SHANGHAI, August 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Interfood 2014 will open from Sept. 25 to Sept. 27, 2014 at Intex Shanghai (No. 55 Loushanguan Rd).Established in 1988 and in the market for over 20 years, it is the oldest food processing machinery …
Nespresso Launches Its 2020 Sustainability Ambition and the Nespresso Sustainable Development Fund
MILAN, Aug. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ —
CHF 500 million overall investment, with CHF 15 million to develop AAA coffee growing programs in Africa
On the occasion of the second annual meeting of the Nespresso Sustainability Advisory Board, Jean-Marc Duvoisin, CEO of Nestle Nespresso, set out an ambitious strategy to accelerate the company’s sustainability focus and introduce several major new initiatives that will create significant benefits for the business, society and the environment. The new sustainability program entitled The Positive Cup will be based on an investment of CHF 500 million over the next six years. Part of this investment will be used to establish a new Sustainable Development Fund, which will play a key role in channelling resources into specific projects. The new strategy is supported by members of the Nespresso Sustainability Advisory Board (NSAB) including the Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade International, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and brand ambassador George Clooney.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140827/703180 )
The Positive Cup strategy, based on the Nestle approach to Creating Shared Value, builds upon the significant steps that the company has already taken over the last five years* to improve farmer welfare and drive environmental sustainability in coffee sourcing and consumption. It sets out concrete steps that the company will implement to achieve its sustainability goals by 2020. The fund will be used to finance the range of programs, which form part of the strategy as well as to attract additional external partner funding.
“Our sustainability approach has always been designed to do more than simply minimise impacts,” said Mr. Duvoisin. “The development of even more innovative programs with our partners demonstrates our commitment to creating shared value and generating positive impacts for all stakeholders across the entire value chain. This CHF 500 million investment significantly builds on our current sustainability investment to ensure the long-term success of our business model. This includes securing access to the one to two percent of coffee produced in the world that meets our strict quality and taste standards through our AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program. This approach also allows us to innovate thanks to the direct relationships we build with farmers. The Sustainable Development Fund will allow us to allocate new funding to groundbreaking programs such as the reviving of the coffee sector in South Sudan.”
The Positive Cup Commitments
The Positive Cup program incorporates ambitious goals in the areas of coffee sourcing and social welfare; aluminium sourcing, use and disposal; and resilience to climate change. Specifically, by 2020 Nespresso commits to:
Coffee – 100% sustainably sourced coffee
- Source 100% of its permanent range of Grand Cru coffees sustainably through the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program by significantly expanding the AAA Program in Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan, and investing over CHF 15 million in these countries over six years.
- Assist farmers to achieve high certification standards (in water management, biodiversity and fair treatment of workers, for example) through our long-term partner Rainforest Alliance (since 2003) and Fairtrade.
- Pursue innovative solutions to farmer welfare, including the expansion of the AAA Farmer Future Program initially through a retirement fund for farmers in Colombia.
Aluminium – 100% sustainably managed aluminium
- Expand the capacity to collect used aluminium capsules to 100% wherever the company does business and increase recycling rates.
- Recycle Nespresso capsules collected by the company into new Nespresso capsules each time it makes sense environmentally**.
- Source 100% of virgin aluminium capsule material compliant with the new Aluminium Stewardship Initiative standard, being developed within a multi-stakeholder programme led by the IUCN.
Climate – 100% carbon insetting***
- Further reduce by 10% the carbon footprint of the company.
In addition, become 100% carbon neutral. Nespresso plans to inset its residual operational carbon footprint and increase farm climate resilience through an extensive agroforestry programme.
“Our business model enables us to be involved in every stage of coffee sourcing, production and sale. It allows us to maintain particularly close relationships and have a direct dialogue with our consumers and Club Members,” said Mr. Duvoisin. “As a result, we have a unique opportunity to strongly engage with our Club Members to achieve our Positive Cup commitments, in particular as it relates to capsule recycling. Nespresso cannot achieve its objectives alone. We call on our Club Members to actively take part in furthering our recycling efforts.”
Nespresso Sustainability Advisory Board – Driving innovation and collaboration
The second annual NSAB brought together long-time Nespresso brand ambassador George Clooney, partners including The Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade International, TechnoServe, IUCN and Pur Projet and Nespresso management, to help the company enhance its long term sustainability strategy and to serve as a base for partnership on sustainability initiatives.
The collaborative platform has played an important role in shaping the company’s approach and informing the development of innovative and impactful programs.
“We are proud of our long-standing relationship with Nespresso,” said Tensie Whelan, President of the Rainforest Alliance. “This cutting edge approach will help us further build on the real impact we together are having on the ground in farming communities, driving economic and environmental benefits for over 60,000 farmers who are part of the AAA Program. The Nespresso commitment to increase the amount of Rainforest Alliance certified coffee to 50% is an important next step in our collaboration and will provide further assurances to consumers that the coffee they are buying is having a positive impact.”
“The AAA Farmer Future Program, coming out of the Nespresso and Fairtrade commitment to work together, will bring measurable benefits to farmers and their families in Caldas, Colombia,” said Harriet Lamb, CEO of Fairtrade International. “Farmers selling to Nespresso now have the option to invest Fairtrade Premiums in this first-of-its-kind retirement fund. It’s good news for the farmers – whose average age is over 50 and who face an uncertain future – and one way to help protect the future of coffee in Colombia by offering better, long-term prospects.”
“If there is to be lasting peace and prosperity in South Sudan, part of the equation will be a diversified economy and opportunities that benefit the people of the country,” said George Clooney. “The investment by Nespresso and TechnoServe in South Sudan’s coffee sector, even while the conflict is ongoing, is providing much-needed income for hundreds of farmers and their families living in coffee communities. It is also an investment in South Sudan’s future prospects for peace and economic development, where wealth is created and shared. What Nespresso and TechnoServe are doing in partnership with South Sudanese agricultural cooperatives in the coffee sector can provide a model for other agricultural investments.”
“The approach that Nespresso is taking is completely aligned with the vision we have to integrate social and environmental innovations into the heart of business,” said Tristan Lecomte, President of Pur Projet. “We believe that investing in reforestation of agricultural regions will not only restore natural ecosystems but ultimately also improve coffee quality and productivity and provide better returns for farmers.”
“We are pleased to be able to work with Nespresso to foster greater sustainability and transparency throughout the aluminium value chain,” said Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General of IUCN. “The forward looking approach that the company is taking to further expand its recycling solutions and encourage consumers to recycle will be greatly strengthened by the commitment to source 100% of virgin aluminium capsule material compliant with the new Aluminium Stewardship Initiative standard. The company has played a leading role in initiating the new standard and continues to be a strong proponent for sustainable aluminium use.”
* Nespresso 2013 sustainability commitments
Nespresso has met and surpassed its 2013 sustainability commitments, set out in 2009. The company has exceeded its goal of sourcing 80% of its coffee from its AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program (84%), putting in place the capacity to recycle over 75% of Nespresso capsules sold worldwide (80%) and reducing the carbon footprint of a cup of Nespresso coffee by 20% (-20.7%).
** For example, in UK, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria and Italy.
*** Definition of insetting: unlike “offsetting” traditional carbon compensation where compensation takes place in a different location using uncorrelated actors and technical activities, “insetting” integrates socio-environmental commitments at the heart of the companies’ business activities and networks.
More information:
Videos: http://www.youtube.com/nespresso
Backgrounders on AAA Program in Africa, AAA Farmer Future Program and agroforestry available here: http://www.nestle-nespresso.com/media/library/documents
Nespresso Sustainability Advisory Board members and description: http://www.nestle-nespresso.com/ecolaboration/sustainability-advisory-board/sustainability-advisory-board
About Nestle Nespresso SA
Nestle Nespresso SA is the pioneer and reference for highest-quality portioned premium coffee. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, Nespresso operates in almost 60 countries and has more than 9,500 employees. In 2013, it operated a global retail network of over 320 exclusive boutiques. For more information, visit the Nestle Nespresso corporate website: http://www.nestle-nespresso.com.
CONTACT
Diane Duperret
Corporate PR Manager, Nestle Nespresso SA
diane.duperret@nespresso.com
T: +41-21-796-92-89
Canola is not Rapeseed: Plants Different with Distinct Oils
Setting Record Straight on Unique Canola Plant and its Healthy Oil
BEIJING, Aug. 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Canola oil is widely regarded as heart-healthy and versatile by health professionals and chefs, but some consumers may not understand why – or know what canola is in the first place.
“Canola is often confused with rapeseed, but the two crops and their oils are distinctly different both compositionally and nutritionally,” explains Bruce Jowett, vice president of market development at the Canola Council of Canada.
Canola oil comes from the crushed seeds of the canola plant, which is a member of the Brassica family that includes broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. It was developed in Canada through traditional plant breeding to remove two undesirable components (erucic acid and glucosinolates) found in rapeseed. To acknowledge these differences, the new plant earned a new name, canola – a contraction of “Canadian” and “ola” meaning “oil.”
“By an internationally regulated standard, canola oil is very low in erucic acid (less than 2%) whereas rapeseed oil is high in it (about 40%) with a different taste and appearance,” Jowett noted. “Most rapeseed oil sold in China is classified as grade four and much darker in color with a slightly pungent flavor, whereas canola oil is light in color, texture and flavor.”
The oil extracted from canola plants is one of the healthiest in the world. Doctors and nutrition experts laud canola oil for both what it does contain and what it doesn’t. Of all common cooking oils, canola has the most plant-based omega-3 fat (11 percent) and the least saturated fat (7 percent) – half that of olive oil (15 percent). Canola oil is also rich in monounsaturated fat (61 percent) and free of trans fat.
“Since heart disease and diabetes are leading causes of death in China, it’s critical to lower intake of saturated fat and to consume a moderate amount of healthy fats instead,” says Dr. Liu Na, senior nutrition expert in Beijing. “Canola oil is simply a smart choice as an everyday cooking oil.”
In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a qualified health claim on canola oil’s ability to reduce the risk of heart disease when used in place of saturated fat. Research has shown that the oil’s high unsaturated fat content (93 percent) helps lower “bad” LDL cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease. Unsaturated fats are made up of mono- and polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3 and omega-6 fats.
“The types of omega-3 and -6 fats found in canola oil are considered ‘essential’ in the diet because the body can’t make them on its own,” notes Liu. “Canola oil is higher in omega-3 fat than other common cooking oils so it’s an easy way to get some of this often underconsumed nutrient in the diet.”
Moreover, chefs consider canola oil a kitchen essential, too. Its neutral flavor, light texture and high heat tolerance (smoke point of 242 °C / 468 °F) make it a match for almost any culinary application.
“I love cooking with canola oil because it’s very versatile and allows Chinese ingredients to shine,” agrees Da Cai, cookbook author and well known food blogger. “I use it for sautéing, deep-frying, baking, vinaigrettes – you name it. The fact that it’s healthy as well makes my decision to use it for my family and readers easy.”
The “Winner” is Back!
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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Aug. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — With a well-earned reputation as Asia’s leading event for the feed, livestock and meat industries since its inception in 2001, LIVESTOCK ASIA 2015 EXPO & FORUM is set to return once again at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from 21- 23 September, 2015. The 2015 show is expected to attract over 7,000 industry professionals and top decision makers to get updates on the latest innovations, which includes a programme of informative seminars providing invaluable information covering the latest developments in the feed, livestock and meat industries.
From Left: Prof. Dr. Zulkifli, Dato’ Dr. Vincent, Dr. Raghavan, Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Mustaffa, Prof. Datin Paduka Dr. Aini, Jeffrey Ng and Rose Chitanuwat.
Recognised as the “Mother“ event for the Asian Livestock Series, the Steering Committee team that has been formed to make the event a great success and more prestigious are leaders in livestock industry. Moreover, the World Poultry Science Association (WPSA) and World Poultry Veterinary Association (WPVA) of Malaysia will jointly organize a scientific conference during LIVESTOCK ASIA 2015.
The chairman of UBM Malaysia as well as the founder of the Livestock event, Tan Sri Dr. Ahmad Mustaffa Babjee, chaired the 2nd Livestock Asia Steering Committee Meeting held last week, making LIVESTOCK ASIA 2015 the most successful event to provide ongoing support to grow and develop Malaysia’s livestock industries. The members are:
- Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Mustaffa Babjee, Chairman, UBM Malaysia
- Dr. Raghavan, Livestock Consultant
- Dato’ Dr. Vincent Ng, President, Veterinary Association Malaysia (VAM)
- Prof. Prof. Dr. Zulkifli Idrus, President, World Poultry Science Association (WPSA) Malaysia
- Prof. Datin Paduka Dr. Aini Ideris, President, World Poultry Veterinary Association (WPVA) Malaysia
- Mr.Jeffrey Ng, Secretary General Federation of Livestock Farmers’ Associations of Malaysia (FLFAM)
Livestock Asia Expo & Forum presents the best opportunities for organisations to increase their brand exposure as they capitalize on special networking opportunities at this major event. To learn more about the show, please log on to http://www.livestockasia.com.
Notes to the Editor
About UBM Asia (www.ubmasia.com)
Owned by UBM plc listed on the London Stock Exchange, UBM Asia is Asia’s leading exhibition organiser and the biggest commercial organiser in mainland China, India and Malaysia. Established with its headquarters in Hong Kong and subsidiary companies across Asia and in the US, UBM Asia has a strong global presence in 25 major cities with 30 offices and over 1,400 staff.
With a track record spanning over 30 years, UBM Asia operates in 21 market sectors with 160 dynamic face-to-face exhibitions, 75 high-level professional conferences, 28 targeted trade publications, 18 round-the-clock vertical portals and virtual event services for over 1,000,000 quality exhibitors, visitors, conference delegates, advertisers and subscribers from all over the world. We provide a one-stop diversified global service for high-value business matching, quality market news and online trading networks.
UBM Asia has extensive office networks in China, Southeast Asia and India, three of the world’s fastest growing B2B events markets. UBM China has 11 offices in the major cities in mainland China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Guzhen and Shenzhen, where we organise more than 70 exhibitions and conferences. In ASEAN, UBM Asia operates from its offices in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines with over 60 events in this region. UBM India teams in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai organise 20 exhibitions and 60 conferences every year across the country.
About UBM Asia in ASEAN (www.ubmasean.com)
In ASEAN, we serve 13 market sectors with wholly-owned subsidiary companies and JV companies in seven offices in the major cities in ASEAN, including Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Singapore. We provide over 60 products in various categories: trade fairs, conferences and publications. As the leading B2B event organiser in the region, we are the largest exhibition organiser in Malaysia.
Our products serve tens of thousands of exhibitors, visitors, conference delegates, advertisers, subscribers and corporations in the region and from all over the world with high value face-to-face business-matching events and quality conference programmes presented by top-notch industry leaders. We have over 130 staff in six countries.
This press information is issued by;
Marketing Communication Department
United Business Media (M) Sdn Bhd
A-8-1, Level 8, Hampshire Place Office
157, Hamphire 1, Jalan Mayang Sari
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +603-2176-8788 Fax: +603-2164-8786
E: sufian.zahari@ubm.com W: www.ubmasia.com
For more information on Livestock Asia 2015 Expo & Forum, contact;
Ms. Rita Lau / Ms. Salmiza Salim
E: rita.lau@ubm.com / salmiza.salim@ubm.com / livestockasia@ubm.com
Photo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140822/8521404719
Logo – http://www.prnasia.com/sa/2010/04/19/20100419602891.jpg
Country Style Cooking Restaurant Chain Announces Preliminary Second Quarter 2014 Results
CHONGQING, China, July 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Country Style Cooking Restaurant Chain Co., Ltd (NYSE: CCSC) (“Country Style Cooking” or the “Company”), a fast-growing quick service restaurant chain in China, today announced preliminary second quarter …