Commodity Trading Strategies Amidst Geopolitical Changes

Commodity Trading Strategies Amidst Geopolitical Changes

Globalisation has reshaped the world’s economic landscape by pushing it eastward. Today, Asia’s share in global GDP has almost doubled from the early 90s. The region’s economic rise has been an important driver of global food demand as it pulled more people out of poverty than any time in history, while also adding 1.2 billion people to its population, with Asia now home to 59% of the world’s population. But globalisation has come under intense scrutiny as the side effects of this unprecedented era weigh heavily on developed societies, global ecology and the climate. The resulting geopolitical tensions, intense focus on sustainability, and the disruption of technology will likely remake the global economy in the coming decades. The global food system will certainly not be excluded from this remake.

As supply chain risks increase, food & agriculture companies will need to anchor the resilience of their supply chains, resulting in the rewiring of global F&A supply chains. Geopolitical risks trigger the REROUTING of supply chains, sustainability requirements will trigger the REGOVERNING of supply chains to tackle the issues surrounding greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity, and technology will lead to the RESTRUCTURING of supply chains to build more efficient connections between farmers and consumers. Asia sits firmly at the core of the world’s feeding challenge, and is likely to play an outsized role in the food system transition. Join us for a deep dive into these 3Rs at FAAB 2024.

Featuring perspective from leading Agro-Commodity Trading Companies in APAC. Our panelists will discuss the 3Rs Framework Rerouting, Regoverning and Restructuring global F&A systems and Asia’s central role in this transformation. Geopolitical changes and coping strategies, and how corporations can link with farmers to build stronger resilient food systems.

Join us for an insightful fireside chat with industry leaders from commodity trading companies, Rabobank, Agrocorp and Mars. Together, they will share their experiences, insights, and strategic approaches on how they navigate turbulent geopolitical changes and implement new strategies in order to stay relevant and adhere to ESG standards.

Speakers include Vishal Vijay, CEO at Agrocorp, Gregory Vandeler, Asia Head of Trade & Commodity Finance at Rabobank and Fay Fay Choo, Asia Cocoa Director at Mars moderated by Divya Nagarajan.

Speakers:

Vishal Vijay assumed the role of CEO of Agrocorp International on 1st Feb 2024. Prior to that, he was the Director of Strategic investments at the company and was responsible for business and investment strategy as well as managing the processing businesses in Canada, Australia and the US.

He led efforts to establish a joint venture with Megmilk, one of Japan's largest dairy companies, to set up a pulse protein isolate manufacturing facility in Johor which will be operational by 2026. This complements the company's existing pulse protein concentrate facility in Canada which was established in 2019. In addition, Vishal also set up the R&D capabilities in the firm, as well as entered into a research collaboration agreement with the Singapore Institute of Technology, both of which led to the establishment of Agrocorp's plant-based foods downstream consumer brand, HerbYvore, that has launched a range of dairy-free cheeses.

His push for more of an ESG focused business approach has led to secured tie-ups with leading developmental financial institutions such as the FMO and IFC. In line with the core business of the company, he also manages a trading book, and has developed strong sales channels into the US, as well as establishing a trading office in the EU in Rotterdam.

He is a member of YPO and is currently completing the Owner/President Management program at Harvard. In addition, he holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from Cornell University.

Fay Fay Choo, is the Asia Cocoa Director at Mars, she is a sustainability and strategic sourcing expert from agricultural value chains in Asia. 24 years of expertise in strategic sourcing including suppliers, supply chain development and new origin development. In the last decade, she was focused on guiding, planning and implementing sustainable sourcing and working with cocoa smallholder farming families and communities in South East Asia. Passionate about community building and championing for more equitable sourcing models that puts farming families at the center and building business solutions and models around this. Systems thinker/doer and believes that trust is the basis for any long term partnerships and ability to build uncommon collaboration for the common good.

Gregory Vandeler, is the Asia Head of Trade & Commodity Finance, Rabobank. Gregory has 20 years of corporate finance and trade finance experience, covering Natural Resources and Commodity in various regions including North America, Europe and Asia.

He started his banking career in Corporate Finance and M&A in London, and specialised in natural resources. In 2014, Gregory joined ABN AMRO in Amsterdam and subsequently relocated to Singapore as its Head of Agri Commodity, Trade Finance, for Asia Pacific. He joined Rabobank in 2023 as Head of Trade and Commodity Finance for Asia.

Over the past eight years in Asia, Gregory has built up a solid expertise of the region’s growth opportunities in the agri food space. Closely working with the commodity traders in the region, he has developed a solid track record offering complex financing solutions to clients while spearheading the bank sustainability agenda.

Gregory holds a Master of Science degree in Finance from the E.M LYON Business School, as well as a Master of Science degree in International Corporate and Tax Law from Paris ASSAS Sorbonne, in France.

Moderator: Divya Nagarajan is a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in insights, innovation, and marketing at renowned global organizations such as Fonterra, Givaudan, Reckitt Benckiser, Henkel, and Lotte Confectionery. She is deeply passionate about food, beverage, and health, and the impact of commodity strategies on the products we consume. She views these critical issues through a unique lens of consumer behavior and their evolving needs. Her passion for connecting consumer insights with strategic initiatives aligns perfectly with the exploration of geopolitical changes, commodity trading strategies, food systems, and the vital links with farmers.

MC: Venus Ho is an experienced marketing professional and renewable energy advocate with a strong background in content creation and digital strategy. Currently, Venus serves as Sales and Marketing Senior Executive at ComfortDelGro ENGIE, where they are integral to the rollout of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, contributing to the advancement of sustainable mobility solutions.

Previously, Venus was a Commercial Manager at WhatIF Foods, a company dedicated to creating nutritious food products while championing regenerative farming practices and empowering farmers in economically challenged regions.

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