Global food supply chain supply risks increasing

food

Washington DC - As the conflict in Ukraine continues to escalate, the impacts on sustainable development become more pronounced and the vulnerabilities in global food supply chains increase. Almost half of the world’s calorie intake is derived from essential crops, such as maize, rice and wheat. According to World Bank analysis,

NZ beer industry has turned on its head – report

beer

Tāmaki Makaurau - New Zealand’s beer industry has completely changed over the past 65 years. In the early 1900s, New Zealand’s beer industry was relatively straightforward, you either drank ales, ports, or stouts supplied by one of two breweries. Fast forward to 2022 and the beer industry is booming, economic researcher

Office designs improving since covid

offices

Te Whanganui-a-Tara - Companies are revolutionising the way their offices are designed to tempt staff back into the office after the covid pandemic. Managers around the world are looking at how new technologies can make offices greener by using power more efficiently. New build office development activity is ramping up in

Are Kiwis happier in 2022?

happy?

Te Whanganui-a-Tara - The latest data from shows New Zealanders’ overall mental wellbeing has declined since 2018, Stats NZ says. Most New Zealanders remained satisfied with their lives as a whole in 2021, with a mean overall life satisfaction rating of 7.7 out of 10, the same as in 2018. However, the

Wellington, Auckland make biggest falls in the world

Auckland

London - Wellington and Auckland have made the biggest falls on the Economic Intelligence Unity’s annual liveability index. Last year, Auckland was ranked #1 city in the world. The EIU said Auckland rose to the top of the rankings owing to its successful approach in containing the covid pandemic, which allowed

Covid pandemic helping accelerate switch to agri-technology

Christchurch - The covid pandemic, and some empty supermarket shelves at various points of lockdown, has raised the issue of food supply moving forward. Some tech firms are turning to technology to help increase food production. Globally, the area of agricultural land is shrinking, and the world's population and demand for food

NZ economy can benefit from producing plant-based meat

Christchurch - New Zealand’s economy could benefit substantially if it listens to billionaire Bill Gates’ plea to countries, to shift away from environmentally destructive animal agriculture and toward plant-based meat. Livestock numbers will ultimately need to reduce over time if New Zealand is to meet its climate change targets. But fortunately, productivity

Protecting and growing the tiny takahē population

Christchurch - Department of Conservation’s takahē recovery programme is seeing some significant wins. Annual growth rates are at least 10 percent a year, as genetic management is reducing the level of inbreeding and establishing further wild sites. But DoC staff we still have a lot of mahi (work) to do before they