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Lecture details
The Future Beckons: Food, Science & Technology
31 January 2018
4.00pm – 5.30pm. Registration from 3.30pm, seated by 4.00pm
CLC Seminar Room Level 8, The URA Centre
Lecture video
Synopsis
The 2017 Global Food Security Index by The Economist ranked Singapore as the 4th most food secure nation in the world. Having only 10% of the population’s food needs produced locally, what does Singapore’s food future look like? What is the role of science and technology in enhancing Singapore’s food resilience?
In this panel discussion, Ms Tan Poh Hong, former CEO of AgriFood and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), shares AVA’s efforts in strengthening Singapore’s food security through partnerships with the industry and other stakeholders. Beyond governance, this lecture will showcase the importance of science and technology in advancing the future of food production in Singapore, such as the use of controlled-environment agriculture and biotechnology innovations. The panel will also feature Dr Azlinda Anwar from the Temasek Lifesciences Laboratory, and a panellist from Sustenir.
Lecture report
The foods of the future are not going to be in their traditional forms or from traditional sources, because of the different technologies coming through.
Perception is very important, education is very important. [New foods] are accepted in [the United States], because there’s very good education in explaining to people what these kinds of foods are, on the good stuff of science
- Dr Azlinda Anwar,
Assistant Director, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory
With the traditional food system threatened by climate change and other global pressures, food produced using technologies such as synthetic biology and cellular agriculture may prove crucial to the 21st century diet. While foods such as laboratory-grown meat, bread made from insect flour and genetically modified produce may seem futuristic, these foods are actually already at our doorstep, said Dr Azlinda Anwar at a CLC panel discussion in January.
“With [the majority of] future foods, the technologies for them are actually already available in Singapore. Synthetic biology uses bio-reactors; we have those in Tuas. All these things are in Singapore, it’s just a matter of takeoff,” said the Assistant Director at the Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory. She added that the country could be a test-bed centre for future foods because it has both the technologies and intellectual property protection. “The future of foods that you see here is actually tomorrow, so it’s not very far away.”
“[Singapore’s food security] challenges will always be there and the question remains: Are we able to shape public perception and garner their acceptance, so that these foods will have a proper future and can be sustainable?”
- CLC Fellow Tan Poh Hong
Source: TeroVesalainen, Pixel Bay
But public perception of future foods currently stands in the way of this as consumers lack information about such food and cling on to what they are familiar with. This is supported by a recent survey on factory-produced farm foods conducted by Prof. Paul Teng from Nanyang Technological University. The moderator of this panel revealed that his survey found that an older generation of Singaporeans were reluctant to accept this new type of food, but a younger generation were okay and thought it was healthier.
“In Singapore’s situation, the question I always ask is: what is going to change consumer eating habits? Is it going to take a catastrophe, a real food security crisis, to make us change?” said Prof. Teng.
CLC Fellow Tan Poh Hong suggested a multi-pronged approach. The former CEO of the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore said policies and consumer attitudes have to evolve as food is produced in new ways such as aeroponics, vertical and robot-operated farms, and urban farming.
The high turnout of the lecture reflected the significance of the topic on food security.
“[Singapore’s food security] challenges will always be there and the question remains: Are we able to shape public perception and garner their acceptance, so that these foods will have a proper future and can be sustainable?” The ex-regulator added that while policies play a key role in evaluating the safety and efficiency of new produce to facilitate and encourage innovations, it is not enough. When Singapore introduced frozen meat, a campaign was also conducted to educate about this alternative and let people try it for themselves.
“If you [just] use regulation, it comes across as heavy-handed. I don’t think it will be a [single] answer, but a step-by-step process,” she said.
The importance of marketing as a tool for shaping perceptions was also highlighted by Jack Moy from Sustenir, a company specialising in controlled environment agriculture. “The trick is going one level deeper and understanding the attributes that are important to consumers, what are the things that they care about. If they care about freshness, then you find a way to demonstrate that your [new food] is fresh,” he said. Jack added that while Singaporeans are passionate about Singapore produce, the current local supply cannot meet the demand.
This was indicative of the vulnerabilities of the traditional food system that was on the minds of the panellists. Tan said Singapore was currently “too exposed” and cited the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Food Security Index 2017, which noted the country’s “dependence on food imports and susceptibility to rising sea levels and extreme weather events”.
Offering an optimistic note, Prof. Teng noted how the issue of food sustainability is increasingly on the minds of today’s consumers.
“I had a visit from the VP of a big company, responsible for buying food. He asked me, where do we buy sustainably-produced rice?” he said. “Consumer awareness and education is so key. Certainly, among the younger generation, awareness [of sustainability issues] is building very fast.”
Written by Alvin Chua. This report first appeared in the Feb 2018 Better Cities newsletter.
About the Speakers
PANELLIST
Tan Poh Hong
Fellow, Centre for Liveable Cities;
Former Chief Executive Officer
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore
During her time as CEO of Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore, Ms Tan Poh Hong has been instrumental in transforming and enabling the organisation to face the new challenges ahead. Prior to that, Ms Tan was the Deputy CEO (Estates & Corporate) in the Housing & Development Board (HDB) and led the Estates and Corporate Groups to plan, develop and manage HDB properties. She also held various headship positions in policy formulation and corporate planning, communications and human resource management.
PANELLIST
Dr Azlinda Anwar
Assistant Director
Temasek Lifesciences Laboratory
Dr Azlinda Anwar heads the Research and Enterprise Development department in Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory overseeing the Grants, Commercial, IP and Competitive Intelligence units, and holds a concurrent position as a Program Director in its commercialization unit, Temasek Life Sciences Accelerator.
PANELLIST
Jack Moy
Regional Sales Manager,
Sustenir Group Private Limited
Jack Moy heads Sustenir Agriculture’s Sales Department, and is passionate about bringing Sustenir’s 100% clean, quality Singapore produce to the region. Sustenir believes enhanced farming productivity and driving consumer preference is key to virtuous growth in Singapore’s food security.
MODERATOR
Prof. Paul Teng
Adjunct Senior Fellow,
Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies/RSIS,
Nanyang Technological University;
Managing Director,
NIE International Pte. Ltd.
Professor Paul Teng is internationally recognised for his expertise in food security, agrotechnology innovations, bio-entrepreneurship and sustainable development. He previously held leadership positions in international organisations, U.S. universities and the private sector, and has won multiple awards for his contributions.