Agricultural Technology Co-Creates the Future of Global Food Systems

“Wisdom Without Borders” International Summit Successfully Held in Shanghai

On April 2, 2025, the Wisdom Without Borders: Global Innovation for Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture International Summit was successfully held in Shanghai. Organized by Singapore-based Zebrafish Capital, the summit convened a high-level delegation of global stakeholders, including representatives from the FAO, Innovate 360, Guotai Junan Securities, Shanghai Ocean University, BASF (China), Blue Aqua International, Open Food Chain, World Food Chain, Mushroom World Academy, Everything But Co., The Aquaculture Group, Aliyah Rizq Holdings, and Success Agriculture, among others.

The summit explored key themes including agricultural technology innovation, alternative proteins, sustainable aquaculture, and digital agriculture—signaling a new era of cross-border collaboration to reshape the global food and agriculture system.  

Global Challenges, Systemic Solutions

The global food system is under unprecedented pressure. Climate change, land and water scarcity, population growth, and volatile supply chains are compounding threats to global food security. By 2050, food demand is projected to rise by over 50%, even as agricultural productivity and ecological capacity approach their limits. This summit served as a global platform for thought leaders and innovators to exchange insights on how technology and systemic collaboration can address these deeply rooted structural challenges.  

Industry Orchestrators: Zebrafish Capital as a Catalyst for Global Collaboration

During the summit, Henry Sim, CEO of Zebrafish Capital, shared his vision:

“The future of agriculture is not just about yield, but about creating resilient, data-driven, and globally connected value chains. We’re not here merely to find projects — we’re here to co-create ecosystems.”

Headquartered in Singapore, Zebrafish Capital is an investment and innovation platform focused on the agri-food sector. It is building a cross-border ecosystem that connects capital, technology, and agricultural assets. In China, it plays a unique bridging role—translating global innovation into local implementation—supporting the transformation of agricultural productivity and advancing rural revitalization through modern, service-driven approaches.

Roundtable Highlights: Multi-Stakeholder Insights into Agri-Food Innovation

The summit featured four dynamic roundtable discussions, each focusing on a critical theme: sustainable aquaculture, alternative proteins, agri-tech incubation and investment, and collaborative ecosystems in agriculture.

Participants from industry, academia, international organizations, and investment sectors offered diverse perspectives on the forces reshaping food systems.

• In the Sustainable Aquaculture roundtable, Professor Zhang Wei of Shanghai Ocean University emphasized the growing importance of the blue economy as a driver of high-quality agricultural growth.

• In the Alternative Proteins session, Marieke, founder of Open Food Chain, stressed the need for transparent food systems built on global trust.

Meanwhile, Eric Lin from Mushroom World Academy introduced breakthroughs in solid-state fermentation for fungal proteins.

• The Agri-Tech Incubation and Investment panel featured John Cheng, CEO of Innovate 360, who introduced Singapore’s “Feed 9 Billion” incubation model. Liu Yang, General Manager of Shanghai Ocean University’s Tech Transfer Company, discussed structural challenges in commercializing agri-tech, including long validation cycles and fragmented service ecosystems.

• In the Collaborative Ecosystems roundtable, Balathandautham TAM, sustainability advisor at Aliyah Rizq Holdings, advocated for adaptive agriculture and localized value chain integration as essential pillars of sustainable development in emerging markets.

These roundtables highlighted the summit’s success in fostering open dialogue across science, business, investment, and policy spheres—and showcased Zebrafish Capital’s capacity to convene system-wide collaboration.

Regional Engagement: Seeds of New Collaboration

Following the summit, several international participants visited agricultural demonstration zones across the Yangtze River Delta, engaging in field-level discussions on raw material coordination, intelligent farming, and sustainable aquaculture.

While no specific project locations were finalized, many expressed strong interest in using China as a hub for pilot implementation and scaled collaboration.

Jeremy Nathaniel, CEO of World Food Chain, remarked: “We’ve been focusing on the U.S. and Europe in recent years. But in terms of real-world validation and market scaling, China may offer the most practical testing ground.”

Zebrafish Capital reaffirmed its commitment to exploring collaborative models with research institutes, local governments, and international partners, promoting a dual-track approach of “local validation + global coordination” to co-develop the future of agriculture.

From China to the World: A Shared Global Imperative

The summit made it clear: the future of agri-tech innovation lies not in isolated efforts, but in coordinated ecosystem development and multi-level engagement. China is evolving from being a demand-driven superpower to becoming a global hub for agricultural innovation, regulation, and ecosystem orchestration.

As President Xi Jinping once noted: “Working with China means embracing opportunity; trusting China is trusting the future; investing in China is investing in tomorrow.”

With this summit, Zebrafish Capital and its partners have taken tangible steps toward building a resilient, sustainable, and globally integrated agri-food future—rooted in collaboration, innovation, and mutual trust.