At Fura¹, a new bar that opened in August on Singapore’s vibrant Amoy Street, eyebrow-raising drinks, from the jellyfish martini to a mealworm margarita, are being crafted and tested. The environmentally conscious establishment seeks to restore ecosystem balance where possible by using sustainable ingredients and sources.

The opening of Fura signals that novelty is the new normal. And with the Singapore Food Agency's (SFA) impending approval² of 16 species of insects for human consumption, it's a nod to the looming global food crisis, with insects now recognised by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation³ as a cheaper, nutritious and less pollutive alternative protein source.

Singapore’s move is emblematic of a paradigm shift that is taking place across the world. The forward-thinking approach applies not just to food technology but to the country’s food regulations as well. With government support and a flurry of food tech activity, Singapore is developing as an agri-food hub. Sector luminaries are increasingly gathering in the city for era-defining conversations at events such as the annual Singapore International Agri-Food Week (SIAW).

Dr Tan Lee Kim, the SFA’s director-general (food administration) and deputy chief executive officer, says that SIAW is a “valuable opportunity” for collaborations in the food industry.

Cultivating innovation

A key topic of the discussions at SIAW is food security. With the world’s population forecast to hit 8.5bn by 2030 and 10bn by 2100⁴, the environmental impact of food production is increasingly of grave concern. Recent geopolitical conflicts and the Covid-19 pandemic, which disrupted supply chains, have also exacerbated the food security situation. 

However, innovations offer hope for the future. While the world is at a food security turning point⁵, technological advances are producing remarkable gains in crop yields. 

The crisis also presents huge opportunities, with Singapore demonstrating how its lack of a farming hinterland has been a driver of full-throttle innovation. While the island nation is celebrated as a multicultural culinary haven, it produces less than 10 per cent⁶ of the food it needs, and finding creative solutions out of necessity is in its DNA. Singapore intends to further tap innovation to shore up its food security and become more self-sufficient. 

To this end, the government is working with the local agri-food industry to sustainably produce 30 per cent of Singapore’s nutritional needs by 2030. This “30 by 30” vision will be significantly fuelled by innovation.

The Singapore Food Story R&D Programme, started in 2019, is a national initiative to focus on aquaculture and urban agriculture, as well as food safety. The government has since committed over S$300mn (US$220mn)⁷ to the programme, with key announcements on investments made by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat at SIAW 2022. 

However, funding research is one thing. Bringing the benefits of that research to market is another. Thus, the FoodInnovate initiative was launched in 2018 to give companies a boost in innovating, commercialising and selling their products. Meanwhile, events such as SIAW, give companies and thought leaders a platform to share ideas and forge partnerships. 

Progressive regulation

While providing quality infrastructure for top-notch innovation, Singapore has also enhanced regulations to secure the future of food. In 2020, it became the first country in the world to approve the sale of cultured meat developed from animal cells in laboratories. It was the first time globally that cultured meat was sold commercially, always meeting stringent safety standards. 

San Francisco-based food tech start-up Eat Just — which lauded Singapore as a “leader in innovation of all kinds⁸” — chose the city as the first global market for its lab-grown chicken nugget. Eat Just has since set up its regional headquarters in the Lion City. 

Singapore’s favourable regulatory landscape has also advanced conversations on new food products. Each year SIAW plays host to the Roundtable on Novel Food Regulations, organised by the SFA, which has brought together speakers and attendees from the UN and countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada. 

Such an environment has encouraged the growth of companies such as Oatside into the region and beyond. The homegrown oat milk company now operates in 18 markets globally, with chief executive and founder Benedict Lim praising Singapore as a “fantastic hub for a food company”.

“Singapore has a clear framework on food regulations, a strong network of food ingredient players with local operations, and a pool of R&D talent that make it an attractive place for food and beverage innovations,” he said.

Gathering at the table

This year’s SIAW, to be held from October 30 to November 2, again promises to be a platform for creating a sustainable global food production ecosystem, building on last year’s edition that attracted more than 6,000 attendees from almost 70 countries. David Chen, the chief executive and chairman of investment firm Equilibrium, was among them.

David Chen, the chief executive and chairman of investment firm Equilibrium said, adding that SIAW featured a “multitude of events” in areas including food technology, supply chain and public policy. “It allows for the mixing of stakeholders in a way that normally wouldn’t take place in a single — for example, genetics or vertical farming — conference.” 

Chen said he was looking forward to speaking at this year’s SIAW, where he intends to share his expertise in controlled environment agriculture. With the overarching theme of “Innovating for Sustainable Food Production in Asia”, the 2023 edition is set to usher in an exciting new era of agri-food breakthroughs.