Mexico is the world's largest producer and exporter of avocados, accounting for 80% of US consumption.

Avocado production has significant environmental impacts, including deforestation and consuming around 1,000 liters of water per kilogram.

Sustainable farming practices like composting, mulching, and efficient irrigation can mitigate the environmental impacts of avocado production.

Climate change is expected to reduce global avocado production by 14-41% and Mexico's cultivated areas by 31% by 2050.

Governments and organizations can promote sustainable avocado production and reduce its environmental and social impacts.

Precision agriculture and satellite monitoring can increase avocado crop yields while minimizing environmental harm.

Policies and incentives, like financial incentives and green technology investments, can support the adoption of precision agriculture in avocado production.

The high initial investment and concerns over data privacy and cybersecurity can limit the adoption of precision agriculture, particularly among small-scale farmers.

Drones and precision farming technologies can reduce water, pesticide, and fertilizer use, promoting sustainable agriculture.

Precision agriculture and satellite monitoring can make avocado production more sustainable.

Kakuzi's online avocado academy teaches sustainable techniques to smallholder farmers, promoting more equitable economic benefits.

Avocado production has significant social implications, including land grabbing and exploitation of local and migrant communities.

Sustainable practices can mitigate the social implications of avocado production.

Certification schemes like Fairtrade promote sustainable avocado production and support local farming communities through stable prices and fair trade practices.

Fairtrade certification improves farmer economic resilience and sustainability through its Minimum Price and Premium.

The effectiveness of certification schemes like Fairtrade can be limited by power imbalances along the value chain.

Avocado production requires around 1000 liters of water per kilogram, potentially leading to water depletion in areas where it's prevalent.

Avocado production contributes to environmental concerns like deforestation, soil erosion, and water contamination.

Sustainable farming practices like precision agriculture can reduce water and chemical use in avocado production.

Governments can promote sustainable avocado farming by providing incentives for precision agriculture and enforcing laws against illegal practices.

Companies like GLC Cerritos LLC are promoting sustainable avocado production by hiring sustainability directors and seeking Fair Trade certification.

A collaborative effort is necessary to promote sustainable avocado production and reduce the industry's environmental and social impacts.

The USDA has a food system transformation framework that includes initiatives like the Organic Transition Initiative to support sustainable avocado production.

The American Rescue Plan allocated $4 billion for supply chain resilience, supporting sustainable food production, including avocados, and a fairer food system.

Climate change threatens avocado production, which requires significant water and can lead to scarcity and environmental concerns.

A FAO study forecasts a 14-41% decline in avocado production by 2050, impacting local farming communities economically and socially.

Mexico, which supplies 80% of US avocados, may see a 31% decline in cultivated areas due to climate change.

Sustainability has three pillars: economic, environmental, and social, that must be balanced for beneficial outcomes.

Businesses must manage trade-offs between water usage, deforestation, and labor practices for long-term benefits and immediate returns.

Sustainable agriculture relies on sustainable management of natural resources to convert solar energy into food.

Excessive external inputs in agriculture harm the environment, highlighting the need for sustainable energy management.

Conservation tillage, integrated pest management, and efficient irrigation systems can improve agricultural sustainability and conserve energy and water.

Private companies play a crucial role in achieving positive environmental change through capital.

Tracking freshwater use, waste, and emissions is essential for sustainability.

Investors are demanding ESG considerations, driving companies to adopt sustainable practices.

Only 2% of companies reach their sustainability goals, highlighting the need for effective management of trade-offs.

Companies can use the SMART approach to achieve sustainability goals by tracking quarterly progress and leveraging software.

Amazon land protection initiatives can reduce deforestation by up to 83% and protect biodiversity.

Socio-economic trade-offs exist in land protection decisions, requiring careful management of sustainability metrics.

Climate change disproportionately affects the poorest, necessitating a transition to clean energy and forest preservation to mitigate its impacts.

Wealthier countries must lead in reducing emissions and adopt sustainable land use practices.

Companies must deliver on both traditional growth metrics and sustainable practices to achieve long-term success.

The double bottom line approach balances profits with ecological impact.

Sustainable brands grow faster, but require massive investment across supply chains.

Brands can turn sustainability into a return on investment by differentiating through it.

Tobacco companies can promote human rights and sustainability by adopting environmentally friendly practices.

Kerry-owned brands aim for zero waste and 100% renewable electricity, having reduced sugar and water usage.

Industrial activity contributes to climate change, which can be mitigated by reducing deforestation.

Sustainable agriculture and proper waste disposal help reduce environmental impact and mitigate climate change.

Millennials drive sustainable investment growth, with two-thirds considering ESG issues in their decisions.

Robust ESG strategies and industrial automation promote long-term success and efficiency.

Avocado production, driven by global demand, causes environmental concerns like deforestation and water depletion, using 1,000 liters of water per kilogram.

Avocado cultivation has led to soil erosion, land grabbing, and community displacement, underscoring the need for sustainable farming.

Climate change is expected to reduce global avocado production by 14-41% by 2050.

Mexico, the world's largest avocado producer, may see a 31% decline in cultivated areas by 2050 due to climate change.

Governments and others can promote sustainable avocado production and reduce its environmental and social impacts.

Governments can promote sustainable development and address environmental challenges by prioritizing efficient wastewater infrastructure and declaring emergencies.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) organizes events to raise environmental awareness and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Civil society organizations can address environmental challenges and promote sustainable development.

Companies like GLC Cerritos LLC are hiring sustainability directors and seeking Fair Trade certification for their avocados.

Vulnerable avocado farming communities need financial support to adapt to climate change, which governments can provide through aid to developing countries.

International agreements and government action can reduce emissions and address local community impacts.

Faith leaders and educational institutions can promote sustainable development and address climate change through education and cultural transformation.

A collaborative effort from governments, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector is necessary to promote sustainable avocado production.

Mexico is the world's largest producer and exporter of avocados, accounting for 80% of US consumption.

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Content: For foodies, workers, restaurant owners and investors on both sides of the Rio Grande border, Friday brought a sigh of relief after the United States lifted its temporary ban on imports of Mexican avocados.

The week-long pause — albeit a short one — had fueled concerns in the avocado industry, from the workers who pick the fruit in Mexico to consumers worrying about a potential shortage of a staple in the diets of many Americans.

Mexico supplies about 80 percent of the avocados eaten in the United States. The import ban — stemming from purported threats to a U.S. inspector in the Latin American country — shook a billion-dollar industry. Not only did the commotion showcase the law enforcement issues that growers are frequently subjected to in Mexico, but experts said it underscored the importance of one of the strongest and most successful bilateral trade agreements.

Before being smeared into toast or squashed into guacamole, the avocado’s life begins in an orchard in Michoacán — a western Mexican state over a thousand miles away from the border and the only one allowed to send over avocados to the United States. From a bright-green fruit hanging atop trees to its final stage inside American kitchens, the avocado’s journey from seed to food encompasses different phases of inspections and agreements between the two nations — which suddenly took a hit.

Last week, a plant safety inspector from the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service was inspecting avocados in Michoacán, when he saw some avocados that looked suspiciously like they came from another state, according to USDA and other industry experts. He raised a red flag and soon after, he received a voice-mail threat. Then the USDA announced it was shutting down imports until it could be assured its agents were safe.

The potential of an impending shortage quickly rippled across the industry — one that came shortly before the Super Bowl, one of the avocado’s biggest events. Soon, food establishments and groceries began worrying about keeping up with a demand that has exponentially increased throughout the past decade.

Prices for the fruit deemed “green gold” were already 100 percent higher than the previous year, said David Magaña, a senior analyst for RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness. But the year-long availability of avocados had also increased as well — indicating that a surge in demand can be attributed to different factors, he said.

For one, avocados, with their versatility and healthy fat attributes, became a food trend and Internet obsession. At the same time, the Hispanic population booms across the country — with a larger share of Latinos among Gen Z — have been “one of the major forces pulling the demand for avocados,” the analyst said.

But behind all those green juices and avocado Instagram-worthy photos is the partnership between Mexico and the United States — which has played a crucial role in enabling the market to expand.

In 1995 — a time when “fat-free” food staples ruled the market — the United States did not have much of a taste for avocados. The majority of the consumed fruit was produced in California. Avocado imports that year totaled $14.7 million, of which $700,000 came from Mexico, said David Orden, a professor in the department of agricultural and applied economics at Virginia Tech.

Mexico’s avocados had been banned in the decades before the North American Free Trade Agreement from 1994, Orden said — mostly out of a concern that weevils, scabs and other pests could enter U.S. orchards from imported products. The trade agreement opened the door for the incremental expansion of avocados.

In establishing a system in which U.S. inspectors verify that avocados are pest-free — from when they are growing in orchards to the moment they are packed into sealed trucks — Mexico has been allowed to ship its agricultural product. It started with an approved wintertime stock in Alaska back in the ’90s that has turned into a current year-long supply in all states.

“So that’s all very encouraging and great story about growth and trade agreements, and something the U.S. is trying to do in other countries as well,” Orden said.

The agreement has contributed to economic progress in both sides of the border. Last year, “the two-way food and agricultural trade reached $65 billion, including $2.8 billion in Mexican avocado exports to the United States,” U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar said in a statement. In Michoacán, some 300,000 workers depend on the avocado industry — including those doing the picking, the packing and the transporting of the fruit.

But their livelihoods have been threatened by encumbering cartels, who see the booming industry as a golden hen for profit, Orden said.

“It has attracted the attention of these gangs in an area where the cartels are not under control,” he said. “That’s where this story takes on a shadier color. But that’s really a law enforcement issue, and one that affects all of our relationships with Mexico.”

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said in a statement that it had worked with the Mexican government and the Association of Avocado Exporting Producers and Packers of Mexico to enact “additional measures” to safeguard the safety of its inspectors.

While the agency did not disclose what such measures encompass, they served to avert what could have been a costly avocado crisis — one that would had impacted plenty, from those picking the fruit to those biting into their avocado toasts.

“With this we ensure the exportation of fruit and provide economic certainty to farmers and day laborers,” Michoacán Gov. Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla tweeted Friday.

What are the countries and regions that produce and export avocados?

Avocado production has significant environmental impacts, including deforestation and consuming around 1,000 liters of water per kilogram.

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Content: Avocado: Between Environmental Impacts and Global Market Controllers
In the Mexican state of Michoacán, which produces about 80% of the world ’ s avocado, avocado cultivation has depleted local water supplies and caused severe environmental damage, with studies showing that avocado cultivation has led to deforestation, soil erosion and chemical contamination of water sources.
(Getty)
In recent years, the avocado industry has become a staple in many diets around the world, and its popularity has increased greatly due to the multiple health benefits.
However, the demand for this fruit has led to harmful environmental effects and the emergence of a mafia that controls the production and distribution of avocados in some countries.
A Chilean study published recently said that avocado cultivation has caused severe water shortages, as well as in Peru, where large farmers have dominated the avocado market since the 1990s, where cultivation requires huge amounts of water, the production of one kilogram of avocado, consumes about 1,000 liters of water, much more than other crops such as tomatoes or oranges.
According to a report by the Water Footprint Network, the production of one kilogram of tomatoes requires about 300 liters of water, and the high water use of avocado production has led to water scarcity and depletion of aquifers in some areas.
In the Mexican state of Michoacán, which produces about 80% of the world ’ s avocado, avocado cultivation has depleted local water supplies and caused severe environmental damage, with studies showing that avocado cultivation has led to deforestation, soil erosion and chemical contamination of water sources.
According to the report, moving avocados from the production site to the market also has a significant impact on the climate, as avocados are grown mainly in developing countries, and are exported to developed countries such as the United States, Europe and Japan, and the transport of avocados over long distances contributes to greenhouse gas emissions harmful to the environment. Approximately 5.4 kg of carbon dioxide emissions per kg of avocado.
Avocado production has also led to the emergence of a mafia that controls the production and distribution of avocados in some countries, where the avocado mafia operates mainly in Mexico, where it controls the production and export of avocados, and this mafia, according to media reports, consists of criminal organizations that use violence and intimidation to control the production and distribution of avocados, and often extort money from farmers. The avocado mafia uses violence to eliminate competitors and dominate the export market, as studies have shown that these gangs are responsible for deforestation, land grabbing and violence against indigenous communities in Mexico.
According to dozens of studies published in recent years, avocado cultivation also has negative effects on local communities. In some areas, demand for avocados has led to land grabbing, community displacement, labor exploitation, and avocado cultivation in the Mexican state of Michoacán has led to the displacement of indigenous communities and the exploitation of often paid migrant workers. Some studies have shown that the expansion of avocado cultivation has displaced traditional crops, leading to food insecurity and loss of biodiversity.
According to the study, governments around the world can take various measures to mitigate the impact of this agriculture on the climate, and one way is to promote sustainable avocado farming practices that reduce water use and reduce the use of chemicals. Protect the environment, provide financial incentives to farmers and enact laws that will deter illegal and criminal practices in these countries.

What negative impact has the increased global demand for avocados had on the environment?

Sustainable farming practices like composting, mulching, and efficient irrigation can mitigate the environmental impacts of avocado production.

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Content: Sustainable farming holds the key to economic prosperity

Agriculture holds the key to economic transformation for Kenya and the East African region. However, the challenge lies in practising sustainable agriculture to unlock its true value from food production to agro-processing.

As the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) takes place in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, as a region and human race, we have many challenges ahead.

Some, are brought on by climate change, population pressure and political or financial instability within our economic and geopolitical space. Still, as a country and region, we have many unique advantages including political goodwill which, if used wisely, will allow us to build a robust agricultural economy.

Let me start by dealing with a favourite topic of mine, irrigation and water security. At Kakuzi, we have 19 dams which collect rainfall - allowing us to use the water for irrigation during dry season.

The critical part of our water security is not just the dam but the catchment itself.

If we don’t preserve the water catchment fields, our dams won’t fill with water, or they could silt up. In short, sustainable and secure irrigation requires that we sacrifice something, in this case, acres and acres of land, which act as water catchment areas.

These fields are preserved with natural habitat and managed to avoid soil erosion, bush clearance or overgrazing. In these fields, we must overcome the temptation to dig up the land and plant crops.

The next key challenge for agriculture after water is energy and not just the cost but also availability. In Kenya, our key export crop of tea requires energy to turn it from lush green leaves to dry tea; bear in mind that 4.5 kilos of green leaf converts to 1 kilo of black tea as the rest is water.  As we encourage farmers to grow more green tea leaves, we must also consider how to dry leaves.

-Chris Flowers is the Kakuzi Managing Director.

In every tea-growing country, the energy for drying tea is a significant issue, whether it’s coal in India, gas in Bangladesh or fuel wood for us in East and Central Africa. Engineers have calculated the energy required, and it’s staggering. We must find sustainable solutions for this, as it’s not an easy or quick fix.

We all know the impact of energy prices on fertiliser, which is just another reason why we need to minimise our use wherever we can. Composting and mulching at Kakuzi to improve soil health and enhance soil fertility is a crucial component of our agricultural practices. Given that only 10 per cent of a macadamia nut is the edible kernel, a lot of biomass is available for conversion to energy or compost.

Teaching farmers sustainable agricultural techniques and when to apply different nutrients and in what quantities is part of what we do. Our online avocado academy ‘Kakuzi Avocademy’ is designed as an e-learning portal for farmers. Through the e-learning platform, we strive to advance shared prosperity values allowing smallholder farmers to learn and make the best crop husbandry decisions.

For many years now, I have been saying that we must explain how farmers can sell their fruit for the best value before we can tell them to plant an avocado tree.

Unfortunately, the fact is that the supply-demand equation for a perishable product such as avocados is a reality. Produce a product with limited marketability in a period of oversupply at your peril. This is precisely what happened in the avocado market earlier this year.

An oversupply of fruit in Europe through large Peruvian shipments and late European and North African production meant minimal marketing options for Kenyan smallholder fruit.

As I mentioned above, discerning customers choosing to eat a superfood such as macadamia or avocado want to know what they are eating and how it was produced. This is not because good Kenyan fruit is of substandard quality but simply because a lot of fruit from the country doesn’t have traceability credentials. If we as producers cannot demonstrate these traceability credentials, then high-value markets are limited and becoming more so.

We should also avoid the trap of thinking that emerging markets in the far east are less stringent than our traditional European markets. Sending substandard fruit to an emerging market can only depress demand, not enhance it.

Further up in the Rift Valley in the tea fields of Nandi and beyond, agricultural interest, mainly crop diversification, is also rising. The number of people seeking advice on avocado and macadamia potential in the region predominantly known for tea is growing.

Undoubtedly, this is the best time to get on the agribusiness side of things. As the name suggests, agribusiness means agricultural production for consumption and sale to raise much-needed financial resources. Like any other business, Agri-preneurs must carefully consider profit and loss fundamentals.

Considering profit and loss means engaging the investing community in the agricultural space to appreciate the role of credit access, mechanisation, technology and human resource management for efficiency.

Having been on the agricultural front my entire life, I can attest to this field-based industry’s value and potential to power rapid economic transformation. Kakuzi is an example of a leading agribusiness firm involved in commercial agricultural endeavours, including livestock rearing and agroforestry beyond our renowned avocado and macadamia production.

In Kenya, the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda 2022 - 2027 rightly notes that the agricultural sector has the highest growth multiplier effect on other economic sectors due to strong backward and forward linkages. There can be no denying that agriculture is our most globally competitive sector but getting it right is complex. Patience, long-term thinking and getting the fundamentals of sustainability, quality and traceability correct is the key.

Sometimes numbers tell the value of an agricultural enterprise better. For example, last year, notwithstanding the challenges of an “OFF” year cycle, Kakuzi PLC exported  Sh94 million worth of HASS avocados for our smallholder farmers. The previous ON-year cycle had seen us ship HASS Avocado cartons worth Sh152. 2 million for smallholder farmers.

In this venture geared at supporting smallholder farmers access quality international markets, we made payouts amounting to more than Sh31.4 million for the smallholder farmers from Kakuzi’s local community in Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Meru and Trans-Nzoia counties.

This is but one of the proof points that agribusiness is a viable economic avenue that can empower our farmers if we do it correctly.

However, we must remain alive to the vagaries of climate change as a risk factor to agricultural production and work towards building resilience.

Chris Flowers is the Kakuzi Managing Director.

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What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

Climate change is expected to reduce global avocado production by 14-41% and Mexico's cultivated areas by 31% by 2050.

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Content: Lifestyle
Study: Climate change threatens avocados
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Thank you for reading about the study: Climate change threatens avocados and now we start with the details
Activists have called for more support for avocado farmers, with a study released by the international charity Christian Aid (Christian Aid) revealing that climate change is having a “terrible impact ” on fruit.
The highly useful and popular fruit, which is high in fiber and healthy fats, requires a lot of water to grow, making it particularly vulnerable in a hotter, drier world.
A study by FAO showed that the best farming regions in countries such as Burundi, Chile, Peru, Spain, South Africa and Mexico are experiencing declines in productivity due to more volatile conditions.
The study, published yesterday, showed that these regions are expected to decline by between 14% and 41% by 2050, depending on how quickly emissions are reduced in the world.
Mexico, the world ’ s largest producer of avocado, could see a 31% decline in cultivated areas by 2050.
Christian Aid called on governments to commit to urgently reducing emissions, accelerating the energy transition and committing to more climate aid for developing countries.
The charity also called for more financial support to vulnerable farming communities that rely on avocado cultivation for a living, so they can invest in mitigation measures.
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Governments and organizations can promote sustainable avocado production and reduce its environmental and social impacts.

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Content: Plastic pollution and other environmental challenges facing the world and Iraq – Jihan Baban
Plastic pollution and other environmental challenges facing the world and Iraq – Jihan Baban
(Recently awarded the Environment Award from Oxford Brooks-Oxford University for the best thesis submitted on the use of solar energy for water desalination in Iraq for the year 2022)
On June 5, 2023, humanity will celebrate the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day in the form of an international event that will start in Côte d ’ Ivoire, in cooperation with the Netherlands and under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), entitled “Campaign to Roll Back Plastic Pollution ”.
But what is different about this year ’ s celebration, which began as an annual tradition since 1973, is that it is being held in extremely difficult and complex conditions due to the increasing risks to aquatic and marine ecosystems and all components of the world ’ s environment.
The most important causes of these environmental challenges facing our planet today are climate change, global warming, unprecedented misuse by humans of natural resources, as well as the failure of governments and regimes, including Iraq, to pursue sustainable development policies that preserve the environment for future generations.
The event is one of the largest global environmental awareness platforms for millions of people, governments, companies and civil society organizations from around the world. It also aims to mobilize the political will and human and material resources to move from planning and programs to practical implementation of solutions and provide the human, technological and financial requirements to address air, water and soil pollution, halt the degradation of aquatic ecosystems and preserve biodiversity from extinction.
The day is also an occasion to celebrate successes by reviewing what has been achieved and to strengthen and deepen them and move to more of them in order to live on a greener and pollution-free planet.
Due to the conditions of the environmental emergency that the world is going through today as a result of the aggravation of climate change and the variation in the climate witnessed by the world from floods and floods to drought and desertification, we note that there is a remarkable interest at the level of international agreements to mobilize efforts to keep temperatures below 1.5 ° C compared to the pre-industrial phase, which requires reducing greenhouse gas emissions by half over the next seven years by reducing the use of fossil energy and switching to various forms. Renewable energy such as solar, wind, waves and hydrogen, or the conversion of waste into electrical and thermal energy, as well as the implementation of programs to reduce air pollution.
One of the priorities of the environmental programs in the world this year is to address the problem of pollution by plastic waste, which is the largest pollutant of the marine environment and the most harmful to it, especially the grains that have reached the aquatic ecosystems, and the food chains of humans.
The global amount of plastic products is estimated at more than 400 million tons annually, most of which are designed for one-time use and less than 10% of which are recycled annually and the rest end up in lakes, rivers and seas, which poses a risk to humans to enter the food and agricultural chain, as confirmed by environmental assessment studies of plastic pollution.
The scale of this pollution requires sustainable treatments based on the circular economy by reducing production, recycling as much as possible, finding environmentally friendly alternatives, making the most of scientific, technological and digital advances in the fields of monitoring, recycling and providing alternatives to plastics and plastic pellets, with the aim of reducing pollution of seas and water bodies by 80% and reducing greenhouse emissions by 25% by 2040.
This month, the United Nations released a technical report on the chemical composition of plastics and how they can be used to recycle and treat ubiquitous plastic waste.
The manifestations of the environmental crisis have reached a large and alarming degree, including the massive fires that destroyed the “lung ” of the planet, the tropical rainforests, where hundreds of thousands of hectares turned into barren lands and in the imbalance in the climate, whether in a sharp rise in temperature or floods and destructive floods.
On the other hand, the COVID-19 pandemic pointed to the fragility and imbalance of the relationship between humans and biodiversity, which led to the transmission of deadly viruses to humans who lack immunity against them such as SARS, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and avian influenza, which emphasizes the importance of building a sustainable relationship with natural ecosystems and their biodiversity.
For example, in 2021, UNESCO launched a draft charter on the relationship between humans and the world living, reflecting scientific and technological developments and ethical dimensions, and warning against practices that rupture this relationship and, in case of disruption, threaten the future of humanity and the Earth.
One of the environmental challenges in the world is also the escalation of nitrogen pollution in the air, which requires contexts and procedures to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide gas (one of the most important sources in Iraq is the use of fossil fuels as a source of energy to power the means of transport and generators), ammonia (the agricultural sector is the main source due to the excessive use of chemical fertilizers), sulfur and small particles (carried by sand and dust storms). As part of a national strategy to provide “clean air ” to address all sources of air pollution, which is one of the most important causes of human diseases, especially respiratory and heart diseases, cancer tumors and birth defects, and also affects all natural ecosystems because air is essential for life, health and the environment as a whole.
The issue of water has been a priority for many countries of the world as a result of climate change, lack of rainfall, expansion of desertification, drought, loss of vegetation cover and increased sand and dust storms.
The increase of pollutants resulting from human activity that reach rivers, lakes and water bodies due to sewage, puncture and waste water has led to chemical changes in the quality of water make it unsuitable for human use due to the increase in the proportion of lead, mercury and cadmium, for example, and pollution with fertilizers and agricultural chemical pesticides, which cause fish death and diseases to humans.
Local governments around the world are prioritizing building efficient infrastructure capable of treating wastewater and using it for agriculture as an unconventional source of water resources.
Sanitation water contains types of bacteria that cause intestinal diseases, vomiting, acute diarrhea and dehydration, especially among children (as happened in Basra in 2018), liver infections, cholera, typhoid and polio. Oil pollutants are one of the largest sources of water pollution, and pollution occurs as a result of tanker accidents and the extraction, refining, storage and transportation of oil to find its way to water bodies. rivers, seas and groundwater.
For example, the Arabian Gulf is one of the largest marine areas in the world polluted by oil due to marine production operations and tanker accidents and leads to poisoning and death of marine organisms while hydrocarbons accumulate in fish and cause human cancer diseases when eaten.
Another environmental challenge is the accumulation of industrial waste, especially chemical waste and other forms of hazardous waste such as isotopes that need special treatment, as Iraq has had its share due to the military uses of depleted uranium during the wars that Iraq has witnessed since the 1990s.
Iraq and the environmental challenges on this International Day and in the year 2023 Iraq faces major environmental challenges that have continuous and wide repercussions as a result of decades of government negligence and successive wars and terrorist activities Daeshi that used the environment as one of its weapons and victims at the same time when it burned oil facilities in Qayyarah and sulfur project. Food security.
The unprecedented manifestations of environmental degradation have reached the point where the Iraqi and international media have begun to talk about the death of the Fertile Crescent and the end of Iraq.
In Baghdad, for example, which is one of the smallest provinces, an area witnessing rapid population increase, the expansion of slums, the removal of green areas and the bulldozing of orchards, with industrial, economic and commercial activities that do not receive environmental review and evaluation.
Water scarcity is one of the biggest, if not the most serious, challenges due to complex reasons, including climate change (Iraq is one of the most affected countries in the world) and the reduction of water imports by a third as a result of unfair policies of neighboring countries, especially Turkey and Iran, including the lack of sharing damage due to climate change, reduced precipitation and groundwater pollution. Herb herb like the Nile plant.
All this requires the Ministry of Water Resources to declare a state of emergency and amend the plans set in this direction, foremost of which is rationalizing the use of water in the agricultural sector and reducing waste and the use of modern technologies in irrigation by supporting the initiative of the Ministry of Industry to manufacture modern irrigation systems for farmers at subsidized prices (which requires close cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture) Extensive measures to preserve it as a source of drinking water and punish all that harms its safety, and initiate actual steps to achieve the harvesting of non-traditional water such as wastewater and floods, for example, there are European and Arab cities that this harvest is their main source of water.
This serious water situation, which can still be addressed if there is political will, administrative efficiency, financial allocations and an effective system of governance, threatens the food basket and food security in Iraq and even threatens the existence of Iraq as a whole.
This also requires attention to the quality of drinking water, whether in its availability or its conformity with the global measurements of potable water, such as salinity rates, minutes, chemical, biological and microbial contaminants, through the follow-up of water purification and desalination projects, which continue to suffer from delay and financial waste despite the availability of investment opportunities for several years.
While the Iraqi marshes are considered one of the most important biodiversity habitats and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, they suffer from the risk of severe drought, high temperatures, low rainfall and high evaporation rates due to climate change and unsustainable human activities will lead to the destruction of the unique ecosystems of the marshes.
While facing the Iraqi citizen with the approaching season of sand and dust storms and the deterioration of the health situation, especially for those infected with respiratory and heart diseases, which require special measures to put fenders through afforestation and build green belts and prosecute those who work to bulldoze palm plantations and orchards and remove green areas within cities for any reason.
These environmental challenges require a comprehensive and integrated response to environmental risks because of their interconnectedness and mutual effects, which require effective management and strategy to update environmental plans and programs, follow up current projects, clearly identify priorities, provide financial allocations and fight corruption and financial waste.
It is also important to modernize the administrative structure in line with the requirements of governance and follow-up and to take advantage of the environmental control devices and pollution database in the provinces and activate the environmental justice system, for example in accounting for violations on river taboos and dumping waste and health and industrial waste that pose a threat to public health and the application of the law against violators.
It is also a priority for the Ministry of Environment to strengthen its supervisory and executive role with the relevant authorities and the formation of environmental protection councils at the governorate level with the participation of sectoral government, civil society organizations and the local community. It publishes its annual reports, which form the basis for the annual environmental assessment, which was prepared by the Ministry of Environment and disappeared several years ago.
It is also a priority to activate strategic projects that contribute to the protection of the environment, such as the comprehensive development plan for the capital Baghdad, which includes the transfer of industrial areas towards the borders of the capital, and address the problems of transport and housing on the basis of sustainable solutions, as well as the rehabilitation of the water and sanitation sectors.
While commending the efforts exerted by the Ministry of Environment in following up and ratifying international agreements and forming a special directorate for climate change in the ministry and governorates and drawing up programs and solutions to implement adaptation strategies and mitigate the effects of climate change in cooperation with the United Nations and relevant international organizations, there is much to be done to make a qualitative leap in the implementation of the proposed plans and programs.
The celebration of World Environment Day at the community level as individuals, families and civil society organizations is an occasion to start a campaign to implement an environmental awareness activity program in the home, school, city and neighborhoods based on clarifying the beauty and greatness of the environment in Iraq and working to protect it from risks as a responsibility for everyone.
The activity can take on a practical volunteer nature or cultural events such as writing, photos and videos about dust storms or waste pollution and about local ecosystems by taking advantage of various social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to promote sustainable living.
Cultural events such as poetry and painting, theatrical readings or a concert highlighting environmental issues can also be organized.
Local administrations can play an important role by planting trees to raise oxygen levels in the air, as a buffer for dust storms, or by awarding prizes for events that contribute to spreading environmental awareness and the importance of commitment to a sustainable and environmentally friendly life system such as water conservation, restoration of old buildings or planting seasonal crops in homes and the use of fertilizers and organic pesticides.
A sustainable and environmentally friendly lifestyle is one that follows the principles of reducing consumption, reuse and recycling and is based on the principle of green economy.
At the heart of the current government ’ s mission is to achieve environmental justice by addressing the impacts of climate change on local communities. For example, the local marsh community is an extension of the indigenous Mesopotamian population and is more vulnerable to the consequences of dry marshes and directly faces the direct consequences of climate change and environmental degradation due to their close association with nature.
As well as the inhabitants of villages, especially remote ones, whose water resources have been affected by drought, which reached the point of shortage of drinking water and the outbreak of conflicts, which forced migration mostly to urban areas, which is an environmental and also economic and social pressure because of their need for housing, social care and health, including psychological because of the change of their lifestyle.
Children, women and the elderly are the most vulnerable groups in society and need to implement environmental justice, including ensuring the requirements of a decent living.
The Iraqi Environment and Health Society in the United Kingdom, as one of the civil society organizations interested in the Iraqi environment, played its role in mobilizing the energies and scientific and academic expertise to study the causes and manifestations of environmental degradation in Iraq, including the impact of climate change and possible forms of mitigation and adaptation through the organization of 16 conferences and digital platforms. And also to apply the principles of assessment and environmental review of industrial and commercial projects and called for the legislation of a special law to preserve the air in Iraq and reduce the burning of associated gas and benefit from it and investment by converting it to useful energy.
Our association has also participated in many international conferences, including those organized by the United Nations such as the Climate Change Conference held in Glasgow 2021.
Our association will continue its role and activity in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment in Iraq in addition to other ministries, especially the Ministry of Water and Agriculture for sustainable economic and social development based on the principle of green circular economy and for an Iraq where the Iraqi environment flourishes and free of pollution for the benefit of the health of the citizen and the Iraqi society.
{Expert in environmental affairs and renewable energy
Founder and President of the Iraqi Environment and Health Association - UK
The Iraqi Center for Renewable Energy and Climate Change Research (IRCEC-UK) Power and Finance
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What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

Precision agriculture and satellite monitoring can increase avocado crop yields while minimizing environmental harm.

Title:

Content: “Advancing Agricultural Efficiency: Exploring the Precision Agriculture Systems Market”, 2022-2033

Market Overview:

The precision agriculture systems market refers to the industry involved in the development, adoption, and implementation of advanced technologies and systems in agricultural practices. Precision agriculture aims to optimize farming operations by using data-driven techniques and innovative technologies to enhance productivity, efficiency, and sustainability in the agricultural sector.

Precision agriculture systems are expected to play a larger role in transforming traditional farming practices into smart and data-driven agriculture. These systems will enable farmers to make informed decisions based on real-time data, leading to improved crop yields, efficient resource utilization, reduced environmental impact, and enhanced profitability.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Precision agriculture systems utilize technologies such as GPS (Global Positioning System), remote sensing, drones, and data analytics to collect and analyze real-time information about soil conditions, crop growth, weather patterns, and other relevant parameters.
  2. These systems enable farmers to make informed decisions regarding irrigation, fertilization, pest control, and harvesting, leading to better resource management, reduced costs, increased yields, and minimized environmental impact.
  3. The market for precision agriculture systems is witnessing significant growth due to the increasing need for food production to meet the demands of a growing global population, coupled with the rising adoption of digital farming technologies.

For more insights on the market share of various regions- Download a sample report in MINUTES

Largest and Fastest Growing Market:

The largest market for precision agriculture systems in North America, particularly the United States, owing to the presence of large-scale commercial farms and the early adoption of advanced farming technologies. Europe and Asia Pacific are also significant markets due to the increasing focus on sustainable agriculture and the rising need for food security in these regions.

The fastest-growing market for precision agriculture systems is expected to be Asia Pacific, driven by the increasing adoption of precision farming techniques in countries like China and India, where agriculture plays a vital role in their economies.

Market Dynamics

Drivers:

  1. Growing global population and the need to increase agricultural productivity to meet food demand.
  2. Rising awareness about sustainable farming practices and the need for resource-efficient agricultural systems.
  3. Technological advancements in sensors, automation, data analytics, and artificial intelligence, enabling more precise and efficient farm management.

Restraints and Challenges:

  1. High initial investment and implementation costs associated with precision agriculture systems.
  2. Limited access to advanced technologies and infrastructure in rural and developing regions.
  3. Lack of awareness and technical expertise among farmers regarding precision agriculture practices.
  4. Data privacy and cybersecurity concerns are associated with the collection and management of agricultural data.

Directly Purchase a copy of the report | Quick Delivery Available – https://market.us/purchase-report/?report_id=11916

Key Market Segments

Type

  • Guidance System
  • Remote Sensing
  • Variable-Rate Technology
  • Others

Application

  • Farmland & Farms
  • Agricultural Cooperatives
  • Others

Key Market Players included in the report:

  • Deere & Company
  • CropMetrics LLC
  • Trimble Agriculture
  • CropX
  • Valmont Industries
  • AGCO Corporation
  • Dickey-John Corporation
  • Monsanto Company
  • Ag Leader Technology
  • AgJunction
  • CNH Industrial
  • Raven Industries
  • SST(Proagrica)
  • TeeJet Technologies
  • Topcon Positioning Systems

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What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

Policies and incentives, like financial incentives and green technology investments, can support the adoption of precision agriculture in avocado production.

Title:

Content: Columnists

Let’s aim at powering Kenya to top of global superfoods exports table

The global trade agenda is changing quickly from where product and price dominated the conversation to where a company’s values and purpose are intertwined and a big part of the decision to buy products.

In the international market, Kenya now takes its place as the largest avocado exporter in Africa.

Imports of Hass avocado into Europe alone last year were approximately 728,000 tonnes, and Kenyan exports accounted for 40,000 tonnes, about five percent.

But what’s our competitive advantage with other producing countries and why should consumers favour our products over others?

The world is demanding that businesses demonstrate values and purpose aligned to more than just products to climate action, sustainability, and quality agricultural practices and that we are good corporate citizens.

Despite the agricultural business complexities, we have many Kenyan companies doing the right thing and doing it well.

We need to publicise this well, whether we are the private sector, public sector, academia, or national branding agents.

This is how to explain what sets us apart. As superfood producers, we should not plant our crops in sensitive ecosystems and don’t abstract irrigation water from fragile water sources.

Firms need to invest heavily in irrigation and green technology-based systems to mitigate the worst impacts of drought.

Countries such as Israel, Australia, and the United Kingdom have done it.

Companies can build dams and fill them through natural runoff.

Still, superfood production is much more multi-dimensional than just water; it is also about being able to answer the call for climate action, amongst other vital topics.

In Kenya, we have a conducive environment to competitively and sustainably grow superfoods, including fruits and nuts such as Avocados, Macadamia, and blueberries, among others.

The superfoods bid may sound ambitious, but the journey of a thousand miles begins with a step.

Still, we must be committed to undertaking this in a manner that enshrines the commitment to quality, sustainability and traceability.

What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

The high initial investment and concerns over data privacy and cybersecurity can limit the adoption of precision agriculture, particularly among small-scale farmers.

Drones and precision farming technologies can reduce water, pesticide, and fertilizer use, promoting sustainable agriculture.

Title:

Content: The world’s population is projected to grow to 1.5 billion by 2030, which means the demand for food production and crop yield will also increase multi-fold. While traditional farming methods have been sustainable for centuries, the population boom and factors such as dependence on the weather, soil conditions, and local expertise limit their scope. The ongoing shift in weather patterns, limited water resources, and continuous soil degradation further impact yields.

As a result, agricultural practices are shifting towards a modern tech-enabled approach rather than sticking to traditional labour-intensive farming. Over the years, farmers have also started opening up to integrating smart farming methods to maximise yield. One approach that is significantly boosting yields is precision farming, also called precision agriculture. The data-driven approach leverages AI technology, sensors, and analytics to optimise agricultural practices and is altering the way crops are cultivated.

How AI adds efficiency

AI-based technologies used in precision farming for crop monitoring and forecasting weather conditions, aid farmers in planning their operations better. They gain insights into how much nutrition the soil needs and which crops they should cultivate. This information further helps them streamline planting, irrigation, fertiliser application, weeding, and harvesting.

In an initiative, the World Economic Forum conducted an 18-month project to analyse the outcomes of precision farming. Around 7,000 farmers used bot advisory services, soil testing technology, and AI-based quality testing for three crop cycles. It resulted in a reduction in use of inputs. During cultivation, the use of pesticides dropped by 9 per cent, while that of fertilisers dropped by 5 per cent. These tech-enabled modern farming methods not only reduce wastage, but also minimise cultivation costs borne by farmers.

Drones drive agricultural revolution

Precision farming also comprises the deployment of drones for several farming practices. By offering optimal and targeted application of fertilisers, pesticides, and water, drone-as-a-service offered by agritech companies are making everyday tasks easier for farmers. It also reduces the burden of manual labour. This time-efficient solution not only enhances productivity, but also contributes to cost-effectiveness by optimising resource usage by 30 per cent. While traditional spraying uses 100-120 litres per acre, drone spraying reduces water usage to just 10 litres per acre and takes just 7 minutes. Research also shows that using precise irrigation instead of traditional flood irrigation can conserve 50 per cent of the water and improve yields by 35 per cent.

At the same time, drones equipped with multispectral cameras can assess crop health by capturing images that reveal stress signs invisible to the naked eye. This early detection allows for prompt corrective action, such as targeted pest control or nutrient application, thereby, preventing crop loss and enhancing productivity. Statistics showcase that early risk detection through drone technology has reduced crop loss by 20 per cent in the surveyed regions.

Moreover, precision irrigation techniques use drone technology to understand soil moisture. It enables farmers to use variable-rate technologies to adjust planting density, fertiliser, and irrigation rates. While enhancing yield consistency, this modern agricultural practice also ensures uniform crop stands.

Data analytics to enhance productivity

Farmers can use data-driven precision farming techniques to stay on top of the complete pre-sowing to harvest cycle. For example, they can use GPS technology to create detailed field maps to understand the variability of soil conditions across their land. This information is crucial for optimising seed placement and irrigation practices. Also, sensors placed in fields can help collect data to monitor soil moisture levels, nutrient availability, and other critical parameters. This real-time data allows farmers to apply water, fertilisers, and pesticides precisely where and when needed, reducing wastage and environmental impact.

Agritechs in India are gradually collecting historical data and combining it with real-time data to bring information symmetry to the country. This collative data bank will aid farmers in improving productivity as well as yields, further ensuring that the agriculture ecosystem meets the nation’s rising food demand.

Leveraging historical data about climate and previous crop yields in a particular geographical region can guide farmers in estimating yields from different crop varieties. These projections can be made more accurate by integrating data from sources such as satellite imagery and weather forecasts. Precise forecasts help farmers make informed pricing, distribution, and storage decisions, which, in turn, reduces financial risk. Farmers in Telangana, who used precision farming techniques, observed a 21 per cent increase in plant growth per acre. Interestingly, they also observed a good 8% increase in sales prices. Using precision farming practices is a financially viable option.

Precision Farming: The essential approach towards a sustainable future

Precision farming is not just a trend, but a tool for sustainable growth for agriculture that will not only improve India’s agricultural landscape, but that of the world. As awareness grows, India’s adoption rate of precision farming technologies is projected to rise rapidly. By 2025, it is estimated that 30 per cent of Indian farms will have integrated some form of precision farming. As these smart farming methods become more widespread, their impact will be profound. It will ensure food security and improve the livelihoods of millions of farmers nationwide.

The author is Founder & CEO, Salam Kisan

What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

Precision agriculture and satellite monitoring can make avocado production more sustainable.

Title:

Content: CreatorsPublishersAdvertisers
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ScanWorld and ConstellR join forces towards a comprehensive source of high-value satellite imagery for agriculture and vegetation monitoring

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Agriculture is both a major contributor to climate change, and one of its first victims. Coincidentally, agriculture is also a key lever to enable a smooth transition to a more sustainable world – but that will require data-driven decisions. Satellite imagery offers a unique opportunity to deliver that data in...

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What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

Kakuzi's online avocado academy teaches sustainable techniques to smallholder farmers, promoting more equitable economic benefits.

What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

supporting smaller companies
sustainable agricultural techniques

Avocado production has significant social implications, including land grabbing and exploitation of local and migrant communities.

What illegal activities have surfaced in avocado trade in recent years?

What negative impact has the increased global demand for avocados had on the social structure and the economy of the countries that produce them?

labor exploitation
land grabbing
displacement of local communities

What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

Sustainable practices can mitigate the social implications of avocado production.

Title:

Content: NewsLocal NewsIn Your NeighborhoodImmokalee

Actions

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers Fair Food Program expands across U.S.

Posted at 9:34 PM, Feb 23, 2024
and last updated 2024-02-23 21:51:06-05

IMMOKALEE, Fla — The Coalition of Immokalee Workers started the Fair Food Program in 2011 and ten states joined their program. Since the start of this year, there are more than 30 farms across 11 states joining the program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently awarded the Fair Food Program platinum recognition, the highest level of human rights protection.

As a result, CIW leader Gerardo Reyes Chavez credits the program's growth.

For more information on CIW, find the story here.

Chavez said, "What that means for the Fair Food Program is that farms that decide to participate will be supported by U.S.D.A. subsidies to partner with us."

The program joins farmers, workers and retailers together to ensure fair working conditions, pay and treatment.

More than 30 farms from Oregon, Texas, New York, Kentucky, Maine, Vermont, Mississippi, Delaware, Missouri to Minnesota just committed to the program which all started in Immokalee.

Cruz Salucio works for CIW and was a longtime farmworker. He's been working with the farms who joined the program.

"Esta lucha vino aquí de Immokalee en estas calles, en estas parqueaderos. Nos estamos precisamente fue ahí de hubos gritos de trabajadores," Salucio said. (This fight started in Immokalee in these streets, in these parking lots. It was precisely there were the shouts of the workers.)

The program protects more than 20,000 farmworkers across 21 states.

Salucio added, "Es un oportunidad para ellos de poder hacer las cosas diferentes, hacer las cosas mejores. Yo creo que el progama de comida justa ayuda todos, benficia todos." (This is an opportunity for them. The power to make things different and make things better. The Fair Food Program helps everyone, benefits everyone.)

However, Chavez said the fight's not over.

"The U.S.D.A. approach is going to help us a lot but we still need the rest of the market, the rest of the holdouts like Wendy's like Kroger to also do their part," Chavez added.

This year, CIW expects thousands of more workers to get protected under the Fair Food Program. CIW will host a Farmworker Freedom Festival March 8-10 in Palm Beach.

Title:

Content: GLC Cerritos LLC hires Sustainability Director Armando Garcia - FreshFruitPortal.com

GLC Cerritos LLC hires Sustainability Director Armando Garcia

Industry Announcements More News

PRESS RELEASE

In order to enhance its sustainability efforts, GLC Cerritos LLC, the leading Jalisco avocado grower-shipper, has hired Armando Garcia as Director of Sustainability.  This newly created position will evaluate current sustainability initiatives with in the company and define a strategy for future projects.  “Cerritos has shown a strong commitment for its sustainable development over the years, which makes it a very unique company within the Mexican Avocado sector; therefore, I am very excited to undertake this new position and work to strengthen Cerritos sustainability program” commented Garcia.

Mr. Garcia most recently worked as Managing Director of the Jalisco Avocado Growers and Exporters Association (APEAJAL), where he was originally hired to develop its sustainability department.  He introduced projects with Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization, the Business Alliance for Climate, Stronger Together, and has worked on the reforestation program, and other green initiatives that APEAJAL has sponsored.

“Cerritos is known throughout the industry for their sustainability efforts.  They strive to live up to their mission “To inspire agribusiness with sustainability by producing healthy food for the world”, said Garcia pointing to such projects as the responsible recruiting initiative with Stronger Together.  The company currently farms 3000 acres of avocados, all of which are certified by Global G.A.P. and Rainforest Alliance.   The company is currently working to securen Fair Trade certification inpreparation for the 2024/25 Mexico avocado season.

Owner Saul Medina mentioned that Armando will first to a deep dive into Cerritos’ current sustainability projects, including governance, human rights, labor and environmental standards.  From there he will develop a sustainability strategy to define how these projects will continue to evolve in the future, and which others will come to bring in sustainability’s full spectrum into the company.

US division president, Giovanni Cavaletto, welcomes Armando Garcia to the team stating  “There is so much good that the Mexican avocado industry brings to the communities where we work.  Mr. Garcia is a great addition to the team to help define our sustainability strategies and share the message of these efforts with the rest of the industry.”

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Content: KEESEVILLE -- AdkAction is currently enrolling households in a program designed to help subsidize the cost of locally produced food for families in the North Country.

Households who enroll in the Fair Food Pricing program receive 30% off at participating vendors.

In times of personal or collective crisis, the discount can temporarily be increased to 90% to provide even more support to households in need.

Eligibility for the program is based on United Way's ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) guidelines for income and household size.

For example, a two-adult household with two children in childcare, earning an annual income of $78,000 or a single senior earning $30,400 is eligible to join the program.

Driving through the rolling hillsides on the shore of Lake Champlain or along the river valleys in the mountains, one will pass many small farms producing vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, maple syrup, and dairy products.

These independent farms create jobs, keep money in the local economy, and contribute to the growing agritourism industry, while giving residents and visitors the option to eat fresh local food.

Products grown nearby are also better for the planet: locally sourced food spends less time in transit from farm to plate, losing fewer nutrients and incurring less spoilage.

The shorter distribution chain also means less food is wasted in transport, warehousing and merchandising; and less fuel is used, generating fewer greenhouse gases.

Despite the many benefits of eating local food, there is one major drawback: it can be prohibitively expensive to purchase.

Farming at a small scale, using sustainable methods and paying employees a fair wage, just can't compete with the economy of scale at a large producer.

Too often, the person living just down the road from the idyllic farm can't afford to buy their products.

Fair Food Pricing brings the price in line with what one might pay at the grocery store, while ensuring farmers earn enough to continue their livelihoods.

From the start of the program, participants have been able to use their Fair Food Pricing discount at the Hub on the Hill's farm store in Essex, or by ordering goods from the Hub's website for home delivery.

This summer, both the Saranac Lake Farmers Market and the Lake Placid Farmers Market also began accepting Fair Food Pricing for all vendors.

Tangleroot Farm (Essex) and White Rainbow Farm (Peru) partnered with AdkAction to make a number of farm share subscription boxes available to Fair Food Pricing participants. The Keeseville Pharmacy and Cornerstone Drug in Rouses Point - both of which have storefront "˜Farmacy"farm stores - will begin accepting Fair Food Pricing in the coming weeks.

One participant in the program recently shared that she is now more engaged in her local community thanks to her Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share made possible through Fair Food Pricing.

After getting to know her local farmers at weekly CSA pickups, she began volunteering to help out around the farm, bringing her grandchildren with her on the weekends. Connecting people with the farmers and producers who bring them healthy local foods helps create vibrant communities.

The Fair Food Pricing model will continue to build long-term sustainability and resilience in our regional food system as it expands. The program is funded by grants from New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth), Adirondack Foundation, and Cloudsplitter Foundation, with additional support from many individual donors.

To learn more about Fair Food Pricing, and to enroll in the program by completing a short application, visit www.AdkAction.org/FFP

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What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

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What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

Certification schemes like Fairtrade promote sustainable avocado production and support local farming communities through stable prices and fair trade practices.

Title:

Content: New study finds Fairtrade enhances farmer resilience and sustainability

The research assessed Fairtrade’s contribution in terms of economic resilience, social wellbeing and good governance

Being part of a Fairtrade-certified producer organisation can improve farmers’ economic resilience, social wellbeing and environmental sustainability, according to a new study commissioned by Fairtrade Germany and Fairtrade Austria.

The study, Assessing the Impact of Fairtrade on Poverty Reduction and Economic Resilience through Rural Development, suggests that Fairtrade certification also leads to good governance in co-operatives.

And researchers found that Fairtrade standards, Fairtrade pricing, and producer support programmes positively impact certified farmers and their communities compared to non-Fairtrade certified farmers, particularly in times of difficulty and distress.

They examined the same producer organisations three times over 10 years, and studied the performance of a cocoa co-op in Ghana, a coffee co-op and three banana co-ops in Peru and found their farmers had higher earnings and more savings than those in comparable non-Fairtrade organisations. For example, coffee farmer members of the Fairtrade-certified La Florida co-op in Peru reported incomes 50% higher than those of non-Fairtrade farmers.

“In times of crisis, it becomes evident that Fairtrade enhances farmers’ economic resilience and supports them in continuing their profession in challenging times,” said Tatjana Mauthofer, researcher at Mainlevel Consulting and co-author of the study. “The study shows that the two Fairtrade mechanisms – the Minimum Price and the Premium – represent a crucial safety net for farmers, their small producer organisations and eventually, also their communities.”

The research assesses Fairtrade’s contribution in terms of economic resilience, social wellbeing, good governance and environmental integrity and builds on two previous studies (in 2012 and 2018) featuring the same Fairtrade-certified producer organisations.

The study makes several recommendations, including supporting product and income diversification to reduce farmers’ vulnerability and enhance their resilience; setting up credit schemes to enable farmers to modernise their farms; and providing training on financial literacy for coffee, cocoa and banana farmers.

In this article

What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

Fairtrade certification improves farmer economic resilience and sustainability through its Minimum Price and Premium.

The effectiveness of certification schemes like Fairtrade can be limited by power imbalances along the value chain.

Title:

Content: World

Global Market Report: Cocoa prices and sustainability

Attachments

Producing cocoa compliant with voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) can improve farmers' prices, incomes, and climate resilience efforts, according to new research released today from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).

"Up to 6 million farmers work directly within the cocoa sector, underpinning the livelihoods of 50 million people," said Vivek Voora, a Senior Associate with IISD. "Moving the global cocoa sector towards sustainability is critical for people and the planet."

The research found nearly 85% of VSS-compliant cocoa came from Africa, led by Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, and Ghana.

"In just 10 years, global VSS-compliant cocoa production grew from 1.5% of total cocoa production in 2008 to between 27% and 47.3% in 2019," added Voora.

However, 2 million cocoa farmers live under the poverty line and do not earn enough money to support their livelihoods.

Low farm gate prices mean cocoa farmers cannot achieve a decent standard of living while bearing the rising costs of production, forcing some to abandon their homes to migrate into cities in search of more prosperous opportunities.

This causes unpredictability in the sector, which is already reeling with climate change disruptions and high volatility and price drops in the international market causing uncertainty for farmers' incomes.

"Farmers selling VSS-compliant cocoa can get up to 30% higher prices than those growing conventional cocoa, which can protect them from international price swings and improve their livelihoods," said Steffany Bermudez, IISD policy analyst. "However, this doesn't guarantee higher profits due to the lack of demand, rising costs of production, and certifications costs."

Sustainability standards, such as organic, Fairtrade, UTZ, and Rainforest Alliance, are one tool among others to support smallholder farmers to increase their prices and incomes.

"VSS's effectiveness is limited by power imbalances along the value chain, global supply and demand dynamics, and the influence of cocoa's future prices on the current cocoa economy," added Bermudez.

IISD's new report Global Market Report: Cocoa Prices and Sustainability provides detailed recommendations for actors along the value chain to improve sustainability in the cocoa sector and support farmers' prices and incomes, such as:

  • Enhance price transparency and accountability across the value chain including price information systems allowing farmers accessing real-time price updates.
  • Account for the environmental and social costs of cocoa production when price setting in the international market to favour more sustainably grown and purchased cocoa.
  • Increase demand and value creation for VSS-compliant cocoa in producing countries by processing cocoa domestically to increase profits for farmers and processors.
  • Promote better trade relations among value chain actors, including rewarding farmers for adopting sustainable cocoa practices that yield positive results, and implementing living income approaches based on cocoa farmers' realities.

Quick Facts

  • VSS-compliant cocoa grew at a CAGR of 34% to 41% between 2008 and 2019 but may be slowing as its CAGR dropped to 0% to 8% from 2014 to 2019.
  • About 90% of growers are smallholder farmers, cultivating cocoa on lands smaller than 5 hectares.
  • Only 71% of more sustainably produced cocoa was sold as certified between 2008 and 2019 despite increased demand for VSS-compliant cocoa.
  • Climate change is disrupting the global cocoa value chain as regions become less suitable due to high temperatures or severe droughts, including West Africa which saw a 5.5% drop in production among Ghanaian cocoa farmers from 2018 to 2019.
  • In 2020, 35% of the cocoa sourced by the eight largest cocoa traders and grinders was compliant with a VSS or corporate sustainability initiative, a 4% increase from 2017 representing about 226,000 mt. Sixty-four per cent of cocoa purchased by five of the largest chocolate manufacturers was also sourced more sustainably, a 15% increase from 2017, representing about 288,000 mt.

Contact

For more information or to set up an interview, contact media@iisd.org.

About the Sustainable Commodities Marketplace Series

This report is part of the Sustainable Commodities Marketplace Series of global market reports that analyze agricultural commodities to foster transparency, knowledge, and strategic decision making for sustainable development. The series covers bananas, cotton, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soybeans, sugar, and tea. The series is published by IISD's State of Sustainability Initiatives (SSI), an international research project that aims to advance sustainable and inclusive value chains. It provides credible and solution-oriented analysis and dialogue on voluntary sustainability standards and their potential to contribute to sustainable development outcomes.

About the International Institute for Sustainable Development

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an award-winning independent think tank working to accelerate solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resource management, and fair economies. Our work inspires better decisions and sparks meaningful action to help people and the planet thrive. We shine a light on what can be achieved when governments, businesses, non-profits, and communities come together. IISD's staff of more than 120 people, plus over 150 associates and consultants, come from across the globe and from many disciplines. With offices in Winnipeg, Geneva, Ottawa, and Toronto, our work affects lives in nearly 100 countries.

Avocado production requires around 1000 liters of water per kilogram, potentially leading to water depletion in areas where it's prevalent.

Title:

Content: Global News
The world today - avocados make a fuss in the parliament of Morocco..
What's the reason?
You are now following the news of avocado causing a stir in the Parliament of Morocco.. Why?
From the World News section and now we leave you with the full details
Mohammed, Abu Dhabi, Tuesday, August 29, 2023 06: 26 PM - The cultivation of avocado fruit is causing widespread concern in Morocco, which resonated with the dome of parliament, where MPs from different parties called on the Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Siddiqi, to take emergency measures to preserve the water wealth that is being depleted by some export-oriented crops.
In a letter addressed to the Minister of Agriculture, MP Fatma Tamni of the Left Federalism Party wrote: "At a time when Morocco is facing what portends a real water crisis, which has prompted a number of citizens to migrate from their villages and the areas where they live, in search of a lifeline, there have been reports of Morocco exporting 45,000 tons of avocado to European countries."
She added, in the same document seen by "Dot Al-Khaleej": "Everyone knows that avocado, one of the most water-depleting fruits and vegetables, so that scientific reports confirm that each kilogram of the fruit mentioned, drains more than a thousand liters of water.
Thus, forty-five thousand tons of avocado, which drained more than forty billion liters of water, would have benefited Moroccans in their subsistence needs. ”
Sufficiency before export
In the same context, Fatima Al-Tamni, in a statement issued by Dot Al-Khaleej, highlighted that “agriculture accounts for more than 80 percent of the groundwater in Morocco, while we are still far from achieving self-sufficiency, which has been evident in recent months, as the prices of a number of basic foodstuffs have risen. ”
“Hence the question of governance in the agricultural sector and the reasons for Morocco ’ s resort to crops known to deplete water, such as avocados, melons and others, although they are not a priority for the Moroccan consumer, ” she said.
She pointed out that "Morocco occupies the ninth rank internationally in the export of this fruit, while environmental movements and civil actors warned against the depletion of water resources, and called for the cultivation of other vegetables and fruits that can be exported internationally to ensure a sound rationalization of water wealth and self-sufficiency."
The need to focus on grain
For his part, the economist Dr. Rashid Sari, surprised the continuation of some characteristics in the cultivation of avocados, whose production is expected to triple by 2027, which is very worrying, and blatantly threatens the groundwater of the country, which has been dwindling due to successive years of drought.
He warned against continuing to ignore these indicators, which threaten the spread of agricultural inflation, and thus the rise in the prices of some food and vegetables, in addition to the depletion of the underground water mattress and the bankruptcy of a number of estates, as well as the shrinking of forest areas.
Sarri, who heads the African Center for Strategic Studies and Digitization, called for the need to accelerate investment in grain cultivation, which is a valve in the face of Morocco ’ s food sovereignty, stressing that the cost of desalination in the country is very expensive, which requires dealing with water more wisely, to avoid exacerbating the thirst crisis in several Moroccan regions and not to undermine the water plan, which cost the state treasury nearly 150 billion dirhams.
Morocco set a record of 35,500 tonnes of avocado exports between June 2022 and January 2023, up 60 percent from the same period last year.
We hope that we have succeeded in conveying the full details of the news of the avocado raises a stir in the Parliament of Morocco.
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In God ’ s care and protection.
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Content: Praise for Vilsack’s food system transformation framework | TheFencePost.com
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Praise for Vilsack’s food system transformation framework

Chuck Conner, a former Agriculture Department deputy secretary who is now president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, Democratic congressional leaders and several smaller farm groups today praised Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s food system transformation framework.

Conner, a Republican, introduced Vilsack when he gave his speech at Georgetown University.

In the introduction, Conner said that during the past two years in which the food and agriculture supply chain has been “rocked by a series of once-in-a-generation events” including the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and a labor shortage, his members have persevered and learned that “we cannot take the strength of the supply chain for granted.”

“Change is needed to strengthen it in the face of whatever future challenges we see as a nation,” Conner continued. “That is why today’s announcement on USDA’s efforts to ensure resiliency, competitiveness and equity is so important to the future of American agriculture. Farmer co-ops stand ready to be a partner in these efforts and to help ensure that changes to the supply chain bring real benefits to farmers, consumers and rural communities.

“And in this process, we know that we have a trusted partner in Secretary Tom Vilsack. Secretary Vilsack has been a tremendous leader since his return to USDA, encouraging his team to be forward-leaning and proactive to address these challenges head-on. In addition, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow [D-Mich.] has been instrumental in securing the funding for many of the efforts that will be outlined today.”

Stabenow noted in a news release that she had led the effort to secure $4 billion in funding for supply chain resilience in the American Rescue Plan.

“Americans have to access the healthy food they need no matter what,” said Stabenow. “I’m pleased Secretary Vilsack is implementing my supply chain provisions to lower costs, and build a food system that is fairer for consumers and better for the men and women who power our food economy.”

House Agriculture Chairman David Scott, D-Ga., said, “Our committee has worked hard to ensure that Congress provides USDA with the resources it needs to strengthen the supply chain. I applaud Secretary Tom Vilsack and USDA for their hard work to implement these resources in a way that will make the supply chain more resilient, give producers access to markets and fairer prices, and ensure that all Americans have better access to nutritious and affordable food.

“Today’s announcement will complement the House Agriculture Committee’s ongoing efforts to tackle root causes of food and energy supply chain disruptions and provide relief to American producers and consumers. We have recently advanced legislation on these issues out of our committee and are working diligently to bring it to the House floor in the coming weeks,” Scott added.

THOMPSON DISAGREES

But Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., said, “Increasing spending on organic initiatives and rooftop gardens while placing misguided blame on corporations and agribusinesses will not increase domestic food production. Today’s announcement blatantly ignores the skyrocketing inflation rates and input costs that are crushing America’s producers, compounded by the administration’s burdensome regulatory overreach. There is no reason to use pandemic-related funds to ‘transform’ a food system that has long provided the safest, most affordable, and sustainable food and fiber supply in the world. If Secretary Vilsack were serious about solutions to help alleviate the emerging world food crisis, he would oppose President Biden’s progressive agenda and advocate for all farmers and ranchers, and the consumers who depend on them.”

American Farmland Trust President and CEO John Piotti said, “The announcement today of the USDA food system transformation framework by Secretary Vilsack is an important step in building a fairer, more competitive and more resilient food system. The comprehensive program addressing production, processing, distribution and markets will benefit consumers, producers and rural communities.

“The Regional Business Development Centers announced today, along with the American Rescue Plan Technical Assistance Investment Program announced earlier this year, represent a significant new investment by USDA in dedicated business technical assistance that has proven effective at creating jobs and boosting business profitability.

“AFT and our partners provided input to USDA on the design of the Regional Food Business Centers, with a particular emphasis on the need for technical assistance to the farm businesses that represent the supply side of the food system.”

Eric Deeble, policy director of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, said, “Today’s announcement is another meaningful step toward creating a more fair, equitable, and sustainable farm and food system. When taken together with USDA’s recent actions to fight concentration and consolidation and support climate focused conservation programs, these new investments will help farmers grow healthy, affordable foods for families in their own communities.”

Organic Trade Association CEO and Executive Director Tom Chapman said, “USDA’s new Organic Transition Initiative will jumpstart that growth by making the organic transition process more accessible and impactful; particularly for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, who experience unique challenges to accessing resources and support programs. This historic investment in food production, which increases options for American farmers to ‘adopt practices that are both good for their businesses and the climate,’ is a significant win for our industry.”

Abby Youngblood, executive director at The National Organic Coalition, said, “NOC is thrilled to see USDA invest in helping more farmers transition to organic production. The creation of this transition program, in addition to increased support for existing organic farmers, is essential to create a more sustainable food system that protects the health of farmworkers, rural communities, and eaters.”

“Organic still makes up less than 1% of farmed acres in the U.S.,” said Environmental Working Group Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Scott Faber. “Today’s announcement will help more farmers transition to practices that no longer rely on toxic pesticides.”

EWG also applauded the USDA initiative’s plan for helping consumers build healthy diets, including steps to address inequitable access to healthy food, improve school meals and support farmers’ markets.

International Fresh Produce Association Chief Public Policy Officer Robert Guenther said, “We have seen a variety of global disruptions expose many weaknesses in our U.S. and global food system. We look forward to the rollout of the plan that will focus on creating a more sustainable and resilient system that recognizes the importance for farmers to remain profitable while also expanding access to nutritious food for all.”

National Farmers Union President Rob Larew said, “Today’s announcement by Secretary Vilsack about how the USDA will work to transform the food system is a great step towards those ends. NFU will work collaboratively with USDA to inform this transformative process.”

Ricardo Salvador, director of the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said, “Taken together, these initiatives and investments represent a big step toward a truly transformative food and farming system. That Secretary Vilsack and the Biden administration recognize the need to transform our food system to be more resilient to disruption and more equitable is a critical step. And there is much more to be done.

“Of the many ways to transform our food and farm system, the next five-year farm bill reauthorization remains our greatest opportunity. While ultimately determined by Congress, Secretary Vilsack and President Biden can and should advocate for a farm bill that brings our food system in the 21st century by ensuring our food system is resilient in the face of a changing climate, supporting local and regionalized food systems that are less vulnerable to disruption, and addressing a long history of racialized exclusion, discrimination and exploitation across our food system.”

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Ag & Politics

Praise for Vilsack’s food system transformation framework

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Chuck Conner, a former Agriculture Department deputy secretary who is now president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, Democratic congressional leaders and several smaller farm groups today praised Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s…

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Sustainability has three pillars: economic, environmental, and social, that must be balanced for beneficial outcomes.

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Content: Environmental sustainability key in post-pandemic world

Think about the natural resources we use daily.

We use water to bathe. We communicate with one another using mobile devices made from copper, zinc, and other precious metals. Our homes are made from lumber, clay bricks, and other material.

Everything we use on daily basis comes from natural resources. However, many resources are being depleted faster than they can be replaced.

The alternative is sustainability, the practice of using natural resources responsibly, so they can support both present and future generations.

The idea of sustainability is often structured into three pillars: economic, environmental, and social — also known informally as profits, planet, and people.

In business settings, sustainability refers to the effect a business has on the environment, and the effect a business has on society. The goal of sustainable practices is to make a positive impact in at least one of those areas.

To survive and thrive in a post-COVID environment, it is essential for businesses and organizations to embed sustainability into their long-term recovery and growth plans while addressing significant obstacles.

Businesses will need to balance long-term benefits with immediate returns, with the goal of pursuing inclusive and environmentally sound goals while meeting their triple bottom lines. This covers a broad range of possible practices and challenges.

Cutting emissions, lowering energy use, improving processes, replacing components of products with environmentally friendly alternatives, and ensuring waste is disposed of properly would all qualify as moves toward sustainability.

As organizations around the world seek to reset and rebound after the devastating impact of COVID-19, sustainability will be a crucial shift in building a resilient post-pandemic world.

In Hamilton, McMaster University launched its first university-wide sustainability strategy on April 19 with a collective commitment to engage students, faculty, and staff in transforming the campus into a living laboratory for sustainability. For every 20 views of the sustainability strategy, the office of sustainability will add a tree to the McMaster Carbon Sink Forest — up to 250 trees.

“Sustainability is critical to McMaster, and we are working to accelerating our targets to become a carbon-free campus and to promote ways our students, faculty, and staff can contribute to sustainability on campus and in our community,” says Debbie Martin, assistant vice-president and chief facilities officer.

When designing and creating new products or technology, researchers and designers can advocate and design for the use of green materials. They can design products that minimize waste and energy consumption.

“The transformation of McMaster’s campus into a living laboratory offers a tremendous opportunity for McMaster students and researchers to develop and demonstrate practical approaches to improving sustainability,” says John Preston, associate dean, research and external relations.

Moving forward, sustainability needs to be part of every meeting agenda for every organization. Broadening the scope of environmental, social, and governance compliance for public companies to qualify for funding will be another step in the right direction. If business and other leaders continually ask, “What is the environmental impact of this decision, and is there a healthier option?” then sustainability will, at last, become firmly embedded.

Zobia Jawed is the McMaster University's faculty lead for engineering design projects, assistant professor (A), wastewater research lead; board of director and chair, Healthy Youth Network; board of director, Conservation Halton. She can be reached at zobia.jawed@gmail.com.

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Energy is needed in all stages of agriculture, from land preparation, water lifting, transport, and processing. Sustainable management of the natural resources of land, water, air, and biodiversity is the mantra for sustainable agriculture.

Energy is needed in all stages of agriculture, from land preparation, water lifting, transport, and processing. Sustainable management of the natural resources of land, water, air, and biodiversity is the mantra for sustainable agriculture.

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Role of Energy in sustainable agriculture.pptx

  1. 1. Energy Management in Sustainable Agriculture Presented by: Submitted to : Anusha KR Dr. Kulbir Singh L-2021-H-88-D Department of Vegetable Science
  2. 2. •Energy is constantly flowing through the ecosystem. • It enters as solar energy and it is converted by plants into potential energy, which is stored in the chemical bonds of organic molecules, or biomass •Whenever this potential energy is harvested by organisms to do work (e.g. grow, move, reproduce), much of it is transformed into heat energy that is no longer available for further work or transformation - it is lost from the ecosystem.
  3. 3. Energy and Agriculture • Energy is needed in all stages of agriculture, from land preparation, water lifting, transport, and processing. • Agriculture is an energy-conversion process that transforms solar energy into food through photosynthesis. • Almost 99% of the energy for primary plant growth and productivity is derived from the sun. • Sustainable management of the natural resources of land, water, air, and biodiversity is the mantra for sustainable agriculture. • It is impossible to conceive of an effective food production system, processing, and distribution without adequate energy inputs.
  4. 4. • The three-fold increase in global agricultural productivity during the last half a century has been possible because of a parallel and exponential increase in the use of chemical fertilizers, irrigation, and pest control measures. • This is also the reason that the term “green revolution” itself is a euphemism (Nair 2013). • It is more appropriate to call it an “industrial type agriculture,” rather than green revolution, with all the concomitant adverse fallout on the environment (Nair 2013; 2014).
  5. 5. Pattern in Energy Use • Agricultural production by itself accounts for only a relatively small proportion of the total energy used in industrial and developing countries. 4–8% in Developing countries 30–35% in Developed countries Production and distribution Processing Transport Trade
  6. 6. Energy use in global agriculture follows two extremes as follows: 1. The high external input and highly mechanized factory model of agriculture of the advanced countries are 50 times as energy intensive as compared to traditional agriculture. 2. The very low or nil external input agriculture which is a part of the subsistence agriculture prevalent in many of the stressed ecosystems of the tropics depends mostly on solar energy-drive natural processes and on human and animal draft power. • Between these two highly contrasting energy use patterns, depicted above, fall the green revolution technologies, especially in developing countries, which use moderate fertilizer and pest control inputs, though the high-end farmers use unbridled quantities of fertilizers and pesticides, and, farm mechanization is of low intensity, except on large farms.
  7. 7. Energy intensification in agriculture
  8. 8. Advantages • Energizing the food production chain has been an essential feature of agricultural development and a prime factor to achieve food security. • A direct relationship exists between energy consumption and agricultural yield. • Traditional agricultural systems depend largely on the metabolic (endosomatic) energy of humans and animals and solar energy, whereas the energy requirements of modern agriculture are almost completely met from fossil fuels, mostly petroleum and to some extent diesel. • Energy transformed outside the body (exosomatic, for example, burning gasoline in a tractor) results in much higher productivity per unit of labor. • Thus, a gallon of gasoline can be transformed into the equivalent of 3 weeks of human labor (Giampietro and Pimental 1994). • The efficiency of energy conversion in humans is only 25%, and in a fit person the body can use up energy up to 250 to 300 W.
  9. 9. • The ratio of exosomatic and endosomatic energy is 4:1 in traditional agriculture, whereas it is almost 40:1 for modern agriculture. • This results in completely lower land and labor productivity in traditional agriculture and, consequently, in lower socioeconomic standards in terms of income, health, education, services, and so on. • From the early twentieth century, the global population grew at an accelerating pace, which made output from low- energy input traditional agriculture inadequate to meet the growing need for food. • Energy intensification of agriculture started actively in the post-II World War period as a consequence of the impact of industrialization and accelerated economic growth. • Heavy injections of fossil energy, in the form of chemicals and machine power, in combination with high-yielding crop varieties, increased the productivity of land and labor enormously in comparison to primitive agriculture. • This resulted in increasing income and standards of living for the farmer and in more labor becoming available for other economic sectors, especially in advanced countries.
  10. 10. Disadvantages • Large scale energy infusion into modern agriculture for land preparation and irrigation and very high fertilizer inputs, often without adequate thought to the efficiency of their use, have created a trade-off between productivity on the one hand and environmental quality, resource conservation, and economic viability on the other. • Excessive use of external inputs has resulted in multiple adverse impacts, including enormous degradation of soil in the form of erosion, loss of organic matter and fertility, and salinization, environmental pollution from unbridled use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, entering surface and ground water to become a threat to human and animal health, and, damage to and extinction of aquatic species as a result of the presence of toxic chemicals in runoff. • The Punjab State in India, known as the “cradle” of green revolution epitomizes all these problems (Nair 2013).
  11. 11. • Intensive farming techniques impact the pattern of energy flows in ecosystems. • In general, they reduce the capacity of the ecosystem to use solar energy for evapotranspiration, gross primary production, recycling of nutrients, and natural pest control, leading to a decrease in the efficiency of the use of inputs. • This renders the soil a biologically dead physico-chemical medium incapable of sustaining productivity in the long run, as is happening in many intensively cultivated systems, such as rice-wheat systems of South Asia, Punjab State in India, being a classic example in the former category of nations (Ladha et al 2003) • Among the most adverse impacts of high energy agricultural systems, is their high direct and indirect share of contribution to global warming, due to emission of gaseous emission, the nitrous oxide being the most important. • Along with deforestation, they account for about 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, through the burning of fossil fuel manufactured fertilizers and pesticides, and also through inefficient use of nitrogenous fertilizers, which enhances nitrous oxide concentrations in the atmosphere. • Thus, energy use in high external input agriculture has become ecologically, economically, and environmentally, unsustainable.
  12. 12. Impact of Low Energy Use in Agriculture
  13. 13. • Inadequate external energy infusion, as in the low-input traditional agricultural systems of the developing countries, results in low land and labor productivity and a lack of food security. • Agricultural practices based on animal and human power with inadequate use of fertilizers and pesticides and lack of storage, preservation, and transportation facilities cannot meet the needs of the growing population. • Low external energy input agriculture is, without doubt, environmentally friendly. • Natural ecological processes are certainly superior to external inputs in terms of crop production because they are regenerating, nonpolluting, practically free, and resource-conserving. • However, they are not invariably beneficial at the societal level. • In the low input primitive systems of production, the ratio of exosomatic to endosomatic energy is low. When a society has a very low exosomatic/endosomatic energy ratio and uses labor-intensive techniques to save capital and fossil energy, its per capita labor and land output remains low, resulting in a lower standard of living, health, and education (Giampietro and Pimental 1994)
  14. 14. • Ecological processes cannot substitute completely external inputs in modern crop production because they have their own pattern and pace of mass and energy flow and distribution. • Although excellent sources of plant nutrients are present in organic form, such as crop residues and animal and poultry excreta, their utilization may be constrained by their rate of mineralization and lack of synchrony with plant growth needs.
  15. 15. Sustainable Energy Management in High-Input Agriculture
  16. 16. • Following the principles of thermodynamics, a key indicator of sustainability is the ratio of energy equivalents of all of the inputs and outputs (Andiscott 1995). • The higher this ratio, the more sustainable the system.
  17. 17. • The most basic way to improve the sustainability of modern agriculture is to decrease both the direct and embodied external energy component by increasing their efficiency of use. • “The Nutrient Buffer Power Concept,” while emphasizing the usefulness of chemical fertilizers, aims at moderation, enhancing the efficiency of nutrient use, while at the same time containing environmental pollution, and, as a bonus, enhancing economy of scale (Nair 2004). • Maintaining high productivity with an acceptable impact on resource, environment, and economics is the key to sustainability. • The use of non-polluting alternative sources of energy is also conducive to improving sustainability. • Conservation tillage, integrated pest management, integrated plant nutrient supply, crop rotation, micro irrigation techniques, and precision farming belong to this category.
  18. 18. Conservation tillage • Conservation tillage practices were initially introduced to reduce the costs of mechanization, but, • have turned out to offer several ecological and economic benefits, such as low soil erosion, reduced runoff, more natural pest control, greater water storage and infiltration, increased cropping intensity, and economy of scale in input use. • Conservation tillage has become very popular where farms are large.
  19. 19. Water management • Managing water use more efficiently, using drip and sprinkler irrigation, and using mulch to improve water storage and reduce evapotranspiration, are simple ways to improve the productivity of water • These practices not only result in energy conservation, but also attract other bonuses such as • lower nutrient loss, • higher efficiency of input use, and • freedom from water logging and
  20. 20. • On average, about 25% of the electrical energy used for irrigation in developing countries being wasted due to poor pump and motor efficiency. • Properly designed systems promote correct soil moisture levels, leading to crop stress, reduced yields, wasted water, runoff, soil erosion, and many other problems. • Energy (and money) can be saved in many ways: 1. Efficiency irrigation pumps, including variable speed pump motors; 2. Frequent management/maintenance of irrigation systems; 3. Proper pump-sizing; and 4. Upgrade to more efficient irrigation system, e.g. from wheel lines to pivot or linear sprinkler systems.
  21. 21. Pest management • Integrated pest management combines several virtues, including • cost reduction, • environmental and human safety, • prevention of pesticide resistance and pest resurgence, • with a favorable energy balance.
  22. 22. Cropping system • Biodiversity enhancement through • Polyculture, as opposed to the monoculture system (rice-wheat continuous cropping during the green revolution phase in Punjab State, India), • Crop rotation, • Mixed cropping, and • Strip cropping • Has been shown to have a variety of positive effects, such as conservation, the efficiency of use of nutrients, and water, erosion control, biological pest and disease control, and improvement in soil quality
  23. 23. Farm vehicles • The biggest opportunities for energy savings from farm vehicles can be found in tillage systems and tractor fuel efficiency. • Tractor fuel efficiency can be as simple as proper tire inflation, regular vehicle maintenance, and reduced idling. • Such measures can not only save fuel but prolong the life of tractor
  24. 24. Greenhouse agriculture • Typical annual greenhouse energy usage is 75% for heating, 15% for electricity and 10% for vehicles. • Producers who put resources where the greatest savings can be realized have clear opportunities for savings. • Energy conservation solutions range from common-sense to extremely efficient heating, cooling and watering systems: • Reduce Air Leaks by using door closers, • weather stripping (doors, vents, fan openings) and • lubricating louvers (a partially open louver may allow several air changes per hour). • Poly with an infrared inhibitor on the inner layer can give 15% energy savings. • Thermal Blankets can achieve 20%-50% energy savings. • Foundation and Sidewall Insulation.
  25. 25. Sustainable Energy Management in Low–Input Systems
  26. 26. • Access to appropriate energy can enhance productivity and food security, create livelihood opportunities, and reduce poverty (WEC/ FAO 1999). • Hopes to improve the lives of the rural peasants and landless poor of developing countries depend largely on some level of energy infusion into their cultivation processes and into their daily lives. • The realization of minimum standards of living is possible only through proper energy management (FAO 1996b).
  27. 27. • The Rio Earth Summit (UNCED 1992) highlighted the importance of efficiently managing fossil energy and making use of other forms of renewable energy such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass energy in sustainable development. • The gist of the recommendations made with respect to agriculture is the following: 1. The process of transition to environmentally sound energy resources using structured and diversified alternative and renewable energy sources should be initiated in rural communities 2. Energy inputs should be increased to rural households and for agro industrial needs 3. Rural programs for energy self-reliance in the sustainable development of renewable energy sources should be implemented
  28. 28. Biomass energy • Biomass energy from agricultural by-products can be used in small-scale industries in rural areas, such as • sugar, rubber, and coconut processing, rice par boiling, fish and meat drying, brick making, lime kilns infusions of energy from biomass, such as straw for mushroom culture and cattle waste in pisciculture, recycling of biowastes such as banana leaves, and fodder banks • are innovative means of livelihood creation, as seen in the Biovillage model in Pondicherry (Union territory, India) as detailed by MSSRF (2000), ceramics, and pottery.
  29. 29. Combined heat-power generation technologies • Combined heat-power generation technologies have proved very effective in the sugarcane industry, where the byproduct bagasse is used as biomass fuel. • Recently an Australian Company “Zero Waste Ltd” has come forward with a unique technology where bagasse (by product of sugarcane crushing) is converted into an organic material, commercially marketed, now as “Geogreen” in India, with a collaboration of a company, Rallis India Ltd. (A Tata Group Company). • This material has proved to be extremely successful and useful in Indian soils highly depleted of native carbon by the onslaught of the green revolution, which led to severe carbon depletion in soil, leading to yield depression and degradation of soil. • These technologies are cost-effective and can facilitate decentralized rural industrialization.
  30. 30. • Ever since the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 1996) confirmed that global warming is due to the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, renewed efforts have been underway to replace fossil fuel with other clean or less polluting energy sources such as solar energy, hydrogen biomass, and natural gas. • Solar energy, wind energy, biomass energy, and hydro and geothermal tidal energies are being evolved as potential forms of renewable energy. • They are non-polluting, non-emission sources and are suitable for small to medium scale operations, especially in rural and remote areas. The growth of different energy types is depicted in the following table
  31. 31. Thank you

Editor's Notes

  •  mainly through the reduction in the intensity of tillage, and retention of plant residues.

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What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

Excessive external inputs in agriculture harm the environment, highlighting the need for sustainable energy management.

What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

Conservation tillage, integrated pest management, and efficient irrigation systems can improve agricultural sustainability and conserve energy and water.

What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

Private companies play a crucial role in achieving positive environmental change through capital.

Title:

Content: Capital is a critical lever for positive change in environmental protection
T + T - normal size
The commitment of companies to report and discuss ESG compliance measures is just as important, responsible and valuable as what is currently being applied to their financial results, according to many specialists.
Some politicians have sought to make ESG considerations a partisan issue, but it is truly a humanitarian and global one.
Leading investors argue that the plethora of prescriptive ESG standards proposals in the agency ’ s season of annual shareholder meetings this year demonstrate that the sustainable investment movement has gone too far.
In a tweet, Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently expressed his objection to the concept after the electric car manufacturer was removed from the S & P 500 ESG index.
Yet capital can still act as a decisive lever for positive global change – but perhaps not in the way one might think.
In the face of any major threat, people usually turn to religion or the government for help.
Today, the climate crisis is accelerating, part of Europe is at war, the United States is deeply polarized and surrounded by escalating gun violence.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to plague us, and advanced economies face the prospect of stagflation.
But as millions of people around the world suffer economically and emotionally, religion has largely lost its moral authority and practical influence, and many governments are either powerless or controlled by autocrats.
Of course, the private sector cannot solve all these problems on its own.
But would the world be a better place, at least if companies and investors regularly commit to environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards?
It is the flow of capital through private markets globally – not public exchanges – that can play the key role in mainstreaming environmental, social, and governance standards.
In any case, nine out of ten people employed in the corporate sector globally work for private companies.
For every publicly traded company, there are 200 private companies.
Private companies are the core of capitalism.
The main artery through which the most important companies obtain growth resources is in private markets – especially private equity.
To be sure, private equity has not traditionally been the first thing people think about when discussing how to improve the world.
But even though the industry has only existed in its current form since the 1980s, today it manages more than $9 trillion in assets and owns many of the companies we rely on in our daily lives.
Moreover, it is about to undergo a historic transformation, with the founders of several leading private equity firms retiring and a younger generation taking over.
The league, now in their 30s and 40s, is acutely aware of the failures of the Jordon-inspired baby boom investors and the limitations imposed by Milton Friedman ’ s view that the only social responsibility of business leaders is to maximize value for shareholders.
Those in the new wave of private equity leaders fundamentally believe that capitalism can produce lasting shared prosperity.
They believe that achieving good financial returns entails recognizing that sustainability, the environment and the dignity of workers are at the core of permanent institutions.
Understanding this viewpoint is the ideal purpose: to believe that successful organizations create a mutually positive dynamic between their owners, employees, customers, suppliers, and the communities in which they operate.
In this environment of multidimensional returns, the development of non-financial, yet physical, key metrics and the establishment of foundation and performance standards are essential.
Perhaps management expert Peter Drucker never said, “If you can ’ t measure it, you can ’ t manage it. ”
But that doesn ’ t make it any less honest.
The choice of environmental, community, and governance standards may vary, depending on the region, industry, company size, and owners ’ objectives.
But that is no reason to abandon the establishment of norms.
There are many important indicators that every company can measure regularly to turn the talk of doing the right thing into reality.
For example, all companies should track their freshwater use, waste generation, direct and indirect gas emissions, and monitor whether any of their activities are causing soil surface coverage.
Other key metrics include diversity of management teams and boards, staff attrition, work-related injuries, and data breaches.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to collecting ESG data, but there is a one-size-fits-all threshold.
We commend the work of the ESG Data Convergence Initiative to develop baseline reporting metrics, as well as the efforts of the International Sustainability Standards Board to modernize and globalize industry-based standards.
This information should be subject to tracking now.
Globally, there are more than 8,000 investment firms operating in private markets, the vast majority of which have yet to adopt environmental, social and governance standards.
This has to change.
Regulators will soon demand this, as rules and standards such as regulations for disclosure of sustainable finance and those recommended by the Climate Financial Disclosure Task Force come into effect.
Investors will demand it too – and it is already happening, as the dramatic rise in climate-related proposals in the agency ’ s season this year demonstrates.
Society needs investors to pay more attention to environment, society and governance in the face of rising social tensions and unprecedented environmental instability.
Simply put, we have to move from a “trust me ” mindset to an“ show me ” mindset.
Nearly 90 years ago in the United States, Congress established the Securities and Exchange Commission and the accounting industry established GAAP.
Today, companies whose financial disclosures have been uneven and intermittent are reporting regularly and transparently.
In contrast, capital markets have been boosted by broader investor participation and the emergence of shareholder democracy.
We now need to do the same with environmental, community, governance and stakeholder democracy compliance reports.
A new generation of private market players could lead the way.
Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Px3 Partners.
* * Former CFO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, co-founder and CEO of Novata.
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Tracking freshwater use, waste, and emissions is essential for sustainability.

Investors are demanding ESG considerations, driving companies to adopt sustainable practices.

Only 2% of companies reach their sustainability goals, highlighting the need for effective management of trade-offs.

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Content: Ways for Your Company to Chart Its Sustainable Goals, Metrics, and KPIs

Many corporations are trying to achieve sustainability, but it takes thorough planning and thoughtful strategy to reach these goals.

Sustainable growth is a common theme in many corporate strategies today, which comes at a time when countries face mounting pressures to combat the climate crisis.

Below, we’ll cover some ways you can track your company’s environmental goals so you can take actionable steps to reach them.

How Your Company Can Chart Its Sustainability Goals

A sustainability program can help your company in various ways, including building your brand reputation, aligning with new industry trends, and increasing operational efficiency.

One study from Bain & Company found that only 2% of companies successfully reached their sustainability goals, showing how crucial it is to set clear goals and use specific metrics to guide you on achieving them.

Take Danaher, for example — they’ve committed to reducing energy consumption by 15%, reducing GHG emissions by 15%, and reducing the percentage of non-hazardous and non-regulated waste sent to landfills by 15%. They’ve set clear targets and are taking action to hit them in five years.

So, how can your company follow suit and reach sustainability goals over the next few years? Below are five ways to help make sustainable change happen within your organization.

1. Set Ambitious Goals, and Take Action to Achieve Them

Consider using a SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) goal-setting approach for your organization regarding sustainability. The bigger the goal, the better, and the more likely you will achieve it. For example, some corporations will make a goal to be carbon-neutral in 15 years, whereas others will make smaller goals like reducing carbon emissions by 30%.

While both goals are viable, larger goals can make more of a significant impact and motivate your organization to reach them. Ambitious goals yield ambitious outcomes, and your organization should prioritize this when thinking about how to be more sustainable.

2. Identify What Priorities to Measure

These are some examples of what companies will typically measure when striving to be more sustainable:

  • Supply chain mileage
  • Energy consumption
  • Carbon footprint
  • Water footprint
  • Product recycling rates
  • Waste reduction rate
  • Waste recycling rate

The examples above are KPIs that can identify areas of improvement within your organization and its current sustainability rating. Once you know what areas to improve on, you can make clear goals to be more sustainable.

3. Track Your Progress in Quarterly Milestones

One of the reasons why only 2% of companies reach their sustainability goals is because they don’t track the progress of their actions over time. Every quarter, you should rely on using a spreadsheet or other type of tracking software to measure your progress.

For example, suppose one sustainability goal is to use recycled, post-consumer waste in your supply chain. In that case, your first step should be to create an inventory of these materials and see if existing materials can be eliminated or replaced with this alternative.

Then, group them into categories, and each quarter, review your spreadsheet to see what progress has been made. Aside from spreadsheets, plenty of creative data sources are out there that can simplify the progress-tracking process.

4. Leverage Online Resources to Outline Sustainability Goals, Metrics, and KPIs

Use all the resources at your disposal as you’re exploring ways to track your company’s environmental goals. Because so many companies are trying to reach their sustainability goals, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there are many online resources available to help you outline your goals, keep track of metrics, and identify your KPIs.

Below are four examples of software you can implement to manage your sustainability goals better:

  • Mapistry: This environmental compliance software is an all-in-one solution for maximizing sustainability compliance across several facility and regulatory areas.
  • One Trust: One Trust is the number one fastest-growing company on the Inc. 500 and includes using centralized, agile workflows to help with sustainability efforts.
  • CEMS: Your company can monitor your carbon emissions and pollutants using a continuous emission monitoring system.
  • ETQ Reliance QMS: ETQ Reliance QMS relies on cloud-based services and can provide you with advanced analytics to help track progress on your goals.

These options are only a few examples of digital platforms that your organization can leverage to make sustainability tracking much simpler and streamlined.

Consider using some of the tips above to help your organization meet and potentially exceed your sustainability goals.

Reaching Sustainability Goals Will Take Time

Measuring sustainability can be challenging for both small and large companies, but it can reduce costs and save time in the long run.

If your company is interested in ways to track a business’s sustainability metrics and KPIs, consider using some of the tips above to increase your likelihood of meeting these goals. Understand that it will take time, and your organization may need to overcome obstacles to become more sustainable.

Companies can use the SMART approach to achieve sustainability goals by tracking quarterly progress and leveraging software.

Amazon land protection initiatives can reduce deforestation by up to 83% and protect biodiversity.

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Land protection initiatives reduced Amazon deforestation by up to 83%, new analysis finds

A new analysis shows that land protection initiatives in the Brazilian Legal Amazon (BLA) reduced deforestation by up to 83% between 2000 and 2010. Such impressive results highlight the vital role of land protection policies in achieving ambitious goals, including the UN biodiversity target to protect 30% of the planet's surface by 2030.

Reversing biodiversity loss in the Amazon while combating is recognized by Brazil and the as a key priority, but more ambitious solutions are required in coming years. Although deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon have recently declined, the region still lost 5,000 square kilometers of rainforest in 2023—equivalent to three times the size of greater London.

Yet the research, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, highlights that for Indigenous communities in the Amazon, land protection may come with hidden socio-economic costs. The study revealed that incomes in Indigenous Territories were up to 36% lower compared to other land uses, shining a light on the trade-offs decisionmakers must navigate when establishing and expanding forest conservation projects.

Researchers from the UK, Brazil, Sweden and the U.S. looked at three types of protection arrangements to uncover such trade-offs—Indigenous Territories (ITs) that return ancestral land and resources to Indigenous peoples, strict protected areas (SPAs) that protected from everything apart from light human disturbance, and protected areas (SUPAs) that allow sustainable use of natural resources while protecting the area from widescale industrial production.

By comparing both environmental and socioeconomic outcomes across protected and unprotected areas, used for agriculture and mining, the analysis provides a more holistic analysis of policy impacts on both people and the environment.

Indigenous people are the most disadvantaged group in Brazil, with 33% living below the poverty line. As the researchers emphasize in a research briefing based on the study, we must not leave Indigenous peoples behind due to a lack of social protection or alternative support programs.

Efforts to secure land rights must be accompanied by additional initiatives to ensure these communities are not socioeconomically disadvantaged, such as removing access barriers to existing social protection programs and other forms of support.

Dr. Johan Oldekop, at The University of Manchester's Global Development Institute, said, "Our research demonstrates that rights to land and resources for Indigenous people are necessary but perhaps insufficient mechanisms to bridge conservation and development.

"In highlighting this problem, we hope to improve current understandings of how conservation and development trade off against each other according to different land use management decisions, including different forms of protected areas."

Recent scholarship asserts that ITs can prevent deforestation and other ecologically destructive practices. However, as lead author Dr. Bowy den Braber explains, "Carefully weighing up the benefits and drawbacks of different land use options can help policymakers maximize progress towards both conservation and development goals."

Co-author Dr. Marina Schmoeller, who recently completed her Ph.D. at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, said, "We highlight the importance of Indigenous territories for protecting biodiversity, which is timely considering the ongoing debates in the Brazilian Supreme Court that could potentially limit Indigenous people's claim for lands not only in the Amazon, but in the whole of the country."

Dr. Karl Evans, University of Sheffield, remarked, "Protected areas and Indigenous Territories are highly effective at reducing deforestation in the Amazon. Protecting forests does more to support local people's livelihoods and well-being than opening them up to large agri-business and mining, while also addressing the climate and biodiversity emergencies."

More information: Bowy den Braber et al, Socio-economic and environmental trade-offs in Amazonian protected areas and Indigenous territories revealed by assessing competing land uses, Nature Ecology & Evolution (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02458-w

Journal information: Nature Ecology & Evolution

Citation: Land protection initiatives reduced Amazon deforestation by up to 83%, new analysis finds (2024, July 15) retrieved 15 July 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2024-07-amazon-deforestation-analysis.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

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Socio-economic trade-offs exist in land protection decisions, requiring careful management of sustainability metrics.

Climate change disproportionately affects the poorest, necessitating a transition to clean energy and forest preservation to mitigate its impacts.

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Content: British Climate Czar Alok Sharma. By Chris McAndrew, CC BY 3.0, Link

UK Energy Secretary Appeals for Faith Leaders to Save COP26

Guest essay by Eric Worrall

COP26 President Alok Sharma has thanked 40 faith leaders for presenting a commitment to promote a voluntary permanent climate lockdown, in the form of “Encouraging our communities to embrace simple and sustainable lifestyles at home, so as to reduce our collective carbon footprint”. But Alok has explained, more needs to be done to help spread the message.

The original appeal from the 40 faith leaders;

4 October 2021 – Joint Appeal

One family in a common home

Today we come together united, in human fraternity, to raise awareness of the unprecedented challenges that threaten us and life on our beautiful common home, the Earth.

As leaders and scholars from various religious traditions, we unite in a spirit of humility, responsibility, mutual respect and open dialogue. This dialogue is not limited to merely the exchange of ideas, but is focused on the desire to walk in companionship, recognizing our call to live in harmony with one another and with nature.

Today’s gathering is the fruit of months of involved fraternal dialogue among faith leaders and scientists coming together, aware of the necessity of an even deeper solidarity in the face of the global pandemic and of growing concern for our common home.

Our awareness: nature is a gift

Nature is a gift, but also a life-giving force without which we cannot exist. Our faiths and spiritualties teach a duty, individual and collective, to care for the human family and for the environment in which it lives. We are not limitless masters of our planet and its resources. We are caretakers of the natural environment with the vocation to care for it for future generations and the moral obligation to cooperate in the healing of the planet.

We are deeply interdependent with each other and with the natural world. This connection is the basis for interpersonal and intergenerational solidarity and for overcoming selfishness. Damage to the environment is a result, in part, of the predatory tendency to see the natural world as something to be exploited with disregard for the extent to which survival hinges on biodiversity and on maintaining the health of planetary and local ecosystems. Multiple crises facing humanity are demonstrating the failures of such an approach; these are ultimately linked to a crisis of values, ethical and spiritual.

Faith and science are essential pillars of human civilization, with shared principles and complementarities. Together, we must address the threats facing our common home. The warnings from the scientific community are becoming increasingly stark and clear, as is the need for concrete steps to be taken. Scientists say that time is running out. Global temperatures have already risen to the point where the planet is warmer than at anytime in the last 200,000 years. We are on course for a rise in temperature of more than two degrees above the pre-industrial levels. It is not just a physical problem but also a moral challenge. The climate crisis affects us all, but it does not involve us all equally, because it will have different yet devastating effects on people in industrialized and non-industrialized countries. In particular, it affects the poorest, especially women and children in the most vulnerable countries, which are the least responsible for it.

Humanity has the power to think and the freedom to choose. We must address these challenges using the knowledge of science and the wisdom of religion: to know more and to care more. We should seek solutions within ourselves, within our communities, and with nature, adopting an integral approach. We must think long-term for the sake of the whole of humanity, now and in the future.

We need to expel the seeds of conflicts: greed, indifference, ignorance, fear, injustice, insecurity and violence. We must focus particularly on those at the margins. We need to act together to inspire and energize each other. We need to live in peace with one another and with nature. Now it is the time to take transformative action as a common response. As the COVID pandemic rages, 2021 presents a vital challenge to turn this crisis into an opportunity to rethink the world we want for ourselves and for our children.

Care must be at the heart of this conversion, at all levels.

Our call: the need for greater ambition at COP26

We need a framework of hope and courage.

But we also need to change the narrative of development and to adopt a new kind of economics: one that places human dignity at its center and that is inclusive; one that is ecologically friendly, caring for the environment, and not exploiting it; one based not on endless growth and proliferating desires, but on supporting life; one that promotes the virtue of sufficiency and condemns the wickedness of excess; one that is not only technologically driven, but is moral and ethical.

Now is the time for urgent, radical and responsible action. Transforming the present situation requires the international community to act with greater ambition and fairness, in all aspects of its policies and strategies.

Climate change is a grave threat. In the interest of justice and fairness, we advocate for common but differentiated climate action at all levels, from individual behavioral changes to high-level political decision-making processes.

The world is called to achieve net zero carbon emissions as soon as possible, with wealthier countries taking the lead in reducing their own emissions and in financing emission reductions from poorer nations. It is important that all governments adopt a trajectory that will limit the global average temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. To achieve these goals of the Paris Agreement, the COP26 Summit should deliver ambitious short-term actions from all nations with differentiated responsibilities. There is also an urgent need to deliver action to meet its medium- and long-term commitments.

We beg those nations with the greatest responsibility and present capacity to: step up their climate action at home; fulfil existing promises to provide substantial financial support to vulnerable countries; agree on new targets to enable them to become climate resilient, as well as to adapt to and to address climate change and loss and damage, which is already a reality for many countries.

We will accompany nations in seeking to protect and invest in the marginalized groups and vulnerable populations within their own borders, who for too long have borne disproportionate burdens and been on the frontlines of poverty, pollution and pandemic. The rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities must be given special attention, protecting them from predatory economic interests. They have been caretakers of the earth for millennia. We should listen to them and be willing to be guided by their wisdom.

We appeal to governments to raise their ambitions and their international cooperation to: favor a transition to clean energy; adopt sustainable land use practices including preventing deforestation, restoring forests and conserving biodiversity; transform food systems to become environmentally-friendly and respectful of local cultures; end hunger; and to promote sustainable lifestyles and patterns of consumption and production.

We ask that full consideration be given to the effects on the workforce of the transition to a clean energy economy. Priority must be given to the creation of decent employment for all, particularly those in fossil fuel dependent sectors. We ask to ensure an effective and inclusive just transition to low greenhouse gas emissions and climate resilient development. At the same time, we call on them to consider both short-term and long-term social and economic consequences, and adopt a balanced approach that combines care for future generations with guarantee that no one is deprived of his/her daily bread in our own time.

We call upon financial institutions, banks and investors to adopt responsible financing for investments that have positive impacts on people and the planet.

We call upon civil society organizations and everyone to face these challenges with courage in a spirit of collaboration.

In parallel, we ask the leaders attending COP26 to ensure that no more biodiversity is lost, and that all land and water ecosystems are restored, protected and sustainably managed.

In order to achieve these goals, a major educational challenge stands before us. Governments cannot handle such ambitious change alone. We need all of society – the family, religious institutions, schools and universities, our businesses and financial systems – to engage in a transparent and collaborative process, ensuring that all voices are valued and all people represented in decision-making, including those most impacted, especially women, and those communities whose voices are often ignored or devalued.

This is where we, religious leaders and institutions, can make an important contribution. Humanity must rethink its perspectives and values, rejecting consumerism and the pervasive throwaway culture, and embrace a culture of care and cooperation.

Raising public awareness is indispensable to the change of course that is needed.

Our commitment and our creativeness

The followers of religious traditions have a crucial part to play in addressing the crisis of our common home. We commit to taking much more serious action. Young people are demanding that we listen to the scientific insights and that we, their elders, do much more.

First, we commit to advancing the educational and cultural transformation that is crucial to sustain all other actions. We underline the importance of:

* Deepening our efforts to bring about a change of heart among the members of our traditions in the way we relate to the earth and to other people (‘ecological conversion’). We will remind our communities that care for the earth and for others is a key tenet of all our traditions. Recognizing the signs of the divine harmony present in the natural world, we will strive to incorporate this ecological sensitivity more consciously into our practices.

* Encouraging our educational and cultural institutions to give priority in their programs to relevant scientific insights, to strengthen integral ecological education, and to help students and their families relate to nature and to others with new eyes. Beyond the transmission of information and technical knowledge, we want to instill deep-rooted virtues to sustain the ecological transformation that is required.

* Participating actively and appropriately in the public and political discourse on environmental issues, sharing our religious, moral and spiritual perspectives and uplifting the voices of the weakest, of young people, and of those too often ignored, such as Indigenous Peoples. We underline the importance to reframe environmental debates from being about technical issues alone to include moral issues.

* Engaging our congregations and institutions with their neighbours in the building of sustainable, resilient and just communities, creating and developing resources for local cooperation in, for example, restorative small-scale agriculture and renewable energy cooperatives.

Second, we underline the importance of taking far-reaching environmental action within our own institutions and communities, informed by science and based on religious wisdom. While calling on governments and international organizations to be ambitious, we also recognize the major role we play. We wish to emphasize the importance of:

* Supporting actions to reduce carbon emissions, achieve carbon neutrality, promote disaster risk reduction, improve waste management, conserve water and energy, develop renewable energy, provide green open spaces, conserve coastal areas, prevent deforestation and restore forests. Many of these actions require partnership with farming and fishery communities, especially small-scale and family farmers, whom we will support.

* Working to make bold plans to achieve full sustainability in our buildings, land, vehicles and other properties, joining the global race to save our planet.

* Encouraging our communities to embrace simple and sustainable lifestyles at home, so as to reduce our collective carbon footprint.

* Striving to align our financial investments with environmentally and socially responsible standards, ensuring greater accountability and transparency as the tendency to move away from investments in fossil fuels and toward investments in renewable energy and restorative agriculture is becoming ever more widespread. We will encourage public and private sector stakeholders to do the same.

* Evaluating all the goods we purchase and the services we hire with the same ethical lens, avoiding two different moral standards being applied to the business sector and to the rest of social life. For instance, we will raise awareness in our faith communities about the need to examine our banking, insurance and investment choices, to correct them in line with both the values we proclaim here.

Our hope: a time of grace, an opportunity that we cannot waste

We are currently at a moment of opportunity and truth. We pray that our human family may unite to save our common home before it is too late. Future generations will never forgive us if we squander this precious opportunity. We have inherited a garden: we must not leave a desert to our children.

Scientists have warned us that there might be only one decade left to restore the planet.

We plead with the international community, gathered at COP26, to take speedy, responsible and shared action to safeguard, restore and heal our wounded humanity and the home entrusted to our stewardship.

We appeal to everyone on this planet to join us on this common journey, knowing well that what we can achieve depends not only on opportunities and resources, but also on hope, courage, solidarity and good will.

In an age fraught with division and despair, we look with hope and unity to the future. We seek to serve the people of the world, particularly the poor and the future generations, by encouraging a prophetic vision, a creative, respectful and courageous action for the sake of the Earth, our common home.

Source: UK Government

COP26 President Alok Sharma’s response;

Playing our part to turn the tide on climate change

COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma’s remarks at the Vatican following the powerful call to action from faith leaders ahead of the climate change summit in Glasgow.

From: Cabinet Office and The Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP
Published 4 October 2021

Your Holiness, Esteemed Faith Leaders, Scientists and Minister.

It is an honour to receive this Appeal.

And I look forward to hearing today from so many inspiring faith leaders from across the world.

Daniele [Guadagnolo] and Federica [Gasbarro] have spoken with great passion, and their energy and sense of urgency echoes so clearly the sentiment I heard throughout the Youth4Climate event in Milan last week.

The climate crisis we face is grave. And entirely of our own making.

A crisis built by human hands.

And it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the challenge.

By the injustice of the situation, where the poorest are suffering the most, having contributed the least to climate change.

But today shows us how we can, and will, turn the tide.

Doing so requires us all to play our part.

Every country and every part of society, mounting a global effort led by those most human qualities, reason and morality. The head and the heart.

Through science we understand the damage we are inflicting on our planet, and its people.

Through morality we comprehend our responsibility to restore the planet and nature.

The Hindu tradition, into which I was born, teaches that nature is divine, and that we must promote the welfare of all living beings.

Religions around the world contain similar teachings.

So we need our youth to continue to call for change, with the passion we have heard today.

We need scientists, with their academic authority, to amplify further their voices in the public debate, and faith leaders to use their moral leadership to make the case for action.

This Appeal does just that, with immense clarity and power.

Forty faith leaders have come together, and working with scientists, have created a powerful call to action for the world.

I thank you for the months of hard work that have gone into this Appeal.

For the commitments you have made to take action.

And for the strength of your message to governments at COP26.

Our priorities are shared.

I too am committed to keeping the 1.5 degree limit alive, to following the science, driving action in vital areas like power and deforestation, and to delivering for developing nations, including vitally on finance, as justice requires.

This Appeal is a powerful call in support of these efforts.

And I commit to working with you all to spread its message to Ministers, world leaders, and all at COP26, in Glasgow where the world will decide the future of our planet and its people.

And I request you to do the same.

Please spread the message of this Appeal far and wide.

As individuals and collectively, you have a very powerful set of voices.

I am very well aware of the scale and the gravity of the task ahead in Glasgow.

But the strength of purpose I have witnessed here today gives me great hope for our collective future.

So I thank all of you for your work, His Holiness and his team for hosting this gathering, and the Hon. Luigi Di Maio and Italy, our partners for COP – and partners in this initiative, thank you.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/playing-our-part-to-turn-the-tide-on-climate-change

In my opinion the people behind this dialog won’t be happy until they have rolled back civilisation to the medieval age, when church and state utterly dominated the lives of peasants, and individual liberty for commoners was not even a concept.

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Wealthier countries must lead in reducing emissions and adopt sustainable land use practices.

Companies must deliver on both traditional growth metrics and sustainable practices to achieve long-term success.

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Content: Four Digital Marketing Trends Startups Should Take Note Of In 2022

With every year bringing with it a new set of challenges, here are some redefined business metrics that you should be working toward in 2022.

By
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

For businesses, every year brings with it a new set of challenges, different from the previous. As the founder and CEO of Boopin, one of the fastest-growing local and global digital media agencies in the UAE, here are my thoughts on the redefined business metrics that you should be working toward in 2022:

1. The double bottom line Established brands and startups alike will be increasingly required to deliver not only on traditional growth metrics, but also on a clearly identified framework for sustainable practices- herein lies the “double bottom line.”

Tons of research has indicated that even with immediate action, environmental shifts could take centuries to remedy, therefore it is important for companies to value profit as well as the planet. The double bottom line is thus an approach giving equal weight to profits and ecological impact deriving from a company’s activity. Investors are increasingly sold on this idea, as they perceive firms with strong environmental, social and governance credentials being well-positioned for the long term.

The environmental “bottom line” covers a company’s entire operations and product lifecycle. For example, it may include the materials required to make products, the energy the company consumes when using digital services, emissions generated by ad campaigns, or reusing items that are no longer needed. Consumers expect brands to step up on environmental issues, and recent polls conducted by the World Advertising Research Center (WARC) suggest that over a third of employees claim there is a gap between what their company says it does on sustainability, and what it is actually doing. It is therefore imperative for your company communications related to sustainability are not overstating what you are doing.

There is not a quick fix. It is something that demands constant attention and commitment from an organization. Models based on achieving financial growth alone will not be able to survive the scrutiny of shareholders, consumers, or communities in the long term.

2. Closing the effectiveness gap For startups and brands driving marketing activities, it is important to understand the changes taking place in the industry. Brands will find it harder to access and analyze user-level data as a result of increased privacy regulations, the deprecation of third-party cookies by Google, and the decision made by Apple to require users to opt-in to ad tracking by mobile apps.

For companies with direct customer relationships, the solution to the impending restrictions will be to prioritize the collection of first-party data. Not all brands however will find it possible to build large pools of this, and it will be extremely challenging to build customer profiles amid growing data fragmentation in a post-cookie world. Use this as an opportunity to explore insights garnered from probabilistic data and analysis and holistic measurement solutions- i.e. avoid “last-click” attribution models.

Related: Reimagining Life In The Metaverse: Building Value-Driven Ecosystems In Hyper-Realistic Worlds

Measurement is key to the success of your marketing, digital or not. In future, it may require a suite of tools rather than a single tool that can “do it all.” Most companies and marketers strive for immediate results; however, with measurement becoming more challenging in future, it is important to ensure you have the correct infrastructure in place in order to establish long-term effectiveness.

As the industry strives to cement a full-proof solution to measurement challenges in future, brands can benefit from artificial intelligence-powered market mix modelling solutions and techniques. The right measurement solution will depend highly on your brand strategy, level of activity, and marketing budget.

3. The post-lockdown consumer We all witnessed the accelerated shift towards digital platforms and services being provided by brands over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. As things return to normal, the changes exhibited by consumer behavior will remain.

E-commerce adoption grew exponentially over the last two years, and it is having a profound impact on marketing strategies. Some brands saw significant growth across older customer segments, which means it is imperative that user experience should be given a lot of thought when developing assets.

The second part to this is making sure your brand is there whenever people need it. A lot of purchases are often made on impulse. Ensuring your brand is front of mind as soon as a consumer enters the market is key to market gain, and having solid awareness practices in place is the best way to do this. Again, think long-term impact over immediate results. Focus on creating a customer experience that offers flexible and consistent support for a wide range of digital skill sets and mindsets.

4. Connecting with consumers Content creators have gained sizeable fan followings across a variety of platforms, and it is driven by passionate individuals who share their interests with an engaged community. Social commerce will imminently become mainstream, and brands must be willing to collaborate with and give creative freedom to creators. It’s important to understand the nuance between influencers and creators to take advantage of the growing creator economy. Research conducted by TikTok showed that 88% of users discover new content while on the app, and 50% discover new products and brands in the process, with 91% of these taking some sort of action after seeing the content.

Social commerce adoption (as well as e-com) has also been accelerated by the pandemic. Social platforms are now becoming shopping destinations- see the introduction of Shops on Instagram, for instance. Technology has made shoppable media a seamless experience, transforming these platforms into online malls. Live-stream commerce will be the next big thing in this space. We’ve already seen huge adoption by tech players in China which has proven to be successful- naturally, other platforms will work towards facilitating such experiences as it opens up additional revenue streams.

Related: Here's How The UAE's New 9% Corporate Tax Could Impact The Country's Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

The double bottom line approach balances profits with ecological impact.

Sustainable brands grow faster, but require massive investment across supply chains.

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COMPANIES
Is profitability a common factor that combines branding and sustainability?
Luke Spicer
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The concept of sustainability focuses on three main pillars that cover the social, environmental and economic aspects of our lives, or we can say that these pillars are people, planet and profits if we want to give an accurate description outside of formal labels.
In their ongoing quest for a sustainable future, companies often overlook the importance of the third pillar of profits.
In order to comply with growing pressure from consumers, regulators, governments and investors, many companies around the world are making commitments and launching new programs and initiatives to reduce their environmental impact.
These steps pave the way for real change, thus laying the foundations for a more sustainable world.
But the current landscape falls short of expectations in the absence of innovation and excellence, with huge numbers of green initiatives replicated and similar in form and content, with a few exceptions including a very limited number of commitments or initiatives launched by a range of brands.
Most FMCG brands seek to reduce material use levels by 25%, most banks are committed to responsible investment, and all industry sectors are committed to achieving zero emissions targets by 2050.
While meeting compliance standards in this way helps brands demonstrate their consistency with sustainability, they also fail to make the required change.
Without change, sustainability is just a huge cost in this case.
Achieving sustainability requires massive investment across supply chains, R & D, technology, innovation, communication, training, and more – all while making little or no profit.
But one way to change this equation is to shift sustainability from a necessary cost to a return on investment activity by using a brand.
The brand helps companies identify ways to differentiate through sustainability while ensuring consistency, thereby enhancing return on investment, rather than focusing solely on compliance and incurring costs as is the case with any other entity.
They are the true commercial value of sustainability.
What Brand-Driven Sustainability Looks Like
Research shows that sustainable brands are growing faster than those considered to have a lower positive impact.
But brands have to play a positive role in their different and unique ways in order to take advantage of an estimated $12 billion opportunity.
Few companies are beginning to realize this.
Founded following a funding campaign on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter in 2017, ACBC is an Italian footwear brand that promises to change the face of the industry – and is committed to achieving this goal across all its activities.
While using apples, grapes and pineapples instead of leather makes their shoes unique, the brand goes beyond making shoes from fruit by conducting regular audits of manufacturers to maintain confidence in their supply chain.
Furthermore, ACBC collects shoes that consumers no longer want to wear (whether they are from ACBC or any other brand) for use in building playgrounds.
Although startups are focused on achieving sustainable growth, they still need to innovate in order to develop and maintain their unique vision of sustainability.
TO is an investment fund created to support companies that adopt what is known as the triple bottom line and work to spread the values of good treatment and responsibility.
The Fund ’ s tangible presence is limited to the companies it invests in, and it employs this to generate additional benefits by collecting unused materials from its clients – previous season ’ s brochures, remaining posters and business cards – to form its own brand impressions.
By recycling materials, the Fund is simultaneously highlighting its own ambitions and all of its responsible brand partners.
In each of these examples, sustainability embodies a central pillar at the heart of both the company and the brand in a purposeful, private and distinctive way.
Enhance brand value through brand driven sustainability
Whether your brand has already launched a range of sustainability initiatives or is just beginning to do so, it ’ s important that you take a rigorous approach to identifying your own unique point of difference.
Furthermore, assessing and prioritizing your activities in order to maximize returns on sustainable investments is a critical aspect.
We believe that there are five basic steps to do this:
1.
Assess the current status of your brand
Brand value is based on four key pillars: differentiation, consistency, respect and knowledge.
Evaluating your brand across these four areas will help you determine what you need to do to enhance and improve its value.
It ’ s also a good idea to measure how your brand relates to sustainability.
Is it a leading brand in this field or is it lagging behind?
2.
Taking into account the business category
Sustainability has varying importance and impact in different sectors, including their budgets.
By looking at the UN ’ s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, you can identify the most impactful areas of sustainability within your business category, as well as the areas that your brand can only achieve.
Brands should have a positive impact that goes beyond the environment and includes other areas such as accessibility as well.
3.
Measuring the impact of activities
Of course, not all sustainability initiatives are equal or equal in impact.
Some will have clearer distinctions and will yield greater financial returns than others.
The potential can be assessed using future market modelling, which reveals the most impactful initiatives now and in the future.
This allows companies to focus on the most profitable activities and find the business case for change.
4.
Improving the mix of activities
Calculating the right mix of sustainable initiatives to reach the right audience in the most effective way is also crucial.
One activity may reach a wide audience, but the most effective action may be to continue or launch a different initiative or program or assign a contact phone number that will enhance credibility and expand the business into new regions and areas.
Instead, the creation of a new sustainability platform could align with a number of initiatives that pursue the same goal.
Companies need to be able to identify the most appropriate area for investment.
5.
Enhanced employee engagement
In addition to external perceptions, exploring how software can be used to effect positive behavior change within a company is a very good idea.
This can lead to improved levels of engagement, behavioural change and increased productivity in order to lay the foundations for a stronger, more united work culture and, of course, improved minimum responsibility.
Unleashing the New Sustainability Strategy
Evaluating and finding a brand ’ s focus on sustainability requires an in-depth analytical approach.
However, in order for a brand to stand out from its peers and competitors, it requires more than just analysis; it requires exceptional levels of creativity as well.
True brand transformation is accomplished only by employing the right mix of analytical rigor and creative excellence.
Innovation for companies, people and planet
Sustainability is arguably the greatest innovation challenge facing humanity, but it also represents a greater opportunity for all companies to make positive contributions and perform well at the same time.
Sustainability is no longer just a “welcome addition ”.
But while investing in sustainability is becoming increasingly important and necessary to maintain consistency, the risk is that it fails to make the difference.
Without this difference, the return on investment is often limited or even non-existent.
By embracing a vision based on innovation and combining precision and creativity, sustainability can become a competitive advantage.
Building a sustainable brand can be good for people, the planet, and even for businesses themselves.
Disclaimer: All published articles represent the opinion of their authors only.
Most Read Common Topics

Brands can turn sustainability into a return on investment by differentiating through it.

Tobacco companies can promote human rights and sustainability by adopting environmentally friendly practices.

Title:

Content: Africa: Tobacco - Are Sustainability and Profit Compatible?

12 May 2022

The Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum (GTNF) organized a virtual In Focus meeting on the topic of sustainability on the 5th of May.

The aim of the half-day forum was to cover all key topics within the tobacco and nicotine industries that impact transformation and sustainability of the tobacco industry, while facing environmental problems such as global warming, deforestation and waste disposal which have become urgent challenges.

One of most impactful stakeholders are tobacco companies. The first panel discussion titled "Leadership in a sustainable world" dealt with how these companies can better respond to the challenges while remaining profitable.

One of the largest and most powerful companies in the tobacco industry, Philip Morris International (PMI), was part of the discussion.

Sarah Bostwick Stromoski is head of sustainability stakeholder engagement Philip Morris International:

"Sustainability and leadership for PMI is about responding to and fulfilling the expectations of the world around us. This means evolving and changing. Sustainability and tobacco companies are not intuitively paired by most people.  As many of you may know, that is one way that PMI are transforming our entire business to end smoking. We aim to phase out cigarettes for a smoke free future and build new businesses in wellness and healthcare to have a positive impact on society."

The company is, indeed, going through a major transformation in its business:

"We have publicly set a goal: by 2025 we aim to generate one billion in revenue from new businesses in wellness and healthcare that seek to have a positive impact on society. The main tool we use to inform our priorities in light of societal expectations is our materiality assessment.  We have just refreshed it and published the result in February. It helps us determine what our priorities should be."

Stromoski added:

"This is nothing new. A lot of companies do sustainability materiality assessment. What makes this one interesting and I hope worth your time and consideration is that it takes into account the principles of double materiality.  This concept acknowledges that businesses should assess both the risk and opportunities, linked to environmental, social and governance topics (ESG), and influence enterprise value creation. It is important to understand the impact that ESG can have on society and the planet around it. Those are inward and outward impacts and that is the concept of double materiality."

Ronald Ngwira from PYXUS Agriculture Limited in Malawi was part of the discussion too. He has had over 24 years of experience in the agribusiness landscape in Malawi. Malawi is one of the smallest countries in the world and at the same time, one of Africa's largest tobacco leaf producers (In2018, 95,356 tons of tobacco were harvested in Malawi). Its tobacco dependency has had a huge impact, economically, socially, and environmentally, while the country faces urgent challenges such as floods, droughts and deforestation risks.

As the ability to grow tobacco into the future is critical to the country he noted that the climate changes and social expectations have become more complex. A couple of tangible positive results have been noted by PYXUS to reverse the trend, notably responsible water management and a supply of sustainably produced wood.

Karen Hall is Director of Sustainability at Universal Leaf Tobacco Company in the United States. She shared her perspective on this topic affirming that a virtuous circle is possible:

"In our global supply chain we provide farmers with a variety of programs to sustainably raise tobacco. This means growing tobacco while being mindful of basic human rights and the environment, and doing so in such a way that farmers profit's are preserved."

A growing number of companies are becoming aware that business development and risk management are an integral part of sustainability. Some of them such as PMI have even initiated a transformation to make sustainability profitable. The challenge remains to create sustainable positive global impact for individuals and the collective.

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Kerry-owned brands aim for zero waste and 100% renewable electricity, having reduced sugar and water usage.

Title:

Content: Island Oasis, Oregon Chai, DaVinci Gourmet and Big Train Accelerate Shared Sustainability Goals

Beloit, Wisc. — Island Oasis, Oregon Chai, DaVinci Gourmet and Big Train announced their shared dedication to creating a world of sustainable nutrition by committing to a number of new goals. These actions include significant reductions in sugar and water usage, responsible sourcing of ingredients and engaging in local and national partnerships that support communities.

In addition, the Kerry-owned brands made pledges relating to extensive CO2 reductions, zero waste to landfill, 100% renewable electricity and developing clean and functional products. The individual sustainability commitment statements and targets for Island Oasis, Oregon Chai, DaVinci Gourmet and Big Train can be viewed online. The commitments align with climate goals recently laid out by the brands’ parent company, Kerry, and with those of the Paris Agreement.

Commenting on the announcement, Christina O’Keefe, Director of Sustainability, Kerry North America, said: “Earlier this year, Kerry’s proprietary research found that 58% of consumers in North America say they are strongly influenced by sustainability when making a food or beverage purchase at a restaurant. It’s not just important to consumers, but it’s incumbent on us to contribute in every meaningful way in creating a world of sustainable nutrition, be it through sourcing nutritious ingredients, optimizing production, improving packaging, or other means. In addition, as a company we are committed to supporting farmers and producers, as well as the local communities in which they live.”

“Our customers who serve Island Oasis, Oregon Chai, DaVinci Gourmet and Big Train can rest assured that we are working hard to continuously reduce these brands’ environmental impact by developing sustainable offerings that contribute meaningfully to the fight against climate change.”

Better for people, better for planet, better for society

A core brand mission for each of these beverage product families is that customers should feel good about the beverages they serve and Kerry is proud to embed sustainable nutrition in product design. That’s something everyone can celebrate and support. Kerry Foodservice has also developed a “15 Easy Ways to Make Your Business Sustainable” tips sheet to assist companies in accelerating their own sustainability efforts.

For More Information:
https://kerryfoodservice.com/pages/sustainability-commitment

Industrial activity contributes to climate change, which can be mitigated by reducing deforestation.

Title:

Content: Chairman of Wafd Party
Dr. Abdul Sindh Yamama
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dr. Ayman is an accountant.
Editor-in-Chief
Sammy is patient.
Chairman of Wafd Party
Dr. Abdul Sindh Yamama
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dr. Ayman is an accountant.
Editor-in-Chief
Sammy is patient.
Climate change and its impact on humanity (see below)
Climate change and global warming are some of the most pressing environmental problems facing humanity at the moment, related to the increase of temperatures in the earth due to carbon emissions and other factors associated with human activity, and this phenomenon began to appear in the twentieth century, and since then has increased dramatically.
Climate change refers to long-term changes in weather, temperature, wind, rainfall pattern, sea level, and other factors associated with atmospheric and environmental composition, as global warming causes increased temperatures in the land, which in turn leads to multiple natural phenomena such as floods, droughts, changes in rainfall pattern, sea level rise and oceans.
Carbon and gas emissions are some of the most important factors associated with climate change
Carbon and gas emissions are among the most associated factors of climate change and global warming, as they lead to an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to increased temperatures in the earth.
Industrial human activity produces these emissions, and they include activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, industry, agriculture, transport, and others.
Governments, international bodies and NGOs are making significant efforts to reduce climate change and global warming, including investing in clean and renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, protecting threatened vital and environmental areas, promoting environmental awareness and encouraging people to take environmentally friendly action.
Addressing the challenges related to climate change and global warming requires international cooperation and joint efforts by all nations and individuals, and while the challenges remain significant, there is hope that the world can reduce climate change and global warming and preserve our environment for future generations.
Important actions that can be taken to curb climate change and global warming include the use of clean and renewable energy, such as solar, wind and hydro, the complete elimination of fossil fuels, improved management of natural resources, agriculture and industry, the development of sustainable agricultural practices and the reduction of deforestation and desertification.
Promote environmental awareness and encourage individuals to take environmentally friendly actions
The report stresses the need to promote environmental awareness and encourage people to take environmentally friendly actions, such as the proper disposal of waste and the rational use of water and energy, so all countries and individuals must assume their responsibilities in addressing the challenges related to climate change and global warming, and work together to find sustainable and effective solutions.

Sustainable agriculture and proper waste disposal help reduce environmental impact and mitigate climate change.

What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

Millennials drive sustainable investment growth, with two-thirds considering ESG issues in their decisions.

Title:

Content: How to Incorporate ESG Goals Into Your Business Strategy

Although it is important to recognize the potential of ESG initiatives, we need leaders who can deploy the resources in rapid test/learn cycles in the short term in pursuit of an ROI that will materialize in the future.

As we move through the 21st century, it is clear that companies must address changes in consumer expectations around social responsibility. In addition to institutional and activist investor pressure, almost two-thirds of Millennials consider ESG issues when making investment decisions, according to Allianz Life, while 54% of Gen Xers and 42% of Baby Boomers do the same.

Taking innovative measures that lead to lower costs opens up several ESG opportunities across sectors. These positions are set to make profound transformations that some of the largest companies in the U.S. are already reaching for.

Recently, Uber committed to transitioning hundreds of thousands of drivers to electric vehicles through the company’s Green Future program by 2025. By 2030, it aims to become a zero-emission mobility platform in the U.S., Europe, and Canada. By 2040, Uber plans to expand this commitment globally by having all rides in zero-emission vehicles or through micromobility and public transportation.

JetBlue is another company that has made a strong ESG commitment to appeal to consumers. Sustainable aviation fuel is its focus for decarbonization, and the company plans to achieve a target of net-zero emissions by 2040.

Although it is important to recognize the potential of ESG initiatives, we need leaders who can deploy the resources in rapid test/learn cycles in the short term in pursuit of an ROI that will materialize in the future. Senior leaders usually exercise these actions, so it’s important that we transform the roles within our companies to reflect our goals with ESG moving forward.

How to Assess Your Company to Improve Its ESG Commitments

Though there are several things you can do to improve your company and strengthen its commitment to social responsibility, consider these three strategies:

1. Start with sustainable development goals.

In 2015, the U.N. General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, outlining 17 Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, that focus on inclusive improvement in global quality of life. These include, but are not limited to, eliminating poverty and hunger; reducing inequality; creating sustainable cities and communities; implementing clean energy; cultivating economic growth; and providing widespread quality education.

These SDGs can be used as a common framework and language for contextualizing the environmental and social impact of your business activities. Although the framework is not perfect, it is flexible enough to help your company organize, classify, and communicate the impact of your actions for others, including consumers.

2. Create an ESG scorecard that tracks operational and product buckets.

The idea behind having two distinct buckets — operational and product — is to help leaders and employees better understand the sustainability characteristics of products and services. The operational score helps you and your team understand the overall sustainable characteristics of operations (e.g., emissions, water usage, human capital, etc.). The product score focuses on what products and services the company offers, and what environmental or societal impact those have throughout their lifecycles. This provides clarity around the drivers of the company’s ESG initiatives and creates excellent line of sight between specific firm actions and all-up ESG goals.

The Latin American company Amanco, for instance, established a balanced scorecard to achieve a strong financial return while remaining deeply committed to improving the environment. It created a scorecard that placed economic, environmental, and social objectives at the highest level. It then used the scorecard to develop a strategy map to gauge its social and economic impacts and sustain a balanced strategy while entering the Brazilian market.

3. Crowdsource opportunities where impact meets ROI.

It is important to view ESG strategies as sources of meaningful competitive advantages. They shouldn’t compete with growth and profitability objectives. In 2019, McKinsey & Company found that global sustainable investments had grown more than 68% since 2014 and tenfold since 2004, topping $30 trillion globally. This momentum has been driven by more focused social, consumer, and governmental attention on corporations’ wider impacts. It has also helped investors and executives realize that robust ESG strategies can help protect long-term organizational success.

Preparing for the ESG Debate

The impact of any business activity is not always black and white. Some company activities have both sustainable and unsustainable characteristics. Industrial automation can have a dual effect on companies’ available resources. On the one hand, automation can increase resource efficiency and reduce on-the-job injuries. On the other hand, research has found that for every robot added per 1,000 workers in the U.S., there was a 0.42% wage decline. However, the employment-to-population ratio decreased by 0.2%, equivalent to the loss of 400,000 jobs.

There are often several orders of impact associated with a given business activity. For leaders to effectively engage in this space, they must create a culture finely tuned to embrace confusion, complexity and heated debate.

Given that younger consumers between 17 and 38 years old are twice as likely to consider ESG issues when making decisions regarding purchases than consumers over the age of 38, now is the perfect time to implement social responsibility into your business strategy. The future—and the future success of your company—will surely depend on it.

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Robust ESG strategies and industrial automation promote long-term success and efficiency.

Avocado production, driven by global demand, causes environmental concerns like deforestation and water depletion, using 1,000 liters of water per kilogram.

What negative impact has the increased global demand for avocados had on the environment?

Avocado cultivation has led to soil erosion, land grabbing, and community displacement, underscoring the need for sustainable farming.

What negative impact has the increased global demand for avocados had on the social structure and the economy of the countries that produce them?

land grabbing
displacement of local communities

What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

Climate change is expected to reduce global avocado production by 14-41% by 2050.

Mexico, the world's largest avocado producer, may see a 31% decline in cultivated areas by 2050 due to climate change.

Title:

Content: Lifestyle
Study: Climate change threatens avocados
• 1 / 2
• 2 / 2
Thank you for reading about the study: Climate change threatens avocados and now we start with the details
Activists have called for more support for avocado farmers, with a study released by the international charity Christian Aid (Christian Aid) revealing that climate change is having a “terrible impact ” on fruit.
The highly useful and popular fruit, which is high in fiber and healthy fats, requires a lot of water to grow, making it particularly vulnerable in a hotter, drier world.
A study by FAO showed that the best farming regions in countries such as Burundi, Chile, Peru, Spain, South Africa and Mexico are experiencing declines in productivity due to more volatile conditions.
The study, published yesterday, showed that these regions are expected to decline by between 14% and 41% by 2050, depending on how quickly emissions are reduced in the world.
Mexico, the world ’ s largest producer of avocado, could see a 31% decline in cultivated areas by 2050.
Christian Aid called on governments to commit to urgently reducing emissions, accelerating the energy transition and committing to more climate aid for developing countries.
The charity also called for more financial support to vulnerable farming communities that rely on avocado cultivation for a living, so they can invest in mitigation measures.
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What are the countries and regions that produce and export avocados?

Governments and others can promote sustainable avocado production and reduce its environmental and social impacts.

What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

Governments can promote sustainable development and address environmental challenges by prioritizing efficient wastewater infrastructure and declaring emergencies.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) organizes events to raise environmental awareness and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Civil society organizations can address environmental challenges and promote sustainable development.

Companies like GLC Cerritos LLC are hiring sustainability directors and seeking Fair Trade certification for their avocados.

What are the positive effects of the global demand for avocados on the countries and regions that produce and export them?

What strategies can make global avocado trade more ethical?

Vulnerable avocado farming communities need financial support to adapt to climate change, which governments can provide through aid to developing countries.

Title:

Content: Lifestyle
Study: Climate change threatens avocados
• 1 / 2
• 2 / 2
Thank you for reading about the study: Climate change threatens avocados and now we start with the details
Activists have called for more support for avocado farmers, with a study released by the international charity Christian Aid (Christian Aid) revealing that climate change is having a “terrible impact ” on fruit.
The highly useful and popular fruit, which is high in fiber and healthy fats, requires a lot of water to grow, making it particularly vulnerable in a hotter, drier world.
A study by FAO showed that the best farming regions in countries such as Burundi, Chile, Peru, Spain, South Africa and Mexico are experiencing declines in productivity due to more volatile conditions.
The study, published yesterday, showed that these regions are expected to decline by between 14% and 41% by 2050, depending on how quickly emissions are reduced in the world.
Mexico, the world ’ s largest producer of avocado, could see a 31% decline in cultivated areas by 2050.
Christian Aid called on governments to commit to urgently reducing emissions, accelerating the energy transition and committing to more climate aid for developing countries.
The charity also called for more financial support to vulnerable farming communities that rely on avocado cultivation for a living, so they can invest in mitigation measures.
Stay up to date with our latest local, sports, political and economic news via:
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pin Interest Whats App
Advertisements

International agreements and government action can reduce emissions and address local community impacts.

Faith leaders and educational institutions can promote sustainable development and address climate change through education and cultural transformation.

A collaborative effort from governments, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector is necessary to promote sustainable avocado production.

A collaborative effort from governments, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector is necessary to promote sustainable avocado production.