New Zealand-based zero-waste packaging manufacturer Compostic has introduced its product line in the US.
The company, which manufactures fully home-compostable cling wrap and resealable bags as an alternative to kitchen plastics, will sell its products via its website and Amazon.
The vegan-friendly products and packaging can break down in home compost after 12 to 24 weeks.
Compostic founder and CEO Jon Reed said: “My inspiration behind Compostic began with my realisation of the massive threat that plastic has become to our environment.
“It soon became my life’s mission to find a sustainable solution to the convenience that plastics have within our lives, but that won’t stick around polluting our environment for hundreds of years.
“We are thrilled to launch Compostic in the US as we continue our mission to eliminate single-use plastics on a global scale. We believe that with Compostic’s alternatives, there is no longer an excuse to use toxic plastics anymore.”
Reed founded Compostic in 2018 with the aim of eliminating single-use plastics from the home while maintaining the convenience of traditional plastics.
The cling wrap and resealable bags are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), free from bisphenol A and genetically modified organisms, and non-toxic.
The cling wrap is available in 150ft² and 250ft² lengths and includes pre-perforated markings for seamless use.
Its packaging features soy-based inks and a recyclable and compostable box, which contains no metal or plastic cutters.
The resealable bags feature an easy-to-use zip and are available in snack, sandwich and gallon sizes. Compostic claims the bags are more resistant than regular plastics.
Last year, US-based biodegradable materials company Danimer Scientific partnered with custom plastic bag manufacturer Columbia Packaging Group to develop home-compostable produce bags for the flexible packaging market.
Confirmation of a long-term partnership between the New Zealand Government and Amazon Studios - The Lord of the Rings Summary:
Today’s confirmation of a long-term partnership between the New Zealand Government and Amazon Studios around its streaming series based on The Lord of the Rings is more great news for Auckland’s booming screen industry.
The agreement was confirmed today by Minister for Economic and Regional Development, Stuart Nash.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff welcomed the news.
“This production is injecting hundreds of millions into the economy, and is already directly and indirectly employing more than a thousand Kiwis in skilled jobs – most of them from Auckland strong screen talent base. It is supporting the many Auckland businesses that directly and indirectly supply services to the screen industry,” he says.
“The agreement provides an excellent framework for Auckland to develop long-term partnerships, and leverage programmes to keep growing the local industry and help the region’s economic recovery.
“The long-term production has its main base right here in Auckland, is the largest to ever come here, and the biggest underway in the world at the moment.
“Auckland’s wider screen sector already contributes $1.14 billion to the city’s GDP and nearly 4000 people are employed in production and post-production jobs alone, with Auckland Unlimited playing a key role in the sector’s recent growth by expanding its dedicated unit focused on attracting a number of major screen productions to the region.
“Amazon’s partnership with the Government will help us further grow our region’s skilled screen workforce, accelerate innovation within our cutting edge tech-led firms, and the branding activities component will help us to promote Auckland – including our amazing locations used by the production – to the next generation of global Rings fans.”
The agreement also includes a talent development focus, with a range of deliverables – such as internships and other on-set placements – across the series’ multiple seasons.
“This is a great opportunity for our region’s best young talent to strive for,” says Mayor Goff. “The production will provide valuable career pathway opportunities for our next generation of screen talent.”
Pam Ford, General Manager Economic Development at Auckland Unlimited says: “When Amazon chose in 2019 to base its production in our region, it made the world’s screen industry sit up and take notice. This is a vast project that will be more transformative for our region’s industry than anything that’s gone before.
“We are determined to help Amazon Studios feel as welcome as possible in our region, as it films in various studios and on location, and it’s important that we support its team in any way we can – as a Council group and as a city,” says Pam Ford.
New Zealand’s screen industry was one of the few in the world where productions were able to re-start in relative normality under COVID-19 conditions, thanks to the Government’s strong action against the coronavirus and national industry specific protocols which Screen Auckland helped to develop.
“Thousands of people and businesses are being kept busy in this COVID-19 world by Auckland’s thriving screen industry, and Amazon’s production is a vital contributor to that – alongside a range of other domestic and international productions,” says Pam Ford.
Shares in Pacific Edge spiked sharply higher after the company said its "Cxbladder" cancer diagnostic tests are now covered by United Healthcare, America's biggest healthcare insurer.
The NZX-listed cancer diagnostics company said Cxbladder is now being covered as a "medically necessary bladder tumour marker test", under United Healthcare's Molecular Pathology/Molecular Diagnostics/Genetic Testing (Medicare Advantage) - Medical Policy.
The stock last traded at $1.30, up 31c or 31.3 per cent on Thursday's close.
United Healthcare has over 50 million members with more than 5.7 million Medicare Advantage members.
In 2019, United Health Group had a 14.1 per cent share of the US health insurance market, with direct premiums written amounting to about US$107 billion.
The organisation partners with 6500 hospitals and care facilities nationwide, and more than 1.3 million physicians and other providers.
Including the positive coverage decision issued by the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2020, more than 110 million Americans now have coverage of Cxbladder non-invasive, highly accurate tests for the detection and management of urothelial and bladder cancer, Pacific Edge said.
Chief executive David Darling said gaining coverage with the insurer was a significant achievement for Pacific Edge.
"This positive coverage decision reflects the validation that comes from independent published clinical evidence, inclusion in guidelines and coverage with other providers such as the CMS. It adds further validation of Cxbladder and a point of inflexion for other healthcare insurers."
PEDUSA, Pacific Edge's US business, has been expanding its US sales team to deliver on the growth opportunities available to Cxbladder.
These specialist salespeople will now be working closely with urologists associated with United Healthcare to encourage and support them in their use of our Cxbladder products, the company said.
Pacific Edge was one of the market's strongest performers in 2020 - with its share price climbing by 780 per cent.
By: Jamie Gray Business reporter, NZ Herald
If fully leveraged, digital technologies could add $46.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy by 2030. This could have a significant material impact on society as it is equivalent to 14% of New Zealand’s GDP today, or the combined GDP supported by Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay. Of this value, NZ$17.1 billion could come from technologies that help mitigate the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report talks to eight transformative technologies and the strong economic potential they bring to New Zealand industries including, but not limited to, Artificial Intelligence (AI) which can be used to drive data-based public health interventions, Mobile Internet to help digitise retail distribution channels, and the Internet of Things (IoT) for use in supply chain tracking.
Caroline Rainsford, New Zealand Country Director of Google, says, “Overall New Zealand has weathered the storm of the COVID-19 crisis well, and we are starting to see the economy rebound on the back of policies that have protected businesses and kept unemployment relatively low. However, the COVID-19 crisis has exposed the over-reliance of our economy on low-productivity, low-value exports.
“As we rebuild for the post-pandemic future, digital transformation has become an imperative, as it lifts prosperity, and prosperity lifts well-being. We need to unlock this potential in order to drive a significant difference by 2030.”
In order to fully leverage the opportunities presented by digital transformation, the report has identified three main pillars of action New Zealand could take including:
Google’s Contribution Rainsford says, while there is huge potential for New Zealand, a lot of positive work has already been done in this area within the last year. She says, “Through this report we’ve also been able to demonstrate some of the ways that Google’s tools and services are already benefiting New Zealand’s digital economy. We’re humbled that Kiwi businesses and wider society derive over NZD$6 billion in annual benefits, through increased revenues and millions of connections online.”
The report also shares stories of local businesses that have successfully adapted to the challenges of COVID-19 by proactively embracing the opportunities provided by digital adoption. Kiwi-founded eco-friendly beauty company Ethique was borne out of a desire to do things differently. With ambition to create better products for the bathroom and to save plastic from landfill, online advertising enabled them to easily reach a global audience - validating its global potential.
Key findings:
Kia ora,
As always, I hope you and your whānau are well as we head into April. A lot has happened since my last newsletter: the first Senior Officials’ Meetings (SOM1) and Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meetings (FCBDM) have now concluded. Over 3,300 officials registered to attend these meetings from around the APEC region – a fantastic level of engagement.
We’re now looking forward to the second Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM2) and Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting in May and June. The MRT meeting in particular is usually a space for important statements, like 2020’s statement to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19, which can tangibly show APEC’s progress for the year.
The first Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM1) SOM1 brought together thousands of government officials from each of the 21 APEC economies, along with their support teams in March.
Talks focused on how to fast-track the regional response to COVID-19, in a bid to boost the recovery process. There was also intensive discussion about how APEC will carry forward commitments leaders made in 2020 and the development of a 20-year implementation plan, taking into consideration the challenges and risks exposed by the pandemic.
SOM Chair, Vangelis Vitalis said “as a region, we need to work together to ensure APEC effectively responds, not just to the immediate crisis, but also to the longer-term need to build a sustainable and resilient regional economy that benefits everyone.”
Watch Vangelis, APEC Secretariat Executive Director Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria and reporter Jehan Casinader discuss the work of SOM1 here.
Policy Dialogue: Valuing Indigenous Economies This meeting was the first of its kind in APEC, bringing together Indigenous voices from Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand and Peru.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nanaia Mahuta, described the dialogue as “pioneering work”, asking participants to “nurture the seed so that it may grow and flourish as we continue to work together on Indigenous issues. This work is important in improving the lives and well-being of all Indigenous Peoples across the Asia-Pacific region”.
One of the areas discussed at the dialogue, was the importance of data to understand the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on Indigenous businesses and communities. This data could inform policy, and support the delivery of business support, building resilience for future challenges.
Measuring Indigenous economies is critical to illustrating the economic contribution of these businesses and communities to national economies to ensure the development of targeted and tailored policy responses.
Read more about the Dialogue here.
Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meeting (FCBDM) APEC’s Finance and central bank deputies came together on March 17 & 18 to discuss the groundwork for sustainable fiscal management to boost recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. They also debated the costs and benefits of stimulus measures that finance ministries and central banks have put in place around the Asia-Pacific.
Dr Caralee McLiesh, Secretary and Chief Executive of the Treasury and Chair of APEC’s Finance and Central Bank Deputies’ Meeting said: “As member economies have worked to respond to the economic, social and health impacts of the pandemic, finance ministries around the region have been at the heart of government decision-making.”
The discussion from the FCBDM will continue towards the APEC Senior Finance Officials’ Meeting in June and their recommendations will be provided to APEC Finance Ministers in October this year.
Read more about the FCBDM here.
Looking ahead, we have a month of ad-hoc meetings in the lead up to SOM2 and the Ministers’ Responsible for Trade meeting. I look forward to updating you next month on our further progress.
If you’d like to read more about APEC 2021, here are three recent pieces:
A reminder of some key work coming up this year:
Ngā mihi nui,
Andrea Smith Deputy Secretary, APEC New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Following the launch of the business on 1 February, WayBeyond is announcing the first five global partnerships as part of a push to create AgTech collaborations and accelerate new offerings to customers.
“These five partners are just the beginning. We have another 30 we are in discussions with, allowing us to have a presence in every corner of the planet,” says Head of Global Channels Lotte Bayly.
“We are delighted with the positive reception we’ve had in relation to our offerings and how we will be able to present partners with leading edge innovations they can then roll out to their customers.”
The five partners all cover a variety of global regions and include:
• Cultivatd (headquartered in Canada) • Novefa (headquartered in Denmark) • Better Grow Hydro (headquartered in U.S.) • UpGrown Farming (headquartered in Singapore) • Autogrow (headquartered in NZ).
Another two partners to be confirmed in the next few weeks.
“The expertise at WayBeyond is second to none and they have developed tools that can help any indoor farmer track and manage their critical data in an effective way," says Eric Bergeron, co-founder of Cultivatd, an indoor farm technology broker.
One of the first WayBeyond products the partners will be introducing to their customer base is the Folium Network Sensor. The solution comes with a dedicated wrap-around partner program including a comprehensive sales toolbox and rewarding incentives.
Lionel Wong, Managing Director for Upgrown Farming notes the technology will play a pivotal role in emerging yet challenging markets in Singapore and Asia.
“Regardless of one's level of farming experience, Folium accelerates the learning curve and empowers decision making in what is a dynamic environment and market," says Mr. Wong.
The partnerships are part of push by WayBeyond to increase the level and connectivity of cloud-based solutions in market and comes after the successful launch of farm management platform FarmRoad and its subsequent products Data Studio, Yield Prediction and Crop Registration.
Source: https://www.waybeyond.io/
The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on Thursday, March 25th on the subject of US international tax policy, “How US International Tax Policy Impacts American Workers, Jobs and Investment.” ACA submitted testimony for this hearing highlighting the need for the tax-writing committees to be educated on how tax policy affects international taxpayers - Americans living and working overseas.
ACA believes that tax legislation will be taken up in the 117th Congress and the Senate Finance Committee hearing is a clear indication of this and a signal that more hearings on domestic and international taxation will be held. ACA’s recent meetings with Congressional and Administrative offices, tax writing committees and the US Treasury Department, indicate that there is interest in addressing the problems of international taxpayers. Congressional and Administrative offices are well aware of the problems overseas taxpayers have reported, banking lockout, excessive cost of compliance, double taxation, thanks to ACA’s advocacy work and the work of other organizations and individuals who are raising the alarm.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has not stopped ACA’s advocacy on tax reform and our push for holding hearings on the tax and compliance issues for Americans overseas,” said Marylouise Serrato, ACA Executive Director, “ACA continues to meet virtually with the key offices involved in tax legislation. There is increased awareness and interest in international tax policy. This is a good sign.”
As ACA continues to advocate for the adoption of residence-based taxation (RBT), the organization stresses that the important next step is to hold hearings so that a full airing of the problems of the 5 to 6 million American living overseas are heard by the committees responsible for driving tax legislation. Community participation in the ACA write-in campaign calling for hearings is supporting ACA’s efforts. ACA is also updating its data and research and continues to add to its extensive body of work on the subject of RBT and tax reform.
“ACA has a wealth of knowledge and hard data on the tax and compliance issues of American taxpayers overseas and this information needs to be put on official record with the tax committees. We are confident that this will happen,” said Jonathan Lachowitz, ACA Chairman.
“ACA also pays close attention to what’s happening with corporate tax changes, as these signal Congressional thinking on aspects of the RBT issue, such as, zero-tax income and tax havens”, added Charles Bruce, Chairman, American Citizens Abroad Global Foundation.
Contact: Marylouise.serrato@americansabroad.org +1 202 322 8441
Xero, the global small business platform, today announced that Adams Brown, one of the top 200 largest CPA firms in the United States, has selected Xero as its preferred cloud accounting platform when working with farmers and ranchers.
By joining forces with Xero, Adams Brown clients will have access to the Xero platform so they can better manage and track their farm’s finances. Xero’s partner Figured, a cloud-based farm financial management system, provides farmers and their advisors with real-time production tracking, budgeting and reporting information, offering a solution to help farmers stay on top of profitability and effectively plan for the future.
“For years, farmers have looked for ways to integrate their farm management and accounting functions, and now they can,” said Bill Glazner, CPA, CITP, agriculture industry leader, partner at Adams Brown. “By aligning with Xero and Figured, our clients will have more useful data to assist with decision making. Coupled with our significant depth in the agriculture industry, we are able to help farmers run more modern, technology-driven businesses.”
Xero works with Figured to bring an accounting solution to the agriculture sector. By combining financial data from Xero with production and forecasting data from Figured, Adams Brown can empower clients to know where their farming business stands and make informed decisions to help determine their farm’s future.
“Figured believes that farmers are most successful when working with a strong financial advisor to achieve their business goals,” said Ryan Betka, Figured Senior Vice President - USA. “We are excited to be partnering with industry leader Adams Brown as they launch their new advisory offering powered by Figured and Xero. Farmers are facing as volatile and challenging times as ever. Having the best advisors and technology will help enable them to make profitable decisions with confidence and be a game-changer for the US.”
Xero and Figured can also help model the financial impacts of decisions, such as machinery or land purchases, as well as long-term planning for livestock, dairy and crop production. Furthermore, farmers can automate time-consuming accounting and back-office work, view cash flow and profitability and develop a plan to guide their operations for upcoming production cycles. Data from Xero and Figured can enable Adams Brown to lift the value of service for their clients so they can spend more time advising on ways to achieve farming goals and how to improve their farm’s overall financial performance.
“Xero and Adams Brown are committed to providing farmers rich insights and data to help them achieve their financial goals,” said Tanner Hoffman, General Manager, Industry Verticals, Xero. “The simplicity of Xero paired with Figured, matched with best-in-class accounting service from partners like Adams Brown, means farmers can efficiently get the insights they need and focus their time and energy on the business of farming.”
Source: Insightful Accountant, LLC
U.S. Chamber releases ninth annual International IP Index as intellectual property (IP) takes center stage in combatting the global pandemic WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) released its ninth annual International IP Index, “Recovery Through Ingenuity,” highlighting the extraordinary role of intellectual property (IP) rights in delivering pandemic-ending solutions. The new report evaluates IP rights in 53 global economies — from patent and copyright policies to commercialization of IP assets and ratification of international treaties. In a year of unprecedented challenges, the U.S., Japanese, and European economies remained atop the global IP rankings, while some emerging markets – including the UAE, China, and Mexico – continued making solid progress. The overall global IP environment also improved in 2020, with positive score increases in 32 of the 53 economies measured by the IP Index. This follows a significant increase for many economies over the last 9 years, including India and Brazil. China’s improved score is due in part to new legislation to strengthen its domestic IP framework, as a result of a trade agreement with the United States. These changes, if implemented effectively, should improve China’s domestic IP regime. However, ongoing market access barriers, uneven enforcement, measures requiring forced technology transfer, and serious deficiencies in the rule of law continue to make the business environment in China highly challenging for rightsholders. “Trade remains critically important to global IP standards,” said Neil Bradley, Chief Policy Officer for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Both the U.S.-China 2020 Trade and Economic Agreement and U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement must be fully and faithfully implemented – and built upon – to harness the benefits which effective IP systems provide. Moreover, to achieve the desired effect of stimulating global innovation, countries must implement the spirit as well as the letter of these commitments.” The 2021 Index illustrates that economies with the most effective IP frameworks are more likely to achieve the socio-economic benefits needed to combat COVID-19, including greater access to venture capital, increased private sector investment in research and development, and over 10 times more clinical trial activity. Over the last year, transparent and predictable intellectual property rights have also fostered unprecedented levels of highly successful public-private sector collaborations. “The international IP system gave the innovative scientific community the capacity to respond to the global pandemic,” said David Hirschmann, President and CEO of GIPC. “Countries with the most effective IP ecosystems – as measured by the 2021 Index – become trusted partners in our mission to develop, manufacture, and distribute the solutions needed to defeat COVID-19 in record time. Now is the time to build greater international consensus and capacity on IP, to enable all countries and the next generation to build a sustained economic recovery through ingenuity,” Hirschmann said. IP continues to be a massive economic driver for jobs and investment. In the United States alone, IP supports over $6 trillion in GDP and more than 45 million jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Read the executive summary here. To view the full report, visit uschamber.com/ipindex.
On March 3rd innovative New Zealand company Good Feeding Ltd launched its Go Well infant feeding subscription programme into the lucrative US market with what Trailblazer called "the most significant global baby industry disruption ever seen". Plus they're looking for investors.
Good Feeding ’s 24-week Go Well programme delivers nutrient-dense, chilled infant food and a step-by-step feeding guide, plus expert advice, to parents introducing babies to solid foods. The programme is designed to form healthy eating habits by exposing infants to different tastes and textures and limiting natural sugars.
“Go Well is a multi-pronged approach to infant nutrition. Its value proposition is more than just food, its empowerment. We use an innovative suite of technology and exclusive cooking processes to create the world ’s best baby food – with superior colour, taste and texture to anything else on the market. We couple that with a science-backed step-by-step feeding programme packed with all the advice and guidance overwhelmed and under-informed new parents are crying out for,” says Good Feeding Co-Founder and CEO Phil McGrath.
The result is a unique proposition within the $7.6 billion US baby food market. Conservative figures from Good Feeding ’s State-side research show that 28 percent of parents surveyed intend to purchase Go Well when it is available.
With over 1000 parents visiting its site daily for advice and hundreds that signed up to be part of its pilot launch, Good Feeding currently projects it will capture a 2 percent market share in the States, growing their revenue from a projected NZ$6.3 million this year to NZ$85 million in five years, delivering projected EBITDA of approximately $17m by 2026.
Good Feeding was founded in 2018 after Phil and Frances McGrath saw a gap in the market and the opportunity to create positive change and address the rapidly rising rates of child obesity, early onset diabetes and other life-long health complaints by supporting parents to set up healthy eating habits right from the beginning.
“The baby food market is dominated by high-sugar, nutrient-poor baby food that sets children up to crave the wrong foods and overeat. Go Well counters that via education and advice for parents and flavour training and better food for infants,” says McGrath.
McGrath has a successful background in food innovation. He co-founded the popular Rafferty ’s Garden Baby Food brand that was immediately ranged in every Australian Coles and Woolworths supermarket store, rapidly taking over a 1/3 of the Australian market and was the Food Entrepreneur in Residence at Massey University ’s world-class research, teaching and business development facility, Riddet Innovation.
He was instrumental in commercialising the exclusive thermal processing technology suite used by Go Well to rapidly but gently cook vegetables, preserving nutrients, colour and flavour while killing dangerous bacteria.
Co-founder Frances McGrath is Director of Product Design at Good Feeding. She has a background in applied science and sports research and has spent years researching paediatric nutrition and food acceptance.
She says the goal is to establish healthy habits from the very first taste via Go Well ’s guided Flavour Training programme that teaches parents the right way to introduce foods. She says Go Well is designed to foster healthy confident eaters who have a positive relationship with food to take them into adulthood, potentially minimising the risks of obesity, diabetes and other lifestyle related conditions.
Investors who are looking to invest $1-5m-plus wanting to explore this opportunity can find more information at www.GoodFeeding.com.
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