Manna's Home, Alishan (2026)

25/11/2024

𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 “𝐏𝐫𝐨-𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝” 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝

A ground-breaking European initiative, “𝗣𝗿𝗼-𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱”, has officially commenced with the aim of protecting and promoting crop wild relatives (CWR) that are closely related to commonly cultivated plants. This innovative project seeks to harness the genetic potential of wild plant species to improve crop resilience and adaptability to climate change. As a key partner, FiBL Switzerland is leading the project’s communication, dissemination, and exploitation efforts.

“𝗣𝗿𝗼-𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱”, short for “𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀”, is focused on three of Europe’s most widely cultivated crops: wheat, sugar beet, and oilseed r**e. The development of new varieties has been stressed as a critical means to mitigate the anticipated impacts of climate change. The “Pro-Wild” project aims to better preserve, characterize and exploit the genetic diversity of wild relatives to breed for better-adapted crops.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁’𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀

The “Pro-Wild” project, which is running from 2024-2029, will address three core areas:

- 𝗜𝗻-𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘂 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Mapping, characterizing and protecting CWR in their natural habitats.
- 𝗘𝘅-𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘂 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Propagating, conserving, and cataloguing CWR outside their natural environments to safeguard their genetic material.
- 𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: Identifying desirable traits in CWR and incorporating these traits into elite breeding programs to enhance the genetic diversity and resilience of cultivated crops.

The ultimate goal of “Pro-Wild” is to improve the adaptability of wheat, sugar beet, and oilseed r**e to changing climatic conditions while maintaining resistance to pests and diseases and improving end-use quality. By reintegrating the genetic diversity of wild relatives, the project aims to enhance the sustainability and security of agriculture in Europe and beyond, with project partners in Turkey and Israel.

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿

The project officially kicked off in the first week of September with a meeting in Clermont-Ferrand, France. Representatives from the 19 international partner institutions gathered to outline the project’s roadmap and collaborative efforts. The project is managed and coordinated by the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), one of Europe’s leading research institutions in agriculture and environment.

FiBL Switzerland will manage and coordinate the communication, dissemination, and exploitation of the project’s activities, progress, and results. The goal is to effectively inform both the general public and the specialist community through a variety of channels. Additionally, materials will be made available to create added value for both the economy and society.

“Pro-Wild” is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe program, with support from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).

Photo Sources：Annie Spratt (𝙐𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙝)
Article Sources：By 𝗕𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝗰𝗼 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹

18/11/2024

𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐢 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐝 𝟐𝟓𝟎 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝟏𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬

Watami announced on October 25 that it had signed a master franchise agreement with the US company Subway and made Subway Japan a subsidiary. In addition to absorbing the know-how of franchise development, Watami will also promote overseas expansion and develop products using organic vegetables from Watami Farm.

The company plans to open 250 stores over the next 10 years, and also has plans to open a new flagship store in Tokyo in February or March 2025.

At a press conference held in Tokyo on the same day, Chairman and CEO Watanabe Miki said, "We want to change the image of Subway from an izakaya to something synonymous with Watami, and gain support from younger generations. We see great potential in Subway, and will support its challenge while demonstrating the Watami identity."

As of September 2024, Subway has approximately 37,000 stores worldwide. Over the past three years, the company has signed master franchise agreements with more than 20 companies and plans to open more than 10,000 stores in the future.

As for why the company is embarking on the expansion of its fast food chain, Chairman and President Watanabe said, "There are factors such as the promotion of the industrial model that Watami is pursuing and the fact that the yen will continue to weaken in Japan."

"Izakaya and sushi restaurants are doing well so far, but the market in Japan is shrinking and everywhere is becoming a red ocean. I feel that future expansion will be difficult," said Watanabe, chairman and president.

On the other hand, Subway is a sandwich fast food business that does not yet have a large market in Japan, and it has the potential to approach the health consciousness that is expected to increase worldwide in the future. There is also the possibility that it will be able to develop different business formats from Watami's existing ones, such as takeout and delivery. Furthermore, Watanabe, chairman and president, emphasized that "Subway is the one that can compete with McDonald's."

McDonald's operates about 2,900 restaurants in Japan and about 40,000 restaurants worldwide, while Subway has only 178 restaurants in Japan as of September 2024.

He added, "Even if we were to start selling the same hamburger, there's no way we'd be able to catch up. As a different counterpoint, sandwiches could be a viable option that meets the growing global need for health foods."

Watami also has seven organic farms across the country, and will use lettuce, onions, tomatoes, etc. from these farms on its menus, as well as offering roast beef dishes using the Wagyu beef it has acquired through its yakiniku business. Watanabe, chairman and president, said, "I thought that if we could popularize Japanese-style flavors through Subway, we could make our food even more delicious than it is now."

Going forward, the company aims to achieve sales of 300 billion yen in the domestic restaurant business, with Subway alone aiming to earn 200 billion yen. It also plans to open new stores in commercial facilities, on-street stores in front of train stations, and on university campuses.

Watanabe, chairman and president, said, "We hope that by expanding Subway, we can make the Watami brand popular among young people as well."

Subway CEO John Chidsey said, "I am excited to have Watami join us. I believe the possibilities are endless, including modernizing our brand, accelerating our digital transformation and unlocking new synergies."

Photo Sources：Erik Mclean (Unsplash)
Article Sources：By Excite News

15/11/2024

𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆-𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿, 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 (𝗘𝗘𝗔) 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟮.

The new EEA briefing 'Solutions for restoring Europe's agricultural ecosystems' presents evidence-based examples of key options available to farmers to help restore Europe’s ecosystems and enhance the ability of the agricultural sector to cope with increasing climate change impacts like droughts and floods as well as boosting productivity.

The study says introducing some key agricultural practices can prove to be a win-win for both farmers and local nature, delivering better resilience and restoring local ecosystems like grasslands, hedgerows or creeks.

These practices can improve the condition of semi-natural habitats, put back in place multifunctional and biodiverse farming landscapes and reduce pressures on biodiversity while managing soil and water sustainably. All these actions can be beneficial for pollinators, species and their habitats as well as helping to strengthen local resilience against climate change impacts.

While EU Member States’ strategic plans under the Common Agricultural Policy include supporting measures to biodiversity-friendly practices, enhanced and coherent policy incentives combined with adequate financing are needed to efficiently restore ecosystems that support food production and strong rural communities, the EEA briefing says.

𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲

Food production is one of the vital human activities most directly interacting with and affecting nature. Agriculture relies on essential natural processes such as pollination and soil formation. Biodiversity supports the resilience of agriculture and food security. Functioning, healthy ecosystems are also important contributors to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Photo Sources：Quang Nguyen Vinh (𝙐𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙝)
Article Sources：By Europe Environment Agency

11/11/2024

𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚

ORGANIC wine makers have formed their own association, Organic Wines South Africa.

Created in September 2024, and encompassing the core, established, certified-organic wine Estates of South Africa, the objective of the Association will be to broadly market the merits of sustainability in our agricultural processes and of the non-chemical production methods of our wines.

“We aim to promote the development of sustainable production throughout our sector, including information sharing and the pooling of technical experience & expertise, while collaborating in collective marketing, both domestically and throughout the globe,” said the association.

While there are 11 founding members its intention is to extend membership to any willing South African Producer of Organically-certified wines, present or future, including those officially in conversion and those certified organic regenerative. It has adopted European Union (EU) criteria, in terms of verifiable Certifcation parameters, so as to ensure that an optimum level of compliance is ensured in order to qualify as a member.

The membership has appointed a management committee to develop and drive the objectives and plans for the Association. This is constituted of:

- 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻: 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗗𝗮𝗹𝗲 / 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗗𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲
- 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗿: 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘆𝗻𝗲𝗸𝗲 / 𝗥𝗲𝘆𝗻𝗲𝗸𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀
- 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆: 𝗧𝘆𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗹 𝗠𝘆𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗵 / 𝗝𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗴 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲

At the signing into being of the Association, Chairperson Alex Dale stated: “The South African Wine Industry has, in the past 30 years, come a very long way. To the extent that in many well-informed markets around the world, South African wine is recognised for its ever-increasing quality and its immense value. With the formation of Organic Wines South Africa, we have an opportunity to provide energetic leadership in the mission of upping our collective game in regards to sustainability, and with a particular focus on viticulture.

Most of our members distribute throughout South Africa, and many export already to markets across the world, providing a well-established network on which to hitch our collective message. We aim to create a situation where we help to directly and significantly develop the numbers of organic wine Producers in South Africa and to bring into the contemporary mainstream these principles of sustainability.

“It is common knowledge that there tends to be a prevalence of ‘Greenwashing’ when it comes to the marketing of ‘sustainability’ in many sectors and wine production is certainly not immune from this. For this reason, and to avoid any uncertainty, we will limit our membership to ‘certified-organic and or certified-biodynamic wine producers.”

**Industry Background**

In 2022, 8,4% of the Global vineyard was Organic. Up from 1,4% in 2005 (according to Organic World). In the EU, at the same date, more than 10% of all Agriculture is now Organic.

With this rate now escalating, it is estimated that organic agriculture will represent in excess of 1/3 of the industry within a generation.

IWSR (International Wine and Spirits Record) reports that global sales of organic wine have grown from 29-million cases in 2012 to 71-million cases in 2022 (+145%) and are said to be in an exponential growth phase. Sales of non-organic wine over this period fell from 2,4-billion cases to 2,06-billion cases (-14.2%) and continue to decline.

In South Africa, it is estimated that there are between 2 – 3 dozen Organic Wineries today, counting for only a small fraction of total production, below 1%.

Photo Sources：Photo by Mark Stebnicki (Pexels)
Article Sources：By Cape Business News

22/10/2024

𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐲'𝐬 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭

Organic apples currently represent between 5 and 10% of the total market in Italy, a fairly stable share over time, but with an expanding production area. In 2023, in Italy, a total area of approximately 9,000 hectares was reached for the production of organic apples, with a growth of 5% compared to 2022. The production volumes of organic apples in Italy is also evolving positively: in 2023, they exceeded 200,000 tons, concentrated in three key regions such as Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna, where organic farming practices are widespread. The growth of international demand is essential for the growth of the organic apple market.

According to Nomisma data, exports of Italian organic apples recorded an increase of 10% in 2023, with particular performances in Germany and France. The Benelux market, which the It's Bio project is targeting, sees a strong growth in demand for organic apples and the market is expected to continue to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 10% by 2027 (Source: IFOAM Organics Europe). In Greece, the growth in demand for organic products is slower and is mainly recorded in large urban centers, but the forecasts are still positive. (Source: IFOAM)

The analysis of the profile of Italian organic apple consumers highlights the particular attention to health, environmental sustainability, and food quality. Organic apples are chosen to avoid synthetic chemicals and a natural diet based on foods that are perceived as safer and more nutritious, underlining how sensitivity towards environmental issues is high. Organic apple consumers are often people who choose sustainable products, concerned about the impact of agriculture on biodiversity and the climate. The main consumers are families, especially with small children, of a medium-high socioeconomic bracket willing to pay a higher price to have certified quality products. Today the challenges of organic apples are represented by increasingly environmentally friendly and sustainable production methods but also a varietal choice that combines tradition with innovation as in the case of the Gala and Candine varieties.

The Gala apple is highly appreciated for its sweet flavor and crunchiness and continues to be the protagonist of Italian tables, with volumes that are increasing compared to previous years. Alongside this traditional variety, Candine is establishing itself as an innovative variety that combines flavor and long shelf life, without sacrificing sustainability. Candine fits perfectly into the It's Bio project, an initiative that promotes the excellence of Italian organic production and respect for the environment, encouraging the adoption of low-impact agronomic techniques.

Photo Sources： (FreshPlaza)

Article Sources：By (FreshPlaza)

Address

Alishan

Website

http://manna.org.tw/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Manna's Home posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Manna's Home:

Manna's Home