Calling industry advocates to push bugs-as-food campaign

AS THE Singapore Food Story begins to be written by government-funded research and development (R&D) efforts as well as by food-tech startups and farms that are modernising themselves, one question arises: What developments will consumers find palatable?

Granted, much of the progress towards Singapore's "30 by 30" goal - producing 30 per cent of the island's nutritional needs by 2030 - is likely to be driven by technological advancements that go unseen by consumers, such as high-tech farming.

Yet there is also a more exploratory subplot to the food story where consumer response will be key: alternative proteins, a term which applies to everything from insect proteins to cultured meat.