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TOMORROW’S ANSWERS TODAY
THE AKZONOBEL MAGAZINE ISSUE 7
AkzoNobel has become a full technology partner with the
McLaren Group after expanding the company’s current rela-
tionship with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. The announce-
ment of the new four-year deal coincided with the launch of
the new MP4-26 Formula 1 car in Berlin – being driven by
Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton – which now features a
sophisticated, high gloss Sikkens system and the AkzoNobel
logo on the rear wing endplate.
Through Sikkens, AkzoNobel has been the official supplier of
paint solutions to McLaren’s team since 2008. Under the new
agreement, the companies will work closely together to further
develop the extreme environment technology for Formula 1 and
wider industrial applications. “Our innovative capabilities are
well suited to McLaren’s high performance requirements,” said
AkzoNobel CEO, Hans Wijers. “The shared knowledge we
have gained from the existing partnership has already enabled
us to translate 80 percent of the tailor-made solution supplied
to McLaren Racing into a commercial value proposition for
AkzoNobel customers.”
Driving innnoovatioonn
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The A team
Chief Editor
David Lichtneker
AkzoNobel
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John McLaren, AkzoNobel
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Berry Oonk, AkzoNobel
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AkzoNobel
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Awards
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Excellence Award (2010)
SABRE Awards Certificate
of Excellence (2009)
European Excellence
Award (2009)
Art Directors Club
Bronze Cube (2009)
Opinions in this magazine
do not necessarily represent
those of AkzoNobel, and
AkzoNobel accepts no
responsibility for these
opinions. While the informa-
tion in this publication is
intended to be accurate, no
representation of accuracy
or completeness is made.
WELCOME CHRIS WESTON
Just before Christmas I was in Zimbabwe, a country which, in the past few
years, has suffered enormous political turmoil and massive economic strife –
supermarkets with no food, petrol stations with no fuel, banks with no cash.
I was in the north of the country visiting a village school, where I met Ngame.
As well as his main teaching role, Ngame doubled up as the school’s
PE teacher. He was especially proud to show me the school’s “football field” –
a bumpy patch of dried mud with sticks for goals.
The legacy of South Africa’s hosting of the soccer World Cup has reached
far across the continent and, in this corner of Zimbabwe, it had struck a chord.
“We have formed a school team,” Ngame told me. “We are setting up a local
league with other schools and my boys are very excited and desperate to be
champions,” he continued. “We practice every day until the sky goes dark.”
This, he went on to tell me, despite the fact they didn’t yet have a ball.
I met the boys of the soccer team; their smiling faces beaming with pride
and hope. Here was a group of kids who had nothing, not even a ball, and yet
they were at that moment the happiest kids on Earth!
When asked to write the introduction for this health and well-being issue,
I was reminded that shortly after taking office, the new British Prime Minister,
David Cameron, announced plans to measure the happiness of people living
in the UK. The initiative was widely scoffed at and generally pooh-poohed and
yet, when you look into it more deeply, a measure of national well-being based
on something other than money is surely something we should applaud. The
idea isn’t even new, as highlighted in this issue’s article which looks at why,
according to one survey, Costa Rica is the happiest place on Earth to live in.
Money doesn’t buy happiness, the saying goes, nor does it guarantee
health. We face a looming global food crisis brought about by an ever-
expanding population, an issue which again is covered in these pages.
We need land to grow crops, but cutting down our forests to provide it (see
page 28), while a short-term fix, has potentially catastrophic consequences
for our children and our children’s children – not to mention the world’s wildlife.
In the years ahead, individually and collectively, we face many great
challenges. It is therefore important to remember that, when confronted by
adversity, it is not money that prevails. It is spirit, courage and endeavor – three
qualities in humans that thrive on our health and well-being.
Chris Weston is a wildlife photojournalist and co-founder of the wildlife conservation NGO,
Animals on the Edge.
Cover image: Lee Funnell
Yellow chrysanthemum by Lee Funnell
Contents
6 Different class
We look at how people in China have been
coping with epic events and changes brought
about by the country’s booming economy.
14 Living color
Feeling blue? Red with rage? Green with envy?
That’s because color has an irresistible impact
on our daily lives.
18 Feeding frenzy
Everyone needs to eat, but could the world be
running out of food?
24 Searching for the holy grain
Efforts to find the Holy Grail of salt substitutes
have been ongoing for some time. Now, our own
quest may be at an end.
28 Disappearing planet
A report on the efforts being made to reverse
deforestation and save endangered species such
as the tiger.
36 It’s only natural
Savvy consumers have created an entire industry
around eco-friendly products. An industry which
is growing by the day.
38 Handle with care
We examine the impact of the Bhopal disaster
and how the chemical industry responded to
the tragedy.
48 Has employee satisfaction gone too far?
When it comes to employee well-being and
providing for your workforce, how far is too far?
54 Nothing to sniff at
It might seem like just a tin of paint, but
sophisticated coatings now look after our
well-being as well as looking good.
60 The happiest place on Earth
According to the Happy Planet Index, if you’re
bursting with contentedness, you must live in
Costa Rica.
DIFFERENT CLASS
WORDS Jim Wake PHOTOGRAPHY Lionel Derimais
Things usually happen on a grand scale in China. The sudden appearance of an
emerging middle class – brought about by the country’s growth engine going into
overdrive – is a classic example, with millions having escaped poverty over the last
few years and millions more likely to join them.
8
9
Previous spread: A new Mercedes car
tempts a man into the driver’s seat
at the Shanghai motor show.
Left: Shoppers take a break inside
Beijing’s IKEA store.
Below: Chinese youth now have
much more in common with young
people in Europe and the US.
They’ve never done things on a small scale in China. From
the Great Wall, to the Grand Canal, to the Long March,
to the 2008 Olympics, Chinese history is characterized by
great projects, grand gestures and grand movements.
Now, two movements of unprecedented scale are taking place
simultaneously and the impact is being felt – and will continue to
be felt – not just in China, but all across the globe.
One of these movements is what we might call the Great
Migration – a flow of hundreds of millions of the rural poor to
China’s industrial cities which could well be the greatest move-
ment of people over a relatively short period of time in human
history. It began as a movement to the newly opened up cities
of southern China in the late 1970s and then extended to other
coastal cities in the east. But the government is now trying its
best to encourage development in second, third and fourth tier
cities across China to ease the enormous pressure on the
southern and eastern mega-cities that have been a magnet for
these economic migrants over the past decades.
The other movement can be described as the Great
Escape, as in escape from poverty. It’s no secret, of course,
that the Chinese economy is booming. It’s been growing at a
rate of close to 10 percent a year for most of the last decade.
GDP, barely $1 trillion in 2000, nearly doubled by 2005 and
reached about $5.75 trillion last year. In human terms, that
growth translates into an emerging middle class of hundreds of
millions of Chinese citizens. It is estimated that at least 200
million people have escaped from poverty. Today, the Chinese
middle class – which was practically non-existent even 15 years
ago – numbers 300 million people. Another 250 to 300 million
more (some estimate as many as half a billion) will enter the
middle class in the next 15 years.
What these two great movements mean – for Chinese
society in social, cultural, economic and political terms; and for
the rest of the world in terms of its political and economic
relationships with China – is a matter for much speculation.
However, at least a few things are clear. For the Chinese govern-
ment, managing the changes will be a daunting challenge.
For the rest of the world, challenges, and even threats, are also
likely. But there’s also the prospect of huge opportunities.
The changes that have come to China are so huge and
have happened so swiftly that one result has been a huge
divide between parents and children. The parents, who sur-
vived famine and uncertainty in the 1960s and 1970s, are
inclined to save much of what they earn; saving, indeed, has
been considered a virtue in Chinese culture since long before
most Western cultures existed. The children may have heard
from their parents about deprivation and hard times, but they
can hardly understand what it was like. They have much more
in common with young people in Europe and the US – listening
to the same kinds of music, embracing the same sense of fash-
ion and craving the same “stuff” that young people all over the
world crave, be it cars (18 million new cars were sold in China
last year), smart phones, video games, or brand name shoes
and accessories.
10
The gap recalls a similar generation gap in the 1960s in the West,
when baby boomers were growing up in a period of unprece-
dented affluence; their parents (my parents, to put things in their
proper context) of course, had grown up in the Depression and
lived through World War II. But if the rebellious youth of the 60s
eschewed materialism and embraced “love, peace and happi-
ness”, the mantra of China’s 20 and 30-somethings these days,
is more likely “love, peace and having things”.
“The Chinese middle class is very much into luxury goods,”
says Helen Wang, the Chinese-born author of The China
Dream: The Rise of the World’s Largest Middle Class and
What it Means to You. “Many Chinese prefer Western prod-
ucts because of their quality and the brand. They feel the
brands elevate their social status, which the Chinese care a lot
about.” The opportunity has not gone unnoticed, she adds.
“European luxury brands such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton are
creating an alternative growth engine for themselves, espe-
cially when their home markets are stagnating.”
The cultural changes that accompany China’s new-found
wealth are inevitable, claims Mary Boyd, Director of the
Economist Group’s Corporate Network in China. A former
Canadian diplomat who has been watching China’s evolution
since she studied there in the late 1970s, she says that China’s
rapid urbanization and the contact that Chinese have with the
rest of the world as a result of travel are two powerful influ-
ences on China’s development. “The possibility of travel now
11
Two Chinese girls photograph
each other in the lobby of the
trendy Ullens (UCCA) gallery
in Beijing.
12
13
Flowers being planted outside a
store in the stylish Sanlitun Village
shopping district in central Beijing.
is so widely available. That brings with it the possibility of find-
ing out what others in the world are up to. That’s going to open
up all kinds of new vistas for people, and as that happens, the
more traditional culture inevitably will change. What you see is
that it’s manifested at both a private level – within a household,
you’ve got that generational change – but also on the street,
where you’ve got the growth of a sort of youth culture.”
Like the youth of the 60s, China’s youth seem refreshingly
idealistic (and sometimes endearingly naïve). “I feel the caring of
my generation,” says JoJo Chen, a recent university graduate
now working in communications for AkzoNobel in China. “Back
in college, almost every student in my journalism school took
part in all kinds of social activities like teaching in rural areas and
trying to figure out what’s wrong with society when we did
social research.
“Those of us in the younger generation have experienced
the two extremes of modern Chinese society,” she continues in
nearly flawless English, “because our parents are coming from
difficult times like the Great Leap and the drought and we’re
experiencing dramatic change. So basically we can see the two
ends of the world, from the poorest to the richest. The words
I use to describe how I feel are ‘unique paradox’, because we
continually receive information about our promising future and
everything seems so positive. But meanwhile, we see unfair-
ness in society, corruption and mistrust. We see the struggle
between those two sides every day. But I think this will give us
more compassion when we think about the future.”
Still, she and many others who have grown up in the last
20 years seem quite accepting of the gradual evolution of
Chinese society that has taken place since Deng Xiaoping first
introduced political and economic reforms 30 years ago. They
also give the government much credit for doing a good job
managing the changes that have accompanied the economic
boom. “The last thing the government needs is social unrest
and social unrest can start from disparity between haves and
have-nots,” notes AkzoNobel’s China Country Director Colin
Tan, who came to China from his native Singapore seven years
ago. “So the government has been very good with that. They
have clear plans to try to distribute wealth as much as they
can to third and fourth tier cities. In my work, I mingle with both
the haves and the have-nots. Obviously, the haves are happy.
But coming from where they were before, the have-nots are
pretty happy as well.”
Recently, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao announced during an
online forum that the government wanted to slow economic
growth in order to rein in inflation, which has been hitting the
rural poor and low income migrants especially hard. He also
acknowledged that growing inequality was a threat to stability
and promised to take measures to slow down the rapid rise in
housing prices, which has put home ownership in China’s
booming cities out of the reach of many in the middle class.
What the government hopes to achieve – and what both
business and governments in the West are hoping for – is a
fundamental shift in the character of the Chinese economy,
from one based on low-cost production for export to one driven
by domestic consumption. In other words, the mass of middle
class citizens has to start spending like Western consumers do.
That sort of transition is already evident, says Mary Boyd,
especially in pockets of affluence in interior cities, with shopping
malls sprouting up in many urban centers all over the country.
But even if prosperous young people in China’s cities are enthu-
siastic consumers, the deep-rooted thriftiness of the Chinese
will certainly not disappear anytime soon. “Getting away from
the centrally planned economy also meant getting away from
the cradle-to-grave social welfare net, so people felt they had to
save as an insurance policy,” she explains. “Now we’re seeing
the government putting back some of those protections,
basically to reassure households that they don’t have to save
50 percent of their income against adversity.” If that does occur,
it won’t just be a few luxury brand names cashing in. If a thriving
middle class of half a billion or more starts buying everything
from toothpaste to technology from global producers, the
much-decried trade gap could even reverse itself.
In the West, many view China as a threat, pointing to the
trade gap and the migration of manufacturing jobs. A more
measured analysis allows for the fact that without China, the
financial crisis of 2008 might have been much worse, and that
those hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers entering
the middle class could well be the engine to drive global
economic prosperity for some time to come.
50
We make hundreds, maybe thousands, of decisions every day.
Many are influenced by our susceptibility to certain colors, but
what is it that triggers our responses? And is red really as wicked
as some make it out to be?
WORDS Brian Guest
LIVING COLOR
51
We’re constantly being bombarded with a cease-
less chatter of information and face an ongoing
barrage of lurid images from the world around us.
The question is, how much influence can all of this
have on our inner psyche and the way we behave? When US
market researcher James Vicary first coined the phrase “sub-
liminal messaging” back in 1957, it caused uproar. Vicary
claimed he could prompt moviegoers to drink Coca-Cola and
eat popcorn by flashing ultra-fast invisible messages on-
screen that penetrated people’s subconscious and encour-
aged them to act upon what they had seen.
Since then, there has been endless speculation regarding
the degree to which people unconsciously process emotional
information such as pictures, faces, words and colors. Can
they be prompted to act upon messages shown to them for a
fraction of a second, sometimes as lightning fast as a 50th of
a second? Evidence suggests they can. Once out in the open,
the implications of the power of auto-suggestion were huge.
They immediately prompted fears that wayward governments
and cults would use the technique to brainwash innocent civil-
ians to carry out instructions they couldn’t resist.
Not that the implanting of ideas is anything new. But in a
decade dominated by McCarthyism, with its “reds under the
beds” paranoia about the subversive power of emotional sug-
gestion, it was like a red rag to a bull. Funny really, because
the media industry – film, television and publishing – has been
employing similar techniques for years. Black is bad, white is
good, red suggests a risk, green envy. Colors help to implant
stereotypical ideas. Take Hollywood, for example. From the
black-clad Heathcliff astride his black mare, thrashing the
poor beast as he gallops across the downs to get his wicked
way with the wretched Cathy; to cowboy films such as Shane,
where the baddies can clearly be identified as the surly looking
men in black hats, while the solitary good guy can’t be anyone
other than the virginal dude in white.
As in fiction, so in life. Depending on the cultural context,
the historic setting or the social background, colors carry
meaning and connotations that can have a life-enhancing or
debilitating effect on psychological functioning and, ultimately,
health and well-being. Yet they are clearly not all things to
all men. A good example is the color red. In a recent study,
US researchers set out to identify the color most associated
with sexual attraction. One clear winner emerged – red. In
China, where red represents luck and prosperity, this would
surely have raised eyebrows. In the West, however, red has
traditionally been about sex and power. And power means
status and well-being. Red light districts, scarlet ladies and
Lolitas with red sunglasses are the first stereotypes to spring
to mind. Delve further into history and its links with the high-
est echelons of power and prestige become self-evident.
The men in red – the coccinati – Kings, cardinals and the
nobility all wore it, red carpets are still rolled out and we still
talk about red letter days. At the same time, it also symbolizes
danger – hence the color of traffic lights, warning signs on
medicines and flashing red lights on fire engines and ambu-
lances. When red’s around, either a risk or something risqué
is about to happen.
So is popular culture predominantly shaping attitudes to
color and well-being? The reality is far more complex, accord-
ing to Per Nimer, AkzoNobel’s color expert. “Cultural prefer
ences and personal taste play a huge role,” he says. “But the
reality is that people, wherever they are, naturally respond to
changes in the physical world and seek solace, comfort and
protection in the color hues employed in the living spaces,
working environments and products surrounding them. And
this has an impact on their well-being and health.”
48
Yellow
Positive associations:
The sun, light, illumination,
dissemination and
comprehensive generalization,
magnanimity, intuition, intellect,
supreme wisdom, highest
values, divinity, ripening grain
Negative associations:
Treachery, cowardice
Purple
Positive associations:
Power, spirituality, royalty,
love of truth, loyalty, empire,
patience, humility, nostalgia,
memories
Negative associations:
Sublimation, martyrdom,
mourning, regret, penitence,
humility
Orange
Positive associations:
Fire and flames, marriage,
hospitality, benevolence,
celestial fruit, pride and
ambition, earthy wisdom
Negative associations:
Malevolence, Satan
Red
Positive associations:
Blood (life), fire (warmth),
passion, sentiment, valor,
patriotism, revolution,
Christ, liberty
Negative associations:
Blood (spilled), fire (burning),
death throes and sublimation,
wounds, surging and tearing
emotions, passions, war,
anarchy, revolution, martyrdom,
danger, the devil
Nimer – who has just been asked to produce a new, more
socially inclusive color design for New York’s homes for
the vulnerable and elderly – says that the attack on the
Twin Towers in 2001 was one of those seismic moments in
history that triggered a major shift (particularly in the US) in
how people perceive the living spaces around them and the
role of color in making them feel more secure and confident
as they go about their daily lives. “People clearly want to feel
more secure and yet, at the same time, less anonymous and
stressed in their lives,” he explains. “Buildings have to look
imposing and secure. At the moment, the hottest residential
color is graphite, dark gray or black, signaling strength and
safety. At work, you want to be in a safe, comfortable environ-
ment that is conducive to being productive.”
It’s not unusual for people to want to abandon the frivolous
for security. It’s happened throughout history. After the Refor-
mation, bright colors were frowned upon as being bad for a
“believer’s” health. Even in the mid-1800s, the naturally vivacious
Italians abandoned vivid colors to mimic the dark respectable
hues of the dominant power on the continent at the time – the
British. For an architect, it’s important to respond to these
changes, says Nimer. “When you build a place of work you
want the people who are going to work there to empathize with
the workplace and feel content, but not to be totally relaxed
because you want them to be productive,” he continues. “This
means using colors they like, but also adding combinations that
encourage productivity and create a feeling of creativity and
optimism. The closer the supporting color is to the main color in
terms of hue, saturation and value, the calmer the combination
achieved. Hence a monochromatic scheme – two similar colors
– creates the calmest effect. The further colors are away from
each other, the more tension is created. In the home, well-being
is created by using more personal, calmer colors and grays to
engender a feeling of comfort. The best colors are soothing
colors: beiges, off-whites, yellows and grays. The easiest colors
to combine are blue and red, the hardest blue and green.”
Research into the therapeutic use of color only started to
come into its own in the 20th century. Expanding upon ideas
first espoused by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in his The-
ory of Colors, the Austrian philosopher and founder of the
anthroposophy movement, Rudolf Steiner, argued that human
happiness was only possible if man could create an organic
equilibrium between mind, body and soul. Colors and combi-
nations of colors allied to shape could either have a destructive
17
Blue
Positive associations:
The sky, the calm sea, thinking,
religious feeling, devotion,
innocence, truth, constancy,
justice, charity, cold
Negative associations:
Dark blue relates to night and
the stormy sea, doubt and
discouragement
Green
Positive associations:
Vegetation, nature, fertility
of the fields, sympathy,
adaptability, prosperity,
hope, life, immortality, youth,
freshness, auspicious,
recognition of soul, wisdom
Negative associations:
Lividness, envy, jealousy,
disgrace, sinister, opposition,
moral degradation, madness
or positive effect on living organisms. In the schools inspired
by Steiner’s thinking, students still work in classrooms painted
and designed to match their personal stage of development. In
1947, Max Lüscher, a professor at Basle University, developed
the Lüscher Color Test in which he claimed it was possible
to obtain accurate psychological information about a person
through their choices and rejection of colors. Lüscher believed
that the significance of color for well-being originated in man’s
early history. Living in unison with the rhythms of nature and the
cycle of the sun and moon was vital. Other scientists and re-
searchers, such as the Russian S.V. Krakov and the American
Robert Gerard, carried out pioneering work on how colors – in
particular red and blue – influence the nervous system.
The affect of color on health is widely documented. Blood
pressure rises under a red light and decreases under a blue
light. Respiration has also been found to respond to different
colors: quickening when influenced by a yellow light, slowing
under black. In 1990, scientists at the annual conference of
the American Association for the Advancement of Science
reported that blue light had been successfully used in the
treatment of a range of psychological problems, varying from
addictions to eating disorders and impotence. Businesses
have cottoned on quickly to the power of color in managing
behavior. Snack bars are decorated in a way to entice cus-
tomers in and then prompt them to leave, thus ensuring a fast
turnover. Coffee bars and restaurants seek to achieve the
opposite. All are designed to have a targeted impact, although
sometimes unforeseen effects can be achieved. One example
concerns a prison which underwent renovation. Each of the
four wings was painted in different colors. After a while, staff
noted that the behavior of the inmates varied greatly. Those
housed in the red and yellow sections were inclined to be more
violent, those in the blue wings more placid. Proof of color’s
power to influence all of our emotions and well-being.
And, according to Nimer, color’s role as an active propaga-
tor of health and well-being is growing in importance for both
AkzoNobel and its customers. “It’s not just about the improve-
ment in the products themselves,” he states. “This morning
I had a meeting with a window manufacturer who operates
in northern Europe. The first thing he asked was how his
products can be part of well-being. Now, when a window man-
ufacturer starts talking about well-being, it shows you just how
much awareness is growing about how color can impact on
people’s lives.”
WORDS Jim Wake
Could it ever happen? Could the world run out of food? If populations continue
to boom, demand might start to outstrip supply. While opinions may differ on the scale
of the problem, it’s clear that our basic need to eat is leaving us hungry for answers.
More than 40 years ago, a revolution began in India
with little fanfare. Farmers in the state of Punjab
received a variety of wheat which yielded so
much more than ever before that the harvest piled
up in the grain storehouses. India, which had been prone to
catastrophic famines, eventually became a grain exporter. And
while poverty wasn’t eliminated, mass starvation was no longer
a constant threat. It was the start of what has been called the
Green Revolution, and it probably had as great an impact on
the welfare of the world as the Industrial Revolution.
Of course, there have been crop failures and famines in
the intervening years. The Green Revolution has not spread to
every corner of the planet and hunger has not been eliminated
– in fact, nearly a billion people still go to bed hungry and another
billion are malnourished. But hunger is no longer the scourge
that it has been throughout human history. With higher yields,
improved distribution systems and emergency aid programs,
starvation on a massive scale can mostly be avoided (except
when governments themselves impede humanitarian assis-
tance, or when conflict causes a breakdown in the distribution
system). And with greater and more reliable supplies of staple
food crops, prices have also gradually declined over the last
40 years. Or at least, they had been steadily declining up until
2007. Since then, prices have spiked twice and agricultural
economists are sounding alarms. The Earth’s population (cur-
rently approaching seven billion), will probably increase to
around nine billion by 2050. But it’s not certain that we’re doing
what we need to be doing in order to ensure that we’ll keep up
with the rising demand.
It’s not just a matter of more mouths to feed, it’s a matter of
forces on both the supply and demand side that are pushing and
pulling in different directions. In January, a British government
think-tank called Foresight released a study entitled The Future
of Food and Farming which sounded the alarm bells. “The
global food system,” the report concluded, “will experience an
unprecedented confluence of pressures over the next 40 years.”
In addition to a growing population, the report warns that
“many people are likely to be wealthier, creating demand for a
more varied, high quality diet requiring additional resources to
produce. On the production side, competition for land, water
and energy will intensify, while the effects of climate change will
become increasingly apparent. The need to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate will become
imperative. Over this period, globalization will continue, expos-
ing the food system to novel economic and political pressures.”
At just about the same time as the Foresight report was re-
leased, the prominent American environmentalist Lester Brown
stated the danger even more starkly, over a much shorter
timeframe. “If the world has a poor harvest this year,” he wrote
in an opinion piece published in the International Herald Tribune,
“food prices will rise to previously unimaginable levels. Food riots
may multiply, political unrest could spread and governments
could fall. The world is now one poor harvest away from chaos
in world grain markets.”
In addition to the factors mentioned in the Foresight report,
Brown is particularly concerned about the diversion of grain
crops to ethanol production as a cause of shortages that drive
up prices. And he says that an over-reliance on ground water
for irrigation is now leading to falling water tables and a potential
collapse of agriculture in arid regions dependent on ground
water for irrigation.
How is it that a problem a lot of us thought we’d solved
is suddenly demanding urgent action? A failure to invest in
research in recent years is one of the main reasons, claims
Jerry Nelson, senior research fellow and lead climate change
researcher at the International Food Policy Research Institute
(IFPRI). “The decline in prices for agricultural commodities led to
complacency about the need to continue to fund research that
had been contributing to an increase in productivity,” he says.
“International organizations backed off support for research in
the public sector in both the developed and developing world.
In the developed world, that was picked up by the private sector,
but not in the developing world. The result is a backlog of tech-
nology that we’ve been drawing on and getting into the hands
of farmers, but it’s running down now. And as it runs down, then
you’re going to find things like what happened in 2008 and in
2010 – price spikes driven by a variety of things, such as high
heat in Russia and wheat export bans.”
He adds that one of the big problems facing agricultural
economists is that data on everything from land under cultiva-
tion, to production figures, to spoilage, to weather and rainfall
statistics is woefully inadequate. He suggests that developing
policies in the absence of good data could mean throwing good
money after bad. According to Nelson, there are only two ways
to increase the overall food supply – by expanding the area of
cultivated land and by increasing yields (see side story). But
the potential to put much more land under cultivation is limited,
and in any case, cutting down more trees to increase arable
land will only add to greenhouse effects that could accelerate
climate change. That in itself is at the very least disruptive to
agriculture; the jury is out on whether the overall effect of global
warming is “synchronous” climate change – which causes
weather events that lead to crop failures everywhere at once – or
“asynchronous” change that may adversely effect harvests in
one part of the world while boosting harvests in another.
While not necessarily endorsing Lester Brown’s warning
that we are “one harvest away from chaos”, Nelson does not
dismiss it out of hand either. “In 2008, when we had the price
spike, we had several governments lose power. I don’t know if
you can attribute what is going on in the Middle East today to
high food prices, but I suspect it’s a component of the continu-
ing unrest we’re seeing in the Arab world. You could imagine
20
21
Previous spread: A summer thunderstorm
approaches a wheat field in Kansas, US.
Photography: Keenpress/National Geographic Stock.
Above: Harvesting wheat fields in a village on
the west bank of the Nile in Egypt. Photography:
Kenneth Garrett/National Geographic Stock.
some serious disruptions, substantial migration of populations,
resulting violence from that, and serious problems with hunger
and malnutrition arising from problems with availability of food if
we have either synchronous weather events or you get govern-
ments, for whatever reason, essentially causing the same thing
to happen.
“I think we need to concentrate on two fronts to have some
hope of getting through this problem without major disruptions,”
he continues. “The first is that we just need to find ways to
increase agricultural productivity. We have to solve the supply-
side problem. Because on the demand side, we’re going to
continue to have population and income growth. That’s just
This page: According to food policy
analyst Devinder Sharma, 40 percent of
the food the world produces is wasted.
Photography: WRAP/wrap.org.uk.
Right: Farmers growing tomatoes using
drip irrigation to conserve water in San
Quintin Valley, Baja California, Mexico.
Photography: Annie Griffiths/National
Geographic Stock.
a fact we’re going to have to live with. We can tweak it and
change behavior in a variety of ways, but ultimately, it just
means more quantity, and we need to figure out how to do that
more sustainably. Number two is the data story – we need to
do a better job of understanding the nature of our challenges,
because we don’t have as good a handle on it as we should,
given how bad it could potentially be.”
Not everyone agrees with the conclusions of the Foresight
report or the dire predictions of people like Lester Brown.
Devinder Sharma, a food policy analyst with the Forum for
Biotechnology and Food Security in Delhi, India, calls the report
“a very clever camouflage to push genetically modified crops.”
On the day the report was released, he told the BBC: “I see
no reason why there should be panic created by the UK study.
Let’s be very clear. On the planet we have about 6.7 billion
people and we produce food for 11.5 billion people. Which
means we produce for double the population. So if by 2050
we are expecting the population to touch nine billion, where
is the crisis?” According to Sharma, the problem is that 40
percent of the food we produce is wasted, and food supplies
are distorted by speculation and the globalization of the grain
market. “There’s no denying that one part of the world is going
hungry and one part of the world is overfed, but that is what we
need to address.” Bringing more technology, he says, “is going
to do more damage to the environment, create problems for
water and global warming and so on.”
Sir John Beddington, who headed up the study as Chief
Scientific Adviser to the UK government, doesn’t dispute
Sharma’s assertion that waste and inequities in the distribution
system are problems, but he insists that focusing on them will
not alleviate what he fears could be a global catastrophe in the
next 20 to 40 years. “The question I posed to the Foresight
team was how can nine billion people be fed equitably, health-
fully and most importantly, sustainably?” he told the Economist
in January. “The problem is that the food system is fundamen-
tally not working because it’s not sustainable. The food we are
producing is being produced at the expense of degradation
of land, at the expense of biodiversity, at the expense of
issues to do with the overuse of fossil fuels, massive overuse in
certain areas of water, poor ways of animal husbandry, pollution
coming from pesticides and so on. So the sustainability of
the food system just isn’t there at the moment, and that’s the
absolute key issue that we’ve got to address.”
The report offers solid recommendations for action on the
climate change front, on addressing hunger, on improving the
global food production and distribution system (on both the sup-
ply and demand side, and the minimization of waste), and on
production, including the application of new technologies such
as genetic modification. “We have 20 years to arguably deliver
something of the order of 40 percent more food, 30 percent
more available fresh water and 50 percent more energy,” says
Beddington. Solving what is clearly a very complicated problem,
he suggests, will require a coordinated approach to tackle what
is clearly a complicated challenge. Beddington speaks in mea-
sured words, but the implication is clear: without action, the
world faces a doom scenario of food shortages, scarce water
and insufficient energy – a “perfect storm” with consequences
for the world order almost too frightening to contemplate.
23
The Green Revolution, which was so
crucial in alleviating mass starvation
beginning in the 1950s and 1960s,
was primarily about improving seed
strains and providing the basic
nutrients – nitrogen, potassium and
phosphate – to cultivated fields. But all
plants also require minute quantities of
micronutrients, primarily metals such as
iron, zinc, manganese and copper.
While micronutrients may be present
in the soil, efficient delivery to the plant
roots can be substantially improved with
products called chelates, chemicals
which serve as carriers of the micronutri-
ents, preventing them from reacting with
other elements or precipitating out of
solution when added to irrigating water
or other fertilizers.
AkzoNobel is a global leader in
chelate production. They are normally
used to capture metal ions or control
their behavior in water for applications
such as cleaning and pulp bleaching for
the paper industry. But chelating agents
in agriculture do the opposite – delivering
iron, zinc, copper, manganese and
magnesium to agricultural crops to
ensure healthy harvests.
“Micronutrients are essential,
especially in modern agricultural
techniques, where high yields are im-
portant,” explains Marcel Bugter, Market
Development Manager for Micronutrients
in AkzoNobel’s Functional Chemicals
business. “You simply can’t get those
yields without providing micronutrients,
and if the conditions aren’t right, our
products are one of the best ways to
achieve that.”
With more advanced farming
techniques such as drip irrigation,
the micronutrients can be effectively
delivered almost exactly where they
are needed in efficient doses, with very
little waste. Micronutrients are also
essential for hydroponics – cultivation
in which food crops are grown on
non-organic substrates and nourished
with the appropriate mix of nutrients.
Micronutrients can also be more directly
beneficial to humans as food additives,
as was highlighted in issue four of A
Magazine, when we published a feature
on Ferrazone®, an iron-containing
micronutrient produced by AkzoNobel’s
Chelates business. Ferrazone helps to
protect against anemia when added
directly to flour, powdered drinks and
other foods.
In addition to the micronutrients
we produce, our Surface Chemistry
business also supplies agro products,
primarily to improve the efficiency and
environmental safety of crop protection
chemicals, making intensive, high-yield
agriculture more sustainable. Of course,
crop protection products are beneficial
because they hold down weeds and
control harmful insects and plant
disease. But directing the right amount
of crop protection to the target crops
without waste has always been difficult.
And that’s where Surface Chemistry’s
adjuvants, such as the Adsee AB
series, can help. Adjuvants are inert
ingredients that improve the physical
and biological characteristics of crop
protection products, allowing more
effective delivery to the target. “When
farmers use our Adsee AB products,
they can reduce the dosage and still
achieve effective control,” notes August
San Diego, Global Business Director of
AkzoNobel’s Agrochemical Applications
business. “But each crop requires a
somewhat different approach, so our
R&D team has identified new adjuvant
platforms to develop.”
In fact, San Diego appears to take the
daunting task of meeting future needs
as a personal mission. “We cannot solve
the world’s food supply dilemma alone,”
he says. “However, our goal is to be a
sustainable partner for crop protection
companies. I am confident that our
technologies will enable them to meet
the challenge of feeding the world.”
GETTTTTTING G TTTOOOO TH T EEE R OOOOOT OOOF TTF HHEE PPR OBLEM
There’s been no mention of Camelot, and Monty Python
haven’t had a look in, but the quest to find the Holy Grail
of salt substitutes could well be at an end.
WORDS Jim Wake
Here’s something you’ve probably heard before.
Oranges are good for us. Why? Because they’re
bursting with all that healthy stuff we’re supposed
to include in our diets, such as fiber, amino acids,
vitamins and a whole range of other nutrients. Hang on though,
because too much of any soluble vitamin – such as A, D or
E – can lead to a variety of serious health problems.
And what about alcohol? We’re all aware of the dangers
of drinking to excess, yet studies have shown that moderate
drinking (of red wine in particular) can help to reduce the likeli-
hood of heart disease. Even the humble nut can be a minefield.
Yes they’re packed with protein, minerals, “good” monounsatu-
rated fats and other nutrients, but many are also loaded with
calories and they can cause constipation. Some people also
have serious nut allergies, so have to avoid them completely,
which is often easier said than done.
With so many things to consider and make decisions about,
you could say we’ve got a lot on our plate. It’s not surprising,
therefore, that many of us can’t stomach it anymore. We’re just
too confused about what we should and shouldn’t be eating
in order to stay as healthy as possible. There are established
guidelines, of course, that recommend daily amounts for most
vitamins and minerals, although many people are still a bit fuzzy
about what these actually are.
History shows that nutritional fads come and go, a bit like ice
cream flavors. The latest “superfood” seems to change almost
monthly – nobody could have been happier than me when it
was claimed that eating chocolate could be good for you. But
one issue which has been near the top of the health agenda for
a while now concerns something far more basic – the amount
of salt we consume. There’s a good chance you already know
(either because you’ve read about it or someone told you) that
the average adult shouldn’t consume more than 6g of salt per
day. But do you know how that translates into your daily diet?
Well, consider this. Half of a supermarket brand pepperoni piz-
za can contain around 2.3g salt. So it doesn’t take much for us
to reach that recommended daily limit.
The response from the food industry has been to introduce
low sodium or sodium replacement products. One of these,
Suprasel Loso OneGrain, has just been launched by Akzo-
Nobel’s Salt Specialties business. Potentially the Holy Grail of
salt substitutes, it is effectively a like-for-like salt replacement
which contains up to 50 percent less sodium. If you’ll excuse
the blatant advertising speak, we think it’s a major advance on
other available products. “With OneGrain it’s all in the name,”
explains Marketing Manager Sander Tierolf. “It grains like tra-
ditional salt and can be stored and used in exactly the same
way. Other low sodium products are a blend of several different
SEARCCHHINNGG FOOOR TTHHEEE
ingredients and might de-mix on storage, or dust might form
from the powdered flavorings. OneGrain is a like-for-like swap
in recipes. That’s the main advantage and what we believe will
make it attractive to customers. Even more importantly, we’ve
also had great feedback on the taste.”
The new product is aimed at food manufacturers for appli-
cation in a wide variety of products, ranging from bread to meat,
and from cheese to snacks. Adds Tierolf: “The rules change.
So the problem of using too much sodium, for example, is one
created by the authorities and consumer organizations, not
consumers themselves, who choose what they want to buy in
the supermarket. If we can offer a solution to manufacturers, it
makes their lives easier – they can get on with more exciting
and creative projects, such as developing new products.”
R&D Manager Eric Huisman adds that once Suprasel Loso
OneGrain becomes established with manufacturers, it could
smooth the way to a future launch on the consumer market.
So it’s the sensible way to go, especially when there’s so much
potential. “The pressure to reduce salt consumption is increas-
ing in many countries, especially the UK and the Netherlands.
Driven by scientific evidence on the link between salt intake and
cardio-vascular disease, the authorities and consumer organi-
zations are calling for action from the industry. Manufacturers
know they need to find solutions. But in some EU countries, this
realization is just starting to emerge and the subject is also re-
ceiving more attention in the US. The impact of OneGrain could
be huge there, and we haven’t even spoken about the sodium
intake in Asian countries yet.”
Of course, it’s important to remember that we do need
some salt in our diets simply to stay alive. Sodium is vital for
controlling the amount of water in our bodies, maintaining the
blood’s normal pH levels, transmitting nerve signals and helping
muscular contraction. But as processed foods have become
the norm – and the 6g recommended daily amount is really no
more than a teaspoon – it’s not surprising that the majority of
people consume nearer 9g. “After obesity, too much salt in our
diets is one of the hot topics, healthwise,” continues Huisman.
“With society’s increasing use of processed foods, it’s not going
to go away either.”
That’s why a like-for-like product such as OneGrain is ideal.
If we don’t want to forego our favorite treats – we’re back to
that pepperoni pizza again – then something that can make
them healthier, without losing any taste, has to be the answer.
Let’s face it, we’re all fairly intelligent. We’ve got at least a vague
idea of what we should and shouldn’t be eating. But if there’s
something out there that makes it easier to follow the rules of
healthy living, then the sooner food manufacturers will be gob-
bling it up.
26
AkzoNobel is one of the world’s leading salt producers.
We have production facilities in Delfzijl (pictured) and
Hengelo in the Netherlands and Mariager in Denmark.
In fact, our Hengelo site – with a capacity of 2.5 million
tons – is one of the largest vacuum salt plants in the world.
As well as supplying products for cooking, the salt we
produce is also applied for chemical transformation via
electrolysis, is used for water softening, for de-icing
roads and has various applications in the agricultural,
food processing and pharmaceutical industries.
Photography: Bram Reinders.
27
This false-color image shows the extent of
deforestation. It combines near-infrared, red and
green light. Tropical rainforest appears bright
red, while pale red and brown areas represent
cleared land. Black and gray areas have probably
been recently burned. Photography: The Advance
Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection
Radiometer (ASTER).
DISAPPEARING PLANETWORDS David Lichtneker
Our trees are vanishing. Fast. Which is a big problem, not only for the
planet’s human population, but also the many species that are dangerously
close to extinction. Welcome to the International Year of Forests.
30
31
Below: Logging and slash-and-burn agriculture have devas-
tated Borneo’s rainforest in Malaysia. Photography: Mattias
Klum/National Geographic Stock.
Bottom: Huge stacks of logs piled five stories high dwarf man
and cranes in Alberta, Canada. Photography: James L. Stanfield/
National Geographic Stock.
Left: An aerial view of slash-and-burn deforestation in
north-eastern Madagascar. Photography: Michael Fay/National
Geographic Stock.
At the beginning of February, the United Nations
launched the International Year of Forests 2011. On
exactly the same day, the Chinese Year of the Tiger
officially ended. These seemingly unrelated milestones
didn’t exactly trouble the headline writers, who were far too
busy covering various high profile global news stories to even
notice. Admit it, you probably weren’t aware either. But the fact
that these two events went largely unnoticed shouldn’t cloud,
or dilute, their significance.
Why though, has the UN dedicated 2011 to forests? Well,
they want to remind us of the beauty of trees, which is fair
enough. But more importantly, they want to emphasize their
value and highlight the critical threats that they face. Essentially,
the International Year of Forests is all about raising awareness
for the fact that the world’s forests need protecting more than
ever. And don’t forget, as studies have shown, human health is
directly linked to the health of the planet.
Here’s a thought which should put things into perspec-
tive and, perhaps, give those headline writers something to
ponder. Since 1950, the world has lost half of all its natural
forest. Today, they cover about 31 percent of the Earth’s total
land area, amounting to just under four billion hectares. And
they’re being cut down twice as fast as they’re being replaced.
In fact, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates
that 13 million hectares of forest are lost annually, due mainly
to deforestation resulting from the conversion of forest land to
other uses. This obviously can’t be good, for us, the planet, or
those that make the forest their home – like the tiger.
“By declaring 2011 as the International Year of Forests, the
United Nations General Assembly has created an important
platform to educate the global community about the great value
of forests and the extreme social, economic and environmental
costs of losing them,” explained UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon at February’s launch event. “Forests are vital to our
well-being. They harbor 80 percent of land-based biodiversity
and store more than a trillion tons of carbon.” He went on to
mention that greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation
account for more than those produced by the world’s entire
transportation sector. But there is plenty of hope, because
global efforts are being made to encourage decision-makers
to take action.
At the recent climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico,
for example, governments took an important step towards
building a low emissions, climate-resilient future. The balanced
package of measures on which they agreed included progress
on the conservation and sustainable management of forests.
Ban Ki-moon now hopes that further progress will be made in
2011. “In this International Year, we have a chance to agree on
how best to realize the full potential of forests – for sustainable
development, economic stability, the fight against poverty and
our efforts to ensure future prosperity for all.”
Whether you’re familiar with the state of our forests or not, our
physical, economic and spiritual health is tied to the health of
our forest ecosystems. An intricate, interdependent relationship
clearly exists between forests and humans, underlined by the
fact that at least 1.6 billion individuals depend on forests for their
daily livelihoods and subsistence needs, while forests are also
home to more than 60 million people. “Our research confirms
what we know instinctively – that human health is inextricably
linked to the health of the planet,” notes Chris Elliot, the World
Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Executive Director of Conservation.
“Deforestation increases the spread of certain diseases while
destroying plants and animals that may hold the key to treating
illnesses that plague millions of people.” He adds that protecting
natural landscapes can contribute positively to human health
through protecting future medicinal resources, reducing the im-
pacts of pollution, toxins and weather extremes and providing
recreational places that support physical and mental well-being.
32
But the rate of deforestation is also impacting the world’s wildlife,
with tigers among those most at risk. Latest estimates suggest
there are little more than 3,000 left in the wild. Yet tigers have no
natural predators. Humans are their worst enemy. Large-scale
poaching is posing the greatest immediate threat, but habitat
destruction means they’re running out of places to live (see
side story). The subtle poignancy of the International Year of
Forests being launched on the same day that the Year of the
Tiger ended should therefore not be lost. So what’s the answer?
There isn’t one of course. At least not one single solution that
will make the problem go away. But there’s a lot we can do to
help improve on the current situation. There’s already growing
recognition of the role that forests managed in a sustainable
way can play in everything from mitigating climate change to
providing wood, medicines and livelihoods for people around
the world. And it’s this sustainable approach to properly manag-
ing and conserving all types of forest which is key. “We have to
make sure that the billions of dollars pledged towards forests
and climate change financing is actually released and applied to
sustainable forest management,” commented Sha Zukang, the
UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs,
during the International Year of Forests launch event.
Industry obviously has a vital role to play in all this and is
responding to numerous environmental and social concerns by
improving its sustainable use of resources. For example, 37 per
cent of total forest production in 2010 came from recovered
paper, wood waste and non-wood fibers, a figure which is likely
to grow to up to 45 per cent in 2030, with much of that growth
coming from China and India. The importance of wood steward-
ship to AkzoNobel’s sustainability agenda was underlined last
year when the company signed an historic agreement with the
Forest Stewardship Council. The agreement made AkzoNobel
the FSC’s first global partner outside of products that are
FSC certified. Many AkzoNobel businesses – particularly our
woodcare brands – are already committed to the responsible
sourcing of forest products. Now, under the terms of the agree-
ment, the company is working closely with the FSC to promote
forest stewardship and drive demand for responsible products.
“Developing partnerships such as the one we have agreed
with the FSC is a clear illustration of our willingness to achieve
transformational change, take positive action and help to protect
the source of wood for future generations,” said the company’s
Corporate Director of Sustainability, André Veneman, when
the partnership was announced. FSC Director General, Andre
de Freitas, added: “Both FSC and AkzoNobel are invested in
the care of natural resources, and the partnership draws on
the synergy between sourcing from well-managed forests
and maintaining long-term objectives for the lifecycle of forest
products. By working together through the FSC Global Partner
Program, we will not only raise awareness of FSC certification,
but also bring attention to innovations that address environ-
mental, social and economic issues in forest management.”
One of our businesses most closely connected to the world’s
forestry activities is Pulp and Paper Chemicals (which trades
as Eka Chemicals) – a leading manufacturer of bleaching and
performance chemicals for the pulp and paper industry. While
producers and consumers have gradually become more aware
of the environmental and social impacts of industrial activity,
Eka has long been going to great lengths to ensure that it is
committed to long-term, sustainable operations. As a supplier
to forest-based industries, all of Eka’s products (either as sys-
tems solutions or on their own) are developed with a primary
focus on reducing the use of water, fiber and energy. In addition,
the business has the ambition to become the leading supplier
in eco-system analysis.
“One of the most important aspects of safeguarding forest
ecosystems is to ensure that we can give business value to the
ecosystems on which we all depend,” says Managing Director of
Pulp and Paper Chemicals, Ruud Joosten. “That’s why we use
the Environmental Strategy Review to analyze the risks that our
customers in China and Indonesia face from the degradation of
ecosystem services, including increased scarcity of wood fiber
and fresh water. These customer risks are then translated into
business risks and opportunities for our business. We’ve found
that the Corporate Ecosystem Services Review fits nicely into
our toolbox for sustainability assessments.”
Another AkzoNobel business helping to reduce the need to
cut down trees is Wood Finishes and Adhesives. They have de-
veloped a new concept known as the Automatic Putty System
(APS), which is used to repair imperfections and defects that
occur naturally in wood, and are normally repaired by hand.
Using the traditional method, the putty needs to be dried before
the huge panels of wood can be turned into flooring, furniture,
doors and so on. This process is slow, not always accurate
and the technology used is not particularly durable. APS, on
the other hand, is an automated system which uses scanners/
cameras to detect imperfections, robots for application and a
special machine (the APS machine) to push down, smooth out
and cure the putty, which is supplied by AkzoNobel. This new
patented process brings major benefits to the customer as it
requires fewer people, offers increased quality due to the use of
our UV curing putty, results in higher productivity and efficiency
and is more accurate and consistent. Tarkett is running one line
in Hanaskog in Sweden, while Swedwood is using the system
to produce spruce and pine furniture for IKEA. Because our
customers are able to transform defective or poor quality wood
into usable wood, it means there is less waste, so fewer trees
are being harvested.
In the end, there can be little doubt that a world without
trees isn’t an option. As the WWF’s Chris Elliot states: “When
WWF stresses the importance of biodiversity, it’s not just be-
cause we enjoy a variety of trees or frogs in a forest. It’s because
the science tells us that those trees and frogs are vital to the
forest’s health, and the forest’s health is vital to our health.”
33
Eucalyptus trees at a pulp mill
plantation in Brazil.
Before 2010, the previous Year of the
Tiger was in 1998. Since then, tigers
have lost 40 percent of their habitat.
It should therefore come as no
surprise that three tiger sub-species
have become extinct since the
1940s, while a fourth – the South
China tiger – has not been seen in
the wild for 25 years. From an
estimated 100,000 a century ago,
the global wild tiger population is
dangerously close to reaching the
point of no return.
Big picture habitat protection would
go a long way to reversing the
downward trend, although poaching
is still the biggest problem and
represents the largest immediate
threat to the species worldwide.
Tigers are highly prized in China and
other parts of Asia for their pelts and
body parts, which are used to make
medicines. The growing prosperity of
the Asian economies means demand
for these traditional remedies is only
going to increase. Which leads us to
a startling statistic – India’s remaining
tigers alone are worth more than a
quarter of a billion dollars dead.
Thankfully, concerted conservation
efforts are underway in many parts
of the world. The main challenge is to
ensure that sustained measures are
implemented to reverse the tiger’s
current decline. The World Wildlife
Fund is working hard to try and
double the number of tigers in the
wild (estimated to be around 3,200 at
present) by 2022. In partnership with
CAN WWEEE SSSAAVVVEE TTHHHEEE TTIGER?
34
If you would like to win a copy of Chris
Weston’s book, Animals On the Edge
visit: akzonobel.com/a/winabook
To contribute to the wildlife
conservation effort, A Magazine
has adopted a tiger. We have in turn
donated the adoption to a school in
Shanghai, China. To read the full story
visit: akzonobel.com/a/tiger
Photography: Chris Weston / chrisweston.uk.com
governments and policy makers, they’re
striving to strengthen existing legislation
to protect the tiger and help integrate tiger
conservation into economic, development
and land-use planning.
This determination to save the tiger
gained significant momentum at the end
of last year when the International Tiger
Conservation Forum was held in St.
Petersburg, Russia. Government leaders
and ministerial officials of the 13 countries
where wild tigers remain endorsed the
wide-ranging plan to double the number
of wild tigers by 2022 – the next Chinese
calendar Year of the Tiger. In addition,
the World Bank has offered a $100
million loan package to three tiger range
countries for conservation work, while
the Global Environment Facility offered to
provide up to $50 million in grant funding
for tiger habitat conservation.
“While our discussion is about the fate
of the tiger, we are in fact touching on
issues that are critical for the entire planet,
humanity and its future,” said Russian
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who hosted
the event. “Using the example of the tiger,
we are speaking about how to preserve
nature.”
Protecting and preserving wildlife is
such an emotive subject that it stirs many
people into action, such as acclaimed
wildlife photographer Chris Weston.
Principle photographer for NGO Animals
on the Edge, he is a regular visitor to
India’s tiger reserves and has published a
book (also entitled Animals On the Edge)
which offers a visual survey of the world’s
rare and endangered mammals.
35
5436
IT’S ONLY NATURALIn the age of 21st century environmental awareness, the discerning shopper
has wised up. They want stuff that’s good for them and good for the planet.
This demand for more natural products means manufacturers are having to
up their game.
WORDS Daniel Grafton PHOTOGRAPHY Lee Funnell
37
We consumers are a demanding bunch. For example,
not only do we want a shampoo which cleans our
hair and makes us look fabulous, but we also want
to know it has been made responsibly, with minimal
impact on the environment. Oh, and that includes the product it-
self and the packaging it comes in. Plus, we don’t want to pay
any extra for the privilege.
Fortunately, eco-friendly products are everywhere these
days. From bio-yoghurts to organic face scrubs, our demand
for greener, more caring products has created an entire industry.
There was a time when these eco-consumables appeared to be
just a fad, but now they’re most definitely in the mainstream – and
they’re here to stay.
According to Maria Tolchinsky, Global Marketing Manager
for AkzoNobel’s Global Personal Care business, it’s all down to
awareness. “Today’s consumers are much more aware of what
they put into or onto their bodies,” she explains. “They are much
more educated than in the past. They want to know what goes
into the products they buy and what impact making these items
has on the world around them.”
And don’t forget, as consumers, we have influence. We
can vote with our feet (or credit cards), deciding what to buy
and what not to buy and which products, if any, we will boycott.
We can even influence policy and legislation. The upshot is that
manufacturers have been forced to rethink their processes,
formulations and recipes. They’ve realized that the future – and
their own success – is dependent on the use of less complex
and more eco-friendly ingredients. There are other factors to
consider as well. Like ensuring that product labels are clear, user-
friendly and provide detailed information to consumers about
what is contained in the product they’re holding in their hands.
As Tolchinsky puts it, in today’s eco-savvy world, manufacturers
have to fully understand consumer perception and know exactly
what they want – even before they know themselves.
Most of the time, however, what the customer wants, the
customer gets. Which is where AkzoNobel comes in. Our Global
Personal Care business has developed a range of eco-friendly
ingredients for use in a wide range of hair care and styling, skin
care and sun care products. “The ingredients we provide to the
likes of Procter and Gamble, L’Oreal and Schwarzkopf act as
thickeners for creams, or give products such as sun screen or
body lotions their non-sticky, ultra-smooth feel,” adds Tolchinsky.
Many of these ingredients are derived from natural materials
including coconut oil, rapeseed and soybean oil. But the key eco-
ingredients – the super ingredients if you like – are natural polymers
like cellulose and starch. These are widely used throughout the
biochemical industry to create biodegradable plastics and bio-
fuels, to name but two. Global Personal Care uses cellulose
and starch in a number of its products. For example, Naviance®
certified organics are starch polymers used as thickening agents
and aesthetic enhancers in creams and lotions. Our Amaze®
polymer is a non-tacky starch which works as a fixative in hair
gels, mousses and styling lotions, while Natrasorb® Bath starch,
based on tapioca, carries large quantities of oils which dissolve
in water, ideal for that relaxing bath at the end of a busy day.
Meanwhile, Celquat® polymers – which are based on cellulose –
are used as conditioning polymers in shampoos and mousses.
But replacing traditional ingredients that have been used for
many years with ones that are more eco-friendly is not without
its challenges. “One of the difficulties is that petroleum-based
chemicals perform very well, but they are not considered natural
or renewable by the consumer,” notes Global Personal Care’s
Director of Research and Development, Gary Martino. “This
means we have to use natural alternatives, such as cellulose and
starch, but without adding to the cost of the final product. The
difficulty here is that while nature provides a basic composition,
we have to modify this to get it to work in the same way as
petroleum-based products. So our starting polymer and our
ability to modify it are absolutely crucial. There are many variables
that can lead you down a blind alley.”
There are also other challenges to overcome. “We
constantly have to adapt to legislation, much of which is driven
by NGOs such as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals),” continues Tolchinsky. “These organizations have the
ear of consumers and their messages often demand action
from manufacturers – sometimes warranted, sometimes
unwarranted. This, of course, creates difficulties. Also, there are
lots of governing bodies out there, all with different legislations,
and many certifiers of organic products. So it is difficult to know
which way to turn. This makes launching organic products
globally challenging.” Global Personal Care, by the way, uses
three certifiers to approve its products – ECOCERT France SAS
(for natural certification), Quality Assurance Institute Worldwide
(for organic certification) and Lacon Qualitat (for organic
certification) which, Tolchinksy points out, are agencies with
global reach.
She adds that another area of legislation which can pose
something of a challenge is the current drive for manufacturers
to attain low VOCs in order to help reduce greenhouse
gases. “Recent US legislation demands low VOC levels for
personal care products such as hairspray and mousse. We
have developed formulations and have worked closely with
customers to formulate products that not only meet the VOC
requirements, but also perform as expected by the consumer.
Our knowledge of how to formulate consumer products allows
us to showcase our products in the best light and to minimize
the additional work of our customers.” Ultimately, like many
things in life, it’s about cost. “We have to provide eco-friendly
ingredients to the consumer with no added cost to the final
product they buy,” explains Martino. “In high growth markets
such as China and India, this is particularly challenging because
we start from a much lower cost base. So you have to be very
cost effective. It’s all about getting a higher performance for a
lower cost.”
As part of this innovative drive to create more eco-friendly
products, AkzoNobel has entered into a global alliance with a
company called IBT to develop completely green, botanical-
based solutions. “IBT have a patented process to isolate active
ingredients from plants,” Martino goes on. “This means grinding
and pressing plants to fractionate the juices and isolate bio-
active compounds which can be used to make completely
green ingredients – with no solvents or non-natural ingredients.”
These fractions, he says, will be used in products such as anti-
irritants, moisturisers, anti-aging and anti-wrinkle creams.
So. Attractive, younger looking skin at an affordable price.
Which has minimal impact on the environment. Consumers
benefit. The planet benefits. Perhaps beauty isn’t just skin deep
after all.
Nearly 30 years ago, the world’s biggest and most deadly industrial
environmental disaster occurred in India. The lessons learned resulted
in the chemical industry taking swift action. Now, for many companies,
responsibility for well-being extends far beyond their gates and into
the surrounding communities.
WORDS David Lichtneker
40
Just after midnight, in the early hours of December 3,
1984, a terrifying explosion occurred at a chemical plant
in the densely populated city of Bhopal in India. The in-
cident resulted in the catastrophic release of a lethal
cloud of highly poisonous methyl isocyanate gas.
Official government figures put the death toll at 5,295, but
others insist at least 10,000 perished in the immediate after-
math alone. And the fatalities, they claim, have never stopped
– 15,000 more are thought to have died after eventually suc-
cumbing to their horrific injuries. Then there are the injured
who survived (reportedly more than 500,000), of whom around
120,000 remain chronically ill and require regular medical
treatment. Caused by a runaway reaction widely regarded to
have resulted from a combination of inadequate safety sys-
tems and lack of employee training, Bhopal is still the world’s
biggest and most deadly industrial environmental disaster.
Almost 30 years later, the pesticide plant – operated by Union
Carbide at the time – remains deserted. There has been no
clean-up. Some say the groundwater up to three kilometers
away has become contaminated by the toxic effluent which to
this day is leaching into the soil. Compensation claims have
also proved to be a legal minefield, while nobody has yet ac-
cepted full responsibility for the disaster – which in many re-
spects is still ongoing. It serves as a stark and tragic reminder
to chemical companies around the world that they have a duty
of care to protect those who live close to their sites. Because
the responsibility for ensuring people’s safety and well-being
extends way beyond the factory gates and deep into the sur-
rounding communities.
Few know more about the human consequences of what
happened in Bhopal on that fateful night – or have done more to
try and help the victims – than Satinath Sarangi. He was 150 kil-
41
ometers to the south, studying for his PhD in metallurgical engi-
neering, when he heard about the disaster on the radio. Thinking
he might be able to help in some way, he traveled to Bhopal, ar-
riving just a few days after the explosion. He intended to stay for
a week. He never left. A tireless campaigner for the rights of the
survivors, he set up a clinic for the victims in 1985 which was
raided and quickly shut down. Undeterred, he later founded the
Sambhavna Clinic (in 1996), which is run by an independent
charitable trust and is dedicated to offering free treatment to the
victims, as well as raising awareness for their plight. Funded en-
tirely by individual donations (money from corporate funds is not
accepted), the clinic moved into purpose-built premises in 2005.
It is located in the center of the community most badly affected
by the gas leak. And there, just a few hundred meters away, cast-
ing a haunting shadow over the entire city, stand the eerie tanks
and towers of the now derelict plant.
“I had no notion it was such a calamity,” says Sarangi, recalling
his arrival and the terrible scenes he witnessed. “I walked out
from the platform and saw thousands of people in utter agony.
Their eyes were swollen, tears streaming, people were groan-
ing, people were walking then falling down. Some even think
that those who survived were the unlucky ones.”
Many of those survivors are among the 25,000 people
registered at the Sambhavna Clinic (see side story), which
sees around 180 patients every day. “A lot of people who
come here suffer from breathlessness and almost all of them
have some sort of problem with their eyes,” continues Sarangi.
“Many of the women have reproductive system problems, peo-
ple have brain damage, a lot of them have become paralyzed
over the years and many have psychiatric problems such as
panic attacks, anxiety disorders, depression and suicidal ten-
dencies.” He adds that he felt compelled to stay because the
Previous spread: Young boys
collecting water from polluted
ponds, which women use for
washing clothes and other
household chores. In many
areas, this is also the only source
of drinking water. Photography:
Jack Laurenson.
Far left: A woman grazing her
goats in the shadow of the
derelict factory in Bhopal.
Photography: Jack Laurenson.
Left: Tens of thousands
of children born to exposed
parents are suffering from
growth problems. Photography:
David Graham.
A new generation of young peo-
ple growing up in Bhopal cling to
hope that the future will promise
more than the city’s tragic past.
Photography: David Lichtneker.
victims deserved better. Someone had to fight for their
well-being. “I wanted to show that more could be done. I
did it for the people around me who had lost their health
and had no money.”
Bhopal had a huge impact on the chemical industry as
a whole. A year after the incident, what has since become
the International Council of Chemical Associations’ (ICCA)
signature global initiative – Responsible Care® – was born,
as a direct response to the tragedy. It was industry’s com-
mitment to doing the right thing. Originally established in
Canada, the program was quickly adopted worldwide, with
companies, through their national associations, working
together to continuously improve their health, safety and
environmental performance. Now, any company wanting to
become a member of the ICCA has to prescribe and com-
mit to Responsible Care.
“Although employee and process safety were corner-
stones of the chemical industry, Bhopal taught us that we
had to take responsibility beyond our plant gate,” notes
Frank Sherman, AkzoNobel’s Country Director in the US.
“What the industry has developed is a world class manage-
ment system which has spread across 53 countries and
ensures a harmonized approach and standard of perfor-
mance. A Responsible Care company takes responsibility
for their products from cradle to grave.”
Sherman – who ran AkzoNobel’s Surface Chemistry
business for many years – is a passionate advocate of Re-
sponsible Care, so much so that he was named the Ameri-
can Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care Leader of the
Year for 2008. “The initiative has come a long way over the
last 20 years or so,” he continues. “If you look at Responsi-
ble Care companies in the US, total greenhouse gas emis-
sions have come down 30 percent since 1992. Total envi-
ronmental releases are down 70 percent, while transport
incidents have been reduced by 50 percent. Employees are
four times safer at a Responsible Care company compared
with other manufacturing industries in the US. Our employ-
ees are effectively safer at work than they are at home.”
The fact that AkzoNobel Chairman Hans Wijers was
one of the first CEOs to sign the Responsible Care Global
Charter says everything about how seriously the company
takes its commitment to ensuring the highest standards
when it comes to health, safety and the environment. But
according to Sherman, there’s one area where Responsible
Care still has work to do. “Where I think the program has
fallen short of expectations is turning around public percep-
tion,” he explains. “They still perceive the industry as unsafe,
as polluting, as producing dangerous products. They don’t
see the value side; they don’t recognize that the chemical
industry is a vital component of around 98 percent of all
manufacturing. We are the solution to alternative energy,
GHG reduction, clean water, efficient farming and longer life.
Turning that perception around is an ongoing challenge.”
He adds that there are various ways this could be ad-
dressed, including the setting of industry targets for the key
environmental metrics that member companies have to re-
port publicly. This option is currently being considered by
the ICCA. Having better relationships with environmental
NGOs could also help. “Some of them are out to destroy
the industry,” claims Sherman. “They think that we are the
bad guys. But there are some environmental NGOs that
really have the public at heart and we should have a dialog
with them to listen and try to understand them. They’re the
voice of the public, so we need to address their concerns.”
In Bhopal, the majority of residents knew precious lit-
tle about what went on inside the gates of the Union Car-
bide plant. Responsible Care takes this into account
through a strong focus on community outreach, which
44
45
A member of staff at the Sambhavna Clinic,
which makes its own traditional remedies
and treatments, stirs the ingredients which
are heated and reduced to make Ayurvedic
medicines. Photography: David Graham.
Look beyond: bhopal.org
forms an integral part of its Code of Conduct. Many Responsible
Care companies have established Community Awareness Pan-
els (CAP). Although they aren’t mandatory, they provide an impor-
tant link between manufacturing facilities and their close neigh-
bors. One of the many AkzoNobel sites that operates a CAP is
Surface Chemistry’s Houston plant in Texas.
Set up in 2003, it is run in partnership with a nearby company
called Champion Technologies. Meetings are held ten times a
year, with membership made up of a wide range of community
figures including teachers, government officials and church rep-
resentatives. “It’s vital that we remain very open about what we
do here and that the local community is confident that we are
operating responsibly,” says John Hoffman, the company’s Plant
Manager in Houston, who is the CAP’s Industrial Sponsor Repre-
sentative. “We want to extend as much awareness and informa-
tion to the residents as possible to help educate them and reas-
sure them that we are carefully managing the health, safety and
environmental issues surrounding our business. The CAP pro-
vides an open forum for us to communicate what we do and
gives people a chance to raise any issues they want to discuss.”
Following the Bhopal blast, no warnings were issued to the
public. There was no immediate help or guidance. At AkzoNo-
bel’s Houston plant, a so-called reverse 911 system has been
installed as part of their emergency response plan which auto-
matically calls all residents within a specified radius in the event of
a chemical release. “Once triggered, the system will give people
a message about what’s happening, tell them what they should
do to protect themselves and reassure them when the situation is
under control,” continues Hoffman. “It’s part of our commitment
to ensuring that we are managing our facility in a responsible way.”
Which is all well and good. But Sherman points to studies that
have shown that awareness of Responsible Care diminishes the
further away you travel from a chemical plant. Again, we’re back
to perception. “When you describe Responsible Care, it always
gets a favorable reaction,” he goes on. “People don’t go away as
skeptics, they go away excited and that’s what you find with the
neighbors who participate in these CAPs. They are passionate
about the subject. They are influential people who are interested.
They commit their evenings and free time to be with us. We edu-
cate them on what we’re doing and it gives them a favorable im-
pression of the industry. We need to be doing more of that.”
Back in Bhopal, today’s generation of young people still need
convincing. With tens of thousands of children having been born
to exposed parents – many of whom are suffering from growth
problems – the disaster is still ongoing. Teenage student Saaid
Kamal’s story is a familiar one. He’s lucky enough not to have in-
herited any health issues, but his grandmother lost her sight as a
result of the tragedy. He says the incident still makes the news in
India, particularly around the time of the December anniversary.
But it’s his response to what can be learned from the accident
which proves the most disturbing, and perhaps sends the most
chilling message: “The most important lesson that the people of
Bhopal learned from the incident is that you have to be prepared,
because death can come from anywhere, at anytime.”
In late 2010, a group of AkzoNobel em-
ployees visited the Sambhavna Clinic in
Bhopal. There were 22 in total, all execu-
tive potentials, who were in India as part
of an intensive, week-long leadership and
sustainability program. I was with them.
Our walk to the clinic took us through
one of the slums worst hit by the 1984
tragedy. It was a surreal experience. The
realization that you were standing in a
spot where, decades earlier, people had
died in agony, sent a cold shiver down
your spine. But that unnerving moment
was only fleeting, because within minutes
we were surrounded by scores of excit-
able young people. In some respects,
it was as if they had no reason to be so
full of happiness and enthusiasm. Their
wide-eyed innocence and spontaneous
outpouring of joy seemed to be com-
pletely at odds with what had happened
on these very streets. Yet here we were,
people from the chemical industry – mix-
ing with Bhopal’s children – and we were
about to walk into a clinic built to treat
the victims of the world’s most deadly in-
dustrial environmental disaster. If a single
experience was to have a lasting impact
on the 22 participants, this was surely
going to be it.
As we entered the facility, nothing could
have prepared us for what we were about
to see and hear. Founder Satinath Sa-
rangi welcomed us and, before taking us
on a brief tour, he gave a short presenta-
tion about the disaster and the work of
the clinic. He could easily have resorted
to shock tactics, but there was no need.
The extent of human suffering which has
resulted from the incident said it all. The
selfless work being carried out to try and
treat those who survived said even more.
Let’s be honest, during the visit, several
participants felt very uncomfortable – as
employees of a chemical company – to
be on the premises. Even though we
were representing AkzoNobel, a responsi-
ble and ethical organization where
safety and sustainable operations are top
priorities, it somehow felt uneasy. But the
visit also presented the team with an un-
expected source of inspiration – Sarangi
himself. He was a model example of real
leadership in action.
“The visit to the clinic in Bhopal
touched me in different ways,” admits
Christian Schulze-Severing, who was
one of the AkzoNobel group. “Having
seen people who are still suffering from
the incident, it really made me realize
that I have a very personal responsibility
as a Production Manager in Ibbenbüren,
Germany, to do everything in my power
to protect our employees and neigh-
bors from harm. We already have a lot
of procedures in place, such as giving
personnel frequent safety training, having
a well-drilled emergency response team
and maintaining close links with the fire
brigade and the local community. But we
can always do more, because as our
visit to Bhopal proved, being prepared
is the key.”
Walking away from the Sambhavna
Clinic, back through the same streets,
the children returned. They have to cling
to hope in Bhopal, and that hope was
represented in the smiling faces of the
boys and girls we met during the precious
few minutes we shared. How many of
them were born to women affected by
the gas leak we will never know. What we
do know is that they inspired the entire
group to return to their jobs with renewed
determination and a reinforced commit-
ment to doing the right thing.
A TRAGEDY WHICH WON’T GO AWAY
Magnum photographer Raghu Rai’s heart-
wrenching image of a victim of the 1984 Bhopal
tragedy. Photography: Raghu Rai, Magnum Photos/
Hollandse Hoogte.
WORDS David Lichtneker PHOTOGRAPHY Google
Some people freak out, in a good way, at the thought of having
fabulous workplace perks such as funky offices and on-site
games rooms. For others, however, the corporate playground
approach simply doesn’t rock their world. Just how far does
employee well-being have to go?
A slide in Google’s Zurich office.
50
Fireman’s pole at Google Zurich.
51
T here was a time when simply having a job was the only
perk, benefit or incentive you needed. Then the war
for talent broke out. As that war continues to rage, the
21st century employee has to choose sides carefully,
because as savvy employers are only too aware, it’s not just
about the job description and the salary anymore.
Merely scratch the surface and you’ll discover that the era
of engagement is booming. Companies are adopting a new
recruitment and retention culture, one of relaxation zones, free
food, games rooms, on-site gyms and funky work spaces.
Day-to-day drudgery is on the wane, now that your own well-
being and the opportunity to actually (shock, horror) have fun
at work can have a major influence on who wins the battle for
your signature.
They’re an extreme example admittedly, but consider movie-
makers Pixar. They have created what can best be described as
a corporate playground at their California head office, although
talk to the people who work there and they prefer to call it their
home away from home. Why such gushing sentiment? Well,
when they’re not creating works of animated genius such as
Toy Story, Up!, Cars or The Incredibles, Pixar employees can
invariably be found zooming around their HQ on scooters,
customizing their beach hut-style work areas, watching a free
movie, chilling out in the pool or letting off steam in the ultra-
cool games room. Compare that with having a sneaky fag in the
toilets or eating your lunch in the car park. That’s hardly taking
well-being to infinity and beyond now is it?
Certain companies (often the more successful ones) have
wised up you see, they’ve seen the proverbial light. They’ve
gotten in touch with their softer side and embraced employee
wellness as being about more than just the traditional health and
welfare aspects. Global players in particular – who can arguably
most easily afford to go the extra mile (or lightyear) – have
realized that employee satisfaction and, yes, being happy at
work, have become all-important. They’ve come to understand
that if you want to unleash your workforce’s creativity and
make the workplace environment more stimulating – and your
business more successful – you have to inject some fun and
ditch the monotonous drone. Even the simple option of being
able to work flexibly can make all the difference. The sad fact is
that most of us have to spend around a third of our life there, so
shouldn’t we at least be allowed to enjoy our time at work and
feel, well, a bit pampered? We deserve it don’t we? Or at least,
we like to be made to feel that we do.
Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation,
John Lasseter, certainly thinks so. Winner of two Oscars and
director of the first two Toy Story movies, he’s a vociferous
advocate of creating a relaxed, friendly environment where
employees can thrive. He’s particularly keen on letting his
workforce loose to completely personalize their workspaces.
“Isn’t that what any organization needs to discover – what
drives an individual’s creative spirit?” he argues. “It doesn’t have
to be an exorbitantly decorated room or a collection of costly
‘stuff’, it just has to be what employees feel represents who
they really are.”
Culture expert Bill Capodagli shares Lasster’s view on
cutting your workforce more slack. Author of Innovate the Pixar
Way, he claims that too many employers feel that in order to
succeed, work has to be hard. “Organizations often think that
if people are having fun, then they’re not productive enough
and that you need to suffer in order to produce a great product.
52
I don’t think that’s the case at all. Even when working with some
very technical teams of global engineering firms, fun was very
important and as a result they were highly, highly successful.”
Capodagli adds that it’s equally important for employees to
understand that they are all working towards a common goal
and vision. “When people know what they are doing within an
organization, then the mood within the organization needs to
be collaborative and the way to make it happen is to make it a
fun experience.” So while some may scoff at the likes of Yahoo!
for providing stress-busting on-site massages, or Google for
collecting employees from home and bringing them to work
in eco-friendly buses, Capodagli clearly thinks there’s method
in the mollycoddling. “When you are a child you think you can
do anything. You have all kinds of ideas and think you can do
any of it. It’s by encouraging this daring to dream like a child
again that will reawaken the innovative spirit that is missing in
so many companies.”
And just look at those names. Pixar. Google. Yahoo!
Microsoft. Yes, they’re all tech companies, and that’s surely no
coincidence, but they’re hardly struggling for success are they?
They also regularly appear near the top of those best-places-
to-work-on-the-planet polls. So they must be doing something
right. Right? Well, that depends. You can’t force people to
have fun. Nobody likes to be on the end of a wagging finger
ordering them to go and have another bowl of free breakfast
cereal, or play a quick game of pinball. That would be counter-
productive at best. Skeptics would also question the economic
merits given the extravagance often involved, particularly when
it comes to facilities such as on-site hair salons (no, really). So
while looking after the comfort and well-being of your employees
is all well and good, not everyone can – or wants to – go to
such spectacular lengths. Anyway, from an occupational health
perspective alone, it’s clear that “doing a Pixar” wouldn’t work
everywhere. “It’s really all about what drives people in their jobs,
what gives them energy,” offers AkzoNobel’s own Corporate
Health Director, Dirk Veldhorst. “A lot of the time, work isn’t just
about the pay check at the end of the month. It’s also about
being inspired, the relationships you form, having clarity of
goals, the environment you create, and that differs from culture
to culture. Different things are important to different people and
everyone has an inner sense of what gives them energy and
what creates well-being for them in the workplace.”
Certainly within AkzoNobel, Veldhorst doubts that a
company-wide approach would work. “We have hundreds of
locations around the world and they’re made up of so many
different people that you really have to act local,” he explains.
“You have to find out what makes people tick and see if people
want certain things, like a fitness room for example. Although
from what I’ve experienced over the years, once people
have something like that, they end up not using it. Naturally
employees get a lot of energy if they work in an environment
that they like, and I think the importance of well-being isn’t
always as recognized as it should be. But I’m a bit cynical about
how far you have to go because I think it really has to relate to
an inner need.”
Sweden is a good example of where AkzoNobel does go
some way to offering employees energizing activities that they
actually make use of. For example, as well as providing a free
on-site gym, the company’s Bohus plant organizes various
health events throughout the year, including yoga sessions and
a salsa dancing course. In Singapore, some of the company’s
factories provide soccer pitches and basketball courts, while
in China, free lunches are common and badminton and table
tennis facilities are made available. Over in Indonesia, employees
can exercise their vocal chords at on-site karaoke rooms. Not to
everyone’s taste admittedly, but Indonesia recently recorded one
of the highest engagement scores in the whole of AkzoNobel.
So maybe there is something to be said for using fun to help get
people more in tune with their day-to-day work.
Unsurprisingly, in Pixar’s case, they take it much, much
further. They offer more than 110 classes to employees that
vary from job-related lessons in screenwriting and drawing to
sculpting and self-defense. Everyone in the organization, from
the receptionist to the President, is encouraged to take four
53
Far left: Cycling on an indoor bike
lane at Google in the Netherlands.
Left: Honeypot-shaped seating areas
at Google’s Zurich office.
hours of class every week – on company time. “Pixar feels that
everybody has unlimited potential and the more you exercise
your brain, the better receptionist, technician or executive you’ll
be,” continues Capodagli. For example, when the Dean of Pixar
University (yes, they have a university) was asked why they
would teach an accountant to draw, he replied that they didn’t
just teach them how to draw. They taught them to be more
observant. And every company would be more productive if
their employees were more observant.
AkzoNobel might not have its own university, but Veldhorst
points to the company’s Wellness Checkpoint as being an
important resource which not only enables employees all over the
world to monitor their own health and well-being, but also allows
him to quite literally take the temperature of the global workforce
of 55,000. Essentially it involves filling in a lengthy questionnaire
on a whole host of topics relating to individual medical health
and lifestyle. “All the questions are somehow linked to well-
being and it’s interesting for the employee because they receive
a detailed report, based on their input, which gives useful tips
and advice,” notes Veldhorst. “What makes it interesting for me
as an occupational health professional is that it also talks about
the balance between private life and work, stress at home and
stress at work and asks a lot of questions on those subjects. It
also enables me to run results on an aggregated level, say at a
location or plant level, and I can obtain extremely useful insight
into the health of the company and get different perspectives.
We’ve been running it for two years now and participation at
the moment is around 12 percent, but it’s gaining momentum
all the time.”
Obviously it’s in a company’s best interests to keep its
workforce fit and healthy. In fact, it’s such a hot topic that a
number of major corporations – all of them participants in
January’s World Economic Forum in Davos – have formed
the Workplace Wellness Alliance. It’s a consortium of global
CEOs dedicated to measuring the link between employee
wellness, engagement and productivity. The idea is that by
applying metrics and best practices, the Alliance will enable
employees to achieve their full potential while making optimum
contributions to their enterprises’ growth and success. Or in
other words, healthy work environments are essential to a
business’ bottom line. One UK survey alone, conducted in
2009, revealed that a staggering 40 million days are lost each
year to workplace absence. Another study, this time from 2008,
suggested that if organizations increased investment in a range
of good workplace practices which relate to engagement by
just 10 percent, they would increase profits by €1,700 ($2,400)
per employee per year.
But most employers are well aware of the benefits of
ensuring that their employees are working in a safe and healthy
environment. It’s what can be gained from going further – much
further – that many companies either don’t subscribe to, or
simply consider to be a total waste of time and money. Perhaps
Lara Harding, Google’s UK People Programs Manager, can put
forward a compelling case. “At Google, we know that health,
family and well-being are an important aspect of Googlers’
lives,” she said in a 2010 interview. “We have also noticed that
employees who are happy and healthy, as well as respected
and rewarded for their contributions, demonstrate increased
motivation and productivity. From both a work-life balance,
as well as a job satisfaction perspective, our programs work
to ensure that Google is, and remains, an emotionally healthy
place to work.”
So health and well-being – which clearly translate into
engagement and motivation – appear to be about far more than
just looking after a person’s welfare. As Google, Pixar and many
others have so successfully shown, there are huge benefits
to be had from energizing your employees and getting them
fired up creatively. All things considered, maybe companies
shouldn’t confine their innovation to R&D. Because other areas,
such as HR programs, could also benefit from a regular injection
of imaginative thinking. Why bother? Well, author EM Forster
perhaps put it most succinctly: “One person with passion is
better than 40 people merely interested.” Now, where’s that on-
site alpine ski slope?
54
WORDS Daniel Grafton PHOTOGRAPHY Lee Funnell
Modern coatings do far more than just add color to your wall. With technology advancing all the
time, new functionality means that paint doesn’t just look good, it can make us feel good as well.
55
56
57
When you smell paint, do you automatically associate
it with something good, or something bad? Does it
smell sweet or pungent? And does an unpleasant
odor necessarily mean that it’s bad for your health?
The good news is that 21st century technological innovations
have made their way into modern-day paints, transforming
very traditional products into high performance coatings de-
signed for specific purposes – and with the person using them
very much in mind.
Nowadays, household paints are the result of highly sophis-
ticated formulation technology and painstaking, innovative re-
search. They have a better environmental profile, are easier to
apply, leave less mess and make it easier to clean up, often using
nothing stronger than water. And because they have low VOC
(solvent) content, they also reduce the amount of emissions en-
tering the atmosphere, which means there’s less impact on the
environment and, ultimately, the human race. But despite all of
this, consumers’ perception of the impact paints can have on
well-being is not always so positive. Much of this can be ex-
plained by one simple thing – certain paint can temporarily leave
a bit of a stench.
However, according to David Brunt, AkzoNobel Decorative
Paints’ Global Sustainability Products and Services Manager,
odor is a highly subjective issue. “Paint today does not necessar-
ily affect human health,” he says. “But to some consumers, a bad
or pungent odor means a product is bad. The truth is, solvent has
a sweet smell which masks other more acute smells. So our in-
tention to remove solvent from our paints for environmental rea-
sons can have a negative impact on odor. If you take it out, these
acute smells can be revealed. You have to be aware that odor is
an indicator, both of positive and negative things. It’s like eating a
strong cheese – just because it smells strongly, doesn’t neces-
sarily mean you won’t like the taste.”
We all know that odors give things a characteristic scent or smell.
But reaction to odor is very much based on personal perception.
And geography. “Aversion to smell is different from country to
country,” reveals Brunt. “For example, what a German might find
an appealing smell could well be very offensive for a Japanese
person.” This is especially relevant in China, where odor and
health have a strong significance. “Chinese people want to con-
trol the smell of their internal home environment as much as pos-
sible,” he continues. “In fact, it is so important to them that they
will even move out of their houses while painting and drying takes
place. That’s why our Chinese paints focus on low odor and
some contain a green tea scent to help improve it.” Brunt adds
that in Europe and the US, consumers want assurances that the
paint they use on their children’s walls will not damage their
health. “They might even move the children into a different room
until the paint has dried completely. Our paint is safe when used
correctly, with no damaging odors, but the smell sometimes
leads the consumer to think otherwise.”
To help investigate the subjectivity of this, AkzoNobel’s Dec-
orative Paints business conducted an odor survey of its key
paints. It involved consumers all over the world, who helped to
determine which ones had the best odor. This included rating
paint odor when it is in the can, when it is applied and after ap-
plication. The product consistently rated the best was Ecosense,
a low odor paint available in the UK with no added solvent and
independently measured to have a 50 percent lower carbon foot-
print.
“We want to reduce the impact of our paints, particularly if it
impacts on the benefits perceived by consumers and the wider
environment,” explains Brunt. “And this includes odors. We want
to make odors neutral. In the minds of consumers, as our survey
showed, low odor products provide reassurance that the prod-
uct is a healthy product to use.” Our Decorative Paints business
58
This spread: Our Sikkens Alpha SanoProtex antibacterial paint
can contribute to both lower infection occurrences and effective
infection prevention programs. Sikkens Healthcare Services can
also provide professional help when dealing with large institutional
projects such as clinics and hospitals. They provide technical,
functional and aesthetic expertise in the use of color in public
spaces and its impact on productivity and well-being.
has developed a number of paints with a reduced odor. These
include The Freshaire Choice in the US (which contains no VOCs),
Bindoplast 7 in the Nordics – a region with a long history of de-
manding low odor paint – and the Dulux All in 1 range in China.
So we’re agreed then. Odor is very subjective. But one thing
which certainly isn’t, is the issue of emissions. Because what
gets released into the atmosphere can, and ultimately does, have
a big impact on human health – through the indirect creation of
smog. That’s why there’s such a major global effort being made
to reduce the amount of VOCs being emitted. And let’s face it,
we’d all rather be breathing in clean air. “Countries, organizations
and companies need to take a leadership position on this,” states
Brunt. “France, for example, is looking to drive the agenda on
higher air quality in Europe by imposing legislation regarding
clean air in houses. AkzoNobel, as the world’s largest coatings
company, is also taking the initiative with a drive to reduce emis-
sions beyond legislation levels. We are committed, ethically, to
doing the right things. One particular way in which we’re contrib-
uting to well-being is by having higher standards globally than
any other paint company. Our base line of health and safety –
from product stewardship to understanding the latest research
on environmental impact and the subsequent impact on human
well-being – is clearly ahead of many local competitors. Impor-
tantly, we’re also continuing to develop innovative products that
can positively contribute to human well-being.”
These new products include antibacterial paint used in hos-
pitals to help kill dangerous bacteria (see side story) and the anti-
formaldehyde series of low odor paints in China, which pass the
Chinese test for absorbing formaldehyde from indoor air. As
good as these products are, they’re obviously not the be-all-and-
end-all to addressing the full range of well-being issues. But there
can be no doubt that they’re playing their part. They are making
an important contribution and their benefits are being fully recog-
nized and appreciated by consumers all over the world, who are
driving much of the demand for their introduction. Nobody can
turn their nose up at that.
59
The latest developments in coatings
technology have led to the launch of an
array of products with innovative func-
tionality, many of which wouldn’t look out
of place in a futuristic movie. Admittedly,
not all of them have a direct impact on
our well-being, but AkzoNobel’s Sikkens
Healthcare business recently introduced
an antibacterial paint which does just that.
Specifically designed for use in high
risk areas – including hospitals and health
centers, elderly care homes and doctors’
surgeries – Sikkens’ Alpha SanoProtex
can help to reduce the likelihood of an
outbreak of killer bacterial infections,
including MRSA and E. coli, when com-
bined with appropriate cleaning practices.
“The paint was developed to meet the
exacting requirements of the healthcare
sector,” explains Sikkens Brand Manager,
Martijn Berkman. “Hospitals and surger-
ies require the highest standards of clean-
liness to avoid infection to staff, patients
and visitors. Alpha SanoProtex has been
found by numerous global assessors to
combat seven key bacteria, including
MRSA and E. coli.”
Launched in 2010, Alpha SanoProtex
uses a technology based on silver ions to
kill microbial organisms before they have
a chance to colonize surfaces such as
walls and ceilings. “The silver ions work
quickly to ensure that bacteria don’t take
hold of surfaces during their six to 24-
hour lifecycle,” continues Berkman. “If the
bacteria don’t develop during this period,
then they die.” The key ingredient is silver.
Unlike other metals, even a very small
amount of silver ions can be highly toxic
to micro-organisms such as bacteria, but
they’re harmless to humans. So only a
small quantity is needed in the paint for it
to work effectively.
But how does the silver kill the bacte-
ria? Time for a chemistry lesson. “Silver
is well known for its antibacterial effect,
but the actual mechanism is not so well
understood,” explains Richard Barcock,
AkzoNobel Decorative Coatings’ Global
Category Technical Manager for Interior
Walls. “Slow leaching of the silver ions
penetrates the cell wall to disrupt a
micro-organism’s metabolism, thus
inhibiting enzyme growth. The advantage
of silver is that, unlike other agents, it
has several methods of achieving this,
which means there is less chance of the
bacteria adapting.”
Another feature of the silver ions is the
fact that they don’t leach out of the paint
after extended cleaning of surfaces. “As
you might imagine, cleaning protocols in
hospitals are very strict,” Berkman goes
on. “Intensive care wards need to be
cleaned at least twice a day with strong
cleaning agents to avoid bacteria growth.
It’s no good if the additives in the paint
leach out over time, which can often hap-
pen when painted walls are cleaned with
strong detergents. In fact, the silver ions
become more active the more frequently
they are cleaned.” Adds Barcock: “All of
this helps contribute to the paint’s longev-
ity. The non-leaching means the paint’s
performance continues at the same high
level over time.” Pretty impressive when
you consider that the typical redecorating
cycle for a hospital is three to five years.
Alpha SanoProtex is more than just a
smart paint, though. It’s a key product in
the whole healthcare concept devel-
oped by Sikkens to ensure that the right
coatings and colors are used in the right
rooms in individual healthcare facilities
around the world. “Coatings are chosen
on a room-by-room basis to maximize
patient and staff well-being,” notes Berk-
man, who was part of the team respon-
sible for devising the concept. “Therapy,
treatment and patient rooms all require
different coatings and color schemes
compared with public spaces such as
receptions, waiting areas, corridors and
restaurants. It’s all part of enhancing
the physical and mental well-being of
patients, staff and visitors.”
HEALTTTHHCCAARRREE IINN AA CCCAN
WORDS Andrea A. Dixon
Traditional satisfaction surveys have it all wrong. According to the Happy Planet Index,
being content isn’t about having money and owning stuff. It’s more to do with long-term
well-being and living a full life with less.
60
On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you? If you said 8.5 or above,
you probably live in Costa Rica. According to the Happy Planet Index (HPI) –
created by independent “think and do” tank the New Economics Foundation
(nef) – Costa Rica is the highest scoring nation in their global study. Last
carried out in 2008, they surveyed 99 percent of the world’s population, measuring the
relationship between well-being, longevity and ecological efficiency. Surprisingly, Costa
Rica was not an anomaly in the study, with nine of the top ten places being occupied by
traditionally poor Latin America countries, at least in economic terms.
So how do you measure happiness and satisfaction? Well, while the concept of con-
tentment might be up for debate, the HPI claims that being happy is more than just hav-
ing a smile on your face. To quote their website: “We use the term subjective well-being to
capture its complexity.” They define well-being in terms of personal satisfaction: a social
network (measured in both strength and size), relationship status, education, disability,
material conditions (such as employment and income), autonomy and resiliency. They go
on to describe well-being as a combination of individual vitality, meaningful opportunities,
engaging activities, close relationships and a connectedness to a wider community as
well as a strong pool of inner resources in order to deal with life’s challenges.
While Latin American scores lead the way in the overall HPI, Western, Anglo-Saxon
countries like Norway, Ireland and Denmark aren’t far behind sunny Costa Rica in terms
of overall life satisfaction. But the real goal of the HPI is not to reveal the best place to
live or the happiest place on Earth. If that was the case, we’d all be scrambling to move
there. Statistician Nic Marks, one of the nef’s founders, says the HPI is all about asking
people what they want. “Unsurprisingly, people all around the world say that what they
want is happiness, for themselves, for their families, their children, their communities. OK,
they think money is slightly important… but it’s not nearly as important as happiness…
[or] love. We want to be healthy and live a full life. These seem to be natural human
aspirations. Why are statisticians not measuring these? Why are we not thinking of the
progress of nations in these terms, instead of just how much stuff we have?”
So Marks and the other nef thinkers decided to do something about it. They studied
the efficiency of nations to convert the planet’s resources into long and happy lives for its
citizens. The report explains: “The HPI urges us to question what is really valuable in life. …
happy and healthy lives are sought-after around the world…this should not be a privilege
of the current generation… [but also] future generations.” While the HPI does not indicate
the most developed country in the traditional sense, or the most environmentally-friendly,
it combines all of these – a methodology for comparing a country’s progress towards the
21
goal of providing long-term well-being for all, without exceeding
the limits of equitable resource consumption.
In democratic, peaceful Costa Rica – a relative eye of calm in
an oft-stormy region – 99 percent of their electricity comes from
renewable sources (they combined their environment and energy
ministries back in the 1970s). Forests cover twice as much land
in the country as it did 20 years ago. Literacy and education are
higher than the rest of the region and most of the world. And in
1949, they abolished their army, freeing up government spending
for other worthwhile initiatives. And as nef’s Marks jokes: “They
have that Latin vibe, don’t they?”
But perhaps by living la pura vida (Costa Rican for knowing
what’s important in life, literally: pure life), Latin Americans are
showing that happiness and minimal consumption are pos-
sible. Mexican native Alejandro Ortega, a Digital Communications
Specialist who works for AkzoNobel in the Netherlands, says that
he isn’t too surprised by the HPI findings. While he acknowledges
that poverty and drug crimes are high in Latin America, he says
Latinos often have an “it could always be worse” attitude. The
easy-going openness of the people is a key factor, along with
a strong social and family connectedness. “They use humor to
lighten everything and they don’t take themselves too seriously,”
Ortega explains. “Look at the weather. You have paradise there
– and mangoes are falling all the time.” He adds that varieties of
delicious tropical fruit grow year-round in some parts of his country.
“And if people don’t have to fight for a mango…” alluding to the fact
that if basic needs are being met, for many, that’s enough.
AkzoNobel’s Latin America Communications Director, Carlos
Piazza, says that diversity is the norm in Brazil, while humor is just
as important as in Mexico. “There are Jews and Muslims living
together, negotiating goods in the same neighborhoods. Brazil is
big and full of diversity and good humor predominates, despite
the adversities. The most impressive quality of Brazilians is their
capacity to help people in bad situations. They share their miseries,
they share the little they have with one another; this simple act
transforms simple people into great citizens. This is the basis of
their happiness: they can share different cultures, realities, beliefs,
religions and customs to create a real melting pot.”
Brazil, he adds, is also a country of contrasts. “You can find very
rich and very poor people in the same community. And both
are very happy. Creativity and adversity walk hand-in-hand and
Brazilians today are recognized as the most creative people in the
world. They do not follow rules by the book, they try to transform
everything. They are always challenging and delivering astonish-
ingly brand new ideas.”
On the happiness front, the HPI agrees. “Once our basic
material needs are comfortably met, more consumption tends to
make little difference to our well-being.” The HPI was designed
exactly for that reason: to provide a “radical departure from our
current obsession with GDP,” and provide a new way of measuring
progress and sustainability.
GDP was never measured 60 years ago. As Nic Marks
points out: “In World War II, we needed to produce a lot of
stuff. And indeed, we were so successful at producing stuff
that we destroyed a lot of Europe, and we had to rebuild it
afterwards…so our national accounting system became
fixated on what we produce.” Yet despite all this production
and consumption, basic needs are still not being met in
many places. As Robert Kennedy once said: “The gross
national product measures everything except what makes
life worthwhile.”
Nef asserts that growth is only one strategy for achieving pros-
perity. “Rather than pursuing growth at all costs, leaders should be
striving to foster well-being and sustainability, even if detrimental to
growth.” Yet despite the global focus on growth, there is still major
economic disparity between wealthy nations and impoverished
ones, and between rich and poor people in wealthy nations.
Marks and the HPI team don’t claim to know what a happy
planet looks like. But they know it doesn’t take the consumption of
four planet Earths (like the UAE and US per capita consumption) to
get there. “The thing we have to think about,” Marks contends, “is
that the future might not be North American or Western European.
It might be Latin American. And the challenge, really, is to pull the
global average up. That’s what we need to do. And if we’re going
to do that, we need to pull countries from the bottom. And then
we’re starting to create a happy planet.”
SensationsHEALTHCARE BROCHURE
Warm, appealing and hygenic. These are
important factors when decorating your
healthcare institution or medical practice,
because everything contributes to the
optimal well-being of patients, families and
employees. As specialists in decorative
paints, we provide you with a personalized
project approach, with specific product
offerings, perfect color advice and
excellent support. Let us create the ideal
environment for your institution.
Please contact Sikkens Sales Support
on +31 (0)38 467 3110 to ask for our
extensive healthcare brochure, or go to
www.sikkens.nl.
SPECIALISTS FOR SPECIALISTSBETTER
04437_2
20311
www.akzonobel.com
AkzoNobel is the largest global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals. We supply industries and consumers worldwide with innovative products and are passionate about developing sustainable answers for our customers. Our portfolio includes well known brands such as Dulux, Sikkens, International and Eka. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we are a Global Fortune 500 company and are consistently ranked as one of the leaders in the area of sustainability. With operations in more than 80 countries, our 55,000 people around the world are committed to excellence and delivering Tomorrow’s Answers Today™.
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Photography: Lionel Derimais