Biopower for Casino cannabis plant
Aspiring German and Canadian-backed medical cannabis business, PUF Ventures Australia (PVA), has teamed up with Utilitas Group which builds and operates biohubs to turn manure, sewage, crop and food processing waste into renewable energy and bioproducts.
PVA is to construct a major greenhouse operation and large scale manufacturing and processing facilities for medical cannabis and associated products near Casino on the NSW North Coast.
Utilitas is already developing a biohub nearby to transform organic waste and waste water from the Richmond Valley region into energy, clean water and other bio-products.
Utilitas Group is working with the listed fractional property ownership group, DomaCom, to raise the $4.3 million needed to develop the initial biohub project.
The alliance will give PVA’s cannabis venture access to environmentally-friendly electricity, natural gas, carbon dioxide, nutrients and reclaimed water as part of its closed-loop resource recovery process.
Foodland beats big supermarkets
South Australian and Northern Territory-based independent supermarket group, Foodland, and German-owned Aldi enjoy the best customer satisfaction among Australia’s top five grocery chains.
According to research group Roy Morgan, customer satisfaction with Foodland was 94.4 per cent in August, making it the top performer.
It was also one of only two supermarket names to increase its retail satisfaction rating in the past year, lifting 0.6pc.
Aldi placed second at 92.3pc, ahead of Woolworths (90pc), Coles (88.4pc) and IGA (84.7).
Of the two major supermarket names, the annual research report found Woolworths’ main shoppers spent 70.9pc of their grocery budget with the chain, compared with Coles’ main shoppers who spent 67.4pc.
Foodland, part-owned by IGA’s parent company, Metcash, attracted the most shopper spending (71pc), while Aldi came in well behind its four key rivals with only a 55.5pc share of its customers’ spend.
Particularly strong ratings in the dairy, delicatessen, fresh fruit and vegetables and fresh seafood categories gave Foodland its overall satisfaction lead, while Aldi led the score for packaged groceries, and Coles and Woolworths jointly came first with bread.
Rabobank teams with UN
Rabobank has partnered with the United Nations Environment division to announce a “global activation” program to accelerate the transition to a sustainable global food supply.
The “Kickstart Food” project involves the launch of a $1.3 billion facility to initiate land restoration and forest protection.
It marks the start of a three-year initiative to scale up Rabobank’s support for clients and partners in the transition to a more sustainable food and agricultural sector.
The Kickstart Food initiative’s four key focus points, earth, waste, stability and nutrition centre, centre on promoting sustainable and environmentally sound food production, reducing food waste in the supply chain, creating a more stable and resilient agricultural sector, and ensuing a healthy and balanced diet for all.
“Our global lead role in financing food production urges us to accelerate developments on the sustainable food supply,” said Rabobank’s critical initiative chairman on its executive board, Wiebe Draijer.
“With our knowledge, networks and financing capabilities we aim to further motivate and facilitate clients in adopting a more sustainable food production practice globally.”