The global food supply chain has in recent months seen some of the most extraordinary challenges of our lifetime. The Future Food Asia (FFA) platform is all about technological innovations to build a more sustainable food future, and these challenges have shed light on resilience, a key pillar of sustainability, as an immediate pain point that needs to be addressed. Therefore, in the wake of these challenges caused by COVID-19, this year’s FFA Title Partner, Corteva Agriscience, has prioritised the acceleration of their agenda on food resilience by sponsoring the Corteva Agriscience Prize for Future Food Asia 2020.

Several pre-Series A start-ups who have applied to the Future Food Asia Awards have been championing the cause of food resilience. Mr Peter Ford, President of Asia Pacific, at Corteva Agriscience said, “Since partnerships can have a multiplier effect, Corteva Agriscience believes now more so than ever is the time to collaborate and co-create the future of food by propelling viable innovations forward. Start-ups leveraging new technologies are not just coming up with tools — they are building practical solutions that, collaboratively, we can turn into impactful ways to build resilience into our food supply chain. This ultimately improves the livelihood of farmers and consumers alike, which our business is committed to.”

The recipient of the award will be one that strives to empower workers along the supply chain and achieve food security through technological disruption. Corteva Agriscience will make their final selection based on a curated list of FFA applicants that share this goal.

“Food resilience has always been a key responsibility for our generation, and a long-term necessity for most investors; but due to current events, it’s been thrown into sharper relief than ever before,” said Isabelle Decitre, CEO and Founder of ID Capital. “An accelerated effort to collaborate with innovative start-ups will no doubt empower stakeholders against future adversities and we are grateful to Corteva Agriscience to provide them with this opportunity.”

The winner will be a pre-Series A applicant for FFA Awards 2020 with proof-of-concept and market traction, demonstrable through past sales. The start-up’s potential in bringing more resilience will be determined based on the four pillars of innovation, all of which have been made critical due to restricted movement, panic buying and supply, and overall disruptions to the supply chain. The four pillars include the ability to promote business continuity, reduced reliance on manpower, market access and availability of nutritious food for farmers. The recipient of the Award will be announced at the FFA20 conference. This award will be the third prize at FFA2020, alongside the Buhler + Givaudan Plant Protein Award and the USD100K Future Food Asia Award.

Future Food Asia 2020, now set to take place on September 21-25th, is expected to shed light on some of the most innovative startups in AgriFoodTech, having received over 150 applicants from 19 countries. It will provide a platform for an exchange of creative insights and a showcase of continuing entrepreneurial spirit in the APAC region, as it has for the past three years.