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Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment
Speeches

Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit (Singapore International Agri-Food Week) 2026 - Ms Grace Fu

27 October 2026

Speech by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, at the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit (Singapore International Agri-Food Week) on 27 Oct 2026.

  1. Good morning. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit 2026.

  2. Food security and sustainability are closely intertwined. As climate change and other challenges place increasing pressure on how we produce food, we need to ensure that agriculture is not only productive, but also sustainable and resilient for the long term.

  3. The current haze situation is a reminder that climate change is not a distant challenge but one that is already affecting our region. Agriculture is closely linked to this issue as it is both a cause and a victim of climate change. Practices such as peatland drainage and open burning release significant amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to warming temperatures and increasing the risk of fires and haze.

  4. Farmers are often one of the first to feel the impact of these practices. Degraded peatlands become more susceptible to drought and fire, while repeated burning can reduce soil fertility and damage ecosystems that support agriculture. While such practices may bring short-term gains, they can ultimately undermine agricultural productivity, livelihoods, and food security in the long run.

  5. This is why responsible and sustainable agriculture is so important. By adopting sustainable farming methods and investing in climate-resilient food systems, we can reduce emissions while safeguarding future harvests. Enablers such as finance and capital, and technology are essential to catalyse the change.

  6. Against this backdrop, let me share how Singapore hopes to work with our regional partners towards more resilient and sustainable food systems through partnerships for innovation and impact.

 Building food resilience in a changing world

  1. Singapore imports more than 90 per cent of our food. We cannot insulate ourselves from global disruptions simply by producing more food locally. We must instead build resilience through a diversified and adaptable food system.

  2. Our Singapore Food Story 2 (SFS2) provides this framework. It rests on four mutually reinforcing pillars: Diversify imports – so that we have alternatives during disruption, Global Partnerships – with like-minded partners to secure food trade, Stockpile – to provide us with an assured buffer, and Grow Local – which give us additional capabilities and options when global supply chains come under pressure.

  3. The strength of this approach lies in its adaptability. Different disruptions require different responses, and our food security strategy must evolve with the risks we face.

  4. We have continued to strengthen each pillar. But we must also look further ahead. As climate change intensifies and resource constraints grow, science and technology will become increasingly important in helping us produce food more efficiently, sustainably and reliably.

Science and technology as enablers

  1. For a small, resource-constrained country like Singapore, innovation is essential to overcoming our limitations and strengthening the resilience and competitiveness of our agri-food sector.

  2. We have therefore initiated the Singapore Food R&D (SFR) Programme to drive research in key food domains, with encouraging results. For example, to strengthen the sustainability and productivity of our aquaculture operations, researchers in the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a bacterial solution that removes over 90% harmful nitrogen compounds from aquaculture wastewater in farm trials. The project has since led to the spin-off of a local biotech company, WaterDoctor, which integrates the technology into AI-powered biological water treatment, as well its deployment at commercial farms.

  3. This illustrates an important point: research must go beyond the laboratory. It must lead to solutions that address real industry needs, can be deployed commercially and deliver measurable benefits.

  4. Solutions developed and validated here can also be adapted and adopted across the region, helping producers respond to shared climate and resource challenges.

Investing in the next phase of food innovation

  1. We must sustain this momentum. Under RIE2030, Singapore’s next five-year research, innovation and enterprise plan, we will commit S$138 million to the next phase of the Singapore Food R&D Programme.

  2. Our focus will be on strengthening Singapore’s food resilience and accelerating the development and adoption of solutions that deliver tangible value to the industry.

  3. We will concentrate on several areas.

  4. First, aquaculture, with research focus on genetics, nutrition, and health and farming systems, to develop more productive and resilient fish varieties, improve feed efficiency, and strengthen fish health.

  5. Second, agriculture, focusing on seed genetics to improve crop varieties for the tropics and precision cultivation technologies that increase yields while reducing energy consumption.

  6. Third, future foods. We will continue to advance research capabilities in engineering biology, bioprocessing, and nutrition and sensory science to improve production efficiency, affordability and nutritional quality of future foods.

  7. Fourth, food safety, to strengthen our ability to identify and assess emerging food safety hazards relevant to Singapore, and develop advanced risk assessment methods to safeguard public health.

  8. Finally, a new domain on food supply resilience to support better forecasting of climate-related risks and supply disruptions, and develop technologies to extend food shelf life and optimise stockpile management.

  9. Across all these areas, our objective is clear: to translate research into practical solutions that can be adopted, scaled and sustained.

Partnerships to scale innovation and regional impact

  1. Building more resilient and sustainable food systems requires farmers, companies and research institutions to work together to bring promising ideas to market.

  2. I highlight three areas of collaboration that help turn research into impact.

  3. First, the Singapore Food Agency and JAPFA, a leading integrated agri-food company in Asia, will sign a Memorandum of Understanding to explore and develop a strategic research and development partnership in tropical aquaculture. The collaboration will focus on strengthening aquatic health and disease management and harnessing digital technologies to improve disease management and farm productivity. It can create opportunities for the research community to co-develop solutions that enable earlier detection of disease and environmental risks, improve farm management, reduce stock losses and raise productivity.

  4. Second, we will support efforts to develop and scale solutions for smallholder farmers through the proposed Solutions Centre for Regional Smallholder Farmers, or SCS. Smallholder farmers remain particularly vulnerable to climate-related disruptions and constraints in resources and financing. By helping to address gaps in data, technology and access to solutions, this initiative can support the adoption of practical innovations and strengthen resilience among farming communities across the region.

  5. Third, Hainan Nanfan Seed Industry Group, NUS’ Institute for Agrifood Innovation and Venture, and Singrow will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding in tropical agriculture innovation. This three-way public private partnership will explore joint research and variety development in tropical fruit, vegetable and horticultural crops, as well as controlled-environment agriculture and protected cultivation suited to tropical conditions.

  6. These collaborations reflect our collaborative approach towards building an ecosystem in which research institutions, companies and farmers work together to solve shared challenges.

  7. Singapore welcomes partners from across Asia to work with us. We bring together research capabilities, a trusted regulatory environment and close links to regional markets. In return, we recognise that successful innovation must be grounded in the needs and conditions of the markets and communities it serves.

Conclusion: Building a resilient and sustainable food future

  1. Ladies and gentlemen, climate change and resource constraints remind us that food security and environmental sustainability are deeply interconnected. Our task is not to simply produce more food. It is to do so responsibly, while building food systems that are more resilient, resource-efficient and sustainable.

  2. No country, company or institution can achieve this alone. We must invest in science, bring research and industry closer together, and build partnerships that allow successful solutions to be adapted and scaled across borders.

  3. Singapore is committed to being a trusted partner in this effort. We look forward to working with governments, researchers, businesses and investors across the region to translate innovation into tangible outcomes.

  4. Thank you.