Team NTU at the American Association for Advancement in Science (AAAS) Meeting 2025

(L-R) Professor Peter Preiser (NTU-SBS), Professor Kee Woei Ng (NTU-MSE), Assistant Professor Nicole Blackstone, (Tufts University) and Professor Thomas Becker (TUM-NTU CREATE), speaking at the AAAS 2025 in Boston

 

Prof Peter Preiser from NTU-SBS led and moderated a panel session on “Food Security in Megacities of the Future” at AAAS 2025 in Boston on 14 February 2025. The panel include Prof Ng Kee Woei (NTU-MSE), Asst Prof Nicole Blackstone (Tufts University) and Prof Thomas Becker (TUM - NTU CREATE); where they exchanged views on global challenges posed by population growth, climate change, and geopolitical uncertainties.

Prof Preiser outlined Singapore’s agri-food challenges, highlighting its reliance on imports and the “30 by 30” initiative to boost Singapore’s local food production. The panellists discussed the need for innovative food production such as alternative proteins, vertical farming, and AI-driven food production, stressing the need for sustainable solutions in land-scarce megacities. They also underscored the need for strong regulatory frameworks to ensure food safety as novel production methods scale; and explored the economic and environmental sustainability of urban food solutions, consumer acceptance and long-term nutritional impact.