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Sysco GB has embarked on an ambitious plan to offer comprehensive training on sustainability to all colleagues across its British businesses.

The UK’s leading foodservice wholesaler has joined forces with specialist sustainability consultancy, Knowledge Labs from Nutritics, to create and deliver a bespoke training programme that will give Sysco colleagues the knowledge and tools to support customers in becoming more sustainable.

Initially starting with colleagues in commercial roles, the programme, developed following a survey of existing knowledge, is built around eight modules. It covers key sustainability topics including Climate Change; Carbon Footprinting; Operational Sustainability; Healthy and Sustainable Diets; and Food Waste. This will enable colleagues across the business to better understand the importance of sustainability at Sysco and in its customers’ businesses.

With the topic becoming increasingly important to customers, the training will initially be undertaken by frontline sales colleagues, who will join online training sessions delivered by experienced trainers.

In addition, Sysco GB’s 15 development chefs will receive additional face-to-face training to understand the main challenges for a sustainable food system at every stage of the food chain and how to apply that to the latest thinking on plant-forward and healthy, sustainable dishes.

Michael Andersen, Chief Commercial Officer at Sysco GB, said: “By far the biggest portion of our carbon footprint as a business is the food that we sell. This training aims to transform our sales teams into sustainability champions – supporting our customers to better understand the impact that they can have through their businesses and in particular their menus.

“We believe we’ve created one of the most comprehensive training programmes that the sector’s seen, which reflects the growing importance of sustainability across the supply chain. It builds on the success of our plant-based range and the work we’ve done to promote a plant-forward diet. Now, our teams will be armed with the knowledge that helps customers on their own sustainability journeys.”

Stephen Nolan, CEO of Nutritics said: “This partnership provides a fantastic opportunity to work collaboratively with Sysco – sharing our expertise and knowledge to help empower colleagues to make a difference and support customers on their sustainability journey.”

The Knowledge Labs consultancy service from Nutritics launched earlier this year and is steered by Director, Elbha Purcell.

 

View original content here.

Sysco GB has embarked on an ambitious plan to offer comprehensive training on sustainability to all colleagues across its British businesses.

The UK’s leading foodservice wholesaler has joined forces with specialist sustainability consultancy, Knowledge Labs from Nutritics, to create and deliver a bespoke training programme that will give Sysco colleagues the knowledge and tools to support customers in becoming more sustainable.

Initially starting with colleagues in commercial roles, the programme, developed following a survey of existing knowledge, is built around eight modules. It covers key sustainability topics including Climate Change; Carbon Footprinting; Operational Sustainability; Healthy and Sustainable Diets; and Food Waste. This will enable colleagues across the business to better understand the importance of sustainability at Sysco and in its customers’ businesses.

With the topic becoming increasingly important to customers, the training will initially be undertaken by frontline sales colleagues, who will join online training sessions delivered by experienced trainers.

In addition, Sysco GB’s 15 development chefs will receive additional face-to-face training to understand the main challenges for a sustainable food system at every stage of the food chain and how to apply that to the latest thinking on plant-forward and healthy, sustainable dishes.

Michael Andersen, Chief Commercial Officer at Sysco GB, said: “By far the biggest portion of our carbon footprint as a business is the food that we sell. This training aims to transform our sales teams into sustainability champions – supporting our customers to better understand the impact that they can have through their businesses and in particular their menus.

“We believe we’ve created one of the most comprehensive training programmes that the sector’s seen, which reflects the growing importance of sustainability across the supply chain. It builds on the success of our plant-based range and the work we’ve done to promote a plant-forward diet. Now, our teams will be armed with the knowledge that helps customers on their own sustainability journeys.”

Stephen Nolan, CEO of Nutritics said: “This partnership provides a fantastic opportunity to work collaboratively with Sysco – sharing our expertise and knowledge to help empower colleagues to make a difference and support customers on their sustainability journey.”

The Knowledge Labs consultancy service from Nutritics launched earlier this year and is steered by Director, Elbha Purcell.

 

Companies have made progress in managing their water use and ensuring their boards and senior executives oversee water management efforts.Significant work remains to address water quality impacts, align public policy engagement and lobbying activities with sustainable water management approaches, protect freshwater ecosystems, and improve clean water access.

October 25, 2023 /3BL/ – A new benchmark analysis of 72 companies from four water-intensive industries—apparel, beverage, food, and high-tech—shows encouraging progress on corporate water management, but underscores collectively, the companies have a long way to go in meeting the necessary ambition to reduce their demands and impacts on freshwater resources.

“As the global water crisis escalates, so do the financial risks facing businesses and their investors,” said Kirsten James, senior program director of water at Ceres and co-author of the report. “While some companies are demonstrating a variety of leading practices, we need to see more companies excelling on all aspects of water stewardship in order to ensure sustainable water supplies for businesses, communities and the environment.”

Ceres’ report evaluates how companies of focus identified by the Valuing Water Finance Initiative are performing against the six Corporate Expectations for Valuing Water, which serve as the ambition around the full range of water issues that large companies should meet by 2030. This timeline is critical to slowing the pace of deteriorating water resources threatening communities, ecosystems, and economies across the globe and meeting the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for Water (SDG6). More than 30% of global GDP will be exposed to high water stress by 2050, according to data released by the World Resources Institute in August. Already, 50% of stocks in each of four major U.S. stock indexes are in industries with medium-to-high water risk.

The report, developed using publicly available company disclosures, provides a unique and comprehensive view of companies’ vulnerabilities, opportunities, and strengths when it comes to managing water. While results vary by company and industry, broadly, notable findings have emerged, including:

Both water availability and water quality are material financial issues to the assessed companies. While 75% of the 72 assessed companies have set time-bound targets aimed at reducing the amount of water they use, only 17% of companies have done so to reduce their impacts to water quality.Local considerations are necessary to properly manage water resources. Only 35% of the companies consider contextual factors—such as local watershed conditions, regulatory dynamics, and community water needs—when assessing water use risks, and even fewer—14%—consider contextual factors when assessing water quality risks.Healthy ecosystems are critical for maintaining water supplies that businesses rely on. Yet, only 13% of the companies have time-bound targets to protect or restore ecosystems with specific consideration of outcomes related to freshwater supplies and aquatic biodiversity.Companies’ efforts to ensure communities in areas where they operate and source from have equitable access to clean water and sanitation (WASH) are largely lacking. Only 28% of the assessed companies have taken the first step by establishing a corporate policy explicitly acknowledging water and sanitation as a fundamental human right.About half of the companies have board and senior management oversight of water management strategies and also link incentives for executives to water targets and goals. However, only 36% of the companies integrate water risks and opportunities into strategic business planning for both direct operations and supply chains.An internal price on water—a monetary value placed on water beyond a price or tariff paid to a water utility—can help companies make more informed decisions on water usage and overall water risk. Only 11% of assessed companies are utilizing this approach.Aligning public policy engagements with sustainable water resource management can strengthen and scale companies’ water stewardship efforts and impacts, yet only 32% of the companies advocate explicitly around water-related issues with governments, businesses, civil societies, or other stakeholders.

“Companies must adapt their approach to water management to the changing state of water resources. Our benchmark provides a much-needed line of sight into where companies are on their water journey and what they need to do to accelerate and broaden their efforts to protect water supplies their operations and supply chains depend on,” said Shama Perveen, director of water research at Ceres and report co-author. “We highlight opportunities for all companies to learn from their peers within and across the four industries to raise their ambitions and reduce their water risk by implementing impactful solutions and collaborating with others to scale impact. For example, we found that more companies are engaging in water strategies that bring together a diverse array of stakeholders including businesses, communities, tribes, governments, and organizations to tackle urgent and shared challenges within specific basins. These collective water efforts can yield significant financial advantages and maximize impact benefiting all stakeholders.”

The report adds to Ceres’ extensive research base supporting investors in the Valuing Water Finance Initiative who are making the business case for and encouraging scaled corporate action on water risk. Currently, 94 investors, who collectively represent more than $17 trillion in assets, have committed to engage with the 72 focus companies through the initiative. Benchmark results will inform these engagements, providing investors insights into financial risk and opportunities, such as where companies’ efforts are leading or lacking, and showcasing opportunities for companies to learn from and collaborate with peers and stakeholders to accelerate or broaden their water stewardship efforts.

In highlighting key findings and leading practices, the report can be a resource for all companies working to develop or evolve holistic water stewardship strategies addressing water impacts and dependencies throughout their value chains.

“Ceres’ report is a critical resource for investors who are working with companies on how to address the increasing material financial risks posed by the water crisis unfolding across the globe,” said Sophia Cheng, chief investment officer, Cathay Financial Holdings. “It will help us meet companies where they are in their water stewardship efforts, allowing for meaningful engagements more likely to result in companies making progress on sustainable water management.”

“From record-setting droughts and shrinking groundwater aquifers to polluted drinking water supplies and deteriorating wetlands, our future when it comes to water is increasingly uncertain,” said Brian Rice, a portfolio manager for the California State Teachers’ Retirement System. “Insights into how companies are responding helps build the context we need to effectively engage with them on water risk while also making decisions to optimize portfolio investments.”

“It’s difficult to find data sets with contextual information on water that give us as investors insights on water scarcity, quality, and access. The Ceres benchmark will help with that,” said Greta Fearman, stewardship lead, Cardano Asset Management. “With a focus on high water footprint companies, the report looks at freshwater use for agricultural and industrial processes in water scarce areas, water pollution, and progress towards water neutrality throughout their value chains. Cardano will be using this benchmark as a source of information to encourage companies to address the associated systemic risks and get us back where we need to be – in the safe zone of freshwater use.”

“We believe Cargill has an important leadership role to play in working across our operations, supply chains and in our communities to develop and accelerate solutions that protect and enhance water resources. But we can’t do this work alone and need others to help elevate the challenge of global water stress to the top of the corporate agenda,” said Heather Tansey, VP environmental sustainability at Cargill. “This benchmark report provides valuable insights and context around corporate water stewardship, aiding our efforts to strengthen and improve strategies that protect and preserve water resources while contributing to global water goals.”

“General Mills and the food sector at large are inherently dependent on the earth and its natural resources, especially water,” said Mary Jane Melendez, chief sustainability and global impact officer at General Mills. “With increased risks on the quality and availability of water, and with the majority of General Mills’ water impact upstream in agriculture, General Mills is focused on championing the regeneration of water resources in key areas where we source ingredients and manufacture our products. Continuing to invest in water stewardship resilience remains a top priority for us to ensure a thriving future for people, planet, and our business.”

Editor’s note: Ceres will host a webinar Nov. 7 at 11:00 a.m. ET reviewing key findings from the benchmark report and featuring perspectives from the report authors, companies and investors. It is open to the media. Register here.

About Ceres 
Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. Through our powerful networks and global collaborations of investors, companies and nonprofits, we drive action and inspire equitable market-based and policy solutions throughout the economy to build a just and sustainable future. For more information, visit ceres.org and follow @CeresNews.

Media contact: Tamera Manzanares, tmanzanares@ceres.org

HAMILTON, Bermuda, October 25, 2023 /3BL/ – Family-owned spirits company, Bacardi has been named one of the Best Workplaces in Europe. The owner of iconic brands, which include BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin, GREY GOOSE vodka, PATRÓN tequila, ST-GERMAIN liqueur and BACARDÍ rum, was ranked number 20 in the multinational category on the list of 150 companies in Europe to receive this recognition.

The ranking was based on responses from employees across the region, who completed the Great Place To Work Trust IndexTM employee survey – designed to gain insight into how people feel about their employer and their work environment. The result? Bacardi is one of the Best Workplaces in all of Europe.

“We are delighted to receive this fantastic recognition especially as it was based on responses from our own employees,” said Surabhi Joshi, VP HR for Bacardi in Western Europe. “There are so many reasons why Bacardi is a special place to work but if I had to name just one, we are a family at Bacardi. It’s part of our culture and it’s reflected in our relationships with our colleagues, our customers and our suppliers, as well as the craftsmanship that goes into every drop of our iconic brands.”

The Trust Index employee survey is designed to illustrate how specific employee perceptions can influence their level of trust in their employer, and in the company’s culture. Overall, more than 2.6 million European employees were asked to describe how they felt about their work environment.

Statements touch on a variety of elements related to respect, recognition, transparency and camaraderie – all elements that the Great Place To Work organization uses to determine just how great a workplace is. Through extensive research and experience, Great Place To Work is able to determine what it takes to make a company culture trustworthy, safe, and healthy for employees.

To be recognized as one of the Best Workplaces in Europe, a company must first rank very highly among other companies of the same size in their own country. Then, the highest-ranking companies of every size in each country are ranked in a single European list. Of the 3,350 participating companies – small, medium, large and multinational – only 150 Best Workplaces in Europe have been selected.
 

-ENDS-

Media Inquiries: 

Andrew Carney, Communications Director, Western Europe, Bacardi, acarney@bacardi.com

About Bacardi Limited 
Bacardi Limited, the world’s largest privately held international spirits company, produces, markets, and distributes spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDÍ® rum, PATRÓN® tequila, GREY GOOSE® vodka, DEWAR’S® Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, MARTINI® vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES® 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON’S® Scotch whisky, D’USSÉ® Cognac, ANGEL’S ENVY® American straight whiskey, and ST-GERMAIN® elderflower liqueur. Founded more than 161 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs approximately 9,000, operates production facilities in 11 countries and territories, and sells its brands in more than 160 markets. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit www.bacardilimited.com or follow us on, LinkedIn or Instagram.

Always drink responsibly.

October 24, 2023 /3BL/ – Ceres released the following statement in response to the adoption of a historic, interagency Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) rulemaking. The final amendments to the regulations implementing the CRA are the result of a joint effort by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors (the Fed), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and represents the most significant changes to the CRA rules in 20 years. These updated rules are expected to increase lending, investment, and financial services to underserved and financially vulnerable communities.

“We applaud the hard work and collaboration of these agencies in strengthening the original purpose of the Community Reinvestment Act and increasing its effectiveness in addressing lending discrimination and disinvestment in financially vulnerable communities,” said Steven Rothstein, managing director of the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets at Ceres. “Although the proposed climate resiliency provisions were ultimately revised as weather resiliency, we are encouraged to see natural disaster and weather resiliency provisions included for the first time. As noted by the regulators in their final rule release, low- and moderate-income communities, communities of color, and other historically marginalized communities disproportionately grapple with the consequences of extreme climate events. These provisions are a critical step forward in addressing a growing risk that exacerbates economic and racial inequality.”

Enacted in 1977 as part of a series of civil rights laws, the CRA encourages banks to meet the credit needs of the communities in which they do business with a focus on low- and moderate-income (LMI) neighborhoods. Under the CRA and the rules implementing the law, regulators must evaluate banks’ performance on CRA requirements and take that record into account when reviewing an institution’s applications for activities such as mergers and branch expansion.

Climate risks threaten the CRA’s directive to address the nation’s history of lending discrimination and disinvestment in underserved communities. Ceres has advocated for the modernization of the CRA rules and the explicit inclusion of racial justice and climate provisions since February 2021. In 2021, Ceres strongly supported the OCC’s proposal to rescind its 2020 CRA rules. In response to the 2022 interagency notice of proposed rulemaking, Ceres submitted comments to the Fed, FDIC, and OCC urging them to modernize the CRA rules by explicitly incorporating crucial climate resiliency and racial equity provisions—the latter of which we were disappointed to not see included.

As a member of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), Ceres has also signed on to NCRC-led public comments related to the CRA alongside many other partner organizations.

Today’s rule changes will allow banks to undertake activities that support disaster preparedness and weather resiliency in low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities. This could include:

Construction of flood control systems in flood-prone areasRetrofitting multifamily affordable housing to withstand future disasters or weather-related eventsCommunity solar projectsUpgrades to affordable housing such as more energy-efficient appliances

However, the proposal makes several language modifications that leave LMI individuals at risk. For example, the proposal required CRA-qualifying bank activities not displace LMI individuals, but the final rule only requires that these activities do not directly result in displacement. Similarly, the final rule requires only that these activities benefit or serve LMI individuals and does not require those activities be conducted in targeted LMI communities or primarily benefit or serve LMI individuals.

“This rule is an important step towards justice for climate-vulnerable communities, which continue to be disproportionately affected by the financial risks and losses of increasing significant weather events,” Rothstein added. “Ceres hopes to serve as a resource to financial institutions navigating the implementation of the new natural disaster and weather resiliency provisions, as well as to financial regulators assessing the impact of these activities for the first time and crediting financial institutions accordingly, including through the development of an illustrative list of resiliency activities.”

Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. The Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets is a center of excellence within Ceres that aims to transform the practices and policies that govern capital markets to reduce the worst financial impacts of the climate crisis. It spurs action on climate change as a systemic financial risk—driving the large-scale behavior and systems change needed to achieve a net zero emissions economy through key financial actors including investors, banks, and insurers. The Ceres Accelerator also works with corporate boards of directors on improving governance of climate change and other sustainability issues. For more information, visit ceres.org and ceres.org/accelerator and follow @CeresNews.

Media Contact: Diane May, dmay@ceres.org, 617-247-0700 ext. 220

October 24, 2023 /3BL/ – Ceres released the following statement in response to the adoption of a historic, interagency Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) rulemaking. The final amendments to the regulations implementing the CRA are the result of a joint effort by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors (the Fed), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and represents the most significant changes to the CRA rules in 20 years. These updated rules are expected to increase lending, investment, and financial services to underserved and financially vulnerable communities.

“We applaud the hard work and collaboration of these agencies in strengthening the original purpose of the Community Reinvestment Act and increasing its effectiveness in addressing lending discrimination and disinvestment in financially vulnerable communities,” said Steven Rothstein, managing director of the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets at Ceres. “Although the proposed climate resiliency provisions were ultimately revised as weather resiliency, we are encouraged to see natural disaster and weather resiliency provisions included for the first time. As noted by the regulators in their final rule release, low- and moderate-income communities, communities of color, and other historically marginalized communities disproportionately grapple with the consequences of extreme climate events. These provisions are a critical step forward in addressing a growing risk that exacerbates economic and racial inequality.”

Enacted in 1977 as part of a series of civil rights laws, the CRA encourages banks to meet the credit needs of the communities in which they do business with a focus on low- and moderate-income (LMI) neighborhoods. Under the CRA and the rules implementing the law, regulators must evaluate banks’ performance on CRA requirements and take that record into account when reviewing an institution’s applications for activities such as mergers and branch expansion.

Climate risks threaten the CRA’s directive to address the nation’s history of lending discrimination and disinvestment in underserved communities. Ceres has advocated for the modernization of the CRA rules and the explicit inclusion of racial justice and climate provisions since February 2021. In 2021, Ceres strongly supported the OCC’s proposal to rescind its 2020 CRA rules. In response to the 2022 interagency notice of proposed rulemaking, Ceres submitted comments to the Fed, FDIC, and OCC urging them to modernize the CRA rules by explicitly incorporating crucial climate resiliency and racial equity provisions—the latter of which we were disappointed to not see included.

As a member of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), Ceres has also signed on to NCRC-led public comments related to the CRA alongside many other partner organizations.

Today’s rule changes will allow banks to undertake activities that support disaster preparedness and weather resiliency in low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities. This could include:

Construction of flood control systems in flood-prone areasRetrofitting multifamily affordable housing to withstand future disasters or weather-related eventsCommunity solar projectsUpgrades to affordable housing such as more energy-efficient appliances

However, the proposal makes several language modifications that leave LMI individuals at risk. For example, the proposal required CRA-qualifying bank activities not displace LMI individuals, but the final rule only requires that these activities do not directly result in displacement. Similarly, the final rule requires only that these activities benefit or serve LMI individuals and does not require those activities be conducted in targeted LMI communities or primarily benefit or serve LMI individuals.

“This rule is an important step towards justice for climate-vulnerable communities, which continue to be disproportionately affected by the financial risks and losses of increasing significant weather events,” Rothstein added. “Ceres hopes to serve as a resource to financial institutions navigating the implementation of the new natural disaster and weather resiliency provisions, as well as to financial regulators assessing the impact of these activities for the first time and crediting financial institutions accordingly, including through the development of an illustrative list of resiliency activities.”

Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. The Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets is a center of excellence within Ceres that aims to transform the practices and policies that govern capital markets to reduce the worst financial impacts of the climate crisis. It spurs action on climate change as a systemic financial risk—driving the large-scale behavior and systems change needed to achieve a net zero emissions economy through key financial actors including investors, banks, and insurers. The Ceres Accelerator also works with corporate boards of directors on improving governance of climate change and other sustainability issues. For more information, visit ceres.org and ceres.org/accelerator and follow @CeresNews.

Media Contact: Diane May, dmay@ceres.org, 617-247-0700 ext. 220

In 2018, the Applied Materials Foundation launched a new initiative focused on inspiring girls to pursue their dreams. At the time, a study by Reboot Representation found that “despite many leaders’ stated desire to bring more women into the sector, most companies do not invest significantly in improving the gender diversity in tech through their philanthropy. In 2017, only 5 percent ($26 million) of companies’ philanthropic giving went to programs with an explicit focus on women and girls in tech.” Report authors warned that without deliberate funding for girls and women, we would not move the needle on gender inequity.

Using that information, as well as research conducted by National Girls Collaborative Project, the Foundation identified three evidence-based funding priorities to guide its work:

Going beyond STEM by funding organizations and programs that work to improve girls’ confidence and leadership skills. Believing you can overcome difficulty and achieve your dreams is key, regardless of what field you choose to enter.Expanding access to high-quality STEM programs by prioritizing programs that serve girls from low-income backgrounds and girls who identify as Black, Indigenous and/or People of Color (BIPOC), helping ensure that all girls have the opportunity to develop STEM skills and a STEM identity.Strengthening the field by convening Community of Practice meetings to facilitate learning and strengthen connections among the grant recipients, often bringing in external experts to guide collective learning.

Since 2018, over 50,000 girls across the United States have participated in Generation Girl-funded programs, the majority of whom come from low-income families and/or identify as BIPOC. Thanks to the hard work of Foundation grantees, girls have participated in leadership development programs, afterschool robotics and summer STEM camps. They have testified in state capitals on issues affecting girls today and have won regional coding championships. And, through a global pandemic and subsequent recovery efforts, they have redefined what it means to be successful in the face of adversity.

The last five years have shown that the Foundation’s three-pronged approach (empowerment, STEM access and capacity building) is successful. Thus, I am pleased to share that due to the astounding impact of our nonprofit grantees, the Applied Materials Foundation Board of Directors has approved a $3 million, three-year extension of the Generation Girl initiative. We have already started turning this opportunity into action, awarding twenty-two nonprofit organizations with grants to support their efforts in 2023 and beyond. These nonprofits have evidence-based strategies that work; our goal for the next three years is to encourage their growth to reach even more girls.

In addition to funding, we remain committed to fueling collaboration and innovation through Community of Practice meetings among nonprofit leaders to promote shared learning and development conversations. Applied Materials employees will also continue to lend their voices and expertise, volunteering at local community events, summer camps and afterschool programs as role models and mentors.

What began as a three-year pilot initiative has grown into an eight-year commitment in communities across the U.S. We are humbled by the efforts of our nonprofit grantees and Applied Materials employees to support this new generation of women innovators. We can’t wait to see all they collectively accomplish in the years to come!

Generation Girl is an initiative of the Applied Materials Foundation, inspiring girls to pursue their dreams. To see a complete list of the nonprofit grantees, visit our website. 

CNH Industrial recently made a minority investment in the California-based start-up Advanced Farm Technologies, which specializes in the robotic harvesting of apples, strawberries, and other fruits. The two businesses will partner to drive industry and ecosystem innovation by collaborating across R&D and commercialization.

In the United States, 46% of the production cost of apples comes from handpicking labor, 70% in the case of strawberries. These high labor costs are exacerbated by a continued downward trend in handpicking workforce availability. By investing in robotic harvesting, CNH industrial can adequately address the labor shortage and continue to align with its sustainable goals.

CNH is committed to automated, autonomous, and sustainable farming innovations that solve important and complex challenges for its customers. With this minority investment, CNH continues to add cutting-edge solutions to its portfolio and maintain its commitment to ESG.

October 24, 2023 /3BL/ – TrailGuard AI has been recognized as one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2023, a prestigious accolade that features 200 groundbreaking innovations reshaping our world. Developed in partnership under the NGO, RESOLVE, and the social enterprise, Nightjar, this camera-alert system stands out as the sole innovation in the AI category dedicated to wildlife conservation. TrailGuard AI integrates cutting-edge AI algorithms, robust hardware, and versatile communication protocols to allow real-time alerts for objects identified by AI. This technology plays a pivotal role in detecting potential threats and targeted wildlife species on trails that link protected areas or border human settlements, making it an invaluable asset for anti-poaching, monitoring endangered wildlife, and preventing human-wildlife conflict. TrailGuard AI is designed to stop poachers before they kill or detect conflict-prone wildlife species early enough to prevent crop loss or livestock depredation.

Currently, TrailGuard AI is in operation in more than 25 protected areas spanning Asia, Africa, and South America. Recent deployments in the Kanha-Pench tiger conservation landscape and the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in India have yielded success in the arrest of poachers and preventing human-tiger conflict, as detailed in our recent peer-reviewed article in BioScience. Collaborating with local Forest Departments and communities, TrailGuard AI is actively monitoring elephant movements in West Bengal, effectively mitigating human-elephant conflict. Moreover, the technology is poised for deployment in Indonesia to bolster biodiversity monitoring efforts and elsewhere in Asia and Africa in 2024. TrailGuard AI is manufactured in India and large volume runs are planned for early 2024 to meet the growing demand.

“TrailGuard AI offers multiple advances: long battery life; embedded AI able to detect a number of key wildlife species; and multiple communications pathways allowing transmission of images from remote locations. In fact, it’s the first wildlife monitoring technology designed by biologists for biologists.” – Dr. Eric Dinerstein, conservation biologist and CEO, Nightjar

“TrailGuard AI sends real-time alerts from the camera and communications unit to end users in under thirty seconds. This is perfect to trigger a response by designated authorities and respond to human-wildlife conflict near villages, which is emerging as the major wildlife management problem in Asia. We hope to scale our system quickly to work with conservation groups and government agencies determined to find a path to coexistence between people and endangered wildlife. Our low-cost technology is a promising solution for India now, and really anywhere.” – Piyush Yadav, Lead Engineer and Head Asia, Nightjar

“This award is the culmination of years of hard work and extensive field trials in Africa and India. Despite occasional setbacks and the challenges posed by solving the problems of creating an extremely low-powered device, integrating AI, and achieving good connectivity in remote environments, we have something unique to offer the conservation community that can keep endangered species safe.” –Steve Gulick, inventor of TrailGuard AI, Chief Innovations Officer, Nightjar

See the full list here: time.com/best-inventions-2023

RESOLVE is a Washington, DC-based non-profit organization that forges sustainable solutions to critical environmental, social, and health, challenges by creating innovative partnerships where they are least likely and most needed. RESOLVE’s Conservation Solutions program tackles the most pressing conservation problems of our time – the approaching extinction of endangered wildlife and threats to habitats, including tropical forests where most of the world’s species reside – through technological innovation, ambitious global agreements, and targeted land protection.

Nightjar is a limited liability social benefit company organized and funded to achieve the social and environmental objectives of developing durable, long-lasting, high technology devices—including the patented TrailGuard AI—to facilitate protection and monitoring of endangered species, reducing human-wildlife conflict, and to stop wildlife poaching and illegal logging. Nightjar emerged from the Biodiversity and Wildlife Solutions program at RESOLVE Inc. (RESOLVE), which is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Contact: Dr. Eric Dinerstein, edinerstein@resolve.ngo

BOISE, Idaho, October 24, 2023 /3BL/ – During the month of September, Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE: ACI), along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, raised nearly $6 million through customer donations made at the register to support community organizations committed to connecting qualified individuals with existing federal meal programs. Grants will be awarded through the company’s Nourishing Neighbors charitable program this month to help those in need sign up for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women Infants and Children (WIC). This fundraising campaign underscores the company’s support of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health and its goal to help 50,000 eligible neighbors enroll in SNAP and WIC benefits in 2023.

More than 130 local food banks, soup kitchens and community organizations, such as Northern Illinois Food Bank, Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, The Greater Boston Food Bank and Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, will receive Nourishing Neighbors grants so they can conduct outreach and provide SNAP and WIC enrollment support for neighbors in need.

“There are millions of people in this country who need access to nutritious food and qualify for federal food assistance programs, but they don’t know how to enroll or get the support they need,” said Christy Duncan Anderson, President and Executive Director of Albertsons Companies Foundation. “At Albertsons Cos., we are committed to help break the cycle of hunger and inspire healthy eating. Thanks to the generous donations of our customers, our Nourishing Neighbors program is able to give nearly $6 million in grants to organizations dedicated to helping with enrollment, outreach, transportation and other issues that might prevent people from participating in federal meal programs.”

Nourishing Neighbors is a charitable program of Albertsons Companies Foundation and seeks to ensure at-risk children, adults, seniors and families have access to the food they need to thrive. More than 130 local food banks, soup kitchens and community organizations, such as Northern Illinois Food Bank, Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, The Greater Boston Food Bank and Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, will receive Nourishing Neighbors grants so they can conduct outreach and provide SNAP and WIC enrollment support for neighbors in need. Additionally, Albertsons Cos. offers online SNAP access and educational information in all banner stores including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, ACME and Tom Thumb.

“We know that programs like SNAP are a critical support for our neighbors experiencing hunger,” said Jaz Bias, Co-Executive Director of Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. “We’re thrilled to partner with the Albertsons Companies Foundation to expand access to these programs and improve food security for individuals and families throughout Oregon.”

“We are grateful to the Albertsons Companies Foundation for their generous support which will help Northern Illinois Food Bank connect our neighbors to the resources that they so desperately need right now,” said Maeven Sipes, Chief Philanthropy Officer at Northern Illinois Food Bank. “Our SNAP team is dedicated to helping neighbors get the nutritious food they need to thrive, with dignity, equity and convenience.”

For more information on Nourishing Neighbors, click here.

About Nourishing Neighbors

Nourishing Neighbors is the signature cause platform of the Albertsons Companies Foundation operating under 17 banners including Safeway, Albertsons, ACME, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s and Vons. The program is dedicated to ensuring that at-risk children, adults, seniors and families have access to nutritious food needed to thrive. In 2022, Nourishing Neighbors raised more than $40 million and provided over 188 million meals to ensure those living in our communities and those impacted by disasters have enough to eat. The Foundation is committed to enabling the donation of one billion meals by 2030 and actively championing innovative programs and partnerships to help break the cycle of hunger in the neighborhoods we serve.

About Albertsons Companies

Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. As of September 9, 2023, the Company operated 2,272 retail food and drug stores with 1,726 pharmacies, 401 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 19 manufacturing facilities. The Company operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia with 24 banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s Food Lovers Market. The Company is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2022, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the Company contributed more than $200 million in food and financial support, including more than $40 million through our Nourishing Neighbors Program to ensure those living in our communities and those impacted by disasters have enough to eat.

See original press release here and read more about Albertsons Companies and our Recipe for Change on our website.