The 'World Food Tech (WFT) 25 Cultured Food Forum' focused on the trends and ecosystem of the cultured food industry will be held on the 9th at Seoul National University Hoam Faculty House.
This forum is jointly hosted by the World Food Tech Council and Seoul National University World Food Tech Innovation Center, with sponsorship from Gyeongsangbuk-do and Uiseong County.
Cultured food is emerging as a sustainable food supply alternative amid population growth, climate change, and food security crises. According to the organizers, the global market size is projected to grow from $1.2 billion (approximately 1.6 trillion won) this year to $10.7 billion (approximately 14.3 trillion won) by 2033, at an average annual growth rate of 16.5%. Countries such as the United States, Singapore, and Israel are actively commercializing cultured food through government-level regulation improvements and investment attraction.
The forum will comprise two sessions focused on industry trends and policy and ecosystem development. The first session will feature major corporations such as Simple Planet, Seaweed, SpaceF, and Hanwha Solutions introducing the latest technologies and market trends, with Danagreen and CJ CheilJedang participating in the panel discussion.
In the second session, government and academic representatives from Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Yonsei University, the Good Food Institute (GFI), and Gyeongbuk Technopark will discuss policy support strategies.
The World Food Tech Association plans to hold a series of regional forums in various fields including personalized food (Gwacheon·Chuncheon), food robots (Pohang), plant-based food (Iksan), and food upcycling (Naju), starting with this forum. A conference and expo are also in preparation for October.
Lee Gi-won, a professor at Seoul National University and co-chair of the World Food Tech Council, noted, "The council contributes to a positive future by creating value through solving global food issues," adding, "As Korea possesses world-class capabilities in the food tech sector, it should be developed as a representative export industry for the country."