New Food & Ag funding from Google, CA & SG

This week’s must-read news for Food & Ag leaders in APAC

August 07, 2025

As new US tariffs loom on 7 August, Food & Ag in APAC keeps moving with strong positive signals in trade, tech, and protein innovation.

What’s inside this week:
💸 Google launches $10M AI fund for ag, climate, and health
🇮🇳 Indian farmers celebrate new UK trade deal
🤝 Singapore and Canada team up on alt protein
🛰️ Pakistan deploys remote sensing satellite
🍄 Ancient high-protein fungus returns for food security

Enjoy the read,

❝

“The Further Team has been instrumental to Living Roots, offering clarity, connection, and wisdom at every step of our fundraising this past year”

Abhi Agarwal - CEO @ Living Roots

Living Roots is a bold bio-inputs scaleup from Thailand, actively expanding into international APAC markets. They'll be at the Further Food & Ag Investment Summit looking for strategic partners.

🎟️ Join them at the summit in Singapore, on 3 November - grab your pass here.

Singapore and Canada partner to scale alt-protein for Asia

Nurasa and Protein Industries Canada co-invest in product development and commercialization for APAC

Yahoo! Finance | Nurasa | Alt Protein | Singapore

Google launches $10M AI fund in APAC

New initiative will back AI projects in climate, agriculture, and public health

Google | Google | AI | APAC | Investment

India-UK free trade agreement: Indian farmers to benefit most

FTA to boost exports of rice, dairy, and fresh produce

Times of India | India | UK | Trade | Farmers

Philippines, world’s top rice buyer, halts imports for 60 days

Shipments paused to protect domestic prices and absorb local harvest

The Strait Times | Philippines | Rice | Imports | Trade

⏰ Other News

ADB cuts 2025 growth forecast for Asia-Pacific to 4.7%

Cites weak China demand, weather-hit agriculture, and slower trade in growth downgrade

AgroSpectrum Asia | ADB | APAC | Trade | Economy | Growth

The impact of Trump's tariffs so far in APAC (and beyond)

US tariffs raised import costs and hit key APAC exporters without reviving US industry

Al Jazeera | US | China | APAC | Trade

Pakistan launches remote sensing satellite

New satellite to support agri planning, disaster response, and climate monitoring

Asia News Network | Pakistan | China | Satellite | Monitoring

Australia: 22% of horticultural production lost in 2023–24

Study finds pests, disease, and weather drove crop losses, costing an estimated $2.5B

ABARES | Australia | Horticulture | Crop Loss | Waste

China leads globally in cultivated meat patent filings

Strong policy support and R&D focus push China ahead in alt protein innovation

Good Food Institute | China | Cultivated Meat | Patents | Alt Protein

Beneo backs regenerative rice farming in Vietnam

New program trains farmers to cut emissions, save water, and improve soil health

FoodBev | Beneo | Vietnam | Rice | Regen Ag

China unveils laser weeding robot to replace herbicides

AI-guided machine zaps weeds with precision lasers. No chemicals or soil disruption

Agro Pages | China | Robotics | Herbicides | Automation

Water infrastructure is the next frontier for agri resilience in Southeast Asia

WEF calls for blended capital to fund irrigation, nature-based solutions, and water-smart ag systems

World Economic Forum | Water | Climate Adaptation | Southeast Asia | Blended Finance

The forgotten fungus in fermented foods: Neurospora Crassa

High-protein mold links ancient fermentation to modern food security and innovation

Springer Nature | Neurospora | Fermentation | Protein | Fungi

Agriculture drives boom in environmental testing

From soil health to carbon claims, agriculture fuels demand for testing across global food systems

PR Newswire | Environmental Testing | Soil Analysis | Carbon

Thailand’s maize-for-meat plan risks food security and forest loss

Feed crop expansion is displacing forests, degrading land, and putting rural food systems at risk

Channel News Asia | Land Use | Food Security | Deforestation

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