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spockiguess · 3 years ago

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Spitfire || Joby Taylor x Fem!Reader

Rating: Explicit 18+

Warnings: Smut

Tags: Multiple Orgasms, Hitachi Wand, Overstimulation, Dom/Sub Dynamics, Use of pet name “good girl”

Notes: Lord mercy, this one was quick. Started it late last night and just finished it today. I included the “use of pet name” thing because I know some of y’all aren’t into that, so I’d rather you know it gets used than be smacked in the face with it later on.

Also, this fic is dedicated to: Bonnie and Asmy, the biggest danonation whores. [thumbs up] There was a severe lack of Joby fics so I decided to make one myself. Hopefully it isn’t complete dogshit. Message me if there are any mistakes.

Chunky pleather boots strutted down cracked concrete, shaking the ground with unparalleled confidence. A black wool turtleneck dress hugged your curves, and oversized circular sunglasses obscured your eyes. Your genuine emotions were hidden from the random passerby who swerved around you, some looking back either in jealousy or curiosity.

Your bright pink oval earrings swung in motion with your mighty gate as you stepped through the small diner's doors, the bell above ringing and drawing all eyes. You were perfectly unbothered, used to the attention, as you seated yourself at the linoleum counter.

“Could I have a coffee,” You looked over a laminated menu, tapping it on the counter before adding, “Oh, and some sugar, too, please?” You smiled at the ghoulish waitress, probably at the tail end of her night shift, as the clock neared 6:30.

The waitress grabbed a pot with a nod and poured a tall glass of joe, handing you the cup with a couple of packets of Sweet’N Low.

“Thanks.” You flashed a friendly smile to which the waitress tried to respond as earnestly as possible, her smile not reaching her eyes.

Ripping the little packets, you poured them into your coffee, swishing the drink due to a lack of utensils. Luckily, the waitress noticed and handed you a spoon.

“Thank you.” She shrugged wordlessly, her smile just a bit more spirited.

Mixing the artificial sweetener, you took the time to examine your surroundings, admiring the quaint diner, its aesthetic planted firmly in the past. Its walls were a robin's egg blue with a checkerboard detailing plastered across its entire bottom half.

Old movie posters littered the walls, all classic romances. Casablanca, The Philadelphia Story, and Singin’ In The Rain, one of your favorites, were just a couple. You had always admired old romance movies, the dream-like quality they had, the utter fantasies they were. They were always a nice break from the angsty monotony of life.

As you admire the hand-painted posters, you can feel a set of eyes burning into your being, and a quick swivel of the head allows you to find the perpetrator.

A tall, stringy man sat at the opposite end of the counter, slick hair and painted nails; oh, you recognized his type, your type to be exact. The stranger’s green eyes were too caught up in looking you up and down, but you savored the attention for a moment.

Finally, he realized he had been caught and gave you a sheepish smile, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. The two of you stayed like that, staring each other down, urging one of you to make the first move.

The man relented quickly, not the patient type, hopping off his stool, crossing over to you, and taking a seat.

You spoke as you brought the coffee to your lips, “Hello, stranger.” He chuckled, inching closer.

“Hey, stranger.” He teasingly emphasized the last word as he watched you intently, totally enraptured. His voice was soft yet raspy, and the sound sent shivers down your spine, so you sparked more conversation just to hear it.

“What’s someone like you doing in a place like this so early in the morning?” Again, he laughed, tapping a couple of fingers on the counter to craft a simple melody.

“You, uh, you totally stole my line there.” Both of you laughed, and when you faced him, you knew loads of trouble were to come. That was your curse, and you had long come to terms with it, relinquishing your hopes of a fulfilling relationship with your early Hollywood romance movies. Sometimes you envisioned yourself as a Judy Garland, clumsily navigating your life while trying your hardest to come across as a Greta Garbo or Diahann Carroll, dreaming of being a Carmen Jones.

It always ended with a messy split or a crazy ex who’d never stop calling until you placed a couple of restraining orders, and you knew this man was going to be one of these, but hey, you could never deny the short-lived fun they’d bring.

“I know. I read your mind, and let me tell you, I never wanna do it again.” The man smiled, showing his crooked front teeth, oddly making him more attractive. As you began to find more of these details, the odd little complexities, they endeared you to him more. His silver rings, old leather jacket, and sad eyes told you a million things.

You wondered why his eyes carried such a weight, a maturity lacking in the general male population, and a sliver of hope grew inside you, whispering maybe he’s different. Bah, you shoved the thought away, knowing it would get you into deeper trouble than it was worth.

“I wouldn’t want to either, some crazy shit in there,” A clock ticked somewhere in the diner, and you noticed the waitress from earlier striding out of the restaurant, her shoulders less burdened, and she cherished her temporary freedom.

“M’here cause I’m, uh, hungover. Had a busy night.” His mischievous grin told you everything you needed to know, but still, you had the courtesy to ask.

“Busy?” You lifted an eyebrow, resting your head on your arm, looking at the menu again, scanning the items.

“Mm, love pancakes,” You called out to the chef behind the open window looking into the kitchen, “Could I have a stack, please?”

He answered with a sweet southern accent, “Course, darlin’. Anything else?”

You turned to the man, “You want anything? I’ll pay.” You had the money to spare, and honestly, he looked like he needed it.

He perked up with a grateful look, “ Yeah, yeah, you, uh, you don’t have to do that, y’know.” Rolling your eyes, you called out again.

“Yeah, some hash browns and toast would be great.” A simple nod from him before you tacked on, “Y’all have any jam? Can’t eat toast without jam.” You winked at the man beside you.

“I feel the same way, kid. Momma always made toast with jam, can’t go without it now.” His wide grin was missing a couple of teeth, but it wasn’t anything you hadn’t seen before.

“Right? Toast with just butter’s too plain.” The chef heartily laughed, already preparing your food.

“I heard that!” Your diner stranger looked at you with a sense of awe, lazily smiling and trying his damndest not to fall head over heels at that moment.

When you turned your attention back, he replied to your question, “I’m in a band, actually. Played at a small joint not too far from here.”

“Hmm, a heartbreaker, then. I like heartbreakers.”

Joby Taylor cautiously stepped into your highly personalized apartment, not an inch of space without something filling it. Everything was you, and Joby couldn’t help himself when he started to poke around.

Eyeing a picture of you and your friends, he yelled out into the house, “Hey, 'm here.” He fiddled with a random dino figure, knocking it over and hurriedly, if not messily, trying to put it back without misplacing anything else.

“In my bedroom! Bathroom, actually.” Before finding your room, he wandered around your house before finding the bedroom door, crossing the boundary and smelling your vanilla soap seep from under your bathroom door.

Clothes, books, and movies were strewn around your room, some of the films perched in a dangerous tower that threatened to spill over at any minute. Posters and pictures, signs of a life more eventful than Joby’s, were everywhere. Bands, friends and family, parties and vacations, recurring individuals alongside one-timers.

Joby couldn’t help his nosiness, only pausing when you came out clad in a small towel that left little to the imagination. You and Joby had only been friends for the past couple of weeks, with you having decided it was better even though you really wanted the opposite. Joby understood, grateful for the change of pace and enjoying the wholesome moments you spent together.

Joby forgot what it was like, to experience a relationship, to know a person before you jump into bed with them. He knew the fights, anger, and sex, but he didn’t know those small instances he frequently found himself dwelling on.

Recently, you two had gone to a park at your request, and Joby was unexpectedly happy to oblige. Luckily, it was summer in Chicago, and while that didn't mean all sun and heat, it did mean seventy-degree weather, warm enough for a stroll.

Your warm hand held his cool one, rubbing your thumb along his bony knuckles as you giggled at kids playing a game in the distance. It was scenic, something he had only seen in movies up until that point.

He watched you, your laughter pure joy, resting your head on Joby’s shoulder. “I want to have kids someday,” You said dreamily.

This statement made Joby pause. He remembered Ellen. Her bright blue eyes, chubby cheeks, and soft, lullaby-like voice.

“What’s wrong?” You had asked, your worry visible in how your brows stitched together, creasing your forehead.

Joby waved the thoughts away, opting to continue his probing as you dried your hair with another towel, digging in a pile of clothes for your next runway-ready outfit.

He had to admit, your style was undeniable. You wore almost everything and did so flawlessly. You turned holey, long-forgotten pieces of fabric into memorable statements; you rocked vintage pieces, looking like a modern Grace Jones or Twiggy.

One of his favorite things about you was your attention to detail. It showed in your fashion, art, writing, gifts, and most importantly, how you showed affection. Joby had revealed that he wasn’t used to your sweet touches. He only knew the extremes.

You were overtly affectionate, touching him constantly, grounding him to reality when his mind started to drift. He loved it. He loved when you’d climb into his lap while you two watched movies and rest your head against his neck, feeling your warm breath. He loved when you’d hold his face in your hands or crawl behind him while he played guitar and wrap your arms around his waist.

Now you watched him incredulously, “Why are you going through my shit?” It was light-hearted, and Joby just shrugged and mumbled gibberish.

As he rifled through drawers and you started to warn him against the one he was nearing, he opened it, eyes widening at its contents. He laughed, turning his head to look back at you, “Filthy, filthy girl.”

Your cheeks reddened as you rushed to close it, but he kept you away with his long arms and an abnormal amount of strength. He grabbed the item, holding it up to the world, showing the spirits one of your dirtiest secrets.

Joby waved it above your head, and you struggled to reach it, clamoring against his body for the object.

“Must’ve paid a good buck for this, huh?” It was a Hitachi Magic Wand, well, a knockoff since they stopped producing them a while ago, but the same in shape and function. Joby had to admit that it turned him on, knowing you had probably used it countless times, cumming on all over it.

The image of you sprawled on your bed, legs spread and your hands wrapped around the toy, shaking and trying to be quiet but failing. You’d be dripping onto the bed, chest heaving, and head thrown back.

Your voice shook him from his sinful imagination, “Joby, this is really not funny!” Your towel was starting to slip now, and more of your chest was beginning to show, spurring Joby on.

“I bet I could drive you crazy with this thing.” You blinked, stunned by his comment. Joby was about to backtrack when you pulled away, hiding your face in your hands. This was something you always did when you got too flustered to function, most of the time when Joby would whisper something in your ear, always alluding but never stating.

After a couple of minutes, you spoke through soft laughter, “You are such an asshole.” Inwardly, Joby sighed in relief, knowing he hadn’t crossed the line just yet. Still, he wanted to see how far he could push it until you snapped.

Joby pulled you back in, grabbing your chin so you’d look up at him, “What, scared I’m right?” You buried into Joby’s neck, wrapping your arms around his neck and letting the towel fall to the floor.

Something inside you shifted, and you were ready for the trouble now. You couldn’t let Joby have all the fun.

“Maybe. But you’ll have to prove it either way.” This was all he needed to hear before he tossed the toy onto the mattress, taking you in his arms and resting his hands on your full hips, digging his fingers into the plush flesh.

His mouth went straight for yours, pulling you closer and holding on tight. Joby’s tongue traced along your lips, asking permission before you readily accepted, opening your mouth for his moaning at the feeling of his tongue against yours.

Joby groaned hearing your noises, so whiny and unsteady, opposite your usual collected demeanor. His hands roamed farther, grabbing the meat of your ass and squeezing, causing your legs to shake, trying to keep yourself upright.

Slowly, he walked, pushing you to the edge of the bed before you fell on it with a light bounce. He didn’t let up for a minute, however, crawling up the length of your body, saving the memory of your curves for later.

One of his hands grabbed your breast, massaging it as you two kissed again, while his other hand kept him from falling on top of you. His head trailed down to your neck, sucking a hickey into the skin before biting, making your entire body jump.

You moaned loudly, the noise filling Joby’s head, pushing away all coherent thought and giving him more confidence. He laved over the mark with his tongue, kissing it one last time before making his way down.

He kissed down your sternum, chest, and stomach until he reached where your legs were firmly crossed. He tsked, running a hand along your thigh, squeezing before smacking its side, watching it jiggle.

You yelped as you felt a gush of wetness leak out and stain the sheets, and unconsciously, your legs opened.

“Ah, that’s a good girl.” Your face heated at the name, looking away to try and get your head right.

Joby switched his attention, “Hey, what happened to the little spitfire I knew?” You shook your head, still not daring to meet his gaze.

“Mm, you’re usually such a brat. I’ve barely touched you, and now you’re suddenly shy?” He tsked again, leaning back on his haunches and getting off of the bed.

“Can’t have you not wanting this, y’know? Who would I be to force you into-”

“Wait! What do I have to do?” Joby’s ears perked up. Hook, line, and sinker.

“Gotta hear how bad you want it.” The words were almost a whisper, but he knew you heard him loud and clear with how you hid your face again. Joby knew you needed some extra encouragement and took to rubbing a gentle hand against your legs, kissing right above your pubic bone and lavishing you with kisses.

The sensation was beginning to overwhelm you and rewire your thoughts, so from behind hiding hands, you muttered, “Please.”

“Hmm?” Joby hummed, the feeling sending hot bolts of electricity up your spine. It irritated you knowing Joby could get you wrapped around his finger so quickly, get you to do whatever he wanted. But it also excited you, giving all of that power to him, letting him take the reigns.

You spoke clearly now, grabbing Joby’s wandering hands and running them up your body, “I want you, Joby.” The phrase made Joby’s neglected cock jump in his restrictive pants, but he ignored it, for the most part, instead wanting to lavish you with care.

“Good girl.” You opened for him, wider than before, wanting to hear the name more. Joby’s pupils blew out seeing you spread for him, your slick dripping from your pussy, and your entire body thrumming.

He ran a thumb along your wet folds, dipping in to circle your clit with the calloused skin, finally delivering that sweet relief you needed. Joby spread your wetness around, watching intently and unbelievably turned on.

After what felt like ages, Joby spread you open and licked a hot stripe from your hole to your clit, latching on and sucking while he shoved a finger in to the knuckle, twisting upward to find that spot.

Your back arched off of the bed as you were extremely sensitive, especially since you’ve been waiting for a moment like this ever since you met Joby in that diner. Your moans were like music to Joby’s ears, making him ravish you like a man starved as he pushed in another finger. The slide was smooth, and you easily opened up for him, but he knew you’d be tight whenever he would fuck you.

Just as you were about to reach your climax, all of Joby’s movements abruptly stopped as he looked up at you, slick coating his mouth and chin, “So good for me, baby. So good.” You whined at the praise, “You think it’s time your little friend joined us?” His tone was dark and full of lust.

You had forgotten about the toy already, too caught up in the moment to realize it was just a couple of feet away, sitting right next to Joby. The thought of Joby using it on you made your heart jump; you hadn’t ever used it with another person.

The idea was too exciting to give up, however, and through a moan, you nodded, “Yes. Please.” That wicked smile returned as he grabbed it, untangling the long cord and leaving the bed to plug it into a nearby outlet.

He watched as the toy buzzed to life with the click of a button, the smooth head spinning. Seeing this in itself was erotic, and he realized then the appeal of these things.

Watching Joby hold your toy, something you had used to cum so many times, made another rush of wetness seep out, and you tried to relieve the tension by rubbing your legs together. Joby noticed, turning the toy and holding your legs apart with solid arms.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Seeing the way you squirmed under him, calling out for him with every inch of your body, was a huge ego boost, and Joby knew you’d be the death of him.

“I need, I need you.” Again, another huge ego boost, which just made Joby cockier, but you couldn’t find it within yourself to be too upset.

“Aw, don’t worry, baby, m’right here.” His finger traced along your cunt, making you involuntarily twitch.

Joby couldn’t keep you waiting, though, too excited to see how you’d respond and if he could make you break with just the right amount of teasing.

So, the toy pulsed back to life, and Joby brought the head to your clit, pressing firmly. When you arched off the bed this time, Joby held your hips down to keep you in place, loving how you tried to wriggle from his grasp, not being able to decide to push into the sensation or pull away from it.

He drank you in for the next couple of minutes before suddenly snatching the toy away, your orgasm being denied once again. Your whine was high and pathetic; Joby loved it. He loved seeing how you were starting to lose your grip and submit to him completely. Even though you whined, you didn’t complain, waiting eagerly for his next move.

Joby looked the wand up and down, turning it over in his hand and finding the buttons, “This thing’s got levels, right?” You nodded. “Hmph,” Was all that left his mouth before he pressed the button a couple of times, jumping from a slow rhythm to a breakneck pulse.

The head returned to your clit with a new intensity that made you scream out Joby’s name and wrench your hands into the sheets. Your orgasm was hastily approaching now, and you could feel it start to turn over in your stomach, moving further down your gut.

Joby was just about to pull it away when you came, the scream caught in your throat and your entire body shaking. Even though it hadn’t gone exactly to plan, he still loved how you yelled out from him, not even caring about who might hear you.

He also loved seeing how you came down, dazed and lightheaded, with a goofy smile as you sank into the bed, content and still experiencing the aftershocks.

“Good girl.” Joby hummed, kissing the insides of your legs and licking you up, savoring your taste. One of your hands found its way into his hair, tugging from the overstimulation. Still, Joby didn’t let up, bringing the toy back just as quickly as it left, even more intense than before.

“Not gonna let you get off that easy.” The wand made you jump and try to pull away, but Joby yanked you back down the bed, not letting you escape the stimulation even for a minute.

At first, it hurt a little, but the pain quickly subsided in favor of a mind-melting pleasure, leaving you a blubbering mess. This was what Joby had wanted to see the entire time; you unraveled before him, all because of him.

Because you had just cum, your second climax hit you like a truck, ripping through you and leaving you an incoherent puddle. Joby threw the toy aside and licked at you, fingering you and pushing you through another orgasm.

Somewhere in the back of your mind, you wondered if anyone had ever made you cum this many times, much less make it so intense. Joby’s fingers and mouth worked you through the second one, even though it felt like your fourth.

Slowly, he pulled away, staring at the cum leaking from your cunt. He licked the excess of his fingers and liked how you watched him and squeaked out a light moan.

Joby crawled back up your body, kissing you and sharing your taste, something you both found delightfully erotic. The rough denim of his jeans ground against your crotch, and you mewled, already wiped.

“Mm, think you’re up for another round?”

#smut #joby taylor #joby taylor x you #joby taylor x reader #joby taylor fanfic #paul dano fanfic #paul dano #danonation

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kim-monsterlings · 4 years ago

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Danon - M Hellhound x F Human (Reader) // NSFW

The pictures do not belong to me. I only created the mood board. Do not repost my work anywhere.

Content: NSFW/Lemon; injury (brief, not to reader), mild aggression, mentions of death, soul bonding, fluff, receiving oral, penetrative sex (+ knotting), marking (no biting - tattoo), more fluff to top it off, with the NSFW only at the very end - (if there is anything else anyone would like tagged here that I haven't caught, let me know!)

Wordcount: 3715

Masterlist

The creature rested at your front door had been your shadow for some time now.

The raven fur thick at its scruff tinged with a crimson the nearer you came, and though you doubted its domesticity - its claws were far too long for any house pet, not to mention in place of fluffy ears were ram horns, wide and curled back to its neck - you still felt sympathy for the creature, wounded as it was.

You first saw it nearly a month ago, trailing at your shadow when the evening fell into night. If the creature had wanted to have you then, it would have. The flash of fanged teeth hadn't been so unusual, until the muzzle almost tore back, sinew and tendons sewing flesh together, up to it skull. Then you'd known it wasn't quite a dog, nor some odd breeding anomaly, and had fought to ignore the memory.

Until the creature was at your backdoor come dawn when you went to the river for water and herbs for medicine. You were no healer, not properly, but your parents had passed down knowledge you cherished and made use of. Poultices ready-made waited for collection, all the while your stalker sat by the tree line, waiting; you weren't sure what for.

To see it so defeated when it was usually full of life tugged you down to your knees. The first time you had confronted it - in a rage of foolishness, really, considering how lucky you had been to avoid any harm at its infliction, the creature had staggered back almost in shock at having stones thrown, before letting loose a growl so low your muscles locked, and you thought then you had incited your own death, as its muzzle nudged up at your fist, the creature large enough to come to your hips like a pony.

The memory was nothing now. You whispered, hoping to soothe the dog-like demon when you brushed its fur. It gave a low whine, and tail thin like a whip with an arrowed tip tucked neater to its belly. Whatever it was, was decisively male, but your focus was more on the scratches curled deep into its stomach, and the wound on its throat must have been from another creature of the same kind.

"Hey, boy," you said and offered your hand for him to sniff. The notion struck you as pointless; obviously he recognised you, laying at your door after following for so long, but the press of a hot nose was more reassurance to you than anything. "Stay still. You'll be okay, boy."

The idea of letting him inside was daunting, but you couldn't just leave him there to die. No matter why he followed you, he had come to you now for help, and you pressed onto his back carefully. When he snarled, you winced through gritted teeth.

"Come on, boy." You tucked your hands beneath his back enough to encourage him up. Your door was open. All he had to do was collapse inside. "Go on-"

With a pitiful whine, he fell heavily against your thigh as you led him in. He managed to carry himself to the fireplace before landing with a thud, and though he still breathed, you weren't surprised to find him now unconscious.

Treating a dog was different from humans but you made do with what you had, and you couldn't do anything more than that. What you noticed, even as you tried not to, was the thick stench of something foul and smoky on washing away blood, and something about it twisted at you. Like it was unnatural. There wasn't anything natural to a dog of his size, with horns and a tail like that, nor a muzzle so wide and sharp, but you had already invited him in and tended to his wounds, so you moved on.

You left a bowl of water and some old meat at his side but when you retreated to your room, sharp canines snatched your wrist. His eyes flicked up to you, a bright, burning red against his ashen body. When you conceded and sat at his side, a soft whimper enticed your fingers to his scruff, careful to avoid the horns and shallow wound.

"You're okay," you hummed, holding still when he inched close enough to lay a heavy head on your thighs. "You'll be okay, boy. You’ll be healthy again, and you won't even try to eat me, will you? No," you whispered, and spoke until his eyes fell shut.

That night you spent curled uncomfortably back against the sofa, falling in and out of a restless sleep. You woke before dawn to find the beast gone, and in his place was a man. The first, natural instinct that came to you was to scream; his head was nuzzled against your thighs, a hand curled at your hip and clutching loosely, but the familiarity struck you before the screech came.

His body was the same black of his fur, a rich, almost obsidian, but the giveaway was the tail twined to his bare legs. Even still, his mouth seemed off, a little too wide, and the short nubs at his temples, though dramatically smaller horns, were the same.

So you yawned, snatching the blanket off the sofa and laying it across his thin body, too. Waking hours later with daylight on your face, you were alone. He had rested you on the sofa with a pillow beneath your head and the blanket up to your neck. It melted away remnants of fear, after being alone with not only some demonic hound, but a strange man, too, more than capable of harming you.

It was a struggle to continue your day as you normally would, but it was a weekend, so a short trip out was all you needed. You were back before midday but still alone. Alone until well into the evening, almost convinced it had been a fever dream until you had finished changing into comfortable clothes, and the silhouette standing in your kitchen turned, tail wound at his bare ankle.

"Oh."

The tail flicked and he watched you with glowing eyes, which darted back from you to the door. "If you would rather I leave-"

"No. No, stay." His head canted much like it had when he was the creature, and you smiled, offering him a change of clothes you had bought; not so much a change, but something to cover up with. "I'd like the company, and an explanation."

He apparently had no shame, and you had to admit, he needn't have any. His body was taut, and once more you were drawn to admiring him. The clothes hung off his frame, adding to his general unruliness - his hair particularly, ruffed with thick curls nearly enshrouding the nubby horns.

The stranger was a foot or so taller than you, stiffening when you reached out towards him. He blinked when you introduced yourself, before whispering, "my name is Danon. It's okay," he said, and tipped his head down.

They were rough, thick at the base, and Danon's breath caught when you stroked up to the tips. Horns of a devil, yet he stood before you still weakened by wounds visible, though closed over at his throat, at least. No blood stained the white shirt yet, so you instead moved past to make a drink for you each.

"Start from the beginning, Danon."

His lips twitched, though the smile didn't last. "I am a hellhound. We guide souls on from their lives here. My life is owed to you."

You sipped in quiet until it helped calm your thoughts. Sat opposite a hellhound, you needed the strength. "Sounds lonely."

His voice trembled. "It is."

When Danon chose not to elaborate, you embraced the quiet. He had only sniffed at the tea, but you wouldn't force him to drink it. With his hands so large, clawed, the mug shrunk between them.

He still remained quiet, so you watched him carefully and said, "you followed me for a month."

"It was meant to be you."

Danon's lips pulled back like he was snarling down at his mug, but the action somehow only made a smile grow on your face. He snapped his head up, slamming the mug down hard enough the handle shattered free.

"It was your life I was sent for. Not the elder man. You. Say something," he bit out, a snarl coming audibly now when you just looked at him, heart-pounding but face unchanging. "Is that it? You don't care about your own life? I could snatch it from you now, leave you there breathless until-" he bit his cheek sharp as his tail swung out in short whips. "I chose to give you time."

The only sound you could make was a breathless, "why?"

"I watched you long before revealing myself."

"Oh, don't tell me," you cut in, rolling your eyes. "You fell in love with me? Is that it?"

"Yes."

"Very funny," you snapped, and Danon's throat bobbed. Like you had done, he said nothing, and you began to grip your mug tighter. "Tell me you're lying. You killed someone because you love me?"

"His time had come. I sent him in place of your soul. The world cannot lose you. The way you care for these people… not one other soul is so caring. You deserve to live."

"But he didn't?"

Danon's long tipped ears twitched, almost pinning back once your voice sharpened. He thumbed the crack in the mug with his claw and grunted, "we can claim a soul. I fought for yours and until I choose to let you pass," he glanced up, finding your face ashen. "You will live. The elder was sickly. Longer for him would be a cruelty. His soul was so far gone I couldn't resist guiding him. It's like… like an itch."

Questions sprouted endlessly the more he spoke, and you fully intended to return to the matter of him claiming your soul, but he hunched over, and you wondered if it took a toll on him, being the one to cart people from this life. Better to have a guide than not, but your mind drifted to the man whose passing you'd heard of nearby; very old, very sick, and in a way, it was an easing of pain.

"Don't I itch?"

His warm laughter came as a surprise. Danon's tail swayed gently. "No. You're like a beacon to me. I need to scratch the itch, but your soul is where I return to. When you healed me, you accepted my claim. For simplicity," he murmured, canting his head a little to hold your eyes. "We are bound, 'til death do us part. It is late."

Like that, Danon dismissed the questions burning in your mind. He rose, his form slender and lean, before rounding the table towards you. His claws pressed beneath your chin and he fell low, so close his breath brushed your face. The warmth in your stomach tightened your chest. If Danon lowered himself a little more, you would lean into his kiss without pause.

"I will never apologise for choosing you."

Sleep evaded you for a long time. Knowing that a creature of hell was resting in the lounge gave you plenty to torment over, and like he knew, the soft padding of paws entered your room. The beast huffed a heavy breath against your hand before curling at the foot of your bed, a weight that left you curled into yourself. His presence was a comfort, even as you struggled to stop thinking of him.

He loved you. He loved you, and he had bound your souls together.

Sometime in the night as your thoughts became heavier, the bed dipped. The creature rose, a yawn baring sharp teeth in a display that had frightened you nights ago, before whining quietly. He nudged at your arm until you let him lay close, nosing at your throat and whining again until you were able to rest.

Danon wasn't by your side when you woke. There wasn't a trace of him left. The shattered mug had been cleared away, the smoky scent that followed him was gone, and the comfort with it. You almost thought it had been a dream, a delirious lie after being alone too long, and forced yourself to go about your day as you would normally. If Danon came home, it would be of his own choice.

He staggered into your room three nights gone and collapsed to his knees in reaching out to you. It was the thick of night, so you woke with a cry at somebody waking you. Danon caught your face in clammy palms and hushed you. It was without a word that you kicked back the sheets for him, and he crawled beside you - bare, but so exhausted you couldn't find it in you to care as he clutched you tight with a rough sigh.

It wasn't the time for questions, but you leaned back as far as you could with his arms snaked against you, brushing your hand against his burning cheek. "I missed you."

His glowing eyes blinked down at you. "You missed me?"

You hummed and leaned into his chest. "Did you have an itch?"

His chest rose beneath you but it was answer enough. Danon's kiss was tentative, pressed to your temple like a breath, fleeting when he laid his cheek to your crown. "I missed you, too."

"Tell me what it means to have my soul claimed."

"Come morning, you may ask me anything."

"Will you be here?"

The hellhound paused a breath. "I'm never far," he said, but it was answer enough as you woke entwined, cheek to his shoulder and with a tail draped over your hips.

For a creature of hell, sunlight blessed him. The sharp angles of his face looked softer in the golden hue, and you were free to admire him until he grumbled and peeked open an eye at you. Danon's brows dipped when he found you already awake, but you were quick to catch his arm before he could lean away.

"I fought for the right to your soul," he murmured, thick with sleep and slightly slurred. "It is mine. Nothing can take you without me releasing you."

"Don't I own my own soul?"

"It is mine," he said against the pillows, grumbling and turning away. Though as he fought to muffle himself, his arm around you tightened. "Pretty soul, too."

"Am I immortal?" Danon breathed a laugh. His tail flicked down your legs and he shook his head. "Are you?"

"If I wish to pass on, I may."

The words were rough and muffled now he had found a spot on the pillow to hide from the light, but you spoke still. If he was in your bed, he would answer your questions. "Will you pass on when I do?"

He hummed, "I might." You frowned, and he let out a rumble of a growl, turning fully from the pillow. Danon rose over you until you were laid back beneath him. "It is dependent on you."

"Me?" You blanched, "why me?"

"How attached I am. I never," he growled, and would have lurched back if not for your touch brushing his arm. "I never intended to claim someone. Your soul is my burden-"

"I'm a burden?"

Danon snarled, but you bit back a smile at the gesture. He brought himself close, forehead to yours, and whispered, "I loved you before claiming you. That is my burden alone. May I?"

Throat tight, you tried to hold your voice steady when you asked, "may you?"

"May I sleep?"

Your breath rushed from you and you forced a nod, laying still as he nestled back into the pillows. Danon's hand skimmed your stomach when you slid free, and his tail snagged at your ankle before unwinding.

Days passed much like that, and each in his presence weakened you. Confessions came in soft whispers when, to him, they were the only possible answer to yet another of your questions. You asked him if he had a home. He did; loose curls fell against his horns, brushed his dark eyes, and the answer, though he never did anything more than smile at you, echoed in your chest. It was the same reason he came back after a soul needed guiding, and the isolation of what he was struck you when he returned, falling into your arms no matter where he found you.

The worst came when he was gone nearly a fortnight. Some nights you doubted if he would come back to you, and the memory of him seeing you as beacon became your clutch. You had taken to resting on the small sofa in the days, knowing that if he came back in the light, you would wake.

His whine was so soft you thought him to be the beast when a warmth brushed your cheek, but arms tucked beneath you and curled you into a bare chest. Danon's lips lingered on your forehead before he laid you on your bed, whispering your name as he began to free you from your dress. The lace parted easily for him, and you brought his hands up to your sleeves when he made to turn, helping him undress you until you were left only in your underwear.

"Don't stay away so long," you whispered, reaching out to brush back his loose curls. Danon trembled when you ran your thumb against his horns. "What if you didn't come back to me?"

He closed his eyes and leaned into your palm. "That will never happen."

"This isn't one-sided," you said. Lengthened teeth cut into his lower lip when you slowly parted your legs beneath him, and Danon's hips fell against yours. He let out a breathless moan when your touch pressed to his lips and he let them part, tongue hot against you. "Did you not think I loved you?"

He whined, and his head fell heavy onto your chest. You gasped when he kissed the soft skin as it fell low, and his hands settled on your hips. "Tell me you do."

"I might," you said, and he was peppering softer kisses across your breast, hot lips drawing on your nipple until you groaned. "You'll have to do more than that first."

Danon's lips curled up against your stomach, and relief flooded you when he moved lower. His thumbs stroked small circles into your thighs when he pressed his hot tongue to the fabric clinging to your body, tasting you through it. His teeth caught at the hem and as you lifted your hips, he snatched them off and returned as fast, kissing purple flushes onto your legs before pausing.

"Tell me now."

With a small smile, you reached low to hook a finger against his horn, and breathed, "not yet, love."

He snarled half-heartedly before a long drag of his tongue made you choke. Danon flicked the muscle up until it nudged to your nerves, earning a sharp cry of his name in pleasure. The heat now rushing through you began to pool in your gut, and tightened with the passion he began to lap at you with. The hound growled low, and the shock of it ran in shivers through you.

Claws curled against your skin and he pressed your legs back to your chest. The same fire you felt throbbing glowed in his eyes, and he almost held your stare for as long as he stretched your tight body around his tongue, if you hadn't shuddered and bucked against him.

"Danon-" His nose forced hot air against you, nosing up at your clit and you stuttered out a plea, grasping at his hair and grinding your hips up to his face. "I need you. I need you to-Danon-"

He yelped when you dragged him up, and his body rubbed hard against you. The weight of him slick and nudging to your core made you wriggle, and he palmed your stomach with a small smile, the other hand circling his cock and guiding it up so his head rubbed to your nerves.

"If we do this, you will wear my mark." He turned to kiss your knee as it came against his shoulder. "Am I what you want?"

The shine to eyes was so innocent that you nodded, tangling your fingers in his hair again to drag him against you. "I love you."

Your voice broke on a hoarse cry. Danon laid over you, your legs strained up against him a way that had your body so tight and stuffed when his cock drove deep. His lips, thick and sweetened by your taste, parted on a heady groan with each thrust, each clench of your thighs dragging him deeper.

At that moment, your souls recognised the other; they must have done, with a feeling of belonging overcoming you as Danon cradled your face, running away a tear of pleasure. He rutted up as he began to gasp and shake, a weight slamming against your centre. He soothed you with a whisper of his love, and grinned at your answering whine before the claw of his thumb flicked your clit. Bolts of pleasure knotted in your core. You cried, seeing white and locking tight in the same second Danon thrust hard, the knot forced into you and sticking.

You felt him come, thick and hard until he was panting and kissing down your throat. The black swirls of his mark formed across your chest and Danon held you close as his knot swelled all the more.

"Stay here." He swallowed, nipping at your jaw before meeting your eyes. "Stop travelling," you said quietly, and Danon's fingers running down your hips paused, splaying wide as he looked down at you. Your traced his chest, drawn to the stretch of his skin where a matching mark laid. "Care for this village, the neighbouring ones. You said you only take souls at their time. Guide theirs."

"Stay with you?" His small smile tugged at your heart. Danon slid his arm lower to lift you up against him, brushing a soft kiss to your lips. "I will try."

I wrote Danon in like one sitting and honestly? He stole my heart. I don't know how it happened but this is the longest thing I've written that wasn't intended to be two parts. Danon is now my baby, and I hope you all loved him too - let me know if you did! Threw in the NSFW as a treat to myself. We love indulgent writing. Thank you for getting this far <3

#kim-monsterlings writing #exophilia #monster boyfriend #monster x reader #demon #monster x human #hellhound #hellhound x reader #hellhound x human #2nd person #female reader #Danon the hellhound #kim-monsterlings #exophilia fluff #exophilia writing

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earaercircular · 2 years ago

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European food companies break their plastics promises

Two-thirds of pledges to go greener on plastic fail or are dropped, a DW investigation has found. Here's how European food and drink companies break their own commitments, and how legislation might hold them accountable.

The French food giant Danone made an ambitious promise[1] back in 2008: Within one year, 50% of the plastics used in the company's water bottles would be made from recycled materials. Danone's sustainability report called the measure "a lever for reducing packaging weight and decreasing CO2 emissions."

It would have been a step in the right direction in the fight against global plastics pollution. Plastic is not only one of the main products made from fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas: It's also one of the most enduring. Plastic bottles, for example, can take up to 450 years[2] to break down. The resulting pieces of microplastics harm animals and humans alike — polluting oceans, soil and even the air. And the food and drink industry is one of the biggest plastics polluters in the world[3].

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 79 million tons of plastic waste were released into the environment through terrestrial or aquatic leakage, open-pit burning or dumpsites in 2019. That represents over one-fifth of the global total.

Have companies followed through on promises to clean up their act? DW and the European Data Journalism Network researched some of Europe's biggest food and drink companies to find out.

Danone, for one, did not. By 2009, the company's target on recycled plastics had shifted: "The group aims to achieve 20-30% in 2011," its 2009 report[4] reads. "And 50% eventually." When the company failed to meet that target, as well, it shifted the goal post again. And again. In 2020, Danone still used only 20% recycled PET in its water bottles worldwide. And, for 2025, 16 years after its first self-imposed deadline, Danone has set itself a familiar goal[5]: 50% recycled plastics in water bottles.

Poor track record

Danone did not respond to requests for comment on these discrepancies.

In total, DW and its partners identified 98 plastics commitments from 24 food and drink companies headquartered in Europe that were made during the past 20 years. More than half of these pledges were only made in the past few years, with most offering the stated aim of 2025.

In the case of 37 pledges that should have already been delivered on, the track record is not good: 68% either clearly failed or were never reported on again. When companies fail to meet their pledges, they usually don't mention this openly. Instead, they silently drop the goal or shift its scope or target year.

Where targets where not verifiable, DW contacted the company responsible and, where clarification was provided, updated the relevant data. If companies did not comment further on targets, they remained labelled as unclear.

These figures are in line with studies for other industries: In 2021, the European Union investigated green claims on company websites[6] from sectors such as garments, cosmetics and household equipment and found that 42% of claims were likely exaggerated, false or misleading.

Of the goals that were supposedly achieved, some were more marketing ploys than long-term improvements. There is, for example, the Belgian brewery Anheuser-Busch InBev, the company behind such beers as the American Budweiser, Corona and Beck's. In 2017, AB InBev announced[7] that it had pledged to "protect 100 islands from marine plastics pollution by 2020."

In practice, the company did not engage in long-term protection. Instead, AB InBev organized 214 one-time beach clean-ups in 13 countries, and then declared the efforts a success[8] one year ahead of schedule.

"A lot of companies use beach clean-ups to promote themselves," said Larissa Copello, a policy campaigner with the environmental NGO Zero Waste Europe, based in Brussels. "But they are the ones that are putting all this waste at the beaches in the first place." Zero Waste Europe argues for "turning off the tap" to reduce packaging waste at the source.

Just 19 of the 98 pledges DW found offered pledges to reduce the amount of plastic used in packaging or the amount of virgin plastics — and most of those won't be delivered on until the future.

DW found commitments from 24 companies, 16 of which pledged to produce packaging with recyclable plastics. But that does not guarantee that the plastic will be recycled.

"If there is no infrastructure to collect these products separately, then they can't be recycled," Copello said. The same goes for supposedly degradable or compostable products. "At least here in Belgium, we don't have a separate collection for compostable or biodegradable items," Copello said. "They just end up in the mixed-waste bin." Plastic producers especially have long lobbied[9] against effective recycling systems.

In one-third of the documented pledges, companies committed to including more recycled plastics in their packaging. That would be an improvement, Copello said.

And some small steps have been made. Italy's Ferrero, for example, started increasing the amount of recycled PET used in secondary packaging back in 2010. The Swiss Coca-Cola bottling company Coca-Cola HBC launched a bottle made from 100% recycled PET for four of its water brands in 2019, after announcing it the year before.

Voluntary commitments are not enough for change

Overall, demand for recycled plastics remains low and prices high, meaning that it is mostly more profitable for companies to use freshly produced virgin plastics.

Voluntary initiatives aren't enough, said Nusa Urbancic, the campaigns director at the Brussels-based Changing Markets Foundation, which works to expose irresponsible corporate practices and lobbies for more comprehensive legislation on plastics.

"Instead of using their power, money and resources to drive solutions, very often companies do the opposite," Urbancic said. "They are hiding behind voluntary commitments to not make the changes they would need to make."

In fact, she said, voluntary commitments are often a conscious tactic designed to delay and distract from progressive legislation.

Legislation drives push for recycled PET

Despite pressure from plastics producers, the European Union has recently passed ambitious plastics legislation. Under the Single Use Plastics directive, for example, disposable items such as plastic bags, cutlery and straws cannot be distributed within EU markets anymore. This follows the lead of African countries[10] such as Eritrea, which banned plastic bags in 2005, Rwanda (2008) and Morocco (2009).

The EU directive also includes a target of incorporating at least 25% recycled plastic into PET bottles by 2025 and 30% in all bottles by 2030.

The new legislation is likely part of the reason for the rapid increase in plastics commitments. "It has made companies realize that they need to ramp up their efforts to meet those targets," Urbancic said. Now, she said, companies themselves are even calling for better recycling systems to help them meet their legal obligations.

Voluntary commitments can enable greenwashing

More initiatives are also collecting companies' voluntary pledges in public databases. The EU compiles commitments on the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform[11], and the UK-based Ellen MacArthur Foundation collects signatories' plastics initiatives in its Global Commitment[12] program.

Pledges made to the foundation vary widely in their ambition. Unilever, for example, has stated its aim as reducing the use of newly produced plastics by 50% from 2020 to 2025, but Ferrero pledged only 10%, and the French wine and spirits company Pernod Ricard has offered just a 5% reduction.

Zero Waste's Copello and Urbancic, of the Changing Markets Foundation, consider voluntary commitments such as those solicited by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation less effective than legislation. Urbancic called such strategies "all carrot, no stick."

"Companies are not obliged to even reveal basic information like their plastic footprints. And the data that gets published is not independently verified," Urbancic said. Like other voluntary schemes, she said, this runs the risk of being used as a smokescreen to facilitate greenwashing[13] and delay actual change.

Slowing the rise of plastics production

Changing Markets recommends[14] that, at a minimum, voluntary initiatives set ambitious targets for participation, make sure members report their progress and hold companies publicly accountable for their performance.

In the next few years, the EU is planning to implement more thorough plastics legislation under the Circular Economy Action Plan[15], which will include targets for plastics recycling and measures to avoid packaging waste. And change is badly needed: Global plastics production is still growing and forecast to keep doing so in the next few decades.

In order to even slow this increase, other countries would need to follow suit. The data show that companies only change their tactics when pressured through legislation, public accountability and consumer demand. The next litmus test will come in 2025, when companies will have to deliver on their current set of plastics promises. Some of those are now mandatory — at least within the EU.

Source

Kira Schacht: European food companies break their plastics promises, in DW, 9-08-2022, https://www.dw.com/en/european-food-companies-break-their-plastics-promises/a-62622509?fs=e&s=cl

Julia Merk contributed research to this investigation. Edited by: Milan Gagnon, Sarah Steffen, Gianna Grün. This project is a collaboration among several media outlets in the European Data Journalism Network. While DW was project lead, Alternatives Economiques, EURACTIV, Interruptor, OBC Transeuropa, Openpolis and Pod crto were contributing partners.

[1] https://www.danone.com/content/dam/danone-corp/danone-com/investors/en-all-publications/2008/integratedreports/Danone_Sustainability_Report_2008.pdf

[2] https://www.wwf.org.au/news/blogs/the-lifecycle-of-plastics

[3] https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/brandaudit2021/

[4] https://www.danone.de/content/dam/danone-corp/danone-com/about-us-impact/publications/en/2010/2009%20SUSTAINABILITY%20REPORT.pdf

[5] https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/global-commitment/signatory-reports/ppu/danone-sa

[6] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_269

[7] https://www.ab-inbev.com/news-media/news-stories/corona-and-parley-for-the-oceans-pledge-to-protect-100-islands-from-marine-plastic-pollution-by-2020/

[8] https://annualreport.ab-inbev.com/2019/assets/reports/2019-annual-report.pdf

[9] https://changingmarkets.org/portfolio/talking-trash/

[10] https://www.unep.org/resources/report/single-use-plastics-roadmap-sustainability

[11] https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/en/commitments/pledges

[12] https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/global-commitment/overview

[13] https://www.dw.com/en/brazil-accused-of-greenwashing-the-amazons-deforestation/a-59883309

[14] https://changingmarkets.org/portfolio/talking-trash/

[15] https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/circular-economy-action-plan_en

#recycling plastics #circular economy

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interkomitet · 4 years ago

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Meeting with French business leaders

Vladimir Putin met, via videoconference, with leaders of several French companies-members of the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI France Russie).

The participants discussed topical issues of Russian-French trade, economic and investment cooperation, including the implementation of large joint projects.

Taking part in the meeting on the French side were Co-Chair of the CCI France Russie Economic Council, Board Chair, CEO of Total Patrick Pouyanné, CCI France Russie President Emmanuel Quidet, and top managers of Auchan Retail, BlaBlaCar, Leroy Merlin, Renault, Vinci, Saint-Gobain, Air Liquide, Legrand, Michelin, Danone, Orange, Pernod Ricard, Sanofi, Thales, Schneider Electric, and Credit Agricole Bank.

Taking part on the Russian side were Aide to the President Maxim Oreshkin, Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov, Healthcare Minister Mikhail Murashko, Minister of Economic Development and Russia’s Chair of the Russian-French Council on Economic, Financial, Industrial and Trade Issues Maxim Reshetnikov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Maksut Shadayev, Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov, owner of the Volga Group private investment company and Co-Chair of the CCI France Russie Economic Council Gennady Timchenko, as well as Director of the CCI France Russie Economic Council Pavel Shinsky.

* * *

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon.

First, I would like to note that the Economic Council of the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is still operational regardless of any difficulties. We are meeting for the fourth time since 2016, so our conversations can be called a good tradition now.

Today we will hold our discussion in a different format, via videoconference. Nevertheless, as always, I hope that we will have a frank discussion on relevant current issues of Russian-French trade and investment cooperation as well as the prospects for collaborative work.

France has been and remains a key economic partner for Russia, holding a high but not sufficiently high, 6thplace among EU countries in the amount of accumulated investment in the Russian economy and 5th place in the volume of trade.

Despite a certain decline in mutual trade in 2020 (it went down by14 percent compared to 2019) the ultimate figure is quite acceptable at $13 billion. French investment in Russia is hovering around $17 billion. Incidentally, Russian investment in France is $3 billion. It could have been more if the French regulatory and state authorities treated Russian businesses as Russia is treating French businesses. This meeting is attended by the heads of French corporations that are major investors in the Russian market.

Over 500 companies with French capital are operating in various sectors of the Russian economy. French business features especially prominently in the Russian fuel and energy complex, automobile manufacturing and, of course, the food industry.

Gentlemen, French companies are involved in the implementation of globally famous landmark projects, such as the construction of the Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 2 facilities and the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project. We are aware of and regret the amount of political speculation concerning the latter. I would like to point out once again that it is a purely economic project that has nothing to do with present-day political considerations. But there are many rumours about it, which I see above all as unfair competition attempts in the European market.

Some political forces seem to believe that electricity simply comes from a plug, and nobody wants to bother and think just how it gets there. One of our satirical writers, [Mikhail] Saltykov-Shchedrin had a tale about a general who, when he lost his way in a forest, ordered his orderly to bring him some rolls and pastry as he thought that these grow on trees. It appears that some political forces are like that general, they believe that electricity comes from a plug.

I hope we will overcome these difficulties. Our plans include the construction of a hydrogen fuel facility on Sakhalin. Like you, we are keeping up with the times.

We appreciate that in a difficult economic environment, French companies operating in Russia have not reduced their activity. This testifies to your confidence in the Russian economy and the prospects for its development.

For our part, we have provided and will continue to provide general support to French businesses in Russia and to French investors. The Russian Government established the Foreign Investment Advisory Council, which, by the way, includes six French companies.

An opportunity to discuss in detail specific issues related to the economic and investment climate in Russia is traditionally provided at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, which will be held this year on June 2–5. As always, I invite you, friends, to take part in it.

I will brief you on what we have done and are doing to help businesses, including foreign businesses, and in general to stabilise the economy amid the difficult situation in global markets associated with the coronavirus pandemic.

First, we have successfully ensured macroeconomic stability, despite all the difficulties; we have ensured stability in the financial markets. At the same time, due to a well thought out budget policy, we have managed to increase federal spending aimed at supporting key economic and social sectors.

We have worked hard to reduce the fiscal burden on businesses in these conditions; legislation to remove regulatory restrictions is subject to improvement. In order to provide targeted assistance to the enterprises most affected by the pandemic, a new programme for concessional lending was launched this year.

At the same time, the state intends to increase assistance to the development of science and technology. Funds will be directed primarily to innovation sectors such as pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, nuclear and renewable energy, and the utilisation of carbon emissions.

Of course, we are interested in involving foreign companies that would like to invest in Russia and in projects we consider high priority. In order to do this, we will continue to use preferential investment regimes and execute special investment contracts, as you know. A lot of French companies successfully use these tools on the Russian market. For example, more than one third of 45 special investment contracts have been signed with European, including French, partners.

We will continue to attract foreign companies that localise their production to state purchases and to implementing the National Development Projects. Those foreign partners who have taken the Russian Government’s recommendations into account and have chosen to move their production capacities to Russia can now take part in tenders on equal terms with their Russian counterparts. The total volume of such tenders amounts to trillions of rubles, which is a significant resource for our economy.

There are good opportunities for French businesses in special economic zones. Today there are 38 such zones with a total volume of announced investment of 1.1 trillion rubles, and four French companies have already become residents.

We pay particular attention to attracting high-quality foreign specialists. Their employment is being fast-tracked, and their families can now obtain indefinite residence permits. We plan to launch a programme of ‘golden visas’ whereby we expect to issue a residence permit in exchange for investment in the real economy. You know, this practice is used in many countries. We thought why not use it in Russia too.

Let us move on to our discussion. Of course, I am ready to listen to the questions you have and to consider your proposals and critical comments. There will probably be some, because life is difficult and diverse and you probably have to face issues in your line of work that require our special attention.

First, I would like to give floor to Mr Timchenko, co-chair of the Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Economic Council.

Mr Timchenko, please.

Gennady Timchenko, Co-Chair of the CCI France Russie Economic Council: Mr President,

I would like to thank you for finding the opportunity to meet with representatives of French business. Our fourth meeting is taking place this year rather than last year just because of the pandemic.

The pandemic has changed the world, people and business. Unfortunately, it disconnects and isolates people. However, we are able to note that Russian-French cooperation is only growing stronger and consolidating. For example, Air Liquide provides oxygen to many medical institutions, including the covid hospital in Kommunarka. Danone has donated over 167 tonnes of products to hospitals. In different formats, all the companies that are present here have participated in this war for life, so to speak. It is not only during the pandemic that French companies have demonstrated such responsible behaviour. French companies in Russia are responsible employers and socially responsible members of Russian society.

As the Co-Chair of the CCI France Russie Economic Council, I would like to highlight the main facts regarding the business of French companies in Russia. Despite the crisis and the geopolitical situation, a number of French companies, previously not represented in Russia, launched production in 2020–2021. Companies already operating in Russia have localised the production of additional products that they previously imported. Companies such as Saint-Gobain and Danone have renewed their investments.

French companies have increased their export of products manufactured in Russia; they are investing in priority sectors of the Russian economy. For example, this year the French company Lidea is launching a plant called Tanais to produce seeds. Russia is dependent on the import of 30 to 60 percent of these seeds, according to various estimates.

Thank you again for the meeting, which in the current geopolitical conditions and information field will become an important signal for French business and the Russian side to strengthen economic cooperation, attract investment, and create partnerships on a new mutually beneficial basis.

Thank you for giving me the floor.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you, Mr Timchenko.

It is a pleasure to give the floor to Chair of the Board of Directors and CEO of Total, Mr Pouyanne.

Patrick, you are welcome.

Co-Chair of the CCI France Russie Economic Council Patrick Pouyanne (retranslated): Good afternoon, Mr President.

Once again, thank you very much for devoting your time to us. Thank you for meeting with the Economic Council of theFranco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Today, 14 representatives of various companies are meeting at the Total offices. You can see them on your screens. Another two have joined us from other points of the globe. Today, we are meeting in a digital format but, of course, we are always more pleased to be your guests at the Kremlin. Let us hope this will be possible next year when our current efforts to counter the pandemic will allow us to have more control over it, if all of us are vaccinated.

Indeed, this is our fourth meeting today. It has become an excellent tradition as you have noted. The presence of 17 CEOs and deputy CEOs of French companies shows how important these meetings are for us. They reflect the interest of French business in Russia.

By 2020, twenty members of the Economic Council invested a total of 1.65 trillion rubles, supporting 170,000 jobs. These companies have operated in Russia for decades and continue investing in the Russian economy despite the sanctions and the epidemic. These companies help France maintain its status as the second largest investor in Russia. In 2020, France invested over one billion dollars in Russia despite the economic difficulties caused by the pandemic.

We rank first in the number of jobs among foreign employers. At our previous meetings, we managed to discuss very specific issues and to achieve certain success owing to your participation and, of course, the work of our co-chairs, Gennady Timchenko whom I welcome, and thanks to the involvement of all ministers of the Russian Government. And, of course, this was possible because of your personal support, Mr President. Let us hope that at this meeting we will retain the focused, professional style of our previous meetings. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to speak not only about the things that work but also about those that do not work.

Concluding these opening remarks, I would just like to say that we, economic operators, believe that everyone will benefit if Russia, France and all of Europe are not divided or isolated. This is the challenge today. Indeed, diplomacy must continue playing an important role when the number of differences is on the rise.

In the meantime, we are convinced that meetings like this create bridges between Russia and France through investment and economic cooperation. I sincerely wish to all the French companies here that you will have success in overcoming all existing obstacles.

Mr President, once again, thank you for your attention.

http://interkomitet.com/news-of-the-day/meeting-with-french-business-leaders/

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lovemychinchilla · 4 years ago

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Do Chinchillas Need Probiotics?

Chinchilla supplementation is a touchy subject for some owners. While it may boost a chinchilla's health, certain owners think their chinchillas should get everything they need from their diets. So, what's the truth about probiotics?

Do chinchillas need probiotics? Chinchillas don't need regular supplementation of probiotics, although they may be beneficial in certain circumstances. Probiotics can replenish a chinchilla's gut bacteria after it's sick or it takes antibiotics. But they may also have severe side effects like bloating. Talk to your vet before administering them.

The guide below first looks at what probiotics are and what they do, before addressing their side effects. We'll also touch on the various brands of probiotics for chinchillas (believe it or not, but some are completely unsuitable!)

Do Chinchillas Need Probiotics?

Chinchillas don't need probiotics because when they would be most 'helpful', a trip to the vet or a correction of its living conditions would likely be more helpful. While they are almost always safe for your pet to take, their benefits have been largely exaggerated, while their potential side effects have been ignored.

That being said, many owners report that they do help their pets, so they may be worth your consideration if your chinchilla is constipated or generally unwell. If you do plan on giving them to your chinchilla you should consult a vet first.

What Are Probiotics?

Probiotics are a kind of supplement, but they don't work in the same way that other supplements do.

Most supplements are of vitamins or minerals that a person (or pet) needs. While there is conflicting evidence on whether they work or not, the body definitely needs certain things like calcium or vitamin C. But probiotics contain bacteria, not vitamins or minerals—bacteria that assist the digestive process. All animals have bacteria inside them for this purpose.

Probiotics come in both liquid and tablet form. They typically contain many kinds of bacteria, not just one, as a healthy gut has lots of different kinds. There are 'gram positive' bacteria and 'gram negative' bacteria, which is related to how thick the cell wall of each bacterium is. Then there are different species, like Lactobaccilus, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus and Acidophilus. Probiotics should ideally have a mixture of these and others.

What Do Probiotics Do?

Probiotics supposedly restore 'healthy' bacteria to the gut. These bacteria can be killed by antibiotics, or through having a generally poor immune system. Manufacturers claim that replacing them with probiotics can promote healthy digestion and assist the immune system.

Like other forms of supplementation, the actual effects of probiotics are debated. The Federal Trade Commission have rejected advertising claims by popular probiotics manufacturers like Danone, stating that the evidence for more exaggerated claims (like preventing colds or relieving constipation) simply isn't there. The European Food Safety Authority has made similar moves in the European Union.

That hasn't stopped people (and their pets) from enjoying taking probiotics, and feeling an effect of some kind.

Would Probiotics Kill My Chinchilla?

Listed side effects of probiotics can include gas and bloating, constipation, and thirst. These are extremely unlikely to occur, but they can.

The precise side effects on chinchillas have not been studied, and these have only been documented in people. But it's worth knowing that probiotics a) aren't a magical cure-all, and b) aren't 100% safe.

If these side effects were to affect your chinchilla, they could be quite severe. Constipation and bloating are particularly bad for your pet; severe cases can kill it. That's why you should consult a vet before making dietary or supplemental changes for your chinchilla.

Why Would a Chinchilla Need Probiotics?

Some owners will give their chinchillas probiotics in certain circumstances, such as:

If it has diarrhea. Diarrhea can be caused by too many of a certain bacteria in the gut; correcting the balance of the bacteria could help.

If it has constipation. Gut bacteria assist in the breakdown of food.

If it has general poor health. Some people view probiotics as a way to 'boost' the immune system, in which case it could help.

Probiotics may also be helpful after your chinchilla takes antibiotics. One of the side effects of taking antibiotics is that they kill 'good' gut bacteria. This can make digestion less effective, but they can be replaced with probiotics and a healthy diet. If your chinchilla needs to take antibiotics, e.g. because of a respiratory infection, talk to your vet about the potential benefits of probiotic supplementation afterwards.

Can Chinchillas Take Probiotics?

You can give your pet chinchilla probiotics so long as:

You are aware that they aren't a cure-all, and don't offer them fully expecting for your pet to recover from whatever's wrong

You are not giving your pet probiotics instead of taking it to the vet

You have talked to a vet about a specific kind of probiotic before offering it

You are aware that probiotics can have side effects

There are two kinds of probiotic. The first is in pill form, and the second is in liquid form. You should avoid giving your chinchilla any dairy-based liquid probiotic as chinchillas are lactose intolerant. After they wean from their mothers' milk, they never drink milk again (people are the only animals that do that!) You should also check the pill to make sure it doesn't have lactose in it, as many do.

Don't give your chinchilla the pill whole. Instead, open it up and pour it on your chinchilla's food. If it's solid, crumble it up and do the same.

Below are two common probiotics that chinchilla owners mention on forums and in groups. We aren't paid to mention or link to them, so this is an honest review.

Pro C Probiotic for Chinchillas

One of the most well-known probiotics for chinchillas is Pro C Probiotic. This is a probiotic made especially for small animals, and it contains other supplements like vitamin C. Reviews for this product are positive, so owners do seem to have positive experiences with it.

One thing to note is that chinchillas do not need vitamin C supplementation. That's because chinchillas are one of many animals that can make their own vitamin C inside their bodies. Humans are actually unusual because they lack this ability, as most animals can do so. So, don't take the fact that Pro C Probiotic has vitamin C in it as a reason to buy it.

Another problem we've noticed is that it contains dextrose. This is advertised plainly on the front of the tub, presumably because dextrose sounds like something useful—but it's actually pure sugar made from corn. It's chemically identical to glucose.

This is surprising since Vetark advertise this product for "frequent and routine use". If you didn't know, chinchillas should never eat processed simple sugars, only complex carbohydrates/fiber. This is part of the reason why feeding fruit to a chinchilla is a bad idea.

So, overall: chinchillas don't need regular supplementation of probiotics, they don't need any supplementation of vitamin C, and they should never eat dextrose/pure sugar. So, even though this product is recommended by many owners, we think it should absolutely be avoided.

Exotic Nutrition Chinchilla Booster

Another option, this one specifically for chinchillas, is Exotic Nutrition's 'Chinchilla Booster'. This product has at least been designed with chinchillas in mind rather than small pets generally, which is one advantage over the Pro C Probiotic. It's intended as a generall chinchilla vitamin/chinchilla supplement, but it does contain yeasts and probiotics, which is why it's included here.

You can tell that the manufacturers know at least a little about chinchillas because it doesn't contain vitamin C. It does contain lots of B vitamins and calcium, though, both of which chinchillas need. The page is also at pains to point out that if your pet is already getting an appropriate diet, then it won't need Chinchilla Booster or any other supplement. So that's two bonus points, one for honesty, and one for knowing that chinchillas don't need supplemented vitamin C.

As such, if you are going to give your chinchilla probiotics, we would recommend giving it this product rather than the one above. You should talk to your vet before administering any chinchilla vitamins, supplements or probiotics.

Below, you can find our chinchilla quiz, new posts for further reading, and a signup for our Chinchilla Newsletter!

#chinchillas #chinchillanutrition

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verycleverboy · 7 years ago

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Peace on Earth is out of stock right now

A majority of the world’s nations delivered a stinging rebuke to the United States on Thursday, denouncing its decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and ignoring President Trump’s threats to retaliate by cutting aid to countries voting against it.

In a collective act of defiance toward Washington, the General Assembly voted 128 to 9, with 35 abstentions, to demand that the United States rescind its Dec. 6 declaration on Jerusalem, the contested holy city.

The resolution is nonbinding and therefore largely symbolic, but the lopsided vote indicated the extent to which the Trump administration’s decision to defy a 50-year international consensus on Jerusalem’s status has unsettled world politics and contributed to America’s diplomatic isolation.

Major allies like Britain, France, Germany and Japan all voted for the resolution, though some allies, like Australia and Canada, abstained.

Israel denounced the vote, likening it to a 1975 resolution equating Zionism with racism, a decision that was repealed in 1991 after intensive American lobbying. “It’s shameful that this meeting is even taking place,” Israel’s envoy to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told the body.

The American ambassador, Nikki R. Haley, called the vote “null and void,” declaring that “no vote in the United Nations will make any difference” on the decision to move the embassy, which she called “the right thing to do.”

Echoing vows by Mr. Trump to keep score, Ms. Haley said, “The United States will remember this day, in which it was singled out for attack in the General Assembly for the very right of exercising our right as a sovereign nation.”

“We will remember it when we are called upon once again to make the world’s largest contribution to the United Nations,” she says. “And we will remember when so many countries come calling on us, as they so often do, to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit.”

Diplomats brushed aside what appeared to be a hastily organized pressure campaign by the White House, including last-minute threats by President Trump to cut off aid to countries voting for the resolution.

First things first. Israel has a right to exist and a right to self-determination, and my apologies if my usual dumb Trump snipes from yesterday made it sound like anything otherwise.

Having said that, the US has positioned itself as a key negotiator in a peace plan that has been retreating into the distance for some time, so everything that Trump says and does on the topic has dire consequences.

One of those consequences, at least at the moment, is that Abbas has made it clear he won’t sit at a negotiating table anymore if the Americans are there. Hopefully that’s just a temporary decision, but considering that a few too many of Trump’s “accomplishments” on the world stage so far involve retreating from our international obligations, a small, paranoid voice in the back of my head wonders if he did this to intentionally get America uninvited from that peace table. The repeating motif in how how he deals with international bodies and treaties is the idea that America can do it alone, but since he’s also taking his sweet time at filling vacancies the State Department, and very bluntly stated a few weeks ago that when it comes to our diplomatic corps, he is the only one that matters, I don’t have the slightest bit of confidence in his ability, let alone his will, to do what needs to be done.

There’s also an even smaller voice, one that has wondered over the past 24 hours if Trump’s doing this to trigger a war that he can use as a distraction from his shortcomings at home. There’s no evidence of any kind to back this up, but seeing as how he’s burning every bridge we have as part of his own personal psychodrama, I wouldn’t put it past him to double us down into a body count.

I don’t like either one of those imagined options, because the first assumes that he’s a rank amateur who doesn’t know what he’s doing, while the second plays into the idea that he’s a Machiavellian nightmare/rank amateur who knows exactly what he’s doing. As dumb as I say he is on a regular basis, I want to believe that he’s not dumb enough to try either one of those scenarios on for size, but if you’ve been following this blog long enough, you’ll also remember that I also used to say he was unelectable.

Happy holidays. We all deserve better.

#palestinians #israel-palestine conflict #donald trump #united nations #god bless us every one

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thenextidea · 5 years ago

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Will We All Be Vegan By 2030?

Consider this: since 2012 to 2020, meat-free meal sales in supermarkets have increased by over 1,100 percent. That’s quite a growth curve for any sector, let alone a category that has literally emerged from dirt.

At a group level, virtually all food types have vegan alternatives.

Meat substitute is possibly the largest category now, led by the Beyond and Impossible brands, along with Amy's Kitchen, Archer Daniels Midland, and the Blue Chip Group.

The global meat substitutes market was estimated at around $1.6 billion in 2019 with projected revenue to reach $ 3.5 billion by 2026 and CAGR [compound annual growth rate] of 12.0% during the same forecast. The vegan market is primarily driven by the increasing demand for plant-based meat products among Millennials and Generation Z, however, all generations have an interest in this new category given the broad appeal and underlying reasons behind this sectors’ emergence.

The other major vegan growth category is dairy, where brands are adopting plant-based commodities including, but not limited to, almonds, soy, oats, hemp, coconut, rice, flax, and cashew. The big players in this category include Perfect Day, Freedom Foods Group, International Holdings Inc. and Hain Celestial, however some of the corporate mainstream dairy groups are fast making their way into this market. Danone,for example, has expanded its plant-based range to include Silk Almond Milk Yogurt and So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt, along with soon-to-launch Activia Dairy-Free yogurt alternatives.

Needless to say, virtually all of the broad based food brands are meeting new consumer demand by innovating and providing new plant-based food alternatives, all of which are now resting on an increasing square footage of supermarket shelves.

It’s not just food and beverage that is converting to plant-based products; cosmetics, furniture, clothing, and even construction materialsall have taken a strong position. For example, Thrive Cosmeticsonly offers 100% vegan cosmetics and the clothing industry is littered with vegan apparel brands including: In The Soulshine, Wuxly and Beyond Skin. In construction, hemp is the alternative material of choice, and is being deployed as finish and structural materials used in residential and commercial buildings.

So, what is driving this new plant lifestyle? The diehard vegans of this world would have us believe it’s due to the human race waking up to the realities of animal cruelty. However, while that is certainly a factor, the human race has definitely not, all of a sudden, grown a conscience.

As with most mega trends, and vegan food is a MEGAtrend, it is the sum of all things that have created the new decades’ most dynamic commercial food opportunity since… well, since meat!

Understanding the trend is critical, as it is the source(s) that determines if the trend will fade away or become normality.

By way of example, the titanic poke craze of 2012 to 2018 was driven by consumer’s increasing interest in raw fish. Southern California was unsurprisingly the epicenter for the US’s poke trend given its weather and lead in raw fish consumption.

Poke protagonists hyped the Hawaiian dish representing perfect foundational economics of fast-casual dining through its easy customization and convenience in a bowl. This, combined withlow start-up costs, and the portability of the product resulted in multiple brands springing up.

However, poke has its problems; it��s just not as reliable and versatile as sushi (its closest rival), and *supermarkets have been unable to offer a shelf stable product. As such, poke revenue and market share are relatively stagnant despite the category’s continued innovation. While there have been a few poke success stories, many of the brands that sprung up have subsequently sprung down.

On evaluation, the poke phenomena was based on some broad perception which has withered and the product category, at street level, has somewhat faded off the ‘on trend’ radar.

* Given that broader availability drives a product into mainstream markets, supermarkets are the primary driver in sustaining food service category trends. Think pizza, burgers and hot dogs. The extensive availability across retail and food service is the chief incubator that maintains relevance of each category.

So back to my question of what is compelling the vegan cyclone? Well, as indicated, there is greater awareness about animal cruelty. Certainly, the Millennial and Gen Z generations are far more aware and more sensitive towards animals, thus generational attitude transformations relating to food have shifted towards plant-based products. However, in the scheme of things, this represents a relatively small percentage with multiple other factors to consider.

Reason #1 - Environment

First and foremost is the environment. As climate deniers keep chanting ‘conspiracy’ to a mainly diminishing and uninterested audience, general populations watch in awe as states and even continents burn out of control. Drought and flooding have become more prominent, and general weather patterns are distinctly altered from historic norms, all exactly as scientists predicted, only sooner than anyone expected.

This extraordinary development has fueled interest in plant-based diets given their more planet friendly science. Consumers are now acutely aware that, in general, plants grow faster than cows (by a lot!), requiring less water and space to cultivate. Combined with a 10 times faster replacement speed than livestock, the environmental and economic advantages that plant-based foods hold over farm animals, in the food chain, are really very obvious.

Reason #2 Global Population Rise

As global populations are on the rise, so are farms, and I mean literally on the rise. Vertical farming using hydroponic, aquaponic, and aeroponic technology has proved to be highly efficient in producing more food per square foot, and is thus able to supply more humans with essential foods than traditional livestock farms.

Unremarkably, it is considerably more costly and obfuscated to create vertical cattle or sheep farms, thus investment in modern plant-based agriculture is outweighing livestock investment. The vertical farming market was valued at $2.3 billion in 2018 and investments grew significantly from $60 million in 2015 & 2016 to $414 million in 2017 & 2018. While still very small in the context of overall plant farming, the investment growth is notable.

On average, 2nd generation vertical farms yield 55 times more produce per square foot over conventional farms. In addition, food can now be grown in the cities where it is eaten. The concept of a restaurant located in a major city having its own farm in the parking lot is now a reality and, given the farm will be producing plants and not meat, menu development will be based on available ingredients which are of course, vegan.

Looking into the future, a natural cycle will slowly emerge whereby the change in food supply will influence shifts in food class demand towards processed and non-processed plant-based products. This is where the market becomes interesting as consumers gradually migrate to veganism through the supply chain, and not necessarily through choice or even a trend.

This takes us to the vegan influence driver: global population growth. The world population increased from 1 billion in 1800 to 7.8 billion in February 2020. It is forecasted to reach 9.7 billion by 2050. Currently over 1 billion people live in chronic hunger, mainly due to poverty and limited access to water and food sources. If we remain within the current global food supply system, starvation will propagate intensely, causing untold systemic regression.

However, one of the palpable solutions is by deploying agriculture away from feeding livestock to directly feed humans. It is estimated that humans could net up to 3 quadrillion calories a year, a 50% rise from our present amount, if we switch to a plant-based diet. Consider the power of newly developed mobile vertical farms in extreme climatic and remote parts of the world, which could travel to areas of need and are self-sustaining. Again, such technology would need to be plant-based and diets would simply adapt to the new food resource.

Reason #3 Health

Of course, health concerns are the next reason for the shift to plant-based diets. Plant-based diets can defend against heart disease and protect against a broad range of different medical conditions. As such, plant-based diets are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. A 2017 report found that 6 percent of people in the U.S. now identify as vegan compared with just 1 percent in 2014.

Thelma Ancill, CEO of Phood Farmacy, an online ghost kitchen providing from-scratch Food as Medicine, reports that around 30% of sales are vegan, and she has observed a notable rise in plant-based demand in the past 12 months.

However, the U.S. lags behind when trading animal protein for plant protein. In Germany, almost half of the population follow a low-meat diet and other European countries are following suit.

Yet, not all plant food is healthy. Many of the large meat replacement brands have high sodium levels, a health villain if ever there was one, and some other rather questionable ingredients. Many meat analog products are breaded or fried in unhealthy oils and contain hard to understand ingredients such as pea protein isolate, expeller-pressed canola oil, refined coconut oil, yeast extract, maltodextrin, natural flavors, gum arabic, and so it goes on. Equally processed vegan products often contain soy, which has been accused of infertility, cancers, and so on.

Researchers from Brazil, the Netherlands, and the U.S. all presented at a major conference called Nutrition 2018. They demonstrated benefits associated with vegetarian and plant-type diets, but they also communicated the health importance of the foodquality.

Reason #4 It actually tastes like meat!

Which leads me to the final factor in the plant-based diet expansion. It’s really quite simple, plant-based products actually taste like, and are promoted like, meat!

Take one of the US’s most promising vegan fast food chain concepts, Plant Power Fast Food(based in Southern California). Their menu includes a Bacon Cheeseburger, a Chicken Wrap, BBQ Chicken Salad and Raw Tacos. These items sound like products from I’m Lovin It or Taco SwellBell, however, all Plant Power products are 100% vegan and frankly taste great. Plant Power is just one example amongst many. However, 15 years ago, the likelihood of a 100% plant-based fast food chain being successful was simply out of the question. It’s not just dedicated vegan groups that are offering tasty vegan products; Carl’s Junior, Taco Bell, and yes, McDonald’s all now have a plant-based product on their menu.

In the supermarkets, shelves are now filled with a broad range of plant-based products that are promoted as meat substitutes. Buffalo chicken strips, taco meat, and meatballs are now all available as meat substitutes, and sales are ‘Beyond’ expectations! Most restaurants carry plant-based options on their menu and chefs continue to experiment with meat replacement ingredients in all restaurant sectors.

In closing, will we all be vegan by 2030? I don’t think so, but there is no question that the world’s food ecosystem will transform over the next ten years at an unprecedented rate and a colossal swing towards plant-based diets will be the foundation of the plant diet insurgency.

Author: Robert Ancill, CEO The Next Idea Group

About the author:Robert Ancill is a Food & Restaurant Consultant who specializes in food and restaurant trends as well as design, positioning, and marketing. Robert advises large and small corporations on hidden trends and market specific trend forecasts.

For information contact Robert directly at: [email protected] or call: 818 887 7714

#thenextidea veganfoodmarket

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audible-smiles · 7 years ago

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“Fear of Food: A History of Why We Worry About What We Eat” by Harvey Levenstein doesn’t really lend itself to pull quotes, so I’m going to summarize a couple of the really interesting stories for you

Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov and Yogurt

Our story begins when a Russian Jewish bacteriologist named Mechnikov flees the pogroms/May Laws in the wake of Alexander II’s assassination, and, while studying starfish in Italy, discovers that white blood cells attack and destroy foreign bacteria in the bloodstream! Its the 1880s, so this is brand new information. Very exciting. He gets pretty famous, and eventually becomes the director of the Pasteur Institute in Paris. (Yes, that Pasteur.)

And then...

...In 1900 he loses his head entirely and starts telling people that drinking yogurt might just make them immortal. You see, he’s discovered that bad bacteria cause old age, and good bacteria cures it! The problem is that we’ve all got a lot of bad bacteria in our gut, because our large intestines are simply too large, an evolutionary holdover from when we spent so much time running from lions that we didn’t have time to stop and take a shit. (Seriously.) So now, in the modern world, all that rotten poop festers in our bowels, attracting nasty germs that make us die young- the natural life span is up to 140 years. Following me so far?

At first Dr. Mechnikov thinks we should just surgically remove that silly large intestine- and maybe most of the stomach as well- but a couple surgeons try that and people keep dying. But there’s good news! It turns out that you can solve this issue (known as ‘autointoxication’) less invasively, just by drinking This One Weird Bulgarian Beverage! Turns out all these peasants in Bulgaria live a long time, and they drink a lot of this sour milk stuff, which contains a critter that they decide to call Bacillus bulgaricus. It produces lactic acid, and your colon is apparently alkaline, so, the theory goes, maybe the acid disrupts the environment, driving out all the bad bacteria, and allowing the peasants to live well into their hundreds.

A problem: its impossible to import yogurt. But you can import preserved bacteria in tablets, which can be added to milk in order to sour it. Sounds terrible, but backed up with health claims, yogurt bacteria tablets sell well for quite a few years.

Unfortunately, Metchnikov’s timing was bad. The golden age of quack doctors and miracle cures is fading away, and the age of science is upon America. In 1906 the Pure Food and Drug Act is passed. People are paying attention to stuff like food safety and sanitation, to false health claims and additives. And then yogurt’s biggest fan goes and dies at age 71, which of course is problematic for his brand. Then this comes out:

“It...became apparent that Bulgarian herdsmen’s life spans were grossly overestimated, because fathers, sons, and grandfathers often had identical names, leading census takers to confuse the living with the dead.”

So that’s silly. But the fear of bad gut bacteria doesn’t go away. (Food fears and food fads rarely do- they just mutate, or hibernate for a while.) The middle-class American diet pre-World War I was...pretty terrible. Bland and starchy. Dyspepsia and constipation were common complaints, and some people continued to claim that sufferers were being poisoned by their own guts. Kellogg, who I mentioned in an earlier post, actually gave patients yogurt enemas.

Autointoxication is part of the mixture of legitimate and illegitimate concerns that underlie the garbage concept of ‘toxins’ in alternative medicine today- ‘there’s bad stuff in your body and we have to get it out!’ These toxins can be nasty bacteria, food additives, industrial chemicals, or a dozen other things, depending on who you ask and what was on the news yesterday. Amazingly, you can always get rid of them by drinking some kind of weird shit.

As late as the 1930s, yogurt is still not available in America except in the form of bacteria tablets. But in 1942, a refugee from Nazi-occupied France named Daniel Carasso sets up a branch of Danone, his family’s yogurt business, in Brooklyn NY. They change their name to Dannon, and rebrand yogurt as a dessert, not a health food, to appeal to the American sweet tooth. Business starts taking off. Flavors are added. Americans think yogurt is pretty ok. Then in 1950, another health guru, this one named Gayelord Hauser, writes a diet book that includes yogurt as a ‘wonder food’ (along with wheat germ, black molasses, brewers yeast, and powdered skim milk). Yogurt sales go through the roof, and American yogurt is here to stay.

It becomes not just a dessert but a breakfast food, a snack. In the 1980s, when it is understood that fat was out to get us, low-fat yogurt reigns. In the 2000s, food marketers discover the medical term ‘probiotics’, and once again begin marketing yogurt to improve digestion. This is the age of Activia commercials.

In 2009, Dannon settles a $35 million dollar lawsuit for misleading advertising. Activia’s health claims these days are much milder than they used to be- legally, it merely ‘supports’ gut flora and ‘contributes’ to intestinal health.

The only verified claim for the health benefits of yogurt is that it is helpful to replenish gut flora after it is decimated by prescription antibiotics, and also helps to relieve the associated symptom of diarrhea. This is a very specific circumstance. Normally, your intestines pretty much have all the bacteria they need, and of course there is no evil bacteria that makes you age. Even if there was, yogurt would not kill it. Hundreds of studies carried out over the years continue to come back with the same results- if you’re on antibiotics, eat yogurt. If you’re not, by all means continue eating yogurt, its delicious, but its not like...gonna...do anything.

Currently, thick ‘Greek’ yogurt dominates the American market. This is because sugar, not fat, is the nutritional boogeyman of the day, and the straining process that thickens yogurt removes some of the lactose, which contains sugar. Personally I don’t like the texture, and look forward to the end of both low-fat yogurt and Greek yogurt, so I can go back to buying regular old yogurt. But of course I’m sure there will be a new version of healthy yogurt along to annoy me shortly afterwards.

Food memes never die.

#books #fear of food #yogurt

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marymosley · 6 years ago

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Israeli Ambassador Calls For The Criminalization of Antisemitic Speech

In the aftermath of another tragic shooting at another synagogue, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon has again called for the criminalization of antisemitic speech. I have previously written about such international efforts to criminalize speech, including a proposal supported by the Obama Administration. The implications of such laws for free speech are easy to dismiss amidst the sorrow of another attack. However, the free speech community must remain firm that free speech is not the cause of hate, it is solution to hate.

Danon declared “The time for talking and having a conversation is over. What Israel and the Jewish community around the world demand is action – and now.”

Over the course of the last 50 years, the French, English and Germans have waged an open war on free speech by criminalizing speech deemed insulting, harassing or intimidating. We have previously discussed the alarming rollback on free speech rights in the West, (here and here and here and here and here and here and here) and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here). There are encroachments appearing in the United States, particularly on college campuses. Notably, the media celebrated the speech of French President Emmanuel Macron before Congress where he called on the United States to follow the model of Europe on hate speech.

Danon argues that “Until it becomes criminal, this bigotry will persist; it will fester. It is only a matter of time until it erupts again in violence and bloodshed.”

The cause-and-effect relationship between speech and violence is increasingly claimed by those who want to criminalize speech. The effort of Muslim countries to create an international blasphemy law is an example of how new calls for censorship and regulation of speech is being repackaged. We have seen how these laws create insatiable appetites for greater and greater speech criminalization. These calls are the strongest after violent attacks when defending free speech can be easily misconstrued as a lack of sympathy or concern for the victims of hate. Politicians often seek responses to tragedies and limiting rights like speech can be remarkably easy. After all, free speech is an abstraction when an attack is a real and traumatic fact.

I readily admit to following the classic liberal view of free speech. The solution to bad speech — even hateful speech — to more speech. It is free speech that allows people of conscience to contest the flawed and hateful ideas of bigots. Germany has proven the fallacy of changing minds through threatened prosecution. While I am certainly sympathetic to the Germans in seeking to end the scourge of fascism, I have long been a critic of the German laws prohibiting certain symbols and phrases, I view it as not just a violation of free speech but a futile effort to stamp but extremism by barring certain symbols. Instead, extremists have rallied around an underground culture and embraced symbols that closely resemble those banned by the government. I fail to see how arresting a man for a Hitler ringtone is achieving a meaningful level of deterrence, even if you ignore the free speech implications.

Ambassador Danon is right that we must all fight the scourge of antisemitism and recognize its rise around the world. The disagreement is only with the means used to achieve that worthy end. Criminalizing speech has never produced any results other than fostering even greater speech criminalization.

Israeli Ambassador Calls For The Criminalization of Antisemitic Speech published first on https://immigrationlawyerto.tumblr.com/

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ruminativerabbi · 8 years ago

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Hope for the U.N., Possibly

Like most Americans—60% according to a recent Gallup poll—I think the United Nations is doing a poor job living up to its self-assigned task to serve as the one international forum in which all the nations of the world are welcome peacefully to work out their disputes. I suppose different Americans must come to this negative impression from different directions, but, at least for me, the determinative factor will always be the incredible bias the body has shown towards Israel for the last half century— a kind of almost visceral prejudice that has on many occasions crossed the line from “mere” hostility to the policies of this or that Israeli government to overt anti-Semitism.

Nor am I alone in my sentiments. In a remarkable show of non-partisan unity, the entire Senate—including all one hundred U.S. senators—signed a letter to U.N. Secretary General António Gutteres last week in which they asked him formally to address what they called the United Nations’ “entrenched bias” against Israel. Nor was the letter particularly subtle: by pausing to remind the Secretary General that the United States is, and by far, the largest single contributor to the U.N. budget—in 2016, the U.S. paid out an almost unbelievable $3.024 billion to keep the U.N. running, a sum that exceeds the contributions of 185 of its member states combined—the senators sent a clear message that that kind of almost unimaginable largesse cannot be expected to continue if the U.N. fails to treat all its member states, Israel most definitely included, fairly and equitably. They didn’t need to issue an actual threat either—just mentioning the budget was, I’m sure, more than enough.

The letter, written by Senators Marco Rubio and Christopher A. Coons (a Republican from Florida and a Democrat from Delaware, respectively), also mentioned with great enthusiasm and approval the work of Nikki Haley as the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. And she deserved her shout-out too: it’s hard to remember the last time Israel had a defender as unwilling to mince words as Ambassador Haley. The Trump administration has had trouble, and continues to have apparently serious trouble, filling any number of crucial diplomatic posts. But the President chose well when he selected Nikki Haley to represent us in Turtle Bay. Americans should all be proud to have a person of her eloquence and candor in place in what must be one of the world’s most trying diplomatic postings.

Ambassador Haley, for example, made it crystal clear just last Tuesday that the U.N. Human Rights Council—a council of buffoons whose sole interest in the world appears to lie in decrying Israel’s every perceived misstep while blithely looking the other way when other states trample on even their citizens’ most basic rights—when she, speaking with her usual forthright directness, specified that the U.S. might simply withdraw from the council unless it abolishes its infamous Agenda Item 7, which guarantees that there will never be a meeting of the council in which Israel is not singled out for censure. Such a move would hardly immunize Israel against legitimate criticism. But it would, at the very least, put Israel on the same footing as other member states—the basic definition of being treated impartially and objectively in any legitimate forum. And it would also mean that the Middle East’s one true democracy will no longer endlessly be condemned with knee-jerk resolutions full of fury but signifying nothing, while states like Iran, Syria, and North Korea—all states in which the basic human rights of the citizenry count for nothing or almost for nothing—are ignored. (Resolutions condemning Israel at the Human Rights Council outnumber similar resolutions regarding all other countries combined.) Such a disparity would be almost funny if it weren’t tragic, but it’s part and parcel of what the U.N. does and, by extension, is. Therefore, Ambassador Halley was in my opinion entirely correct to indicate that continued hostility toward Israel on that level could conceivably trigger a U.S. withdrawal. She was certainly speaking for me personally when she said clear that “[The Human Rights Council’s] relentless, pathological campaign against a country that actually has a strong human rights record makes a mockery not of Israel, but of the Council itself.”

Yet there may be subtle signs that things are changing. Last month, Secretary General Gutteres took the extraordinary step of personally rejecting a U.N. report that used the language of South African apartheid to describe the plight of the Palestinians on the West Bank by saying clearly that it had been published without his approval. Nor does the Secretary General appear to be afraid to speak out in public. Just last April, for example, he appeared personally at a plenary assembly of the World Jewish Congress and addressed world-wide anti-Semitism and his own organization’s systemic anti-Israel bias in the same speech. (He was, for the record, the first U.N. Secretary General ever to visit an international forum of Jewish leaders.) Addressing the first issue, he pledged personally to be “on the front lines in the fight against anti-Semitism,” which specific kind of racist hatred he condemned unequivocally as “absolutely unacceptable.” And he also pledged that the U.N. would be in the forefront of a world-wide campaign to eradicate anti-Semitism from, in his own words, “the face of the earth.”

That much was impressive enough. But then, almost unexpectedly, he went on to commit himself to working towards a reform of U.N. policies regarding Israel because, again to quote him precisely, “Israel needs to be treated as any other state.” And then he went even further, stating that he believes that Israel has an unequivocal right to exist, that Israel has an equally non-negotiable right to live in peace and security with its neighbors, and that “the modern form of anti-Semitism is the denial of the existence of the State of Israel.” (He presumably meant to reference the right of Israel to exist, not its actual existence—even its most implacable foes concede that there is such a place even if they wish things were otherwise.)

So there’s that. And then there was the almost unbelievable news last May that Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., was elected by 109 nations to became the first Israeli to chair a permanent U.N. committee, the General Assembly’s Sixth (Legal) Committee. And now, on the heels of that unprecedented achievement, Danon has been elected vice president of the U.N. General Assembly, his term to begin in September and to last for one year. It is true that he is not the first Israeli to serve as vice-president. (That honor goes to former Ambassador Ron Prosor in 2012.) But even so…given the level of vituperative animus against Israel that characterizes so much of what the United Nations does, it was remarkable to learn that an Israeli was elected to any position of authority at all. It isn’t much—there are, for the record, 21 vice presidents of the General Assembly—but it’s surely something to celebrate for those of us who, despite everything, continue to harbor some hope that the U.N. could yet live up to its founders’ vision and become a force for good in the world.

And that sense of faint hope inspired me to return to an essay by Ambassador Danon himself that was published on the Politico website earlier this year in which he argued that the time has come for Israel to be granted a seat on the Security Council. (To see the Politico article, click here.) It’s an important article, one I earmarked to return to and then somehow never quite did…but now that I have reread it, I would like to suggest it to you as something very worth your time and consideration.

The ambassador begins by pointing out how Prime Minister Netanyahu’s announcement that Israel was poised to compete for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council was overshadowed, even overwhelmed, by the vote by that same body last December to question the historicity of the Jewish claim to Jerusalem. Ignoring not centuries but millennia of history, and mocking the work of a world of disinterested historians and archeologists, the Security Council voted on December 23 to recognize the Western Wall not as a Jewish holy site inextricably bound up both with the history and the destiny of the Jewish people, but as a Muslim shrine illegally occupied by Zionist usurpers intent on imposing their fantasy-based worldview on a world that should know better. (To reread my response to a similar UNESCO-based resolution earlier last fall, one so one-sided and biased against Israel that UNESCO’s director general, Irina Bokova herself felt the need to distance herself from it, click here.)

Nonetheless, Danon argues, the time has clearly come for the U.N., if it truly wishes to shed some of its shameful reputation, to welcome Israel onto the Security Council. To be so elected, Israel will need the support of two-thirds of the General Assembly. But if it surely won’t be easy, it also shouldn’t be considered an impossibility. Israel has paid more into the U.N. budget over the years than the other 65 countries invited to sit on the Security Council as non-permanent members combined. And Israel has a clear role to play in encouraging the Security Council to enforce its own resolution 1701, which forbids the entry into Lebanon of any foreign armies or arms but which has mostly been ignored as Iran has poured arms into Lebanon to arm Hezbollah, now considered to have upwards of 150,000 rockets aimed at Israeli civilian centers. Most of all, inviting Israel onto the Security Council would signal in a meaningful way that the decades of discrimination against Israel during which the U.N. has squandered the considerable moral capital it once had and sullied its reputation among all fair-minded people would finally be over.

As all my readers know, I could hardly think less of the United Nations. But I didn’t always feel that way. When I was a child, the U.N. was often held up as an example of the way that the world had turned a corner away from violence and bloodshed as the primary means of settling disputes and embraced the cause of mutual respect among nations and the peaceful resolution of conflict. One of my mother’s prized possessions, which I still have somewhere, was a letter bearing the first United Nations stamp issued and postmarked in New York on October 24, 1951. She, and so many of her and my dad’s generation, felt that the U.N. was the best hope for a world in which the horrors of the Second World War would never be replicated. That sounds almost laughable now…but, who knows, maybe the U.N. could somehow regain its moral stature and thus also its potential. Electing Israel to the Security Council would be an unmistakable signal that the organization has turned a corner.

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jacobsvoice · 4 years ago

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Is Sovereignty Irrelevant?

The controversy over whether Israel can, or should, extend sovereignty over Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and the Jordan Valley has been momentarily overshadowed. Corona virus resurgence and the nightly gathering of thousands of left-wing protesters outside Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Jerusalem home have claimed priority. With predictable mob misbehavior (see Seattle and Portland), they are demanding his resignation for mishandling the virus and his corruption as “Crime Minister.” Bracketed with President Trump’s popularity plunge for his botching of the virus, there are indications that the sovereignty issue, at least for now, will be set aside. Does it matter?

Following the Six Day War, the return of Jews to Hebron four decades after the destruction of its centuries-old Jewish community launched the settlement movement. Since then dozens, then hundreds, eventually thousands and now hundreds of thousands of Israeli “settlers” have chosen to inhabit their Biblical homeland.

Amid 132 settlements, according to recent tabulation, six are populated by more than ten thousand Israelis. Among them, Beitar Illit is located in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc just south of Jerusalem (destroyed by the Arab Legion during Israel’s independence war). The Orthodox settlement of Modi’in Illit, between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, was built on the excavated location of a Second Temple era site. Ma’ale Adumim, between Jerusalem and Jericho (and mentioned in the Book of Joshua), is a populous residential community with an easy commute to Tel Aviv. Across the Green Line boundary east of Tel Aviv, Ariel has a university, sixteen synagogues and shopping centers. Considerably smaller, with an easy downhill walk to Hebron, is Kiryat Arba (the town of four), mentioned in the Bible as the place where Abraham’s wife Sarah died.

Then there is the Jordan River Valley, where twenty-seven settlements are inhabited by nine thousand Israelis. Although they are distant from Israel’s main population centers, they form a crucial early-warning barrier against terrorist attackers or Arab invaders from the East. According to the Oslo Accords (1995), 90% of the Valley, with the exception of Jericho, is under Israeli control. As Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin declared in his final speech before his assassination, “The security border for the defense of the State of Israel will be in the Jordan Valley.”

Last September Prime Minister Netanyahu, identifying it as Israel’s “essential safety belt in the east,” announced his intention to apply Israeli sovereignty there. Nor was this merely a Likud territorial grab. Its opposition Blue and White party, soon to join a coalition government, announced its pleasure that Netanyahu was “adopting [its] plan for recognizing the Jordan Valley.” According to a recent poll, nearly eighty percent of Israelis support retaining that territory under any peace agreement.

This suggests that whether or not President Trump proclaims his approval for the Israeli sovereignty plan is largely irrelevant. Already exercising de facto sovereignty over these settlement communities, there is not the remotest possibility that Israel would relinquish any (no less all) of them under any agreement with Palestinians. Why, then, should sovereignty be an issue since it is already secured? And why should President Trump’s silence (or even refusal) matter? He has other problems on his mind, like his increasingly dubious re-election.

Netanyahu is no less vulnerable to replacement as the pandemic spikes once again and the possibility of new elections looms. He would be foolish to insist that the application of sovereignty depends on approval by the United States. It does not. The decision is Israel’s – for now, Netanyahu’s, to make. And the question, given his previous cave-in to President Obama by agreeing to freeze settlement construction, is whether he has the determination to preserve and defend Jewish history in Israel’s Biblical homeland.

Where settlements currently exist, the rainbow of sovereignty – measured by Israel’s determination to protect settlers no less than other Israelis – hovers nearby. When Prime Minister Menachem Begin was asked by The New York Times whether he intended to annex the West Bank, he sharply responded: “You can annex foreign territory. You cannot annex your own country.” Last month Danny Danon, Israeli Ambassador to the UN, reiterated: ”the continued use of the term ‘annexation’ - which, intentionally or otherwise, effectively denies the Jewish people the right to exercise sovereignty over our homeland . . . is egregious.”

President Trump’s support for sovereignty would be welcome. But the decision is for Benjamin Netanyahu to make. Jewish history will judge him accordingly.

Jerold S. Auerbach is the author of Print to Fit: The New York Times, Zionism and Israel 1896-2016, selected by Ruth Wisse and Martin Kramer for Mosaic as a Best Book for 2019

The Algemeiner ((August 6, 2020)

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sandlerresearch · 5 years ago

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Poland Baby Food, 2020 published on

https://www.sandlerresearch.org/poland-baby-food-2020.html

Poland Baby Food, 2020

Summary

Poland Baby Food, 2020 is an analytical report by Global Data which provides extensive and highly detailed current and future market trends in the Poland market.

The number of births has fluctuated recently, but despite recording an increase in 2016 and 2017, birth levels have once again fallen in 2019. Disposable income per head has been rising, but remains much lower in Poland than in Western Europe. Income levels are considerably higher in urban areas, particularly in Warsaw, than in rural areas and the less developed eastern areas of the country. Total consumption of baby food is high on a per capita basis, although milk sales have been hampered by high initial rates of breastfeeding. Poland has been among the fastest-growing economies in the European Union (EU). Sales have been on a generally upward trajectory, but have been hampered by a baby population which has not increased significantly since 2013.

What else does this report offer?

– Consumption data based upon a unique combination of industry research, fieldwork, market sizing work and our in-house expertise to offer extensive data about the trends and dynamics affecting the industry. – Detailed profile of the companies operating and new companies considering entry in the industry along with their key focus product sectors. – Market profile of the various product sectors with the key features & developments, segmentation, per capita trends and the various manufacturers & brands. – Overview of baby food retailing with a mention of the major retailers in the country along with the distribution channel. – Future projections considering various trends which are likely to affect the industry.

Scope

– The volume sales increased by 7.4% from 2013 to 2019, reaching 43,145 tons in 2019. Per capita consumption (per baby 0-36 months) rose to 36.7kg, a 5% increase over 2013. The value sales rose by 13.2% from 2013 to 2019 to PNZL1.38 billion. Wet meals and milks saw significant increases of over 20%, but sales of drinks declined, while cereals remained stable. – In terms of value, milks accounted for 47.6% of retail sales in 2019, well ahead of wet meals, the second-largest category. Cereals claimed 16.2% of retail sales in 2019, and drinks the remaining 11.6%, although this latter category is swollen by consumption of juices by older children. – Both the main companies Danone and Nestlé active in the sector manufacture in Poland. Danone manufactures some Bebilon milks and most of its Bebiko cereals and savory wet meals locally, while Nestlé manufactures most of its cereals, and all of its Gerber wet meals and drinks, in Poland. – Poland is a net exporter of baby food. It exported 60,458 tons of milks & cereals in 2018, worth 231.5 million, an increase of 343% since 2012. – The Polish baby food market is dominated by two suppliers: Danone and Nestlé, with a combined share of 82-83% of both volume and value in 2019. The only other company of significance is Hipp, although with just 10.2% of value sales it remains a long way behind the two market leaders.. – all categories of the sector, with the exception of drinks, will grow up to 2025. By 2025, total sector volume will stand at 44,465 tons, 3.1% up on 2019. Retail sales are forecast to increase by 15% from 2019 to 2025, with strong growth in wet meals, as well as milks. Per capita consumption of baby food (babies aged 0-36 months) is forecast to stand at 42.1kg in 2025, 12% higher than in 2019.

Reasons to Buy

– Evaluate important changes in consumer behavior and identify profitable markets and areas for product innovation. – Analyse current and forecast behavior trends in each category to identify the best opportunities to exploit. – Detailed understanding of consumption by individual product categories in order to align your sales and marketing efforts with the latest trends in the market. – Investigates which categories are performing the best and how this is changing market dynamics.

#Food &amp; Beverage

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creativitytoexplore · 5 years ago

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Coronavirus & SEO: Its Impact and the actions to Take as an SEO Specialist – #CrawlingMondays 25th Episode

Learn about the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the organic search traffic across many industries and countries, what you can do as an SEO specialist, and the good and bad we’ve seen in company reactions, in this conversation with Nitin Machanda, Global Head of SEO at Omio; David Iwanow, Global Search & Traffic Manager at Danone; Gianluca Fiorelli, International SEO Consultant:

1:40 What’s the impact of Coronavirus for SEO

9:29 What are the positive and negative actions that companies have taken

22:31 What can we expect in the future & last tips for SEO businesses

Watch it here:

youtube

You can also watch this video and leave a comment over YouTube. To follow more updates on Crawling Mondays, subscribe to the YouTube channel and follow to @CrawlingMondays in Twitter.

Video Transcription

Aleyda: Welcome to another special edition of Crawling Mondays. In today’s edition, I wanted to take the opportunity that I am talking lately with, meeting with Gianluca, with David. And we are all, whether in-house or consultants, working across different sectors as SEOs. So I wanted to start this conversation with them about what we are seeing about the impact of coronavirus across our different types of companies that we work with, and on the other hand, how we are handling, how we are focusing our work in order to keep the clients, in order to work if we see a negative situation or a negative trend. So, hopefully, this can also be helpful for many of you.

Aleyda: But before that, I wanted to introduce, in case you don’t know them somehow, Gianluca Fiorelli, who is an international SEO consultant, who has tons of experience in the travel market, especially in Italy. He’s based in Spain, but has a lot of clients in Italy.

Aleyda: Then David Iwanow, he works at Danone as an in-house SEO, and also has tons of experience as an in-house SEO across many international classifieds, marketplaces as well websites. And Nitin Machanda who is in Berlin, he has worked a lot also in the travel industry in the past, in the eCommerce industry, and now is working at all Omio as an in-house SEO. So hello everybody. How are you?

Aleyda: We have already been in lockdown in many countries for two weeks, and since the start of Coronavirus lock downs and restrictions started already two weeks and a half ago. So, it’s true that at the beginning the very obvious negative effects started to happen with the travel sector, travel industry, people canceling the plans. I have a client website, the one travel client that I had that saw huge spark traffic, not in rankings, but in traffic. This was people canceling, that went down after a few days. And now even if the rankings are still the same, realistically, the traffic has never been, unfortunately, so low. What are the impact that you are seeing directly in the industries that you work? If you can share more about it, what you are seeing in general?

Nitin Machanda: Absolutely. I think I can start because we are talking about travel, and I work in that industry only. And for us it started happening after the third week of February, more or less. And in the beginning we were seeing 20, 25% week-over-week drop, and now the business is down 95%. So this is a huge dent, and I think travel is one of the most affected industries due to this corona situation.

Aleyda: In your case, you provided the option that the users went ahead and directly canceled their bookings, or how did you manage that?

Nitin Machanda: Yes, absolutely. For us, customer is very important. Every user we want to, just, when we get a user, we want to keep this user forever. So for that, we wanted to basically solve [inaudible 00:02:43] issues they experience, even in this situation. So we have a landing page where we have all the providers so you can speak with them for cancellations, and if they don’t provide cancellation, they don’t help you, then we help you there, so that’s what we do.

Nitin Machanda: And then, in fact, interestingly here in our company, a lot of different teams are now helping customer support, even from SEO team, the people who are joining customer support for helping with emails and other stuff, there they can help, where everyone is now customer support and helping users with good user experience, even in this situation, so that when demand is back again, they come back to Omio because of this lovely experience. And then they stay with us forever.

Aleyda: In your case, Gianluca, you have the clients also in Italy.

Gianluca Fiorelli: I have two clients. One is still active, one put me on hold because of the situation. One of these clients is a small OTA, let’s say, they specialize on a specific region, very touristic region of Italy like Sardinia, like Puglia. The impact was terrifying in the sense that in Italy they start really in February, all of the negative impact of COVID.

Gianluca Fiorelli: If we look at the traffic over here, a percentage of decrease, especially in [inaudible 00:03:58] profit is, essentially, the same percentage [inaudible 00:04:03]. It’s around between 80, 90% of traffic, which is terrifying because, as you were saying too, their ranking never were so wonderful. In a normal structure this would have been a really nice start of summer season.

Gianluca Fiorelli: However, not get too much depressed looking at the year-over-year statistics, I started to look more on week-over-week statistics in order to see search behavior changes. And in this sense, I started to see something positive, especially week-over-week.

Aleyda: Seems that it’s reached a bottom already, and is starting to increase little-by-little.

Gianluca Fiorelli: Exactly. This is the case of this OTA which is substantially selling vacation. And finally another client in the insurance sector, and they are still growing year-over-year and still growing week-over-week.

David Iwanow: I guess I’m in a different position because we actually manufacture products, so we obviously do see an increase in people looking for our products, typically because people are shifting to more online commerce. But, again, it’s not consistent across all markets, and usually it comes down to how advanced they are in e-commerce. Some markets see reasonable uplifts, and others seem moderate. So it’s not a sort of perfect thing where everyone sees the same type of uplift.

David Iwanow: The one of the things which I am seeing, and I’ve got a couple of travel websites which are probably a bit shitty when it comes to it. I’ve managed to get some optimization around coronavirus content, and a lot of it was around people just needing information.

Aleyda: It’s interesting what you mentioned regarding you’ve seen still a good trend in your sector, and it makes sense because you work with a food and first necessity type of product. We all still need to keep eating, and this is what I saw, it was sure, and it’s completely reasonable. It starts with a negative trend of those sectors that were more connected with us coming together, the events, for example, websites like Meetups or ever Everbright or this type of websites, not only the travel ones, but the concerts. We can all expect to see a decrease in traffic because, realistically, we cannot go anywhere together, unfortunately.

Aleyda: But now beyond those more [inaudible 00:06:26] sectors is about we are stuck at home, we are working, so we start consuming, and we see data that has been shared from some [inaudible 00:06:35] from similar web about peak in traffic, online communication software, collaboration software, project management software that is cloud-based, of course, because we need to work online. And many companies have been pushed to work completely from home to keep going.

Aleyda: But then, on the other hand, we are also seeing those sectors that are not a first necessity that have had also a negative impact because, of course, if a lot of people have been laid off, a lot of people have [inaudible 00:07:03]. They don’t know what is going to happen to their jobs in the midterm. They are not continually consuming. So, for example, eCommerce websites that I have access to, a luxury type of brand or places, we can see that the traffic is not as down as many in the travel sector, indeed. But we can see that people have stopped consuming as much. They are not thinking right now on buying new dishes.

David Iwanow: It does depend on the vertical. So I know we saw like the demand for toilet paper massively spike through the roof.

Aleyda: Of course, first necessity, though.

David Iwanow: But even things such as like home gyms. So I know in the UK with a lot of people seeing two-to-three months delivery timeframes now.

Aleyda: Sure, indeed.

David Iwanow: In the Netherlands we’re seeing one week, two weeks, but now a lot of the gym equipment in Netherlands is now sold out because people are building home gyms.

Aleyda: Also in electronics, for example, the game system, the switches or-

David Iwanow: Webcam.

Aleyda: Yeah, indeed. In electronics, it did. It depends on the vertical of the eCommerce, what they sell. But in, general, if it is not first necessity and those systems that will keep us entertained, also streaming services, those that will allow us to keep entertained. So, for example, in my case, what I was referring more was like, for example, for clothing or backpacks or shoes. I think that nobody’s thinking right now of buy clothes to go to parties, for example.

David Iwanow: So here’s a fun thing, and I had a bit of a rant on Twitter about this. So I bought a pair of sunglasses from Vision Express in the UK, and I’ve got a warranty on them, but I need to visit their store physically in London in order to do my warranty. I can’t do anything online. Versus I went to one of the retailers in the U.S., Glasses USA, they managed to manufacture and ship them to my house in under six days.

David Iwanow: I think it’s the fact that there’s obviously going to be a shift in demand, but I think a lot of the times if the retailers don’t have the ability to adapt and don’t have the content such as, “Do we still do delivery?” So I think the problem is some of these retailers that could survive, and again, I’m moving to tactics, but if you’re already are locking up those channels and refusing to deal with consumers and saying, “Look, sorry, it’s a bit too busy. We’re just not answering any social media questions anymore,” you’re basically cutting your throat. So I think there are businesses that will choose to adapt.

Aleyda: Let’s talk about that. What are the goods and bad’s, but the ones that we are seeing that are being dealt in a positive and a negative way? Nitin, how would you are trying to work around this?

Nitin Machanda: The good thing for us is SEO is a channel which can also survive in this kind of situation because it’s a midterm to longterm solution, and here you’re not talking about only low-hanging fruits. So for us it was a strategy change. And whenever we plan our quarters, we plan a good mix of shot-term events, medium-term and longterm events.

Nitin Machanda: And here in this case what we did was, so we removed most of the low-hanging fruits for now. So we are focusing more on mid-term and then longterm solutions. For example, site speed, it’s a very good topic. So we’re working on that, and then internal linking. So we are fixing the entire internal linking system that we have and similar initiatives. That’s one thing on a strategic side.

Nitin Machanda: And then we’re also planning to save some cash because this is a situation where we don’t want to burn all the cash. And we keep some budget for testing tools all the time. So we have stopped all those initiatives. We are not testing new tools anymore. And we also plan to have some upgrades, tool upgrades. We have stopped that as well because right now I think we can survive it with whatever we have. So we do not need upgrades, so we are not doing that.

Nitin Machanda: And then we were also doing some really expensive outreach campaigns for generating some high-quality back links organically. So we have stopped all those campaigns as well. For example, viewer content only, it’s not happening, so we save a lot of money there. And there are other initiatives we are working on, so we have solved all those initiatives and saved a lot of money.

Nitin Machanda: And then we were also working with some freelancers or consultants on some fancy-to-have things, not like basics, fancy-to-have things. So, basics, we are definitely working in-house, and all these fancy-to-have things are kind of on hold for now.

Aleyda: It makes sense.

Nitin Machanda: So that’s how we are saving some money and focusing on a long-term initiative. [crosstalk 00:11:14].

Aleyda: So you have gone back to the fundamental, the structural, evergreen type of areas that you know that were there the whole time, and now you have a little bit of more resources to focus on those.

Nitin Machanda: If I generalize all this, I would say SEO is a marathon. It’s not a sprint, and you should think about it as one bad phase of your marathon. So just save your energy, run a bit slow, and then use the synergy in the next phases, and then win, essentially.

Aleyda: Makes sense.

Nitin Machanda: So that’s what we are focusing on at the moment.

Aleyda: I love that metaphor, SEO is actually a marathon, and it should be like this. Actually, we are very lucky in SEO because, yes, of course we have been hurt, but I can’t imagine the professionals that are consultants or agency focusing only on paid search because, realistically, what I have seen with a couple of clients of mine is that, of course, they have stopped all of their paid search initiative because they won’t to pay for clicks that are coming to their site to cancel their bookings.

Nitin Machanda: Exactly.

Aleyda: And often instead of doing that, they are putting a little bit more efforts to invest, for example, the FAQ area, the support section or content that was there, was informational, and sometimes was not given the weight that it deserved. But now with all of the queries or the searches about canceling, rebooking, changing dates, reputational type of queries regarding their brand plus cancellation support, et cetera, they want to run for those in order to fulfill those needs to address the question of the users and be able to, hopefully, regain the user, keep the user providing alternatives.

Aleyda: So that is what, for example, in my case I had been working with a client that I have in the travel sector to identify those queries, coming and Google trends that are not found in the typical keyword tools that are basis, but need to be identified by using Google trends to see what are the actual queries that are starting to be asked right now regarding their [crosstalk 00:13:04]-

Nitin Machanda: A rising one.

Aleyda: … their service. Indeed, the rising ones in general, not only the branded ones, for example, when are cruises are working again? When are we expecting this industry to come back normal? When I can travel back to this location? Gianluca, what are you doing and what you have seen good and bad?

Gianluca Fiorelli: My situation is a little bit different because it is not such a big client, they are smaller. All the cost contention that Nitin was saying, this client totally quit all their PPC spend. They reduce the number of [inaudible 00:13:34]. They had some people internally, so internal developers, internal writers that they tried to reduce, people like me who are external consultant asking me to directly go home [inaudible 00:13:50]. But it’s understandable.

Gianluca Fiorelli: What I have seen and for them, maybe they were quite smart to react very soon. So offering every kind of facility to the clients, [inaudible 00:14:03] if they wanted to cancel. They especially used the Facebook channel for this. Really using a lot of their homepage on Facebook in order to do answer all these kind of questions. And what do we did was substantially recollecting all these questions and creating a specific FAQ page for answering all of these question in order to be totally transparent and be able to offer the client to receive his answer.

Gianluca Fiorelli: And we did it also with really presenting this page from the homepage banner where we were putting a wonderful image of a Sardinia beach, there was now this banner of, “For every question click here.” Also, we have a tone of voice which is more empathetic with the clients, not just selling it. So doing so, we are starting to see an increase, obviously, not year-over-year, but an increase in week-over-week.

Aleyda: That is interesting because what I have seen, like the good practices you were referring before, like terrible reactions of companies, like disabling their websites completely. Even Google had to publish a few days ago their best practices when closing your website to conversions to clients temporarily without actually hurting your rankings in the long term because we were seeing cases of websites completely shutting down [inaudible 00:15:31], things like that. Like, “No, don’t do that.” We know how to handle this by whether disabling the shopping cart, explaining the situation giving an option to the user to register, to be alerted when the service comes back to normal. Indeed, as you mentioned, Gianluca, to do synergy in this case to be able to give a good customer support [crosstalk 00:15:50].

Gianluca Fiorelli: I have another thing on the commercial side, the uncertainty is what is hitting the brain of the people. Obviously, they cannot do last minute [inaudible 00:15:58]. They can’t go out of their home. But they cannot eventually think, “Okay, when we’ll be able to travel again?”

Gianluca Fiorelli: So what do we are pushing and, especially, always kind of offer, which is reserve now for September with all the guarantees. Filling reservation in the long period in order to have it, hopefully, this restoration transform in real bookings. Then eventually driving leads and conversions of these longterm reservation because it is the only really commercial things that can eventually some fresh money, in this case, in terms of commission from the leads for the clients.

Aleyda: In deed, for the future, that targets the more informational queries that are arising, identified them on time to tackle them in a good way like, “When I can start consuming again this product?” And even if right now you don’t have an answer to that, you explain what is the current situation, what are the concern and, again, you tell the user to please reduce [inaudible 00:17:10] so you can be alert when we are back to normal.

Gianluca Fiorelli: Exactly.

Aleyda: And also I think that is a really good opportunity to show the vision and the mission and how the brand and the company and the organization is committed with the community. I think that these times are the ones that show the actual character, not only of people, but organizations.

David Iwanow: I think it’s the case that a lot of people put their head in the sand, and then when things return in three to six months they’re going to struggle because I think if you’re shutting the world down, you’re not responding to any questions on social media. These people, you’ve built a relationship and a brand with them, now you’ve kind of them out.

David Iwanow: I know Facebook said traffic to their apps is up 70%, so thinking outside of SEO, what can you do on social media? So while you may not be able to travel to these particular spots in Italy, why don’t you do a daily broadcast, what’s happening? Do cooking recipes, start creating content, which is very specific to your region or your town and your brand. So I think it’s a fact that you probably need to look at doubling-down on social because that’s where a lot of people are spending their time.

David Iwanow: While I think SEO is important, and I said it’s the basics, I’m still running SEO audits in all my markets because I want them to fix their stuff. And, again, because I work with 50 markets around the world, what’s happening in Europe is different, what’s happening in America, what’s happening in Asia, or what’s happening in South America.

David Iwanow: So I think you very much need to make sure there’s business as usual. Stop the bells and whistles. You maybe don’t need that progressive web app for now. You maybe need to make sure the website is stable and loads quickly on mobile devices. But I think in Italy they’re actually starting to see a spike in desktop traffic as more people are working from home and they’ve stopped using their mobile, and they’re actually using their desktop now.

David Iwanow: So I think it’s very much about going to where your consumers are, making sure you have some type of social content strategy. And if you’re doing any, I guess, automated emails, please just stop them. I got an email from a real estate agent last night saying, “It’s a great time to buy a house.” Dude, no not cool. You need to look at some of your automation that you’ve got that you’re sending out to your customers, and make sure it’s done tactfully.

David Iwanow: If you’re doing any paid media, rein it back, focus purely on stuff which is driving revenue for business. While it might be great to buy traffic for the ultimate packing guide or 10 walking trips in Italy, if you don’t actually make money on that particular task, stop all that activity. So focus on the basics, fix the site issues, make it fast on mobile, have some activation on social.

David Iwanow: Don’t buy coronavirus keywords, please, just don’t, unless you’re a government body, or, as Gianluca says, you’re in the telecommunication space saying, “If you need more bandwidth,” but be very, very tactful about this, and just dial everything back. Have some compassion because if you’re having markets like in Italy where, currently, it’s almost 12% mortality rate. Consider a lot of those people may have lost several family members by the end of this crisis, so dial the stuff down, show some empathy.

Aleyda: Empathy, I think, is very important word in this case.

David Iwanow: If you’re working with suppliers and you have the cashflow now, please pay them. Don’t drag things out for 90-to-120 days. If you can, work with your internal teams. If you have the finances, pay your suppliers because you might be the difference between keeping the business open or not.

David Iwanow: If you have projects planned, and you have the budget still available, push ahead with those projects because again, there’s going to be people which are going to depend on this for their livelihood. But it can be the situation you can negotiate some of these suppliers.

Gianluca Fiorelli: I think what I’m learning from these crises is that is, if you are an SEO consultant, it’s fundamental for you to diversify your client portfolio because in the last years we started seeing SEO specializing in a specific niche, automotive, travel, finance and the home. Let’s imagine our colleagues, SEO freelancer or consultant or whatever, were specialized only on travel, well, now they are screwed.

Gianluca Fiorelli: So I was lucky enough to build a diverse portfolio client so I can allow myself to plan a capital event, the travel ones, for instance, put them on hole in order to maintain the relationship and hoping to start to restart a paid relationship, hopefully, in the next future. But, thanks to this diversified portfolio, I can have these, for instance, B-to-B, investor, essentially, industry companies that are still working, they still need me.

David Iwanow: So to finish a little bit today’s Crawling Monday, I want you to leave a final message regarding the current situation, the scenario, what we can expect, you think, to see in the future, and one last message to help us to come up stronger as SEOs, whether in-house or consultants.

Nitin Machanda: So I would think about only the positive sides of it because there are things, for example, traffic is going down continuously. Demand is completely crashed. So these are things that you cannot control. So thinking about the things which you can control, which is utilizing this time. So think about learning from a different source too. There a lot of sources which are available now and offering their courses for free. So just sign up and then start learning.

Nitin Machanda: And then on strategic side, for example, if you see the pattern, China has started domestic travel again in some states there, and then that’s happening. So Gianluca also mentioned about traffic going up week-over-week in Italy as well. So this shows that local trend is starting to pick up again, and then, gradually, maybe in future three, four months you will see a lot of people traveling again, but domestic, most of them, so with domestic travel.

Nitin Machanda: So think about this, if you’re in travel, maybe you can strategize around these learnings, and then focus more on your domestic routes. For example, for Omio, and maybe not put that much focus on international routes for now because the market is moving there.

Nitin Machanda: So I’m based in Berlin, Germany, and the summer is the peak period for us for travel. So we are just a couple of months away from that, so if we expect domestic travel only the summer, then why not focus on that, and pause our international routes it’s for now? So that would be my suggestion for travel experts here or people who are in travel and doing SEO right now.

Nitin Machanda: But, in general, for everyone I would say use this time for learning to learn. So there are a lot of things that you can learn, so that should be your number one priority. And there are a lot of projects that you might have in your list, which you always wanted to work on, but you never had time for that. I think now’s the time.

Nitin Machanda: So, for example, we were also working on content generation using different tools, but now they have started working using a very open core and open source solution. So people from my team who never coded in their life, they are also coding, so they’re learning that. So, of course, I’m giving them time so that they can learn and then practice this more and then learn something. They can be proud of this moment that during this crisis time they learned something that’s just helping them throughout their life.

David Iwanow: Focus on learning, self-improvement, and cut the fancy things that don’t make a business impact.

Gianluca Fiorelli: The company that will have success, and even a bigger a success after the crisis, will be the brands that are able now to show empathy, transparency, authenticity, closeness to the clients.

Aleyda: So besides all of those great suggestions and recommendations, I will say that if somehow you are struggling also to be able to work from home, I know that is not the usual for many of you, can check out a few recommendations and tips that I have shared myself and also other people in Remoters, that is a website that, little disclosure, I also co-founded. It was Eagle who yesterday, he published how to handle three kids when working from home. That’s a lot, and he’s able to do that.

Aleyda: Also, I have said that the score group that is for the work from home SEOs and marketers, the Remoters watercolor where we are all sharing tips, jobs also that we see. So you can go and join for free, of course.

Aleyda: So there is this very fun Zoom call going on every day, the corona arms that you can join a 6:00 PM GMT, where many of us go enter and chat for a bit while having a beer together or [inaudible 00:26:25]. So I think it’s great also seeing the more human side of us and the community coming together to support each other in different ways.

Aleyda: Also, there is this Google Sheets that was shared by Mike Keen where you can include yourself if you are looking for a job, whether as an employee or as a consultant. Many SEOs have also included themselves there who have lost their jobs. So thank you very much for all of your-

David Iwanow: Thank you.

Gianluca Fiorelli: Thank you.

Nitin Machanda: Thank you.

Aleyda: Thank you very much for your time. And until the next time in Crawling Monday.

Gianluca Fiorelli: Chao, chao.

Aleyda: Bye, bye. Hopefully and in a better situation also already.

Gianluca Fiorelli: Yes.

Nitin Machanda: Yes, for sure.

La entrada Coronavirus & SEO: Its Impact and the actions to Take as an SEO Specialist – #CrawlingMondays 25th Episode aparece primero en International SEO Consultant, Author & Speaker | Aleyda Solis.

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lovemychinchilla · 4 years ago

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Do Chinchillas Need Probiotics?

What Are Probiotics?

Probiotics are a kind of supplement, but they don't work in the same way that other supplements do.

What Do Probiotics Do?

That hasn't stopped people (and their pets) from enjoying taking probiotics, and feeling an effect of some kind.

Would Probiotics Kill My Chinchilla?

Listed side effects of probiotics can include gas and bloating, constipation, and thirst. These are extremely unlikely to occur, but they can.

Why Would a Chinchilla Need Probiotics?

Some owners will give their chinchillas probiotics in certain circumstances, such as:

If it has diarrhea. Diarrhea can be caused by too many of a certain bacteria in the gut; correcting the balance of the bacteria could help.

If it has constipation. Gut bacteria assist in the breakdown of food.

If it has general poor health. Some people view probiotics as a way to 'boost' the immune system, in which case it could help.

Can Chinchillas Take Probiotics?

You can give your pet chinchilla probiotics so long as:

You are aware that they aren't a cure-all, and don't offer them fully expecting for your pet to recover from whatever's wrong

You are not giving your pet probiotics instead of taking it to the vet

You have talked to a vet about a specific kind of probiotic before offering it

You are aware that probiotics can have side effects

Don't give your chinchilla the pill whole. Instead, open it up and pour it on your chinchilla's food. If it's solid, crumble it up and do the same.

Below are two common probiotics that chinchilla owners mention on forums and in groups. We aren't paid to mention or link to them, so this is an honest review.

Pro C Probiotic for Chinchillas

Exotic Nutrition Chinchilla Booster

Below, you can find our chinchilla quiz, new posts for further reading, and a signup for our Chinchilla Newsletter!

[ays_quiz id='9']

#chinchillas #chinchillanutrition

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