In just a few weeks, all the stock of Beyond Meat burgers offered by Canadian fast food chain A&W Food Services of Canada ran out. Responding also to the demand for vegetable proteins from its customers, the country's second largest chain was the first one to offer vegetable burgers made of beans, peas and mushrooms, but tasting very much like grilled meat. The next stock will be available from 1 October.
Microsoft's founder highlighted the need for African governments, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in particular, to invest more in sustainable development, in order to lessen the growth of extreme poverty in the two countries. The Report reviewing the SDGs progress launched by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, states that most of the people who live below the poverty line are between 54 and 60%. It is estimated that nearly 82 million Nigerians currently live below the poverty line, with less than 1.9 dollars a day.
According to a recent report presented by EU Commissioner for the environment Janez Potocnik and prepared by the Rise Foundation, meat production in Europe has crossed the safety thresholds for greenhouse gas emissions. One of the co-authors of the report, Allan Buckwell, agrees with the plea made by Greenpeace, asking to halve meat and dairy production by 2050.
According to research published on the Canadian Medical Association Journal, detergents and disinfectants could contribute to the increase in child weight, by altering young children's intestinal bacteria. The study allegedly shows that 3 and 4 month-old babies exposed to these products at least once a week show a bigger body mass index at age 3 and are more likely to develop obesity.
It happened in a village in norther Pakistan: last year a new water main brought fresh drinking water to the village, radically changing the life of its 500 residents. They can now farm, bathe, drink and enjoy a better quality of life. Before, each household had water for only half an hour each day, and this often caused controversy and discussions. It no longer happens now.
Sales and consumption of cheap junk food are an obstacle to a healthy diet. During a seminar at the Vatican, the Director General of the FAO called for targeted policies to contrast obesity and excessive weight.
Governor Jerry Brown announced that all California electricity will be emission-free by 2045. He signed the SB100 Act, aimed at making all electricity supplied to the state emission free.
The measures to combat climate change proposed by the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco (a meeting promoted by the UN) could create 65 million 'low carbon consumption' jobs and 26,000 billion dollars worth of economic benefits worldwide.
The United Nations agency started a program to help families living in the largest refugee camp in the world. With the Safe Plus project, it distributed over 2,500 GPL stoves to reduce deforestation in the area hosting the Rohingya people who escaped from violence in Myanmar. This way, they will not have to collect burning wood and they will be able to cook in total safety. It is not unusual to be attacked by wild animals when looking for wood in the forest.
Codex Alimentarius, a collection of internationally recognized standards and other recommendations relating to foods, is inviting people to send videos to set an international Food Safety Day on 7 June. The campaign is addressed at anyone who wants to see this resolution approved at the 73rd General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, United States.