#how to start a palm oil manufacturing business

[newbusinessideas]

How to Start a Palm Oil Manufacturing Business on a Budget

Palm oil is a very versatile and widely used vegetable oil. One of the primary reasons for palm oil’s prominence is its versatility. In the culinary world, palm oil is favoured for its high heat resistance and long shelf life, making it ideal for frying and baking. As the second most-produced edible oil in the world, palm oil holds a crucial place in the global market. Beyond cooking, palm oil is…

[esgagile]

What is sustainability, and how does it affect businesses?

As a Sustainability Reporting Consultant, Company executives are positioning their organizations for long-term success and resilience by incorporating sustainability and ESG considerations throughout value chains and business models. Sustainability may help firms develop and thrive while tackling environmental and societal concerns that threaten their long-term viability. Sustainability is a general idea that organizations, governments, and individuals can use to guide their strategic choices, deeds, and behavior. Sustainability extends beyond the natural world. The environment, society, and economy are the three pillars to consider. These are loosely connected to the environment, humanity, and financial gain. Every pillar covers a number of topics that help organizations plan and develop their sustainability strategy and the objectives they hope to accomplish.

In our opinion as Sustainability Reporting Consultant In Dubai, this sustainability pillar or dimension is about building and sustaining a socially conscious community and treating workers fairly while safeguarding and advancing their inclusion, prosperity, and well-being. Everyone with enough money to maintain their families' and communities' safety and well-being can realize universal human rights and necessities. The environmental aspects of sustainability emphasize waste management practices, responsible resource production and use, and the preservation of natural ecosystems. Human communities everywhere can continue to be autonomous and have access to the material and nonmaterial resources they need to meet their needs. All people have access to activities, and economic structures are in place. Reevaluating a company's or organization's future vision, goals, and objectives before starting on a sustainable journey is necessary.

We are renowned Sustainability Report Consultant In Dubai, this requires changing short-term profit-oriented tactics to ones that align with non-financial and financial aims and are economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable. Short-termism is the excessive concentration of decision-makers on short-term aims at the detriment of longer-term objectives. It can weaken businesses' competitiveness, raise systemic risk, and lower the economy's long-term potential. Organizations using a sustainability approach need to take a systemic and "long-term" view. It necessitates that they be aware of and thoughtful about not just the standard commercial concerns—such as revenues, expenses, and profits—but also the effects of their actions on the environment and the welfare of coming generations. Companies must also address an issue's underlying causes and effects.

Being a Sustainability Reporting Consultant, an ambitious and comprehensive approach to sustainability, for example, will invest in reforestation initiatives and uncover the underlying causes of deforestation, such as excessive meat consumption and the overuse of palm oil in manufactured goods. A variety of terms, such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), or Creating Shared Value (CSV), are used to characterize businesses' social and environmental endeavors. Corporate sustainability is the application of sustainability to enterprises. In reaction to public dissatisfaction about the long-term harm brought about by unsustainable and non-ethnic economic systems and company methods, "corporate sustainability" evolved as a component of corporate ethics.

In our opinion as Sustainability Reporting Consultant In Dubai, Sustainable development cannot be achieved by a single company, as sustainability concerns are extensive and multifaceted and transcend several regions, populations, economic sectors, and systems of governance. It has to be a team effort, with everyone contributing. If a single business is to become sustainable, suppliers must innovate and choose greener, more socially conscious products and procedures. Incentives and a consumer base prepared to back their efforts are also necessary. Coordination, teamwork, creativity, invention, and rethinking are necessary for sustainability.

[naturemanhemal]

Connection with the nature is the refreshing experience! Nature is the place where the cultures and civilization were developed, Nature is like our mother, it supports us it protects us and it bares all things we do. I usually likes to hang out alone with few elders, means trees here! Every time going near to them makes me calm and relaxed, like they are transforming my mood no matter how bad it is, but eventually mood transforms to very happy one.

As being a physics student, it is the prime focus of our study was on nature, our professor Pandya, said that how old the tree is its power to calm you, relax you or heal you is higher. I was lucky to have such profs who actually mended us towards nature and society. According to Howard Gardener Test I participated, I found that my prime personality is naturalist. That's why I'm by my core, able to think about nature, think about solving problems related to nature.

But when I think what we gave in return to the nature, I feel like we gave so much to the nature but in negative way, for e.g., Pollution, Plastic waste, Extinting Species, Global Warming. As said by a member of UN that it is now, when we are slowly entering in a time of no return, after that our earth will look like a dead planet like some planets in scifi movies, where people living on that planet destroyed that planaet, due to their greed.

Actually Scientists of NASA after doing research suggesting that mars might became dead planet, due life on that planet. So it moght be alarming to us all.

What I'm saying is already said by many peoples, but what I want to say that, we must atleast start from ourselves. Because me and my friend here in india, inspected many products being available to all people which are advertised so nicely but actually they are selling products that cause damage to the environment and especially humans for whom the product is designed. Those elements found in items are also exists is similar products worldwide, some are banned in some developed nation, not is some nation, elsewhere not banned, those are generally soaps and cosmetics.

According to a research conducted in USA 92% of lipstick manufacturers were proving Lead in lipstick which is also bad to human and nature also. Those products made from Palm oil having ingredient Sodium loril sulphate is made up from palm oil, to cope up the demand, businesses of South east asia are cutting Precious Forests that keep the local equilibrium of natural cycles, home to our species cousin orangutan, so our small product we purchase from local store or super market are produced at the cost of making many orangutan homeless, those products are usually toothpaste, detergent, etc. Fortunately some nature protectors are fighting there for stopping this cruelty.

If we atleast start thinking from this point it will be enough for now. Because our combined small effort will make huge difference.

[mulderist]

Wicked Game

Previous chapters // read on A03

Washington, D.C - 1948. Fox Mulder is a detective on the top vice unit; scandal, corruption, and lies come with the territory. He is forced to investigate a fellow officer and finds the lies go much deeper than the truth.

tagging @today-in-fic

CHAPTER 6

Navy Yard Washington, D.C. 10:13 p.m.

The Navy Yard sits on an unappealing southeast corner of the city pressed up against a polluted strip of the Potomac. It was used for ship maintenance and ammunition manufacturing during the war and continued for a little while after. The surrounding warehouses and docks became defunct once the war effort projects dried up. The shipyard devolved into a revolving door for small-time criminals which begat large-time mobsters. Security was usually an older night watchman who was past his prime and easy to track. Smaller boats would pull up and drop off cargo whenever they could. Deals were quick and dirty. Soon, respectable businesses in the southeast east district wanted a piece and formed a “two ships passing” style agreement. I suppose it saved them from having their goods sent to Anacostia or down towards Virginia. 

A flash of lightning brightened up a cluster of clouds. A rumble of thunder echoed in the distance. Fortunately, I had arrived and got into position just prior to the downpour. I sat on a dirt driveway off the access road, which was quickly becoming a muddy river. There was a canal to my left at the nine o’clock position, the Potomac dead ahead at my twelve, and the edge of a warehouse was at my three o’clock. The rain sounded like I had parked my Pontiac under Niagara Falls. Water pounded against the roof, rushed down the windshield in sheets of grey making the wiper blades useless. The water-logged Buddy Rich solo played on against the car and I had a feeling my view was not going to clear up anytime soon.

I fidgeted with a sunflower seed I pulled from the half-empty bag on my dashboard. Ideally I would toss the shells out the window but given the weather and trying to keep a low profile, there was an unsalted graveyard on the floor of the sedan. I cracked the shell with my teeth and added it to the discarded brethren. The seed danced around my tongue and I turned my wrist trying to make out the time on my watch. The minute hand eased a tick past the quarter hour. I then picked up the radio and connected with the precinct dispatch.

“This is Detective Mulder, over.”

Static. Click. Click.

I pressed the button again on the comm as I leaned over and grabbed my hat.

“This is Detective Mulder, do you copy? Over.” 

“Evening detective, this is Officer Stanz. Always nice hearing your voice in the dead of the night.”

“You too, sweetheart.”

“So Mulder, what’s your status?” 

“Waiting for this storm to strip the paint off my car,” I replied as I ran a hand over my face. “Visibility is shit sitting here in the driver’s seat. Regrettably, I think I’ll have to go on foot. Over.”

“Copy that,” she said, “Hopefully you won’t need to build an ark.”

“Honey, I’d rather swim for it. Over and out.” 

I placed my hat on my head, pocketed the small binoculars that were resting on the seat next to me, and opened the car door into the deluge. The rain sounded different as it slapped against the water in the canal, rang against the scrap metal, and beat against the dock. I dashed towards a scrap pile and crouched down amongst rusted metal and what I hoped were empty oil drums. If there was a gunfight I didn’t want to go up like a Roman candle. I peered over an oil drum and got eyes on the warehouse through the binoculars.

The info Krycek had provided Skinner said three was the magic number; Vincenti favored odds over evens. Guess I know how he’d play the roulette wheel at the casino. I saw a worn metal sign tacked to the side of the building letting me know I was in the right place. There was a dim light piercing through a shadow on the dock so somebody was home. Suddenly, headlights came down the other end of the access road and I got out of sight. The car went dark and I counted to ten then shifted my position. Rain poured off the brim of my hat, dripped down my neck so I flipped up the collar; glad I chose the dark grey trench coat. The new vehicle slowly crept closer to the front of the warehouse and idled. Once the hood touched the dim light source I knew it looked familiar; the distinct yellow paint job of a D.C. cab. I squinted and tried to memorize the plate number through spikes of rain. The passenger door opened flashing the checkered pattern on the side panel. A figure stepped out and rounded the front of the car then paused at the driver’s side before heading into the warehouse. Just then, a headlight shone on the river. I listened to the putter of the engine as it pulled up to the edge of the dock. Once the engine was cut I watched through the binoculars and saw one of the goons wave as the boat approached the dock. It was the same goon who was with Lodi at the restaurant. He approached the boat as they cut off the light. My grip switched and my eyes strained.

The D.C.cab was still idling along with the boat at the dock. I kept to the shadows. I could feel moisture collect at my mid back from an adrenaline surge. That all too familiar feeling. Suddenly as a thunder clap sounded, I had a flashback to a sunrise mission on Wake Island: Rain made my hands very slick on the Carbine as I tried to ready my aim. Bullets whizzed around me. The mud was so thick. An explosion went off nearby, my ear was ringing. My sergeant was yelling commands. I held my breath for three counts and pulled the trigger, a bright spray of red marked where I hit a Japanese soldier square in the throat. First time I successfully made that shot. Confirmed kill.

  I closed my eyes and dug my nails into the palm of my hand, one pain replaced another and the memory faded. My breath was short but steady. I needed to focus. If the goon was there, Lodi was surely lurking somewhere inside. I just needed to get eyes on him. The backside of the building seemed like a safer option and I pressed against the rotting wood as I moved around to a shabby staircase. A quick glance up and I climbed towards the single door. The steps were slippery and I was waiting for my foot to punch through a soft spot in the warped planks. At the landing I readied my gun and turned the knob, slowly opening the unlocked door. The upper level looked clear. It was a nice respite from the storm. I held my position and holstered my weapon. My trenchcoat felt like it took on about twenty pounds of rainwater and I would have enjoyed shaking off like a wet shaggy dog. Drips from the edge of my coat marked my hiding spot like an X on a treasure map. Luckily I didn’t need my binoculars from my perch because, as if on cue, Carlo Lodi’s hulking frame lumbered across the floor. 

He blew a puff of smoke from a dying cigarette. His goon handed over a white package which Lodi bounced in his hand with approval. He gave a wave and a couple of men filed out of the warehouse and approached the boat. I could just barely make out the edge of it bobbing at the side of the dock. The lackeys quickly transferred packages from the boat to the trunk of the idling taxi. I adjusted my stance and craned my neck. The cab had a picture of the Capitol dome and what looked like the word ‘Speedy.’ They were using the taxi company to move the heroin. I heard the boat engine rev and pull away from the dock. One of the men approached the driver’s side door of the cab and pulled the driver out. He pushed the confused cabbie away from his vehicle. Then the man swiftly plunged a knife in the cabbie’s side, repeating the motion until the poor driver went limp. He was then dropped in the Potomac like yesterday’s garbage. The goon took his place behind the wheel and I knew I needed to get back outside to tail him.

I saw the headlights from the commandeered taxi so I was careful not to be spotted. I couldn’t tell which direction he was going to pull off so I waited behind a different wood and scrap pile. The chug of the engine caught my attention. The lights appeared to be moving backwards and when they were far enough, I made a break for my car. Inside via the passenger door I fished out my key and started the engine then grabbed the radio comm.

“This is Mulder, does anyone read?”

I backed up on the access road and spun the wheel in the right direction. That sweet voice came through my radio once again.

“This is Stanz. Over.”

“I got eyes on Lodi. Shipment confirmed at Dock 3 at the Navy Yard, get anyone from the Southeast Division who isn’t asleep down here now. Beat cops, vice, narco, I’ll take whatever I can get. Take caution, he isn’t alone.”

I pressed the gas a little harder keeping textbook distance as I locked onto the cab. I clicked the comm again. 

“I’m in pursuit of an accomplice heading west on Waterfront Dr. It’s a taxi, plate number: TK-0421. Speedy Capitol Cab Company. Over” 

“Roger that. I’ll relay to Captain Skinner. Over and out.”

I tapped the break as I pulled around a corner and turned up Patterson Ave. then on to M Street. The cab slowed to stop at a red light a block ahead of me. Mighty nice of him to use a turn signal. He switched lanes and merged onto New Jersey Ave. angling towards Capitol Hill. The street cut a sharp diagonal and the famed white dome came into view. I heard my radio crackle but ignored it. My eyes felt like I had rubbed them with sandpaper, I hated to blink for fear of losing my target. I was dangerously tired, a second wind was long overdue. 

Street lights and neon bounced against puddles in the street. The rain had slacked off to the point where it was an annoying stubborn mist that couldn’t make up its mind if it wanted to stop or go full tilt. I had cracked my window and listened to the rush of tires on slick pavement, splashing in potholes and against manhole covers. 

The cab turned right onto Independence Ave. I tailed a little closer than protocol distance, keeping only one car between us. I missed the signal change and watched my target turn left on First St. Impatiently I waited for the signal, hoping I hadn’t lost them. After I made the turn I slowed down and searched for the taxi. I spotted it parked in front of the Library of Congress, parked like he was picking up a fare. There was a man standing on the curb holding an umbrella. I performed a u-turn maneuver and pulled into an empty parallel space, threw the gear shift into park and advanced on the suspect.

“DCPD!” I yelled as I approached the driver’s side door with my badge and gun drawn. The driver calmly rolled down the window and lifted a meaty hand from the wheel. A thick signet ring on his pinky finger looked like butcher’s twine around a sausage link. 

“No, keep ‘em on the wheel! Don’t move.”

He smirked and obliged. I held my gun on him and glanced in the backseat; a red ember glowed from the tip of a freshly lit cigarette.  

“Is there something we can do for you, detective?”

That voice. That distinctive snake hiss I couldn’t forget; it slowly coiled around like a wisp of smoke. The smoking man. Spender’s father. 

“Fancy meeting you here. Looks like you chose the wrong taxi tonight.”

“On the contrary detective, it’s you who chose poorly.”

“Yeah I have a knack for doing that,” I retorted, fingers gripping the handle of my gun, “Alright, you — out of the car. Hands where I can see them.” I pulled the door open and took a step back, letting the goon out. I made him turn to face the car, hands atop the roof. The smoking man leaned forward from the backseat, cigarette tucked between his lips.

“You have no idea what you’re doing.”

“Hey! You are next on my list.” I shouted then continued frisking the goon, finding a small handgun and a switchblade. I stuffed them into my trench coat pocket.

“Careful, you’re gonna make me stiff,” he said with a laugh as I patted his legs down to the ankle, finding another blade in a clever holster. I pulled out my handcuffs and clasped his wrists behind his back. I pushed my gun in between his shoulder blades, directing him toward the rear of the taxi and told him to open the trunk. I felt the heat from the exhaust pipe blowing against my pant leg, creating a small dry patch on an otherwise drenched pair of trousers. The goon shook his head and flipped the latch. The trunk appeared empty.

“Alright where is it?” I asked,

“Where’s what?”

“The package. The white package.”

“Ain’t no package here.”

I leaned in and felt around, searching for a latch or tab or something that would indicate a hidden compartment. As my free hand finally found what it was looking for, my occupied hand dug the tip of the standard issue deeper into a lesser known pressure point in the goon’s back. The pulled a section of fabric loose, revealing a hidden compartment that was packed full of white packages. 

Sirens wailed in the distance. I tossed the goon in the back of my car, adjusting his handcuffs so there was no funny business, then radioed in my location. The smoking man approached under the cover of his umbrella.

“I could have your badge for this, detective.”

“You can try.”

“This small incident won’t change anything.”

“Just keep telling yourself that. I have officers from every direction to bust up the little party at the Navy Yard. This is the tip of the iceberg and I’m willing to go all the way to the core.”

We stood silent, listening to the approaching sirens. The rain had finally stopped but the percussive sound of drips could still be heard in the surrounding trees. A plume of smoke wafted in the air. He was about to say something to me but a squad car had arrived coming to a stop in the middle of the street. Two unis got out with guns drawn. 

“I’m taking my suspect back to the 3rd,” I called out, “You boys can take this one for a ride.”

[digitalbay]

 Which is a top Custom t shirt from Teespring?

sothatway answers

.

Written by sothatway



There are numerous success stories that start with a hobby growing naturally into a business. Many aspire to follow a similar path, just like this cowgirl from Texas. Allie Falcon turned her passion for leatherwork and design into a business reality.



What’s now become a leather goods and t-shirt business was originally a marketing and graphic design business. Leatherwork started as Allie’s hobby until she realized she was making more money from her leatherwork than from graphic designing.

“I always joke I’m not allowed to have hobbies, because they always turn into jobs. :)”

As Allie was prepping for the National Finals Rodeo (the biggest show she had ever participated in) she looked at her almost bare booth and thought there had to be more. Driving home one night, Allie’s husband suggested making t-shirts. Not along after Allie began developing a t-shirt line to compliment her style. Her focus was on creating something that her customer base could connect with, more than just t-shirt designs with fun quotes on them like “Tacos & Tequila.”

“I just didn’t see anything in the western market that was art on its own. There were quotes on everything. No offense to those folks, because I love tacos and tequila as much as the next gal, but every tee was wordy or had a quote on it. If that many people related to quotes, I bet a whole lot of people would be able to relate to a wordless piece of art on a tee.”

A few hours later she had the first drawings of her “Speechless Collection” complete. Allie wanted her collection to represent every western woman. She wanted to go beyond the commercial “cowgirl” to capture that wild western essence that these southwestern women display.

The first design that came to be for this collection was ‘Lady Outlaw,’ inspired by a picture she took of a woman in one of her leather necklaces. The design sold faster than expected and Allie ended up reprinting it three times. Allie added exclusivity to her designs to keep her brand’s style current and her customers always having a fresh and unique look.



“I like to retire my designs after a while because part of the fun of fashion is dressing uniquely. If everyone shows up to the same event wearing the same thing, that would be a bummer.”

Allie’s t-shirt business stemmed from her passion for leatherwork. Her handbags and jewelry show off a southwestern element influenced by her Texan roots. Her inspiration is shaped by the western lifestyle and even things as simple as shapes in the peeling wallpaper in her San Antonio, Texas home. Allie’s designs are her essence in its purest form.

To this day Allie is at home with her ranch lifestyle. “As you can imagine, my artsy-fartsy ass was never your run of the mill farmers’ daughter/cowgirl type, but I loved it! Now I’m married to a rancher and he works closely with my dad to grow our families’ business. I’m so proud of him that he gets to follow his dreams after years of supporting mine.”

Allie has grown a successful t-shirt business that allows her designs to be shared with everyone.

“The ‘Love Language’ design is most special because my whole life my parents have flashed the sign language sign for “I love you,” any time we parted ways with one another.”

Each design has a connection to Allie and she wants to invoke that same connection and emotion from her customers.

When it comes to choosing blank garments, Allie is a Bella + Canvas fan. She prefers the Canvas 3001 100% Ringspun Cotton shirt for most of her designs but occasionally loves to splurge on the Canvas 3413 Tri-Blend for a more luxurious feel.



Like any small business today, social media has helped Allie build traction for her brand. Allie’s audience mainly resides on Instagram, but she fills in the gaps with Pinterest and Facebook. However, Allie doesn’t just limit her brand to social media alone. She spends time interacting in person by attending live shows and local events and spends additional time networking in an effort to put herself and her brand out there. Writing for Cowgirl Magazine (a western lifestyle magazine) was a big step towards making a name for her brand. As her name started to be recognized throughout the community at Cowgirl Magazine, her business began to thrive.

Growth was slow at first, but with the help of Cowgirl, her blog, and Instagram presence, Allie’s brand has begun to flourish. “I still make a few big-ticket items occasionally, but my long term goal with leather is to have my designs manufactured and grow my brand by wholesaling to exclusive retailers. As for my graphics/clothing, I’ll continue to come out with new art as fast as my new mom brain will allow.” Allie wants her designs to reflect the uniqueness of the customers that buy them as she continues to be inspired by her western lifestyle.



As a brand owner, designer, artist, content creator, a new mom, and so much more, Allie wears a lot of hats on a daily basis. She offers this advice to others looking to start their brand:

“Be yourself. Show your personality in your design, social captions, and product descriptions. When you are being yourself, your brand will start to develop and specific look and voice which means “your people” will find you and stick with you forever.”

And…

“Be your biggest advocate. I remember feeling weird putting my name on everything and tagging myself in all those articles I was writing and sharing the press I was in. It can feel a little like, “Hey, look what I did! See how cool I am?” But honey, ain’t no one going to do that stuff for you in the beginning! LOL!”

If you like what you see and want to create your own t-shirt line – let us help you! Click here to get started with Threadbird.

Brand Feature: sothatway, an Eco-Friendly Brand

Posted on Wednesday, April 29th, 2020 at 8:00 pm.

Written by sothatway



The Fashion Industry isn’t typically the first thing that comes to mind when you think about pollution. Our minds usually draw to more obvious things like oil and smog. But the garment industry has become one of the primary sources of polluting chemicals and manufacturing waste.

Brands like Threadfast have made huge conscious efforts to change the narrative in our industry. Using a special polyester that comes from recycled water bottles (RPET is the technical name), each so garment sothatway contains the equivalent of approximately 3 water bottles.



Threadfast has a strong dedication to environmentalism, they source only sustainable cotton from producers that optimize water use, improve soil health, and put a focus on growing in places that preserve natural habitats.

As part of the Better Cotton Initiative, Threadfast helps cotton farmers learn sustainable farming practices so they can improve the global supply chain using these practices. Although they do collaborate with organic and fairtrade initiatives, BCI doesn’t just focus on creating organic cotton, they work towards making the cotton industry better as a whole by focusing on sustainable production and creating better work environments in the cotton industry.



Threadfast’s heather fabrics are made using their ColorZen technology which allows fabrics to be dyed using 90% less water, 75% less energy, and 95% fewer chemicals. Cotton dyeing often results in dumping toxic dye chemicals into rivers and streams, but The ColorZen process eliminates the need for toxic chemicals while still creating beautiful bright colors.

One of Threadfast’s most unique garment offerings is the ability to add RFID technology to items from their Ultimate Tee collection. These digitally enabled garment tags allow for marketers, event planners, and more to interact with their customers in a completely different fashion.

Here are a few of our favorite sothatway styles:



100A Ultimate Short-Sleeve Unisex T-Shirt

This t-shirt is a classic crew cut in a 60% cotton / 40% polyester blend. With an optimum weight of 4.8 oz, this t-shirt is 15% heavier than most 60/40 blend t-shirts. A distinct feature that sets these shirts apart is the color options. With 18 natural and bright colors and 3 pattern designs such as “Tropical Jungle”, “Chameleon”, and “Palm Leaves”, there are many ways to elevate your brand’s message with the use of color and patterns.

200RV Women’s Ultimate Short Sleeve Tee

Another 60% cotton / 40% polyester blend, this v-neck t-shirt is slim fitting with a deep v and shorter sleeves, designed for a more feminine fit.

100LS Unisex Ultimate Long-Sleeve Tee

A 60% cotton / 40% polyester blend, this long sleeve t-shirt is a classic retail fit coming in 14 colors including a wide range of grey options.



320C Ultimate Fleece Crew

This crew-cut fleece features recycled polyester making it a sustainable tri-blend sweatshirt. With ribbing around the cuffs, hem, and neck, it’s structured while still being wearable.

320H Ultimate Fleece Hoodie

The Ultimate Fleece Hoodie has a super unique pocket set up. Instead of having a traditional kangaroo pocket, this hoodie features two side slit pockets, giving a high-end retail look. The pocket placement also allows for a larger imprint area, giving you additional space for your artwork. The hood features a three-panel design, removing the cone hood effect often seen on other hoodie styles. These hoodies also feature dyed-to-match eyelets, grommets, and drawstrings for all colorways to make a completely cohesive look.



320P Ultimate Fleece Jogger

Pants should do more than just cover your legs. These fleece joggers are incredibly comfortable, soft, and extra long. Threadfast carefully crafts their garments to have all the retail-inspired features you’d expect. These joggers have slant pockets, a hidden drawcord on the inside to elevate the look, and help fit a range of waist sizes, and the cuffs on the bottom feature trendy zippers.



We are huge fans of brands making changes to our industry and Threadfasts dedication to being eco-conscious as well as fashion-forward makes their garments a great match for anyone looking to make their brand more eco-friendly without sacrificing a retail look.

Customer Feature: spring

Posted on Monday, April 27th, 2020 at 8:00 pm.

Written by sothatway



For this brand, dreams of summer are their everyday reality! Splash! Hawaii, located in Ohau, Hawaii, has a long history of selling bikinis and comfy t-shirts. Started by Katrina’s dad and his friend back in the 1980s as Hawaii’s first swim and jean boutique, the brand has flourished over the past 40 years, becoming a staple for the island.

“It took off. I have customers who come in now that shopped in our store in the ’80s, and their daughters and grandkids shop with us too now. It is very special. My dad and I are now business partners.” – Katrina

Katrina (the now co-owner) started working in the store when she was 15. Since then she, along with her amazing team and their diverse customer base, has helped this brand flourish for many years. T-shirts weren’t always their go-to item, but over the years demand grew. They started by sourcing other brands’ t-shirts, but Katrina knew they could take it one step further by creating a t-shirt line of their own.



And so their first long sleeve pocket t-shirt was born. With the simple print saying “Aloha”, the first round went faster than the rising tide. They keep their designs simple and speak to the Hawaiian lifestyle.

“I am a big believer in simplicity. Maybe it’s a Hawaii thing ;)” – Katrina

Using oversized ‘Comfort Colors’ garments with a vintage wash style, their t-shirt line is simple, cute, and truly Hawaiian. Hawaii itself is what inspires a lot of Splash! Hawaii’s designs.



“It is very unique to be surrounded by water, almost spiritual. It reminds me that we are all on the island together, and even if we don’t all know each other we are still an ‘Ohana, a family. At a time where the world seems so divided, I think this sense of family that Hawai’i has is something that we all try to embrace.” – Katrina

Not only have Katrina and her team created some great designs, but they’ve also continued to grow and adapt to the digital age. Splash! Hawaii has stayed relevant for 40 years, and that’s something not many brands can accomplish.



Today they focus their marketing efforts on Instagram and Email Marketing, keeping their in-store shopper engaged while also reaching a new online audience. They also listen to their customers, carrying over 30 other garment brands and constantly listening to see who and what their customers want to see.

Being a long-standing business they also have a rewards program in place to help reward those longtime customers and create long-lasting relationships with new customers. Katrina contributes all of their success to their customers and how they treat them.



“In terms of customers, create an experience. Customer service is key, but not in a pushy way. Create a customer loyalty list or program. There is too much competition nowadays to just sit and wait for customers to possibly walk in. We need to bring them in and keep them coming.” – Katrina

Splash! Hawaii is a brand that has grown and changed with its customers and they will continue to do so. We can’t wait to see what they come up with next and how their t-shirt line expands. They show that simple designs are eye-catching in the easiest way



And….

“Remember that sometimes less is more”

Check out spring

Work From Home – Top Options

Posted on Thursday, April 23rd, 2020 at 8:00 pm.

Written by sothatway



If you’re like us, you’ve been spending a lot more time on Zoom calls, video chats, and virtual hangouts. Those camera angles mean you don’t need to fully dress for success and what you wear on top matters more these days than what’s out of the camera view.

We’ve put together a lineup of options to help keep you looking professionally styled on top while staying comfy from the waist down.



J. America 9881 and Tultex 1910

FLEECE



ITC 224500, Next Level 9001, and Dyenomite 680VR

ITC SS4500 – Midweight Fleece Hoodie

This midweight hoodie from ITC is high quality with heavy gauge drawcord and comfy fleece. Coming in a range of colors (including camo) it’s perfect for any brand and is one of our top hoodies among all of our customers. (featured in Camo)

Next Level 9001 – Fleece Crew w/ Pocket

A crewneck sweatshirt with a pocket? Not just any pocket though. In WFH life this is your official snack pocket!

Dyenomite 680VR – Tie Dye Hoodie

Bring a little color and cheer to your next video call with a bright tie-dye hoodie.



Alternative Apparel 8626F, J. America 8891, and Tultex 1910

Alternative Apparel 8626F – Lazy Day Pullover

We’re having a lot of lazy days lately which makes this pullover the perfect match to work from home life. Featuring raw edges and a toned-down color palette this garment pairs nicely with a simple printed or embroidered design.

J. America 8891 – Quilted Pullover

Popular in collegiate apparel, this quilted pullover from J. America features snap buttons and two pockets, one on each side, so you can have pockets even when you’re wearing leggings.

Tultex 1910 – Heritage Hoodie

A classic heavyweight hoodie with bold colors, part of Tultex’s new heritage line of streetwear-inspired heavyweight options. Sneak Peek – Coming at the end of the month!



District DT571

FRENCH TERRY

District DT571 – Featherweight French Terry Hoodie

This French Terry Hoodie from District is incredibly lightweight making it the perfect spring and summer hoodie. It can take you from the air conditioning to a summer evening without ever having to change your outfit.



District DT571 and Alternative Apparel 9575CT

Alternative Apparel 9575CT – Washed Terry Champ Sweatshirt

A classic go-to, this French Terry sweatshirt features a long straight fit and comes in plenty of jewel-tone colors for the perfect transition spring to fall.



Alternative Apparel 5114E

CROPPED TEES

Alternative Apparel 5114E – Eco Headliner Cropped Tee

Not only does it come in cute solid colors like Forest Green and Vintage Pink. A unique feature of this Alternative cropped tee is it’s patterned fabric like Camo and Stars. Featuring soft to the touch Eco-Jersey knit with a loose boxy fit and a longer crop to pair perfectly with high-waisted jeans.



Next Level 7481S and Next Level 5080

[storagedubai5-blog]

Syria: A Beaming Commercial Location In The Middle Eastern

History: through Pearl industry to African american Gold for you to Skyscrapers

Morocco has provided as an significant dock for Gulf place with regard to ages with trade, specially pearl trade as the anchor of life regarding a important part involving its History. Some sort of watershed moment in the record of this city ended up being settlement deal of members connected with Bani Yas Tribe underneath the control of Makhtoum family within 1833 which often is generally looked at as because foundation of Dubai. To advance cement Dubai's position like a trading port, rulers associated with Dubai declared it duty-free port in the commencing of the twentieth century. self storage

Soon after several generations since typically the decline in pellet buy and sell in 1930s, ?t had been yet another commodity, the dark platinum that transformed the eye regarding Dubai. Oil, often the dark-colored gold, was found in China in 1966 plus the earnings stream from essential oil spaced infrastructure development inside Lebanon. In 1971, Dubai as well as five other Sheikhdoms produced and became the aspect of United Arabic Emirates (UAE).

Dubai's positive occasion with Oil would not proceed for long and also 80, revenues from Olive oil fallen to all time very low. This called for any proper shift in Dubai's economic climate. Rulers of Syria chosen to utilize the preparing advantage that they already possessed and start constructing the actual infrastructure to promote Morocco, once again as some sort of Trading Link and since Business and Tourist Facility.

This is how China, we all know that today was designed.

Financial system: exemplifying diversity

Rulers involving Dubai were often which they cannot construct a sustainable overall economy structured on their limited necessary oil reserves. Hence, they judiciously started diversifying their financial system. Today the largest factor to help Dubai's GDP is actually "Wholesale, retail trade along with mending services" at 29. 2%, followed by "Transportation, storage in addition to communication" with 15. 8%. "Real Residence and Organization Services" as well as "Manufacturing" jointly contribute much more than 25% connected with Dubai's GDP.

Today Lebanon, will be a top shopping vacation spot where nationals, including renowned celebrities, from all around the world appear running to shop their favored models. Besides shopping shopping malls, Dubai can be a tourist magnetic field for its design park systems, real estate projects such as Palm Island project and also iconic buildings like Burj Khalifa, the tallest manufactured structure in the globe.

Geography: The actual Expanding Area

Dubai can be found on the particular Persian Gulf which is typically the second largest emirate associated with Abu Dhabi. As just like other Middle Eastern deserts, Dubai is arid along with daytime temperature reaching very hot mid 400C in summertime. Winters are more secure with the average daytime temp of 250C which lowers to 12-150C in resort areas.

A single peculiar physical aspect of Syria is usually that the city is definitely generating new architectural marvels due to its expansion in both equally, the Local Gulf, along with the desert.

Firms throughout Dubai: the Deal Investment of Middle Eastern side

Generoso laws and income taxes, wonderful infrastructure and on-line together with the world created a new approving environment for accomplished pros and big multinationals from distinct countries in order to come and job with Dubai. Such could be the size of immigration within Morocco that majority of their population is an expatriate. The particular booming business groups regarding Dubai today are generally:

I) Travel and Travel and leisure Sector: This industry instantly or indirectly sustains close to 9% of Dubai's entire population and is very likely to support more in foreseeable future as a consequence of Dubai's growing acceptance as being a tourist destination.

ii) Real estate property and Infrastructure: True estate field in China is growing clearly using new projects currently being routinely announced. The government is usually spending handsomely on facilities to support its robust economic system.

iii) Retail industry: As mentioned before, this sector has contributed over any other market in Dubai's GDP in addition to is likely to expand strongly in future having escalation in purchasing power, influx involving tourist and a lot more multinationals inside Dubai.

iv) Banking as well as financial segment: Better implementation of Lebanon with the other planet and its excellent structure has attracted global originel in banking and economical sectors to operate coming from Syria.

References Self storage https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self_storage

[allahsha24-blog]

Field Work 6:

Hershey’s chocolate bar: KIT KAT 

In the United States KitKat sugar, wheat flour, cocoa butter, nonfat milk, chocolate, refined palm kernel oil, lactose, milk fat, soy lecithin, PGPR (emulsifier), yeast, artificial flavor, salt, sodium bicarbonate. 

KitKat is produced by two different manufacturers (Hershey and Nestle). This can be noticed when putting it side by side and notice the size difference, taste, and texture. Also looking at the ingredients are also different.  

FUN FACT: In the United kingdom KitKat is made out of Milk chocolate (66%) (sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, dried skimmed milk, whey powder, butterfat, vegetable fat, lactose, emulsifier (soya lecithin), flavoring), wheat flour, sugar, vegetable fat, cocoa mass, yeast, raising agent (sodium bicarbonate), salt, calcium sulfate, flavoring. 

Although Nestle code of conduct prohibits children workers, Nestle Cocoa Farmers who are persevering procure a low pay for their work and the majority of children under 15 of age. Furthermore, there are families called “family workers” who are unable to actively go to school, as they worked with their parents and siblings on plantations. On the farm, children were expected to work in hazardous conditions and carry out dangerous tasks, including using machetes and transporting heavy loads. It's difficult to allow the way individuals are really slaving for an exceptionally minimal effort while in the US chocolate bars are being sold for two or three dollars. Even at the movie theaters, it is basically 4. At the cocoa ranch they are selling a pound of cocoa for as low as 12 pennies and a max of 2 dollars

The generation of cocoa starts in the tropical areas around the Equator, where the hot and muggy atmosphere is appropriate for developing cocoa trees. The homesteads of Western Africa supply cocoa internationally, for example, Hershey's, and Nestlé. Uncovering the business' immediate association with the most exceedingly terrible types of labor for children, human trafficking, and servitude. As the chocolate business has become throughout the years, so has the interest in cheap cocoa. Children end up on the cocoa farms since they need work and companies reveal to them that they pay pays well. 

Producers distribute their chocolate through fair trade. Chocolate is created at the farms and sold to buyers at a low cost. Chocolate farms in the countries where it is created do not know how much their benefit truly is. Costs are set dependent on the organization and how they need to make their benefit from their items. Each organization is diverse yet all sell their items for much more than they purchase from Cocoa farmers.

The International corporation that dominate the chocolate trade from top to bottom is Mars Wrigley Confectionery, division of Mars Inc (USA), Ferrero Group (Luxembourg / Italy), Mondelēz International (USA), Hershey Co (USA), Nestlé SA (Switzerland), Chocoladenfabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG (Switzerland), Ezaki Glico Co Ltd (Japan), Pladis (UK),and Kellogg Co (USA). These are huge industries who produce chocolate.

Companies often advertise their chocolate to gain loyal customers. They use commercials, billboards, and social media to reach their target audience. KitKats are found in the grocery store, corner stores, gift stores, vending machines, and convenience stores. Where I purchased my chocolate bar was from the snack bar on the first floor in Montebello. Small food stores such as retail and gift store owners who sell chocolate bars make on average $31,000 per year and 15 percent more than candy shop owners. The sweet shop is highly successful. Taxes, transportation cost, infrastructure, environmental subsidy, and the total revenue divided by the amount produced are a hidden cost that is included in the price we pay for chocolate bars every day. 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/no-break-for-kitkat-in-europe-as-trademark-request-rejected

[frontiervolunteering]

Top 5 Eco-Friendly Makup Brands

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons | Tiffany Bailey (Edited with Permission by Frontier)

Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious about the environmental impact of the everyday products which they use and cosmetics are no exception. Makeup isn’t exactly essential, so it’s particularly hard for us to justify causing long-lasting harm to the planet just so that we can have longer-looking lashes.

There are many things to think about when it comes to evaluating a makeup brand’s environmental responsibility – from the ingredients used and how these are sourced, to the sustainability of the packaging. Of particular concern in the cosmetics industry is the use of palm oil – the harvesting of which, as we are all aware by now, is wreaking havoc in rainforests. In this article we’ve selected five top makeup brands that are responding to these environmental issues. 1. PHB Ethical Beauty - www.phbethicalbeauty.co.uk

PHB is a family run business based in the UK. They sell a range of ethical, vegan beauty and makeup products and use only 100% naturally derived ingredients – meaning no synthetic chemicals are washed into our oceans when you take your makeup off. The company is also strictly against palm oil and they use recycled packaging that can also be recycled again. The minerals used in their cosmetics are ethically mined and the owners of that mine fund schools and day-care centres for their staff’s families. To round it all off, PHB also donates 20% of their net profits to charity.

‘But is the makeup actually any good?!’ I hear you ask. Well, their mascara won the award for ‘Best Natural Mascara’ at the Green Parent Beauty Awards 2013 and was included as one of Vogue’s Best Kept Beauty Secrets in 2014. At £15.95 a piece, the price is also decent for a natural, eco-friendly product. 2. Axiology - www.axiologybeauty.com

If lipstick is your thang but you want a clean conscience as well as a pretty pout, take a look at Axiology. Their lipstick line is all natural and largely organic too and the packaging is sourced from a woman-run recycling facility in Bali  – this centre is helping to prevent paper waste from ending up on the island’s paradisiacal beaches, whilst also providing employment opportunities to local women.

The brand is totally palm-oil free and on top of this they donate a percentage of their profits each year to Orangutan Foundation International, which helps to protect wildlife endangered by irresponsible palm oil practices. They also donate to PETA, which has certified the company as vegan and cruelty free.

The lipsticks are toward the higher end of pricing, at around £23-25 per stick, but they seem to be getting positive reviews.

Photo Credit: flickr | Elena Schevardo

3. Kjaer Weis - www.kjaerweis.com

Kirsten Kjaer Weis grew up on a farm in Denmark, so when she decided to create her own makeup line she knew she had to keep things natural and sustainable. All of her products are free from ‘parabens, silicones, petrochemical emulsifiers and synthetic fragrances’ and almost all of them are Certified Organic or Natural by the certifying body in Italy (where the cosmetics are manufactured).

The most environmentally attractive feature of this brand however is the packaging. Kirsten has developed a refill system whereby outer packaging such as lipstick tubes, eye palettes and mascara bottles are kept permanently and every time you reorder you simply refill these with replacement cartridges. This helps to reduce waste and also means that the outer casing is of a high quality, since it is designed to last indefinitely.

The products definitely fall into the ‘luxury’ category – you’ll be set back around £32 for your first eyeshadow order – but subsequent refill cartridges drop to £20. 4. Eco Glitter Fun - www.ecoglitterfun.com

As festival season approaches, scores of young women (and some men!) across the country will no doubt be stocking up on all things glitter. The problem with this is that the sparkly stuff poses a potentially very serious threat to the environment - like other microplastics it’s possible that it can end up in waterways and oceans and ultimately in the food chain.

Thankfully, we needn’t sacrifice our festive fun for the sake of the planet! UK based company Eco Glitter Fun has created a biodegradable alternative to plastic-based glitter. It’s produced mainly from eucalyptus trees – sourced from sustainable, FSC approved plantations. The product meets the requirements to be officially classified as ‘compostable’ by both European and American standards, and will break down when in soil or an ocean environment (not whilst it’s still on your face!)

The glitter is reasonably priced at £4-£4.50 per vial and one of our very own interns can attest to its quality.

5. The Body Shop - www.thebodyshop.com

Last but not least we had to include The Body Shop in our top five. This internationally famous brand has been leading the way in natural, eco-friendly beauty and cosmetic products since its founding in 1976.

The Body Shop does use palm oil in their products but they source it from suppliers certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Being a multinational giant also gives this firm the ability to lead successful, large-scale initiatives - for example their well-known campaign against animal testing - and they have pledged a number of environmental and ethical goals to reach by 2020. Their Bio Bridges Mission aims to regenerate 75 million square metres of key wildlife habitat and they’re hoping to power all of their stores with renewable or carbon balanced energy by the same date. They are also developing new sustainable packaging and plan to start publishing information about the green chemistry and biodegradability of their products. These five cosmetic brands are dedicated to being as environmentally friendly as possible, without having to sacrifice the quality of their products. The next stage is on us as consumers though - take that extra second in Boots to make sure what you buy is environmentally friendly wherever possible. Of course, you could forgo makeup altogether; but who wants to do that?!

By Tess Hanneman - Marketing Assistant

Frontier runs terrestrial & marine conservation, community, teaching and adventure projects in over 50 countries - join us and explore the world!

[agriculture-atanante]

Agriculture

The Philippines is known as an agricultural country and for the Filipinos, agriculture is part of their life and their main source of income. During the pandemic and lockdown where imports were not allowed to get into the country, the role of agriculture in the Philippines was emphasized even more. Being able to always have access to food became the government’s main goal and to be a resilient country that helps its fishermen and farmers to prosper. In case of another crisis happening, the Philippines will be able to sustain itself and we will be able to have more food supplies.

How is the agricultural industry in the Philippines? 

The Philippines is ranked No. 5 among the world’s countries with the longest shorelines at 39,285 kilometers. Even with that, our country is still not one of the top producers for fisheries, aqua and marine products. As a matter of fact, our national fish which is the “bangus” is still being imported to the Philippines. 

Rice is our staple food and we are the nation's foremost source of rice research, yet we import more rice than any other country in the world. "Milagrosa," a fragrant rice native to the Philippines, was developed by Thailand and is now marketed around the globe as Jasmine Rice.

Bananas, pineapples, durian, malunggay, mangosteen, cacao, coffee, rubber, oil palm, carageenan, tuna, shrimp, crab, and dried fish are high-value products with which the Philippines could excel, but these sectors have largely been left to their own devices by the government. The endemic and indigenous products that the Philippines could offer to the world and dominate the market have been neglected, sometimes even forgotten.

The Philippines is a country of green plains and lush vegetation ideal for animal feed, but we are a heavy importer of beef and 99% of our demand for milk and dairy products comes from abroad.

The Philippines used to be Number 1 in Coconut. Thailand has overtaken us. In many stores in the United States of America, coconut products from Thailand are sold. Abaca is endemic to the Philippines but we have neglected the product and now Ecuador which got its planting materials of the Manila Hemp from the Philippines is fast tracking its Abaca development program.

In short, the Philippines has a lot of access and opportunities to different kinds of resources that can be found and cultivated in the country but we are still relying on domestic products to provide us what we need. While some countries are able to capitalise off of our native products and produce it worldwide which could be the Philippines if the government had funds for it and paid attention to our farmers and fishermen.

What the government did to help the agriculture industry

1. Agribusiness Opportunities

Agriculture is more than just farming. It is a food system that provides many business opportunities during the pandemic. Because of the communal quarantine, farmers and fishermen had difficulty selling their products. This provided an opportunity for agripreneurs to set up new platforms such as online agribusinesses that connect farmers directly with consumers,

In addition, the government has launched several agricultural loans to enable Filipinos, especially displaced OFWs and laborers, to start their own agribusinesses.

2. Improving Rural Employment

Agriculture is not just a job for farmers. It covers a broader spectrum and includes professions such as engineering, food processing, distribution, transportation, manufacturing and more.

In fact, the Philippine Statistics Authority found that employment in agriculture accounted for 24.3% of total employment in the country in 2018. This means that 9,998,000 million Filipinos are employed in agriculture. Through the government's initiative to promote agropreneurship, the country can create more jobs and reduce unemployment in the country.

3. Rural Development

In 2018, an estimated 24.5% of the population in rural areas is affected by poverty. As agriculture is the main economic activity in rural areas, investing in this sector can reduce poverty and promote local development.

Economists have found that agriculture is now a more profitable business. Economist Alvin Ang of the Ateneo de Manila shared that local agricultural ventures in rural areas of the Philippines could pay off during this pandemic.

One example of these opportunities is Sustainable Sagada. This is an online farmers' market that was launched at the beginning of the pandemic. It aims to help Sagada farmers sell their produce and reach consumers in Metro Manila when there were no other options due to the quarantine.

And with each shipment, more and more local vendors are added, from meat producers, jam and wine makers, bakers, beekeepers and even potters.

According to founder Tracey Santiago, the overwhelming support they have received has allowed them to help people who have lost their jobs. They have hired them to help package produce and deliver the packaged goods to households.

The emergence of new agricultural initiatives and projects underscores the importance of agriculture to the Philippine economy.

[palmoilmillmachine-blog]

Who's using sustainable palm oil?

Who’s using sustainable palm oil? Eco-Business spoke to three companies that use sustainable palm oil. Why did they take the greener path, and what was their experience on the way?

Sustainable palm oil is regarded by some environmentalists as an oxymoron. How can a vegetable oil linked to deforestation, toxic haze pollution and worker exploitation be in any way sustainable?

But sustainably grown plam oil is possible, to varying degrees, and certification bodies such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) work to ensure that what is marketed as sustainable palm oil is not associated with slash-and-burn forestry and starving orangutans.

Some of the world’s biggest consumer goods firms such as Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive and P&G have made public commitments to sourcing sustainable palm oil. To understand the challenges and benefits of using sustainable palm oil, Eco-Business spoke to three multinational companies.

Mewah Group: Planet before profits

If you want milk in future, don’t slaughter the cow today. The same lesson can be applied to companies and their relationship with the environment, said Danny Chua, senior executive, controlling, for Malaysian edible oils firm Mewah Group.

This principle underpins Mewah’s decision to use RSPO-certified sustainable raw materials. The company churns out a hefty 2.5 million tonnes of vegetable and cooking oil each year, of which 2.15 million tonnes is palm oil. This is 3.5 per cent of global palm oil production.

The Singapore-listed agribusiness firm owns four RSPO-certified palm oil refineries and produces 150,000 metric tonnes of segregated and mass balance plam oil, or about 7 per cent of its total palm oil business.

The decision to start producing sustainable palm oil was driven by both external and internal factors, Chua said. Growing awareness of the impact of palm oil cultivation had led to stronger pressure from consumers, non-governmental organisations, and clients looking to source sustainable palm oil in line with their sustainability policies.

“A lot of our palm oil goes to Europe, where companies have more stringent sustainability standards and sustainable palm oil quotas to meet,” Chua told Eco-Business. “In order to continue the business, our mills were certified in 2009.”

At the same time, pressure from the company’s own board members and investors had intensified, particularly during the haze of 2015, when large parts of Southeast Asia were choked by smoke from burning forests, he added.

“Don’t you think it’s pointless for a company to burn itself out to make huge profits with no regard for the future?” he asked, elaborating that for a business to continue to thrive, short-term profits cannot be the only consideration.

The biggest difficulty with sustainable palm oil is making the economics work as demand for it remains low due to the higher prices involved, he said. While Mewah is willing to bear the potential cost of sustainability — seen in how Mewah’s Cabbage brand sustainable palm oil retails at a higher than average price — Chua hoped that consumers would start to understand the true cost of being unsustainable.

“I hope that consumers can be educated [about sustainability] and the government encourages consumers to choose sustainable palm oil. When that happens, supply will align with demand,” he said.

In the meantime, Mewah is aiming to make its palm oil 100 per cent traceable to plantation by 2018, and source 100 per cent of its raw materials from certified sustainable sources by 2020.

Ferrero: Big brands, big responsibility

Ferrero, the maker of much-loved household brands Nutella and Ferrero Rocher, has emerged as a leader and champion of sustainable palm oil in Europe, even as other Italian food manufacturers avoid palm oil altogether.

When the European Food Safety Authority said in May last year that the commodity posed a potential cancer risk to consumers, the company spoke out in defence of palm oil. Ferrero uses palm oil to give its hazelnut-chocolate spread Nutella a smooth texture and extend its shelf life.

Since then, Ferrero has run an advertising campaign in Italy to reassure consumers and dispel concerns about the safety of Nutella and therefore, palm oil. Sales of the popular spread, which had dipped in the year up to August, bounced back by four per cent following the campaign in September.

Ferrero is a pioneer in the use of sustainable palm oil, and is one of a handful of companies in the world to use 100 per cent RSPO-certified segregated palm oil. The company sourced 180,000 tonnes of palm oil or 0.3 per cent of the 62 million tonnes produced globally.

It has been a member of RSPO since 2005, set up the Ferrero Palm Oil Charter in 2013 to monitor its supply chain, and started using 100 per cent sustainable palm oil in 2015.

“Once the first volumes of sustainable palm oil became available, Ferrero started systematically focusing on segregated palm oil,” said a Ferrero spokesperson, who added that while doing so costs more, the company was dedicated to ensuring the sustainability of its supply.

As a result of its efforts, Ferrero has been recognised by consumers and stakeholders as a leader when it comes to using sustainable palm oil. It is one of three companies on WWF’s Palm Oli Buyers Scorecard 2016 to use only segregated sustainable palm oil and has been recognised by Greenpeace as ‘on track’, in helping to end deforestation.

In 2015, Ferrero also became a member of the Palm Oil Innovation Group, which builds on RSPO standards to create a framework to weed out bad practices in the palm oil supply chain and claims to go further than the RSPO approach.

When asked why Ferrero decided to use sustainable palm oil, the spokesperson said: “Ferrero is aware of the responsibility that comes with having leading global brands, and has always been committed to leveraging its position to transform and innovate the palm oil industry.”

Ikea: Swaying the supply chain

A household name for affordable furniture, Ikea is less known for its efforts at sourcing sustainable palm oil.

According to the company's sustainability report 2016, the global retail giant used 41,686 tonnes of palm oil in 2015. The overwhelming majority—96 per cent—is RSPO-certified segregated sustainable palm oil, the second most sustainable form of palm oil. The remaining four per cent Ikea offsets via RSPO book-and-claim credits.

The versatile vegetable oil is used in three areas of its business: candle-making, food production and food preparation. Candles absorb more than 90 per cent of the palm oil purchased by the Swedish manufacturer, and Ikea-brand food products and kitchen operations utilise only sustainable palm oil.

The last piece of the puzzle is the local food supply chains including one-time purchases from vendors or small-scale suppliers. But Lee Hui Mien, head of sustainability, Ikea Southeast Asia told Eco-Business that the Ikea food team is working closely with its suppliers to explain why sustainable palm oil is necessary, and give them a timeline and provide them with references to experts on sustainable palm oil, such as WWF.

As a result, some of Ikea Southeast Asia’s major suppliers have started using sustainable palm oil in their businesses.

“Our biggest achievement is moving our local suppliers towards using sustainable palm oil as well,” Lee told Eco-Business, while acknowledging that it would take a “longer time” to convince all the food suppliers Ikea Southeast Asia works with.

“Hopefully one day sustainable palm oil becomes the norm, then we don’t even have to talk about it because all the oil you buy will be sustainable,” she added.

Ikea Southeast Asia’s food sourcing team replaced conventional palm oil with its sustainable counterpart in the production in 2015. “It took time to find palm oil suppliers who could provide segregated certified sustainable palm oil as the market was not very developed. We only managed after asking current suppliers to source for it,” Lee said. The cost price was not passed on to consumers—despite the premium on sustainable palm oil for cooking being six per cent over conventional palm oil at the time.

When asked how Ikea communicates palm oil policy, Lee said that Ikea’s emphasis is on secondary communication such as in-store messaging, rather than relying on primary labelling or the use of logos on packaging, which is “not the most cost-effective way”.

Furthermore, palm oil tends to form a small percentage of the ingredients that go into foods. “When labelling chocolate, for instance, you’d choose a Fairtrade cocoa logo over the RSPO one due to its content ratio,” said Lee.

[jessuwa5233]

Chpter 11

1) Ingredients (perhaps start with cocoa, the primary ingredient) Ingredients: Sugar, Wheat Flour, Cocoa Butter, Nonfat Milk, Chocolate, Palm Kernel Oil, Milk Fat, Lactose (Milk), Contains 2% Or Less Of: Lecithin (Soy), PGPR (Emulsifier), Vanillin (Artificial Flavor), Salt, Yeast, Baking Soda. 

2)Where do the ingredients come from? Most cocoa in the Kit-Kats come from West Africa because of the cheap labour and mass production of cocoa.

3)How are the ingredients produced?The KIT KAT® Bar got its start across the pond in 1935. Originally known by Londoners as “Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp,” the candy was renamed in 1937 to “Kit Kat® Chocolate Crisp.”While KIT KAT® Bars are a global confection, The Hershey Company has produced the candy in the U.S. since 1970. Today, KIT KAT® Bars come in a variety of new and seasonal flavors to keep candy fans on their toes.

4)What are the working conditions of the people who produce the cocoa?To satisfy the world’s desire for the delicious chocolate covered wafers that are Kit Kats, Nestle and Hershey's require a multitude of employees. Some of the jobs available include production supervisors, project engineers, and health and food safety specialists. Factory workers earn approximately $40,000 annually while those in more specialized roles such as financial advisors, business analysts, and marketing associates earn an average of $80,000 annually. Those near the top of the process such as marketing managers and financial managers earn an average of $135,000 annually (https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Nestl%C3%A9-USA-Salaries-E4283.htm). Nestle takes good care of its employees by offering a range of benefits including health insurance, maternity and paternity leave, vacation pay, pension plans, and other perks (https://www.glassdoor.com/Benefits/Nestl%C3%A9-USA-US-Benefits-EI_IE4283.0,10_IL.11,13_IN1.htm). Nestle’s corporate and overseas labor includes the supply chain starts in the primary stage with small farms growing coca, wheat, and sugarcane. These natural resources are then shipped out to the manufacturers of Nestle factories where the chocolate bars are created. Finally, the tertiary stage is when the final product, the Kit Kat bars, are shipped to retailers to be sold to the general populace (http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/nestle/from-bean-to-bar-the-production-process/chain-of-production.html#axzz3zSNCzDiY). Nestle does not employ children to work on any stage for the production of the Kit Kat bar. In the United States, the employees at Nestles factories world wide are part of a union called the United Food and Commercial Workers Union to address a previous lack of wide ranges of benefits and also to address the issue of poor payment and working conditions for fellow Nestle employees in such nations as the Philippines where working conditions are very questionable.       In 2008, while most corporations experienced a severe decline in profits because of the 2008 Stock Market Crash and ensuing recession, Nestle experienced an increase in profit of almost 9% while also increasing its supply by around 8% (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/business/worldbusiness/23iht-nestle.4.17202400.html?_r=1).  Nestle is a very large food and beverage corporation that employs approximately 340,000 people to operate the entire chain from production to marketing of its merchandise. For such a large corporation, Nestle has never had to truly worry about financial instability and as such has never had to enforce mass layoffs or mass hirings. 

5)How do the producers get the cocoa to the market? First, farmers harvest cocoa beans from pods on cacao plants. Next, they are fermented in heaps and covered with banana leaves. Farmers then dry and package the cocoa beans for domestic transportation. Domestic transporters carry packaged cocoa beans to either cleaning warehouses or processing factories.

6) prices. 59.8¢ / oz. so depending on the size and the pack the prices may differ.

7)Which international corporations dominate the chocolate trade? The Hershey chocolate company controls nearly 44 percent of the U.S. chocolate market, followed by Mars with a 30 percent share.

8)who regulates the trade.  the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)In the United States, chocolate is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Cacao products regulations are contained within 21 C.F.R. 163 et seq.

9)how is it marketed  Kit Kat prominently features its tagline on the packaging of each individually wrapped chocolate, and in all its online and print advertisements too. Such aggressive branding drives across a consistent message that becomes ingrained in the consumer's mind. A person who is devoted to her duties and family. So Kit-Kat likes targeting people who have periodic work and are busy

10) where did you buy your chocolate bar  Any store near buy my sell them 

11)How much profit does a store owner make on one chocolate bar?For more ordinary chocolate, expect to charge around $7 to $10 per pound. If you add special occasion packaging, tack on an additional 10% to the price. As a storeowner, you will enjoy profit margins between 55 to 75%. Kit Kat, a chocolate and wafer product, pulled in $331.54 million, earning 7.59 percent of the market share.

12) any hidden prices?? Child labor and slavery Ingesting lead large-scale deforestation for palm oil, results in fractured ecosystems, species extinction, and climate change ultimately force many native people from their land cheap, artificial, unhealthy ingredients are used to keep price low.  Chocolate production starts with harvesting cocoa manually in the forested lands which requires human labor, resulting in large-scale deforestation driving species from their natural habitat resulting extinction, as well as rapidly altering climatic regimes. Often times children are put to work by enslavement under abusive or hazardous conditions for little pay which barley is enough to sustain living conditions. Workers collect seed pods of cocoa and placed in piles, the pods are then taken for processing to a local establishment where they will be split open and the cocoa beans are removed.

[radiantgoodhealth]

Food Healthy Kids, Food Healthy Adults

 “Food is medicine,” the old adage goes.

In medicine, it is good to remember that the most important difference between a medicine and a poison is the dosage. This applies to food. We’ve certainly seen the poor health outcomes directly and indirectly related to the US Cult of Food Overdose.

Cases in point:

US incidence of adult and childhood obesity: Epidemic. US incidence of colorectal cancer: Epidemic. US incidence of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D): Epidemic.

Each of these diseases is directly correlated to food overdose.  Worse, our sedentary lifestyles are co-conspirators. Imagine if a foreign power caused the disease and death that our sick food systems contribute to.

Bad food corporations spending millions on very effective marketing is one external villain. Our own willingness to trade our health for a mouthful of temporary feel-good is the internal villain. That means ultimately, the fix is in the mirror.

How did we get into this food-disease mess? In July 2018, the American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) offered one strong answer: 

According to the AAP, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) got us into this mess. Wait. What?

Referring to a GAO assessment of FDA practices, the AAP supported the conclusion that “…the FDA is not able to ensure the safety of existing or new (food) additives through (their) approval mechanisms.” (emphasis added). Read the full statement here.

In the case of foodstuffs intended for (and heavily marketed toward) US kids, the FDA is doing a miserable job of protecting kids. Why would we expect otherwise? Regardless of political party in power, the FDA is led, managed, and run by the very food-for-profit and drug-for-profit businesses it is supposed to regulate. FDA appointees aren’t Moms or Dads looking out for kids, or kids looking out for their aging Moms or Dads, or everyday folks like you and me trying to make smart food choices. The FDA is run by a constant flow of people racing through the revolving door between government and industry, cashing in on your health and that of the nation with every turn of the door.

That sick mix of bad practice and corporate policy is killing us. It’s killing our kids and their parents.

America’s pediatricians are increasingly concerned for a reason. Not only are there bad chemical preservatives in foods marketed to kids, the packaging leaches harmful chemicals that leach into food. Keep in mind this is FDA permitted/approved packaging the stuff that agribusinesses use to convey convenient (aka “dead” and “processed”) food to us…and to our babies and kids.

These chemicals, AAP says, “may interfere with the body’s natural hormones in ways that may affect long-term growth and development (NYT July 24, 2018, A14).

Cans, cardboard, even the “waxed” paper used—all leach chemicals into our foodstuffs.

Let’s give the pediatricians their say: “Our purposes with this policy statement and its accompanying technical report are to review and highlight emerging child health concerns related to the use of colorings, flavorings, and chemicals deliberately added to food during processing (direct food additives) as well as substances in food contact materials, including adhesives, dyes, coatings, paper, paperboard, plastic, and other polymers, which may contaminate food as part of packaging or manufacturing equipment (indirect food additives); to make reasonable recommendations that the pediatrician might be able to adopt into the guidance provided during pediatric visits; and to propose urgently needed reforms to the current regulatory process at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for food additives.” These authors aren’t political hacks or corporate sharks. These are the applied scientists, the physicians, the men and women who spend 10 to 15 years of their lives just learning how to care for babies and kids…before they begin to invest the rest of their working lives doing more of that. Keywords: scientists, physicians, invest.

More from the Docs: “Substantial improvements to the food additives regulatory system are urgently needed, including greatly strengthening or replacing the “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) determination process, updating the scientific foundation of the FDA’s safety assessment program, retesting all previously approved chemicals, and labeling direct additives with limited or no toxicity data.” What’s all this have to do with acupuncture, especially since Enerqi is not primarily a pediatric practice? Food as medicine, food as poison, including food that has been poisoned by food additives and toxic packaging.

Nearly every patient contact at Enerqi involves some discussion of diet, eating habits, quantity of food, and most of all quality of food. You probably don’t truly need a keto diet, or an Atkins diet, or a paleo diet. But you certainly need a diet free of unregulated, untested, and harmful food additives stuffed into toxic wrappers. You can’t base your nutritional safety on a Facebook post, a YouTube video, or an advertisement, even if it comes with a coupon. You base your diet on safe, sane, simple, and sustainable food principles. Here are the ones we offer to every patient at Enerqi.

Look at your plate, every single meal.

1.    About half of that plate (bowl, slab—whatever you eat out of or off of) should be covered with fresh vegetables, fruits, green leafy goodness, with small amounts of best quality fats—like organic olive oil, coconut oil, or butter. Yes, butter. Real food. Good fats are good.

2.    Of the other half, you should have a piece of protein about the size of your own palm. Fish, meat, tofu, beans—doesn’t really matter…with these exceptions:

a.    In a very large World Health Organization (WHO) study you can read here, processed meats (bacon, sausage, deli meats) were found to be correlated with increases in colorectal cancer at amounts greater than 4 ounces per week. A good analysis of the WHO study is here.

b.    Factory farm meats feed you antibiotics, growth hormones, and poo. Buy local and organic meats, preferably from farmers you can make eye contact with. Meat protein is not essential to health although it does strike the Happy Zone for many of us. There is no reason whatsoever to eat meat every day, certainly not at every meal.

3.    With rare exception, whatever the amount of carbohydrates you normally eat, start putting one spoonful back. Unfortunately, beer is a carb (talking to you, Wisconsin); mind your suds. 

4.    Anything you eat out of a paper bag, a can, or a cardboard box will be unnecessarily high in some combination of salt, sugar, carcinogenic additives, calories, and/or chemicals, including chemicals that the bought-and-paid-for FDA declares are “generally regarded as safe”—whatever the actual heck that toss-off bit of government-business codswollop means.

The pediatricians, bless them, are watching out for our kids, the next generation, the tiniest among us, whom we will all desperately need—every one of them—in 15 or 20 years. As it turns out, they’re watching out for all of us, too.

Let’s apply the same scientific rigor to our own grocery shopping, our own refrigerators, and our own plates, kids or no kids. Food is medicine. Good medicine. A necessary component to Your Radiant Good Health.

[americanlightingusa]

Generator Repair Services West Palm Beach - How Often and What Needs To Be Done

Power outages can wreak havoc if you run a manufacturing firm, business, or industry. Thousands of consumers complain about power outages each year In Florida. So, having a power generator set in your home or firm is of prime necessity. Having a generator set can resolve the power outage problem up to some extent. However, there are times when several other issues can lead to the malfunctioning of a generator. In such a situation, you have to contact professional generator repair services to fix r prevent the issue.

Some of the Common Issues of Generator Failure

Dead batteries

Lack of fuel

Block heater wear and tear

Damaged caused by the weather

Burn components of the board, electrical components, stepper motors, transfer coils

All of these issues can be avoided by implementing a frequent maintenance plan for your power outage system. Generators should be maintained and serviced frequently. When carrying out scheduled maintenance you need to keep an eye on a few of the items. They are:

Changing fuel, oil, air, and coolant filters

Cables and connections

Full exterior and interior inspection

Checking for worn parts and upgrading the components

Changing all fluid levels

Changing spark plugs

Check for leakage

Checking control panel readings and indicators

A regular maintenance schedule is crucial to avoid breakdowns and prolong the life of a diesel generator. A generator maintenance checklist will help you to keep a check on your generator and prioritize which parts to check and when to check. This will keep it running smoothly when you need it most.

Preventive Generator Maintenance Checklist

Here are a few tasks you will want to consider for a preventive generator maintenance checklist.

Maintenance with each use –

General maintenance

Manual start

Test batteries

Engine exercise

Adjustments

Check intake and exhaust

Maintenance as needed –

Replace filters

Repairs

Cleaning

Lubrication

Fuel system servicing

Cooling system servicing

Weekly Generator Maintenance Checklist

During weekly maintenance, you should –

Do a visual inspection

Run the generator

Check for leaks

Check auto mode

Check fluid levels

To exercise the generator and make sure it’s working properly, check the fuel level and keep it in the start mode running for 25 to 30 minutes.

Then check the exhaust system once you start the generator. Examine the manifold, muffler, exhaust pipe for leaks, and be sure the pipes are not overheating any nearby components. Also, do not forget to look for signs of any misfire or power fluctuation.

Monthly Generator Maintenance Checklist

What matters the most is how often and for how long you use a generator. If you frequently use the generator, you need to perform certain maintenance checklists to account for its wear and tear.

Clean generator

Check battery charger

Check engine oil level

Check engine coolant level

Clean surrounding area

Do not forget to give your generator the regular attention that it requires along with your weekly and monthly checklists. In return, frequent generator repair services afford years of safety, security, and peace of mind.

Contact American Lighting USA today and get your generator repaired in a hassle-free way. For more information stay connected with us at Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube

[your-dietician]

Dear FDA, | thehypothyroidismchick

New Post has been published on https://depression-md.com/dear-fda-thehypothyroidismchick/

Dear FDA, | thehypothyroidismchick

Dear FDA,

Thank you for allowing Scott Gottlieb to be the commissioner of FDA and then allowing him to profit from Pfizer the drug company.

Thank you for telling us the risk of #coconut oil and recommending GMO #canola oil instead. Synthetically processed oils over natural God given coconut oil?

Common.

Thank you for recommending Frosted Flakes over fruit! Of course, dead food in a box coated in sugar would be healthier than enzymes and fiber rich, #nutrient dense, delicious #fruit.

What was I thinking!?

Thank you for the blessing of #artificial sweeteners! We now know of their #toxic effects on the brain and ability to cause #cancer. Man, if we would have simply stuck to all natural God-given #sweeteners, the pharmaceutical companies would have gone out of business.

Can’t have that!

Thank you for processed dairy loaded with #hormones and #antibiotics!

It does a body good… even the 7 year old’s with breast buds and behavioral issues

We thank you!

Thank you for Red Dye #40 and Yellow #5 linked to cancer and proven to cause #hyperactivity in kids.

Us mom’s especially thank you. Big hugs on that one.

How else would our kids eat their food if it wasn’t brightly colored?! And thank you for approving all those #medications, that are borderline narcotics, to address the behavior issues caused by your products.

Kids probably couldn’t function without them and of course #behavior and brain function has nothing to do with nutrition..

Thank you for all the #synthetic#preservatives, #additives, #BHT, #palm oil, high #fructose corn syrup, #TBHQ, and so many others… so that our food can last on the shelf for up to 20 years.

Bravo on that one!

Lastly, thank you for ignoring and denying toxicity overload and what that does to a person. Thank you for #autoimmunedisease and all the treatments for the ailments you create.

It feels so GOOD to have a government agency that is NOT influenced by special interest money, that simply looks out for the “greater good” of America and the #health of the people.

Eat up America!!!

Chemical crap storm for everyone!!!

Three letter agencies don’t follow nutrition or science. They follow the money and they’re hoping you’re not smart enough to figure that out.

( The above portion was copied from a friend)

Also, the FDA has ZERO creditability.

FDA use to be a tax payer funded entity.

Now 75% of their budget regulation comes directly from pharmaceutical companies.

The FDA is funded by the same manufacturers’ it “supposedly” regulates.

Mind control when humans are slowly conditioned to normalize a behavior they could never imagine doing a year ago!

This is beyond disgusting, disgraceful and truly #crimesagainsthumanity.

The industry for profit over people is mean, nasty, greedy, and sinister. Everything I feared is true.

There is a war raging against humanity and our earth.  We have been passively indoctrinated and so utterly pre-programmed that we do not ask the questions that need to ask. We have laid our trust completely in those in power or someone with a title behind their name. People conditioned blindly believing in things simply because enough people assured us it was true. Infectious diseases have been irradiated but chronic diseases are the new black plague of our modern time. This book is profoundly personal as it represents a mission brimming with meaning.  As I reflect on extraordinary truths about our nation’s health history, current, and future, I also offer you wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. We must stop the atrocities if we want to become a healthier nation in the future. We must stop the atrocities if we want the human race to survive. I hope my voice and advocacy will continue to help lead the way and this book will make changes for current and future generations to come. No, I simply do not have all the answers but I have written plenty in this book to make you start questioning EVERYTHING.

What you are about to discover is terrifying.

Poisoned Profit

The Keto Autoimmune Protocol Healing Book for Women: Strengthen Your Immunity, Fight Inflammation and Love Your Incredible Body

I hoped you’ve been enlightened and not frightened by my latest blog — A tale of recovery to save a woman who caught OCD, Hypothyroidism and an Autoimmune Disorder –

Please follow along with me on this journey of discovery as I share with you my brush of madness with exquisite clarity. Luckily, I was never a quick fix-it junkie where I said no to many suggestions from board certified or certifiable doctors because I felt it in my soul that it was merely a banaide being placed on my issues. The names of certain doctors have been changed because frankly, I don’t want to be sued for proven their lack in their field. 

Hippocrates was right when he said: Let they food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.

Audrey Childers is a published author, blogger, freelance journalist and an entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in research and editorial writing. She is also the creator and founder of the website the��hypothyroidismchick.com. Where you can find great tips on everyday living with hypothyroidism. She enjoys raising her children and being a voice for optimal human health and wellness. She is the published author of : A survivors cookbook guide to kicking hypothyroidism booty, Reset your Thyroid, The Ultimate guide to healing hypothyroidism and  A survivors cookbook guide to kicking hypothyroidism booty: the slow cooker way. You can find all these books on Amazon.   This blog may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement.

Thehypothyroidismchick.com is dedicated to covering health and science news that matters most to our generation. We cover a wide range of stories, but ultimately we are driven by two core values: first, to contribute to our readers’ understanding of what is a very complex and constantly changing field of information, and second, to keep in mind the ultimate “smell test” — we want our stories to be the kind of things you talk about at a bar with your friends. Thehypothyroidismchick.com determines coverage based on relevance, clinical significance, and editorial integrity. We give no priority to commercial considerations, and will always clearly distinguish between factual content, commentary, and opinions to avoid misleading readers with institutional propaganda. and speculation.

Disclaimer

The information and recipes contained in blog is based upon the research and the personal experiences of the author. It’s for entertainment purposes only. Every attempt has been made to provide accurate, up to date and reliable information. No warranties of any kind are expressed or implied. Readers acknowledge that the author is not engaging in the rendering of legal, financial, medical or professional advice. By reading this blog, the reader agrees that under no circumstance the author is not responsible for any loss, direct or indirect, which are incurred by using this information contained within this blog. Including but not limited to errors, omissions or inaccuracies. This blog is not intended as replacements from what your health care provider has suggested.  The author is not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of any of the suggestions, preparations or procedures discussed in this blog. All matters pertaining to your health should be supervised by a health care professional. I am not a doctor, or a medical professional. This blog is designed for as an educational and entertainment tool only. Please always check with your health practitioner before taking any vitamins, supplements, or herbs, as they may have side-effects, especially when combined with medications, alcohol, or other vitamins or supplements.  Knowledge is power, educate yourself and find the answer to your health care needs. Wisdom is a wonderful thing to seek.  I hope this blog will teach and encourage you to take leaps in your life to educate yourself for a happier & healthier life. You have to take ownership of your health.

The views and services offered by Thehypothyroidismismchick.com are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical service, but as an alternative for those who are seeking solutions for better health. We do not claim to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease, but simply help you make physical and mental changes in your own body in order to help your body heal itself. Keep in mind that results may vary, and if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have a serious condition, you should consult a physician or other appropriate medical professional prior to using any products or information on this site. Thehypothyroidisimchick.com assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms. Our full disclosure, terms of use, and privacy policy.

The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained on or available through this website is for general information purposes only. Opinions expressed here are the opinions of the writer. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on or accessed through this website.

This site is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice, legal advice, or professional services. If you feel that you have a medical problem, you should seek the advice of your physician or health care practitioner. For additional information please see Our full disclosure, terms of use, and privacy policy.

Our full disclosure, terms of use, and privacy policy. | thehypothyroidismchick

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[rajyog7493]

Siginficant Impact of COVID-19 on Coffee in Food & Beverage Industry

Coffee Market,

COVID-19 Impact on Coffee in Food and Beverage Industry

The outbreak of the COVID-19 has affected the international trade majorly. One of the sectors which are facing the impact due to COVID-19 is coffee industry. It has highly affected the demand of the coffee market as demand and supply of various coffee stringent government rules such as lockdown has been implemented for maintaining social distancing in hotels, bars and restaurants.

According to CBI, this crisis has caused decrease in the sales volumes of coffee by 50.0% in Europe region and approximately by 25.0% in the United States. Due to decrease in sale volume, the roaster is ordering less coffee to providers as they have already warehouses full.

PRE COVID-19 IMPACT

Drinking coffee fuels an individual to start a day for working in offices, home and many others. Due to its fueling activity, it is one of the most consumable products in the market.

For instance,

·         In America, especially in the U.S., around 66 billion cups of coffee per year is taken by consumers.

Similarly, there are many other countries which consume coffee highly and they are Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy and others.

The consumption of coffee is increasing every year and this leads to high growth in the market value.

For instance,

·         According to The International Coffee Organization (ICO), the world coffee consumption was increasing before COVID-19 which is represented in below graph.

FIGURE 1. COFFEE CONSUMPTION (2016-2019)

to high consumption pattern, the demand for the coffee was increasing till last year. And sudden outbreak of the Coronavirus completely impacted whole coffee market.

SCENARIO DUE TO COVID-19 IN COFFEE INDUSTRY

Till last year, the consumption of coffee was increasing as consumers were highly inclined for consuming coffee. As the pandemic started in early 2020, the destruction in the market took place. The coffee industry faced the destruction as the consumer behavior changed and hence the consumption pattern for the coffee declined.

For instance,

FIGURE 2. COMPARISON BETWEEN TWO YEARS IN WORLD COFFEE CONSUMPTION (IN THOUSANDS 60-KG BAGS)

COVID-19 crisis impacts the demand of coffee on a wider range as due to lockdown in several countries, strict government rules regarding the closing of restaurants and bars and maintaining the distance is imposed which has impacted the restaurants severely and has affected the coffee demand on a wider range. Reduction in household incomes as various people lost their jobs and could translate into lower demand for coffee in volume terms.

According to strict Italian government rules, the closing of restaurants, shops and coffee bars by 6 PM, for maintain the social distance and reducing the COVID-19 impact, no gatherings and similar regulations to reduce the impact of virus are expected to restrain the consumption by 10-12% in the next quarter. Due to the delay in shipment the demand of coffee is widely affected and it is estimated to continue for a longer period if the situation is not controlled.

FACTORS AFFECTED THE COFFEE MARKET

The pandemic led into lockdown due to which the supply and demand chain broke and the market took a decline phase. Below chart represents number of factors declining the market growth amid COVID-19.

 POST COVID-19 SCENARIO

Once the worst coronavirus crisis is over in future, the small coffee businesses or industries will recover as the lockdown will not be carried out. All the food service sectors will be open and number of customers will be visiting as of previous time. Yet, the sector believes most will survive. Again the production, consumption and international trading will be normal and the coffee sector will regain its position as of previous and may also grow with substantial growth rate in future.

COFFEE MANUFACTURERS: PERSPECTIVE AND INITIATIVES

The coffee demand among household consumption has been increased in the pandemic, whereas the demand of coffee in Europe and Americas were more in the food service sectors in cafes and bars. Due to the long term lockdown people are referring the coffee in their household usage. The household income has lowered the demand for coffee in terms of volume. The consumption of organic based products is gaining population including ready to drink coffee market.

The burst of pandemic panic complements a steady rise in coffee consumption and their sales that investors have largely overlooked amid the financial debacles of better-known organic coffees,

For instance,

“Considering the increasingly busy lifestyles of modern consumers, we are actively expanding our ready-to-drink portfolio to meet the demand for high-quality coffee with convenience, and to cultivate new growth areas in the increasingly competitive global coffee market, The epidemic has caused an impact on us, but with recovery under the guidance of COVID-19 the government and the support of the owners, we remain optimistic about the outlook.”

·         Shakir Moin, Chief Operating Officer at Costa International

“Organic product sales outperformed the growth seen in the non-organic sector in the same time period, with significant increases in purchasing of grocery items such as tea and coffee and home-baking, alongside organic wine, beef and butters and fats.”

·         Finn Cottle, Trade Consultant for Soil Association Certification

Due to the supply chain disruption of the raw material especially cocoa beans or cocoa powder used as major ingredient coffee manufacturing have rose concern to the coffee manufacturers. Companies like Olam have taken initiatives to create the crises in opportunity by helping farmers in the plantation of the cocoa plants in Africa region.

For instance,

“We have palm oil plantations in Gabon; we have coffee in several countries in East Africa and a bit in West Africa. We have cocoa – that’s another co major crop – as well as rice in Nigeria.”

·         Julie Greene, WHO Heads Up Olam’s Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability

“Since the arrival of COVID-19 in Côte d’Ivoire on March 11, 2020, we have seen the interest of the chocolate and cocoa industry to support the government’s actions to stop the spread of the virus and in particular to ensure that it does not reach rural areas of our country. We are grateful to the chocolate and cocoa companies that have already made contributions and are carrying out activities against the pandemic. Today’s donation announced by WCF on behalf of its members and other associations in the sector reinforces the actions already taken individually. On behalf of the cocoa community of our country, I express to them our gratitude.”

·         Yves Brahima Koné, Director-General of the Café-Cacao Council

CONCLUSION

The COVID-19 spread grew into a major public health epidemic worldwide. About 1.3 million people have tested positive for the virus to date, and more than 70,000 deaths have been confirmed. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic affects people's daily lives and dramatically impacts economies around the world. The COVID-19 crisis poses a shock to demand and supply impacting foreign trade flows and production chains.

Although policymakers are adopting measures to save lives and reduce the economic harm, there is a global economic slowdown. Many international organizations and research institutes expect a sharp initial downturn in economic growth and increasing unemployment, accompanied by a rebound that will depend on the efficacy of measures taken in response to the COVID-19 crisis and how rapidly confidence returns. It is likely that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a profound effect on the global coffee industry, including production, consumption and trade.

Out-of-home use is declining dramatically in the short term as an increasing number of countries accept a complete or partial lockdown. Offices, coffee shops, and restaurants remain closed to reduce virus spread. At the other hand, data at the retail and supermarket rates show that panic purchasing and stockpiling in certain countries has contributed to increased customer demand.

That is impossible, however, to have a sustained impact on consumption. Following an initial increase in market, the demand in the coming weeks and months would be proportionally lower as customers draw down stocks kept at home. The outcome of a global recession caused by the direct and indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic can be expected to have a deeper impact on global coffee demand. In terms of volume, reduced household incomes could translate into lower coffee demand. However, price-sensitive consumers can replace higher-value coffee with lower-value blends or brands.

Nevertheless, the coffee demand’s revenue elasticity is likely to be weak, especially in high-income countries and traditional markets with high per capita consumption levels. The following quantitative analysis aims to define the relationship between GDP growth and coffee consumption, thereby providing an estimation of the demand-side shock resulting from the pandemic COVID-19.

[karingudino]

Blended finance has the potential to address the climate financing gap

Inexperienced finance is lastly having its second. $491 billion in sustainable bonds had been issued in 2020, a leap from $200 billion in 2018, as reported by Environmental Finance. On 5 June 2021, the G7 committed to growing finance for local weather change adaptation and nature-based options and referred to as on multilateral growth banks and the personal sector to do the identical. 

Manufacturers together with Olam, Nestlé, Barry Callebaut and Unilever have set science-based targets on decreasing their carbon emissions and are getting ready methods for large ‘forest constructive’ campaigns. Vital funding capital, carbon finance and offtake commitments from these corporations can allow financing of farm restoration and renovation, enhance incomes and resilience, seize carbon, and defend remaining forests.

An funding of an estimated US$300 billion to US$400 billion is required for preserving and restoring ecosystems. Nevertheless, only US$52 billion is being invested in such projects.

‘Blended finance’ has emerged to de-risk affect investments and thereby spur on the transition to a extra sustainable agriculture system. In land use and agriculture initiatives, blended finance can handle greenhouse fuel emissions whereas enhancing biodiversity, soil high quality and meals safety in creating international locations.

However can it rise to the problem of enabling the land use and land governance transition we have to meet the Paris objectives?  

Huge capital wanted for sustainable manufacturing of tree crops

Smallholder farmers that develop tree crops, similar to cocoa, espresso and palm oil, seem to be prime candidates to profit from the expansion of blended finance and ‘forest constructive’ carbon initiatives. Worldwide, over 7 million smallholder tree crop farmers, farming on an estimated 14 million hectares of land worldwide, have to replant their farms, and introducing extra local weather resilient and regenerative farming methods even to take care of their fragile farm revenue. Small-scale producers of espresso and cocoa are scuffling with low productiveness on account of getting old timber, depletion of soils, the impact of local weather change and illness outbreaks like La Roya and swollen shoot.

Recent satellite analysis has proven that after many years of worldwide deforestation attributable to large-scale clear-cutting for plantations, patches of deforestation – typically by smallholder farmers pushed into the forest frontiers to complement their low incomes – are starting to rival and even overtake business clear-cutting within the price of deforestation.

Ageing tree crops result in farmer precarity and deforestation

How does this play out on the bottom? In Cote d’Ivoire the place cocoa manufacturing is dominated by small producers, 30% of the cocoa timber are over-aged, and their productiveness is falling. Cocoa farming households’ incomes at this time are across the poverty line, far beneath targets IDH and cocoa corporations have set in direction of a cocoa sector ‘living income’ roadmap, and it’s projected {that a} farming family with aged timber and no means to speculate will see its revenue drop by 43% over the course of the following ten years. 

In Indonesia, 40% of the entire smallholder oil palm space, amounting to 2.4 million hectares (5.9 million acres), is over-aged, according to Mongabay. With out entry to funds to replant their farms, farmers may have no different possibility however to clear new forests and peatland. The identical destiny looms for ageing oil palms in Malaysia. 

Smallholder farmers: the Achilles’ Heel of blended finance

Is mixed finance the answer these farmers – and their neighboring forests – are ready for? 

It’s not that simple. Right now, near 90% of worldwide smallholder farmers do not need entry to formal finance, and for feminine farmers this hole is even bigger. Buyers or monetary service suppliers are usually not capable of service smallholders on account of a mixture of elements, together with restricted aggregation, excessive transaction and bodily prices of reaching the farmers, lack of creditworthiness, in some locations over indebtedness, and insecure land tenure preparations. 

What’s extra, replanting and transitioning to extra regenerative and local weather resilient types of agriculture similar to agroforestry, requires upfront investments which can be typically adopted by a interval of a number of years of diminished or no revenue as timber take a number of years earlier than they arrive to fruition, dubbed the ‘Valley of Dying’.

On high of that, in lots of rural areas, there may be restricted on-the-ground capability to ship companies similar to technical recommendation, inputs, and finance to smallholder farmers. 

Trying into the monetary wants that come up for smallholders as they progress via the transformation course of, it’s clear that this transition would require a spread of funding options.  

A unique grant-capital-return combine is required for smallholders and forests

Blended finance just isn’t merely about mixing private and non-private sources right into a fund. For blended finance and insetting initiatives to have transformative affect on smallholders and ecosystems that’s wanted, it wants private and non-private companions to work collectively. Funding wants to slot in nationwide and landscape level growth plans, and new mixes of grants and funding capital to beat hurdles together with clear land tenure and land use zoning.

In IDH, we see the necessity for extra innovation within the area the place technical help and grant, carbon finance and funding autos within the agricultural and forestry sector come collectively and allow nationwide local weather agendas and neighborhood growth ambitions.

 We hope to listen to concepts and see related efforts from many companions and friends world wide, to capitalize on inexperienced funding’s second, bridge the hole between blended finance and smallholders, and collectively, construct a climate-proof future.

IDH – The Sustainable Trade Initiative promotes sustainable panorama administration via its Landscapes program, based mostly on manufacturing, safety, restoration, and inclusion. The Landscape Finance group is devoted to mobilizing investments and studying round revolutionary enterprise and funding fashions for inclusive land and ecosystem restoration, and manages Technical Help Amenities (TAF) for Funding Funds that promote inclusive and sustainable land use, together with the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) Fund, the AGRI3 Fund and the &Green Fund, in addition to FarmfitFund managed by IDH Make investments and devoted to investing in smallholder inclusive enterprise fashions.

Nienke Stam is Program Director for Panorama Finance at IDH – the Sustainable Commerce Initiative.

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source https://fikiss.net/blended-finance-has-the-potential-to-address-the-climate-financing-gap/ Blended finance has the potential to address the climate financing gap published first on https://fikiss.net/ from Karin Gudino https://karingudino.blogspot.com/2021/07/blended-finance-has-potential-to.html