A Green Germany Could Pump Up Europe’s Fiscal Push

A decade ago Germany’s intransigence over bailouts and borrowing prolonged the eurozone’s sovereign debt crisis, one reason the region’s economic recovery lagged behind the U.S.’s.
Another crisis, another lagging recovery for Europe, and again the size of fiscal stimulus is a factor. But Germany isn’t the obstacle it once was, and the rise of its Green Party could further push both country and continent toward the U.S. model of aggressive government stimulus.
Angela Merkel, the conservative chancellor who has led Germany since 2005, has already eased some of her past opposition to borrowing. She isn’t running for re-election this September and polls put the Greens in second place, close behind Ms. Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union-led alliance. They could emerge as either junior partner or even leader of the next governing coalition.
The Greens have evolved from an antinuclear pacifist party to a pragmatic left-of-center group that regularly participates in coalitions federally and in Germany’s states, called länder. The party still has its hard-line environmentalist wing, but leadership is in the hands of its moderate wing, which includes Annalena Baerbock, the 40-year-old parliamentarian nominated last week to run as chancellor this fall.
“Many people formerly thought the Greens would never do economic policy—they only want to do organic farming and vegan Yoga courses,” Sven Giegold, a Green member of the European Parliament and a party spokesman on economic issues, said in an interview. “But these times are over. We are in government already in 11 of 16 länder and in one of them, the prime minister. We are not naive. We know how governing works.”

EU’s farmed animal welfare rules need ‘serious and extensive review’

The pandemic has stressed the importance of a strong and sustainable food system and highlighted the links between our health, ecosystems, supply chains, and consumption patterns. Notably the one with farmed animals.

COVID-19 and climate change have alerted us of the need for a systematic change in the treatment of animals, says Inês Ajuda, farmed animals programme leader at Eurogroup for Animals.

Polls across the block confirm our interest in the well-being of farmed animals.

“The welfare of farmed animals is a shared concern for Europeans and it is part of our shared identity to ensure that farmed animals have a life worth living,” says Olga Kikou, head of the charity Compassion in World Farming.

But animal welfare rules have not just come to the forefront during the pandemic and have been a hot topic for decades.

In the European Union, discussions started in the 80s, which led to the adoption of a series of directives to protect farm animals. But they are often criticised for being too vague.

The directives and recommendations advise on matters such as space, balanced diets, environment, and limitation of harmful procedures. But animal welfare laws vary across Europe with northern states generally more strict.

Globally, the animal welfare acquis should ensure they have good physical health, mental wellbeing, and the ability to carry out natural behaviour. But the current rules can be problematic.

“As current things stand, it is easy to have a vague interpretation of what the general farming directive means, and this can lead to serious problems for animal welfare,” says Ajuda.

Some companies do not comply with the directions, but what’s more important is that even when they do adhere, many irregularities occur because laws are so outdated.

For example, “there is no legislation requiring particular space or housing conditions for fish, or for transporters to provide for their welfare.”

Ajuda says science has considerably advanced since the rules were first established, so the “Animal Welfare acquis needs a serious and extensive review.”

The opportunity for change appears to be in the works

The European Green Deal has come to set core policy initiatives to make Europe climate neutral in 2050. A healthier and more sustainable EU food system is a cornerstone of this deal, and a special programme has been designed to achieve it, Farm to Fork.

The initiative has set an ambitious target for the European agriculture industry, which animal farming is considered an integral part of.

Good animal welfare standards have been shown to help reduce the dependence on excessive veterinary medication, which is also one of the key goals of the Farm to Fork strategy.

The extensive use of antibiotics is a concern because of the potential development of antibiotic resistance, which could compromise animal and human health.

When an animal is suffering from stress because it is, for example in a cage, like a mother pig that can’t properly interact with her piglets because she can’t turn around or reach them, “it usually leads to an impact on the immune system, which then leads to susceptibility, making them more prone to disease, and this means more antibiotic use,” says Ajuda, who is also a veterinarian.

The Farm to Fork strategy is calling for a review of the EU’s animal welfare legislation, which brings many promises to change current standards and ensure that the welfare of farmed animals is substantially improved.

“Phasing out cages is indeed one of the most pressing issues that require the EU’s attention. Another key issue the EU needs to tackle is the transport of live animals and their exports to third countries,” says Olga Kikou.

Choosing your animal products consciously

It is very difficult for Europeans to find information on animal welfare levels of the animal products they buy. Some labels with animal welfare claims exist, but “some are more powerful and transparent than others,” says Ajuda.

“We do have the mandatory marking for fresh eggs which is definitely a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done,” she adds.

The EU consumer is lacking a model that would allow them to identify labels and make a conscious choice, such as when they choose to buy organic.

The label needs to be made mandatory, says Ajuda, and it needs to be across all animal products. She says it should also be imposed on imported products.

The latter is important because it ensures the EU’s animal welfare standards are not undermined by “loopholes that make no sense whatsoever,” says Kikou. But also because higher standards should not fail to protect EU farmers from unfair competition, such as cheaper imports of meat produced under lower standards from abroad.

Labelling may also work as an incentive for farmers, fishermen and producers who are crucial in the implementation of the Green Deal, and in the mission to improve animal welfare.

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In light of new climate targets, the EU’s ‘Farm to Fork’ Strategy is ripe for a revamp

However, if decarbonization is the objective, the EU needs to do more than cap greenhouse gas emissions from energy production and transportation, but has to tackle the issue from a wider angle, where Brussels’ policy programmes, from the Climate Law to the Farm to Fork Strategy (F2F), are parts of a coherent whole.

The European Commission reassured environmentalists across the continent after inking a new deal promising to cut emissions on the bloc by 55% before 2030. The raised target is now enshrined in a novel European Climate Law, and the next challenge will be to ensure these objectives are achieved in a sustainable way across the bloc. As such, the Climate Law is another legal framework underpinning the EU’s coveted European Green Deal, which aims to make Europe’s economy and society climate neutral come 2050.

However, if decarbonization is the objective, the EU needs to do more than cap greenhouse gas emissions from energy production and transportation, but has to tackle the issue from a wider angle, where Brussels’ policy programmes, from the Climate Law to the Farm to Fork Strategy (F2F), are parts of a coherent whole.

Indeed, in light of the recent developments, policymakers would do well to take another hard look at F2F in the context of Europe’s climate goals. Ideated to provide a roadmap out of Europe’s agrifood quagmire – a sector characterized by its carbon and resource intensity, contribution to biodiversity loss and health impacts from under and overnutrition – F2F in its current form is problematic for Berlaymont’s green targets given that food production is responsible for more than one-quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions.

One of the ways in which the F2F seeks to offset carbon emissions in the food industry is through a dietary shift, discouraging “patterns which are unsustainable from both health and environmental points of view”. To this end, F2F requires member states to choose a universal nutritional label by 2022 to help consumers make healthier choices. While several formats are currently under evaluation, a coalition of countries including France and Germany, is pushing the blanket adoption of a French label called Nutri-score, which some experts say has the opposite effect.

The Nutri-score label uses an algorithm to attribute foodstuffs with a colour – from green to red – and a grade – from A to E – depending on protein, sugar, salt and saturated fat content. While Nutri-score accelerates decision-making, the sliding scale merges different nutritional data, and thus fails to actually recommend the healthiest and most sustainable options. For example, the high-protein content of meat garners it higher and “greener” grade despite the significant environmental impact involved in its production, from water usage to methane emissions. This despite the fact that the destructive side effects of the meat industry have led Greenpeace to call for a 71% decrease in consumption over the next ten years.

There is a knock-on effect on European farmers and agricultural workers as well. Nutri-score inadvertently rewards manufacturers when they are able to reformulate processed foods according to the label’s rigid algorithm, while in the process penalizing cheesemakers, beekeepers and olive oil producers who cannot modify their single-ingredient products. One Spanish MEP highlighted that behind the products penalized by Nutri-score, “there are smallholder farmers, producers, agricultural workers and a whole industry hit hard by Covid-19.” This aspect of the Nutri-score is in violation of the F2F’s commitment to “enhance resilience of regional and local food systems” – an issue echoed by a growing coalition of  Southern European countries, dubbed the “Mediterranean uprising”

The possibility of a mandatory Nutri-score is not the only way in which the F2F is letting farmers down while harming sustainability. The policy package recognizes that a sustainable farm system requires “an increased focus on investments into green and digital technologies and practices”. But when a recent European agricultural debate escalated to a ubiquitous pronouncement of the utter lack of innovation in this sector, it became clear just how challenging the planned technological overhaul of the industry is going to be.

The grave state of modernization in the agrifood industry was lamented by MEP Mazaly Aguilar who stated that Europe risks becoming an “agricultural museum”, as well as socialist MEP Juozas Olekas, who declared that the EU is “lagging behind the rest of the world”. The problem is that, although F2F advocates “new technologies and scientific discoveries”, it lacks concrete science-based suggestions to encourage the development and usage of such tools.

Innovative approaches in the policy suggested by industry insiders include transformations in genetic engineering, plant breeding solutions, animal husbandry and the management of dwindling freshwater and soil resources as possible areas for upheaval. While the Commission might be forgiven if undercooked policies and flowery language were the only problems, lately issues with the budget dedicated to the green farming transition are also arising.

Last month, Brussels announced the earmarking of €49 million for Europe’s organic transition for “boosting consumption, increasing production, and further improving the sustainability of the sector”. But after crunching the numbers experts began to question if the cash would cover European needs. For Martin Häusling, the Green Party’s agriculture lead and an organic farmer himself, “it remains a total mystery how the aim of the Farm-to-Fork Strategy for 25% of farmland to be organic in 2030 will be met through such a feeble instrument.”

It is no mean feat to reduce emissions from the EU’s fragile farming industry, which accounts for 10% of the bloc’s carbon output, while keeping farmers profitable. The recent purse is simply too small to fund the research and development, land conversion and maintenance required for a serious organic transition. This inadequate capital commitment will make it challening to double implementation in the next decade and sends a damaging message about the EU’s organic engagement. A rethinking of the budget, taking into account industry advice, is in order.

Still, as the Climate Law milestone showed, Brussels is capable of updating policies in need of improvement. While the Commission’s ambitions to overhaul the bloc’s agricultural system as part of the Green Deal are commendable, the F2F roadmap is too poorly sketched to get member states where they need to be. The strategy’s ambitious goals must be paired with concrete tools and adequate capital as soon as possible.

This story first appeared on Sustainability Times

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Coffee drinkers drive strongest Nestle quarter in a decade, shares rise by 2%

… European food sector. The maker of KitKat chocolate bars and Nespresso coffee … guidance.
The company expects organic sales growth, which strips … business, which sells food and drinks to restaurants, hotels and … in health and wellness foods and pulls out of …

Margaret River’s new wave of wine

Vietnam’s agriculture grows up thanks to EVFTA

However, these challenges are also an important lever, helping the country’s agricultural sector be more mature in its integration process on the basis of promoting restructuring via improving product quality and deep processing towards an organic and modern agricultural system.

Promoting the processing industry

The EVFTA is the free trade agreement (FTA) with the highest level of commitments for Vietnam among all signed FTAs thus far, with more than 99% of import tariff lines between the two sides being eliminated across a 7-10-year roadmap. In particular, tax rates applied on many agricultural products that Vietnam has advantages in producing and exporting, such as rice, seafood, coffee and cocoa, will be cut immediately or in a short time.

Currently, the EU’s importation of agricultural, forestry and fishery products accounts for about 8.4% of the total. Therefore, Vietnam’s agro-forestry and aquatic products still have plenty of room for export growth in this market.

However, Europe prefers processed products, so in order to increase the quantity of goods as well as export turnover, the agricultural sector needs to focus on strongly developing the processing industry in the coming time. Specifically, Vietnam’s tropical fruit products are very welcome in Europe but the geographical distance makes it difficult to transport and preserve fresh produce.

Therefore, the development of post-harvest preservation and processing technologies is the “golden key” to help Vietnamese fruits penetrate the EU market, especially in the context of the tax rate of 85.6% of processed fruit and vegetable products from Vietnam to the EU having been reduced to 0% once EVFTA came into effect.

However, at present, Vietnam’s export of processed fruits and vegetables accounts for less than 19% of the total export value of vegetables and fruits, so if these products do not increase rapidly, it is likely the fruit and vegetable sector will miss out on a sizeable proportion of the tax advantages that EVFTA offers .

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Dong Giao Food Export Joint Stock Company Dinh Cao Khue said that according to statistics, there are currently more than 150 fruit and vegetable processing establishments on an industrial scale with total capacity of more than 1 million tonnes of product per year, but the processed products sector is still small, accounting for only about 5-10%, while the average designed capacity utilisation rate is only 56.2%.

Meanwhile, processing plays a very important role in agriculture. In addition to meeting the tastes of European consumers, processed products, especially processed fruits, also have a long shelf life, thus avoiding losses where they cannot be exported. This was most clearly demonstrated during COVID-19 outbreak peaks, when fresh fruit exports were jammed, but processed products were still exported smoothly, even strongly welcomed due to the fear of using fresh goods by consumers globally.

Along with fruit, rice, seafood, pepper, cashews and wood also face high requirements for deep processing to increasing their output and export value to the EU market. In fact, the export of wood products could grow even more strongly if the processing industry reached a higher level of proficiency. However, at present, domestically planted wood material is still low, mainly serving the exploitation of young timber to make raw materials for paper, wood chips and pellets.

Meanwhile, the large timber material areas are mainly concentrated in the northern mountainous provinces and on the central coast, but these areas have very few processing enterprises, making the production of refined wood products very limited, not to mention most Vietnamese wood processing enterprises are small and medium in size, while the number of businesses with a design capacity of less than 500 m3 of log timber per year accounts for only 47%.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), most current agricultural products are still primary products with low added value, accounting for 70-85%, while processed products with high added value account for only 15-30%. In particular, processing technologies are still outdated, with the equipment innovation ratio of processing facilities at only 7% a year.

Therefore, the EVFTA with its high demands on deeply processed products has become a great driving force for domestic businesses to build sustainable raw material areas and innovate with processing technologies in order to diversify products in line with the needs of the European market. From which, they could form clusters linking production, preservation, processing and consumption of agricultural products together, in association with concentrated raw material areas in order to create products of equal quality, with traceability and assurance of all factors related to food safety, labour and the environment, according to the commitments in the EVFTA.

Boosting organic agriculture

Currently, the global market for organic agricultural products is about US$120 billion, half of which is in the European market. Europe is the largest consumer of organic products in the world, of which organic nuts, spices and fruits are the Vietnamese products currently favoured by the EU. According to the online offices of the Vietnam Trade Offices in Belgium, Luxemburg and the EU, in 2019, the EU imported 3.24 million tonnes of organic agricultural products, an increase of 0.4% as compared to 2018. Organic agricultural products account for about 2% of the total number of agricultural products imported to the EU, especially due to the fact that processed products still dominate and have a total value 15% higher than raw products. In particular, tropical fruits, nuts and spices were the organic products most imported into the EU in 2019, accounting for 27% of total organic imports (0.9 million tonnes).

Therefore, when the EVFTA came into effect, it opened the door for Vietnam’s organic agriculture sector, offering a “unique” opportunity for the rapid and strong development of organic agricultural products to best meet the product quality requirements of the EU market, while at the same time increasing competitiveness countries, especially in terms of rice, shrimp, fruits and spices. Organic agricultural products must meet many strict requirements but in return, their export value is very high. For example, for organic cinnamon spice, in the EU market, one tonne is priced US$1,000 higher than that of regular cinnamon.

According to general calculations, promoting organic agriculture would help Vietnamese agricultural products increase in value by 1.5-1.8 times as compared to conventional production. To realise that value, the Director of the MARD’s Crop Production Department Nguyen Nhu Cuong said that Vietnamese agriculture needs to make rapid changes from the traditional mode of production to standard-based farming, covering water and land sources and the use of agricultural materials, such as fertilisers and pesticides. The minds of managers, businesses and farmers also need to be thoroughly “refreshed”. Instead of chasing output, it is a must to prioritise quality and add value to agricultural products.

These changes can be realised, because at the end of June 2020, an organic agriculture development project for the 2020-2030 period was approved by the Government. Specifically, it sets targets such as by 2025, the area of agricultural land for organic production will reach 1.5-2% of the total area of agricultural land; the area of organic cultivated land will account for more than 1% of the total cultivated land focussed on key crops such as rice, vegetables of all kinds, fruit trees, tea, pepper, coffee, cashew and coconut; and the area of organic aquaculture will be about 0.5-1.5% of the total area of aquaculture. These goals are all geared towards the increasing demand for organic products from the EU as well as from other countries around the world.

MARD Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam also assessed that organic agriculture is a growing trend, one which will develop rapidly in the near future, so Vietnam must be determined to build its organic agriculture with a production level on par with advanced countries. Accordingly, Vietnam aims to promote the training of staff for the management, inspection and supervision of organic agricultural product certification organisations from ministerial to local level. In addition, training courses have been held for businesses, producers and traders of organic products to improve the quality of human resources in the field.

It can be seen that although the EVFTA has only been valid for a very short time, it has created new “waves” of positive change for the entire Vietnamese agricultural sector. Although there are still many difficulties and challenges ahead, with a willingness to overcome these obstacles, great expectations for the country’s agriculture originating from EVFTA can come true soon.

EU farmers at odds with agriculture Commissioner after controversial tweets

EU farmers organisation has been left feeling unrepresented by the EU Agricultural Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski after he posted a series of tweets criticising industrial farming and they are set to hash out their differences in a meeting later this week.

Commissioner Wojciechowski sparked intense debate among the bloc’s farming community with a series of tweets posted earlier this week in which he appeared to express a preference against intensive and industrial farming of livestock.  

“Everyone has the right to defend the intensive/industrial methods of animal husbandry, but one can’t say that in this way he/she defends the rural areas and farmers. Large-scale breeding is not done by farmers and these methods are not used by farmers,” read one of the tweets.

“Intensive and industrial methods serve to eliminate farmers from competition,” he added.

Another tweet addressed the definition of industrial farming, which Wojciechowski defined as “breeding that wants to produce more and more and cheaper.” 

“Yesterday the farm was a 1000 pigs, today 5000, tomorrow 10,000, the day after one hundred… You don’t need farmers to do this. They even bother you,” he said. 

The comments have provoked intense debate among the community. In response, Christiane Lambert, President of EU farmers association COPA, told EURACTIV that increasingly farmers “do not feel defended by our agricultural Commissioner”.

Stressing that diversity is at the core of the European agricultural sector, Lambert emphasised that an agricultural commissioner “must represent all of Europe”, but that Wojciechowski appeared to favour certain kinds of farmers, namely small and organic, over others.

“It is not normal that he gives his opinion on what is good and what is bad, excluding certain farmers,” she said. 

Due to the pandemic, Wojciechowski has yet to tour Europe in his current capacity, prompting Lambert to question whether the Commissioner really understood the full scope of European agriculture outside of the reference of his home country of Poland. 

Lambert said that the first time they met, Wojciechowski seemed surprised at the size of her farm, which she says is of average size for her country, France. 

The Commissioner is due to meet with EU farmers association COPA-COGECA this week at their general assembly on Thursday (22 April), where Lambert said she would take the opportunity to question him further on the tweets.

A number of other farmers have since openly criticised the Commissioner’s comments, with one calling the remarks “insulting”, while Luca Brondelli, president of the Italian provincial farmers association Confagricoltura Alessandria, said he was “sad to see that ‘our’ commissioner doesn’t understand much of farming”.

In response, FarmEurope, a think-tank specialised in agricultural issues, added it was a “worrying development” that the European Commission wants to tell farmers how many pigs they should have or define who is or is not a farmer depending on the size of their farms.

The definition of a farmer is currently one of the sticking points in the ongoing negotiations on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform.

The active farmer definition aims at preventing individuals and companies from receiving support from the CAP when their business is not agricultural or is only marginally so, but how exactly this will be defined in the upcoming CAP reform is as yet unclear.

However, the tweets also garnered support from other quarters.

Green MEP Tilly Metz applauded the Commissioner for “taking a clear stance against the destructive industrialisation of [animal] farming and for farmers”.

“We urgently need this stance to be reflected in the next CAP,” she added, stressing that time was nearly up for the negotiations.

Meanwhile, Martina Pluda, director of the animal welfare non-profit the Humane Society in Italy, welcomed the comments from the Commissioner, highlighting the need to move away from factory farming and “transition to a more plant-based food system”.

[Edited by Josie Le Blond]

European Stocks Higher; Positive Corporate Sentiment Ahead of ECB

… Nurse 
Investing.com – European stock markets traded higher Thursday … over 2% higher, and Europe has continued the theme.
… 3% after the Swiss food giant confirmed organic sales should grow … after strong demand for its coffee and dairy products boosted …

European Stocks Seen Higher Ahead of ECB Meeting

… Nurse 
Investing.com – European stock markets are seen opening … up over 2%, and Europe is expected to follow suit … decade.
Elsewhere, food giant Nestle (SIX:NESN) confirmed organic sales should grow … year after strong demand for coffee, dairy and pet care …

International research team argues for combination of organic farming and genetic engineering

For more sustainability on a global level, EU legislation should be changed to allow the use of gene editing in organic farming. This is what an international research team involving the Universities of Bayreuth and Göttingen demands in a paper published in the journal Trends in Plant Science.

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In May 2020, the EU Commission presented its ‘Farm-to-Fork’ strategy, which is part of the European Green Deal. The aim is to make European agriculture and its food system more sustainable. In particular, the proportion of organic farming in the EU’s total agricultural land is to be increased to 25 percent by 2030. However, if current EU legislation remains in place, this increase will by no means guarantee more sustainability, as the current study by scientists from Bayreuth, Göttingen, Düsseldorf, Heidelberg, Wageningen, Alnarp, and Berkeley shows.

Numerous applications derived from new biotechnological processes are severely restricted or even banned by current EU law. This is especially true for gene editing, a new precision tool used in plant breeding. “Expanding organic farming further under the current legal restrictions on biotechnology could easily lead to less sustainability instead of more. Yet gene editing in particular offers great potential for sustainable agriculture,” says Kai Purnhagen, lead author of the study and Professor of German & European Food Law at the University of Bayreuth.

Organic farming focuses on greater farming diversity and prohibits the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Therefore, it can have a beneficial effect on environmental protection and biodiversity at the local level. However, compared to conventional farming, organic farming also delivers lower yields. Consequently, more land is needed to produce the same amount of high-quality food. “As global demand for high-quality food increases, more organic farming in the EU would lead to an expansion of agricultural land elsewhere in the world. This could easily result in environmental costs that exceed any local environmental benefits in the EU, as the conversion of natural land into agricultural land is one of the biggest drivers of global climate change and biodiversity loss,” says co-author Matin Qaim, Professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Göttingen.

The combination of organic farming and modern biotechnology could be a way to resolve this dilemma. “Gene editing offers unique opportunities to make food production more sustainable and to further improve the quality, but also the safety, of food. With the help of these new molecular tools, more robust plants can be developed that deliver high yields for high-quality nutrition, even with less fertilizer,” says co-author Stephan Clemens, Professor of Plant Physiology at the University of Bayreuth and founding Dean of the new Faculty of Life Sciences: Food, Nutrition & Health on the Kulmbach campus. In addition, gene editing is used to breed fungus-resistant plants that thrive under organic farming without copper-containing pesticides. Copper is particularly toxic to soil and aquatic organisms, but its use to control fungi is nevertheless permitted in organic farming because of the lack of non-chemical alternatives to date. “Organic farming and gene editing could therefore complement each other very well and, combined, could contribute to more local and global sustainability,” says Qaim.

However, the use of genetic engineering in organic farming requires legal changes at the EU level. “There is certainly no political majority for this at present, because genetic engineering is viewed very critically by many. Yet perhaps improved communication could gradually lead to greater societal openness, at least towards gene editing, because this form of genetic engineering enables very targeted breeding without having to introduce foreign genes into the plants. Highlighting this point could dispel many of the widespread fears of genetic engineering,” says Purnhagen.

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                                            Kai P. Purnhagen et al. Europe's Farm to Fork Strategy and Its Commitment to Biotechnology and Organic Farming: Conflicting or Complementary Goals?, <i>Trends in Plant Science</i> (2021). <a data-doi="1" href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2021.03.012" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2021.03.012</a>


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Bioplastics Market Future Developments, Top Companies, Regional Analysis – North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Africa

The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.

   Apr 21, 2021 (Market Insight Reports) --

Bioplastics are derived from renewable sources such as sugarcane, corn, cellulose, and other grains. They are environmental friendly and are gaining huge demand from various industries. Bioplastic is widely used across food packaging, disposables, containers, pouches, shopping bags, etc. application.

The global bioplastics market is projected to surpass US$ 215 billion by the end of 2027, in terms of revenue, growing at CAGR of 25.8% during the forecast period (2020 to 2027).

Get sample copy of this research report @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/4098

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Aloe Vera Extracts Market Growth 2026

Aloe Vera Extracts Market Comprehensive Study Explores Huge Growth 2026 | Future Market Insights

Apr 20, 2021 (MarketersMedia) --

Aloe Vera Extracts Market: Inclination Towards Natural and Healthy Products Due To Associated Health Benefits Growing: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016 – 2026

The Aloe Vera Gel Market is expected to expand at CAGR of 7.8% by value and 7.3% by volume through 2027. APAC region dominates the gel market with a CAGR OF 8.8% with skin care segment set to expand at 8.5% in the forecast period. In consideration of region, India and China stands at a higher pedestal in production and consumption of Aloe Vera gel.

“Improving standards of living and inclination towards organic supplements has surged the demand for Aloe Vera lately. Key companies are working hard and launching unique products to grasp the potential opportunities that are popping-up in this market,” states the FMI Analyst.

Aloe Vera Gel Market – Important Highlights

Improving lifestyle in the Asian-Pacific region is surging the demand and supply of aloe vera.
On the basis of end-use, skin care segment is expected to hold the highest market share of 44.4% due to the rising interest in plant-based products and cosmetics.
North-America tops the list in supplying raw-materials and end-products globally.
Organic segment and products expected to hold major sway with a value of US $ 160.8 million.

Aloe Vera Gel Market – Critical Factors

Wide range of health benefits and uses in making of herbal cosmetics promotes revenue generation.
Rising awareness on personal care and the desire to look attractive has paved a proper way for the market to expand production.
Manufacturing of gel-based products and the opportunities that it is presenting, is promoting players to invest into it.
High medicinal benefits, advanced availability in organic food industry, pharmaceutical companies, retail stores and natural ingredients has driven the market share.

Aloe Vera Gel Market – Key Restraints

Artificially grown Aloe Vera’s gel has harmful fertilizers which can reduce consumption.
Raw materials for the production of gel is not easily available in all regions of manufacturing, thereby, increasing trade cost.

Expected Impact on Market by Coronavirus Outbreak

The pandemic has surely affected production because raw materials were not available and trade was at a halt due to strict lockdown all across the globe. This industry will continue to flourish because the reliance on plant-based products has increased and people are now more dependent on organic products than ever before. North America, being the greatest producer of raw materials is estimated to witness increased production.

Competition Landscape

North America accounts for a leading share of the aloe vera gel market, followed by Asia Pacific. On the basis of region, Europe, Eastern Europe and Latin America are showing high consumption and production. Aloe Vera is largely grown in Mexico, China and India, and all of it accounts to the highest market share. Economic factors and improvement in lifestyles has paved the path for market expansion in Asia-Pacific regions.

The Aloe Vera Gel Market is expected to expand at CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 7.8% by value and 7.3% by volume through 2027. APAC region dominates the gel market with a CAGR OF 8.8% with skin care segment set to expand at 8.5% in the forecast period . In consideration of region, India and China stands at a higher pedestal in production and consumption of Aloe Vera gel.

Organto Expands Organic Ginger Supply

… provider of organic and value-added organic fruits and vegetables today announced … of Brazilian ginger across its European customer base, Organto has … Organto and CEO of Organto Europe B.V. “We … and Asia.
SOURCE: Organto Foods Inc.
View source version on …

The road to COP26 starts in urban biocanteens

Small towns, mega-cities, districts, regions, federal states, all sort of subnational territorities have at least two things in common: their inhabitants need to eat and, at the same time, they find themselves on a planet where that same need is put at risk by climate change.

Some of them realised that food deserved a place of honour in a global revolution. Tackling the climate emergency through food policies, while calling on national governments to act, seemed appropriate to the local leaders who decided to speak with a unified voice and developed the Glasgow declaration on food and climate. Launched in December 2020 one year before the next UN climate conference (COP26, in Glasgow), the declaration is more than a commitment: it is already giving its fruits.

On March 23, the event ‘COP26 is already happening!’, supported by the EU regional development fund, URBACT and BioCanteens, presented the example of schools feeding children with organic and locally produced meals as a powerful way to value the environment. The online conference was moderated by Catherine André, journalist and cofounder of Voxeurop.

“Europe made some progress, but the Member states are raising obstacles,” said Marc Tarabella, Belgian mep member of the S&D group and the mayor of his native village, Anthisnes. “We see that it’s very difficult to change the mindset and we see a lot of resistance at a local level, people are looking for the lowest price at the expense of quality. Instead I think that we should enable people to have a choice down to the lowest level.”

Born with that goal, the URBACT programme helps cities find sustainable solutions and make a positive impact through networking and knowledge sharing. It also endorses the Glasgow declaration.

Among the networks funded by URBACT, BioCanteens’ partners come from all corners of Europe: Mouans-Sartoux (France), GAL Pays de Condruses (Belgium), Rosignano-Marittimo (Italy), Torres Vedras (Portugal), Trikala (Greece), Troyan (Bulgaria) and Vaslui (Romania).

At a biocanteen, food becomes rich in meanings. “Where do you learn food education if not within the family?” asked François Jégou, lead expert of BioCanteens Transfer Network. The school has to take that role and teach the subject at lunch time. After all, today’s children will be future creators, reaserchers, voters, consumers, and leaders. It makes sense to start giving them the best we have to offer and the kind of food we will eat in 2045 and further.

Since translating food democracy into practice requires non comformist beliefs, however, biocanteens remain an exception. “When I look around in the world, I don’t have the impression that what we will discuss at COP is already happening: it’s rather the opposite,” said Jégou. “But, if I look more carefully, there are places were transition started long ago and were I can already see at least in part what a more sustainable city could look like.”

What is the secret of these places? According to Jégou, there are five: an ongoing fight against food waste, job creation along the municipal food chain, sustainable land use planning, a discussion around healthy food, and integrate governance.

Yet, “good practice is dangerous word” as it implies a copy-paste approach. The “proud of it” approach, instead, suggests a reinterpretation whenever a functioning system is transferred somewhere else.

To ensure a fairer access to quality food for all, making the case for positive solutions to local challenges is key. In particular, three issues were highlighted during the event: the public procurement constraint for food supply, the construction of participatory food governance and the relocalisation of agriculture.

Located in the real estate and tourism paradise of French Riviera, Mouans-Sartoux manage to become an anticonformism’s champion. Although public procurement contracts are usually unconvenient for small local producers, the city established a special agreement and is today calling on the EU Parliament to fight for food exception in public procurement.

It is “neither protectionism nor an economic revolution, it is just some collective intelligence and common sense,” according to Gilles Pérole, deputy-mayor for childhood, education and food at Mouans-Sartoux. “Buying turnip or a pen is not the same thing. Food is an essential good to life and therefore it must be protected with public procurement.”

In Spain, Mollet del Vallès became one of the first cities to pass a local food policy back in 2015. “Children had the possibility to collaborate” and “learned how to make healthier dietary choices at individual level but through active democratic participation, they also developped a sense of corresponsibility in the city wellbeing and made proposals that were then integrated in the city food strategy,” explained Albert Garcia Macian, head of the EU project and international relations office at Mollet del Vallès.

Similarly, the Swedish city of Södertälje has worked with a number of different development projects and activities to increase sustainability since the beginning of the 2000s. “We have been supporting our small scale local vegetables production both in the countryside and in the city, combining activities to support unemployed people, running a project called ‘Matlust’ (food for joy) for small and medium enterprises to help them become more sustainable, successful and employ more people,” said Sara Jervfors, head of diet unit at Södertälje (Sweden).

Even if the biocanteens are still rare, their experience will be inspiring others to follow. For this, Europe is a great catalyst thanks to all the networks already existing.

For instance, Un Plus Bio is a French organisation accompanying cities towards positive change in the food system and part of it is the so-called Club of Territories. The coordinator Amandine Pieux said “it became the space where local authorities share their practices using public catering as a tool for ambitious food policies.”

“The speed of the ongoing discussions in Europe is very different and the food debate has not been a priority in some countries,” said Cecilia Delgado, researcher and director of the portugues platform Alimentar Cidades Sustentaveis. “So there is a need to fuel in the local debate in local languages before joining the European debate and there is a need for peer to peer learning.”

Nowadays, European cities are really at the forefront of the ecological transition. With a growing population and a growing vulnerability due to climate change, all types of communities and subnational governments can’t afford the privilege to wait and see what happens of them.

Scotland is showing the way with projects like Nourish Scotland, which promotes the human right to food by integrating, localising and democratising it. Nourish Scotland is campaigning for “a good food nation”, said the food policy project officer, Sofie Quist. “In the context of climate change, we are working especially with policy makers, farmers, scientists and communities to understand how everyone can be part of the solution to climate change, in particular food producers.” And that’s a good part of the Glasgow declaration.

Next November, Glasgow will be the place to bring all these messages. At COP26, Member states will then be asked to to take up the many positive local examples and actively support the development of progressive and integrated food policies at all levels.

Substantial trade cracks with Europe remain in the post-Brexit world

… halted sales to the EU, with many considering giving … companies have set up EU operations to get around … expert at the Centre of European Reform, says businesses have … trading with Europe.”
Fabulous Foods, a London-based organic foods supplier that …

Coca-Cola Reports First Quarter 2021 Results

… , if any.
2
Organic revenues, comparable currency neutral … the United States and Western Europe. Category performance was as … Maid®.
Hydration, sports, coffee and tea declined 11%. Hydration … SUPERMARKET RETAIL CONVENIENCE STORE FOOD/BEVERAGE
SOURCE: …

Upbeat Earnings, Economic Data May Lead To Initial Strength On Wall Street

The major U.S. index futures are pointing to a higher open on Thursday, with stocks likely to move back to the upside following the pullback seen over the course of the previous session.

The Dow is likely to benefit from an early advance by shares of Bank of America (BAC), with the financial giant moving higher in pre-market trading after reporting better than expected first quarter results.

Fellow Dow component UnitedHealth (UNH) may also see initial strength after the managed care company reported first quarter results that beat analyst estimates on both the top and bottom lines.

Shares of Citigroup (C) are also seeing notable pre-market strength after the financial giant reported first quarter results that exceeded estimates.

Early buying interest may also be generated in reaction to a batch of better than expected U.S. economic data, including a Commerce Department report showing retail sales spiked by much more than expected in the month of March.

A separate report released by the Labor Department showed first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits pulled back by much more than anticipated in the week ended April 10th.

Stocks came under pressure over the course of the trading day on Wednesday after moving to the upside early in the session. Reflecting weakness among technology stocks, the tech-heavy Nasdaq led the way lower.

After jumping by 1.1 percent in the previous session to its highest closing level in nearly two months, the Nasdaq slumped 138.26 points or 1 percent to 13,857.84.

The S&P 500 also slid 16.93 points or 0.4 percent to 4,124.66 after reaching a new record intraday high in early trading.

On the other hand, the Dow pulled back well off its best levels of the day but still closed up 53.62 points or 0.2 percent at 33,730.89. The blue chip index also set a new record intraday high before giving back ground.

The uptick by the Dow was partly due to a strong gain by Goldman Sachs (GS), with the financial giant jumping by 2.3 percent after reporting first quarter results that beat analyst estimates on both the top and bottom lines.

Banking giant Wells Fargo (WFC) also showed a strong move to the upside after reporting better than expected first quarter results.

Meanwhile, shares of JPMorgan Chase (JPM) moved notably lower even though the financial giant reported first quarter results that exceeded expectations.

The weakness that emerged in the broader markets seemed to coincide with a downturn by shares of Coinbase (COIN), which spiked to a high of $429.54 but pulled back well below their debut price of $381 before closing at $328.28.

The cryptocurrency exchange’s direct listing on the Nasdaq was closely watched by investors and described as a “watershed moment” for the industry.

Traders also kept an eye on remarks by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who told the Economic Club of Washington the central bank is likely to scale back its asset purchase program well before raising interest rates.

“We will reach the time at which we will taper asset purchases when we have made substantial further progress towards our goals from last December,” Powell said.

He added, “That would in all likelihood be before, well before, the time we would consider raising interest rates. We have not voted on that order but that is the sense of the guidance.”

Meanwhile, the Fed released its Beige Book, which noted economic activity in the U.S. accelerated to a moderate pace from late February to early April.

The release of the Beige Book comes two weeks ahead of the Federal Reserve’s next monetary policy meeting, which is scheduled for April 27-28.

In other U.S. economic news, the Labor Department released a report showing another notable increase by import prices in the month of March.

Gold stocks came under pressure over the course of the session, dragging the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index down by 1.5 percent. The weakness among gold stocks came amid a decrease by the price of the precious metal.

Semiconductor and software stocks also showed notable moves to the downside, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index and the Dow Jones U.S. Software Index both falling by 1.2 percent.

On the other hand, substantial strength remained visible among energy stocks, which moved sharply higher along with the price of crude oil.

Reflecting the strength in the energy sector, the Philadelphia Oil Service Index spiked by 5.7 percent, the NYSE Arca Oil Index surged up by 3.2 percent and the NYSE Arca Natural Gas Index jumped by 2.2 percent.

Steel stocks also held on to strong gains, with the NYSE Arca Steel Index climbing by 3.1 percent to its best closing level in almost ten years.

Commodity, Currency Markets

Crude oil futures are slipping $0.30 to $62.85 a barrel after spiking $2.97 to $63.15 a barrel on Wednesday. Meanwhile, after falling $11.30 to $1,736.30 an ounce in the previous session, gold futures are climbing $11.90 to $1,748.20 an ounce.

On the currency front, the U.S. dollar is trading at 108.77 yen versus the 108.93 yen it fetched at the close of New York trading on Wednesday. Against the euro, the dollar is valued at $1.1959 compared to yesterday’s $1.1980.

Asia

Asian shares ended mixed on Thursday as fears of a fresh U.S.-China tussle as well as renewed concerns over the surge in coronavirus cases in the region offset stellar earnings from U.S. banks against the backdrop of an improving economy.

Chinese and Hong Kong shares fell after a Chinese diplomat indirectly warned the U.S. over strong linkages and interference over Hong Kong issues.

Also, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen told a visiting delegation of former senior U.S. officials that the island would work with the United States to deter “adventurous maneuvers and provocations” amid threats from Chinese military activities.

China’s Shanghai Composite Index dropped 17.73 points, or 0.5 percent, to 3,398.99, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index ended down 107.69 points, or 0.4 percent, at 28,793.14.

Japanese shares ended on a flat note after Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda warned the economic recovery was likely to be modest due to uncertainty over the coronavirus pandemic. Japan on Wednesday reported more than 4,000 new cases as the highly contagious variants drive a fourth wave of infections.

The Nikkei 225 Index ended marginally higher at 29,642.69, while the broader Topix closed 0.4 percent higher at 1,959.13. While banks and shippers led gainers, tech shares lost ground. Advantest gave up 2.6 percent and Tokyo Electron dropped 1.9 percent.

Australian markets advanced as the jobs report for March came in better than forecast. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 35.50 points, or 0.5 percent, to 7,058.60, while the broader All Ordinaries Index ended up 36.90 points, or 0.5 percent, at 7,317.50.

The Australian economy added 70,700 jobs last month, far surpassing forecasts for the addition of 35,000 jobs, official data showed. The jobless rate dropped to 5.6 percent from 5.8 percent in February.

Mining heavyweights BHP and Rio Tinto jumped around 3 percent, while energy majors Oil Search, Santos and Beach Energy climbed 1-3 percent. Tech stocks finished broadly lower with modest losses. Gold miners slumped, with Evolution Mining losing as much as 5.6 percent.

Seoul stocks finished modesty higher after the Bank of Korea kept its benchmark lending rate unchanged at a record low 0.50 percent, in line with expectations.

The benchmark Kospi rose 11.95 points, or 0.4 percent, to 3,194.33, extending gains for the fourth straight session as Bank of Korea Governor Lee Ju-yeol said the economy will still expanding faster than previously expected despite an uptick in coronavirus infections.

Mobile messenger operator Kakao soared 8 percent in its first day of trading after splitting its shares fivefold.

Europe

European stocks have edged higher on Thursday as Treasury yields pulled back after a steady stream of dovish comments from Federal Reserve officials.

Speaking on Wednesday to the Economic Club of Washington, Fed Chair Jerome Powell reiterated that the Fed would only begin winding down its asset purchases when the economy has made substantial progress towards its goals.

Powell also signaled that tapering would happen “well before” the U.S. central bank starts considering raising interest rates.

While the German DAX Index has risen by 0.3 percent, the French CAC 40 Index and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index are both up by 0.5 percent.

Swiss engineering company ABB has shown a strong move to the upside after raising its full-year sales outlook.

Norwegian lender Sbanken has also soared after the country’s largest bank DNB announced an all-share offer for the rival.

Dutch brewer Heineken NV has also risen. The company said it aims to be carbon neutral in its production sites by 2030 in order to meet the 1.5°C goal set by the Paris Agreement.

Glencore, BHP, Anglo American and Antofagasta has also advanced as metal prices hit multi-year high,s supported by weaker dollar and Fed comments over a strong U.S. economic recovery.

Advertising company Publicis Groupe has also jumped. The company has returned to organic growth for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

German real estate companies are also in focus after the Constitutional Court ruled that Berlin’s rent cap was unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, BP Plc and Royal Dutch Shell are moving lower as oil has edged down after climbing nearly 5 percent overnight on signs on increasing crude demand.

Food delivery company Deliveroo Holdings has also fallen. In its first trading update since its market debut last month, the company said its orders more than doubled in the quarter to end-March.

GlaxoSmithKline has also declined. The pharmaceutical giant said that it has stopped enrolling patients in a trial studying a combination drug therapy using feladilimab in cancer patients.

In economic news, German consumer prices grew 1.7 percent year-on-year in March, in line with the preliminary estimate, following a 1.3 percent rise in February, final data from the statistical office Destatis showed. A similar higher rate was last reported in February 2020.

French consumer prices increased 1.1 percent year-on-year in March, in line with the provisional estimate and faster than the 0.6 percent rise in February, final data from the statistical office Insee showed. This was the highest rate since February 2020, when prices were up 1.4 percent.

U.S. Economic Reports

Retail sales in the U.S. spiked by much more than expected in the month of March, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday.

The Commerce Department said retail sales skyrocketed by 9.8 percent in March after tumbling by a revised 2.7 percent in February.

Economists had expected retail sales to surge up by 5.9 percent compared to the 3.0 percent slump originally reported for the previous month.

Excluding sales by motor vehicle and parts dealers, retail sales soared by 8.4 percent in March after plunging by a revised 2.5 percent in February. Ex-auto sales were expected to jump by 5.0 percent.

A separate report released by the Labor Department showed first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits pulled back by much more than anticipated in the week ended April 10th.

The Labor Department said initial jobless claims tumbled to 576,000, a decrease of 193,000 from the previous week’s revised level of 769,000.

Economists had expected jobless claims to decline to 700,000 from the 744,000 originally reported for the previous week.

With the much bigger than expected decrease, jobless claims fell to their lowest level since hitting 256,000 in the week ended March 14, 2020.

Separate reports released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia on Thursday showed faster growth in regional manufacturing activity in the month of April.

The New York Fed said its general business conditions index climbed to 26.3 in April from 17.4 in March, with a positive reading indicating growth in regional manufacturing activity. Economists had expected the index to inch up to 19.5.

Meanwhile, the Philly Fed said its index for current manufacturing activity rose to 50.2 in April from a downwardly revised 44.5 in March.

The increase surprised economists, who had expected the index to drop to 42.0 from the 51.8 originally reported for the previous month.

At 9:15 am ET, the Federal Reserve is scheduled to release its report on industrial production in the month of March. Economists expect industrial production to jump by 2.8 percent in March after slumping by 2.2 percent in February.

The National Association of Home Builders is due to release its report on homebuilder confidence in the month of April at 10 am ET. The housing market index is expected to inch up to 83 in April from 82 in March.

Also at 10 am ET, the Commerce Department is scheduled to release its report on business inventories in the month of February. Business inventories are expected to rise by 0.5 percent.

The Treasury Department is due to announce the details of this month’s auction of twenty-year bonds at 11 am ET.

At 11:30 am ET, Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic is scheduled to participate in an interview before virtual event, “The Atlantic’s Progress Report: The State of the Black Community.”

San Francisco Federal Reserve President Mary Daly is due to speak on financial stability and monetary policy before a virtual Money Marketeeers of New York University event at 2 pm ET.

At 4 pm ET, Cleveland Federal Reserve President Loretta Mester is scheduled to give a virtual student lecture on “Economic Inclusion” before an event hosted by Swarthmore College.

Stocks In Focus

Shares of PPD, Inc. (PPD) are moving sharply higher in pre-market trading after the clinical research services provider agreed to be acquired by Thermo Fisher (TMO) for $47.50 per share.

Apparel retailer American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) is also seeing significant pre-market strength after forecasting better than expected first quarter sales.

Shares of Commerce Bancshares (CBSH) may also see initial strength after the bank holding company reported first quarter results that beat expectations on both the top and bottom lines.

Drugstore chain Rite Aid (RAD) may also move to the upside after reporting a narrower than expected fiscal fourth quarter loss on revenues that exceeded estimates.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

European Stocks Edge Higher; Publicis Earnings Impress

… Nurse 
Investing.com – European stock markets edged higher Thursday … of corporate earnings, both in Europe and on Wall Street. 
… largest advertising group returned to organic growth for the first … slipped 0.7% despite the food delivery company saying its …