Do you know what the footprint is of the restaurant you support? Launched last year as a first for South Africa, the Eat Out Woolworths Sustainability Award acknowledges a restaurant that brings its customers seasonal, local and responsibly produced food. “We launched the award to acknowledge the inspiring work that is already being done in the hospitality sector, and to … [Read more...]
What does Greenpeace’s tuna triumph mean for our oceans?
It took two years of relentless campaigning and nearly 700,000 concerned people from around the world, but Greenpeace have finally convinced the world’s largest tuna company to clean up its act! Tuna giant Thai Union, which owns brands such as John West, Chicken of the Sea, Petit Navire, Mareblu, and Sealect, has committed to a series of changes to its business that will … [Read more...]
Sign the declaration of interdependence
The Declaration of Interdependence expresses our values as an organization. It was written for the 1992 UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. This we know We are the earth, through the plants and animals that nourish us. We are the rains and the oceans that flow through our veins. We are the breath of the forests of the land, and the plants of the sea. We are human … [Read more...]
Becoming a Change Maker
Finding your niche as a change maker can be challenging. Start this process by getting clear about your strengths, passions and skills. Becoming a change maker is usually a difficult personal journey to undertake. Mostly, the process unfolds over several phases: first, there is an increasingly painful awareness of the worsening state of the world; second, is the realisation … [Read more...]
Green bank safeguarding the future
What is our green bank and valued partner up to in their quest to "futureproof society?" Did you know the Nedbank Fair Share 2030 programme includes supporting farmers, housing, renewable energy, resilient communities, education, water infrastructure, food security, sustainable agriculture and much more. With an eagle eye on greenhouse gas emissions they have been carbon … [Read more...]
SA university graduate leads the pack at Green Talents Awards
A South African graduate and four other young African scientists from Zimbabwe, Ghana, Ethiopia and Togo are among 25 academic individuals to receive prestigious awards for their research at this year’s Green Talent Awards. Held under the patronage of the German Research Minister Professor Johanna Wanka, the awards are aimed at recognising young talented researchers for the … [Read more...]
SA farmers must embrace the new, water-constrained normal
As the impact of an extended period of drought across much of South Africa and the Southern African Region continues to be felt, the realisation is setting in amongst both commercial and small-scale farmers that a water-constrained environment is no longer a short-term challenge; but could in fact become their new normal. While this realisation is also dawning amongst … [Read more...]
Setting the bar for sustainability in hospitality
Cornell University’s Center for Hospitality Research, in collaboration with 11 international hotel companies, last week released the latest set of benchmarks measuring the sustainability level of a hotel. The publication of the index is part of an ongoing project to empower hotel owners, operators and buyers to check and understand water and electrity usage and carbon … [Read more...]
Moving the world from sustainability to regenerative design
Communication is the tool we use to navigate change in this perishable, impermanent world. We talk about what’s happening and what’s coming. We use words to rally and activate citizens; to inform and educate people; to alleviate or aggravate fears, depending on our intentions. Humans use language to make sense of things — even those things that are happening at a scale beyond … [Read more...]
SA’s first food-grade PET recycler nominated as award finalist
Presented by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO), the WorldStar Awards are the pre-eminent international awards in the packaging sector. These Awards aim to showcase the continual advancement of the global packaging industry, and create a standard for international packaging excellence. The first recycler of food grade PET (polyethylene terephthalate) in South Africa, … [Read more...]
Investor interest in sustainability performance on the rise
Long relegated as a fringe issue on the corporate agenda, sustainability is fast becoming a rising concern among investors and shareholders, said business heads from leading Singapore companies on Wednesday. Speaking at a panel discussion on sustainability and climate change hosted by the Singapore Exchange, representatives from Singapore-listed companies DBS Bank, City … [Read more...]
34 indigenous crops promoting health and feeding the world
Food Tank has compiled a list of indigenous fruits, vegetables, and grains from many regions that are nutritious, delicious, and contribute to sustainable livelihoods in rural communities across the globe. Every day, plant species across the globe are disappearing. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that approximately 75 percent of the Earth’s plant … [Read more...]
Is your favourite seafood supplier selling you sustainable fish?
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, in 2014 the planet’s population – more than 7 billion at the time – each ate 19kg of seafood on average. In 1960, the number was only 10kg and the population was only 3 billion! According to the 2015 WWF-SASSI Retailer/Supplier Participation Report, wild-capture fisheries have been unable to meet this exponential growth … [Read more...]
