Philippe Weiler

Some important insights into the potential of digital services in #foodsystems SNV Catherine Le Côme With thanks to NSO - Netherlands Space Office Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken and many others. 👉https://lnkd.in/evB59w8C #GARBAL #GeoData #Digitalisation #Inclusivity

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Deforestation has a serious negative impact on biodiversity and climate change. As global deforestation continues to grow at an alarming rate, the European Union (EU) has implemented Regulation 2023/1115 or the European Union's Deforestation Regulation (#EUDR) ensuring that selected commodities entering or leaving the EU must be certified as not contributing to recent deforestation or forest degradation. Can the EUDR be a tool to make cocoa farming in Ghana more sustainable, fair, and innovative? Read the latest edition of The Netherlands Agricultural Network e-magazine on 'Impact of EU Deforestation Regulation Worldwide.' Don’t miss the article on 'Sustainable cocoa growing in Ghana: how can EUDR be an opportunity in a challenging sector?' #Agrospecial #EUDR #Deforestation

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Last week I spoke at the EBIC Summit 2024 in Brussels. We talk a lot about sustainability and food costs, assuming that food can only be more sustainable if it becomes more expensive. That's not a straightforward equation : agriculture has gotten incredibly efficient over time, so it's upon us to use modern technology to overcome the challenges of climate change and a growing world population. More than that, consumers are already paying more for food each year. If we ask consumers to pay more, we at least need to make it clear to them what this additional funds are being used for. Just hiking prices for loose promises won't cut it, and is exactly why most consumers don't consider sustainability an important purchasing factor.

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The Ebiil Society's Kiwa Initiative project is helping women by providing economic benefits from clam farming. As the clams reach a suitable size, they will then be sold for subsistence. More juvenile clams are now growing near the farms and the community are exploring potential opportunities with the #Palau government to expand their work. By focusing on the sustainable cultivation of clams, mariculture can help protect and restore marine ecosystems while providing economic and environmental benefits. #WomenFishers #ClamFarms 🌊🐚🌿 Read more: https://bit.ly/3KNZ1zJ European Union; Agence Française de Développement; Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada; Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade

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You absolutely must have this book if you are interested in #buildingwithbamboo #bamboo #engineerbamboo #nextgenerationbamboo

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Islands come in all shapes and sizes, and with different resources. But some commonalities bind them together, which will be explored at #SIDS4 next week. The purpose of SIDS4 is to “review SIDS’ sustainable development progress and propose a new decade of partnerships and solutions to supercharge their path to resilient prosperity.” #SIDS are the countries least responsible for #climatechange, but the ones that are most vulnerable to its negative impacts. Blue Planet Alliance (BPA) will be in attendance in Antigua to meet with as many island representatives as possible, to help them recognize the advantages of transitioning to 100% #renewableenergy, as well as to see that it is not impossible to ditch dirty #fossilfuels for #cleanenergy. Will you be there? #environmental #henkrogers #climatechange #climatechangesolutions #createchange #sustainable #ecofriendly #sustainability #zerowaste #sustainableliving 

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A great first 6 month of 2024 has just ended, soon time for a vaccation. I end with a panel at the Sustainable Foods Summit in Amsterdam - our focus on developing solutions that enables circular food systems are in focus. My highlights this first part of the year? 1. Panel at UNEA-6 on the 1st of March - UNEP general meeting where Ragn-Sells Group was invited by the EU comission as the business example on how to create water resiliance. 2. Panel when the EU precidency Belgium did host their water day in Leuven. Ragn-Sells solutions enabling todys wastewater treatment plants to become resource plants was in fous. 3. My key note at WTO (TESSD) on the 17th of June before the states/trade areas started their dialouge on how to adopt to a warmer planet with a focus on water management. You cand find my presentation from WTO homepage -https://lnkd.in/dMjPJ79U The coming 6 moths will have a focus on NDC:s from my side - how to influence the National Determined Contributions that the countries around the world must update and present at COP30 in 2025. The NDC:s must be updated based on the Global Stocktake decided at COP28 in Dubai. I also look forward to my new role in the steering committee for UNEP Global Partnership on Nutrient Management with a focus on how to better manage the nitrogen and phosphorus flows in the world. But first some time off..

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So often it isn’t either or. Rather it’s both, as below and as with agroforestry - see Chapter 10 of ‘Timber! How wood can help save the world from climate breakdown’ https://lnkd.in/ex6S9k93

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#join the #webinar around #regenerativeagriculture and #contactus or #ourexperts FoodChain ID to #learnmore about #regenerativeag #certification. #foodchainid #sustainability

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Great NYT opinion piece on the challenges facing our food systems. The author underestimate the potential for climate mitigation through large-scale implementatiion of solutions by farmers. Overall a great read especially like this extract: About three-quarters of all global agricultural land is vulnerable to substantial climate disruptions, NASA’s Jonas Jägermeyr says, “so mostly everywhere you look, things will change in one way or the other.” And that probably means the food you’re eating, too. “The good news is, we’ve seen this show before — we’ve faced crises before,” says Mr. Barrett. The examples of success he cites are probably familiar: Innovations to solve the challenges of the Dust Bowl in America and later the Green Revolution in Asia allowed hundreds of millions of people to avoid starvation and helped usher in the fastest escape from extreme poverty the world has ever experienced. Mr. Barrett sees plenty of promise on the horizon now, too: biofortified crops; new techniques to fix nitrogen from the air, limiting the use of fossil-fuel based fertilizer; resilient varieties, like flood-resistant rice, that are already transforming the paddies of South Asia. But there’s no magic-bullet solution, he says: We need a bundle of innovations and interventions.

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#circulareconomy #leavenoonebehind After an energizing week at #WCEF2024, the time has come to bid farewell to Brussels and return home. I'm heading back with suitcases brimming with insights and inspiration, ready to continue taking small, positive steps towards a #justtransition in Africa. Achieving this will require a combination of humility and courage from all of us, as we collaborate to promote and implement the principles of a circular economy that: 1. Eliminates waste 2. Maintains products in use at their highest societal value 3. Rejuvenates nature and resources 4. Ensures equal distribution of opportunities, income, and wealth across all global communities In isiXhosa, we say 'sibamba ngazo zombini - izandla zigcwele umbulelo,' a phrase that conveys deep appreciation and thanks to the World Circular Economy Forum WCEF and the Sitra team for orchestrating a flawless and impactful event. We eagerly anticipate #WCEF2025 in Brazil, where we hope to share tangible proof of global peace, diminished disaster risks, and a transformed global economy. Farewell, Belgium.

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#SystemChange #DeGrowth #Agriculture A degrowth perspective on agri-food systems sustainability 2023 Recorded session - 3rd Utrecht Degrowth Symposium at Utrecht University More links in comment box below https://lnkd.in/ebrM3A_3

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🚀 New report! "Integrating Biodiversity Concerns in Climate Change and Energy Policies: EU Initiatives and Synergies" highlights the links between biodiversity, climate change, and energy policies. Discover a game changer for environmental policy and the sustainability debate: https://ow.ly/C6Gi50RE2Gw 📚 #ClimateEnergyPolicies #EnvironmentalPolicy #ClimateAction #BiodiversityIntegration

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Earlier this year, my curiosity about Unity Effect 's Impact Garden Model led me to conversation and connection with Jannik Kaiser. I've found that the Impact Garden Model offers a more intuitive and grounded way of thinking about evaluation than your typical program logic model's boxes and arrows. With organizations in Hawai'i, I have found the regenerative ecosystem metaphor of the Model to be particularly resonant. I especially appreciate how the Model asks us to think expansively about what (and who) are resources and supporting conditions that feed and sustain the visible changes we seek. Curious to learn more? Check out the blog post or video linked below! (And thank you, Matteah Spencer Reppart, for supporting the introduction between Jannik and myself!)

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Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) had the pleasure of welcoming Marjan Trompetter, Chair of the Supervisory Board of Rabobank, a cooperative bank rooted in agriculture, serving 90% of all farmers in the Netherlands. Their website states that “As a cooperative that prioritises growing a better world for the generations to come, sustainability is integrated into all of Rabobank’s business operations and growth aspirations”. KFBG (formerly Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association) also has its roots in agriculture, helping more than 300,000 farmers with interest-free loans for pigsty construction, two to three sows as breeding stock, as well as farming training, beginning way back in 1956. In 1995, it was repurposed as a centre for nature conservation, holistic education and sustainable living, including regenerative agriculture. Rabobank’s Asia CEO Melody Wan and Asia Sustainability Lead Ellen Lam also joined the tour, where we discussed farming and the future of agriculture in Hong Kong – and of course sustainability. Hong Kong imports 98% of its food and farmland occupies less than 0.7% of the territory. There are some 4,000 farmers in Hong Kong, but with the exception of a few, these are parttime occupations, as focusing on food production alone does not make it possible to make a living. Agriculture is important for other reasons: it provides opportunities for leisure and recreation, connecting citizens with food production as many urbanites have no idea how food is being produced, but they are increasingly interested. Our agriculture courses, like apiary tours and beehive courses are in high demand; our coffee growing workshops are regularly sold out and our ‘harvesting and cooking together’ programmes are popular too. Farmland is also an important habitat for many animals, especially birds, as most land is farmed on a small scale and often organically. In our 2022 report “The Hidden Oases of Hong Kong: High Ecological Value Farmland in the Proposed Northern Metropolis”, we registered 153 species, showing the importance of this habitat; the report can be downloaded for free from www.kfbg.org KFBG is the only place in Hong Kong with productive tea plantations, and as tea is a key ingredient of the Chinese culture, we use this extensively in our agro-educational programmes. The future of farming in Hong Kong is different than the future of agriculture in the Netherlands, but hopefully small-scale farming methods, where most of the economic value is derived from lateral activities with a principal place for nature, will become more mainstream in the Netherlands as well. Our Rabobank guests (below with our own Tsz Lam Yip) enjoyed the day, particularly the visit to the tea plantations. Disclaimer: I grew up in the Netherlands as a farmer’s son, and of course, with Rabobank. #farming #nature #Netherlands #Hong Kong #tea production #coffee growing #sustainability

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𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐔 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 📣 NEW EPISODE - THE GRANT PODCAST: #117 Test facilities and EU R&D funding❗ Test and pilot plant facilities play a vital role in the green transition. Simply because before new technical solutions and innovation processes can be implemented in production and industry there is a need to understand in a safe isolated environment how they function in real life. The Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant is such a facility. The test plant is specialized within the bio-based and circular sectors. Hence, the facility plays a key role on testing and demonstrating a lot of the ground-breaking solutions within the food and agricultural sectors and in developing sustainable production methods to remove chemicals and other harmful ingredients from our daily life. Naturally, the plant is heavily involved in EU R&D funding. It is a core part of their financial foundation, but also the project involvement pushes the plant’s own R&D further forward. I invited European Project Manager, Tanja Meyer, from the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant into the virtual podcast studio for a talk about what they are doing at the plant and how they are working practically and strategically with EU funding. ❗Key take-aways 👉 Pilot plants are very popular organisations to join proposals 👉 And they are popular to visit! The project partners love to come around and see ‘the animal’ 👉  Because of the constant EU R&D project involvement, pilot plants are very professional project partners ❗ Direct link to episode:  https://lnkd.in/d5PvCdBu ❗ Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and check out The Grant universe: www.thegrant.eu/117  #funding #projects #pilotplants Marie Latour Kristjan Zemljic Gabriella Lovasz Filippo Gagliardi Rita Gil Mata, PhD. Georg Melzer-Venturi Agnes Zoller, PhD Yoram Bar-Zeev Svetlana Myagkova Daiana Huber Christina Achilleos Maria Daniela Angione Alessia Melasecche Germini Esen Kunt Dieter Brigitta Ilaria Rudisi Merete Mikkelsen Jeanett Bolther Katarzyna Kowalska Oscar Smulders Coline Perrin Prakriti Archambeau Isabel Burdallo, PhD    EuroCenter DK NCP Wallonie National Contact Points (NCPs) Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología, FECYT NCP Brussels your contact for Horizon Europe European Commission EU Science, Research and Innovation

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🌍🌱 Driving Resilience: Dutch Companies Tackling Climate Change Adaptation 🌱🌍 The climate crisis is at the forefront of many Dutch companies' agendas, as they actively work to reduce emissions. Yet, for many, adapting to climate change remains "uncharted territory," even though it plays a critical role in ensuring future business resilience. The new report by the Netherlands Red Cross, titled "Adapting to the Consequences of Climate Change: Touchpoints, Practical Tools, and Recommendations for Your Company," underscores this challenge. It provides invaluable insights and practical tools to help companies navigate this essential aspect of sustainability. A key takeaway? Embracing climate adaptation not only strengthens our businesses but also offers a pathway to support resilience efforts in the Global South. Let's lead the way in climate action and adaptation! 🌍💪 #ClimateAction #Sustainability #BusinessResilience #GlobalImpact #NetherlandsRedCross #ClimateAdaptation

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MIT CSHub provides more important analysis on accounting for lifecycle impacts. #concrete #epd #buildingmaterials #carbonuptake

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Great to listen to the discussion about building regenerative into short, medium and long term strategy at the #ReutersResponsibleBusiness event yesterday. The benefits of regenerative are clear, but what is absolutely critical to making regenerative practices a success are people. Without involving farmers as #equal partners and stakeholders, we won’t get anywhere. Michael Gidney, CEO of The Fairtrade Foundation, final points : 1) The importance of paying a fair price to farmers so they have the investment and resources to plan long term and implement regenerative practices 2) We must give power to farmers so they have an equal stake 3) we need to see more businesses willing to work in a pre competitive space to invest in these solutions that will benefits all of us.

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