Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
1. A very good morning.
2. I am happy to be here today at the Cultivated Meat Symposium and am looking forward to witnessing the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Temasek Polytechnic (TP) and the Asia Pacific (APAC) Society for Cellular Agriculture (SCA) in a short while.
3. This is a significant MOU as it is the first of its kind between the APAC-SCA and an Institute of Higher Learning here in Singapore. I am confident that this marks the start of a fulfilling and meaningful partnership, providing training and opportunities for students to pursue a career in cellular agriculture.
Food Security and Sustainability
4. I am heartened to see industry, academics, and students coming together today to think about the future of food.
5. Food security is paramount in our rapidly changing world.
- The UN projects that the global population to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, increasing pressure on food systems.
- Rising temperatures are expected to affect livestock, crop yields, and agricultural productivity in many regions, potentially disrupting food supply.
- Increasing demand for biofuels and urban expansion could compete with food production for available land.
6. In Singapore, we feel the effects of food security more than many other countries in the world.
- Over 90% of our food is imported.
- This makes us vulnerable to global supply chain disruptions and price fluctuations.
- Most recently, we saw how natural disasters like typhoons as well as geopolitical disruptions affect global supply chains, adversely impacting food prices.
7. This is why building a sustainable and robust food ecosystem is so important to us.
- We have set a goal to produce 30% of our nutritional needs locally by 2030.
- We have also continued to diversify our food sources to ensure resilience.
8. One major opportunity in the future of food security is the development of alternative proteins and cellular agriculture.
- Cellular agriculture requires less space compared to traditional livestock farming, addressing land scarcity concerns. This is particularly important for a small country like Singapore.
- These methods also have a lower carbon footprint.
- With cellular agriculture, we can diversify our protein sources, and do so sustainably – so it’s a double win.
9. I hope everyone can learn about the latest developments in the field or explore new ideas at the symposium today.
Industry-IHL collaborations
10. A strong industry-IHL partnership benefits everyone.
11. For students, partnership with industry provides an opportunity to refine your skills using the latest technologies and innovations in the sector. It also gives you a chance to experience what working in this field is going to be like.
12. For academics, working more closely with industry provides you with new and interesting problem statements, and the potential for your research to translate into actual solutions.
13. For industry, working closely with the IHLs allows you to tap on the energy and ideas of our students and academics, and provides you the opportunity to recruit the best talents for the future.
14. Today, we will launch the first ever APAC-SCA Student Chapter.
- I understand the APAC-SCA student chapter aims to secure partnerships with both industry and IHLs, and actively engage partners through activities like the Cellular Agriculture Poster & Research Showcase.
- Students will have a chance to embark on a seven-month mentoring programme, where they will work with mentors from the cellular agriculture industry to conduct research in cell-cultivated meat and seafood, whilst staying abreast of the latest developments in the field.
15. This will go a long way in developing local talent in cellular agriculture, and I encourage all our industry partners to participate actively in these activities.
Taking charge of the future
16. To the students amongst us, you bring fresh perspectives as well as a lot of hope and creativity to the field of alternative proteins and future foods.
- Your willingness to challenge conventional thinking and explore new ideas will drive innovation in a sector that is ripe for change.
- Whether it's developing new cultivated meat techniques, experimenting with novel plant-based proteins, or exploring fermentation technologies, you will be at the forefront leading the next frontier of technological innovations.
17. Many of you will be important contributors in shaping business models and public perceptions towards alternative proteins.
- Through your projects, presentations, and community outreach efforts, you will continue to educate your peers and the wider public about the importance and potential of novel foods. All these informal educational efforts will go towards building a society ready for novel foods in the future.
18. I look forward to seeing the unique products and solutions you can come up with in the years ahead, and for you to change the world.
Closing
19.Thank you.