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Fairtrade Unveils First-Ever ‘Non-Fungible Banana’ Amid Rising Climate Threat to Global Agriculture

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At COP27 Climate Conference, The Last Banana will warn delegates and governments alike that the future survival of the world’s most popular fruit is at risk

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Fairtrade International, the leading certification for social justice and sustainability, is set to launch the world’s first Non-Fungible Banana, or NFB, in an effort to spotlight the increasing threat climate change poses to the planet’s most beloved food products and the livelihoods of the farmers and agricultural workers who grow them, the organization announced today.

Dubbed The Last Banana, Fairtrade’s NFB, which differs from a Non-Fungible Token in that it is not commercially accessible and does not rely on energy-intensive processes for production, will be unveiled on 10 November at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, where it will be on view at the FAO Pavilion as a definitive warning to visiting delegates that the future of the global food system hangs in the balance. The Last Banana will also be accessible to audiences in over 21 Fairtrade markets as Fairtrade organizations around the world encourage viewers to visit the NFB’s virtual gallery space online.

“The Last Banana is Fairtrade’s call to the world that if we don’t step up and achieve inclusive and equitable climate solutions with farmers and agricultural workers at the centre of climate action, we risk losing our favourite food products forever,” said Melissa Duncan, Executive Director at Fairtrade International.

Bananas are hands down the world’s most popular fruit. And with an estimated global export value of $7 billion dollars per year, they are also likely one of the most essential, as the banana trade remains the cornerstone of many countries’ economies.

For more than 450 million people around the world, bananas and plantains are vital staple crops. But amid the impact of climate change and the threats posed by plant diseases like Fusarium TR4, the future of bananas is increasingly at risk – a frightening reality brought out in the Fairtrade and Climate Change study released in late 2021. 

According to the study’s findings, dramatic weather patterns spurred by climate change will likely deliver severe blows to agricultural production in key regions around the world, from Latin America to the Asia-Pacific. Banana producers in the Caribbean and in Central America, for instance, are expected to face less rainfall and more extreme temperatures, while those in Southeast Asia and Oceania will see an increased risk of tropical cyclones.

“Farmers and workers are not only on the frontline of the climate crisis, they also have critical know-how that can mitigate and address climate risks for the benefit of humanity,” Ms. Duncan continued. “If governments fail to include them in the COP27 outcome and empower them to be the custodians of our planet’s food supply, the only future for one of the world’s most popular fruits may very well be a digital NFB.”

Representing more than 1.8 million farmers worldwide, Fairtrade’s delegation will be active at COP27 calling on leaders of government and the private sector to immediately deliver on climate targets by meeting the $100 billion USD climate aid commitment promised by the end of 2022; ensuring climate finance delivers for small holder farmers and workers by including them in the design of climate programmes; agreeing on regulations that tackle the root causes of environmental degradation, such as deforestation, by penalising non-compliance; and supporting farmers and workers with the costs of adaptation and mitigation.

“We already know that the impacts of the climate crisis are being felt by local communities in low-income countries through unprecedented heatwaves, calamitous droughts, intensified hurricanes and destructive downpours,” noted Juan Pablo Solis, Fairtrade International’s Senior Advisor for Climate and Environment.

“The unveiling of a Non-Fungible Banana is a powerful way for us to remind everyone – from global leaders to consumers – that they cannot take their favourite foods for granted. The current climate crisis could very well mean that the last banana is not too far away.”

Visit The Last Banana in Fairtrade’s Virtual Gallery Space

About Fairtrade America

Fairtrade America works to rebalance trade, making it a system rooted in partnership and mutual respect rather than exploitation. It’s about businesses, shoppers, farmers and workers all partnering so we can all experience the benefits of trade. Fairtrade America is the US chapter of Fairtrade International, the original and global leader in fair trade certification with more than 30 years of experience working for fair trading practices in more than 30 countries across the globe. A non-profit 501(c)3 organization, Fairtrade America is the world’s largest and most recognized fair trade system—part of a global movement for change. Learn more at fairtradeamerica.org, and by connecting with Fairtrade America on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Media Contact: 
Emily Rado
954-592-2003
emily@schroderhaus.com

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SOURCE Fairtrade America

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Orium and JIBE Partner to Bring Modern Commerce Solutions to More Businesses

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TORONTO, Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ – Orium, the leading composable commerce specialist in the Americas, today announced a strategic investment in JIBE, a digital commerce agency known for its expertise in developing modern commerce solutions on the Shopify platform. This investment strengthens an already successful partnership, including shared clients like the fast-growing Leggings.com, and positions the two companies to expand their reach as sister firms. By combining Orium’s focus on complex enterprise clients with JIBE’s expertise in the mid-market, the two businesses will better support brands at any stage of their commerce journey, helping them adapt and scale with composable technologies.

“Orium and JIBE are united by a shared goal: helping businesses succeed with modern commerce technology,” said Jason Cottrell, CEO and Founder of Orium. “This partnership allows us to offer solutions that are flexible, scalable, and tailored to the unique needs of businesses at the mid-market and enterprise-level. Our shared expertise ensures we’re positioned to support clients in navigating the rapidly evolving commerce landscape.”

Orium and JIBE bring complementary strengths to their engagements, combining Orium’s deep expertise in modern headless and composable commerce architectures with JIBE’s specialized Shopify solution engineering. Together, they offer clients the proven ability to deliver tailored, scalable solutions. Their partnership leverages advanced modular and API-first technologies to drive innovation and help businesses achieve growth and agility, regardless of their starting point.

“This partnership enables us to address the unique needs of mid-market businesses, an often underserved segment that demands both expertise and agility,” said Steve Krueger, CEO of JIBE. “With Orium’s enterprise commerce expertise and JIBE’s proven strength in the mid-market, we’re enhancing our ability to serve both scale-ups and enterprise brands.”

By offering specialized services tailored to different business needs, Orium and JIBE are setting a new standard in modern commerce, empowering clients like Leggings.com to meet evolving customer expectations and achieve their goals.

About Orium

Orium is the leading composable commerce specialist in the Americas, helping businesses build flexible, future-ready technology architectures. Specializing in helping brands scale efficiently with deep capabilities in data-driven experience design, AI implementation, and platform engineering, Orium brings over a decade of award-winning experience to enterprise commerce engagements. Orium works closely with best-in-class technology partners to bring modern commerce experiences to life. Orium is a certified B Corp and part of Tercera‘s portfolio of leading professional services firms. More information can be found at www.orium.com.

About JIBE

Since 2009, mid-market brands and founders have entrusted JIBE to strengthen their ecommerce performance with expertise, dedication, and measurable success. By partnering with renowned brands such as Arc’teryx, 7mesh, Aspen Clean, Myodetox, Grouse Mountain, Nest Designs, and Organika, JIBE fosters true collaborations to plan, build, execute, and scale multi-channel, ecommerce-driven businesses. More information can be found at thejibe.com.

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SOURCE Orium

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Pikmykid Acquires Visitu to Enhance School Visitor Management Solutions

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TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Pikmykid, the leading school safety platform, is proud to announce the acquisition of Visitu, a cutting-edge visitor management system. This strategic acquisition bolsters Pikmykid’s capabilities in visitor management while advancing its mission to enhance school safety and operational efficiency.

As schools increasingly focus on safety, the addition of Visitu’s visitor and attendance management tools enables Pikmykid to offer a comprehensive solution for managing every aspect of campus safety. From the moment staff, students, parents, volunteers, visitors, and contractors enter the campus to the time students leave safely at the end of the day, Pikmykid now provides an end-to-end platform that prioritizes safety and efficiency.

“Our school’s operations and facilities teams are excited for the potential of even smoother and more effective integration between Visitu and Pikmykid, two solid systems we use to enhance safety at our campuses,” said Eric Neumann, Sr Director of School Operations at Rocketship Charter Schools. “We look forward to continued partnership to further improve our school arrival and dismissal systems, campus security, and overall staff, family, and student experiences!”

“Acquiring Visitu is a transformative milestone in our mission to redefine school safety,” said Saravana Pat Bhava, CEO of Pikmykid. “With the power of one unified platform, we are now able to provide schools with an integrated solution that enhances security while elevating the visitor and community experience”

“Empowering schools with tools that enhance staff efficiency and parent engagement is critical to improving student outcomes,” added Chitra Kanagaraj, COO. “By uniting all safety and engagement tools, we enable schools and districts to focus on what matters most—student success.”

Visitu’s technology allows schools to easily track and manage visitors in real-time, ensuring that only authorized individuals are on campus. This integration will complement Pikmykid’s existing solutions for student drop-off and pick-up, creating a holistic approach to school safety and operations.

“Visitu’s vision to make safety seamless on campus aligns perfectly with Pikmykid,” said Aaron Larkins, CEO of Visitu. “Together, we will continue to invest in simplifying administrative processes.”

Todd Broyles, founder of Visitu, added, “This partnership will revolutionize how schools manage student safety throughout the entire school day, offering comprehensive solutions that address every aspect of campus security. We’re excited to join Pikmykid’s mission to provide innovative tools and enhance school safety.”

Schools can expect the rollout of enhanced features and functionalities in the coming months. Both teams are dedicated to fostering innovation in school safety and operational excellence.

For more information about the acquisition and the expanded offerings from Pikmykid, please visit pikmykid.com and visitu.com.

About Pikmykid

Pikmykid is a comprehensive, cloud-based platform revolutionizing school operations and student safety. Designed to address the diverse needs of modern schools, Pikmykid offers robust features including dismissal management, attendance tracking, hall pass solutions, real-time messaging, emergency response tools, and reunification processes. Trusted by schools nationwide, Pikmykid simplifies the complexities of daily and emergency operations, ensuring safety and efficiency are at the forefront of every interaction.

About Visitu
Visitu is a recognized leader in providing complete safe campus solutions for schools, offering a comprehensive suite of tools to enhance safety, efficiency, and communication. The safe campus platform includes solutions for visitor management, student attendance, emergency response, and school communication, all designed to create a secure and well-connected campus environment. Visitu’s solutions ensure compliance with safety standards while supporting seamless school operations.

Contact:
Michelle Kristoff
***@pikmykid.com

Photos:
https://www.prlog.org/13055630

Press release distributed by PRLog

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Newsweek Ranks EPAM Among Top 5 in IT Services & Consulting on its 2025 Excellence 1000 Index

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NEWTOWN, Pa., Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — EPAM Systems, Inc. (NYSE: EPAM), a leading digital transformation services and product engineering company, today announced it has been recognized by Newsweek in its 2nd annual rankings for the Excellence 1000 Index—ranking #754 overall and in the Top 5 for IT Services and IT Consulting.

The 2025 Excellence 1000 Index is the result of a collaboration between Newsweek and the Best Practice Institute (BPI), a leadership development and benchmark research company. The Excellence 1000 Index is a list of the top 1000 companies that have demonstrated best practices in financial responsibility, stakeholder ratings and social responsibility ratings.

“We are honored to be acknowledged among the world’s most esteemed organizations for our unwavering commitment to our clients, employees, engineering & IT excellence, sustainability and social responsibility,” said Elaina Shekhter, SVP, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer at EPAM. “As a trusted partner for clients globally, we are excited to continue delivering innovative and transformative solutions to our clients’ most challenging problems through our robust capabilities in digital, AI, GenAI, Data, cloud, and engineering to deliver business value.”

The results were determined after the Best Practice Institute analyzed over half a million data points and created a proprietary scoring system to measure everything from financial practices to customer reviews, ESG commitments and more.

“Corporate success today goes beyond financial performance,” said Nancy Cooper, Global Editor in Chief of Newsweek. “The Excellence 1000 Index honors companies that balance strategic growth with a deep commitment to ethics, social responsibility, and sustainability. Together with our partner Best Practice Institute, we are proud to recognize these organizations redefining leadership in the corporate world.”

Companies have been assessed on several pivotal criteria, including:

Employee Rating: How employees perceive their employer through sentiment and emotion analysis.Customer Rating: How clients view the Company’s products, services and ethics.ESG Risk Rating & Ethical Impact: A deep dive into a company’s environmental, social, and governance practices.ISO Standards Adherence: Compliance with international quality and safety standards.R&D Spending: Investment in innovation and the future.Global Compact Status: Alignment with the UN’s principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption.

“In an era where narratives often overshadow facts, the 2025 Newsweek Excellence 1000 Index stands as a testament to the importance of verified impact and ethical leadership,” said Louis Carter, CEO of Best Practice Institute. “This year’s honorees exemplify what it means to prioritize innovation, sustainability, and stakeholder value over tradition and superficial metrics. By recognizing these trailblazers, we aim to inspire a new standard for evaluating corporate success—one that values measurable progress and integrity above all.”

EPAM is considered a “Most Loved Workplace” by Newsweek, appearing on their list of Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces for the last four years. Additionally, the Company’s ESG initiatives have been recognized by many prominent global organizations, including the 2024 Inclusive Excellence Award, 2024 SEAL Sustainable Excellence Award and voted Top Most Loved Places for Volunteers®. In 2024, EPAM invested in innovation and the future with the acquisitions of First Derivative, Neoris, Odysseus Data Services and Vates—increasing delivery capabilities, enhancing AI and data-driven solutions and advancing cloud, engineering, testing and digital services for global clients.

For the full list of the 2025 Excellence 1000 Index, please visit here.

About EPAM Systems
Since 1993, EPAM Systems, Inc. (NYSE: EPAM) has used its software engineering expertise to become a leading global provider of digital engineering, cloud and AI-enabled transformation services, and a leading business and experience consulting partner for global enterprises and ambitious startups. We address our clients’ transformation challenges by focusing EPAM Continuum’s integrated strategy, experience and technology consulting with our 30+ years of engineering execution to speed our clients’ time to market and drive greater value from their innovations and digital investments.

We make GenAI real with our AI LLM orchestration, testing and engineering solutions, EPAM DIAL, EPAM EliteA™ and EPAM AI/RUN™, respectively.

We deliver globally but engage locally with our expert teams of consultants, architects, designers and engineers, making the future real for our clients, our partners, and our people around the world. We believe the right solutions are the ones that improve people’s lives and fuel competitive advantage for our clients across diverse industries. Our thinking comes to life in the experiences, products and platforms we design and bring to market.

Added to the S&P 500 and the Forbes Global 2000 in 2021 and recognized by Glassdoor and Newsweek as a Top 100 Best Workplace, our multidisciplinary teams serve customers across six continents. We are proud to be among the top 15 companies in Information Technology Services in the Fortune 1000 and to be recognized as a leader in the IDC MarketScapes for Worldwide Experience Build Services, Worldwide Experience Design Services and Worldwide Software Engineering Services.

Learn more at www.epam.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes estimates and statements which may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the accuracy of which are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Our estimates and forward-looking statements are mainly based on our current expectations and estimates of future events and trends, which affect or may affect our business and operations. These statements may include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate” or similar expressions. Those future events and trends may relate to, among other things, developments relating to the war in Ukraine and escalation of the war in the surrounding region, political and civil unrest or military action in the geographies where we conduct business and operate, difficult conditions in global capital markets, foreign exchange markets and the broader economy, and the effect that these events may have on client demand and our revenues, operations, access to capital, and profitability. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied include general economic conditions, the risk factors discussed in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the factors discussed in the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, particularly under the headings “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe that these estimates and forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, they are subject to several risks and uncertainties and are made based on information currently available to us. EPAM undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities law.

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SOURCE EPAM Systems, Inc.

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