IMCD – The Green Food Contest
The Green Food Contest is a scholarship competition for talented students from six Southeast Asian countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The contest is part of IMCD Cares, a programme of IMCD, a global leader in the distribution and formulation of specialty chemicals and ingredients. IMCD works in collaboration with Nuffic Southeast Asia (Nuffic SEA), based in Jakarta, and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. The objective of the contest is to build and nurture future talents to play an active role in contributing to a sustainable food industry. The first Green Food Contest took place in 2023, and the winner started her study in MSc Biological Sciences (Plant Biology) at NTU in early 2024. Nuffic SEA coordinated the promotion and implementation of the competition.
Participants were invited to showcase their scientific strength by submitting a research proposal focusing on one of the key sustainability issues facing the food industry: finding plant-based alternatives in relation to mitigating the impact of the current (animal-based) food system. Candidates were pre-screened for eligibility criteria by Nuffic SEA and assessed by a respected jury with expert members from different Southeast Asian countries, with the winner selected by NTU Singapore.
The Winner
The Green Food Contest winner, Eden Vina Grate (the Philippines), is a magna cum-laude graduate from BSc in Food Technology from Southern Leyte State University. She submitted a proposal, with the following title: ‘Effects of coconut protein extracts and carrageenan on fermented wood ear mushroom (Auricularia cornea) meat analogue as applied in adobo’. This type of mushroom is an indigenous plant in the Philippines, nutritious and versatile (it can absorb the flavor of the other ingredients in a dish), yet at the same time it is not as popular as other edible mushrooms.
Eden has a profound interest in food and sustainability issues. Her prior experience also included being a laboratory research assistant for the Center for Organic and Natural Food Research and a Science Research Specialist for the University of San Carlos, the Philippines.
Events and Activities
Awarding Ceremony
The awarding ceremony for the Green Food Contest Winner took place in January 2024 in Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.
Tree Planting Initiative
As a sign of appreciation to the members of the Green Food Contest jury, IMCD initiated a tree planting, consisting of 200 fruit tree seedlings that were planted in Securai Selatan Village, Langkat, North Sumatera, Indonesia, in support of IMCD Asia’s commitment to food security and sustainable agriculture.
Information sessions
A series of online information sessions were conducted to promote the Green Food Contest among students.
Launching Ceremony of SCOPE-HE
Funded by the European Union (EU), SCOPE-HE is a key component of the EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package, designed to strengthen exchanges and connectivity in higher education, research, and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) within ASEAN and between ASEAN and the a. The ASEAN Secretary General, H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, and the EU Ambassador to ASEAN, H.E. Sujiro Seam, opened the event. Eden, the winner of the IMCD Green Food Contest, was a speaker in the panel discussion, themed "Fostering EU-ASEAN Collaboration: Empowering Future Leaders through Education and Industry Partnerships in Southeast Asia". The Green Transition is central to IMCD’s contribution to sustainable food production and will be a focus in the implementation of SCOPE HE.
