Key topics revealed for Sustainable Foods Summit 2020

The Sustainable Foods Summit will be taking place in Singapore on 7–8 September and will cover a range of topics including: sustainable foods and biodiversity, the ethical sourcing of ingredients, the sustainability of seafood, the potential of plant-based foods, innovating with sustainable ingredients, the outlook for the organic food market and retailing sustainable foods. The summit will address key industry issues, such as eco-labels and sustainability in the food industry, in a high-level forum. Other editions in the international series will be hosted in Amsterdam (from 11–12 June 2020) and in São Paulo (from 25–26 November 2020).

Speaking at the conference, Nick Spenser, CEO of IBIS Rice, will provide an update on the IBIS rice project, which involves the production of organic jasmine rice in northern Cambodia and was launched by the Wildlife Conservation Society in 2017.

A growing number of food and ingredient firms are undertaking ethical sourcing projects in Asia, with some involving environment and biodiversity protection, while others focus on social impacts. Swiss manufacturer Givaudan will share its experiences in setting up such projects, while Puifung Leung from Fairtrade Hong Kong will underscore the positive impact of ethical sourcing on producers.

Overfishing, traceability and authenticity are some of the concerns associated with the consumption of seafood. Anne Gabriel from the Marine Stewardship Council will highlight the solutions provided by sustainable seafood, particularly the impacts of certified fisheries. Eachmile Technologies has developed a mobile application that provides traceability and transparency in seafood supply chains, working via Fishcoin tokens that incentivise seafood harvesters to collect data on their catch. Alistair Douglas from Eachmile Technologies will be discussing blockchain technology.

With many new plant-based foods being launched in Asian markets, Trang Dang from the Humane Society International will be providing an update on recent developments, with case studies of companies introducing plant-based products in Asia included. Many companies are innovating with sustainable ingredients, such as Singaporean company Doki Doki, with co-founder Alex Goh explaining how the company is sourcing locally produced ingredients from farmers, and providing information about the health benefits of superfood ingredients.

Amarjit Sahota from Ecovia Intelligence will be presenting market data and trends on the global organic food market, while Niki Ford from Australian Organic will provide an overview of organic trade in the Asia–Pacific region, highlighting the business opportunities for Asian companies in the organic food market. Increasing consumer interest in organic and sustainable foods has led to an increase in the number of dedicated retailers, such as Farmchimp, in Asia. Established in Dubai, Farmchimp supplies traceable sustainable foods. Its founder and CEO, PC Kabeer, will also be attending to explain how customers can get information on sustainable farming practices and the origins of using QR codes on its products.

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