STiR coffee and tea magazine

10 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 4, 2021 (August / September) Report from South Asia: Covid Points Out Need to Revisit Sustainability Solutions The Covid-19 pandemic shook South Asia and the world in profound and unexpected ways. The livelihoods of millions of farmers and workers suffered, normal business is disrupted, and the impacts on people and the planet continue to rise. Poverty-stricken smallholder farmers in developing countries in Asia and beyond struggle to survive. Building capacities and strengthening resilience among these vulnerable communities in developing and emerging economies must be prioritized. New and more impactful partnerships and alliances to address this are needed. We must invest more if we are to achieve the UN Sustainable Develop- ment Goal 17, which aims to "Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development." Partnerships among corporates, governments, communities, as well as civil society can go a long way towards supporting the most vulnerable but also protecting our fragile planet from environmental threats including new zoonotic diseases. Sustainability is a long-term journey and to make sectors truly sustainable, all supply chain actors have a role to play. An inclusive supply chain is one where both the value and the risks are shared. This requires a shift to a system where the produc- ers' costs and investments are covered and their efforts to make their farms and production more sustainable are reward- ed. This is what Rainforest Alliance (RA) aims for, which works at the intersection of business, agriculture, and forests emphasizing the need for shared responsibility. RA is currently in the process of launching a large-scale initiative for developing sustainable landscapes and communi- Dr. Madhuri Nanda, director – South Asia, Rainforest Alliance: "Building capacities and strengthening resilience among vulnerable communities….must be prioritized." ties which involves produc- ers, communities, govern- ments, including state departments, companies, UNEP, IUCN and other local partners working at grassroot level. Spread across the western and eastern Ghats in India, this initiative aims to restore degraded land and conserving forests while supporting communities. The current portfolio of activities includes training and capacity building support for farmers, especially smallholder farmers partnering with key stakeholders in the region. Further, in South Asia RA is growing its team to support other critical landscapes in India and Sri Lanka, as well as expanding its work to serve additional geographies in the region. At the same time, RA explores crop diversification and new commodities in line with the needs of local communities, especially smallholder farmers. With careful monitoring and evaluation of the impacts of its programs, RA is proud to have contributed to the impact and sustainability journey of its partners. We will continue to do so, extending beyond farms to broader sustainable landscapes and communities, focusing on targeted youth engagement, through alliances, and on awareness-raising. RA looks forward to joining forces with more like-minded organizations to make responsible business the new normal, so that people and nature can thrive in harmony. by Dr. Madhuri Nanda. Flavourtech's New SCC100 Aroma Recovery Unit Flavourtech's newest member of the spinning cone column (SCC) family, the SCC100 is now available for use in coffee and tea applications. SCC is used around the world for aroma recovery from coffee and tea extracts in the production of both Instant and ready-to-drink products. The continuous, automated technology allows manufacturers to efficiently re- cover and add-back natural aroma to concentrated extracts for optimal flavour retention and a premium product. The new SCC100 has a throughput of 25-115 L/hr and is ideal for use in the laboratory, pilot plant, or even small pro- duction runs. The model is perfect for processing coffee and tea extracts and, by adjusting certain operating conditions, it is possible to achieve multiple flavour profiles from the same raw material assisting with product development requirements. The system is equipped with an easy-to-use touch screen, is very compact, and has lockable castors. It has been designed so that it can be quickly assembled, operated, and maintained by the user making it perfect for both small and large tea and coffee manufacturers. Learn more about spinning cone column technology at www.flavourtech.com Flavourtech's SCC100: ideal for large and small manufacturers. Up Front

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