Image: (L-R) NTU Professor Peter Preiser, Professor Kee Woei Ng, Assistant Professor Nicole Blackstone, and Professor Thomas Becker, speaking at the AAAS 2025 in Boston.
NTU Singapore hosted a panel discussion that brought together leading experts to explore innovative strategies for enhancing urban food resilience at the recent American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting 2025 in Boston, United States.
The scientific session held on 14 February titled "Food Security in Megacities of the Future" also saw the panellists exchange views on global challenges posed by population growth, climate change, and geopolitical uncertainties.
Moderated by Professor Peter Preiser, an internationally recognised expert in biomedical sciences from NTU's School of Biological Sciences, the panel featured three distinguished speakers:
- Professor Kee Woei Ng, Chair, School of Materials Science and Engineering, NTU Singapore
- Professor Thomas Becker, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Germany
- Assistant Professor Nicole Blackstone, Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, USA
In his opening remarks, Prof Preiser provided an overview of Singapore's agri-food landscape, highlighting the challenges of food dependency and the government's "30 by 30" initiative - a national goal to produce 30 per cent of the country's nutritional needs locally by 2030. He emphasised ASEAN's role as a key food supplier, the risks posed by climate change, and NTU's research contributions in food science and technology.
In their discussion, the panellists examined emerging solutions for megacities like Singapore, where land constraints required innovative food production methods. Some of the solutions included alternative proteins, such as plant-based, insect-derived, microbial, and cultured meat. The experts also discussed vertical farming and waste stream valorisation, the optimisation of land use and reduction in food waste; and how the use of AI and automation can improve food production efficiency.
Beyond technological advancements, the experts also underscored the need for strong regulatory frameworks to ensure food safety and quality as novel food production methods scale. They also explored the economic and environmental sustainability of urban food solutions, consumer acceptance and long-term nutritional impact.
