The fifth edition of Future Food Asia (FFA) was announced on January 7, 2021, when applications for the USD 100,000 Future Food Asia Award were opened. The FFA platform has always acted as a catalyst for collaboration with an objective of accelerating the work being done by entrepreneurs in the agrifoodtech sector. Acknowledging the multiplier effect of leading corporations, FFA is delighted to support two of its partners – Cargill and Thai Wah – who have decided to award their own prize.

The Cargill Prize for Health Through Nutrition

As we herald the start of a new decade, the importance of sustainable wellbeing for people, society and our planet continues to deepen. More than ever, a proactive approach to health among both farmers and consumers is gaining rising significance. In the nascent market of Health through Nutrition, FFA2021 Title Partner Cargill is focussed on fostering new innovations that help support a healthy immune and digestive system – both in animal and human species. Driven by this holistic approach to wellbeing, and in line with the company’s commitment to nourishing the world in a safe, sustainable and responsible way Cargill has decided to award one Future Food Asia start-up applicant. The winning start-up will be one that is building an innovative solution to progress Health through Nutrition. The winner will be awarded an in-field or lab-paid pilot, access to in-house experts and to an appointed project champion at Cargill who will help them navigate the organization and leverage the benefits of the award. 

“The Future Food Asia Awards are a celebration of Cargill’s shared passion for innovation that makes a positive, sustainable contribution to society. At Cargill, we believe innovation and new technologies can be an important catalyst for change in Asia. We look forward to partnering with the Health Through Nutrition award winner as well as other innovative companies to bring to life transformative solutions that will help the world thrive”, said Marcel Smits, Chairman of Cargill Asia Pacific and Global Head of Corporate Strategy.

The Thai Wah Prize for a Circular Bio-Economy

In this collective endeavour of ensuring that our planet thrives for future generations, another important focus is the search for balance between economic growth and the conservation of our environment and natural resources. This is especially heightened in Asia where by 2030 the population is expected to increase by 250 million and food demand is projected to double, with access to relatively the same level of resources. 

Thai Wah, strategic partner for FFA2021, has recognized these challenges and is committed to the promotion of a circular bio-economy, thus hoping to accelerate the transformation towards a climate and nature positive economy. Thai Wah will be sponsoring the ‘Thai Wah Circular Bio-Economy Prize’, underpinned by 2 key tenets, Biomass Bioprocessing and Bioproducts, and will also include advisory solutions that help farmers contribute to this objective. The recipient of the prize would be one that is able to help repurpose biomass into a useful or valuable product. The winner will receive full support from Thai Wah for their application development as well as pilot trial implementation. They will also have access to Thai Wah’s strong team of strategy and R&D professionals, with further assistance in their go to market strategy upon product validation.

Ms Hataikan Kamolsirisakul, Group Strategy and Innovation Director, Chief of Staff at Thai Wah expressed that “Thai Wah is committed to building better lives for Our Consumers, Our People, and Our Communities. Cracks have begun to emerge under the facade of urbanisation, which could lead to detrimental consequences if left unchecked. At Thai Wah, sustainability is not simply a goal, but part of how we act and live daily. The ongoing pandemic has propelled climate change into the spotlight and we are aware that start-ups have been active in addressing these issues. We are keen to discover and partner with like-minded start-ups who are relentlessly pursuing and co-creating solutions that will help sustain our planet for future generations.”

Both Cargill and Thai Wah will make their final selection based on a curated list of Future Food Asia Award start-up applicants that address their respective objectives. These two awards will be announced alongside the USD 100,000 Future Food Asia Award at the conference. The Future Food Asia 2021 Conference will be held from June 7-11, 2021.  Early bird registrations for the event are now open at https://futurefoodasia.com/ffa2021.