Azelis releases first sustainability report as a testimony of global sustainability efforts

SINGAPORE, Aug 11, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Azelis, a leading distributor of specialty chemicals and food ingredients, is proud to release its first sustainability report as a testimony of its global sustainability efforts and actions. With this sustainability report, Azelis covers its 2019 group-wide sustainability performance and demonstrates how its commitments to sustainability are put into action, by creating shared value with our innovative and sustainable products and having a positive impact on the communities around the globe.

Highlights & rationale
– After its second and consecutive EcoVadis Gold rating and membership to Together for Sustainability as announced earlier this year, Azelis now releases its first sustainability report.
– The company is convinced that only innovation and sustainable business can provide long-term partnerships with customers and suppliers, as well as considerable benefits to society.
– Azelis' strong focus on sustainability is in line with Azelis' strategy to become the global benchmark for sustainability in the chemicals and food ingredients distribution industry.

Being a global service provider focused on the development of innovative formulations, sustainability has always been part of Azelis' identity. Soon after initial commitments to Responsible Care(R) & Responsible Distribution(R), Azelis laid the groundwork for its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Program in 2015, following the Paris Agreement on climate change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations. Azelis' CSR program is based on the United Nations Global Compact initiative, ISO 26000 and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), and is built on 25 KPIs within four main pillars: People, Sustainable procurement, Fair business practices and Resources & environment.

Dr. Hans Joachim Muller, Azelis Chief Executive Officer, comments: "Year 2020 marks a few important sustainability milestones for Azelis. After our second EcoVadis Gold rating and our membership to Together for Sustainability earlier this year, we are now excited to release our first sustainability report in which we bring Azelis' global sustainability efforts to life. We hope that this report will influence and excite our partners about the ever-important sustainability journey, whilst also inspiring and exciting them about our transition to a sustainable business. We are confident that only a joint effort for more sustainable solutions will strengthen the relationships with our business partners who are equally responsible and equally dedicated, and will result in preservation of resources for future generations."

Maria J. Almenar Martin, Group Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) and Sustainability Director, adds: "It's our genuine belief that only innovation and sustainable business models can offer long-term partnerships with customers and suppliers, as well as considerable benefits to society. We're continually investing in the development of a new generation of sustainable formulations through the work done in our network of laboratories, whilst also introducing new initiatives to develop strategies that mitigate business risks as a consequence of climate change and social unrest. We hope this sustainability report gives our partners a clear view of our ambitions and goals, and our colleagues another confirmation of how sustainability is deeply-rooted in all we do."

Sustainability is a key pillar of Azelis' strategy, next to digitalization and our aspiration to be the leading innovation service provider for the industries we serve. Azelis is actively working towards the transition to a sustainable future by being a progressive employer that fosters equal opportunities and embraces diversity across its business; by creating innovative sustainable formulations in its labs; by ensuring the sustainable use of resources whilst continually reducing the environmental impact of its business; and by conducting its business in a responsible way.

Contact information
Azelis
Marina Kaptein
Group Communications Director
T: +32 3 613 0125
E: marina.kaptein@azelis.com

About Azelis

Azelis is a leading distributor of specialty chemicals and food ingredients present in over 50 countries across the globe with around 2,200 employees. Our knowledgeable teams of industry, market and technical experts are each dedicated to a specific market within Life Sciences and Industrial Chemicals. We offer a lateral value chain of complementary products to about 45,000 customers, creating a turnover of EUR 2.15 billion (2019).

Throughout our extensive network of more than 60 application laboratories, our award-winning technical staff help customers develop formulations. We combine a global reach with a local focus to offer a reliable, integrated service to local customers and attractive business opportunities to principals. And we believe in building and nurturing solid, honest and transparent relationships with our people and partners.

Impact through ideas. Innovation through formulation.

www.azelis.com

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

GFI APAC announces the “2020 Asia Alt 100” Industry Disruptors in Alternative Protein

HONG KONG, Jun 22, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – The Good Food Institute Asia-Pacific (GFI APAC) today reveals the "2020 Asia Alt 100" organizations, together with a list of major investors identified as the driving forces for Asia's rapidly growing alternative protein industry. The raw materials and food production segments present significant opportunities, especially for regional industry players, according to GFI APAC's analysis.

GFI APAC Elaine Siu

The inaugural "Asia Alt 100" list published by GFI APAC identifies the 100 top players in Asia's alternative protein industry, from five building block segments, namely raw materials and ingredients, food production, research and development, corporate partnership, to end products. The research covers players in major markets in Asia including mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and South Korea. (Please see the full list in Appendix I)

Investment in alternative protein has been a major trend in the food industry worldwide in recent years. While alternative protein may still be in its infancy stage in Asia, compared to more mature markets such as the U.S. where plant-based retail sales already reached US$5 billion in value , there are unique opportunities in the growing Asia market to be captured, and both corporates and start-ups are clearly keen to compete for a share in this growing segment. Out of the "2020 Asia Alt 100", over half (57%) are corporates, 29% are start-ups, while the remaining 14% are academic institutions.

"Coming from a background of very vibrant and diversified food cultures, Asian consumers have a discerning palate and demand for a great variety when it comes to food. For alternative protein to truly become a protein solution for Asia, the industry needs to move beyond importing technologies and brands from Silicon Valley. We need homegrown players who understand and can cater to the local markets' taste," says Elaine Siu, Managing Director of GFI Asia Pacific.

"We have already seen local innovators and companies starting to emerge in the past year with huge potential to lead the future growth of this sector. With the Asia Alt 100, we have identified the ones we see as the top disruptors in the industry which have demonstrated that they are seriously committed to, and invested into, growing the alternative protein industry."

The Asia Alt 100 is presented in GFI APAC's Asia Alternative Protein Industry Map, which shows who these key players are and how they work together, alongside a list of 35 key investors in the field. Investors are another very important building block propelling the developments of alternative protein in Asia. They come from around and outside of Asia, including Singapore (10), Hong Kong (6), Japan (5), mainland China (4), South Korea (1), other southeast Asian countries (2) and outside of Asia (7). Twenty-eight out of the 35 investors identified are venture capital firms, while the remaining seven are accelerators. (Please refer to Appendix II for the full list of investors).

According to Siu, "While major consumer brands and retailers launching the 'next plant-based burger' have been getting the spotlights, as the industry matures, we have seen investors showing increasing interests in raw materials and ingredients suppliers and B2B companies." Both raw materials and production are integral parts of the alternative protein value chain, but the market is only just catching up on discovering the opportunities that lie in the upper stream. For example, currently Asian countries such as China and Indonesia are heavily growing plant-based protein's raw materials such as soybean and peas, while approximately 50% of the global supply of soy protein is being processed in mainland China, mainly in the Shandong and Henan regions.

Currently, about half (58%) of the raw material and ingredient suppliers in the 2020 Asia Alt 100 list are originated in Asia. If more homegrown players from Asia will enter the market to leverage the proximity to raw materials and processing capabilities, the industry as a whole can potentially bring down production costs to make alternative protein more affordable to Asian consumers and accelerate the development of the alternative protein sector in Asia.

Siu concludes: "We are currently at an exciting phase of accelerating growth in the alternative protein in Asia. It is expected that more and more Asian companies will enter the industry as the local players start to realize the competitive advantage they have in growing raw materials, processing ingredients, local distribution network, supply chain infrastructure, and of course, in creating products that are tailored to the variety of Asian palate and culture."

Note:
The team at GFI APAC is in a unique position to have their finger to the pulse of the industry. Day in day out the team is consulted by startups (in many cases even before they formed their founding team), corporates, investors, scientists, and policymakers, free of charge. Being privy to and trusted with invaluable information, the GFI APAC team has the inside track to identify the top players that have demonstrated that they are seriously committed to, and invested into, growing the alternative protein industry, and deserve a place in the "Asia Alt 100" list.

Details of the scope of this study are as follows:

– Regions
Included: Major markets in Asia e.g. Singapore, mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea.
Excluded: India

– Businesses
Included: Raw materials and ingredients, food production, research and development, and corporate partners. In line with our goal to increase transparency and awareness of the makers in the supply chain.
Excluded: Retailers and food service providers.

– Local Presence
Included: Companies incorporated in Asia, and companies incorporated outside of Asia but have built a local presence or otherwise invested significantly in Asia.
Excluded: Companies incorporated outside of Asia and without a local presence or significant investment in Asia, notwithstanding that their products may be available in Asia via distributors.

Mapping the Industry

This year, GFI APAC presents the 2020 Asia Alt 100 alongside 35 investors on the Asia Alternative Protein Industry Map to showcase not only the who's who of this sector but how they work together. Please view the full map at the following link: http://www.gfi-apac.org/asia-alt-100/

About The Good Food Institute (GFI)

The Good Food Institute is an international non-profit building a sustainable, healthy, and just global food system. With unique insight across the scientific, regulatory, industry, and investment landscape, we are accelerating the transition of the world's food system to alternative proteins using the power of food innovation and markets. For more information, please go to: http://www.gfi-apac.org/

Media Contact
Viola Chen
Direct: +852 5426 0552
Email: violac@gfi.org

Investor Contact
Elaine Siu
Direct: +852 9872 1690
Email: elaines@gfi.org

Appendix I: 2020 Asia Alt 100 – Full List (by alphabetical order)

1. AAK https://www.aak.com/
2. ADM https://www.adm.com/
3. Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) https://www.a-star.edu.sg/
4. Avant Meats http://www.avantmeats.com/
5. Avebe https://www.avebe.com/
6. Awano Food Group http://awanofood.com/
7. Axiom Foods http://axiomfoods.com/#
8. Baicaowei https://www.vipbcw.com/
9. Beijing Technology & Business University http://english.btbu.edu.cn/
10. Betagro Group http://www.betagro.com/intro
11. Beyond Meat https://www.beyondmeat.com/
12. Buhler https://www.buhlergroup.com/content/buhlergroup/global/en/homepage.html
13. Calysta http://calysta.com/
14. Cargill https://www.cargill.com/
15. Cellivate Technologies https://www.cellivate.xyz/
16. Charoen Pokphand Foods https://www.cpfworldwide.com/en/home
17. DAIZ https://www.daiz.inc/
18. Danisco (China) Investment https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/ACHDOZ:CH
19. DSM https://www.dsm.com/corporate/home.html
20. Duoning Biotech https://www.duoningbio.net/
21. DuPont https://www.dupont.com/
22. Fuji Oil https://www.fujioil.co.jp/en/index.html
23. Givaudan https://www.givaudan.com/
24. Glico Nutrition https://www.glico.com/nutrition/en/
25. Growthwell Group http://growthwellfoods.com/
26. Hey Maet http://heymaet.com/
27. Hongchang Biotech (Suzhou) http://en.hongchangfood.cn/
28. Impossible Foods https://impossiblefoods.com/
29. Ingredion https://www.ingredion.com/
30. Integriculture https://integriculture.jp/?locale=en
31. Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) https://www.jst.go.jp/EN/
32. Jiangnan University http://english.jiangnan.edu.cn/
33. Jinnong http://www.jinnongbio.com/html/en/
34. Jinzi Ham https://www.reuters.com/companies/002515.SZ
35. JUST https://www.ju.st/en-us
36. Kagoshima University https://www.kagoshima-u.ac.jp/en/
37. Karana https://eatkarana.com/
38. Kerry https://www.kerrygroup.com/
39. KosmodeHealth https://kosmodehealth.com/
40. Lesaffre https://www.lesaffre.com/
41. Let's Plant Meat https://www.letsplantmeat.co/
42. Life 3 Biotech https://www.life3.co/
43. Loma Linda https://atlanticnaturalfoods.com/loma-linda/
44. Marvelous Foods https://marvelousfoods.com/
45. Mitsui Co https://www.mitsui.com/jp/en/index.html
46. Monde Nissin https://www.mondenissin.com/
47. Nanjing Agricultural University http://english.njau.edu.cn/
48. Nanjing Zhouzi Future Food http://www.js.xinhuanet.com/2020-01/22/c_1125492974.htm
49. Nanyang Technological University (NTU) https://www.ntu.edu.sg/Pages/home.aspx
50. National University of Singapore (NUS) http://www.nus.edu.sg/
51. Nestle https://www.nestle.com/
52. NH Foods https://www.nipponham.co.jp/eng/
53. Ningbo Sulian Food https://tinyurl.com/yavte3nz
54. Nishimoto Co. https://www.wismettac.com/en/index.html
55. Nissin Foods https://www.nissin.com/en_jp/
56. Omni Foods https://omnipork.co/
57. Otsuka Food https://www.otsuka.com/en/rd/consumer/
58. Pepsico https://www.pepsico.com/
59. PFI Foods http://www.pfifoods.com/
60. Phuture Foods http://phuturemeat.com/
61. Phyto Corporation https://www.phytoco.com/
62. Pulmuone https://www.pulmuonefoodsusa.com/
63. Quorn https://www.quorn.co.uk/about-quorn/protein
64. Robobank https://www.rabobank.com/en/home/index.html?languageDoesNotExists=zh
65. Roquette https://www.roquette.com/
66. Shanxi Nutranovo http://www.nutranovo.com/
67. Shinshu University https://www.shinshu-u.ac.jp/english/
68. Shiok Meats https://shiokmeats.com/
69. Shuangta Food http://en.shuangtafood.com/
70. SiCell https://tinyurl.com/y7wav6nj
71. Sophie's BioNutrients https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugene-wang-2957b86/
72. South China University of Technology https://www.scut.edu.cn/en/
73. SPC Samlip http://www.spc.co.kr/spc/eng/group/GF_samlip.spc
74. Starfield https://www.starfieldcn.com/
75. Sumitomo Corporation https://www.sumitomocorp.com/en/jp
76. Supersun http://supersunvegefood.lk/
77. Tereos https://tereos.com/en/#
78. TerViva https://www.terviva.com/
79. The Chinese University of Hong Kong https://www.cuhk.edu.hk/english/index.html
80. The PlantEat https://theplanteat.github.io/
81. Tianjin Norland http://www.norlandbiotech.com/
82. Tokyo Medical and Dental University http://www.tmd.ac.jp/english/
83. Tokyo Women's Medical University http://www.twmu.ac.jp/english/
84. Toriyama Chikusan Shokuhin https://umami-wagyu.com/
85. Triton Algae Innovation https://www.tritonai.com/
86. Tupac.Bio https://tupac.bio/index.html
87. Turtletree Labs https://turtletreelabs.com/
88. UCDI https://www.co2.co.jp/english/
89. University of Tokyo https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/
90. Unlimeat https://tinyurl.com/yap9cygn
91. Veego https://tinyurl.com/ycz8f6ody
92. Vegetari Healthy Bites https://www.vegetari.ph/
93. Vesta http://www.vestafoodlab.com/
94. Whole Perfect Food / Qishan http://www.qishanfoods.com/index.html
95. Wilmar International https://www.wilmar-international.com/
96. Worth The Health Foods https://www.wthfoods.ph/
97. Z-Rou http://www.z-roumeat.com/
98. Zero Meat https://zeromeat.jp/
99. Zhen Meat https://zhenmeat.com/en
100. Zikooin https://zikooin-market.com/

Appendix II: Key investors – Full List (by region)

1. Brinc Hong Kong https://www.brinc.io/
2. Green Monday Ventures Hong Kong https://greenmonday.org/en/ventures/
3. Horizons Ventures Hong Kong https://www.horizonsventures.com/
4. Lever VC Hong Kong https://www.levervc.com/
5. Vectr Ventures Hong Kong https://vectr.co/
6. VU Venture Partners Hong Kong https://www.vuventurepartners.com/
7. Bits X Bites. Mainland China http://www.bitsxbites.com/
8. Dao Foods Mainland China https://www.daofoods.com/
9. Joy Capital Mainland China http://www.joycapital.com.cn/en
10. Matrix Partners China Mainland China https://www.matrixpartners.com/
11. Beyond Next Ventures Japan http://beyondnextventures.com/en/
12. Glocalink Japan https://en.glocalink.com/
13. Hiroshima Venture Capital Japan https://www.h-vc.co.jp/
14. RealTech Fund Japan https://www.realtech.fund/en/
15. Yakumi Investment Japan https://www.yakumi.co/
16. Big Idea Ventures Singapore https://bigideaventures.com/
17. DSG Consumer Partners Singapore https://dsgcp.com/
18. Germi8 Singapore https://www.germi8.com/
19. GROW Singapore https://www.gogrow.co/
20. Hatch Singapore https://www.hatch.blue/
21. ID Capital Singapore https://www.idcapital.com.sg/
22. Innovate 360 Singapore http://innovate360.sg/
23. Makana Ventures Singapore https://www.makanaventures.com/
24. Temasek Singapore https://www.temasek.com.sg/en/index
25. VisVires New Protein Singapore https://www.visviresnewprotein.com/
26. Mirae Asset Global Investments South Korea https://www.am.miraeasset.com/
27. Space-F Other SEA https://www.space-f.co/
28. Thai Union Other SEA https://www.thaiunion.com/en/home
29. Agfunder Out of Asia https://agfunder.com/
30. Artesian Capital Out of Asia https://www.artesianinvest.com/overview-vc
31. Blue Horizon Out of Asia https://www.bluehorizon.com/
32. New Crop Capital (NCC) Out of Asia https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-crop-capital/
33. Tyson Ventures Out of Asia https://www.tysonfoods.com/innovation/food-innovation/tyson-ventures
34. Unovis Partners Out of Asia https://www.unovis.vc/
35. VegInvest Out of Asia https://www.veginvesttrust.com/

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Davis Index launches world’s only Market Price Platform built for Metals Recycling Industry

SINGAPORE, Feb 24, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Davis Index, the global commodity price reporting agency, announces that it has launched the world's only market intelligence publication built solely for the metals recycling industry, and the service is available to the public as of today. The service includes more than 900 proprietary price indexes for 80 countries, as well as metals futures prices and other reference data. It is the only platform to cover so many countries along with hyper-local coverage of markets in the US, UK, Germany, Spain, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam.

"In terms of depth and breadth of coverage, accuracy, cost, and functionality, Davis Index is in every sense a disruptor," said Sean Davidson, Davis Index Founder and CEO. "Existing services are frequently inaccurate and consistently overpriced. The recycling industry needed a tool that represents the materials they actually trade – a tool that it can access and use in its efforts to preserve and improve margin. Davis Index is that asset. This is the price information service that the industry has waited 30 years for."

Davis Index's main focus is to provide accurate price indexes for free-market scrap metal and secondary alloys that are not listed on exchanges but drive global trade. The service includes indexes for ferrous and nonferrous scrap, bulk and container freight, secondary alloys. Dor some specific countries the service indexes finished and semi-finished steels. Each price index follows IOSCO compliance guidelines.

Davis Index's proprietary indexes are built for a variety of users, including:
– Manufacturers: for use in sales contracts of the scrap generated during the making of any metal-intensive product: from fencing to cars; from hammers to airplanes;
– Recyclers: for use to enter supply contracts with mills and smelters;
– Mills and smelters: for use to enter supply contracts with end consumers, such as die-casters and auto OEMs;
– Importers, exporters, and traders: users to stay informed on markets in the various countries they are active in;
– Governments: for use in tax and duty benchmarking;
– Equity analysts: for use in margin analysis.

Davis Index publishes nearly 800 metals price indexes on a weekly basis, 90 daily indexes, and more than 100 monthly indexes. Data is available through a highly customizable web platform, www.DavisIndex.com, and through twice-daily reports: Davis Index Recycling Asia, and Davis Index Recycling Global. Both reports and access to the web platform are currently offered at $799 USD per year, per user. The fee also includes functional licenses to use the data in contracts.

While the complete Davis Index platform opens to public access today, it was first announced at select recycling industry events earlier this month. The Davis Index Recycling Asia service was debuted during the Material Recycling Association of India's annual convention in New Delhi, India on 9 February. Less than a week later, the Davis Index Recycling Global service debuted during the Washington, D.C.-based Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries' Consumers' Night in St Louis, Missouri on 14 February.

Davis Index is headquartered in Singapore, with offices in Canada, India, Mexico, Singapore, Ukraine, and the U.S.A. For more information, visit www.davisindex.com.

ABOUT DAVIS INDEX

Davis Index is an independent market analysis organisation with nearly 50 full-time staff members. The company is headquartered in Singapore and has offices in each of the world's major scrap supply and consumption regions. The company's core activities are using proprietary and trade-representative methodologies to calculate and publish price indexes. These indexes are delivered along with market commentary, news, and analysis. The team comprises former steel mill and recycling executives, trade analysts, and journalists that underwent rigorous training in 2019 to specialise in covering and indexing recycling trade.

Davis Index data can be used by the recycling industry to manage risk through OTC hedging tools and exchange-listed cash-settled contracts. The company is funded by private equity and its founder, Sean Davidson.

ABOUT SEAN DAVIDSON

Sean Davidson is the Founder and CEO of Davis Index. At the start of this decade, Sean reinvigorated scrap coverage across the Metal Bulletin Group as global editor of raw materials at American Metal Market (AMM), Metal Bulletin (MB) and Steel First, based out of New York. During his time at AMM/MB, Sean spearheaded the launch of America's first scrap futures contract: the ferrous scrap busheling contract on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME).

In 2015, Sean moved to Houston to build and launch Argus Metal Prices as its global editor, a role he exited in early 2019. Prior to his roles at AMM/MB and Argus, Sean served different journalistic and entrepreneurial roles in the United Kingdom, Middle East, and India. His career has spanned print, online, television, recreation, hospitality, and technology.

Media contacts:
Americas (Dallas, TX)
Shawn Eddy
shawn.eddy@davisindex.com

Asia (Pune, India)
Alokha Raj
alokha.raj@davisindex.com
https://www.davisindex.com

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com