Great chocolate, but only a 25% chance at Lindt that the palm oil came from certified supplies - a better than average chance, though
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Some of the largest retailers in Britain, Sweden and Switzerland are leading the pack when it comes to saving tropical forests by using sustainable palm oil, according to a new survey by Gland-based environmental organization the WWF.
Migros and Coop in Switzerland scored 9, the highest possible number on the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) scorecard, as did Britain’s Boots, Walmart, Marks & Spencers, the Co-operative Group, the Body Shop and Waitroses, and Sweden’s Axfood, with the UK and Sweden having several companies that scored 8.
Palm oil is an issue because 80 percent of its comes from tropical forests in Indonesia and Malaysia, where huge growth in global demand is causing the destruction of irreplaceable forests as they are replaced by palm plantations, often planted in unsuitable areas, says the WWF. The issue is not palm oil itself, says the WWF, but rather “how and where palm oil is produced”.
“Palm oil is a major global commodity—a highly versatile vegetable oil derived from very productive oil palm trees grown only in the tropics. And it is here to stay—consumption is increasing globally and is set to grow from about 50 million tonnes in 2011 to at least 77 million tonnes in 2050.” It is used in foods such as chocolate, ice cream and margarine as well as in cosmetics. Progress is being made, says WWF Switzerland, but much remains to be done, with certified palm oil accounting for just over 8 percent of world palm oil consumption.
Swiss company Nestlé made a turnaround in the past two years, WWF Switzerland says, reaching 8 points on the scorecard after mediocre results two years ago (see GenevaLunch, May 2010 on protests at the company’s annual general meeting). It has since joined RSPO and its purchases of certified palm oil are now 25 to 50 percent of its total needs, “but much remains yet to be done”, says the Swiss arm of WWF.
Lindt & Sprüngli have also made progress, but reached only 7 points, with certified palm oil only 25 percent of total purchases by the chocolate maker, based near Zurich.
The RSPO has nearly 650 regular and affiliate members, with another 77 “supply chain associates”.
Companies were assessed for only the second time (first: 2009) by WWF for the scorecard based on “their commitments to, and use of sustainable palm oil. As with the 2009 Scorecard, we evaluated company performance based on publicly available data (including websites and corporate sustainability reports, as well as the annual reports required by the RSPO from its members) in relation to the following four questions:
- Is the company a member of the RSPO and is annual reporting up to date?
- Does the company have a policy on sustainable palm oil—specifically a commitment to source 100 per cent RSPO-certified palm oil by 2015 or earlier?
- Is the company disclosing total volumes of palm oil used/bought?
- Is the company using any certified sustainable palm oil or buying any Book and Claim certificates? What proportion of the company’s total palm oil use/sales are RSPO-certified palm oil in 2010-2011 (irrespective of which supply chain option the company is using), and is the company disclosing volumes used?
Lidl and Aldi, the large discounters, did not supply information, the WWF notes.
The Palm oil scorecard 2011, with details about companies’ commitments and progress, is available in pdf format.
New Swiss varieties of soya, non-GM, being tested by federal research station staff
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Switzerland’s fight to maintain non-genetically modified (GM) crops in the face of a larger pool of world GM seeds has been given a boost by researchers at the ACW (Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil) federal research station. Two new hybrid seed varieties, Amandine and Falbala, are ready for market, the result of 15 years of guided natural selection, research and testing.
New naturally selected seeds take, on average, 15 years to be market-ready, with two new products ready each year.
The federal department of agriculture notes that while 81 percent of the world’s soya crops are now from genetically modified seeds, 30 years of natural selection of non-GM soya seeds at ACW is resulting in seeds that are well-suited to Swiss soil and climate conditions.
Amandine is notable for its improved flavour and Falbala for its high protein content.
GM soya has been developed on such a large scale because of the plant’s importance as a crop for humans. Wikipedia reports that “In 1997, about 8 percent of all soybeans cultivated for the commercial market in the United States were genetically modified. In 2010, the figure was 93 percent.”
The bean is 40 percent protein and 20 percent oil. It is self-sufficient in nitrogenous nutrients, although thermically very demanding, preferring hot temperatures (20-30C).
"Man engaged", nViso screenshot (click on images to view larger)
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – A Lausanne-based startup has made a technical breakthrough that will provide market researchers with a significant new tool to understand consumer reactions. The company, nViso, this week unveiled in Amsterdam facial imaging software “that is able to accurately detect and decode facial micro-expressions and eye movements,” the company says in a press release issued 8 June.
Fast-moving consumer goods companies in particular have been testing facial recognition technology in retail research settings, but the new software goes a step further, with “exact emotional intelligence gathered in real-time,” says Tim Llewellynn, a co-founder of nViso. The company nViso uses artificial intelligence and machine learning systems to decipher human emotions, providing what it says is a cost-effective and scalable alternative to brain imaging or medical equipment used in neuro-marketing.
The nViso product tracks over 143 different facial points to identify a range of features and relates them to models developed with facial databases, the company says—significantly, using only a standard webcam or similar video equipment:
“The technology is based on theoretical work by Dr Paul Ekman which demonstrates that universal emotions are precisely and sub-consciously revealed by minor changes in micro-expressions in the face. For instance, someone who is surprised commonly raises their eyebrows, opens their mouth and drops their lower jaw.
“The search for ways to capture and analyze consumer emotions has been a research priority for years. Ventures into neuro-marketing have been difficult to integrate into existing research frameworks for broader use. Up until today, it has been difficult to link the measurement of emotions with analytics in a scalable way that can be put into a daily business practice.”
The company was one of 28 that received funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation in 2009 as part of its push to encourage innovation in the wake of the global economic downturn. The start-up has been collaborating with researchers at the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) to develop software that “deduces” which part of a computer screen a person is looking at; the NCCR presented its progress at the world’s largest trade fair in Hannover in April 2011, with the tempting promise of combining this application with one that would measure emotions. Read more…
Room for improvement: new label will show which shower heads are hot water savers
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Habitat and Jardin, a popular consumer fair in Lausanne opens Saturday 12 March for 8 days, and one of its hottest stands promises to be run by the SuisseEnergie label programme, which is launching a new hot water saver label at the fair.
The label was developed by the federal government, working with retailer Coop’s DIY home shop, Brico Centre and can be used on products that meet newly defined standards for taps, shower heads and water savers.
Hot water accounts for 50 percent of home energy needs
The rationale behind the new label is simple: hot water needs in the past represented a far smaller proportion of household energy, 10 percent in 1970, well behind home heating energy requirements, but today hot water accounts for 50 percent of home energy needs.
Greater efficiency has been achieved in other energy-consuming areas, but the energy used to heat home water has increased.
Switzerland efforts to develop standards for energy-saving labels dates back to 2000, when the “Energy” label was introduced for hot water. Its greatest successes have come with etiquetteEnergie labels for home appliances, introduced in 2002, and later for cars and lightbulbs.
SuisseEnergie will have four sinks and taps on display as well as several shower heads to demonstrate how hot water can be saved using various solutions and systems: stand 110 in halle 1 at the fair.
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Consumers will need to look more closely at prices in Switzerland during the first three months of 2011, says the federal government, which 8 December is issuing guidelines for retailers and other product and service sellers affected by a change in the value-added tax rates. The rates rise 1 January 2011 but stores and service providers have three months to mark the new price. In the meantime, the TVA posted in old sales catalogues and price lists may differ from the one charged to the buyer. Sellers are required by law to note clearly that the tax rate charged may differ from the one listed.
The new rates:
- regular TVA goes from 7.6 to 8 percent, a 0.4 percent increase
- the reduced rate for certain products goes from 2.4 to 2.5 percent, up 0.1 percent
- the special rate for hospitality services, mainly hotels, goes up from 3.6 to 3.8 percent, a 0.2 percent increase.
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch.com) – Swiss consumption of fish has risen 25 percent in just three years, to 9.1 kg per inhabitant per year, reports the WWF Switzerland.
The environmental group says it is concerned about the impact on the populations of ocean fish, since 95 percent of the fish is imported and more than 30 percent is farmed. Fish farming relies on fish flour and oil to feed the fish, so it contributes to more rapid emptying of the oceans, according to the WWF.
The most popular fish remains tuna, but the amount of shrimp consumed in the past three years has doubled.
The group has just re-issued its Guide to Buying Fish and Seafood and recommends, to discourage overfishing, that consumers:
- buy only fish with the MSC label (Marine Stewardship Council),
- buy only bio label farmed fish and
- as often as possible buy local, native freshwater fish.
The guide, in French (pdf), is also available by contacting service-info@wwf.ch or by phone: +41 21 966 7373. It is also available as an iPhone app.
Neuchatel, Switzerland (GenevaLunch.com) – Swiss consumers are paying one-third more for food than their EU counterparts, and as much as twice the price for meat, new federal statistics show.
The difference has increased in the past two years, thanks in large part to a strong franc as the euro has weakened.
Meat prices showed a marked difference because of production costs in Switzerland and because imports are strictly limited. The Swiss eat, on average, 53.45 kg of meat a year.
Cooking oil, fish, canned and dried goods all show price differences above the average.
Links to other sites: Swiss meat, TSR
Val d'Anniviers hydroelectric power plant
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Switzerland’s independent electricity authority, the EICom, said Monday 14 June that an 8 percent price hike announced by Swissgrid in May is unjustified.
The rates hike is for 2011 and would have a direct impact on consumer prices, EICom notes.
EICom has told Swissgrid that the new rates cannot be implemented for now, while it carries out a more extensive review.
Swissgrid is the national electricity carrier whose members are Swiss electricity companies.
The Japanese yen eased slightly on currency markets after hitting a high of JPY88.24 against the US dollar in New York trading 28 September. Japanese central bank governor Hirohisa Fujii said the bank may intervene to push the yen down. The yen declined against all major Asian currencies. Japan’s export-dependent economy favours a weaker yen. The yen has strengthened about 16 percent this year, making Japan’s exports more expensive. But the new Japanese government has said that a stronger yen favours Japanese consumers by making imports cheaper.
India’s consumers have the world’s biggest sweet tooth, and are struggling with rising prices for sugar and a dramatic drop in domestic production. For 60 million Indians, sugary milky tea is the main source of carbohydrates. Poor rains in June in India and excess rains in Brazil contributed to the world sugar shortfall, estimated at nine million tonnes, in 2009. It is the second year running that demand outstrips supply. Domestic production in India dropped 43 percent to 15 million tonnes, reports Bloomberg.
The price of refined, white sugar increased four percent in trading 10 September on speculation that India, Indonesia and Pakistan were to import more sugar. The world price of sugar almost doubled in 2009. BBC, Bloomberg, Economic Times, India
Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The Swiss are the largest consumers of paper goods in Europe, consuming 21 kilos of cleaning and hygienic paper products per person in 2007, says the Swiss WWF. The ecology group’s evaluation of stores in Switzerland gave 9 out 10 stores a mark of “insufficient” in their attempts to use and promote recycled paper goods.
Electrical station, Geneva: hundreds of solar panels, Route de Verbois
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - A commission charged in mid-2008 with studying price increases, announced by suppliers at the time, has determined that electricity rates are 40% too high. It has told providers they must lower their rates by that much for 2009 and reimburse households and other end users.
Photo, route de Verbois, Geneva
Blame the economy: just as retailers are struggling to cope with falling sales in the US during this bleak period, more shoppers are becoming desperate and stealing, it appears, with police around the country saying shoplifting arrests are up 10-20% over 2007. The number is probably not a reflection of the true increase, says the New York Times, because many stores ban shoplifters rather than calling the police.
Bern, Switzerland (TSR, Fre) – The Swiss parliament Monday approved what it calls parallel imports in the interest of ending Switzerland’s position as an expensive island in the middle of Europe. Pharmaceutical products, whose prices are set by the government, will be an exception while a political solution to their pricing is found.
The US Federal Reserve will be considering 1,000 pages of new rules on credit cards this week, which should result in greater clarity on payment dates, late fees and other contentious issues that have made the US credit card industry the target of irate consumers. Reuters
Neuchatel, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Despite the economic news and fears of recession, Swiss retail sales have remained strong: figures for September 2008 show that even adjusted for inflation and the number of selling days in the month, sales were up 2.4% over the same period a year earlier.
Montreux, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – “Currently, we can actually prove that by buying from Africa, buying from the developing world, you’re having less of an impact on the environment than by buying local,” Patricia Francis told the 10th World Export Development Forum Wednesday, Francis, executive director of the International Trade Centre in Geneva, argues that the plethora of terms used to talk about sustainability issues is confusing consumers. [video interview]
