilitating New Knowledge Sharing and Collaborations
Beyond the extensive showcases above, delegates will be able to connect directly with industry experts, business leaders and fellow industry stakeholders via targeted engagement platforms, to empower them to make better informed decisions when exploring solutions and collaborations. These platforms include a specially curated Sandbox and the Living Lab, as well as Constellar’s signature business matching and hosted buyer programme.

The Sandbox will play host to new collaborations being formalised. Innovate 360 – Singapore’s first venture capital food accelerator with facilities – will be signing Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with Space F, ProXes and Futura Ingredients respectively. The MOUs focus on Singapore’s cross-border exchanges and framework development with Germany, Malaysia and Thailand, to facilitate and enable start-ups and enterprises to collaborate on food technology, go-to-market, OEM manufacturing, as well as other research and development programmes. In addition, delegates will get the opportunity to engage industry experts over discussions on aquaculture innovation, digital labelling for food tracking and monitoring, green financing, localising alternative proteins, building sustainable, inclusive and resilient agrifood tech ecosystems and urban agriculture.

The various country representatives, exhibitors and organisations such as Amarenco Group, BluEat, Entreprise SG, Jah Cultura, Olam Agri and Temasek Polytechnic will also be sharing case studies on their solutions and technologies’ deployment efforts and initiatives in the respective fields and countries. Speakers include:

• Alex Brittain, Senior Vice President (International), Perfect Day
• Arik Kaufman, CEO & Founder, Steakholder Foods Ltd
• Barbara Guerpillon, Senior Director – Transformation, Innovation & Corporate Venture, Dole Sunshine Company
• Dr Lee Chee Wee, Centre Director, Aquaculture Innovation Centre
• Gustaf Brandberg, Founding Partner, Business Sweden: ReFood
• Jean-Michel Pommet, CEO, President & CSO, The BLU EAT Company
• John Pennington, Executive Manager, Trade Windows, New Zealand
• Juan Francisco Delgado Morales, Executive Vice President, European Foundation for Innovation and Technology Development, Spain
• Khoo Gek Hoon, Director, Industry Development and Community Partnership Division, Singapore Food Agency
• Tan Chong Hui, CEO, Jah Cultura

AFTEA will also co-host the Sustainable Urban Agriculture Forum, organised by Republic Polytechnic (RP), in partnership with IPI Singapore and Trendlines Agrifood Innovation Centre, to address key questions on reconciling the need for food security through urban agriculture, and to discuss challenges such as high farming costs and energy consumption. Delegates can also observe the launch of the first Agri-food Singapore Standards for a holistic approach to farm management for agriculture, aquaculture and animal husbandry. Organised and developed by Singapore Manufacturing Federation, these Singapore Standards are aligned to ASEAN & international standards, enabling local farms to adopt best practices for quality assurance while protecting the farm environment.

At the Living Lab, delegates can personally experience innovative solutions within the Agri-Food production ecosystem. These include 3D bioprinting of meat and seafood products by Steakholder Foods; vertical and urban farming solutions from Uniseal (Plantercell) and Grain International; as well as a circular aquaculture showcase by Temasek Polytechnic’s Aquaculture Innovation Centre. “The DLG’s aim is to further knowledge in the international food and agriculture sectors. Agri-Food Tech Expo Asia is perfectly positioned to meet this aim from Singapore – Asia’s urban innovation hub for sustainable agri-food solutions. Key stakeholders get to maximise their knowledge opportunities over three days in just one spot, with an exhibition, start-up focus, think tank and networking all in one. We look forward to the inspiring environment of the event and to the generation of new sustainable ideas,” said Mr Tobias Eichberg, Member of the Board of Directors of DLG and Managing Director of DLG Exhibitions.