#beyond like. the supply chain of agricultural production for animal and plant fibers in the first place
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marginal-notes · 6 months ago
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I’m still fucking thinking about this because irl humans have already done crazy crimes against nature in order to engineer harbors and iron out rivers and slap down new land in a giant body of water to stack more buildings on.
Can you manipulate the bedrock under your city for stronger foundations? Are there principles people innately understand better in ATLA due to bending that helps them consider how to address natural phenomena like earthquakes and typhoons? Once again, how do you, as a city, prevent your residents from DIYing disastrous underground bunkers under their homes? Really punitive laws and real estate ownership shenanigans of state vs private ownership of the land vs the property built on the land?
I am not a lawyer or a civil engineer???
…. Where does everyone’s steel come from. We know mines exist, but what exactly were they mining in that town again?
I don’t know, I need to sleep, my head is empty of all thoughts except remembering the scale of Tokyo’s flood management system, good lord.
………
ACTUALLY NO, YOU KNOW WHAT. YOU KNOW WHAT HIJINKS WE CAN HAVE HERE?
Do you know how ENRAGED the Fire Nation would be if the Earth Kingdom had some crackhead go out and rope enough people to create a bunch of man made islands in the sea between the continent and the Fire Nation’s archipelago. We probably don’t Kyoshi levels of BDE, we just need a dedicated enough crew with an egotistical enough financial backer to create some kind of artificial “structure” in the sea that the military totally loves because ocean territory as an extension beyond the coastline, baby.
This hunk of rock is gonna be barely big enough for a military base, but by the spirits are we going to turn this military base into the humongous artillery, fuck you turtle porcupine military base of the century.
We can totally have these two nations squabbling and trying to shank each other over the nerve of this fake rock for existing. Attempted supply blockades, naval peacock strutting, aggressive flybys testing air supremacy galore. Have fun.
Is this an allegory for Taiwan and Cyprus and islands all over the world. Yes, absolutely, which is why I probably will never actually attempt going into this idea in detail in fic because I do not want to handle real world modern geopolitical in my silly martial arts magic fic more than in the vaguest generalized “war sucks” terms.
Sometimes you’re in the mood for an entire 5k fic about the impact of bending on urban design and land reclamation for cities built along the ocean shore.
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pearlsmith25 · 1 year ago
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Animal and Plant Fibers Market Revolution: Earth-Friendly Fiber Solutions
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The global Animal and Plant Fibers Market is experiencing significant growth, driven by the increasing demand for sustainable and eco-friendly materials in various industries such as textiles, fashion, automotive, and construction. These natural fibers, derived from both animals and plants, offer a range of benefits, including biodegradability, renewability, and low environmental impact. In this article, we will explore the dynamics, trends, and future prospects of the Animal and Plant Fibers Market.
Types of Animal and Plant Fibers Market
Animal Fibers:
Wool: Wool is one of the most renowned animal fibers, sourced primarily from sheep but also from goats, alpacas, and rabbits. Its insulating properties, moisture-wicking capabilities, and soft texture make it highly desirable in the textile industry.
Silk: Silk, produced by silkworms, is known for its luxurious feel and sheen. It is a sought-after material in the fashion industry, used for making clothing, accessories, and home furnishings.
Plant Fibers:
Cotton: Cotton, obtained from the cotton plant's fluffy bolls, is a versatile plant fiber used extensively in textiles. Its breathability, absorbency, and comfort make it a staple in the fashion and home textile sectors. Hemp: Hemp fibers are gaining popularity due to their strength and eco-friendliness. Hemp is used for making clothing, ropes, paper, and even construction materials. Flax: Flax fibers are used to produce linen, known for its durability and moisture-wicking properties. Linen is a favorite choice for summer clothing and home textiles.
Market Trends and Drivers
Sustainability: Increasing awareness of environmental issues and a desire for sustainable products have fueled the demand for animal and plant fibers. Consumers are gravitating towards products that have a lower carbon footprint and are biodegradable.
Fashion Industry Adoption: The fashion industry is actively incorporating natural fibers into their collections. Designers are exploring the versatility of these fibers to create unique, eco-conscious fashion lines.
Automotive and Construction: Natural fibers are finding applications beyond textiles. They are being used in the automotive industry for interior components and in construction for reinforcing materials like composites and insulation.
Regulatory Support: Governments and regulatory bodies are encouraging the use of sustainable materials. This support, in the form of incentives and regulations, is driving manufacturers to adopt animal and plant fibers.
Challenges
While the Animal and Plant Fibers Market is on the rise, it faces certain challenges:
Supply Chain Issues: The supply of natural fibers can be subject to fluctuations due to climate conditions and agricultural challenges, leading to potential supply shortages.
Cost of Production: Some natural fibers may be costlier to produce compared to synthetic alternatives, impacting the final product's price.
Consumer Awareness: Raising awareness about the benefits of natural fibers is crucial for market growth. Many consumers are still unaware of the advantages of these materials.
Future Prospects
The future of the Animal and Plant Fibers Market demand looks promising. As sustainability becomes a focal point across industries, the demand for these fibers is likely to soar. Innovations in production processes and the development of high-performance natural fiber products will further boost the market.
Conclusion
The Animal and Plant Fibers Market is witnessing steady growth due to increasing demand for sustainable materials. The versatility of animal and plant fibers, coupled with their eco-friendly attributes, positions them as essential components in various industries. As awareness continues to grow and technology advancements make these fibers more accessible, the market is expected to expand further, contributing to a greener and more sustainable future.
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dippedanddripped · 5 years ago
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At the moment, all everybody seems to be talking about is “sustainability” and how our actions are killing the planet for future generations. And while the facts behind this are beyond alarming and require immediate action, they don’t have to equal in despair, especially if  we’re all equipped with the right knowledge.
In terms of the fashion industry, that knowledge starts on the labels of the products we buy and on the websites of the brands we buy from.
In order to make informed decisions as consumers we must better understand the many terms housed under the word “sustainability,” which are often banded around without an explanation of what they actually mean.
Apps like Good On You are an amazing place to start when trying to better understand our favorite brands and the impact they have on the world. As for understanding the terminology? That’s where we come in. Below you’ll find the ultimate guide to all those confusing sustainability buzzwords, laid out in a graspable manner that hopefully won’t make your head spin.
Biodegradable
Biodegradable means that a product can break down naturally without any negative effects on the environment, such as releasing harmful chemicals. In the fashion industry, biodegradable often refers to non-synthetic fabrics such as organic cotton (description below), silk, and hemp — those without dyes and finishing chemicals.
Carbon-Neutral
Carbon, as The Guardian explains, is shorthand for all the various greenhouse gases — carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide — that absorb and emit radiant energy that increase the temperature of the earth’s surface and therefore contribute to climate change. A company striving for carbon neutrality means they are aiming to eliminate all carbon emissions from their supply chain.
Gucci is currently aiming to do this and while it acknowledges that going completely carbon-neutral is impossible given its business model, it has promised to offset its emissions with donations to wider REDD+ (a program that supports countries’ efforts to reduce emissions and tackle deforestation) efforts.
Circular Fashion
Circular fashion refers to the entire lifecycle of a product and centers on a circle of create, use, recycle, rather than create, use, dispose. It looks at products beyond their original function and timespan and focuses on how their materials can be consistently utilized and repurposed. Circular fashion takes in to consideration everything including the design, sourcing, transportation, storage, marketing, sale and disposal of the product.
Cost-Per-Wear
Cost-per-wear considers the value of a piece in relation to how many times it’s worn. For example, you buy a pair of $200 sneakers and wear them twice, that’s $100 per wear. You wear them 100 times, its $2 per wear, and so on.
In a nutshell, the price you pay for an item should be reflective of its value to you. Think of items less as objects but more in terms of use. It’s much better to spend more on a pair of jeans you can practically live in for the next few decades than a cheap $30 pair that fall apart in under a year.
Closed Loop
A closed loop cycle is a common term and its very similar to circular fashion but can be applied to products outside the industry, too. In fashion it means that all new clothes are made from preexisting clothes and textiles, The Guardian explains. Once an item has fulfilled its use, it can be broken down through an environmentally sound process and turned back into yarn/fabric and then recycled into another garment. This forms a “closed loop” in that an item would have an eternal life cycle and therefore eliminate waste.
Cruelty-Free
Cruelty-free means that companies did not test ingredients or products on animals during the production phase. Cruelty-free, therefore, also means that no animals were killed or harmed anywhere in the world during production. Items that meet this standard normally carry a heart symbol.
In terms of materials, there are certain standards you should look for to ensure the product you’re purchasing doesn’t hurt the animal it comes from. For example, while wool (if free of synthetic blends) is technically biodegradable, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the sheep it comes from was treated well. PETA has documented horrific cases of sheep mistreatment in Australia. The country produces much of the world’s merino wool but also uses a grim procedure called “mulesing” in which flesh is cut from a sheep’s buttock’s to prevent flystrike (flies laying eggs on the animal that grow into maggots and eat flesh) but does so without anesthetic.
Then of course you have leather, down, fur, and a bunch of other fabrics to wade through. Your best bet in terms of finding out how a specific brand handles animal-cruelty is checking Good on You as the app rates brands based on their treatment of animals.
Cruelty-free does not mean, however, that animal ingredients are avoided. The verdict is still out on whether using animals for human-intended products and purposes can be considered entirely cruelty-free. For products that don’t use animals at all, you want to be shopping vegan (definition below).
Eco-friendly Fashion
Eco-friendly, like sustainability, is an all encompassing term that takes many factors into account. “Eco” is short for ecology, the study of interaction between organisms and the environment. Therefore, eco-friendly is about minimizing anything that would negatively affect that balance. Things to consider include what material a product is made from, such as organic cotton or hemp, whether its dyed with organic dye (using vegetables, for example) or chemicals, and how much water is used to grow the fabric.
Ethical Fashion
Like sustainability and eco-friendly, ethical fashion is an umbrella term that includes fashion design, production, retail, and purchasing. The exact definition is vague but overall ethical fashion is understood to indicate an active approach to creating goods that positively impact the environment and the lives of those making them, reducing poverty through non-exploitative (fair pay, good conditions) employment.
In reality, it’s virtually impossible for a brand creating new products from new materials to ever be completely ethical as it just does not positively impact the environment. It is, however, a good reference point for brands to have in an attempt to better their production practices.
Fast Fashion
Fast fashion is the term used to describe clothing that is produced quickly and cheaply. Brands and retailers that engage in fast fashion often create products based on seasonal trends directly inspired by the runway. Fast fashion brands are generally associated with overproduction, low retail prices, mass waste, poor working conditions, and negative environmental impact.
Fair Trade Fashion
Chances are high that you’ve come across The Fairtrade Mark, used as a signifier for products that meet internationally agreed social, environmental, and economic Fairtrade Standards in the last few years. Profits made from products that qualify for the Fairtrade Mark go towards supporting farmers and workers, and improving lives and communities. Fairtrade Cotton has its own mark as does Fairtrade Textile Production, and these symbols are good indications of how ethically sound a garment is.
FSC-certified
If an item is FSC-certified it means that the fabric is made from tree fibers that come from sustainable sources in that they do not originate from endangered or ancient forests. Rather, the fibers here come from well-managed forests and large scale areas of conservation. TENCEL and MONOCEL products, for example, are often made from FSC certified eucalyptus and bamboo respectively.
For more info on FSC, head to the official website.
Greenwashing
Greenwashing is what happens when a brand gives a false impression of its sustainable endeavors. With the increasing demand for sustainability in the fashion industry, some brands are launching “sustainable” capsules such as a line of organic tees. Through a line like that, the brand hopes to convince consumers that that small collection speaks for the brand’s production values as a whole, regardless of whether or not that’s actually the case. We wrote about how to spot greenwashing tactics here.
Living Wage
Paying someone a living wage is to pay workers from all aspects of the production process a fair salary so they are not trapped in poverty. The Asia Floor Wage, for example, takes into account how many family members a person is supporting, their nutritional needs, education, housing, and other living costs, and calculates wages based on that. Of course, a living wage varies from country to country and that is also taken into consideration.
Ocean Waste
Ocean waste or marine debris, as Ocean Service explains, is concerned with “persistent solid material (such as plastic) that is manufactured or processed and disposed of into the marine environment.” Not only does this injure and kill marine life and causes potential navigation and safety risks, but it also poses a threat to human health.
Organic
Standards differ as to what “organic” means from country to country but generally speaking organic fashion refers to the materials used and how they’re grown. Namely, this means that the materials are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), sewage sludge, ionizing radiation, or other chemicals.
The term “monoculture” and “monocropping” are used a lot in relation to organic farming, too. According to World Atlas, monoculture refers to the agricultural practice of growing or cultivating a single species of crop or animal. It’s predominately a large-scale production technique, allowing for specialization, efficiency, and simplification. However, it comes with side-effects.
In a varied cultivation set-up, each plant contributes to that particular environment, keeping the nutrients in the soil balanced and replenished. The growth of only one crop has a negative effect on the texture of the soil due to the lack of varied bacteria and promotes contamination, which leads to the use of more pesticides, fertilizers, and ultimately more water usage. Read more about monocultures and its effects here.
Pre- and Post-Consumer Waste
As Research Gate explains, pre-consumer waste refers to manufacturing waste. Post-consumer waste is what’s collected after the owner has disposed of it.
Recycled and Upcycled Fashion
There’s often much confusion about the difference between recycling and upcycling. Simply put, recycling refers to the industrial process in which a product is broken down into its base materials, which are then used for the production of something new. Upcycling, on the other hand, is about creatively re-imagining the purpose of an object, transforming and reinventing its function.
Slow Fashion
As you would expect, slow fashion is the opposite of fast fashion. It’s about rejecting consumeristic impulses and embracing a slower, more mindful model of consumerism. While this doesn’t eradicate shopping entirely, it refers to only buying things you actually need and items of quality that will last. It’s about being conscious of what you buy and how that purchase will impact others (asking who makes the clothes and how, for example) and the environment.
Social responsibility
Social responsibility means that a company adheres to a business framework that values people and the planet as well as profit. It’s about benefiting local communities and their environment. Unfortunately, brands claiming social responsibility can’t always be taken at face value. Recent studies have found that sound brands aren’t always straightforward about their responsible endeavors. For more information on how to spot these tactics, see Greenwashing.
Tier 1 Factories
Tier 1 factories are either where a product’s production process is finished or where a product is prepared for distribution. They’re described as the most important part of the supply chain as often its the Tier 1 factory that directly supplies the brand. Companies that share their factory information, names and address, help consumers understand more about where their products are coming from.
Adversely, however, companies can use Tier 1 factories to their advantage. As the New Yorker pointed out back in 2013, brands can list the location of the factory on the “Made In …” label, rather than the country in which the majority of the work was done, opting on the location that seems more premium.
The FTC has published guidelines on what constitutes a legit “Made in America” label, stating that “all or virtually all” of the product must be made in the United States. For a full breakdown, head here.
Transparency and Traceability
Transparency and traceability go hand-in-hand. In order to be transparent, a brand shares the names and information about every factory (and ideally every worker) involved in the manufacturing process. In turn, this gives a product traceability, meaning consumers can trace a product and its components back through each step of the supply chain, right down to its raw material.
Vegan Fashion
If you want to avoid animal products entirely, you need to be shopping vegan. Vegan fashion means that no animal testing nor animal-derived fabrics such as leather, fur, or exotic skins are included in products and collections. For more information on vegan brands and fabrics, head to PETA.
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bharatiyamedia-blog · 6 years ago
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Inconceivable Burger 2.0: How does it style, is it secure and the place are you able to get it?
http://tinyurl.com/y4em5wfd Conventional meat-free burgers are constituted of some mixture of soy, beans and lentils and texture is nothing like beef. The Inconceivable Burger is right here to alter that. The Impossible Burger from Impossible Foods has every part a meat lover seems for in a burger: a barely pink center, juicy dribbles, a smoky taste and the power to get the characteristically charred crust that solely a grilled burger can provide. This meatless patty even bleeds like beef. The truth is, vegetarian CNET reporter Joan Solsman discovered it to be so meatlike that she couldn’t even finish a sample. After not consuming beef for greater than a decade, she mumbled by a mouthful: “It is form of grossing me out.” The opposite factor that may put you off about this cool, meatless burger? It is created in a lab, not in inexperienced pastures. Learn extra: Impossible Burger vs Beyond Meat Burger: Which one is the better burger? The meatless burger from Inconceivable Meals grills similar to an actual beef patty.  What’s within the Inconceivable Burger? Inconceivable Meals’ unprecedented burger concoction is constructed on 4 ingredient foundations: protein, fats, binders and taste. The protein in an Inconceivable Burger is not animal flesh; slightly, it is a mix of soy and potato proteins. That is completely different from the Inconceivable Burger 1.0, which used wheat protein (Inconceivable Burger 2.Zero is gluten-free). Soy has had a foul popularity with some, however Inconceivable’s vp of vitamin has some ideas about widespread soy myths. The juicy sizzle when an Inconceivable Burger hits the pan or grill comes from coconut and sunflower oils, the burger’s fats sources. To carry every part collectively, Inconceivable Meals makes use of methylcellulose, a bulk-forming binder that additionally serves as an ideal supply of fiber. Now enjoying: Watch this: The Inconceivable Burger will get a beefy improve at CES 2019 4:46 As for taste, effectively, that is the place issues get attention-grabbing. Inconceivable Meals employs heme as the primary taste compound in its burger. Heme is an iron-containing compound present in all dwelling organisms. Crops, animals, micro organism, fungi… if it is alive, it comprises heme. In animals, heme is a crucial a part of the protein hemoglobin, which carries oxygen all through your physique by way of blood. Understand how your mouth tastes metallic if you by accident chunk your lip? That is heme. In vegetation, heme nonetheless carries oxygen, simply not by way of blood. The Inconceivable Burger comprises heme from the roots of soy vegetation, within the type of a molecule referred to as leghemoglobin. Meals scientists insert DNA from soy roots right into a genetically modified yeast, the place it ferments and produces giant portions of soy heme. GMOs even have a foul rap, however  learn what this scientist has to say about genetically modified organisms (TL;DR: GMOs don’t cause cancer, autism or every other sickness they’re claimed to trigger). What does it style like? The brief reply: The Inconceivable Burger tastes like beef. Keep in mind that vegetarian whose abdomen was repulsed by the Impossible tartare? That is as a result of it tastes, smells and appears like actual beef. For vegetarians, vegans and probably the average omnivore, the Inconceivable Burger is an extremely related substitute for beef. For beef connoisseurs and choosy eaters, Inconceivable is getting shut, however should have some work to do.   The place can I get an Inconceivable Burger? Inconceivable rolled out the Burger 2.0 in a couple of dozen eating places shortly after CES 2019. Since then, the corporate has made it accessible to all of its companions, and there are extra places serving Inconceivable’s burger in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York Metropolis, Chicago and plenty of different huge cities. Even should you do not dwell in or close to an enormous metro space, you may nonetheless find Impossible Burgers. Many nationwide chain eating places are going to have them or already do, together with Burger King and Red Robin. You may also discover Inconceivable Burgers at regional chains, together with White Castle and Umami Burger. Little Caesar’s is the primary pizza chain to place Impossible Burger sausages on a pizza, which is obtainable in choose places. You should utilize Inconceivable Meals’ location finder to find Inconceivable Burgers close to you. By the tip of the yr, Inconceivable additionally plans to supply a “uncooked” model of its floor beef patties in grocery shops. Now enjoying: Watch this: Burger King’s Inconceivable Whopper: see the expertise… 7:19 How a lot does it price? Costs for an Inconceivable Burger range from location to location, however these deceivingly meaty plant-based burgers typically price greater than an everyday beef burger. At Pink Robin, an Inconceivable cheeseburger prices $13.49, whereas the connoisseur cheeseburger manufactured from beef prices $9.99. Inconceivable plans to roll out the uncooked model in grocery shops at a value corresponding to costs for USDA premium floor beef. Is the Inconceivable Burger secure? You possibly can safely eat an Inconceivable Burger until you might be allergic to soy, coconut or sunflower. The ingredients in Inconceivable Burgers are easy and freed from any poisonous components, flavorings or synthetic elements. The soy-based heme is approved by the FDA as fit for human consumption. Whereas the Inconceivable Burger is completely fit for human consumption, different nations have cracked down on what sort of language firms can use to label faux meat products. In 2018, France banned the phrases burgers, steaks, sausages, or fillets from labels on vegan and vegetarian substitutes for meat merchandise. The transfer was supposed to alleviate any confusion consumers might need distinguishing faux meat from the actual factor. What is the take care of glyphosate? Inconceivable Meals’ burger is constituted of genetically modified soy, and its attribute “bleed” comes from soy leghemoglobin (which later turns to heme) that is constituted of genetically engineered yeast. The FDA permitted the leghemoglobin as secure, and there is no proof that genetically modified organisms trigger illness, however some customers fear about traces of glyphosate in Inconceivable Burgers, which comes from these genetically modified soybeans. Glyphosate is an herbicide that is been linked to a considerably elevated risk of cancer, however the US Environmental Safety Company says the herbicide “is not likely to be carcinogenic to people.” Conflicting proof and statements abound throughout analysis research and regulatory companies. Mothers Throughout America, a big shopper advocacy group that’s anti-GMO, says it tested Impossible Burgers at Health Research Institute Laboratories and located “extremely harmful” ranges of glyphosate within the patties. In Could 2019, Impossible Foods committed to using genetically modified soybeans, a alternative the corporate says helps its mission of scaling to the purpose of eradicating animal agriculture for meals by 2035 — and a alternative that probably sparked Mothers Throughout America to launch its marketing campaign. In its unofficial company response to Mothers Throughout America, Inconceivable Meals says the extent of the herbicide detected is “nearly 1000 occasions decrease than the no-significant-risk degree for glyphosate ingestion (1100 micrograms per day) set by California Prop 65.” The World Well being Group, the Meals and Agriculture Group and the US Environmental Safety Company even have set secure each day limits for glyphosate publicity, however they’re much greater than these of California Prop 65, so Inconceivable Burgers falls even additional under the edge for these companies.  Is it more healthy than beef? So far as energy go, an Inconceivable patty and a typical beef patty are fairly shut. A 4-ounce Inconceivable Burger 2.Zero patty is 240 energy, whereas Four ounces of floor beef ranges from about 250 to 300 energy, relying on the fats content material. Additionally, the Inconceivable Burger comprises much less ldl cholesterol, sodium and fats than beef does, so it could be a good selection for you should you’re watching those particular nutrients. Inconceivable Burgers additionally include three grams of fiber per serving, whereas animal meat comprises no fiber. Inconceivable Meals makes use of heme from the roots of soy vegetation to imitate the feel and coloration of floor beef.  CNET en Español As a result of it is constituted of vegetation, the Inconceivable Burger comprises a broader vary of nutritional vitamins and minerals than beef does. However there may be one factor no plant patty can match (but) — the protein content material in animal meat. A 4-ounce serving of beef comprises near 30 grams of protein, whereas the Inconceivable Burger comprises 19 grams. Inconceivable Burger vs. Past Meat Inconceivable Meals is not the one firm utilizing vegetation in unconventional methods. Beyond Meat, one other meatless meat firm, makes burgers, sausages and crumbles out of vegetation. (Try this checklist of meat alternatives for the grill.) The Past Burger seems much like the Inconceivable Burger by way of coloration and consistency, however the Past Burger makes use of completely different elements. The primary protein supply in a Past Burger is pea protein, and its pink coloration comes from beets. The beet juice is what provides the Past Burger the identical “bleeding” impact because the Inconceivable Burger. Beyond Meat’s burger is available in a couple of eating places and in grocery shops nationally. The price varies by location, however a two-pack of burger patties typically prices $5.99. Why eat meat substitutes? By way of health, analysis tells us that prime consumption of animal protein, particularly pink meat, is linked to a higher risk of weight gain, stroke, diabetes and coronary heart illness. Nevertheless, the advantages of meat substitutes prolong previous the well being of people; they attain so far as the well being of our total planet. Manufacturing of meat from livestock is believed to lead to 10 to 40 times the quantity of greenhouse gasoline emissions as manufacturing of plant crops. And in response to the Environmental Working Group, the livestock agriculture course of required for meat merchandise releases these gases — in addition to manure, gas and pesticides — into our air and water. Moreover, livestock is Earth’s largest user of land, with about 80 % of all farm land attributed to animal agriculture. This holds severe implications for erosion, water utilization and even grain consumption — the grain that feeds livestock may feed 800 million people. In sum, merchandise like these from Inconceivable Meals and Past Meat have the potential to affect a couple of pertinent issues: human well being, environmental sustainability and world sources. Source link
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teiraymondmccoy78 · 6 years ago
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SUKU targets speed and efficiency in B2B blockchain platform
SUKU targets speed and efficiency in B2B blockchain platform
03 Jan 2019 — Interest in blockchain related technologies has surged over the past year. As the technology gains mainstream interest, we are set to see another year in which more innovators are likely to launch services that seek to revolutionize supply chain information sharing at a time when consumer scrutiny is on the rise. One such platform is SUKU, a blockchain-based ecosystem, aiming to make supply chains more efficient, transparent and collaborative by offering a supply-chain-as-a-service platform to enterprises.
The company is primarily targeting small and medium-sized businesses with an on-demand, open, decentralized software distribution model which consists of applications and services that are utilized by supply chain participants. After laying the groundwork, Citizens Reserve, the company behind this new platform, is now seeking to enhance its capabilities with technology partners in a continually evolving ecosystem.
FoodIngredientsFirst spoke with Eric Piscini, CEO at Citizens Reserve, who has extensive knowledge of blockchain’s capabilities thanks to his earlier related work at Deloitte.
SUKU structure The SUKU platform comprises several layers, including an infrastructure layer, which fits every server or dataset from a technology point of view, as well as a blockchain layer which is a mix of Ethereum public and Quorum. 
“Ethereum public provides a public structure and Quorum provides the permissioned blockchain which gives us better performance, capabilities, better privacy and security. We merged or bridged those two, to create our unique solution,” Piscini explains.
Click to EnlargeThe SUKU layer is the core platform and foundation for any component of a supply chain. Specifically, SUKU is developing a track and trace module that will make it possible to follow different components within the supply chain and different activities in it, as well as integrational layers to be able to link the core with many existing marketplace solutions. A further layer includes a set of applications and services, similar to an app store concept, but with a supply chain focus. This layer comprises supply chain management and warehouse management capabilities, which the company is developing in collaboration with different partners.
Customers today want to be able to make informed choices when buying a product or program. The reasons for this are environmental consciousness and safety, as much as a need for a transparent supply chain. This is also true on the B2B space, according to Piscini.
Increasing globalization and pressures to reduce costs and improve efficiencies have increased food supply chain complexity and given rise to concerns about black swan events – high impact but low probability events, a recent FoodIngredientsFirst article has noted. These conditions increase food firms’ vulnerability to adulteration of products through both fraud (for economic gain, e.g., the horsemeat scandal) and threat (for psychological or ideological reasons).
Amid recent E. Coli US food safety scares around lettuce, in September 2018 Walmart announced it was lauding the benefits of tracking lettuce and spinach through the supply chain through the use of blockchain. Walmart and Sam’s Club are urging their lettuce and spinach suppliers to contribute to a blockchain database that can quickly and efficiently identify contamination.
Their suppliers received a letter requesting that they trace their products all the way back to the farm using blockchain technology. Walmart says suppliers are expected to have all these systems in place by September 2019. All fresh leafy greens suppliers are expected to be able to trace their products back to the farm(s) (by production lot) in seconds. Suppliers will be required to capture digital, end-to-end traceability event information using the IBM Food Trust network. Meanwhile, in November 2018, it emerged that French retail giant, Auchan, had implemented TE-FOOD’s blockchain based farm-to-table food traceability solution in France, with further international roll-outs expected to follow in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Senegal.
Beyond food safety concerns, SUKU’s current project points to blockchain capabilities in ensuring traceability for environmental concerns as well.
“We are planning to work on soybeans, for example. Many Chinese buyers are interested in buying sustainable soybeans and in making sure they do not come from deforested areas. There is a big challenge in the soybean industry as they are clearing the Amazon to grow the soybean,” Piscini says. 
Blockchain’s benefits Blockchain has become somewhat of a buzzword recently. Still, Piscini highlights that people may not know how or that they are even using blockchain.
“From a business point of view, we are moving away from large, centralized platforms where you have one key player controlling the entire platform and we are moving towards a more decentralized way of managing those platforms,” he says.
“It’s a trend to decentralize the business model, and that to me is a long-term trend,” Piscini notes, adding that evolving players such as SUKU can aid the process of decentralization.
Click to EnlargeThe platform provides a threefold benefit: transparency, efficiency and supply chain integration.
“We can provide better transparency and provenance to the participants, so one can know where the food, the vaccines, the electronics and even the components into the electronics are coming from. That is number one,” Piscini says. 
“Number two is better efficiency and mostly for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) because they gain access to supply chain solutions that they currently don’t have access to, either because it is too expensive or because it is just too tricky to use some supply chain solutions today. With in-house management, on the other hand, it is going to be more streamlined compared to what you can find now.”
The third benefit of the SUKU platform is that it offers integration between different solutions. The supply chain world has a lot of different types of supply chains. US companies, Piscini says, to this day, have as many supply chains as they have suppliers. But in the SUKU platform, one can combine different applications and services and unroll the entire supply chain activity on demand.
To “fuse the entire ecosystem,” SUKU has created a utility “token” that can be used in multiple ways within the blockchain platform. One may pay transaction fees, decide to access premium services and use the token similarly to a credit card to accommodate one’s needs. 
The platform is launching within the first quarter of the new year, and it is now in the process of choosing its collaborators, both in the development of the technological aspects and the building of the blockchain ecosystem.
“We are onboarding two types of companies today. Technology partners are one; these are companies who are building solutions from their platforms. This is one thread,” says Piscini.
“The other thread is to identify the right players to join the platform. We have activity around four different industries; vaccine, electronics, soybean and oil and gas. For those four industries, we are engaging with different trading partners to manage their supply chain,” he adds.
When someone joins the platform, they become a blockchain node and are given a “challenge” to define what their role is on the ecosystem and how they may be integrated. 
 “It depends on who you are in the chain – a manufacturer, a supplier or a contributor. When you join the platform, you become a node on the platform, a blockchain node. We can deliver and run a node for anyone who wants to participate in 10 to 15 minutes,” he explains. 
Blockchain competitors As interest in such technologies increases, the number of blockchain technology suppliers are also rising. However, not all players are offering the same services, with some companies making, joining and integrating the system a lengthy and expensive endeavor, not cut out for small or medium-size businesses. This is one of the aspects that differentiate SUKU, according to Piscini, by targeting SMEs and speeding up the integration process.  
“Our approach is that we know we cannot build everything in the supply chain, we need to build the base and build it over time. We need to open the platform to anyone who wants to participate – that’s a very novel approach,” he comments.
In his view, the key to growth of use of the technology lies in decentralized platforms: “We have people from different industries coming to us almost every day, saying they want to do it for their industry, from tires to managing oat fields,” Piscini says.
“Next for us is a real-life platform and it’s an exciting path to translate the platform into many different industries,” he concludes.
By Lucy Gunn and Kristiana Lalou
To contact our editorial team please email us at [email protected]
Related Articles
Food Ingredients News
Unlocking the potential of microbiomes in food production systems: SIMBA project
03 Jan 2019 — As the world population increases and the global climate is changing, the supply of food will become a growing problem. Worldwide, the demand for food and agricultural produce is predicted to increase by up to 70 percent by 2050. There is an urgent need to create and develop new food production systems which meet this growing demand for food. A new project funded by the EU is set to explore the potential of exploiting microorganisms in plants and animals to improve food security and promote sustainable food production.
Food Ingredients News
Fashion fruit? Ananas Anam launches vegan leather alternative from pineapple leaves
03 Jan 2019 — Ananas Anam has created Piñatex, a sustainable and vegan alternative to leather. Piñatex is a textile woven from the long fibers in discarded and unused pineapple leaves. Waste from the top ten pineapple-producing countries could theoretically replace over 50 percent of global leather output, according to the company.
Food Ingredients News
Food loss “hotspots” identified in new study: Human error accounts for 11 percent of all food waste, researchers say
03 Jan 2019 — Human errors caused by a lack of standardized procedures and insufficient training are the primary drivers behind loss in food manufacturing, a new study has found. Researchers at Brunel University London and Ghent University have found that human error accounts for 11 percent of all food waste, second only to the losses recorded as a result of product change – changing the food output of a manufacturing facility.
Food Ingredients News
What’s going to be hot in 2019? “Adventurous” and plant-based eating accelerates, increased calls for transparency expected
02 Jan 2019 — Globalization has sparked consumers’ curiosity around new food and drinks, exciting flavors and new ways of eating, as they become more knowledgeable of other cultures. This is resulting in brands bringing more variety to the market. Heightened sensory delivery, storytelling and novelty are providing ways for brands to engage with more adventurous, hedonistic consumers. FoodIngredientsFirst takes a closer look at the hotly tipped top trends for this coming year, including the “adventurous” consumer, plant-based eating and increased calls for transparency.
Food Ingredients News
Malaysia warns of retaliatory trade action following France and Norway’s anti-palm oil stance
02 Jan 2019 — As 2019 gets underway, the spotlight is back on the palm oil industry as Malaysian government officials condemn the recent French National Assembly’s vote to exclude palm oil biofuels as “unwarranted and unjust.” The decision threatens the livelihoods of more than 650,000 Malaysian small farmers who rely on palm oil, according to the country’s government – and the move by France could spark trade retaliation – as Malaysia strongly protests and plans to “muster support from other key palm oil producers.”
More Articles
Source link http://bit.ly/2s6ipjj
0 notes
adrianjenkins952wblr · 6 years ago
Text
SUKU targets speed and efficiency in B2B blockchain platform
SUKU targets speed and efficiency in B2B blockchain platform
03 Jan 2019 — Interest in blockchain related technologies has surged over the past year. As the technology gains mainstream interest, we are set to see another year in which more innovators are likely to launch services that seek to revolutionize supply chain information sharing at a time when consumer scrutiny is on the rise. One such platform is SUKU, a blockchain-based ecosystem, aiming to make supply chains more efficient, transparent and collaborative by offering a supply-chain-as-a-service platform to enterprises.
The company is primarily targeting small and medium-sized businesses with an on-demand, open, decentralized software distribution model which consists of applications and services that are utilized by supply chain participants. After laying the groundwork, Citizens Reserve, the company behind this new platform, is now seeking to enhance its capabilities with technology partners in a continually evolving ecosystem.
FoodIngredientsFirst spoke with Eric Piscini, CEO at Citizens Reserve, who has extensive knowledge of blockchain’s capabilities thanks to his earlier related work at Deloitte.
SUKU structure The SUKU platform comprises several layers, including an infrastructure layer, which fits every server or dataset from a technology point of view, as well as a blockchain layer which is a mix of Ethereum public and Quorum. 
“Ethereum public provides a public structure and Quorum provides the permissioned blockchain which gives us better performance, capabilities, better privacy and security. We merged or bridged those two, to create our unique solution,” Piscini explains.
Click to EnlargeThe SUKU layer is the core platform and foundation for any component of a supply chain. Specifically, SUKU is developing a track and trace module that will make it possible to follow different components within the supply chain and different activities in it, as well as integrational layers to be able to link the core with many existing marketplace solutions. A further layer includes a set of applications and services, similar to an app store concept, but with a supply chain focus. This layer comprises supply chain management and warehouse management capabilities, which the company is developing in collaboration with different partners.
Customers today want to be able to make informed choices when buying a product or program. The reasons for this are environmental consciousness and safety, as much as a need for a transparent supply chain. This is also true on the B2B space, according to Piscini.
Increasing globalization and pressures to reduce costs and improve efficiencies have increased food supply chain complexity and given rise to concerns about black swan events – high impact but low probability events, a recent FoodIngredientsFirst article has noted. These conditions increase food firms’ vulnerability to adulteration of products through both fraud (for economic gain, e.g., the horsemeat scandal) and threat (for psychological or ideological reasons).
Amid recent E. Coli US food safety scares around lettuce, in September 2018 Walmart announced it was lauding the benefits of tracking lettuce and spinach through the supply chain through the use of blockchain. Walmart and Sam’s Club are urging their lettuce and spinach suppliers to contribute to a blockchain database that can quickly and efficiently identify contamination.
Their suppliers received a letter requesting that they trace their products all the way back to the farm using blockchain technology. Walmart says suppliers are expected to have all these systems in place by September 2019. All fresh leafy greens suppliers are expected to be able to trace their products back to the farm(s) (by production lot) in seconds. Suppliers will be required to capture digital, end-to-end traceability event information using the IBM Food Trust network. Meanwhile, in November 2018, it emerged that French retail giant, Auchan, had implemented TE-FOOD’s blockchain based farm-to-table food traceability solution in France, with further international roll-outs expected to follow in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Senegal.
Beyond food safety concerns, SUKU’s current project points to blockchain capabilities in ensuring traceability for environmental concerns as well.
“We are planning to work on soybeans, for example. Many Chinese buyers are interested in buying sustainable soybeans and in making sure they do not come from deforested areas. There is a big challenge in the soybean industry as they are clearing the Amazon to grow the soybean,” Piscini says. 
Blockchain’s benefits Blockchain has become somewhat of a buzzword recently. Still, Piscini highlights that people may not know how or that they are even using blockchain.
“From a business point of view, we are moving away from large, centralized platforms where you have one key player controlling the entire platform and we are moving towards a more decentralized way of managing those platforms,” he says.
“It’s a trend to decentralize the business model, and that to me is a long-term trend,” Piscini notes, adding that evolving players such as SUKU can aid the process of decentralization.
Click to EnlargeThe platform provides a threefold benefit: transparency, efficiency and supply chain integration.
“We can provide better transparency and provenance to the participants, so one can know where the food, the vaccines, the electronics and even the components into the electronics are coming from. That is number one,” Piscini says. 
“Number two is better efficiency and mostly for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) because they gain access to supply chain solutions that they currently don’t have access to, either because it is too expensive or because it is just too tricky to use some supply chain solutions today. With in-house management, on the other hand, it is going to be more streamlined compared to what you can find now.”
The third benefit of the SUKU platform is that it offers integration between different solutions. The supply chain world has a lot of different types of supply chains. US companies, Piscini says, to this day, have as many supply chains as they have suppliers. But in the SUKU platform, one can combine different applications and services and unroll the entire supply chain activity on demand.
To “fuse the entire ecosystem,” SUKU has created a utility “token” that can be used in multiple ways within the blockchain platform. One may pay transaction fees, decide to access premium services and use the token similarly to a credit card to accommodate one’s needs. 
The platform is launching within the first quarter of the new year, and it is now in the process of choosing its collaborators, both in the development of the technological aspects and the building of the blockchain ecosystem.
“We are onboarding two types of companies today. Technology partners are one; these are companies who are building solutions from their platforms. This is one thread,” says Piscini.
“The other thread is to identify the right players to join the platform. We have activity around four different industries; vaccine, electronics, soybean and oil and gas. For those four industries, we are engaging with different trading partners to manage their supply chain,” he adds.
When someone joins the platform, they become a blockchain node and are given a “challenge” to define what their role is on the ecosystem and how they may be integrated. 
 “It depends on who you are in the chain – a manufacturer, a supplier or a contributor. When you join the platform, you become a node on the platform, a blockchain node. We can deliver and run a node for anyone who wants to participate in 10 to 15 minutes,” he explains. 
Blockchain competitors As interest in such technologies increases, the number of blockchain technology suppliers are also rising. However, not all players are offering the same services, with some companies making, joining and integrating the system a lengthy and expensive endeavor, not cut out for small or medium-size businesses. This is one of the aspects that differentiate SUKU, according to Piscini, by targeting SMEs and speeding up the integration process.  
“Our approach is that we know we cannot build everything in the supply chain, we need to build the base and build it over time. We need to open the platform to anyone who wants to participate – that’s a very novel approach,” he comments.
In his view, the key to growth of use of the technology lies in decentralized platforms: “We have people from different industries coming to us almost every day, saying they want to do it for their industry, from tires to managing oat fields,” Piscini says.
“Next for us is a real-life platform and it’s an exciting path to translate the platform into many different industries,” he concludes.
By Lucy Gunn and Kristiana Lalou
To contact our editorial team please email us at [email protected]
Related Articles
Food Ingredients News
Unlocking the potential of microbiomes in food production systems: SIMBA project
03 Jan 2019 — As the world population increases and the global climate is changing, the supply of food will become a growing problem. Worldwide, the demand for food and agricultural produce is predicted to increase by up to 70 percent by 2050. There is an urgent need to create and develop new food production systems which meet this growing demand for food. A new project funded by the EU is set to explore the potential of exploiting microorganisms in plants and animals to improve food security and promote sustainable food production.
Food Ingredients News
Fashion fruit? Ananas Anam launches vegan leather alternative from pineapple leaves
03 Jan 2019 — Ananas Anam has created Piñatex, a sustainable and vegan alternative to leather. Piñatex is a textile woven from the long fibers in discarded and unused pineapple leaves. Waste from the top ten pineapple-producing countries could theoretically replace over 50 percent of global leather output, according to the company.
Food Ingredients News
Food loss “hotspots” identified in new study: Human error accounts for 11 percent of all food waste, researchers say
03 Jan 2019 — Human errors caused by a lack of standardized procedures and insufficient training are the primary drivers behind loss in food manufacturing, a new study has found. Researchers at Brunel University London and Ghent University have found that human error accounts for 11 percent of all food waste, second only to the losses recorded as a result of product change – changing the food output of a manufacturing facility.
Food Ingredients News
What’s going to be hot in 2019? “Adventurous” and plant-based eating accelerates, increased calls for transparency expected
02 Jan 2019 — Globalization has sparked consumers’ curiosity around new food and drinks, exciting flavors and new ways of eating, as they become more knowledgeable of other cultures. This is resulting in brands bringing more variety to the market. Heightened sensory delivery, storytelling and novelty are providing ways for brands to engage with more adventurous, hedonistic consumers. FoodIngredientsFirst takes a closer look at the hotly tipped top trends for this coming year, including the “adventurous” consumer, plant-based eating and increased calls for transparency.
Food Ingredients News
Malaysia warns of retaliatory trade action following France and Norway’s anti-palm oil stance
02 Jan 2019 — As 2019 gets underway, the spotlight is back on the palm oil industry as Malaysian government officials condemn the recent French National Assembly’s vote to exclude palm oil biofuels as “unwarranted and unjust.” The decision threatens the livelihoods of more than 650,000 Malaysian small farmers who rely on palm oil, according to the country’s government – and the move by France could spark trade retaliation – as Malaysia strongly protests and plans to “muster support from other key palm oil producers.”
More Articles
Source link http://bit.ly/2s6ipjj
0 notes
courtneyvbrooks87 · 6 years ago
Text
SUKU targets speed and efficiency in B2B blockchain platform
SUKU targets speed and efficiency in B2B blockchain platform
03 Jan 2019 — Interest in blockchain related technologies has surged over the past year. As the technology gains mainstream interest, we are set to see another year in which more innovators are likely to launch services that seek to revolutionize supply chain information sharing at a time when consumer scrutiny is on the rise. One such platform is SUKU, a blockchain-based ecosystem, aiming to make supply chains more efficient, transparent and collaborative by offering a supply-chain-as-a-service platform to enterprises.
The company is primarily targeting small and medium-sized businesses with an on-demand, open, decentralized software distribution model which consists of applications and services that are utilized by supply chain participants. After laying the groundwork, Citizens Reserve, the company behind this new platform, is now seeking to enhance its capabilities with technology partners in a continually evolving ecosystem.
FoodIngredientsFirst spoke with Eric Piscini, CEO at Citizens Reserve, who has extensive knowledge of blockchain’s capabilities thanks to his earlier related work at Deloitte.
SUKU structure The SUKU platform comprises several layers, including an infrastructure layer, which fits every server or dataset from a technology point of view, as well as a blockchain layer which is a mix of Ethereum public and Quorum. 
“Ethereum public provides a public structure and Quorum provides the permissioned blockchain which gives us better performance, capabilities, better privacy and security. We merged or bridged those two, to create our unique solution,” Piscini explains.
Click to EnlargeThe SUKU layer is the core platform and foundation for any component of a supply chain. Specifically, SUKU is developing a track and trace module that will make it possible to follow different components within the supply chain and different activities in it, as well as integrational layers to be able to link the core with many existing marketplace solutions. A further layer includes a set of applications and services, similar to an app store concept, but with a supply chain focus. This layer comprises supply chain management and warehouse management capabilities, which the company is developing in collaboration with different partners.
Customers today want to be able to make informed choices when buying a product or program. The reasons for this are environmental consciousness and safety, as much as a need for a transparent supply chain. This is also true on the B2B space, according to Piscini.
Increasing globalization and pressures to reduce costs and improve efficiencies have increased food supply chain complexity and given rise to concerns about black swan events – high impact but low probability events, a recent FoodIngredientsFirst article has noted. These conditions increase food firms’ vulnerability to adulteration of products through both fraud (for economic gain, e.g., the horsemeat scandal) and threat (for psychological or ideological reasons).
Amid recent E. Coli US food safety scares around lettuce, in September 2018 Walmart announced it was lauding the benefits of tracking lettuce and spinach through the supply chain through the use of blockchain. Walmart and Sam’s Club are urging their lettuce and spinach suppliers to contribute to a blockchain database that can quickly and efficiently identify contamination.
Their suppliers received a letter requesting that they trace their products all the way back to the farm using blockchain technology. Walmart says suppliers are expected to have all these systems in place by September 2019. All fresh leafy greens suppliers are expected to be able to trace their products back to the farm(s) (by production lot) in seconds. Suppliers will be required to capture digital, end-to-end traceability event information using the IBM Food Trust network. Meanwhile, in November 2018, it emerged that French retail giant, Auchan, had implemented TE-FOOD’s blockchain based farm-to-table food traceability solution in France, with further international roll-outs expected to follow in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Senegal.
Beyond food safety concerns, SUKU’s current project points to blockchain capabilities in ensuring traceability for environmental concerns as well.
“We are planning to work on soybeans, for example. Many Chinese buyers are interested in buying sustainable soybeans and in making sure they do not come from deforested areas. There is a big challenge in the soybean industry as they are clearing the Amazon to grow the soybean,” Piscini says. 
Blockchain’s benefits Blockchain has become somewhat of a buzzword recently. Still, Piscini highlights that people may not know how or that they are even using blockchain.
“From a business point of view, we are moving away from large, centralized platforms where you have one key player controlling the entire platform and we are moving towards a more decentralized way of managing those platforms,” he says.
“It’s a trend to decentralize the business model, and that to me is a long-term trend,” Piscini notes, adding that evolving players such as SUKU can aid the process of decentralization.
Click to EnlargeThe platform provides a threefold benefit: transparency, efficiency and supply chain integration.
“We can provide better transparency and provenance to the participants, so one can know where the food, the vaccines, the electronics and even the components into the electronics are coming from. That is number one,” Piscini says. 
“Number two is better efficiency and mostly for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) because they gain access to supply chain solutions that they currently don’t have access to, either because it is too expensive or because it is just too tricky to use some supply chain solutions today. With in-house management, on the other hand, it is going to be more streamlined compared to what you can find now.”
The third benefit of the SUKU platform is that it offers integration between different solutions. The supply chain world has a lot of different types of supply chains. US companies, Piscini says, to this day, have as many supply chains as they have suppliers. But in the SUKU platform, one can combine different applications and services and unroll the entire supply chain activity on demand.
To “fuse the entire ecosystem,” SUKU has created a utility “token” that can be used in multiple ways within the blockchain platform. One may pay transaction fees, decide to access premium services and use the token similarly to a credit card to accommodate one’s needs. 
The platform is launching within the first quarter of the new year, and it is now in the process of choosing its collaborators, both in the development of the technological aspects and the building of the blockchain ecosystem.
“We are onboarding two types of companies today. Technology partners are one; these are companies who are building solutions from their platforms. This is one thread,” says Piscini.
“The other thread is to identify the right players to join the platform. We have activity around four different industries; vaccine, electronics, soybean and oil and gas. For those four industries, we are engaging with different trading partners to manage their supply chain,” he adds.
When someone joins the platform, they become a blockchain node and are given a “challenge” to define what their role is on the ecosystem and how they may be integrated. 
 “It depends on who you are in the chain – a manufacturer, a supplier or a contributor. When you join the platform, you become a node on the platform, a blockchain node. We can deliver and run a node for anyone who wants to participate in 10 to 15 minutes,” he explains. 
Blockchain competitors As interest in such technologies increases, the number of blockchain technology suppliers are also rising. However, not all players are offering the same services, with some companies making, joining and integrating the system a lengthy and expensive endeavor, not cut out for small or medium-size businesses. This is one of the aspects that differentiate SUKU, according to Piscini, by targeting SMEs and speeding up the integration process.  
“Our approach is that we know we cannot build everything in the supply chain, we need to build the base and build it over time. We need to open the platform to anyone who wants to participate – that’s a very novel approach,” he comments.
In his view, the key to growth of use of the technology lies in decentralized platforms: “We have people from different industries coming to us almost every day, saying they want to do it for their industry, from tires to managing oat fields,” Piscini says.
“Next for us is a real-life platform and it’s an exciting path to translate the platform into many different industries,” he concludes.
By Lucy Gunn and Kristiana Lalou
To contact our editorial team please email us at [email protected]
Related Articles
Food Ingredients News
Unlocking the potential of microbiomes in food production systems: SIMBA project
03 Jan 2019 — As the world population increases and the global climate is changing, the supply of food will become a growing problem. Worldwide, the demand for food and agricultural produce is predicted to increase by up to 70 percent by 2050. There is an urgent need to create and develop new food production systems which meet this growing demand for food. A new project funded by the EU is set to explore the potential of exploiting microorganisms in plants and animals to improve food security and promote sustainable food production.
Food Ingredients News
Fashion fruit? Ananas Anam launches vegan leather alternative from pineapple leaves
03 Jan 2019 — Ananas Anam has created Piñatex, a sustainable and vegan alternative to leather. Piñatex is a textile woven from the long fibers in discarded and unused pineapple leaves. Waste from the top ten pineapple-producing countries could theoretically replace over 50 percent of global leather output, according to the company.
Food Ingredients News
Food loss “hotspots” identified in new study: Human error accounts for 11 percent of all food waste, researchers say
03 Jan 2019 — Human errors caused by a lack of standardized procedures and insufficient training are the primary drivers behind loss in food manufacturing, a new study has found. Researchers at Brunel University London and Ghent University have found that human error accounts for 11 percent of all food waste, second only to the losses recorded as a result of product change – changing the food output of a manufacturing facility.
Food Ingredients News
What’s going to be hot in 2019? “Adventurous” and plant-based eating accelerates, increased calls for transparency expected
02 Jan 2019 — Globalization has sparked consumers’ curiosity around new food and drinks, exciting flavors and new ways of eating, as they become more knowledgeable of other cultures. This is resulting in brands bringing more variety to the market. Heightened sensory delivery, storytelling and novelty are providing ways for brands to engage with more adventurous, hedonistic consumers. FoodIngredientsFirst takes a closer look at the hotly tipped top trends for this coming year, including the “adventurous” consumer, plant-based eating and increased calls for transparency.
Food Ingredients News
Malaysia warns of retaliatory trade action following France and Norway’s anti-palm oil stance
02 Jan 2019 — As 2019 gets underway, the spotlight is back on the palm oil industry as Malaysian government officials condemn the recent French National Assembly’s vote to exclude palm oil biofuels as “unwarranted and unjust.” The decision threatens the livelihoods of more than 650,000 Malaysian small farmers who rely on palm oil, according to the country’s government – and the move by France could spark trade retaliation – as Malaysia strongly protests and plans to “muster support from other key palm oil producers.”
More Articles
Source link http://bit.ly/2s6ipjj
0 notes
bobbynolanios88 · 6 years ago
Text
SUKU targets speed and efficiency in B2B blockchain platform
SUKU targets speed and efficiency in B2B blockchain platform
03 Jan 2019 — Interest in blockchain related technologies has surged over the past year. As the technology gains mainstream interest, we are set to see another year in which more innovators are likely to launch services that seek to revolutionize supply chain information sharing at a time when consumer scrutiny is on the rise. One such platform is SUKU, a blockchain-based ecosystem, aiming to make supply chains more efficient, transparent and collaborative by offering a supply-chain-as-a-service platform to enterprises.
The company is primarily targeting small and medium-sized businesses with an on-demand, open, decentralized software distribution model which consists of applications and services that are utilized by supply chain participants. After laying the groundwork, Citizens Reserve, the company behind this new platform, is now seeking to enhance its capabilities with technology partners in a continually evolving ecosystem.
FoodIngredientsFirst spoke with Eric Piscini, CEO at Citizens Reserve, who has extensive knowledge of blockchain’s capabilities thanks to his earlier related work at Deloitte.
SUKU structure The SUKU platform comprises several layers, including an infrastructure layer, which fits every server or dataset from a technology point of view, as well as a blockchain layer which is a mix of Ethereum public and Quorum. 
“Ethereum public provides a public structure and Quorum provides the permissioned blockchain which gives us better performance, capabilities, better privacy and security. We merged or bridged those two, to create our unique solution,” Piscini explains.
Click to EnlargeThe SUKU layer is the core platform and foundation for any component of a supply chain. Specifically, SUKU is developing a track and trace module that will make it possible to follow different components within the supply chain and different activities in it, as well as integrational layers to be able to link the core with many existing marketplace solutions. A further layer includes a set of applications and services, similar to an app store concept, but with a supply chain focus. This layer comprises supply chain management and warehouse management capabilities, which the company is developing in collaboration with different partners.
Customers today want to be able to make informed choices when buying a product or program. The reasons for this are environmental consciousness and safety, as much as a need for a transparent supply chain. This is also true on the B2B space, according to Piscini.
Increasing globalization and pressures to reduce costs and improve efficiencies have increased food supply chain complexity and given rise to concerns about black swan events – high impact but low probability events, a recent FoodIngredientsFirst article has noted. These conditions increase food firms’ vulnerability to adulteration of products through both fraud (for economic gain, e.g., the horsemeat scandal) and threat (for psychological or ideological reasons).
Amid recent E. Coli US food safety scares around lettuce, in September 2018 Walmart announced it was lauding the benefits of tracking lettuce and spinach through the supply chain through the use of blockchain. Walmart and Sam’s Club are urging their lettuce and spinach suppliers to contribute to a blockchain database that can quickly and efficiently identify contamination.
Their suppliers received a letter requesting that they trace their products all the way back to the farm using blockchain technology. Walmart says suppliers are expected to have all these systems in place by September 2019. All fresh leafy greens suppliers are expected to be able to trace their products back to the farm(s) (by production lot) in seconds. Suppliers will be required to capture digital, end-to-end traceability event information using the IBM Food Trust network. Meanwhile, in November 2018, it emerged that French retail giant, Auchan, had implemented TE-FOOD’s blockchain based farm-to-table food traceability solution in France, with further international roll-outs expected to follow in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Senegal.
Beyond food safety concerns, SUKU’s current project points to blockchain capabilities in ensuring traceability for environmental concerns as well.
“We are planning to work on soybeans, for example. Many Chinese buyers are interested in buying sustainable soybeans and in making sure they do not come from deforested areas. There is a big challenge in the soybean industry as they are clearing the Amazon to grow the soybean,” Piscini says. 
Blockchain’s benefits Blockchain has become somewhat of a buzzword recently. Still, Piscini highlights that people may not know how or that they are even using blockchain.
“From a business point of view, we are moving away from large, centralized platforms where you have one key player controlling the entire platform and we are moving towards a more decentralized way of managing those platforms,” he says.
“It’s a trend to decentralize the business model, and that to me is a long-term trend,” Piscini notes, adding that evolving players such as SUKU can aid the process of decentralization.
Click to EnlargeThe platform provides a threefold benefit: transparency, efficiency and supply chain integration.
“We can provide better transparency and provenance to the participants, so one can know where the food, the vaccines, the electronics and even the components into the electronics are coming from. That is number one,” Piscini says. 
“Number two is better efficiency and mostly for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) because they gain access to supply chain solutions that they currently don’t have access to, either because it is too expensive or because it is just too tricky to use some supply chain solutions today. With in-house management, on the other hand, it is going to be more streamlined compared to what you can find now.”
The third benefit of the SUKU platform is that it offers integration between different solutions. The supply chain world has a lot of different types of supply chains. US companies, Piscini says, to this day, have as many supply chains as they have suppliers. But in the SUKU platform, one can combine different applications and services and unroll the entire supply chain activity on demand.
To “fuse the entire ecosystem,” SUKU has created a utility “token” that can be used in multiple ways within the blockchain platform. One may pay transaction fees, decide to access premium services and use the token similarly to a credit card to accommodate one’s needs. 
The platform is launching within the first quarter of the new year, and it is now in the process of choosing its collaborators, both in the development of the technological aspects and the building of the blockchain ecosystem.
“We are onboarding two types of companies today. Technology partners are one; these are companies who are building solutions from their platforms. This is one thread,” says Piscini.
“The other thread is to identify the right players to join the platform. We have activity around four different industries; vaccine, electronics, soybean and oil and gas. For those four industries, we are engaging with different trading partners to manage their supply chain,” he adds.
When someone joins the platform, they become a blockchain node and are given a “challenge” to define what their role is on the ecosystem and how they may be integrated. 
 “It depends on who you are in the chain – a manufacturer, a supplier or a contributor. When you join the platform, you become a node on the platform, a blockchain node. We can deliver and run a node for anyone who wants to participate in 10 to 15 minutes,” he explains. 
Blockchain competitors As interest in such technologies increases, the number of blockchain technology suppliers are also rising. However, not all players are offering the same services, with some companies making, joining and integrating the system a lengthy and expensive endeavor, not cut out for small or medium-size businesses. This is one of the aspects that differentiate SUKU, according to Piscini, by targeting SMEs and speeding up the integration process.  
“Our approach is that we know we cannot build everything in the supply chain, we need to build the base and build it over time. We need to open the platform to anyone who wants to participate – that’s a very novel approach,” he comments.
In his view, the key to growth of use of the technology lies in decentralized platforms: “We have people from different industries coming to us almost every day, saying they want to do it for their industry, from tires to managing oat fields,” Piscini says.
“Next for us is a real-life platform and it’s an exciting path to translate the platform into many different industries,” he concludes.
By Lucy Gunn and Kristiana Lalou
To contact our editorial team please email us at [email protected]
Related Articles
Food Ingredients News
Unlocking the potential of microbiomes in food production systems: SIMBA project
03 Jan 2019 — As the world population increases and the global climate is changing, the supply of food will become a growing problem. Worldwide, the demand for food and agricultural produce is predicted to increase by up to 70 percent by 2050. There is an urgent need to create and develop new food production systems which meet this growing demand for food. A new project funded by the EU is set to explore the potential of exploiting microorganisms in plants and animals to improve food security and promote sustainable food production.
Food Ingredients News
Fashion fruit? Ananas Anam launches vegan leather alternative from pineapple leaves
03 Jan 2019 — Ananas Anam has created Piñatex, a sustainable and vegan alternative to leather. Piñatex is a textile woven from the long fibers in discarded and unused pineapple leaves. Waste from the top ten pineapple-producing countries could theoretically replace over 50 percent of global leather output, according to the company.
Food Ingredients News
Food loss “hotspots” identified in new study: Human error accounts for 11 percent of all food waste, researchers say
03 Jan 2019 — Human errors caused by a lack of standardized procedures and insufficient training are the primary drivers behind loss in food manufacturing, a new study has found. Researchers at Brunel University London and Ghent University have found that human error accounts for 11 percent of all food waste, second only to the losses recorded as a result of product change – changing the food output of a manufacturing facility.
Food Ingredients News
What’s going to be hot in 2019? “Adventurous” and plant-based eating accelerates, increased calls for transparency expected
02 Jan 2019 — Globalization has sparked consumers’ curiosity around new food and drinks, exciting flavors and new ways of eating, as they become more knowledgeable of other cultures. This is resulting in brands bringing more variety to the market. Heightened sensory delivery, storytelling and novelty are providing ways for brands to engage with more adventurous, hedonistic consumers. FoodIngredientsFirst takes a closer look at the hotly tipped top trends for this coming year, including the “adventurous” consumer, plant-based eating and increased calls for transparency.
Food Ingredients News
Malaysia warns of retaliatory trade action following France and Norway’s anti-palm oil stance
02 Jan 2019 — As 2019 gets underway, the spotlight is back on the palm oil industry as Malaysian government officials condemn the recent French National Assembly’s vote to exclude palm oil biofuels as “unwarranted and unjust.” The decision threatens the livelihoods of more than 650,000 Malaysian small farmers who rely on palm oil, according to the country’s government – and the move by France could spark trade retaliation – as Malaysia strongly protests and plans to “muster support from other key palm oil producers.”
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mccartneynathxzw83 · 6 years ago
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SUKU targets speed and efficiency in B2B blockchain platform
SUKU targets speed and efficiency in B2B blockchain platform
03 Jan 2019 — Interest in blockchain related technologies has surged over the past year. As the technology gains mainstream interest, we are set to see another year in which more innovators are likely to launch services that seek to revolutionize supply chain information sharing at a time when consumer scrutiny is on the rise. One such platform is SUKU, a blockchain-based ecosystem, aiming to make supply chains more efficient, transparent and collaborative by offering a supply-chain-as-a-service platform to enterprises.
The company is primarily targeting small and medium-sized businesses with an on-demand, open, decentralized software distribution model which consists of applications and services that are utilized by supply chain participants. After laying the groundwork, Citizens Reserve, the company behind this new platform, is now seeking to enhance its capabilities with technology partners in a continually evolving ecosystem.
FoodIngredientsFirst spoke with Eric Piscini, CEO at Citizens Reserve, who has extensive knowledge of blockchain’s capabilities thanks to his earlier related work at Deloitte.
SUKU structure The SUKU platform comprises several layers, including an infrastructure layer, which fits every server or dataset from a technology point of view, as well as a blockchain layer which is a mix of Ethereum public and Quorum. 
“Ethereum public provides a public structure and Quorum provides the permissioned blockchain which gives us better performance, capabilities, better privacy and security. We merged or bridged those two, to create our unique solution,” Piscini explains.
Click to EnlargeThe SUKU layer is the core platform and foundation for any component of a supply chain. Specifically, SUKU is developing a track and trace module that will make it possible to follow different components within the supply chain and different activities in it, as well as integrational layers to be able to link the core with many existing marketplace solutions. A further layer includes a set of applications and services, similar to an app store concept, but with a supply chain focus. This layer comprises supply chain management and warehouse management capabilities, which the company is developing in collaboration with different partners.
Customers today want to be able to make informed choices when buying a product or program. The reasons for this are environmental consciousness and safety, as much as a need for a transparent supply chain. This is also true on the B2B space, according to Piscini.
Increasing globalization and pressures to reduce costs and improve efficiencies have increased food supply chain complexity and given rise to concerns about black swan events – high impact but low probability events, a recent FoodIngredientsFirst article has noted. These conditions increase food firms’ vulnerability to adulteration of products through both fraud (for economic gain, e.g., the horsemeat scandal) and threat (for psychological or ideological reasons).
Amid recent E. Coli US food safety scares around lettuce, in September 2018 Walmart announced it was lauding the benefits of tracking lettuce and spinach through the supply chain through the use of blockchain. Walmart and Sam’s Club are urging their lettuce and spinach suppliers to contribute to a blockchain database that can quickly and efficiently identify contamination.
Their suppliers received a letter requesting that they trace their products all the way back to the farm using blockchain technology. Walmart says suppliers are expected to have all these systems in place by September 2019. All fresh leafy greens suppliers are expected to be able to trace their products back to the farm(s) (by production lot) in seconds. Suppliers will be required to capture digital, end-to-end traceability event information using the IBM Food Trust network. Meanwhile, in November 2018, it emerged that French retail giant, Auchan, had implemented TE-FOOD’s blockchain based farm-to-table food traceability solution in France, with further international roll-outs expected to follow in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Senegal.
Beyond food safety concerns, SUKU’s current project points to blockchain capabilities in ensuring traceability for environmental concerns as well.
“We are planning to work on soybeans, for example. Many Chinese buyers are interested in buying sustainable soybeans and in making sure they do not come from deforested areas. There is a big challenge in the soybean industry as they are clearing the Amazon to grow the soybean,” Piscini says. 
Blockchain’s benefits Blockchain has become somewhat of a buzzword recently. Still, Piscini highlights that people may not know how or that they are even using blockchain.
“From a business point of view, we are moving away from large, centralized platforms where you have one key player controlling the entire platform and we are moving towards a more decentralized way of managing those platforms,” he says.
“It’s a trend to decentralize the business model, and that to me is a long-term trend,” Piscini notes, adding that evolving players such as SUKU can aid the process of decentralization.
Click to EnlargeThe platform provides a threefold benefit: transparency, efficiency and supply chain integration.
“We can provide better transparency and provenance to the participants, so one can know where the food, the vaccines, the electronics and even the components into the electronics are coming from. That is number one,” Piscini says. 
“Number two is better efficiency and mostly for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) because they gain access to supply chain solutions that they currently don’t have access to, either because it is too expensive or because it is just too tricky to use some supply chain solutions today. With in-house management, on the other hand, it is going to be more streamlined compared to what you can find now.”
The third benefit of the SUKU platform is that it offers integration between different solutions. The supply chain world has a lot of different types of supply chains. US companies, Piscini says, to this day, have as many supply chains as they have suppliers. But in the SUKU platform, one can combine different applications and services and unroll the entire supply chain activity on demand.
To “fuse the entire ecosystem,” SUKU has created a utility “token” that can be used in multiple ways within the blockchain platform. One may pay transaction fees, decide to access premium services and use the token similarly to a credit card to accommodate one’s needs. 
The platform is launching within the first quarter of the new year, and it is now in the process of choosing its collaborators, both in the development of the technological aspects and the building of the blockchain ecosystem.
“We are onboarding two types of companies today. Technology partners are one; these are companies who are building solutions from their platforms. This is one thread,” says Piscini.
“The other thread is to identify the right players to join the platform. We have activity around four different industries; vaccine, electronics, soybean and oil and gas. For those four industries, we are engaging with different trading partners to manage their supply chain,” he adds.
When someone joins the platform, they become a blockchain node and are given a “challenge” to define what their role is on the ecosystem and how they may be integrated. 
 “It depends on who you are in the chain – a manufacturer, a supplier or a contributor. When you join the platform, you become a node on the platform, a blockchain node. We can deliver and run a node for anyone who wants to participate in 10 to 15 minutes,” he explains. 
Blockchain competitors As interest in such technologies increases, the number of blockchain technology suppliers are also rising. However, not all players are offering the same services, with some companies making, joining and integrating the system a lengthy and expensive endeavor, not cut out for small or medium-size businesses. This is one of the aspects that differentiate SUKU, according to Piscini, by targeting SMEs and speeding up the integration process.  
“Our approach is that we know we cannot build everything in the supply chain, we need to build the base and build it over time. We need to open the platform to anyone who wants to participate – that’s a very novel approach,” he comments.
In his view, the key to growth of use of the technology lies in decentralized platforms: “We have people from different industries coming to us almost every day, saying they want to do it for their industry, from tires to managing oat fields,” Piscini says.
“Next for us is a real-life platform and it’s an exciting path to translate the platform into many different industries,” he concludes.
By Lucy Gunn and Kristiana Lalou
To contact our editorial team please email us at [email protected]
Related Articles
Food Ingredients News
Unlocking the potential of microbiomes in food production systems: SIMBA project
03 Jan 2019 — As the world population increases and the global climate is changing, the supply of food will become a growing problem. Worldwide, the demand for food and agricultural produce is predicted to increase by up to 70 percent by 2050. There is an urgent need to create and develop new food production systems which meet this growing demand for food. A new project funded by the EU is set to explore the potential of exploiting microorganisms in plants and animals to improve food security and promote sustainable food production.
Food Ingredients News
Fashion fruit? Ananas Anam launches vegan leather alternative from pineapple leaves
03 Jan 2019 — Ananas Anam has created Piñatex, a sustainable and vegan alternative to leather. Piñatex is a textile woven from the long fibers in discarded and unused pineapple leaves. Waste from the top ten pineapple-producing countries could theoretically replace over 50 percent of global leather output, according to the company.
Food Ingredients News
Food loss “hotspots” identified in new study: Human error accounts for 11 percent of all food waste, researchers say
03 Jan 2019 — Human errors caused by a lack of standardized procedures and insufficient training are the primary drivers behind loss in food manufacturing, a new study has found. Researchers at Brunel University London and Ghent University have found that human error accounts for 11 percent of all food waste, second only to the losses recorded as a result of product change – changing the food output of a manufacturing facility.
Food Ingredients News
What’s going to be hot in 2019? “Adventurous” and plant-based eating accelerates, increased calls for transparency expected
02 Jan 2019 — Globalization has sparked consumers’ curiosity around new food and drinks, exciting flavors and new ways of eating, as they become more knowledgeable of other cultures. This is resulting in brands bringing more variety to the market. Heightened sensory delivery, storytelling and novelty are providing ways for brands to engage with more adventurous, hedonistic consumers. FoodIngredientsFirst takes a closer look at the hotly tipped top trends for this coming year, including the “adventurous” consumer, plant-based eating and increased calls for transparency.
Food Ingredients News
Malaysia warns of retaliatory trade action following France and Norway’s anti-palm oil stance
02 Jan 2019 — As 2019 gets underway, the spotlight is back on the palm oil industry as Malaysian government officials condemn the recent French National Assembly’s vote to exclude palm oil biofuels as “unwarranted and unjust.” The decision threatens the livelihoods of more than 650,000 Malaysian small farmers who rely on palm oil, according to the country’s government – and the move by France could spark trade retaliation – as Malaysia strongly protests and plans to “muster support from other key palm oil producers.”
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Source link http://bit.ly/2s6ipjj
0 notes
vanessawestwcrtr5 · 6 years ago
Text
SUKU targets speed and efficiency in B2B blockchain platform
SUKU targets speed and efficiency in B2B blockchain platform
03 Jan 2019 — Interest in blockchain related technologies has surged over the past year. As the technology gains mainstream interest, we are set to see another year in which more innovators are likely to launch services that seek to revolutionize supply chain information sharing at a time when consumer scrutiny is on the rise. One such platform is SUKU, a blockchain-based ecosystem, aiming to make supply chains more efficient, transparent and collaborative by offering a supply-chain-as-a-service platform to enterprises.
The company is primarily targeting small and medium-sized businesses with an on-demand, open, decentralized software distribution model which consists of applications and services that are utilized by supply chain participants. After laying the groundwork, Citizens Reserve, the company behind this new platform, is now seeking to enhance its capabilities with technology partners in a continually evolving ecosystem.
FoodIngredientsFirst spoke with Eric Piscini, CEO at Citizens Reserve, who has extensive knowledge of blockchain’s capabilities thanks to his earlier related work at Deloitte.
SUKU structure The SUKU platform comprises several layers, including an infrastructure layer, which fits every server or dataset from a technology point of view, as well as a blockchain layer which is a mix of Ethereum public and Quorum. 
“Ethereum public provides a public structure and Quorum provides the permissioned blockchain which gives us better performance, capabilities, better privacy and security. We merged or bridged those two, to create our unique solution,” Piscini explains.
Click to EnlargeThe SUKU layer is the core platform and foundation for any component of a supply chain. Specifically, SUKU is developing a track and trace module that will make it possible to follow different components within the supply chain and different activities in it, as well as integrational layers to be able to link the core with many existing marketplace solutions. A further layer includes a set of applications and services, similar to an app store concept, but with a supply chain focus. This layer comprises supply chain management and warehouse management capabilities, which the company is developing in collaboration with different partners.
Customers today want to be able to make informed choices when buying a product or program. The reasons for this are environmental consciousness and safety, as much as a need for a transparent supply chain. This is also true on the B2B space, according to Piscini.
Increasing globalization and pressures to reduce costs and improve efficiencies have increased food supply chain complexity and given rise to concerns about black swan events – high impact but low probability events, a recent FoodIngredientsFirst article has noted. These conditions increase food firms’ vulnerability to adulteration of products through both fraud (for economic gain, e.g., the horsemeat scandal) and threat (for psychological or ideological reasons).
Amid recent E. Coli US food safety scares around lettuce, in September 2018 Walmart announced it was lauding the benefits of tracking lettuce and spinach through the supply chain through the use of blockchain. Walmart and Sam’s Club are urging their lettuce and spinach suppliers to contribute to a blockchain database that can quickly and efficiently identify contamination.
Their suppliers received a letter requesting that they trace their products all the way back to the farm using blockchain technology. Walmart says suppliers are expected to have all these systems in place by September 2019. All fresh leafy greens suppliers are expected to be able to trace their products back to the farm(s) (by production lot) in seconds. Suppliers will be required to capture digital, end-to-end traceability event information using the IBM Food Trust network. Meanwhile, in November 2018, it emerged that French retail giant, Auchan, had implemented TE-FOOD’s blockchain based farm-to-table food traceability solution in France, with further international roll-outs expected to follow in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Senegal.
Beyond food safety concerns, SUKU’s current project points to blockchain capabilities in ensuring traceability for environmental concerns as well.
“We are planning to work on soybeans, for example. Many Chinese buyers are interested in buying sustainable soybeans and in making sure they do not come from deforested areas. There is a big challenge in the soybean industry as they are clearing the Amazon to grow the soybean,” Piscini says. 
Blockchain’s benefits Blockchain has become somewhat of a buzzword recently. Still, Piscini highlights that people may not know how or that they are even using blockchain.
“From a business point of view, we are moving away from large, centralized platforms where you have one key player controlling the entire platform and we are moving towards a more decentralized way of managing those platforms,” he says.
“It’s a trend to decentralize the business model, and that to me is a long-term trend,” Piscini notes, adding that evolving players such as SUKU can aid the process of decentralization.
Click to EnlargeThe platform provides a threefold benefit: transparency, efficiency and supply chain integration.
“We can provide better transparency and provenance to the participants, so one can know where the food, the vaccines, the electronics and even the components into the electronics are coming from. That is number one,” Piscini says. 
“Number two is better efficiency and mostly for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) because they gain access to supply chain solutions that they currently don’t have access to, either because it is too expensive or because it is just too tricky to use some supply chain solutions today. With in-house management, on the other hand, it is going to be more streamlined compared to what you can find now.”
The third benefit of the SUKU platform is that it offers integration between different solutions. The supply chain world has a lot of different types of supply chains. US companies, Piscini says, to this day, have as many supply chains as they have suppliers. But in the SUKU platform, one can combine different applications and services and unroll the entire supply chain activity on demand.
To “fuse the entire ecosystem,” SUKU has created a utility “token” that can be used in multiple ways within the blockchain platform. One may pay transaction fees, decide to access premium services and use the token similarly to a credit card to accommodate one’s needs. 
The platform is launching within the first quarter of the new year, and it is now in the process of choosing its collaborators, both in the development of the technological aspects and the building of the blockchain ecosystem.
“We are onboarding two types of companies today. Technology partners are one; these are companies who are building solutions from their platforms. This is one thread,” says Piscini.
“The other thread is to identify the right players to join the platform. We have activity around four different industries; vaccine, electronics, soybean and oil and gas. For those four industries, we are engaging with different trading partners to manage their supply chain,” he adds.
When someone joins the platform, they become a blockchain node and are given a “challenge” to define what their role is on the ecosystem and how they may be integrated. 
 “It depends on who you are in the chain – a manufacturer, a supplier or a contributor. When you join the platform, you become a node on the platform, a blockchain node. We can deliver and run a node for anyone who wants to participate in 10 to 15 minutes,” he explains. 
Blockchain competitors As interest in such technologies increases, the number of blockchain technology suppliers are also rising. However, not all players are offering the same services, with some companies making, joining and integrating the system a lengthy and expensive endeavor, not cut out for small or medium-size businesses. This is one of the aspects that differentiate SUKU, according to Piscini, by targeting SMEs and speeding up the integration process.  
“Our approach is that we know we cannot build everything in the supply chain, we need to build the base and build it over time. We need to open the platform to anyone who wants to participate – that’s a very novel approach,” he comments.
In his view, the key to growth of use of the technology lies in decentralized platforms: “We have people from different industries coming to us almost every day, saying they want to do it for their industry, from tires to managing oat fields,” Piscini says.
“Next for us is a real-life platform and it’s an exciting path to translate the platform into many different industries,” he concludes.
By Lucy Gunn and Kristiana Lalou
To contact our editorial team please email us at [email protected]
Related Articles
Food Ingredients News
Unlocking the potential of microbiomes in food production systems: SIMBA project
03 Jan 2019 — As the world population increases and the global climate is changing, the supply of food will become a growing problem. Worldwide, the demand for food and agricultural produce is predicted to increase by up to 70 percent by 2050. There is an urgent need to create and develop new food production systems which meet this growing demand for food. A new project funded by the EU is set to explore the potential of exploiting microorganisms in plants and animals to improve food security and promote sustainable food production.
Food Ingredients News
Fashion fruit? Ananas Anam launches vegan leather alternative from pineapple leaves
03 Jan 2019 — Ananas Anam has created Piñatex, a sustainable and vegan alternative to leather. Piñatex is a textile woven from the long fibers in discarded and unused pineapple leaves. Waste from the top ten pineapple-producing countries could theoretically replace over 50 percent of global leather output, according to the company.
Food Ingredients News
Food loss “hotspots” identified in new study: Human error accounts for 11 percent of all food waste, researchers say
03 Jan 2019 — Human errors caused by a lack of standardized procedures and insufficient training are the primary drivers behind loss in food manufacturing, a new study has found. Researchers at Brunel University London and Ghent University have found that human error accounts for 11 percent of all food waste, second only to the losses recorded as a result of product change – changing the food output of a manufacturing facility.
Food Ingredients News
What’s going to be hot in 2019? “Adventurous” and plant-based eating accelerates, increased calls for transparency expected
02 Jan 2019 — Globalization has sparked consumers’ curiosity around new food and drinks, exciting flavors and new ways of eating, as they become more knowledgeable of other cultures. This is resulting in brands bringing more variety to the market. Heightened sensory delivery, storytelling and novelty are providing ways for brands to engage with more adventurous, hedonistic consumers. FoodIngredientsFirst takes a closer look at the hotly tipped top trends for this coming year, including the “adventurous” consumer, plant-based eating and increased calls for transparency.
Food Ingredients News
Malaysia warns of retaliatory trade action following France and Norway’s anti-palm oil stance
02 Jan 2019 — As 2019 gets underway, the spotlight is back on the palm oil industry as Malaysian government officials condemn the recent French National Assembly’s vote to exclude palm oil biofuels as “unwarranted and unjust.” The decision threatens the livelihoods of more than 650,000 Malaysian small farmers who rely on palm oil, according to the country’s government – and the move by France could spark trade retaliation – as Malaysia strongly protests and plans to “muster support from other key palm oil producers.”
More Articles
Source link http://bit.ly/2s6ipjj
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sherristockman · 8 years ago
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The Case Against Yoga Pants and Other Technical Athletic Wear Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Water pollution has many sources. Agriculture is a significant one, but clothing is another that has not received as much attention. Non-organic cotton contributes to environmental problems due to the fact that most of it is genetically engineered (GE) and sprayed with copious amounts of Roundup, the active ingredient in which is glyphosate, a likely human carcinogen. In fact, non-organic cotton is one of the most chemical-dependent crops out there. While making up only 2.4 percent of global cropland, it receives 10 percent of agricultural chemicals in total, and 25 percent of all insecticides.1 But synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon are equally destructive.2 In 2014, polyester — a plastic material made from crude oil — made up 60 percent of all fabrics produced by the textile industry.3 Unfortunately, stretchy fabrics like yoga pants and comfy, cozy fleece items have become a true bane, shedding copious amounts of microscopic plastic fibers each time they’re washed. Due to their tiny size, these microfibers4 flow straight through the wastewater treatment plant without being caught. Microfibers Account for Majority of Plastic Pollution Testing shows synthetic microfibers make up 85 percent of shoreline debris worldwide,5 and are particularly concentrated in beach sediment near waste water treatment plants.6 According to estimates by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, up to 1.7 million tons of microfibers enter the ocean each and every year.7 Once in the water column, this plastic micro-debris blocks sunlight required for plankton and algae to thrive, and the ramifications of this reverberates throughout the entire food chain. To get an idea of just how severe the problem has become, consider this: In some ocean waters, plastic exceeds plankton by a factor of 6-to-1!8 Toxic dyes, fabric treatments such as flame retardants and stain resistant chemicals and laundry detergents further add to the growing environmental problems posed by clothing. Microplastics Are a Major Issue in the Gulf University of Florida researcher Maia McGuire, Ph.D., studies plastics in Florida waterways. At the outset, she expected to find primarily microbeads — the small plastic beads found in face and body scrubs — but she quickly realized microfibers are a far more serious concern. McGuire told ABC News:9 “The big concern is we know the amount of plastic in the ocean is increasing, and increasing somewhat exponentially at this point. It's got chemicals in it, chemicals stick to it, animals eat it. We know a lot of the larger animals have impacts from larger plastics, so we think there's an effect on smaller animals (from microplastics) … What do we do about it is the multimillion dollar question. The consensus seems to be that we need improvement in technology in washing machines and wastewater treatment plants in combination in order to try and filter out these fibers. There's just so much we don't know.” Between September 2015 and August 2016, McGuire’s Florida Microplastic Awareness Project collected and analyzed water samples from 256 sites in Florida. Eighty-nine percent contained plastic, 82 percent of which was in the form of microfibers. Only 7 percent were microbeads. As of July this year, personal care products are no longer allowed to contain microbeads.10 Beginning July 2018, microbeads will also be banned from cosmetics, and as of July 2019, they must be eliminated from over-the-counter drugs sold in the U.S. as well.11 While banning microbeads is a step in the right direction, water testing reveals they’re not nearly as prevalent in the environment as microfibers are, so banning microbeads while doing nothing about microfibers is not going to have a really significant impact. Microfibers Threaten Wildlife and End Up in Human Food Supply It stands to reason that once these fibers are in lakes, rivers and oceans, they will be consumed by wildlife, migrating further and further up the food chain, and that is precisely what researchers have found. The fibers have been found in both table salt12 and various seafood sold for human consumption.13 Microfibers have been shown to raise mortality among water fleas14 and reduce overall food intake of crabs, worms and langoustines (aka Norway lobster),15,16 thereby threatening survival rates. Testing of both freshwater and saltwater fish show 90 percent have microfiber debris in their bodies.17,18 Not only do the actual fibers pose a health hazard to the sea life that consume them, since they bioaccumulate, these fibers also act like sponges, soaking up and concentrating toxins like PCBs, pesticides and oil, making the animal — which could end up on your plate — even more toxic than it normally would be. These chemicals have been shown to cause liver damage, liver tumors and signs of endocrine disruption in fish and other seafood, including lowered fertility and immune function. Last year, citing a report19 by the British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs [DEFRA], the Daily Mail wrote:20 “Microplastics have been found in a wide variety of species including zooplankton, mussels, oysters, shrimp, marine worms, fish, seals and whales. Chemicals on microplastics ingested by an organism can dissociate from plastic particles and enter body tissues … [DEFRA] said there is evidence from animal studies that small plastic particles can cross membranes into cells, causing damage and inflammation. Looking at the implications for humans, [DEFRA] said: ‘Several studies show that microplastics are present in seafood sold for human consumption, including mussels in North Sea mussel farms and oysters from the Atlantic. ‘The presence of marine microplastics in seafood could pose a threat to food safety.’” According to the DEFRA report, eating six oysters could introduce about 50 plastic microbeads into your body. One-third of the fish caught in the English Channel also contain microbeads, as do 83 percent of scampi sold in the U.K.21 Factors That Worsen Microfiber Release Tests show each washing of a synthetic fleece jacket releases 1.7 to 2.7 grams of microfiber.22,23,24 For perspective, a paperclip weighs about 1.5 grams. Estimates suggest a city of 100,000 inhabitants deposit up to 240 pounds of microfibers into local waterways EACH DAY — an amount that equates to 15,000 plastic bags entering waterways on a daily basis. A number of different factors contribute to the amount of fibers shed, including: Age of the item. The older the fleece jacket, the more microfibers are released25 Quality of fabric. Lower quality generic brand fleece can shed 170 percent more over its lifespan than higher quality fleece Type of fabric. In a comparison of acrylic, polyester and a polyester-cotton blend, acrylic was the worst, shedding microfibers up to four times faster than the polyester-cotton blend26,27 Type of washing machine. Tests show top loading machines release about 530 percent more microfibers than front loading models28 Water temperature, length and agitation strength of the wash cycle and the type of detergent used. Heat, agitation and harsh detergents all promote the breakdown and shedding of microfibers Potential Solutions One of the fastest and easiest remedies is to add a filter to your washing machine that catches microfibers.29 Wexco is currently the exclusive distributor of the Filtrol 160 filter,30 designed to capture non-biodegradable fibers from your washing machine discharge. Here is a link to Google to find sources for them. Unfortunately, this solution only partially addresses the problem, since the microfibers will still end up in a landfill when you empty the filter into your trash can. From there, they may still enter the biological chain. Another novel potential solution — a waterless washing machine — was developed by TERSUS Solutions in Colorado, with funding from Patagonia. It washes clothing using pressurized carbon dioxide instead of water.31 Patagonia is also looking for mitigating solutions, including product redesign to prevent the shedding of microfibers. Perhaps the simplest way to circumvent all of these problems is also the most biologically elegant, and that is to avoid buying synthetic fiber clothing in the first place, and opt for organic cotton, hemp, silk, wool or bamboo fabrics instead. Polyester Downfalls Beyond Microfiber Pollution Beyond microfiber pollution, polyester and other man-made fabrics have many other environmental drawbacks, including the following:32 • Polyester is not only made from petroleum; the manufacturing process of polyester and other synthetic fabrics is also very energy-intensive, releasing large amounts of toxic air emissions, including volatile organic compounds, particulate matter and acid gases • Byproducts of polyester production also include water pollutants such as volatile monomers and solvents • Toxic chemicals are also used during the production of many fabrics, including perfluorochemicals (PFCs), phthalates, azo dyes, dimethylformamide (DMF), nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), nonylphenols (NPs) and triclosan. Swedish research estimates 10 percent of all textile-related chemicals are potentially hazardous to human health.33 According to a Greenpeace report,34 sportswear tends to contain the highest levels of toxic chemicals, including endocrine disruptors, which may have acute toxic effects if you’re susceptible. Chemicals are applied to most synthetic fabrics to improve wicking performance, provide water and/or stain resistance and decrease odors. Some clothing manufacturers are now starting to take these issues more seriously. For example, Patagonia is working on developing textile treatments using raw, natural materials and, along with Adidas, has promised to phase out PFCs. Adidas has vowed to be 99 percent PFC-free as of this year. Others, such as Ibex, Alternative Apparel, SilkAthlete and Evolve Fit Wear are using organic cotton, silk blends and merino wool for their sportswear lines.35 Toxic Garment Dyes Wreak Environmental Havoc Textile dyeing is another major environmental destroyer. Many of these facilities are located in developing countries where regulations are lax and labor costs are low. Untreated or minimally treated wastewater is typically discharged into nearby rivers, from where it spreads into seas and oceans, traveling across the globe with the currents. An estimated 40 percent of textile chemicals are discharged by China.36 Indonesia is also struggling with the chemical fallout of the garment industry. The Citarum River is now one of the most heavily polluted rivers in the world, thanks to the congregation of hundreds of textile factories along its shorelines. Tests by Greenpeace reveal the river water contains alarming amounts of lead, mercury, arsenic, nonylphenol (an endocrine disrupting chemical) and many other toxic chemicals — all of which are dumped by textile manufacturers straight into the river without even the most basic of chemical filtration or treatments. The final clothing items also contain nonylphenol, and it can take several washes before it’s all washed out. This means the chemical is also entering your local sewer system. Nonylphenol is considered so hazardous that many European Union (EU) members have banned its use in the garment industry. It’s not even allowed in imported textile goods. Notably, the U.S. has no such restrictions. Become Part of the Solution by Cleaning Up Your Wardrobe While some companies are actively investigating ways to produce more environmentally-friendly clothing, each and every one of us can contribute to the solution by curbing your consumption and giving more thought to what you buy and how you care for your items. As described in my previous article on “fast fashion,” the entire life cycle of a piece of clothing would ideally be taken into account before buying, as most of your discarded clothes actually end up in landfills, or are resold to developing countries where local clothing industries then suffer instead. Most Americans have enough clothes to outfit entire villages in some other countries. There’s little doubt that many would do well to absorb some of the life-affirming suggestions offered by the minimalism movement. As the director of environmental strategy for Patagonia told CBS in 2015:37 “People need to learn how to buy less and companies need to learn how to be profitable in selling less … Something has to fundamentally shift in the consumption world that reduces the pressure on the raw materials, which reduces pressure on the planet …” To avoid toxic chemicals and reduce environmental pollution associated with the washing and wearing of clothes, consider the following recommendations: ✓ Opt for organic cotton, hemp, silk, wool and bamboo fabrics. While such items typically cost more than non-organic cotton and synthetics, buying fewer items will allow you to spend more on each item. On the upside, higher quality organic items tend to last far longer with proper care, so you get your money’s worth in the end. ✓ Opt for items colored with nontoxic, natural dyes when possible. Businesses investing in organic farming and natural dyes include PACT (undergarments and loungewear), Boll & Branch (bed linens, blankets and towels), Jungmaven (organic hemp and cotton T-shirts), Industry of All Nations (clothing) and many others. ✓ Avoid screen printed items, as they typically contain phthalates. ✓ Look for the Bluesign System Certification,38 which tells you the item has been manufactured with a minimal amount of hazardous chemicals, or none. ✓ Avoid trademarked technical fabrics, as most are coated with chemicals that will eventually wash out. ✓ Be mindful of when and how you wash synthetic clothing. Wash synthetic clothing as irregularly as possible using a mild detergent. Line dry instead of putting them in the dryer. The heat and agitation will break down fibers. Handwashing or using the gentle cycle with cold water will also minimize the shedding of fibers, as will using a front loading washing machine. Avoid fabric softeners and dryer sheets. They leave a film on the fabric that blocks the wicking ability of the fiber. ✓ Install a microfiber filter on your washing machine.
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sherristockman · 8 years ago
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How Clothes Are Polluting the Food Supply Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Every day, each and every one of us contribute to the ongoing destruction of the environment simply by participating in modern society. Not only do people inappropriately dispose of drugs by flushing them down the toilet, the cleaning and personal care products we use and the clothes we wear and wash on a daily basis also contribute to the environmental pollution. Indeed, the environmental impacts of our clothing choices are shocking, as studies assessing toxic effects of various fabric treatments (such as dyes, flame retardants and stain resistant chemicals) to laundry detergents and the fabric fibers themselves need serious attention. The Drawback of Fleece Microfibers1 in particular have gained notoriety for posing a serious threat to marine life and migrating into fields and onto our plates. As noted by NPR:2 “The innovation of synthetic fleece has allowed many outdoor enthusiasts to hike with warmth and comfort. But what many … don't know is that each wash … releases thousands of microscopicplastic fibers, or microfibers, into the environment — from their favorite national park to agricultural lands to waters with fish that make it back onto our plates. This has scientists wondering: Are we eating our sweaters' synthetic microfibers? Probably, says Chelsea Rochman, an ecologist and evolutionary biologist at the University of Toronto, St. George. ‘Microfibers seem to be one of the most common plastic debris items in animals and environmental samples,’ Rochman says.” Microfibers Have Become a Very Significant Water Pollutant Indeed, synthetic microfibers make up 85 percent of shoreline debris worldwide,3 and tend to be found in higher concentrations in beach sediment near waste water treatment plants.4 Water testing done by the Rozalia Project also showed microfibers are showing up in most water samples collected from the Hudson River.5 The fibers have also been found in both table salt6 and fish sold for human consumption.7 A 2015 study from the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) directly linked microbead plastics and man-made microfibers to the pollution in fish,8 and when Abigail Barrows — chief investigator for Global Microplastics Initiative — sampled over 2,000 marine and freshwater fish, 90 percent had microfiber debris in their bodies. Near identical results have been reported by Amy Lusher, a microplastics researcher based in the U.K. who co-authored a study9 on microplastic pollution in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, published in 2014. There really does not appear to be any place on Earth that remains unspoiled by plastic pollution. As Abby Barrows, a microplastics researcher for Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation told The Washington Post:10 “Working in this field of research … can be really depressing. I open up a box of water — it’s from some beautiful place in Palau, and it’s just full of plastics. Or it’s from Antarctica, and I think there’s definitely not going to be anything in here. And it’s just full of fragments. I haven’t seen a sample that doesn’t contain an alarming amount of plastic.” Microfibers Are Also a Potential Food Contaminant Microfibers, which are more prevalent than microbeads (found in face scrubs and similar items), are particularly detrimental as the fibers are easily consumed by fish and other wildlife, accumulating in the gut and concentrating in the bodies of other animals higher up the food chain. In one study, microfibers raised mortality among water fleas.11 In another, the presence of fibers were found to reduce overall food intake of crabs, worms and langoustines (aka Norway lobster),12,13 thereby threatening their growth and survival rates. Making matters worse, these microscopic plastic fibers actually soak up toxins like a sponge, concentrating PCBs, pesticides and oil in ever higher amounts as you move up the food chain. Factors That Worsen Microfiber Release Tests show each washing of a synthetic fleece jacket releases an average of 1.7 grams of microfiber, and may release as much as 2.7 grams.14,15,16 For comparison, a paperclip weighs about 1.5 grams. The older the jacket, the more microfibers are released,17 and lower quality generic brand fleece was also found to shed 170 percent more over its lifespan than higher quality fleece. Separate research18,19 published in Marine Pollution Bulletin found that the type of fabric also makes a difference in the rate of microfiber shed. In a comparison of acrylic, polyester and a polyester-cotton blend, acrylic was the worst, shedding microfibers up to four times faster than the polyester-cotton blend. Different types of washing machines may also release different amounts of fibers (and chemicals) from your clothes. Tests show top loading machines release about 530 percent more microfibers than front loading models.20 Other factors that can influence the amount of shedding include water temperature, length and agitation strength of the wash cycle and the type of detergent used. Up to 40 percent of these microfibers leave the wastewater treatment plant and end up in the surrounding lakes, rivers and ocean. As reported by Fusion:21 “To get a sense of the macro-scale of this micro-problem, the authors calculated that a city of around 100,000 people could send anywhere from 20 to 240 pounds of microfibers into local waterbodies daily, which averages out to around 15,000 plastic bags.” Potential Solutions To address these problems, scientists are calling for appliance companies to investigate the effectiveness of adding filters to catch the microfibers.22 Wexco is currently the exclusive distributor of the Filtrol 160 filter,23 designed to capture non-biodegradable fibers from your washing machine discharge. The problem with this solution is what becomes of the microfibers when they’re disposed of in landfills (the same issue that is raised if wastewater treatment plants install filters to keep the tiny fibers out of waterways). The fibers may simply end up entering the environment via another route. Another novel potential solution — a waterless washing machine — was developed by Tersus Solutions in Colorado, with funding from Patagonia. It washes clothing using pressurized carbon dioxide instead of water.24 An even simpler strategy would be to wash your fleece and microfiber clothing less often. Patagonia is also looking for mitigating solutions, including product redesign to prevent the shedding of microfibers. Polyester Downfalls Beyond Microfiber Pollution Beyond microfiber pollution, polyester and other man-made materials have many other environmental drawbacks. As previously noted by Environmental Health Perspectives:25 “[P]olyester, the most widely used manufactured fiber, is made from petroleum. With the rise in production in the fashion industry, demand for man-made fibers, especially polyester, has nearly doubled in the last 15 years, according to figures from the Technical Textile Markets. The manufacture of polyester and other synthetic fabrics is an energy-intensive process requiring large amounts of crude oil and releasing emissions including volatile organic compounds, particulate matter and acid gases such as hydrogen chloride, all of which can cause or aggravate respiratory disease. Volatile monomers, solvents and other by-products of polyester production are emitted in the wastewater from polyester manufacturing plants. The EPA [Environmental Protection Agency], under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, considers many textile manufacturing facilities to be hazardous waste generators.” Even seemingly innocuous garments like jeans are often produced using a laundry list of toxic chemicals, including perfluorochemicals, phthalates and azo dyes. It’s not only man-made materials that are the problem, however. Even conventionally grown genetically engineered (GE) cotton is problematic due to the cotton industry’s heavy use of hazardous herbicides and insecticides, including some of the most hazardous insecticides on the market. This is one reason why I strongly encourage you to choose organic cotton, organic hemp and/or wool items, ideally colored with nontoxic, natural dyes whenever possible. Organic fabrics will not be genetically engineered and subject to this onslaught of toxic exposures. And, while this will not solve all of the environmental problems related to the garment industry, it's a step in the right direction. Change Starts at Home Benign by Design,26,27 a program created by ecologist Mark Browne in 2013, aims to show clothing companies “exactly how textile wear leads to fiber pollution and ways to control their emissions.” According to the website, the program — which is supported by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — “developed a trade-off analysis system that rigorously and scientifically selects the most cost effective material with the smallest impact; fabrics that emit fewer fibers and less toxic fibers.” But while some companies are actively investigating ways to produce clothing that is more environmentally-friendly, each and every one of us can contribute to the solution by buying less and becoming more conscious consumers when it comes to clothing. As described in my previous article on “fast fashion,” the entire life cycle of a piece of clothing would ideally be taken into account before buying, as most of your discarded clothes actually end up in landfills, or are resold to third world countries where local clothing industries then suffer instead. Westerners have a tendency to think we're being generous by donating our cast-offs, allowing those with few means to get clothes they might not be able to afford otherwise. The reality is, the second-hand industry is struggling with an overwhelming amount of clothes. They cannot even house it all — which is why charities will only keep donated items in their thrift shops for a month before shipping them off for bulk liquidation. There's simply no shortage of second-hand clothing, so you're not really doing the world any favors by routinely adding to the donation piles. If you really want to make a dent in the problem, give more thought to what you buy in the first place and curb your consumption. Most Americans have enough clothes to outfit entire villages in some other countries. There’s little doubt that many would do well to absorb some of the life-affirming suggestions offered by the minimalism movement. As the director of environmental strategy for Patagonia told CBS in 2015:28 “People need to learn how to buy less and companies need to learn how to be profitable in selling less … Something has to fundamentally shift in the consumption world that reduces the pressure on the raw materials, which reduces pressure on the planet …”
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