The MoU will extend support to smallholder farmers. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Biodigestion technology provider, Sistema.bio, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with food and beverage company, Danone, during the 17th edition of the International Agricultural Exhibition in Morocco (SIAM) 

“Danone is committed to supporting smallholder dairy farmers to enhance their farm resilience. We see this partnership with Sistema.bio to implement biodigesters for driving manure transformation as a key enabler to achieving this goal, whilst improving local food sovereignty, environmental impact and economic return," said Olivier Verdelet, Global SVP of Agriculture & Sustainability, Danone.

The MoU will extend support to smallholder farmers by introducing biodigesters - a proven manure management solution to mitigate methane emissions, while providing access to renewable energy on-farm. The partnership aims to deploy 6,500 biodigesters by 2030 for smallholder dairy farmers across various geographies, starting with Mexico, Morocco and India.

“We are honoured to collaborate with Danone to adopt a new regenerative agriculture model for milk production,” said Alexander Eaton, CEO and co-founder of Sistema.bio. “Thanks to Danone’s vision of a supply chain driven by clean energy and circular principles, we will help thousands of farmers in multiple geographies to turn organic waste into clean energy and natural fertilizer—boosting farm productivity while accelerating the transition to clean energy.”

“We are especially proud to see Morocco playing a leading role in this global agricultural ambition driven by Danone. This partnership with Sistema.bio reflects our commitment to taking concrete action toward a more sustainable and resilient agriculture. By deploying accessible solutions like biodigesters, we are helping our farmers transition toward a more circular, self-sufficient, and environmentally respectful model,” said Herve Orama Barrere, CEO of Centrale Danone-Morocco.

The exhibition provided a platform for Pure Breed and Aviagen to engage in meaningful discussions. (Image source: Aviagen)

Pure Breed, Aviagen’s Ross Parent Stock (PS) distributor for Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States and Yemen, recently participated in the 4th Middle East Poultry Expo at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 14-16 April

The exhibition provided an excellent platform for Pure Breed and Aviagen to engage in meaningful discussions, share expertise, and strengthen relationships with both existing and potential customers.

Visitors to the stand had the opportunity to learn more about Pure Breed’s ongoing commitment to innovation, customer success and their support for Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to be 90% self-sufficient in poultry production by 2030.

“The Middle East Poultry Expo (MEP) continues to expand in scale and impact each year. Saudi Arabia serves as an ideal host for the Expo, given its status as one of the largest poultry producers in the Middle East and Africa, and one of the largest global consumers of meat and poultry. The Expo provided an excellent platform to engage with our valued customers and to network with key stakeholders across the poultry sector. We greatly appreciated the opportunity to strengthen existing relationships and establish new connections, and we look forward to supporting the continued growth and success of MEP in the years ahead,” commented Moeen Alkhatib, chief executive officer, Pure Breed.

Bulent Tanyildizi, business manager, MENA, added, “The Aviagen MENA team, including myself and Murat Yakar, Regional Technical Manager, TMENA, was pleased to support Pure Breed during the Expo. We had the opportunity to engage with our local and regional customers and also Pure Breed’s direct customers within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Aviagen is proud to continue our strong collaboration with Pure Breed, delivering top-tier breeding stock that meets the highest health and biosecurity standards. We are committed to Breeding Success Together by ensuring the ongoing success and sustainability of our customers across the region.”

South-South co-operation can transform rural areas and empower rural communities. (Image source: IFAD/Ueslei Marcelino)

The UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) played a prominent role at the II Brazil-Africa Dialogue on Food Security, Fight Against Hunger and Rural Development conference, held in Brasilia this week

The Fund’s vice president, Gerardine Mukeshimana, emphasised that sharing practical, locally adapted, and sustainable solutions among countries with similar contexts, or South-South cooperation, is one of the most effective ways to transform rural areas and empower rural communities. It also presents an opportunity for multilateral development institutions to evolve and scale up solutions.

“Across Brazil and Africa, smallholder farmers are already innovating by improving their soils, adopting resilient crops, forming cooperatives, and building inclusive markets, but they cannot do it alone, their success hinges on collaborative support and resources,” said Mukeshimana at the event. The Fund also stressed the need to place family farming at the heart of rural development finance, aiming to thrive farms and promote prosperity in the Global South.

Mukeshimana also said that “multilateral development banks must shift from being just funders to system builders, working alongside governments, public development banks, the private sector, and rural communities to build an ecosystem of scalable investment opportunities.”

The Brazil-Africa Dialogue was created by the G20’s Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, and it provided an opportunity for more than 40 high-level delegations from African countries to share their knowledge and experiences with the aim to expedite the development of intervention models that improve the lives of rural communities.

IFAD focuses more than 60% of its investments in Africa and Latin America and had ample opportunity during the Brazil-Africa Dialogue to share its intervention models that complement existing national policies in several countries attending. IFAD also highlighted its strong portfolio in the Northeast of Brazil, which led to several South-South cooperation exchanges with African countries.

Expoliva is the ideal platform to share the exceptional results achieved with Alfa Laval’s vacuum-based extraction method. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Alfa Laval will showcase the outstanding performance of its Olive Oil Booster system at the XXII International Trade Fair for Olive Oil and Related Industries (Expoliva 2025), taking place from 14-16 May in Jaén, Spain

The region surrounding La Selva Del Camp in northern Spain is now at the forefront of modern innovation. A forward-thinking partnership between the century-old cooperative Coselva and Alfa Laval is driving a new era of premium olive oil production.

As the leading global event in the olive oil sector, Expoliva is the ideal platform to share the exceptional results achieved with Alfa Laval’s vacuum-based extraction method. At Coselva, this innovative technology enabled a 10% increase in the extraction of premium extra virgin olive oil and a 20% boost in polyphenol content, marking a major advance in both efficiency and nutritional quality.

With global food demand expected to rise 70% by 2050, innovation in food processing is critical. Alfa Laval’s technologies are designed to maximise the availability of nutritious food while minimising environmental impact.

The Olive Oil Booster system integrates advanced thermal and separation processes, including a plate heat exchanger and centrifugal decanter—to improve performance without disrupting traditional production flow. When combined with Alfa Laval’s crusher and vertical centrifuge, the system significantly increases both oil yield and antioxidant levels compared to conventional methods.