Fighting apathy and sustaining congregational leadership

Bulgaria-headquartered insect producer, Nasekomo, is looking to secure a niche function in the less capital intensive, upstream part of the insect protein value chain.
It has established a joint venture with French animal genetics experts, Groupe Grimaud, to create FlyGenetics, an alliance dedicated to increasing the performance of the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) as proficient transformers of waste biomass.
The JV will investigate different BSF strains, selecting those more efficient at converting several types of waste streams. “We will also look to shorten the life cycle of the BSF,” ​Xavier Marcenac, co-founder, Nasekomo, told us.
The Nasekomo team held discussions with Grimaud over 18 months on a potential collaboration. “We carried out some trials, the results of which were positive and led us to establish the JV.”
Read the full article at: www.feednavigator.com

Sustainability is rapidly shifting from a “nice to have” to a core competency influencing branding, competitive position, and supply chain resiliency. Businesses can no longer get by with generic statements or nebulous objectives, procurement and supply chain functions are being tasked with fundamentally challenging and taking practical actions across all areas of operations and supply chain. But defining what sustainability means in real terms and translating this into measurable actions and improvements is easier said than done. 

Big Street Bikers is supercharging its network of Locky Docks free secure parking and charging stations for cycles, e-bikes and e-scooters with 100 more to be rolled out across New Zealand.  “Mercury has been a cornerstone partner of Big Street Bikers since day one, as we recognise transport is New Zealand’s biggest opportunity to reduce emissions – and our sector can help with that,” says Mercury sustainability general manager Lucie Drummond.  “We’re excited to help get more Kiwis on to bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters, as convenient and cleaner ways to get around, as the network expands.”  Analysis of the 10 existing Locky Docks in Christchurch by consultancy Sense Partners found they contributed to 250,000 fewer vehicle kilometres travelled, 58 tonnes of CO2 abated and $1.7-$2.3 million in physical benefits annually.  Big Street Bikers co-founder Cleve Cameron says Locky Docks are “mode shift machines”.  “The wayfinding and secure storage Locky Docks provide makes them an excellent complement to improving cycling infrastructure. By making it safe, secure and normal to bike to more regularly, we can accelerate climate action and enhance the wellbeing of our streets.”  Sense Partners economist Shamubeel Eaqub says expansion of the network can bring proportionally greater benefits.  “Based on our analysis, the next 100 Locky Docks could reduce vehicle kilometres travelled by 2.5 million kilometres a year,” he says.  “The Locky Dock network also provides exceptional value – $1.50 (at our most conservative measure), up to $4.60 for every $1 of cost (at our most optimistic). That comes from reduced car operating costs, reduced pollution costs, health benefits from cycling and more.”  The next 100 Locky Docks are planned for existing locations – Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton and Christchurch – and new locations such as Tauranga, Whakatane, Napier, New Plymouth, Wairarapa and Dunedin.  Each Locky Dock station has a screen displaying safe cycling routes to make commuting easier and CCTV cameras for extra security.  They are locked and unlocked using the Bikeep app available here.  Meanwhile, transport minister Michael Wood is expected to help launch “The Big Switch” on Friday November 25 in the way people move around New Zealand’s cities from streets made for cars to streets made for people.

The Covid-19 pandemic has placed a severe strain on the health system in the world and many healthcare workers have been stretched far beyond their capacity. For most African countries, balancing a response to the pandemic with the challenges of providing universal health care has highlighted the need for resilient health systems that will address the imperatives of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and prompt novel, custom-made solutions for the continent and its people. While the collection and analysis of data across the region has enabled some of the continent’s success stories to be showcased, experts agree that the health system challenges faced by the region span over the financial, political and socio-economic spheres and that addressing them will take a multi-faceted and African approach.