Technology

Mars Announces Partnerships Supporting Regenerative Agriculture Transition Across its European Pet Food Supply Chain

Published

1 month ago

December 6, 2024

Mars, Incorporated, is focused on scaling climate-smart agriculture in its value chain which will help to deliver more than one million acres of regenerative agriculture practices by 2030 across the globe. Multiple partnerships across Europe will help transition 20,900 hectares (almost twice the size of Paris) of wheat and maize crops to regenerative agriculture practices by 2028. In Europe, Mars Petcare is working with agribusiness companies and solutions providers, including Cargill, Agreena, ADM, Biospheres, Horta and Soil Capital.

LONDON, Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Mars, Incorporated, a global leader in pet care products and services, confectionery, snacking and food and the maker of some of the world’s most-loved brands, has announced major collaborations to scale regenerative agriculture practices across its pet nutrition business in Europe.

Multiyear collaborations have begun with suppliers including Cargill and ADM, and technical experts Biospheres, Horta, Agreena and Soil Capital in Europe. Through these partnerships, farmers in Poland, Hungary, and the UK will receive financial incentives and expert advisory services to support adoption of regenerative agriculture practices, including crop rotation, minimal tillage, and cover crops. The programmes will support farmers to invest in new methods, and offer training, to build knowledge and confidence while reducing barriers to adopting regenerative agriculture practices.

The implementation of regenerative practices aims to deliver benefits such as increased yields, lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through reduction and carbon sequestration, improved water quality, enhanced soil health and improved biodiversity. Adoption of regenerative agriculture across the Mars supply chain contributes to scope 3 carbon reductions as part of the Mars Net Zero Roadmap.

“At Mars, we know businesses like ours play a key role in securing a sustainable future for pet food. Healthy soil is the backbone of a resilient food system. Through these partnerships, we’re extremely proud to be playing our part in driving regenerative agriculture practices across Europe, restoring soil health, cutting carbon and building a stronger and more sustainable supply chain for farmers and future generations of pets and pet parents” said Deri Watkins, Regional President, Mars Pet Nutrition Europe.

Mars will track the impact of the various projects through robust measurement, reporting, and verification systems to ensure transparency, focusing on enhancing soil health and reducing GHG emissions. Through multi-year collaborations, Mars will work with partners to implement regenerative agriculture in the UK, Hungary, and Poland — promoting ecosystem resilience, supporting local economies, and securing a sustainable pet food supply for the future.

Our Partners:

• Cargill: Through this partnership with Cargill RegenConnect®, farmers across Poland will receive payments for carbon sequestered after adopting regenerative practices, like cover cropping and reduced tillage. The program aims to improve soil health on more than 4,600 hectares in Poland from 2024 to 2026. Through the RegenConnect® program farmers can access on-the-spot agronomic support on crop rotation patterns, cover crop selection and usage of appropriate machinery.

• Horta: This partnership with Horta aims to provide support to farmers by helping them make informed decisions about irrigation and the appropriate amount of fertilizer to use. Additionally, farmers are encouraged to implement cover crops and reduce or eliminate tilling as part of the program’s incentives. This partnership will support regenerative agriculture practices across more than 3,600 hectares of wheat and maize crops in Hungary.

• Soil Capital: This partnership with Soil Capital aims to support and finance the regenerative agriculture transition for wheat farmers across the UK. The programme aims to improve soil health, soil carbon sequestration, and reduced erosion across more than 3,200 hectares between 2024 and 2028.

• Biospheres and Agreena: This 3-year partnership with Biospheres and Agreena is intended to support the expansion of regenerative agriculture in Hungary through a grower-centric programme. The partnership aims to deliver an improvement in soil health, soil carbon sequestration, and reduced erosion while also providing an economic incentive for farmers to adopt regenerative practices. The partnership will cover up to 5,500 hectares of wheat crops in Hungary between 2024 and 2026.

• ADM: This partnership with ADM is a 5-year (2023-2028) regenerative agriculture program in Poland, focusing on soil health improvement, carbon sequestration, and erosion reduction. Through this partnership, farmers across Poland will receive financial incentives for implementing regenerative agriculture practices. It will support the transition of 4,000 hectares of wheat crops in Poland over 5 years to 2028.

We are excited to be on this long-term regenerative agriculture journey with our partners, working together to expand the hectares of farmland across Europe that embrace regenerative agriculture practices. This effort contributes to Mars’ work to scale climate-smart agriculture in its value chain, which will help to deliver more than one million acres of regenerative agriculture practices across the globe by 2030. Recently, Mars, Incorporated released the 2023 Mars Sustainable in a Generation Report, announcing record 8% GHG emissions reduction, which doubled Mars’ total GHG reduction across our full value chain and delivered our single largest GHG reduction against a 2015 baseline. With almost 60% of the company’s value chain GHG footprint coming from agricultural ingredients, Mars is scaling up climate-smart agriculture initiatives to drive continued decarbonisation.

To learn more, click here.

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. As a $50bn+ family-owned business, our diverse and expanding portfolio of leading pet care products and veterinary services support pets all around the world and our quality snacking and food products delight millions of people every day. We produce some of the world’s best-loved brands including ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, CESAR®, DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M’s®, SNICKERS® and BEN’S ORIGINAL™. Our international networks of pet hospitals, including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™ and ANICURA™ span preventive, general, specialty, and emergency veterinary care, and our global veterinary diagnostics business ANTECH® offers breakthrough capabilities in pet diagnostics. The Mars Five Principles — Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom — inspire our 150,000 Associates to act every day to help create a better world for people, pets and the planet.

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

About ADM

ADM unlocks the power of nature to enrich the quality of life. We’re an essential global agricultural supply chain manager and processor, providing food security by connecting local needs with global capabilities. We’re a premier human and animal nutrition provider, offering one of the industry’s broadest portfolios of ingredients and solutions from nature. We’re a trailblazer in health and well-being, with an industry-leading range of products for consumers looking for new ways to live healthier lives. We’re a cutting-edge innovator, guiding the way to a future of new consumer and industrial solutions. And we’re a leader in sustainability, scaling across entire value chains to help decarbonize the multiple industries we serve. Around the globe, our innovation and expertise are meeting critical needs while nourishing quality of life and supporting a healthier planet. Learn more at www.adm.com.

About Biospheres Group

Biospheres is a French company and an international leader in the development and large-scale deployment of ecosystem regeneration practices. It uses a method that simplifies and secures the agro-ecological transition, with both strategic support for its key account partners (territories, agri-food, cosmetics, consumer goods) and operational work on the ground with farmers in various sectors (fruit and vegetables, grapes, cereals, arboriculture, etc.). Since 2013, Biospheres has developed projects in 18 countries and has teams on the ground in France, Spain and Eastern Europe. Biospheresgroup.com

About Horta

At Horta, we assist farmers and companies in rejuvenating soil health and achieving sustainable agricultural production. Specializing in regenerative agriculture, digital farming, and emission reduction, we support the agri-food supply chain in transforming these goals into measurable outcomes. Our projects focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and optimizing production processes. With our expertise and advanced Decision Support Systems (DSS), businesses can implement regenerative practices, reduce their carbon footprint, and enhance production quality and efficiency. Managing over 130,000 plots across Italy and internationally, Horta is a trusted partner for adopting sustainable and efficient practices aligned with global development goals.

About Soil Capital

Soil Capital is a certified B Corp with a mission to support farmers in their transition to regenerative and sustainable agriculture. Operating in France, Belgium, and the UK, the business has developed an innovative programme that connects companies seeking to enhance the resilience of their supply chains with farmers who are compensated for their vital contributions to soil health, climate change mitigation, and food security preservation.

About Cargill

Cargill is committed to providing food, ingredients, agricultural solutions, and industrial products to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way. Sitting at the heart of the supply chain, we partner with farmers and customers to source, make and deliver products that are vital for living. Our 160,000 team members innovate with purpose, providing customers with life’s essentials so businesses can grow, communities prosper, and consumers live well. With 159 years of experience as a family company, we look ahead while remaining true to our values. We put people first. We reach higher. We do the right thing—today and for generations to come. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.

About Agreena

Agreena is a Danish climate solutions pioneer, supporting farmers’ transition to regenerative agriculture. Bridging the worlds of finance, technology, and agriculture, Agreena is developing a range of financial solutions for those delivering a more sustainable food and farming system. Agreena is working with thousands of farmers across 4.5 million hectares of arable farmland in 20 European markets – giving them access to carbon finance to accelerate the global shift to regenerative agriculture. AgreenaCarbon is Europe’s leading soil carbon programme. Through a network of farmers, businesses and experts, Agreena shares knowledge and resources to secure the future of agriculture. Its advanced digital Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (dMRV) capabilities measure tangible impact from the ground up, supporting farmers, companies, and governments on the road to net zero. Visit: www.agreena.com

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Technology

Deye’s Micro Hybrid ESS: A New Era of Compact, Efficient Power

Published

30 minutes ago

January 13, 2025

Suitable for on-grid, off-grid and portable use96.5% DC-AC conversion efficiency1000W rated power AC charge/discharge1600W high-power PV input4ms on-grid/off-grid switch

NINGBO, China, Jan. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — At Deye, we believe in redefining the way customers experience energy—whether customers are seeking reliable backup power for their home or exploring the great outdoors. Today, we’re proud to introduce the Deye Micro Hybrid Energy Storage System, AE-F(S)2.0-2H2, a game-changing innovation that brings intelligent, flexible, and portable energy solutions to customers’ fingertips.

The Deye Micro Hybrid ESS is an all-in-one system that combines an energy storage micro-inverter, battery modules, and a Battery Management System (BMS) into one compact unit. Designed with the modern lifestyle in mind, this system offers seamless integration with customers’ home and outdoor activities, offering intelligent monitoring and power management 24/7 via Lora smart communication and an easy-to-use APP monitoring interface. With 6,000 cycle life, the system is designed for a 10-year service life, and also comes with a 5-year warranty for added assurance.

1. Plug-and-Play Simplicity

With its minimalist design, the Micro Hybrid ESS is a true plug-and-play solution. It offers multiple output ports, meeting the diverse energy needs of various devices simultaneously, whether at home or in the great outdoors. Equipped with two MPPTs and a high PV power input of 1600W, it can be paired with over 99% of photovoltaic panels on the market, offering maximum flexibility.

2. High-Performance, Low Noise

The Micro Hybrid ESS is engineered for high performance. Featuring a 2kWh LFP battery, the system can expand up to 10kWh for extended power supply. Whether users need emergency backup at home or are camping off the grid, this system guarantees ultra-low noise during use thanks to its fanless design, making it the perfect companion for both residential and outdoor settings.

3. A Greener Future in Every Mode

The Deye Micro Hybrid ESS is designed for smart energy management with three intuitive modes:

Green Power Mode: Uses solar energy first to power your home, then charges the battery with any leftover. If more power is needed, the battery supplements the shortfall and sells excess power to the grid under the guarantee of the set SOC, thereby minimizing reliance on purchased electricity.TOU(Time-of-Use) Mode: Allows you to optimize energy consumption based on time-of-use pricing, buying electricity during off-peak hours and using or selling it back during peak hours.Full Charge Mode: Acts as a backup power source during emergencies, ensuring your home stays powered during outages or extreme weather events.

4. Empower Existing Systems to New Heights

The Micro Hybrid ESS features a unique AC coupling function that easily upgrades existing balcony micro-inverter systems. It could ensure no energy waste from the exsiting systems while meeting power needs during nighttime or outages.

It also supports Deye Smart loT System for further enhancement. When quipped with Deye Wireless Smart CT for Zero Export, this system could enhance its percentage of self-consumption. And if equipped with Deye Smart Plug, the system could realize 24-hour time-zone intelligent control of whole-house power equipment on and off.

5. Compact, Powerful, and Versatile: Ideal for Every Lifestyle

The Deye Micro Hybrid ESS is designed with flexibility in mind. Whether you’re someone seeking a reliable home backup power solution or simply an outdoor enthusiast, an RV traveler, this system is built to meet your needs. Its compact size—occupying less than 1/4 square meter—makes it an ideal solution for small apartments or spaces where every inch matters. With an IP65 rating and capable of operating in extreme temperatures from -10°C to 50°C, it’s ready to perform in all weather conditions.

The Deye Micro Hybrid Energy Storage System is not just about today; it’s about tomorrow. Technology may not give meaning to people’s life in a direct way, but this Deye new innovation could empower people to explore the distant places they long for. With green energy by customers’ side and electricity at their command, let the Deye AE-FS2.0-2H2 Micro Hybrid Energy Storage System be customers’ charging station for every step of their journey.

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SOURCE Deye

Technology

NYP Launches New Studio Devoted To Cutting-Edge New Media Technologies

Published

30 minutes ago

January 13, 2025

The facility features industry-grade virtual production, preparing learners for an industry estimated to grow 14.7 per cent each year and be worth US$10.07 billion globally by 2032.

SINGAPORE, Jan. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) unveiled its BeyondReality Studio, a one-stop playground of emerging immersive media technologies.

Virtual Production is an exciting and rapidly evolving field that combines traditional filmmaking techniques with cutting-edge digital technology. It involves the use of computer-generated imagery (CGI), augmented reality (AR), motion capture, and other technologies to create realistic environments and effects on virtual sets.

What you can expect in a virtual production studio:

LED Volume Walls: These replace traditional green screens, allowing real-time visualisation of virtual sets. This technology was notably used in “The Mandalorian”.Camera Tracking System: Allows the virtual environment to synchronise dynamically with the camera movements to achieve a realistic and immersive experience.Unreal Engine: A powerful real-time 3D creation platform that enables photorealistic rendering and real-time adjustments.

The global virtual production market is projected to reach US$10.07 billion by 2032[1]. This growth is driven by the increasing demand for high-quality visual effects in movies, TV shows, and commercials, as well as the rising adoption of virtual production technologies in the gaming industry. Major players like Disney, Epic Games, and ILM (Industrial Light & Magic) are heavily investing in virtual production. Disney, for instance, has extensively used LED video walls for in-house shoots, significantly reducing the need for on-location filming.

The Asia-Pacific region, particularly China, Japan, and South Korea, is also seeing rapid growth due to rising investments in the entertainment industry.

NYP’s investment in this state-of-the-art facility underscores its commitment to preparing students for the future. The BeyondReality Studio will provide students with unparalleled opportunities to develop skills in CGI, augmented reality, motion capture, and more, ensuring they are well-equipped to meet the demands of the entertainment and gaming industries.

The 2,500-square-feet virtual production facility features 24 professional motion capture cameras for high precision full-body performance capture, a large curved green screen cyclorama for greater versatility and illusion of depth, and an LED volume wall and floor for the most authentic replications of virtual environments.

The studio prepares students for the future of media production, offering opportunities to work with Extended Reality (XR), Virtual Production (VP), Augmented/Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Metaverse and Web 3.0, as well as Generative AI.

The studio boasts numerous firsts in Singapore’s visual and audio production scene:

NYP is the first and only Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) in Singapore to feature advanced LED volume technology. These skills have also been identified as emerging skills in the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (IMDA) refreshed Skills Framework for Media.The BeyondReality Studio is the only studio in Singapore that features a unique 3-in-1 setup of motion capture, green screen, and LED volume virtual production all under one roof. NYP will be the first polytechnic to receive the official certification of a Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 Surround Audio Studio – to supplement the audio productions in the BeyondReality Studio – ensuring that soundtracks produced within the studio can be accurately reproduced worldwide, at the highest quality.

The studio also references Hollywood-standards, while ensuring space optimisation and creating conducive learning experiences. The studio’s LED volume wall is optimised for mid-to-close shots, making it an ideal training environment and the perfect size suitable for local productions. This allows industry partners to explore and experiment with innovative technologies and streamline production workflows.

Mr Albert Lim, Director at NYP’s School of Design & Media, said: “We are focused on equipping our students with more than just qualifications – we want to prepare them with the emerging skills required for them to stay at the forefront of media production, whether for further studies or career growth. With our new BeyondReality Studio, our students will learn what it takes to create their very own next-gen immersive masterpiece.”

Students across different disciplines in NYP will also get to work together on real-life virtual production projects. School of Business Management students can manage production shoots through set operations, scripting, and scheduling, while School of Design & Media students create virtual assets and integrate them into live environments using tools like Unreal Engine – an industry-leading 3D creation software. This collaborative approach equips our learners with relevant experience in working across teams on large-scale projects.

Final-year Diploma in Animation, Games & Visual Effects student, Choy Yu Feng, will be getting hands-on with the new facility in his final semester. “Virtual production is really up and coming, it will be very useful for me when I graduate with experience in these new technologies and some skills under my belt. I think it will help me stand out,” he said.

Creative media professionals can also take on a plethora of courses – from short courses to specialist diplomas – to upskill and reskill themselves in emerging immersive media technologies.

The BeyondReality Studio will be officially opened by Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information, Tan Kiat How, on 24 Jan 2025.

-END-

About Nanyang Polytechnic

Established as an institution of higher learning in 1992, Nanyang Polytechnic’s (NYP) academic schools offer quality education and training through 37 full-time diploma courses and common entry programmes. NYP also has a full suite of Continuing Education and Training (CET) options for lifelong learning, ranging from specialist and advanced diplomas to SkillsFuture-supported modules and courses. NYP’s Asian Culinary Institute Singapore and the Singapore Institute of Retail Studies are CET institutes set up in partnership with SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) to champion and transform Singapore’s F&B and retail sectors, respectively. A third NYP CET institute – the National Centre of Excellence for Workplace Learning – also set up in collaboration with SSG, will spearhead the development of progressive workplace learning strategies and programmes for companies here.

[1] Source: Fortune Business Insights, “Virtual Production Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis,” https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/virtual-production-market-107105

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SOURCE Nanyang Polytechnic

Technology

GWM HYDROGEN-FTXT Delivers 406 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Sanitation Vehicles

Published

30 minutes ago

January 13, 2025

BAODING, China, Jan. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On January 10th, the first batch of 406 hydrogen fuel cell sanitation vehicles equipped with GWM HYDROGEN-FTXT’s hydrogen power system were officially delivered to customers, marking the successful implementation of GWM HYDROGEN-FTXT’s first “hundred-unit level” hydrogen sanitation vehicle demonstration application scenario in Baoding, China.

This batch of hydrogen sanitation vehicles includes three main models: hydrogen sweeping and washing vehicles, hydrogen cleaning vehicles, and hydrogen high-pressure flushing vehicles. They were jointly developed by GWM HYDROGEN-FTXT in collaboration with three well-known Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturers – Changzheng, Yutong, and Dongfeng. All vehicles are equipped with GWM HYDROGEN-FTXT’s self-developed commercial vehicle fuel cell system and hydrogen storage system. Compared to electric sanitation vehicles, they have significant advantages such as faster fuel replenishment and better adaptability to high and low-temperature environments. It only takes 5-8 minutes to complete hydrogen refueling, and a single refueling allows for continuous operation of over 10 hours.

This delivery is another large-scale, mass-application demonstration scenario of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles implemented by GWM HYDROGEN-FTXT in China, following the world’s first hundred-unit level 49-ton hydrogen heavy-duty truck demonstration application scenario. These vehicles will act as “mobile air purifiers” to support the low-carbon circular development model of “waste-free city + green hydrogen”, and create a benchmark for the application of hydrogen sanitation vehicles in China.

At present, the number of hydrogen energy vehicles equipped by GWM HYDROGEN-FTXT that have been launched in the Chinese market has reached the thousand-unit level.

Follow the website of FTXT for more information: http ://en.ftxt-e.com/

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SOURCE FTXT