Holista Signs Agreement with Costanzo’s to Launch World’s Lowest Glycaemic Index (GI) Clean Label Bread

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Holista Colltech Limited (ASX: HCT, "Holista") and U.S. subsidiary, Holista Foods Inc., have entered into an agreement with leading U.S. breadmaker, Costanzo's Bakery, Inc. ("Costanzo's"), to manufacture the world's lowest Glycaemic Index (GI) clean label white bread using all-natural ingredients.

Under the exclusive three-year Licence and Commercialisation agreement, Costanzo's will purchase Holista's GI Lite™ Bread Premix which will be used to produce a range of healthier breads for the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Costanzo's, a third-generation Italian baker founded 87 years ago in New York City, produces and supplies bread products across the USA and Canada to supermarkets and other retail outlets.

The healthier bread was jointly developed by Holista and Constanzo's. The University of Sydney tested and validated this bread in July 2020 to have a GI reading of 46, which compares with GI readings of over 70 for most white breads.

Holista believes this is the world's lowest GI reading for clean-label (free of chemicals) white breads worldwide. This latest bread formula is significantly lower than the reading of 53 validated by the University of Sydney in 2016.

GI Lite™ is a patented formula made from a blend of okra, barley, lentils and fenugreek. When mixed with white flour, it lowers the GI reading of the final product without compromising taste, mouth-feel or food production methods.

Under the agreement, Holista will supply 165 tons of worth valued at US$1.9 million in the first year of the contract with Constanzo's. Over the next two years, shipment will increase to 220 tons (valued at US$2.2 million) annually.

"There is a large and untapped market for clean-label, all-natural, low-GI white bread and we are pleased to be able to offer our customers such a unique and healthy product," said Costanzo's CEO, Angelo Costanzo III.

"We are confident about the success of the GI Lite™ breads due to its superior taste and mouthfeel, which cannot be matched by other low GI breads in the market as they use chemicals and other artificial ingredients."

GI measures food products, ranking them between 0-100 according to the impact on blood sugar levels. The lower the GI, the more time it takes for glucose to be digested and absorbed into the bloodstream. Higher GI causes a spike in blood sugar levels, contributing to diabetes.

Dr Rajen Manicka, CEO of Holista, an Australia Securities Exchange ("ASX") listed company, commented:
"This is a breakthrough agreement for the North American market and we expect this to spur interest in other markets. We are excited to be bringing a healthier and better-tasting white bread product to the world, and we are currently pursuing opportunities in other countries."

"Providing the world's lowest low GI healthy clean label white bread has been our goal and vision," said Nadja Piatka, CEO of Holista Foods which is based in Buffalo, New York. "Costanzo's is a perfect partner to bring this important mission to fruition."

Holista Foods won the Award of Excellence under "Low Glycaemic Pasta" category for its spaghetti and linguine in the 2019 U.S.A. Taste Championships. Holista has also developed low-GI versions of flat-breads such as chappatis and tortillas.

About Holista Colltech Limited

Holista Colltech Ltd ("Holista") is a natural wellness company, that has the following main divisions:
– Dietary supplements
– Food Ingredients
– Ovine collagen
– Infection Control Solutions

Holista has a global collaboration with Global Infection Control Consultants LLC to use Path-Away®, a plant-based solution that is proven to kill a broad spectrum of microbes. The all-natural alcohol-free active ingredient is used in Holista's range of sanitising products under the NatShield™ brand.

Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange ("ASX"), Holista researches, develops, manufactures and markets health style products. Holista's suite of ingredients includes low GI baked products, reduced-sodium salts, low-fat fried foods and low-calorie sugar without compromising taste, odour and mouthfeel. Holista also produces sheep (ovine) collagen using patented extraction methods. For more information on Holista, please visit https://www.holistaco.com/

About Costanzo's Bakery Inc.

Costanzo's Bakery ("Costanzo") started in a small shop in 1933 along the Niagara River delivering Italian breads to "mom and pop" grocery stores throughout Buffalo, NY. As the business grew, and with the advent of the Supermarket, Costanzo's bread was soon found in every store throughout the region. In 1977, Angelo Costanzo's sons took over the bakery and eventually moved into a new location. As the business grew, the natural progression was to expand into the national marketplace by developing a line of frozen, fully-baked sub rolls and round rolls. This was the beginning of Costanzo's Bakery, Inc. Today, with the third generation of Costanzo's at the helm, the bakery services retail outlets and local routes in the Buffalo/Niagara region, as well as a national distribution network in the Foodservice, Deli/Bakery, and Retail businesses, with all products being produced and delivered from its bakery in Cheektowaga, NY. For more information on Costanzo, please visit https://costanzosbakery.com

About Holista Foods, Inc.

Holista Foods is dedicated to developing and delivering clean label ingredients, finished food products and recipe development. The company specializes in next-generation food research and development for improved taste and nutritional value. Under the leadership of Nadja Piatka, Holista Foods is embracing a philosophy of providing great tasting, nutritional food products that will be readily available to all consumers. Nadja's original passion for providing healthy food products to consumers has carried over to low GI food innovations for an even healthier nutritional outcome.

With the successful launch of the world's first low glycaemic noodles, spaghetti and linguine and low glycaemic bread, the company is working on new low glycaemic products.

Holista Foods is 74%-owned by LiteFood Inc of US and 26%-owned by Nadja Piatka and Nadja Foods. LiteFoods Inc is 53%-owned by Holista. Holista Foods, Inc. is based in Buffalo, NY. For more information on Holista Foods, Inc., please visit www.holistafoods.com

For further information, please contact:
Corporate Affairs & Business Opportunities
Corporate Matters: investor@holistaco.com
General Enquiries: enquiries@holistaco.com

Global Investor relations and media enquiries:
WeR1 Consultants Pte Ltd
E: holista@wer1.net
M: +65 673 74 844

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

More Impactful Partnership to Address Asia’s ‘Gathering Food Security Storm’ Urged by Regional Plant Science Industry

SINGAPORE, Sep 1, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – As the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) convened virtually to begin its Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific, CropLife Asia took the opportunity to raise the growing threat posed by a number of factors to the region's food supply and the critical need for shared, sustainable solutions driven by stakeholder collaboration across the food value chain.

"Our regional supply of safe and nutritious food is being threatened like never before," said Dr. Siang Hee Tan, CropLife Asia Executive Director. "These unprecedented times call for an unprecedented response — including strong partnership among the region's food supply stakeholders.

"In the fields, regional farmers are contending with limited natural resources, increasingly erratic weather, and a greater number of weeds, diseases and pests with which to contend. Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic has only added to the pressure on our regional growers as well as the larger food supply chain.

"The meetings this week are a great opportunity to bring our regional food supply stakeholders closer together in delivering shared solutions. It's critical that we use this opportunity to drive more impactful partnership across the food supply chain and meet the challenges posed by the gathering food security storm we face in Asia."

Earlier this year, the UN's 2020 State of Food Security & Nutrition in the World concluded that almost 690 million globally went hungry in 2019. The research also indicated that Asia is home to the greatest number of undernourished people.

In another policy brief released by the UN recently, The Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition, serious concerns were also raised regarding the effect COVID-19 is having globally on the most vulnerable parts of society already experiencing hunger and malnutrition.

Plant science continues to play a crucial role in helping feed our growing global population. Biotech crops are developed with improved traits such as increased yield, better resistance to pests and/or improved nutrition, among others. These traits are important tools that enable farmers to meet global challenges such as food insecurity. Meanwhile, farmers continue to rely on crop protection products to produce more food on less land and raise productivity per hectare. Without crop protection products, 40 percent of global rice and maize harvests could be lost every year and losses for fruits and vegetables could be as high as 50-90 percent.

About CropLife Asia

CropLife Asia is a non-profit society and the regional organization of CropLife International, the voice of the global plant science industry. We advocate a safe, secure food supply, and our vision is food security enabled by innovative agriculture. CropLife Asia supports the work of 15 member associations across the continent and is led by six member companies at the forefront of crop protection, seeds and/or biotechnology research and development. For more information, visit us at www.croplifeasia.org.

For more information please contact:

Duke Hipp
Director, Public Affairs & Strategic Partnerships
CropLife Asia
Tel: +65 6221 1615
duke.hipp@croplifeasia.org

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

Nathan’s Famous Partners With UAE Based Mezzan Group to Manufacture Halal Hot Dogs

NEW YORK, NY, Aug 15, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Nathan's Famous, Inc. (NASDAQ: NATH), the American tradition serving New York favorites for more than 100 years, announces today it has signed a licensing, manufacturing and distribution agreement with Mezzan Holding KSC, one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of food, beverage, FMCG and pharmaceutical products in the Gulf. This partnership further solidifies Nathan's Famous' commitment to the Middle East through the manufacturing and distribution of Halal Nathan's Famous products.

"We believe our partnership with Mezzan provides a wealth of advantages for the Nathan's Famous brand in and around the Gulf region, from growth opportunity to the ability to provide quality Halal product to our fans in the region," said James Walker, SVP, Restaurants. "Through its storied history, Mezzan has worked with some of the world's best-known consumer manufacturers to bring their products to the GCC, and we're thrilled to add Nathan's to the distinguished list of brands and expand our reach throughout the UAE and beyond."

Mezzan Holding KSC subsidiary, Khazan Meat Factory, will produce 5-piece pack and 8-piece pack of hot dogs for both retail and food service vendors in the region. Khazan is recognized as the leading brand in the region, and is known for its state-of-the-art meat production division that features locally manufactured, fresh and premium Halal ingredients. Coupled with Mezzan's far-reaching distribution abilities via its subsidiaries, its long-standing relationships with private and cooperative supermarkets and food services customers including multinational fast food chains, we believe this partnership sets Nathan's Famous on a fast track for growth in the Gulf Region.

"We are very excited to be partnering with Nathan's Famous as their distributor for the region," states Lindsay Wakefield, commercial director Mezzan Holding. "With Nathan's strong heritage in the USA and Mezzan's manufacturing, marketing and distribution footprint in the region, this partnership will allow Middle East consumers to enjoy the flavor of New York locally. Mezzan's expertise in the region will ensure the hot dog range available locally is 100% Halal to suit our local consumer needs."

To learn more about Nathan's Famous, visit www.nathansfamous.com

MEDIA CONTACT
Kate Laird
Trevelino/Keller
404.214.0722 x.125
klaird@trevelinokeller.com

About Nathan's Famous

Nathan's is a Russell 2000 Company that currently distributes its products in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and 11 foreign countries through its restaurant system, foodservice sales programs and product licensing activities. Last year, over 700 million Nathan's Famous hot dogs were sold. Nathan's was ranked #22 on the Forbes 2014 list of the Best Small Companies in America and was listed as the Best Small Company in New York State in October 2013. For additional information about Nathan's, please visit our website at www.nathansfamous.com.

About Mezzan Group

– Operates in seven countries through 30 subsidiaries with more than 9,000 employees
– Distributes over 34,000 Stock Keeping Units (SKU), making it one of the largest operators in terms of SKUs, unit sales, market share and in terms of share of revenues of total consumer spending in consumer categories served by the company
– Active in various segments of the consumer staple industry supported by long-standing relationships with Johnson & Johnson, Olayan Kimberly-Clark, Reckitt Benckiser, General Mills, Arla Foods, Sara Lee and many other leading brands and manufacturers
– Serves over 120,000 meals a day in Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE through its catering business
– Has a total of 138650 square meters in food, beverage and FMCG manufacturing facilities in Kuwait, Qatar, UAE and Afghanistan
– Leverages long-standing relationships with private and cooperative supermarkets
– Vertically integrated into complementary business operations, including packaging, catering, contract services and logistics
– Food services customers include multinational fast food chains, airline catering services and large food services companies.

Mezzan Holding is a 70-year old company that was listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange in the second quarter of 2015. The company is headquartered in Kuwait with direct operational activities in Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, and Afghanistan.

Except for historical information contained in this news release, the matters discussed are forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended that involve risks and uncertainties. Words such as "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend", and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which are based on the current belief of the Company's management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company's management. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include but are not limited to: the status of our licensing and supply agreements, including the impact of our supply agreement for hot dogs with John Morrell & Co.; the impact of the recent COVID-19 outbreak; the impact of our indebtedness, including the effect on our ability to fund working capital, operations and make new investments; economic; weather (including the impact on the supply of cattle and the impact on sales at our restaurants particularly during the summer months), and change in the price of beef trimmings; our ability to pass on the cost of any price increases in beef and beef trimmings; legislative and business conditions; the collectability of receivables; changes in consumer tastes; the ability to attract franchisees; the impact of the minimum wage legislation on labor costs in New York State or other changes in labor laws, including regulations which could render a franchisor as a "joint employee" or the impact of our new union contracts; our ability to attract competent restaurant and managerial personnel; the enforceability of international franchising agreements; the future effects of any food borne illness, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, BSE and e coli; and the risk factors reported from time to time in the Company's SEC reports. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking statements.

Related Images:
Nathan's Famous Partners With UAE Based Mezzan Group to Manufacture Halal Hot Dogs.
https://www.newsfilecorp.com/redirect/xrVxSWY5

Mezzan will manufacture, sell and distribute to retail, restaurants and food service around the GCC.
https://www.newsfilecorp.com/redirect/7NJoTovp

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/61572

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

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

Captiva Verde Announces Esmeralda Agreement with Mexican Health Care Workers Union for up to USD$142 Million per Year of Annual Product Sales

Coquitlam, British Columbia, Jul 28, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Captiva Verde Land Corp. (CSE: PWR) (OTC: CPIVF) (the "Company" or "Captiva Verde"), is pleased to announce that further to its news release of October 2, 2019, where Captiva Verde has executed a share exchange agreement to acquire Salud Esmeralda de Mexico SA de CV, ("Esmeralda") where Esmeralda holds a comprehensive pharmaceutical license to sell, market and distribute an entire suite of 300+ pharmaceutical, health, wellness and veterinarian products which include all narcotic, psychoactive and non-psychoactive drugs listed under Groups I, II & III in Mexico, Esmeralda has today executed an agreement with the Chairman of both the 380,000 member Health Care Workers Union in Mexico and the broader 1.2 Million member Union Federation, whereby Esmeralda can expressly distribute and sell medicinal health and wellness products to the Union Federation on a direct basis, with payment from the Union.

The Amount outlined in the agreement is for up to 1.2 Million members per month at between MXN $160 to MXN $220 per month, (between MXN $2.3 Billion to MXN $3.2 Billion per year) or up to USD $142,000,000 per year of product sales. (based on 30 day MXN-USD of 22.3) Captiva Verde is 75% complete in constructing its brand new drug manufacturing facility in Mexico for preparation of manufacturing and sales to the Union Federation this coming November. Anticipated Gross Profit is 40%. The complete cost of the new building is USD $750,000.

The Share Exchange Agreement between Esmeralda and Captiva Verde calls for the exchange of 80 Million shares subject to a strict pooling Agreement. Jeff Ciachurski, the CEO of Captiva Verde will receive 22.4 Million of those shares in this agreement. The Share Exchange Agreement and its resolutions are currently waiting for the filing of a signature verification process from the Mexican Consulate in Vancouver. Covid19 had previously delayed this basic administrative function. Final approval is then subject to the Canadian Securities Exchange once the Mexican Consulate has verified the Canadian resolutions including the corporate documents of Captiva Verde.

The exact wording in the Share Exchange Agreement reads:
https://tinyurl.com/yxvsvmdj

Jeff Ciachurski, the CEO of Captiva Verde, states: "This is an extremely significant milestone in the history of the Company. Without question, this agreement transforms Captiva Verde as a player in the legal health and wellness business, as we execute this function to one unified buyer, avoiding middlemen, agents, dealers and brokers, offering Mexican Union Members significant cost savings that are not available in the wholesale or retail market."

On Behalf of the Board of Directors
"Jeff Ciachurski"
Jeffrey Ciachurski
Chief Executive Officer and Director
Cell: (949) 903-5906
www.captivaverdecorp.com
E-mail: westernwind@shaw.ca

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/60586

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

Growing Food Crisis in Asia Calls for More Regional “Farm-to-Fork Cooperation & Collaboration” Says CropLife Asia

SINGAPORE, Jul 15, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – In the wake of the United Nations (UN) release of its 2020 State of Food Security & Nutrition in the World, CropLife Asia has issued a renewed call for the region's food value chain stakeholders to work together to better ensure a safe and nutritious food supply. Contained in the report is further evidence that hunger, malnutrition and obesity continue to plague a growing number of people in Asia and around the world.

Specifically, the UN research concluded that almost 690 million globally went hungry last year. While this figure reflects a smaller number compared to the 2018 estimate due to critical data updates, it represents an overall increase of nearly 60 million people over the past five years and signals a slow but steady rise in worldwide chronic hunger since 2014. Meanwhile, Asia continues to maintain a troubling distinction: it is home to the greatest number of hungry as well as undernourished people.

In another policy brief released by the UN last month, The Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition, serious concerns were also raised regarding the effect COVID-19 is having globally on the most vulnerable parts of society already experiencing hunger and malnutrition.

"Sadly, another year has produced another UN report confirming that the troubling food crisis trends in Asia and around the world continue," said Dr. Siang Hee Tan, CropLife Asia Executive Director. "Ensuring an ample supply of affordable and nutritious food reaches those who need it most is not a government, civil society or private sector responsibility – it's all our responsibility.

"From farm to fork, it's high time Asia's food value chain stakeholders worked together to deliver greater cooperation and collaboration in addressing these troubling trends and Asia's growing food crisis. We can do better, and we must do better."

Feeding our growing global population is a shared responsibility, and plant science continues to play a crucial role. Biotech crops are developed with improved traits such as increased yield, better resistance to pests and/or improved nutrition, among others. These traits are crucial tools that enable farmers to meet global challenges such as food insecurity.

Meanwhile, farmers continue to rely on crop protection products to produce more food on less land and raise productivity per hectare. Without crop protection products, 40 percent of global rice and maize harvests could be lost every year and losses for fruits and vegetables could be as high as 50-90 percent.

About CropLife Asia

CropLife Asia is a non-profit society and the regional organization of CropLife International, the voice of the global plant science industry. We advocate a safe, secure food supply, and our vision is food security enabled by innovative agriculture. CropLife Asia supports the work of 15 member associations across the continent and is led by six member companies at the forefront of crop protection, seeds and/or biotechnology research and development. For more information, visit us at www.croplifeasia.org.

For more information please contact:
Duke Hipp
Director, Public Affairs
CropLife Asia
Tel: +65 6221 1615
duke.hipp@croplifeasia.org

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

Growing Food Crisis in Asia Calls for More Regional “Farm-to-Fork Cooperation & Collaboration” Says CropLife Asia

SINGAPORE, Jul 14, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – In the wake of the United Nations (UN) release of its 2020 State of Food Security & Nutrition in the World, CropLife Asia has issued a renewed call for the region's food value chain stakeholders to work together to better ensure a safe and nutritious food supply. Contained in the report is further evidence that hunger, malnutrition and obesity continue to plague a growing number of people in Asia and around the world.

Specifically, the UN research concluded that almost 690 million globally went hungry last year. While this figure reflects a smaller number compared to the 2018 estimate due to critical data updates, it represents an overall increase of nearly 60 million people over the past five years and signals a slow but steady rise in worldwide chronic hunger since 2014. Meanwhile, Asia continues to maintain a troubling distinction: it is home to the greatest number of hungry as well as undernourished people.

In another policy brief released by the UN last month, The Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition, serious concerns were also raised regarding the effect COVID-19 is having globally on the most vulnerable parts of society already experiencing hunger and malnutrition.

"Sadly, another year has produced another UN report confirming that the troubling food crisis trends in Asia and around the world continue," said Dr. Siang Hee Tan, CropLife Asia Executive Director. "Ensuring an ample supply of affordable and nutritious food reaches those who need it most is not a government, civil society or private sector responsibility – it's all our responsibility.

"From farm to fork, it's high time Asia's food value chain stakeholders worked together to deliver greater cooperation and collaboration in addressing these troubling trends and Asia's growing food crisis. We can do better, and we must do better."

Feeding our growing global population is a shared responsibility, and plant science continues to play a crucial role. Biotech crops are developed with improved traits such as increased yield, better resistance to pests and/or improved nutrition, among others. These traits are crucial tools that enable farmers to meet global challenges such as food insecurity.

Meanwhile, farmers continue to rely on crop protection products to produce more food on less land and raise productivity per hectare. Without crop protection products, 40 percent of global rice and maize harvests could be lost every year and losses for fruits and vegetables could be as high as 50-90 percent.

About CropLife Asia

CropLife Asia is a non-profit society and the regional organization of CropLife International, the voice of the global plant science industry. We advocate a safe, secure food supply, and our vision is food security enabled by innovative agriculture. CropLife Asia supports the work of 15 member associations across the continent and is led by six member companies at the forefront of crop protection, seeds and/or biotechnology research and development. For more information, visit us at www.croplifeasia.org.

For more information please contact:
Duke Hipp
Director, Public Affairs
CropLife Asia
Tel: +65 6221 1615
duke.hipp@croplifeasia.org

About CropLife Asia

CropLife Asia is a non-profit society and the regional organization of CropLife International, the voice of the global plant science industry. We advocate a safe, secure food supply, and our vision is food security enabled by innovative agriculture. CropLife Asia supports the work of 15 member associations across the continent and is led by eight member companies at the forefront of crop protection, seeds and/or biotechnology research and development. For more information, visit us at http://www.croplifeasia.org.

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

Bega Cheese selects Software AG to provide IoT dairy supply chain solution

SINGAPORE, Jul 13, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Software AG today announced it has been selected by Bega Cheese to provide its Cumulocity IoT solution to Bega Cheese to launch a new IoT service linking the company's farmer suppliers, milk transport and storage, and processing facilities.

The deal will see Software AG providing Bega Cheese with IoT solutions to provide real time data on milk production at farmer suppliers including volumes, temperature, quality composition, and transport conditions, to gain efficiencies in pickup and delivery frequency to reduce costs and improve traceability.

According to Adel Salman, GM Supply Chain at Bega Cheese, the company knew that IoT could be an excellent solution, especially with the use of real-time data for both inbound and outbound activities in the company's supply chain.

"What we didn't have was experience in setting up IoT projects, so we started looking around for a partner that could provide us with IoT expertise, resources, industry contacts and help with government backing," said Salman.

"Swinburne University of Technology with its Internet of Things Lab and Industry 4.0 initiatives as well as its research partnership with Software AG was the perfect collaborator for us. Swinburne University listened to what we needed to achieve and together with Software AG, developed an IoT strategy with a set of solutions that met our needs. The university has also been instrumental in helping us to successfully apply for a research grant from the federal government's Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P)," added Salman.

Tony Drewitt, Head of IoT ANZ, Software AG, said: "We're excited to have this opportunity to work with Bega Cheese, one of Australia's largest dairy producers. The work Bega Cheese is doing in the milk supply chain area is revolutionary. With Cumulocity, Bega Cheese will have real-time data and insights which will allow it to enhance its supply chain productivity and competitiveness with just-in-time milk pickup and processing requirements on a large scale."

The scope of the project will include:
– a novel low-cost milk quality sensor enabled for IoT
– an IoT 'live' Supply Chain Monitoring system for continuous real-time monitoring of milk supply quantity and quality, farm conditions (i.e. humidity and temperature) affecting milk production, and milk pickup events across the supply chain
– a Dynamic Pickup Scheduling and Monitoring tool that utilises sensor data reporting milk supply change events to automatically maintain optimal pickup schedules, and pickup events to monitor schedule and process adherence
– a predictive machine learning-based Highly Accurate Forecasting tool for milk quality and quantity that exploits live and long-term historical data from sensors across the supply chain
– a Farmer App that provides milk forecasting together with milk quality and pickup alerts

Swinburne University will also develop and build unique new IoT sensors specifically for Bega Cheese.

"We're excited to see the benefits that IoT can bring to our company. By working with Swinburne University and Software AG, we hope to be able to increase our growth across higher-value premium products thus enhancing the competitiveness for both Bega and our suppliers," said Salman.

"We also aim to increase the company's supply chain sustainability by reducing milk wastage and fuel consumption of our milk transport partners."

The project is expected to run for a period of 12 to 18 months.

About Software AG

Software AG reimagines integration, sparks business transformation and enables fast innovation on the Internet of Things so you can pioneer differentiating business models. We give you the freedom to connect and integrate any technology from app to edge. We help you free data from silos so it's shareable, usable and powerful – enabling you to make the best decisions and unlock entirely new possibilities for growth. Visit our site to learn more Software AG's Cumulocity IoT and webMethods Integration Platform solutions. Learn more about Software AG at www.softwareag.com. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Bega Cheese

Bega Cheese is an Australian diversified food company and one of the largest dairy producers in the country. It was originally founded as a dairy cooperative in 1899 with a number of its shares still held by Bega's farmer-suppliers. Headquartered in Bega, and with manufacturing sites in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, over half of Bega Cheese's revenue (as of 2019) comes from its spreads, dairy consumer packaged goods and other grocery products.

Media Contact
Michelle Bong
PRecious Communications
M: +61 422 966 013
E: michelle@preciouscomms.com

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

Captiva Verde Land Corp Announces Solargram Farms Corporation Receives Health Canada Standard Cultivation Cannabis License for Renauds Mills, New Brunswick

Coquitlam, British Columbia, Jun 30, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Captiva Verde Land Corp. (CSE: PWR) (the "Company") is extremely pleased to announce that Solargram Farms Corporation ("Solargram"), a Canadian controlled private corporation, having corporate offices in Moncton, NB has officially received its Standard Cultivation Cannabis License from Health Canada. The license was issued in accordance with the Canadian Cannabis Act and Cannabis Regulations. 100% of the Solargrams shares are held in an escrow account ready to be transferred to Captiva Verde in exchange for 35 Million Captiva shares subject to a tight pooling agreement, subject to Health Canada approving the application by all the Captiva Verde officers and directors to pass a security clearance and CSE approval.

Under this Health Canada License, Solargram is now authorized at its site location to conduct the activities listed below:

– From its indoor-area special purpose, state of the art Greenhouse facility: cultivation, propagating, testing, harvesting, and selling cannabis,
– From its custom designed, massive outdoor farm grow area: cultivation, propagation, and harvesting cannabis.

It has taken Solargram eighteen (18) months to have achieved this major milestone while recently completing final installation of its New Brunswick 5.6 million square feet grow infrastructure build out located in Renauds Mills, New Brunswick in anticipation of receiving its Standard Cannabis Cultivation License.

The CEO of Captiva Verde Jeff Ciachurski states: "With this exciting news release I declare my intention to purchase 500,000 additional shares of Captive Verde on the open market and as CEO of Greenbriar Capital Corp (which already owns 10.7 million shares of Captiva Verde) declares its intention to seek Toronto Venture Exchange approval to purchase an addition 3 million shares of Captiva Verde on the open market.

Renauds Mills Site Infrastructure Buildout Results

Over the last six months through the best winter and spring conditions in the area in over a decade, the extremely dedicated and focused Solargram team led by Len Wood, Executive Vice President Captiva Verde and Vice President Solargram Farms, and Marc LeBlanc, President Solargram Farms, have amazingly achieved:

– Installation of over 8,000 feet of security perimeter fencing over approximately 50 acres,
– Implementation of one of Canada's top robust, lowest-cost outdoor farm grown cannabis cultivation facilities having significant, highly cost efficient, infrastructure assets,
– Purchasing and integrating an approximate 130 land acres package together with an onsite six million gallon water holding pond as well as high capacity water wells to self-serve our planned cannabis outdoor grow farm,
– Purchasing, renovating, and repurposing three onsite buildings totalling over 36,000 square feet, allowing for vertically integrated seed-to-sale, onsite propagating mothers and clones, de-bucking, milling, drying, and extraction operation capabilities for 2020 and beyond. Outdoor farm cannabis crop planting now underway to produce an expected year one 10,000+ kg's of dried cannabis over 25 acres (1,100,000 square feet) with combination hoop house crop coverage including specific designed additional micro climate grow areas to achieve for increased crop protection and maximization of cannabis grow cultivation yield.
– Site infrastructure buildout was fully funded, completed on time, and was completed 65% under original capital budget. We remain completely debt free, and are now funded for our 2020 grow season.

Len Wood states, "Marc and I wish to congratulate all of our team members for their immense effort and dedication in aiding Solargram to achieve this amazing Health Canada licensing milestone. We have truly created an operation that is built for success based on sound business practices including fiscal responsibility as well as planned positive sustainable operating cash-flows, which is a real business. We wish to thank all of our loyal stakeholders that have continued to support our vision while understanding our mission to create a unique Canadian Licenced Producer cannabis market leader that will show and demonstrate the business model required to produce sustainable positive annual cash flow profits, while providing enhanced returns for our shareholders."

Captiva Verde is proud that the company has now positioned Solargram's world class team of experienced operators and growers with a financially debt-free, fully developed set of land assets, growing assets, buildings, proprietary IP and technological expertise to successfully run and operate significantly planned, vertically integrated, cannabis outdoor grow farm land acreages at a planned and budgeted ultra-low sub $0.25 production grow cost per gram. Outdoor grow is a major market disruptor and differentiator and this will allow Solargram to sell its planned high cannabinoid full spectrum cannabis oil products at prices that are significantly below its competitors cost of production as well as below black market pricing. Outdoor is a game changer and will allow our company to become an effective leader in this market.

Solargram has a five year planned outdoor farm grown production capacity in excess of 130 farm acres at the Renaud Mills New Brunswick outdoor grow site alone representing over 65,000 kg's of dried cannabis targeted for end product full spectrum cannabis oil (THC, THCV, CBD, CBG, CBD-THC) concentrate for export as well as for end product, best in class unique cannabis and edible products.

According to The Guardian less than 10% of Canada's current legal cannabis products are derived from outdoor operations. Sun grown outdoor plants have the lowest cost with consistent high yields and potency, providing consumers with an opportunity to choose from a selection of natural and healthier products than what the market currently offers. Publicly released results from three (3) Canadian outdoor licensed grow facilities in 2019 reported cash costs of between eight (8) cents to twenty-four (24) cents per gram. The new successful companies like Solargram, can provide both a superior product and a price point, inclusive of taxes, that is well below the black market rates, which the latter currently outperforms the legal market at a rate of more than three to one.

Solargram embraces the experiences of long time growing veterans, scientist and proven business leaders whose collective experience together, puts cannabis where its intention is most valued, to the trusted consumer. Cannabis is an evolutionary business within a revolutionary change of politics. The torch is being handed back to veteran growers, scientist and proven business leaders who understand the original intent of legalization, which is to have the lowest cost, first in class products available to everyone.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors
"Jeff Ciachurski"
Jeffrey Ciachurski
Chief Executive Officer and Director
Cell: (949) 903-5906
E-mail: westernwind@shaw.ca

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

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

Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates Say They Want Australian Ban on Liquid Nicotine Aborted, Not Delayed

BANGKOK, Jun 29, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Tobacco harm reduction advocates across Asia-Pacific called on the Parliament of Australia to abort, not delay, the planned ban on imports of liquid nicotine for vaping to provide smokers with alternatives to combustible cigarettes. Factasia, a non-profit regional tobacco harm reduction consumer advocacy, said e-cigarettes or vapes, along with other smoke-free nicotine products such as heat-not-burn tobacco products and snus, have the ability to significantly reduce the health risks of millions of Australian smokers.

"This is a technology that needs to be regulated, not restricted and banned. Adult consumers should be able to access a choice of regulated devices and liquids, including those containing nicotine. Underage use should be effectively and comprehensively banned," Factasia founder Heneage Mitchell said in separate letters sent to Australia's members of parliament.

Mitchell made the statement even as Health Minister Greg Hunt decided to postpone the ban on imports of liquid nicotine by six months amid opposition from vapers, consumer groups, tobacco harm reduction experts and even members of Parliament. This means that the ban will now be delayed to 1 January 2021 from the original plan of 1 July 2020.

Mitchell said MPs should instead push for the regulation of e-cigarettes and other smoke-free nicotine products that can substantially reduce the risks suffered by smokers from the tar – the byproduct of smoke.

"Consumers need to be truthfully and fully informed of the life-saving potential of vaping and granted access to a choice of regulated harm-reduced nicotine products which, at the moment, in Australia, they are not," Mitchell said.

"To be clear, there has never been a recorded death from vaping-regulated nicotine products since the introduction of the e-cigarette in 2001. But over the same period of time, more than 130 million smokers worldwide have died from tobacco-related illnesses and disease. They include many hundreds of thousands of our Australian brothers and sisters," he said.

Ines Hage Nebyl from the Office of Tim Wilson MP acknowledged the receipt of the letter from Factasia and assured that Wilson remains a well-established supporter of allowing people to vape.

"In the last Parliament, he was part of an inquiry into the health impacts and regulation of vaping. The committee opposed legalisation and regulation. Tim was part of a dissenting report arguing the law should change as a regulated product. That was his view then. That is his view now. Tim's views have not changed; he wants people off tobacco. Further to this, Tim has expressed his views to the minister on the recent action, and will continue to do so," Nebyl said.

Wilson is among the politicians who opposed the ban on vaping, which they felt would encourage vapers to return to smoking. Sydney Morning Herald reported that 28 Coalition MPs and senators signed a petition opposing the ban on the importation of vaping products containing nicotine.

In a statement on 26 June 2020, Hunt said the delayed implementation of the ban aimed to help the group of people who have been using e-cigarettes with nicotine as a means to ending their cigarette smoking.

"In order to assist this group in continuing to end that addiction, we will therefore provide further time for implementation of the change by establishing a streamlined process for patients obtaining prescriptions through their GP," the minister said.

Tobacco harm reduction advocates said Hunt's statement provided them an opportunity to advocate for legalization and regulation of nicotine vaping in Australia, which has nearly 500,000 vapers, according to some estimates.

Mitchell said Hunt should review scientific evidence showing that vaping is 95 percent safer than smoking, as shown in the evidence review carried out by Public Health England, and is regarded as the most effective method of smoking cessation available to smokers by a vast number of researchers, medical professionals, genuine tobacco control experts and governments who looked at the evidence, including the U.K., the EU, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, the U.S., and recently, Hong Kong.

"The countries listed above continue to see historic declines in the number of citizens smoking as they switch to these far less harmful technologies," he said.

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) said it is time for MPs to reject the ban.

"In Australia, 21,000 citizens die every year from smoking-related disease. We feel that Australians who have made the informed choice to switch to alternative nicotine consumption, such as e-cigarettes, need to be heard by their elected representatives," said CAPHRA Executive Coordinator Nancy Loucas.

Loucas noted that in neighboring New Zealand, the Ministry of Health concluded that the effects that punitive regulation would have on the people who had chosen to move away from combustible cigarettes would be negative.

Other groups have also expressed their opposition to the ban, including the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association (ATHRA), the Progressive Public Health Alliance (PPHA), Aotearoa Vape Community Advocacy (AVCA) and Legalise Vaping Australia (LVA).

About Factasia

factasia.org is an independent, not-for-profit, consumer-oriented advocate for rational debate about – and sensible regulation of – the rights of adult citizens throughout the Asia-Pacific region to choose to use tobacco or other nicotine-related products.

About CAPHRA

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) is an alliance of consumer organizations from Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand that aims to educate, advocate and represent the right of adult alternative nicotine consumers to access and use of products that reduce harm from tobacco use.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jena Fetalino, JFPRC jena@jfprc.com, +639178150324

Push for Regulation

MPs should instead push for the regulation of e-cigarettes and other smoke-free nicotine products that can substantially reduce the risks suffered by smokers from the tar – the byproduct of smoke.

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