Media OutReach
Seeding The Future Foundation, Institute of Food Technologists, and Welthungerhilfe Announce Evolution of the Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge
Launched by STF in 2021 and hosted by IFT, the Challenge has become a premier platform for advancing breakthrough innovations. Over four years, it has drawn more than 4,000 applications from 97 countries, awarding $1 million annually to visionary teams tackling urgent food system challenges. The program has accelerated solutions that improve food security, reduce environmental impact, and build resilience in vulnerable communities.
“We are incredibly proud of what the Challenge has achieved and the vital role we played in helping visionary innovators bring forward solutions that improve lives worldwide,” said Christie Tarantino-Dean, CEO of IFT. “Our mission to create healthier, more sustainable, and more accessible food systems has guided this partnership, and we are confident the Challenge will continue to thrive and evolve under WHH’s leadership.”
“IFT’s dedication helped build a strong global innovation platform that has inspired transformative innovations by thousands of teams globally. As we enter the next phase with WHH, we look forward to broadening the Challenge’s reach and continuing to accelerate solutions that ensure safe, nutritious, and sustainable food for all. With decades of experience in agriculture, food security, and innovation, and deep partnerships across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, WHH is uniquely positioned to lead the Challenge going forward.” said Dr. Bernhard van Lengerich, Founder and CEO of STF.
The Challenge will continue to distribute $1 million annually across three award categories for innovations that advance equitable access to safe and nutritious food, promote sustainable and regenerative practices, and deliver trusted, affordable, and appealing solutions:
- Seed Grants (up to 8 at $25,000 each)
- Growth Grants (up to 3 at $100,000 each)
- Grand Prizes (up to 2 at $250,000 each)
Beginning with the 2025–26 cycle, opening October 15, 2025, WHH assumes full operational leadership.
“Welthungerhilfe is honored to lead the Challenge into its next phase,” said Mathias Mogge, CEO and General Secretary of WHH. “At a time of rising humanitarian needs and constrained development budgets, scalable innovations that combine efficiency, sustainability, and equity are indispensable. This Challenge will continue to spotlight and support solutions with lasting global impact.”
For more information about the Challenge, visit https://www.welthungerhilfe.org/global-food-system-challenge or email [email protected].
Hashtag: #Welthungerhilfe
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About Seeding The Future Foundation
STF is a private nonprofit dedicated to ensuring equitable access to safe, nutritious, affordable, and trusted food. It supports innovations that transform food systems and benefit both people and planet. More at seedingthefuture.org.
About Welthungerhilfe
WHH is one of Germany’s largest private aid organizations, striving for a world without hunger since 1962. In 2024, it supported nearly 19 million people in 37 countries. More at welthungerhilfe.org.
About Institute of Food Technologists
Since 1939, the IFT has served as the voice of the global food science community. IFT advocates for science, technology, and research to address the world’s greatest food challenges, guiding a community of more than 200,000. More at ift.org.
GoTyme Bank becomes the first digital bank in the Philippines to enable Apple Pay, expanding secure and seamless digital payments for 10 million customers
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Media OutReach Newswire – 18 August 2026 – Paymentology, the leading global issuer processor, today announced the successful launch of Apple Pay for GoTyme Bank in the Philippines. Through this launch, GoTyme becomes one of the first issuers in the Philippine market to enable Apple Pay, giving 10 million customers an easy, secure and private way to pay using their Apple devices.
As one of the country’s fastest-growing digital banks, GoTyme continues to accelerate its digital payments strategy by expanding secure, seamless and convenient payment experiences for Filipino consumers. Customers can now securely add their GoTyme debit card to Apple Wallet and make contactless payments in stores, within apps and online wherever Apple Pay is accepted.
Apple Pay uses industry-leading tokenisation technology, meaning card numbers are never stored on devices or shared with merchants. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, with every transaction authenticated through Face ID, Touch ID or a device passcode, providing an additional layer of security while delivering a fast, frictionless checkout experience.
Nate Clark, President and CEO at GoTyme Bank commented: “At GoTyme Bank, we’re constantly looking for ways to make banking simpler, safer and more rewarding for our customers. Bringing Apple Pay to GoTyme Bank customers in the Philippines gives them an easy and secure way to pay wherever they shop while continuing to earn rewards points on all their transactions. This is another step in our commitment to making everyday banking more beautiful and convenient for our customers.
The launch comes as digital payments continue to reshape the Philippine economy. According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), digital payments now account for more than half of all retail payment transactions, as consumers increasingly embrace mobile-first banking and contactless payments. Meanwhile, smartphone penetration continues to rise, supporting growing demand for digital wallets and tokenised payment experiences. As digital commerce accelerates, enabling secure mobile payments through services such as Apple Pay is becoming an increasingly important differentiator for financial institutions.
Minh-Ha Truong, Head of Growth, APAC at Paymentology, added: “As a long-standing partner to GoTyme, we’re proud to support another significant milestone in its growth journey. Bringing Apple Pay to market demonstrates how modern, cloud-native issuer processing enables digital banks to rapidly deliver innovative payment experiences while maintaining the highest standards of security, scalability and performance. Together, we’re helping shape the future of digital payments in the Philippines.”
The launch further strengthens GoTyme’s position as one of Southeast Asia’s leading digital banks and highlights the value of Paymentology’s cloud-native issuer processing platform in helping banks and fintechs rapidly introduce innovative payment capabilities that meet evolving customer expectations.
Hashtag: #Paymentology
https://www.paymentology.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/paymentology/
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Media OutReach
New Documentary Under the Hakka Liugdui Sun From Discovery to Debut on August 20 in Southeast Asia
Set against the sun-drenched landscapes of southern Taiwan, Under the Hakka Liugdui Sun highlights how the people of Liugdui have thrived alongside the land for over 300 years. Following local scholars, farmers, and artisans, the documentary explores how this community adapts its deep-rooted traditions—from water stewardship to food heritage—in response to environmental and economic change, offering vital modern insights on sustainability, rural revitalization, and cultural continuity.
Across three episodes—Water, agriculture, and food—the documentary explores how the people of Liugdui blend tradition with modern innovation. Viewers meet groundwater experts, farmers pioneering sustainable crops, and artisans repurposing local materials like betel nut, alongside culinary practitioners who preserve Hakka identity through ancestral rituals, communal feasts, and family traditions that unite generations.
Audiences will discover a community that views tradition not as something fixed in the past, but as a living legacy that continues to evolve. From innovative groundwater management and botanical dyeing to ritual feasts and modern interpretations of Hakka cuisine – the documentary celebrates the creativity, resilience, and values that have sustained Liugdui for centuries.
Under the Hakka Liugdui Sun premieres in Southeast Asia on Discovery Channel, Thursday, August 20 at 7:10pm; TLC Channel, Monday, August 24 at 7:10pm; and Discovery Asia, Tuesday, August 25 at 9:25pm.
Hashtag: #Discovery
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Discovery Channel
The launch press conference broke away from tradition with a vibrant runway show featuring celebrity “Hot Spring Travel Navigators,” including acclaimed chef Edward Lee from Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars, visual identity creative director Yen Po-Chun, TSUTAYA BOOKSTORE Taiwan Chairman Kazuma Otsuka, and actor-host Andrew Chau. Together with local businesses, they showcased regional agriculture, specialties, and lifestyle products.
The official launch celebration kicks off on September 4 at Guguan Park in Taichung, featuring a themed parade with over 500 participants and the lighting ceremony for the Lishan–Guguan Light Art Festival, which stars a massive eight-meter “OhBear” light installation. The festivities continue on September 5 with a guided tribal trekking tour in Guguan, offering participants an exclusive NT$500 accommodation discount.
To promote four-season wellness tourism globally, the campaign partners with the East Asia Hot Spring Association for an international symposium on September 4. Key promotions also include complimentary LINE POINTS for new followers, curated packages starting at NT$299, and a flash sale of 800 limited NT$1 Hot Spring Vouchers for the Double 11 Shopping Festival. Furthermore, cross-sector collaborations offer half-price entry to national forest areas, limited-edition Taiwan Railway bento boxes, and Guanziling mud spring skincare products to enrich the travel experience.Hashtag: #TaiwanFourSeasonSprings
https://www.trimt-nsa.gov.tw/zh-tw/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
