Food & Beverage Asia June/July 2022

12
MARKET INSIGHTS
Creating
sustainable value
in food
Food sustainability is not as simple as generating the
greenest outcome for the planet. As David Hughes,
CEO of Plant & Food Research, shares with Agatha Wong,
creating value-centric products for the consumer and
the planet might be the best approach to greater
food resilience.
The issue of a sustainable food
system is not a question of if, but
when. As climate change, a global
pandemic, rising costs, and population
growth propel food producers to
tighter corners, much has to be done
to ensure that the global food system
is secure for the coming years. In
Asia especially, which produces
most of the world’s food supply,
food sustainability has become a hot
topic in both the public and private
sectors. Singapore, for example,
launched the “30 by 30” initiative.
The goal is to fortify the country’s
agri-food industry’s capabilities and
to produce 30% of their nutritional
needs locally and sustainably by 2030.
David Hughes, CEO of Plant & Food
Research, told Food & Beverage
Asia: “Food security questions have
started to move from a national level
to a city-specific level, with cities
wanting to ensure that a portion
of their food comes from their
immediate surroundings. Given that
some super cities are bigger than
small countries, it is not surprising
that city leaders are increasingly
focusing on food security. It makes
sense to address food security at
a national, regional and city level.”
For Singapore, a land- and resourcescarce
country with a dense
urban population, the challenge
of achieving food resilience is a
particularly sticky one — though
not necessarily impossible. Already,
technology such as vertical
farming and hydroponics have
proven to be advantageous for
the island state, and as agri-tech
start-ups take root, innovations in
local agriculture are expected.
“Globally, people are already
following a successful pathway to
produce leafy greens and herbs
using controlled environment
agriculture (CEA). Additionally, urban
areas like rooftops are increasingly
being utilised for agriculture,
providing value in a range of ways.
Not only does this utilise urban
spaces and provide fresh produce
next door, but it is also positive for
the city because it creates green
spaces,” he continued. “Aside from
the horticultural space, there is also
potential for cellular agriculture. In
future, with new growth serums, it
may be possible to produce meat
and fish entirely in urban areas.”
In Hughes’ perspective, the key to
changing these current challenges
to potential areas of strength lies
in focusing on value creation,
rather than achieving low cost. He
emphasised the cultural and social
value that food plays in society,
specifically Singapore being a food
city. In this regard, the challenges
that Singapore faces are presented
as opportunities, where producers
can consider moving back to the
production end of the food chain
to generate more value. Value, he
explained, in the form of “positive
foods” are good for the people
and the planet, in areas of health,
wellness, and the environment.
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2022