Latest Trade News and Agreements: January 2024

Brazil: Almond Imports from Argentina Allowed for First Time Brazil and Argentina recently reached an agreement to allow the import of almonds from Argentina into Brazil. The recently announced phytosanitary requirements for Argentine almonds will come into force on February 1, 2024. Under the new guidelines, a phytosanitary certificate issued by Argentina’s plant protection authority […]
Sustainability Update: January 2024

EU: Council Adopts Negotiating Position on Sustainable Packaging Rules On December 18, 2023, the Council reached an agreement (“general approach”) on a proposal for a regulation on packaging and packaging waste. The proposal requires that all packaging be recyclable and that the presence of substances of concern be minimized. It also sets labelling requirements, sets […]
Red Sea Attacks Disrupt Global Supply Chains

Shipping companies re-route vessels and impose surcharges After a spike in attacks on commercial vessels, shipping firms are facing a difficult decision: they can send their ships through the Red Sea, risking attacks by Houthi rebels and inviting significantly higher insurance premiums, or re-route them around the Cape of Good Hope, adding 10 days to […]
Study Finds Snacking on Tree Nuts Reduces Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Young Adults

Daily tree nut intake may improve waist circumference, lipid biomarkers and insulin levels A recent study published in Nutrients set out to determine whether consuming tree nuts as snacks, versus typical carbohydrate snacks, would reduce risk for metabolic syndrome in young adults. The study was the first of its kind to investigate cardiometabolic responses to […]
INC-Funded Study Finds Longer-Term Nut Consumption Improves Brain Insulin Sensitivity

This research may be important for the prevention of age-related diseases Results from a recent INC-funded intervention study were published in the prestigious American Journal of Clinical Nutrition[1], one of the highest-rated journals in the field of nutrition and dietetics. The study showed that, for older adults with overweight or obesity, longer-term consumption of mixed […]
How to find alternative crops for climate-resilient regional food production
CONTEXT. Agricultural food production is both affected by and contributing to climate change. At the global scale, agri-food systems are responsible for one-third of total greenhouse gas emissions. With progressing climate change, the risks of crop failure increase. Thus, an urgent need is to reduce emissions from food systems while increasing their resilience to climate […]
Construction of eco-friendly multifunctional cashew nut shell oil-based waterborne polyurethane network with UV resistance, corrosion resistance, mechanical strength, and transparency
Vegetable oil-based waterborne polyurethane possesses numerous advantages, including its sustainability, environmental friendliness, and economic benefits. Nevertheless, its application is constrained by inferior mechanical properties and a low glass transition temperature. Hereon, the renewable polyols of sorbitan monooleate/cytidine were incorporated into the anionic cashew nut shell oil-based WPU network through molecular structure design. Series of CNSL-based […]
INC XLI World Nut & Dried Fruit Congress

Join us at the world’s #1 event for the nut and dried fruit industry. Vancouver, May 8-10, 2024 INC Annual Congress is the largest international gathering of food professionals, suppliers, traders, and buyers dedicated to the nuts and dried fruits business. From May 8-10, 2024, the INC Congress in Vancouver will provide a unique environment […]