Podcasts about chemchina

CannCon and Chris Paul are back at the Badlands Daily desk to break down the crumbling narratives and power plays across the world stage. They dive into the continued fallout from the Baltimore bridge collapse, revelations about the financial backing of companies like Syngenta and ChemChina, and the unraveling of the media's coverage of the migrant crisis. Plus, Trump's massive rally in Green Bay, the truth behind the Hunter Biden laptop timeline, and speculation on Biden's fate heading into the convention. From media hypocrisy to foreign interference, this episode is packed with sharp analysis and unapologetic truth.        

Email comments or guest ideas (to reply, include your email address)In this episode, we delve into the world of climate business, climate finance, and the energy transition in the Asia Pacific region, as seen through the lens of a major investor. Our guest is Gavin Adda, CEO of Peak Energy Development, a Singapore-based company backed by the $70 billion global infrastructure investor, Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners. We begin by exploring the critical role of power market deregulation in accelerating the energy transition. We delve into specific challenges and opportunities within this space. Additionally, we discuss the markets that Gavin is most optimistic about and examine emerging trends in the industry. We also briefly touch on a couple of case studies that highlight innovative approaches to sustainable energy solutions. Finally, Gavin shares his long-term vision for energy transition projects and related investments in the Asia Pacific region.ABOUT GAVIN: Gavin Adda is the CEO of Peak Energy Development Pte Ltd with responsibility for renewable energy across Asia Pacific. Peak Energy is the renewable energy developer for Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners in Asia with a focus on solar, onshore wind and battery infrastructure and includes some of the largest projects in Korea and Japan. Previously, he was CEO of TotalEnergies Renewables Utility Scale (Asia) and Distributed Generation (Asia) which was formed when he sold his start-up to TotalEnergies. It subsequently became the largest B2B-focused renewable player in the region before being merged with ENEOS to form a USD 2 Bn joint venture. Based out of Singapore, Gavin is also a Board Director of Maxeon Solar Technologies (NASDAQ:MAXN),a Board Director of Lindström Group and Co-Chair of the Sustainability Committee at the European Chamber of Commerce. Prior to TotalEnergies, Gavin founded several start-ups in the renewable sector. This includes CleantechSolar one of the largest developers in India, now partly owned by Shell and Keppel. At REC Solar, one of the largest, non-Chinese solar panel manufacturers, he ran several departments and launched a corporate turn-around, re-focusing the company on the DG sector. He sold the company to ChemChina for USD 640m (the largest solar M&A deal in '15). Previously, he had various management roles in Samsung Group. This included developing, constructing and financing a USD 1 Bn portfolio of utility-scale solar projects and launching a JV with one of the largest, independent solar developers in the US. Gavin has an MBA from INSEAD and a Master's Degree from Cambridge University.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Ad aprile 2024, rispetto al mese precedente, aumentano gli occupati, diminuiscono i disoccupati e rimangono sostanzialmente stabili gli inattivi. L occupazione cresce (+0,4%, pari a +84mila unità) per uomini e donne, per dipendenti e autonomi e per tutte le classi d età a eccezione dei 25-34enni, che registrano un calo. Il tasso di occupazione sale al 62,3% (+0,1 punti), segnando un nuovo record. Lo indicano i dati provvisori dell Istat. Il numero di persone in cerca di lavoro diminuisce (-3,0%, pari a -55mila unità) per entrambi i generi e in ogni classe d età tranne per i 15-24enni. Il tasso di disoccupazione totale scende al 6,9% (-0,2 punti), il tasso più basso da dicembre 2008 (ma sempre sopra la media europea al 6,4%) quello giovanile rimane invariato al 20,2%. La stabilità del numero di inattivi è sintesi dell aumento registrato tra gli uomini e i 25-34enni e della diminuzione osservata tra le donne e le altre classi d età. Il tasso di inattività si mantiene stabile al 33,0%. Intanto continua a preoccupare l'impoverimento degli italiani, che continuano a vedere salari fermi al palo intaccati dall'inflazione. Un aspetto che penalizza pesantemente anche le aspirazioni degli adolescenti. Lo attestano i dati della ricerca Domani (Im)possibili , curata da Save the children e presentata all Acquario di Roma in occasione dell apertura di Impossibile 2024 , la biennale sui diritti dell infanzia e dell adolescenza. L obiettivo al quale mirare, sottolinea l organizzazione non governativa, è di rendere possibile ciò che oggi è impossibile. In Italia più di 100mila ragazze e ragazzi fra i 15 e i 16 anni vivono in condizioni di grave deprivazione materiale. Quasi un'adoolescente su dieci. E sono in tantissimi, il 67,4%, a credere che il lavoro del futuro non gli consentirà di uscire dalla povertà. Approfondiamo il tema con Chiara Saraceno, sociologa e esperta di povertà e welfare.Pirelli, dopo la golden power soci italiani più forti: Camfin compra il 2,2%Il colosso cinese ChemChina perde il controllo di Pirelli. Con una mossa a sorpresa, ieri Silk Road, il fondo che ha affiancato fin dall inizio ChemChina (37%) nell investimento in Pirelli, ha avviato l uscita dall azionariato della Bicocca. Il fondo ha avviato una procedura di collocamento accelerato di 90,2 milioni di azioni, pari al 9% circa del capitale corrispondente all intera partecipazione detenuta dal gruppo degli pneumatici. I soci italiani quindi rafforzano la presa su Pirelli. Camfin ha perfezionato l acquisto del 2,2% del capitale di Pirelli & C. S.p.A. «a completamento - riferisce una nota - di quanto autorizzato dalla delibera del cdA di Camfin comunicata al mercato lo scorso 19 settembre 2023». Tale delibera aveva autorizzato l acquisto di azioni Pirelli fino a un massimo del 5% del capitale di Pirelli e, in forza di essa, a gennaio 2024, Camfin aveva acquistato il 2,8% del capitale sociale di Pirelli. In seguito a tali operazioni la catena di controllo che fa capo a MTP SpA detiene una quota complessiva pari a circa il 22,78% di Pirelli, «rinsaldando così il ruolo di Camfin e MTP SpA quali azionisti stabili e ribadendo la fiducia e l impegno nel sostenere i progetti industriali di Pirelli». Per quanto riguarda la componente nazionale, se si considera anche il patto di consultazione con Brembo, a cui fa capo il 6% di Pirelli, il fronte dei soci italiani sale così al 28,2% del gruppo degli pneumatici. Un pacchetto rotondo, dunque, che fa da contraltare a quel 37% del capitale nelle mani del socio cinese Sinochem che resta orfano dell'asse con Silkroad. Intanto il titolo è crollato in borsa e molti analisti lo leggono come uno degli svantaggi immediati legati alla golden power. L'utilizzo dei poteri speciali nella fase di transizione porta immediatamente degli svantaggi. I vantaggi, invece, sono difficilmente percepibili subito, in quanto sono a livello di 'sistema Paese' e di lungo periodo. Approfondiamo il tema con Marigia Mangano, Il Sole 24 Ore.Calano i prezzi dell'energia e si pensa allo stop al gas russo via Kiev: possiamo stare tranquilli?Ad aprile i prezzi alla produzione dell'industria registrano il sesto calo consecutivo (-0,9% su base mensile e -5,9% su base annua), ma si attenua rispetto al mese precedente (-9,6% a marzo). Lo rende noto Istat, spiegando che a contribuire sono ancora principalmente i ribassi dei prezzi di fornitura di energia elettrica e gas sul mercato interno. Nel frattempo, la commissaria europea per l'Energia, Kadri Simson, arrivando al Consiglio dei ministri Ue dell'energia a Bruxelles ha spiegato che: "L'Unione europea è preparata alla scadenza alla fine dell'anno dell'accordo trilaterale sul transito del gas russo attraverso l'Ucraina. Abbiamo trovato rotte di approvvigionamento alternative e non c'è necessità da parte nostra di chiedere all'Ucraina di rilanciare qualunque tipo di dialogo con le compagnie energetiche russe". Il contratto con Mosca per il transito del gas via Kiev, che interessa ancora gli approvvigionamenti di Italia, Slovacchia, Austria e, in misura minore, Ungheria. Nel 2023 l'accordo quinquennale siglato nel 2019 ha pompato verso il Continente circa 14 miliardi di metri cubi di gas. Intanto si è ridotto il deficit energetico dell'Italia verso i paesi extra Ue e ad aprile 2024 le rinnovabili hanno coperto il fabbisogno di elettricità con una quota del 51,2% (contro il 36% del 2023). Senza il gas russo, possiamo stare tranquilli in futuro? Ne parliamo con Sara Deganello, Il Sole 24 Ore.

Hello Interactors,This episode kicks off the summer season on the environment and our interactions with it and through it. I’m starting with food. Food is a big topic that impacts us all, albeit in uneven ways. It got me wondering about the global food system and how it’s controlled. Who are the winners and who are the losers? And why is there competition for nourishment in first place?As interactors, you’re special individuals self-selected to be a part of an evolutionary journey. You’re also members of an attentive community so I welcome your participation.Please leave your comments below or email me directly.Now let’s go…АТАКА БОЛЬШОГО МАКА (ATAKA BOL'SHOGO MAKA)Верните Биг Мак! Срочно верните Биг Мак. Мы требуем этого прямо сейчас. Прямо сейчас. Прямо здесь. Биг Мак!(Vernite Big Mak! Srochno vernite Big Mak. Moy trebuyem etogo pryamo seychas. Pryamo seychas. Pryamo zdes'. Big Mak!)“Bring back the Big Mac! Bring back the Big Mac. We demand it right now. Right now. Right here. Big Mac!” Holding a handwritten sign that read “Bring back the Big Mac” a protestor in Moscow took advantage of a press conference a couple weeks ago at the reopening of McDonalds under a new name. Albeit a bit tongue in cheek, he was demanding the return of one popular product not on the menu. The Big Mac name and special sauce are both copyright protected. But the new owner of the new McDonald’s, Alexander Govor – who was a Siberian McDonald’s franchise owner before buying the entire Russian chain – promised he’d find a suitable replacement for the Big Mac. As for a new name, I vote for Большая говядина (Bol'shaya Govyadina), Big Beef. Or given the new owners last name how about just Bol’shaya Gov – Big Gov.Govor claims he paid below market price for the world’s most recognized fast-food chain and he’s already slashed prices. McDonald’s priced the double cheeseburger at 160 rubles ($2.95) but it’s now 129 rubles ($2.38). The fish burger was 190 rubles ($3.50) and is now 169 rubles ($3.11). The composition of the burgers stays the same as does the equipment, but they did add pancakes, omelets, and scrambled eggs to the morning menu. However, the golden arches are gone, and the name has changed to Vkusno & tochka's (Delicious and that’s it or Delicious, full stop).After 32 years, that’s it for McDonald’s in Russia but it’s promised to remain delicious. Back in 1990 the American based company had to import all the ingredients to fulfill the promise of a true McDonald’s. It made for an expensive introduction of the American icon. French fries were a problem. The Russian potatoes were too small, so McDonalds had to import seeds to grow larger russet potatoes locally. Apples for the McDonald’s ‘apple pie’ had to come from Bulgaria. After three decades McDonald’s managed to source just about everything locally and ultimately employed 62,000 Russians throughout their operations. But those McDonald’s branded red, yellow, and blue uniforms have been replaced with just red ones. Judging from the lines and enthusiasm at the grand opening, I suspect the new MickeyD’s will continue to be popular…and delicious, full stop.McDonald’s was popular in Russia from the day it opened in 1990. The Berlin wall had come down, perestroika was nearing its peak, glasnost embraced a blend of socialism and traditional liberal economics that allowed more U.S. companies to enter the former Soviet Union. It was the age of exceedingly fast globalization. A year after McDonald’s showed up Microsoft offered a Russian version of DOS. Just as I was starting at Microsoft in 1992, localized versions of software were flying on floppy disks around the world. By 1996 localized versions of Windows and Office 95 were on a computer on every desk a new McDonald’s was being built every three days. 1996 was the first year McDonald’s made more revenue from outside the United States than within.And McDonald’s wasn’t just pushing their McMunchies on unsuspecting countries. Many were clamoring for their own MickyD’s. James Cantalupo, president of McDonald's International at time, said, “'I feel these countries want McDonald's as a symbol of something -- an economic maturity and that they are open to foreign investments. I don't think there is a country out there we haven't gotten inquiries from. I have a parade of ambassadors and trade representatives in here regularly to tell us about their country and why McDonald's would be good for the country.'”There were some who believed the proliferation of McDonald’s symbolized the spread of freedom and democracy. Thomas Friedman of the New York Times offered in 1996 a “Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention -- which stipulates that when a country reaches a certain level of economic development, when it has a middle class big enough to support a McDonald's, it becomes a McDonald's country, and people in McDonald's countries don't like to fight wars; they like to wait in line for burgers.” There goes that theory. Though, Russians are still waiting in line for a burger…just not from McDonald’s.I’m reminded of the “freedom fries” scandal from 2003. That’s when the Republican senator from Ohio, Bob Ney, changed the name of ‘French Fries’ to ‘Freedom Fries’ in three Congressional cafeterias. It was in response to French opposition to the American invasion of Iraq. The name was changed back in 2006 after Ney was forced to retire. He was implicated in a scandal involving a group of lobbyists that swindled $85,000,000 from Native American tribes. Ney was bribed by one of the guilty lobbyists. On the satirical Saturday Night Live news show Weekend Update, Tina Fey quipped, “‘In a related story, in France, American cheese is now referred to as 'idiot cheese.'"SEEDS OF GREEDOf course, McDonald’s wasn’t the only multinational food company spreading fast food around the world. I, for one, was grateful to come across a Burger King on the Champs-Élysées in Paris back in 1984. It was my first trip to Europe and my 18-year-old palette wasn’t quite tuned to fine French cuisine. Truth be told, my 56-year-old palette isn’t either. I find French food to be highly overrated. I remember my 18-year-old self thinking that “Le Whopper” and Pepsi with ice, amidst pumping French disco, was both surreal and comforting.Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and Taco Bell are found in all corners of the world today. Except Mexico. Despite many gallant attempts, Taco Bell can’t seem to crack the Mexican market. I suspect Mexicans find their interpretation of the taco insulting…and gross. But it’s not just fast food. Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, General Mills, Kellog’s, Kraft, and Mars are all American companies that make a plethora of processed and packaged products marketed as food. There are other multinational companies outside of the U.S. doing the same. Mexico’s Grupo Bimbo is where Thomas English muffins, Orowheat, and Sara Lee treats come from. They also own Colonial bread: a white bread that originated in colonized America by a Scandinavian immigrant and is now run out of colonized Mexico by the grandson of a Spanish immigrant who could pass as just another white billionaire CEO.And who hasn’t heard of Switzerland’s Nestlé products? They are so big there’s a wiki page just to list their products. Chips Ahoy cookie anyone? What about the Anglo-Dutch company Unilever?  They bring us Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, Dove Bars, and Hellman’s mayonnaise. Have you ever had Nutella? That comes from the Italian company Ferrero. That single company consumes one quarter of the world’s supply of hazelnuts. Increasingly those nuts are coming from my neighboring state, Oregon. I love Oregon hazelnuts, so save some for me Ferrero.This select group of companies produce, market, and sell most of the food around the world that is baked, canned, chilled, frozen, dried, and processed. Adding to the fat and sugar found in fast-food chains, they make dairy products, ice cream, meal replacements, bars, snacks, noodles, pasta, sauces, oils, fats, TV dinners, dressings, condiments, spreads, and an array of beverages. This gives them massive market leverage over the source ingredients produced by farmers around the world.The very seeds needed to grow these crops are also controlled by a select group of multinational companies. The food policy advocacy group Food and Power reported: “In 2020, the top four corporations, Bayer (formerly Monsanto), Corteva (formerly DuPont), Syngenta (part of ChemChina), and Limagrain together controlled 50% of the global seed market, with Bayer and Corteva alone claiming roughly 40%. And when it comes to genetic traits, this control is even more pronounced: Bayer controls 98% of trait markers for herbicide-resistant soybeans, and 79% of trait markers for herbicide-resistant corn.”  Carlos J. Maya-Ambía, a professor of Political Economy and Agriculture at the University of Guadalajara in Mexico, uses an hourglass as a metaphor to explain the control these companies have over the food making process. Imagine the top of the hourglass are the world’s farmers producing edible plants and animals and the bottom are the world’s human inhabitants – consumers. Both are wide and round. The middle of the hourglass is relatively narrow. These are the few multinational companies mentioned above who control most of the flow from the top of the hourglass (the farms) to the bottom (our tables).Because these seeds are engineered for largescale monoculture farm productions that these corporations require. They tend to rely on agrochemicals to achieve desired yields. It’s a short-term positive yield strategy optimized for quarterly earnings reports, but with severe long-term negative consequences. And guess who controls an estimated 75 percent of the global pesticide market? Those same top tier seed companies.These chemicals are largely petrochemicals, so the fossil fuel industry also profits from global food production and consumption. These processes, genetically modified seeds, and chemicals no doubt have helped bring countless people out of poverty and starvation. Especially where increasingly harsh conditions make it hard to grow crops. But at what cost? These industrial scale schemes not only leach nutrients from the soil and pollute water supplies, but exposure to these chemicals can also cause neurological disorders, birth defects, infertility, stillbirths, miscarriages, and multiple forms of cancer.Worse yet are the inequities. Many of these chemicals and genetically modified foods are banned in developed countries. Before Monsanto was purchased by Bayer, massive protests across Europe led to the company pulling out of parts of the EU. Those countries with the most organized farmer and consumer protests had the biggest effect. It’s testimony to the power of democracy and organized protest. But Monsanto, and companies like them, just move on to more willing governments or vulnerable people and places. They seek lands far away from the peering eyes of consumers with a conscience. Many of whom who sit there munching snacks, and tapping on their phones to make that next online fast-food delivery. Guilty as charged. Sad as it may be, when the exploitive interdependent global food system is out of sight, it’s also out of mind.As Maya-Ambia puts it, “the scenario becomes clearer if we consider agriculture as a global system and as a long global value chain, composed of several links where agents interact and connect with the whole economy, nationally and globally. Accordingly, the global economy is formed by a complex web of value chains, whose links are located in different places around the world. Therefore, it is correct to speak of…the global value chain of agriculture that does not begin at the production process, but rather with the appropriation of nature and the transformation of natural objects into economic inputs, including the current land-grabbing in several places by transnational corporations. Driven by profit, these corporations have appropriated land, resulting in disastrous ecological effects.”He continues, “These practices of appropriation and consumption have created a ‘new international division of labor’: the Global South has become the place of appropriation of nature and in some ways a type of dumping ground.”FAIR TRADE LAY BAREMany of the same places these powerful corporations exploit are also the first to be hit with food insecurity. The United Nations Food and Agricultural Association (FAO) reported last year that “the number of undernourished people in the world continued to rise in 2020. Between 720 and 811 million people in the world faced hunger in 2020.” This includes 480 million people in Asia, 46 million in Africa, and 14 million in Latin America. Food insecurity has been climbing steadily over the last six years. One in three of the world’s 2.37 billion people do not have adequate access to food. This isn’t a supply issue. The world has enough food to feed everyone. This is about fair access.Many of the same people responsible for producing food exported to more developed countries are the one’s who reap the smallest rewards from the value chain. The smallest share of value goes to those farmers in developing countries. And the smaller the farm, the worse the effect. This fact is revealed by observing stagnating long-run trends of producer prices compared to rising consumer prices. These prices are controlled through governance schemes that squeeze the middle of the hourglass. Firms can exert extreme market power, leverage advanced financial and technological mechanisms, influence local, regional, and state leadership, and assert a particular cultural influence. My Parisian “Le Whopper” influenced the culture of the Champs-Élysées. American fast-food culture in Russia lives on in the new ‘Delicious’ McDonald’s. Full stop.Inequities are also found in the devastating effects of industrialized agriculture at the hands of these powerful firms. Large swaths of sensitive and diverse habitat in developing countries are violently destroyed – like in the Amazon. They’re making space for more croplands and pastures to grow more food and animals, to make more food products, that are sold to increasingly affluent populations who are rising out of poverty in search of the famed Western consumer lifestyle. This only further destroys the land and water making living conditions in these already poor areas even more stressed. As criminal as it is to live poor in a developed country like the United States, it’s not nearly as worse as living poor in unfairly exploited countries. Especially when it comes to acute food insecurity.On the other hand, living in developed countries – or desiring to adopt a similar lifestyle – comes with a higher risk of death by obesity…in large part due to fast and junk food. In 2021 the World Health Organization reported that worldwide obesity has tripled since 1975. More people in the world are likely to die of obesity than malnutrition. And because the globalization of high calorie junk and fast-food production exists to drive prices as low as possible, it makes it more accessible to poor people in both developing and developed countries. This puts poorer people at higher risk of both malnutrition and obesity.Naturally occurring factors, like the pandemic and a changing climate also unfairly impact those most vulnerable. As does war. How naïve to believe countries with a McDonald’s would never take arms against one another; that French fries, freedom fries, would somehow united the world. Russia and Ukraine have proven otherwise. Conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America have resulted in millions of people fleeing for safety and starving in the process. Many of whom were farmers. Much of the food needed to feed these refugees historically came from Ukraine and Russia but that is all at risk now.But American farmers might be able to help. In a rare bipartisan partnership on Capital Hill, just this week President Biden signed into law the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA). U.S. agricultural shippers complained to the federal government that the world’s top ocean carriers unfairly denied them container space. Shippers on the West coast found it more profitable to return empty boxes to Asia so they could be re-loaded for the next round of more profitable exports back to the U.S. Of course, this is all fed by increasing consumer demand by overconsuming Americans. But these interruptions made it difficult for farmers and shippers to predict when their time sensitive goods should be delivered to ports before they spoiled.But with the passing of this law, ocean shippers are required to report to the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) how many exports they’re loading and from where. The bill also includes rules that determines what makes a denial to export agricultural goods unreasonable. Maersk, Mediterranean Shipping Co., and Transfar Shipping have already offered container space for U.S. agricultural shippers and others are soon to follow. Hopefully, food grown in America can stand a better chance of making it to those in most need in Asia, Africa, Latin America and beyond.The world seems to be swimming in so many crises that the word has somehow lost urgency. But between war, climate change, and economic inequalities the global food system needs transformation. Here are six ways the FAO believes the global food system could be made more healthy, sustainable, and inclusive:Integrating humanitarian, development and peacebuilding policies in conflict-affected areas.Scaling up climate resilience across food systems.Strengthening resilience of the most vulnerable to economic adversity.Intervening along the food supply chains to lower the cost of nutritious foods.Tackling poverty and structural inequalities, ensuring interventions are pro-poor and inclusive.Strengthening food environments and changing consumer behaviour to promote dietary patterns with positive impacts on human health and the environment.These steps read a lot like the steps McDonald’s took 32 years ago after entering the Russian market. The introduction of fast-food chains was believed to be a peacebuilding exercise in a conflict-affected area. Freedom fries brought hope and russet potatoes to Russia. McDonald’s scaled up a resilient food system by investing in local farming. They optimized food supply chains within the region. Impoverished Russian’s adjusting to a post communist reality were given jobs growing McDonald’s produce, delivering goods, and working in restaurants. They strengthened the local food environment and changed consumer behavior. And while McDonald’s may not be the healthiest food, not the healthiest habit, it may have been better than what was offered before and it certainly made people happy.“Delicious and That’s It” just might make it even better. It could be their menu alterations make it a healthier version of McDonald’s. They’ve already made it cheaper. But judging from the Hugo Boss shirt one customer was wearing at the grand opening in Moscow, I have a hunch the new MickeyD’s just might be an elite treat. Still, they may be on to something. Perhaps this is a model that could be used in other places. Maybe more globetrotting fast-food restaurants and junk food producers should be selling out to the locals. Pizza Hut in Japan already offers squid as a pizza topping, but maybe a Japanese owned franchise would result in even more localized interpretations of a food that originated in Italy. After all, flatbreads exist in a variety of forms all over the world. Imagine مناقيش بيتزا (Manakish pizza), pisa bing 披薩餅 (Bing pizza), or a Catalonia coca? They could all be made with local ingredients, sourced from smaller sustainable farms, sold in locally owned franchises, employing local residents with wages high enough to live on. Who knows where the next Big Mac could be invented? Maybe Russia. Bol’shaya Gov anyone? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit interplace.io

Week of April 5th, 2021. ExxonMobil and Porche partner on advanced fuels. Sinochem and ChemChina form a $150 billion company. Learn more about industry trends in this week's podcast with Mark Friedl and Jeff Martin.

The global food system is a very complex set of systems that look incredibly different in different parts of the world. In this episode, we take a look at food systems in Nairobi, Kenya, and in Newfoundland, Canada with our guests, Helena Shilomboleni, PhD, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS) East Africa at the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi, Kenya, and Sarah J. Martin, Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Memorial University.

In today’s episode: how China’s answer to Youtube managed to sell hundreds of thousands of collectible figurines in just 60 seconds; Shenzhen tackles land redevelopment holdouts — and how this could impact the rest of country; and three years after acquiring Syngenta, ChemChina is deep in debt. SPECIAL OFFER: Great News! Caixin Podcast listeners can now enjoy a 7-day complimentary access pass to caixinglobal.com and Caixin app. This is a limited-time offer. Get your pass by heading to: https://www.caixinglobal.com/institutional-activity/?code=J3XVJC

Sanjiv Rana, editor-in-chief of Agrow, joins the podcast to discuss the ChemChina-Sinochem ag merger and its implications for the agchems industry.

"Just 50 years ago, some 1,000 small and family-owned seed companies were producing and distributing seeds in the United States; by 2009, there were fewer than 100. Thanks to a series of mergers and acquisitions over the last few years, four multinational agrochemical firms — Corteva, ChemChina, Bayer and BASF — now control over 60 percent of global seed sales." Michael Mazourek is co-founder of Row 7 Seed Company and an Associate Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He first met the likes of the butternut squash, the cucumber, the pea and the pepper tending to his family’s garden as a child; little did he know that the would later go on to specialize in these same crops. A deep interest in human health and getting to the root of how stuff works led him to the study of biochemistry, illuminating the links between plants and the important phytochemicals in our diet. Today he has the opportunity to strengthen these connections—and serve regional farmers—by breeding improved vegetables and training others in his craft.

How do investors think about ESG considerations and what impact does it have on the process that leads to a final investment decision? Richard Edgar, editor in chief, talks to Mike Dolan, director of research, Alvin Cheng, credit analyst, and on the line from Hong Kong, portfolio manager Bryan Collins, to examine the step-by-step process in the case of an investment in ChemChina, the Chinese state-owned chemical giant. --- This podcast is for Investment Professionals only and should not be relied on by private investors. This podcast is provided for information purposes only and is intended only for the person or entity to which it is sent or downloaded by. It must not be reproduced or circulated to any other party without prior permission of Fidelity. Fidelity Personal Investing does not give personal recommendations. The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. For other important legal notices please see our website: www.fidelity.co.uk/professional/about/

Welcome to the 12th installment of the Caixin-Sinica Business Brief, a weekly podcast that brings you the most important business stories of the week from China's top source for business and financial news. Produced by Kaiser Kuo of our Sinica Podcast, it includes a business news roundup, conversations with Caixin reporters and editors, and a selection of complete stories from the week's news, read by Kaiser and Sinica rotating co-host Ada Shen. This week, we hear how a flight from Shanghai was delayed for almost six hours due to a passenger tossing coins at the engine for good luck — one fell inside, leading to the opposite effect. We report on how China Eastern Airlines started construction on a 13 billion yuan ($1.9 billion) aviation facility at the new mega airport going up in southern Beijing. We cover the world's first clearinghouse dedicated to third-party online payments, which went live in China last week. We examine the Rio Tinto shareholders' approval of a $2.69 billion sale of the company's coal unit to Chinese coal producer Yancoal Australia. We discuss ChemChina's announcement of the completion of its $49 billion takeover of Swiss agribusiness giant Syngenta. We talk to Caixin senior editor Doug Young about the dismantling of the futuristic “car-straddling bus” in Qinhuangdao. We also chat with Jingxuan Teng about the attempts to unify new long rail lines running between China and Europe. In addition, we bring you four complete stories: The tie-up between Amazon.com and China Mobile to release the first co-branded Kindle e-reader. The new trend of robot-operated convenience stores, starting in Guangzhou and set to quickly expand throughout the country. How Chinese social media commentators are divided over an attack on a customer by a deliveryman. How an environmental activist who was convicted of blackmailing a Chinese oil giant has had his sentence commuted. We'd love to hear your feedback on this product. Please send any comments and suggestions to sinica@supchina.com.

Two giant Chinese groups, ChemChina and Sinochem, are planning to merge next year, creating the world’s largest chemicals group. This follows ChemChina’s purchase of Swiss agrochemicals leader Syngenta, amid more consolidation of the global agrochemicals industry. David Oakley discusses the significance of these multi billion dollar deals with the FT's Don Weinland, Ralph Atkins and Arash Massoudi. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There are fresh doubts about ChemChina's proposed acquisition of Syngenta - amid increasing signs that the west is stiffening its opposition to Chinese takeovers of US and European companies. Andrew Parker discusses what's behind these doubts with the FT's Arash Massoudi and James Kynge. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

China's appetite for acquiring overseas companies was dealt a major setback this week as regulatory fears hindered two potential takeovers. How will this affect the $44bn ChemChina deal to acquire Swiss agribusiness Syngenta and other large-scale deals? US M&A correspondent James Fontanella-Khan explains. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rangeley Capital's Portfolio Managers, Chris DeMuth and Andrew Walker, discuss 3 deals: Syngenta's deal with ChemChina, Starz potential for a future deal, and the Endurance / Constant Contact deal closing.