ROSEN, GLOBAL INVESTOR COUNSEL, Encourages BurgerFi International, Inc. f/k/a Opes Acquisition Corp. Investors With Losses in Excess of $100K to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action – BFI, OPES

NEW YORK, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of BurgerFi International, Inc. f/k/a Opes Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: BFI, OPES) between December 17, 2020 and November 15, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important June 5, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased BurgerFi securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the BurgerFi class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit–form/?case_id=14148 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll–free at 866–767–3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 5, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) BurgerFi had overstated the effectiveness of its acquisition and growth strategies; (2) BurgerFi had misrepresented to investors the purported benefits of the Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings acquisition and its post–business combination business and financial prospects; and (3) as a result, BurgerFi's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the BurgerFi class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit–form/?case_id=14148 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll–free at 866–767–3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the–rosen–law–firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

———————————————–

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686–1060
Toll Free: (866) 767–3653
Fax: (212) 202–3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8836475)

Nyxoah Nomme Christoph Eigenmann au Poste de Chief Commercial Officer

Nyxoah Nomme Christoph Eigenmann au Poste de Chief Commercial Officer

Mont–Saint–Guibert, Belgique "" 10 mai 2023, 22h05 CET / 16h05 ET "" Nyxoah SA (Euronext Bruxelles/Nasdaq : NYXH) ( Nyxoah ou la Socit ) opre dans le secteur des technologies mdicales et se concentre sur le dveloppement et la commercialisation de solutions innovantes destines traiter le Syndrome d'Apnes Obstructives du Sommeil (SAOS). La Socit a annonc aujourd'hui la nomination de Christoph Eigenmann au poste de Chief Commercial Officer. Christoph supervisera les activits commerciales au niveau mondial et sera responsable des ventes et du marketing sur les marchs existants, ainsi que du dveloppement de nouveaux marchs.

Christoph apporte Nyxoah une grande exprience dans le domaine des technologies mdicales. Il a pass plus de 20 ans chez Johnson & Johnson (J&J), o il a supervis des organisations commerciales dans diverses zones gographiques en Europe et aux tats–Unis. Il possde une vaste exprience de la gestion des activits orthopdiques et neurologiques sur les marchs allemand, suisse et amricain, notamment en tant que Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing pour la franchise Spine de J&J, qui reprsente prs d'un milliard de dollars aux tats–Unis, et il a dirig des fonctions rgionales dans la rgion EMEA et en Amrique du Nord. Christoph est titulaire d'un Master en gnie chimique et en biotechnologie de l'cole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne, en Suisse.

“Nous sommes ravis que Christoph rejoigne Nyxoah au moment o nous entamons notre prochaine phase de croissance. Les annes d'exprience de Christoph dans la commercialisation de dispositifs mdicaux l'chelle mondiale seront inestimables alors que Nyxoah se prpare entrer sur le march amricain et tendre sa prsence commerciale l'chelle internationale”, a comment Olivier Taelman, CEO de Nyxoah.

“Je suis ravi de rejoindre Nyxoah en cette priode critique et passionnante. La stimulation du nerf hypoglosse est un march important et trs peu pntr, et l'approche novatrice de Nyxoah offre une solution trs diffrencie pour les patients, les cliniciens et les systmes de sant. Je suis impatient de mettre profit ma longue exprience de la commercialisation de dispositifs mdicaux aux tats–Unis pour faire en sorte que Genio devienne traitement de rfrence dans le traitement du SAOS”, a ajout Christoph.

propos de Nyxoah
Nyxoah opre dans le secteur des technologies mdicales. Elle se concentre sur le dveloppement et la commercialisation de solutions innovantes destines traiter le Syndrome d'Apnes Obstructives du Sommeil (SAOS). La principale solution de Nyxoah est le systme Genio , une thrapie de neurostimulation du nerf hypoglosse de nouvelle gnration centre sur le patient, sans sonde ni batterie implante et destine traiter le Syndrome d'Apnes Obstructives du Sommeil (SAOS), le trouble respiratoire du sommeil le plus courant au monde. Ce dernier est associ un risque accru de mortalit et des comorbidits cardiovasculaires. Nyxoah est motiv par la vision selon laquelle les patients souffrant de SAOS devraient profiter de nuits reposantes et se sentir en mesure de vivre pleinement leur vie.

la suite de la finalisation probante de l'tude BLAST OSA, le systme Genio a reu le marquage europen CE en 2019. Nyxoah a ralis deux introductions en bourse avec succs : sur Euronext en septembre 2020 et au NASDAQ en juillet 2021. Suite aux rsultats positifs de l'tude BETTER SLEEP, Nyxoah a obtenu l'approbation marquage CE pour le traitement des patients atteints de Collapse Circonfrentiel Complet (CCC), actuellement contre–indiqu dans les thrapies concurrentes. De plus, la Socit mne actuellement l'tude pivot DREAM IDE en vue de l'approbation FDA et de la commercialisation aux tats–Unis.

Pour plus d'informations, visitez http://www.nyxoah.com/

Attention "" Marquage CE depuis 2019. Dispositif exprimental aux tats–Unis. Limit par la loi fdrale amricaine une utilisation exprimentale aux tats–Unis.

Contacts :
Nyxoah
David DeMartino, Chief Strategy Officer
david.demartino@nyxoah.com
+1 310 310 1313

Pice jointe


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000809330)

Nyxoah Appoints Christoph Eigenmann as Chief Commercial Officer

Nyxoah Appoints Christoph Eigenmann as Chief Commercial Officer

Mont–Saint–Guibert, Belgium "" May 10, 2023, 10:05pm CET / 4:05pm ET "" Nyxoah SA (Euronext Brussels/Nasdaq: NYXH) ("Nyxoah" or the "Company"), a medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative solutions to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), today announced the appointment of Christoph Eigenmann as Chief Commercial Officer. Christoph will oversee commercial activities globally, be responsible for sales and marketing in existing markets, and new market development.

Christoph brings a wealth of experience in medical technologies to Nyxoah. He spent over 20 years with Johnson & Johnson (J&J), where he oversaw commercial organizations in various geographies in Europe and the United States. He has extensive experience in managing orthopedic and neuro businesses in the German, Swiss and U.S. markets, including as Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing for J&J's close to $1B U.S. Spine franchise, and has led regional functions across EMEA and North America. Christoph holds a master's degree in chemical engineering and biotechnology from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland.

"We are excited to have Christoph join Nyxoah as we embark on our next phase of growth. Christoph's years of experience in commercializing medical devices globally will be invaluable as Nyxoah prepares to enter the U.S. market and expands its commercial presence internationally," commented Olivier Taelman, Nyxoah Chief Executive Officer.

"I am thrilled to be joining Nyxoah at this critical and exciting time. Hypoglossal nerve stimulation is a large and highly under–penetrated market, and Nyxoah's novel approach provides a highly differentiated solution for patients, clinicians, and healthcare systems. I look forward to applying my long tenure of commercializing medical devices in the U.S. to ensuring Genio becomes a standard of care in OSA treatment," added Christoph.

About Nyxoah
Nyxoah is a medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative solutions to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Nyxoah's lead solution is the Genio system, a patient–centered, leadless and battery–free hypoglossal neurostimulation therapy for OSA, the world's most common sleep disordered breathing condition that is associated with increased mortality risk and cardiovascular comorbidities. Nyxoah is driven by the vision that OSA patients should enjoy restful nights and feel enabled to live their life to its fullest.

Following the successful completion of the BLAST OSA study, the Genio system received its European CE Mark in 2019. Following the positive outcomes of the BETTER SLEEP study, Nyxoah received CE mark approval for the expansion of its therapeutic indications to Complete Concentric Collapse (CCC) patients, currently contraindicated in competitors' therapy. Additionally, the Company is currently conducting the DREAM IDE pivotal study for FDA and U.S. commercialization approval.

For more information, please visit http://www.nyxoah.com/.

Caution "" CE marked since 2019. Investigational device in the United States. Limited by U.S. federal law to investigational use in the United States.

Contacts:
Nyxoah
David DeMartino, Chief Strategy Officer
david.demartino@nyxoah.com
+1 310 310 1313

Attachment


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000809330)

ROSEN, GLOBAL INVESTOR COUNSEL, Encourages DISH Network Corporation Investors With Losses in Excess of $100K to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action – DISH

NEW YORK, May 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) between February 22, 2021 and February 27, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important May 22, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased DISH securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the DISH class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit–form/?case_id=13586 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll–free at 866–767–3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than May 22, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) DISH overstated its operational efficiency and maintained a deficient cybersecurity and information technology infrastructure; (2) as a result of the foregoing, DISH was unable to properly secure customer data, leaving it vulnerable to access by malicious third parties; (3) the foregoing cybersecurity deficiencies also both rendered DISH's operations susceptible to widespread service outages and hindered DISH's ability to respond to such outages; and (4) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the DISH class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit–form/?case_id=13586 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll–free at 866–767–3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the–rosen–law–firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

———————————————–

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686–1060
Toll Free: (866) 767–3653
Fax: (212) 202–3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8836531)

ADDYY INVESTOR NEWS: ROSEN, GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED INVESTOR COUNSEL, Encourages adidas AG Investors With Losses in Excess of $100K to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action Filed by the Firm – ADDYY, ADDDF

NEW YORK, May 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of adidas AG (OTC: ADDYY, ADDDF) between May 3, 2018 and February 21, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important June 27, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline in the securities class action commenced by the Firm.

SO WHAT: If you purchased adidas securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the adidas class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit–form/?case_id=12204 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll–free at 866–767–3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 27, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) in addition to other misconduct, Kanye West (also known as Ye) made anti–Semitic comments in front of adidas staff, and even suggested naming an album after Adolf Hitler; (2) adidas was aware of his behavior, and failed to warn investors that it was aware of that behavior, and had considered ending the Partnership, a business association with adidas and Kanye West, as a result; (3) adidas failed to take meaningful precautionary measures to limit negative financial exposure if the Partnership were to end as a result of Kanye West's behavior; (4) adidas overstated the risk mitigation measures it took with regard to Yeezy shoes in the event that it terminated the Partnership; and (5) as a result, defendants' public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the adidas class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit–form/?case_id=12204 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll–free at 866–767–3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the–rosen–law–firm or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

———————————————–

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686–1060
Toll Free: (866) 767–3653
Fax: (212) 202–3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8836402)

Quantexa Provides ING with Solution to Strengthen and Automate Global Risk Coverage

LONDON, May 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today Quantexa, a global leader in Decision Intelligence (DI) solutions for the public and private sectors, announced that ING is deploying Quantexa's platform to strengthen its risk detection and investigative efforts. Being a global bank serving 37 million customers, corporate clients, and financial institutions in 40 countries, ING is determined to protect its customers and fight financial crime.

Using AI and advanced graph analytics capabilities provided by Quantexa's platform, ING's investigative teams are focused on developing more effective and efficient global Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti–Money Laundering (AML) measures. By connecting customers and counterparties, the platform creates context and uncovers complex networks. This further automates the first line defence processes.

ING selected Quantexa's platform for its ability to aid in the analyzation of internal transaction data and to incorporate external data, to complete a 360–degree view of customer base risk. Early 2023 ING and Quantexa completed a successful first implementation for Trade Finance in Hong Kong and Singapore.

ING and Quantexa are now working on a global rollout with expanded efforts in Financial Markets and Correspondent Banking.

Dan Higgins, Chief Product Officer, Quantexa
"The most effective method to prevent money laundering is by understanding the context underpinning and linking how criminals behave. We are excited to build on our successful track–record of innovation with ING and support them in their mission to improve risk coverage throughout significant global practice areas and their continued effort to be a leader in identifying and combating criminal threats in the banking industry."

Karim Tadjer, Global KYC lead, ING Group
"At ING, we are committed to the fight against money laundering, economic crime, and continually innovating to ensure the safety and compliance of the bank. We are thrilled to have found a partner with compatible ambitions in Quantexa. By leveraging the contextual insights generated through their platform, we can strengthen our detection models and automate key processes in our KYC and AML measures. This is leading to efficiencies for our investigative teams and improved customer experiences."

About Quantexa"

Quantexa is a global data and analytics software company pioneering Decision Intelligence that empowers organizations to make trusted operational decisions by making data meaningful. Using the latest advancements in big data and AI, Quantexa's Decision Intelligence platform uncovers hidden risk and new opportunities by providing a contextual, connected view of internal and external data in a single place. It solves major challenges across data management, KYC, customer intelligence, financial crime, risk, fraud, and security, throughout the customer lifecycle.

The Quantexa Decision Intelligence Platform enhances operational performance with over 90% more accuracy and sixty times faster analytical model resolution than traditional approaches. Founded in 2016, Quantexa now has more than six hundred employees and thousands of users working with billions of transactions and data points across the world. The company has offices in London, New York, Boston, Toronto, Malaga, Brussels, Amsterdam, Luxemburg, Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney, and the UAE. For more information, please visit www.quantexa.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Media Enquiries"
C: Stephanie Crisp, Associate Director and Media Strategist, Fight or Flight""
E: Quantexa@fightflight.co.uk""
"
C: Adam Jaffe, SVP of Corporate Marketing""
T: +1 609 502 6889""
E: adamjaffe@quantexa.com
– or –""
RapidResponse@quantexa.com"


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000809187)

Cellebrite Announces First-Quarter 2023 Results

Revenue of $71.2 million, 14% year–over–year increase due primarily to
27% growth in subscription revenue;

ARR of $261.3 million, up 30% year–over–year;

Adjusted EBITDA of $7.3 million, 10.3% adjusted EBITDA margin

PETAH TIKVA, Israel and TYSONS CORNER, Va., May 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cellebrite (NASDAQ: CLBT), a global leader in Digital Intelligence ("DI") solutions for the public and private sectors, today announced financial results for the three months ending March 31, 2023.

"Our first–quarter results demonstrate that we are off to a strong start in 2023 as we work closely with our customers to help them modernize their investigative workflows," said Yossi Carmil, Cellebrite's CEO. "During the quarter, we made tangible progress with key strategic initiatives aimed at advancing innovation by delivering important breakthroughs with our Collect and Review capabilities. It is gratifying to see customers increasingly turn to Cellebrite for our powerful digital intelligence software solutions, which is translating into higher usage of our Collect and Review solutions and increasing traction for additional growth engines such as our Investigative Analytics and our Case and Evidence Management offerings. As a result, we move forward with solid momentum in a healthy marketplace, which is reflected in our ARR and NRR metrics. With a strong first quarter behind us and attractive opportunities ahead, we believe that we are on track to achieve our original FY23 financial targets."

First–Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights

  • Revenue of $71.2 million, up 14% year–over–year
  • Subscription revenue of $61.3 million, up 27% year–over–year
  • Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) of $261.3 million, up 30% year–over–year
  • Recurring revenue dollar–based net retention rate (NRR) of 128%
  • GAAP gross profit and gross margin of $58.8 million and 82.6%, respectively; Non–GAAP gross profit and gross profit margin of $59.2 million and 83.1%, respectively
  • GAAP net loss of $40.6 million; Non–GAAP net income of $6.9 million
  • GAAP diluted net loss per share of $(0.21); Non–GAAP diluted EPS of $0.03
  • Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin of $7.3 million and 10.3%, respectively

First–Quarter 2023 and Recent Digital Intelligence Highlights

  • Closed 21 large deals in the first quarter, each valued at $500,000 or more. Notable deals included:
    • A large national agency in Latin America expanded its Premium licensing, added Guardian and Pathfinder, and became the first customer in this region to integrate cryptocurrency data and insights within its Cellebrite DI solutions. This customer's ARR increased by a factor of 13x to $1.6 million.
    • Two police departments serving mid–sized U.S. cities added Premium to support their digital forensic labs and began deploying Pathfinder to accelerate their investigations and Guardian to securely share digital evidence among examiners, investigators and prosecutors. ARR for one of these customers quadrupled to nearly $600,000 and ARR for the other customer increased by over 10x to just under $300,000.
    • A specialist intelligence agency in Western Europe upgraded its digital intelligence collection capabilities by expanding its use of Premium ES nationwide while also renewing the licenses for other Collect & Review offerings. As a result, this customer's ARR increased by over 60% to $1.2 million.
  • Launched Pathfinder X, an elevated suite of artificial intelligence (AI)–enabled investigative analytics for digital evidence that helps law enforcement agencies resolve cases faster and more efficiently. New Pathfinder X features include cloud deployment options on AWS and Azure virtual private cloud, a deployment format optimal for geographically dispersed teams and a new user management system.
  • Announced integration between Cellebrite's LegalView Physical Analyzer and Relativity's RelativityOne, bringing more ease and speed to corporate investigations in the private sector.
  • Received Frost & Sullivan's 2022 North American Customer Value Leadership Award for its digital intelligence solutions.

Supplemental financial information can be found on the Investor Relations section of our website at https://investors.cellebrite.com/financial–information/quarterly–results.

Financial Outlook

"Having largely completed our transition to subscription software, we are starting to see our subscription software and ARR growth rates converge, which is consistent with our prior expectations," said Dana Gerner, Chief Financial Officer of Cellebrite. "Looking ahead, we anticipate continued success in increasing wallet share from existing customers and further expanding our global customer base with new logo wins. Based on our results to date and the opportunities we see to drive top–line growth, in combination with our prudent spending plans, Cellebrite is well positioned to drive improved year–over–year profitability and strong free cash flow over the coming quarters. We reiterate our full–year 2023 guidance."

  • Full year 2023 revenue is expected to be between $305 and $315 million, representing 13–16% year–over–year growth.
  • December 2023 ARR is expected to be between $300 and $310 million, representing 21–25% year–over–year growth.
  • Full year 2023 adjusted EBITDA is expected to be between $35.0 and $40.0 million, representing 11–13% margin.

Conference Call Information

Cellebrite will host a live conference call and webcast later this morning to review the Company's financial results for the first quarter of 2023 and discuss its full–year 2023 outlook. Pertinent details include:

Date: Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Time: 8:30 a.m. ET
Call–In Number: 203–518–9814
Conference ID: CLBTQ123
Event URL: https://investors.cellebrite.com/events/event–details/cellebrite–q1–23–earnings
Webcast URL: https://edge.media–server.com/mmc/p/u58372yq

In conjunction with the conference call and webcast, historical financial tables and supplemental data will be available on the quarterly results section of Company's investor relations website at https://investors.cellebrite.com/financial–information/quarterly–results. A transcript of the call will be added to this page along with access to the replay of the call later in the day.

Non–GAAP Financial Information

This press release includes non–GAAP financial measures. Cellebrite believes that the use of non–GAAP net income, non–GAAP operating income and Adjusted EBITDA is helpful to investors. These measures, which the Company refers to as our non–GAAP financial measures, are not prepared in accordance with GAAP.

The Company believes that the non–GAAP financial measures provide a more meaningful comparison of its operational performance from period to period, and offer investors and management greater visibility to the underlying performance of its business. Mainly:

  • Share–based compensation expenses utilize varying available valuation methodologies, subjective assumptions and a variety of equity instruments that can impact a company's non–cash expenses;
  • Acquired intangible assets are valued at the time of acquisition and are amortized over an estimated useful life after the acquisition, and acquisition–related expenses are unrelated to current operations and neither are comparable to the prior period nor predictive of future results;
  • To the extent that the above adjustments have an effect on tax (income) expense, such an effect is excluded in the non–GAAP adjustment to net income;
  • Tax expense, depreciation and amortization expense vary for many reasons that are often unrelated to our underlying performance and make period–to–period comparisons more challenging; and
  • Financial instruments are remeasured according to GAAP and vary for many reasons that are often unrelated to the Company's current operations and affect financial income.

Each of our non–GAAP financial measures is an important tool for financial and operational decision making and for evaluating our own operating results over different periods of time. The non–GAAP financial measures do not represent our financial performance under U.S. GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to operating income or net income or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP. Non–GAAP measures should not be considered in isolated from, or as an alternative to, financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. Non–GAAP financial measures may not provide information that is directly comparable to that provided by other companies in our industry, as other companies in our industry may calculate non–GAAP financial results differently, particularly related to non–recurring, unusual items. In addition, there are limitations in using non–GAAP financial measures because the non–GAAP financial measures are not prepared in accordance with GAAP, and exclude expenses that may have a material impact on our reported financial results. Further, share–based compensation expense has been, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future, significant recurring expenses in our business and an important part of the compensation provided to our employees. In addition, the amortization of intangible assets is expected recurring expense over the estimated useful life of the underlying intangible asset and acquisition–related expenses will be incurred to the extent acquisitions are made in the future. Furthermore, foreign exchange rates may fluctuate from one period to another, and the Company does not estimate movements in foreign currencies.

A reconciliation of each of these non–GAAP financial measures to their most comparable GAAP measure is set forth in a table included at the end of this press release, which is also available on our website at https://investors.cellebrite.com.

In regard to forward–looking non–GAAP guidance, we are not able to reconcile the forward–looking Adjusted EBITDA measure to the closest corresponding GAAP measure without unreasonable efforts because we are unable to predict the ultimate outcome of certain significant items including, but not limited to, fair value movements, share–based payments for future awards, tax expense, depreciation and amortization expense, and certain financing and tax items.

Key Performance Indicators

This press release also includes key performance indicators, including annual recurring revenue and dollar–based retention rate.

Annual recurring revenue ("ARR") is defined as the annualized value of active term–based subscription license contracts and maintenance contracts related to perpetual licenses in effect at the end of that period. Subscription license contracts and maintenance contracts for perpetual licenses are annualized by multiplying the revenue of the last month of the period by 12. The annualized value of contracts is a legal and contractual determination made by assessing the contractual terms with our customers. The annualized value of maintenance contracts is not determined by reference to historical revenue, deferred revenue or any other GAAP financial measure over any period. ARR is not a forecast of future revenues, which can be impacted by contract start and end dates and renewal rates.

Dollar–based net retention rate ("NRR") is calculated by dividing customer recurring revenue by base revenue. We define base revenue as recurring revenue we recognized from all customers with a valid license at the last quarter of the previous year period, during the four quarters ended one year prior to the date of measurement. We define our customer revenue as the recurring revenue we recognized during the four quarters ended on the date of measurement from the same customer base included in our measure of base revenue, including recurring revenue resulting from additional sales to those customers.

About Cellebrite

Cellebrite's (NASDAQ: CLBT) mission is to enable its customers to protect and save lives, accelerate justice, and preserve privacy in communities around the world. We are a global leader in Digital Intelligence solutions for the public and private sectors, empowering organizations in mastering the complexities of legally sanctioned digital investigations by streamlining intelligence processes. Trusted by thousands of leading agencies and companies worldwide, Cellebrite's Digital Intelligence platform and solutions transform how customers collect, review, analyze and manage data in legally sanctioned investigations. To learn more, visit us at www.cellebrite.com and https://investors.cellebrite.com.

Note: References to our website and the websites of third parties mentioned in this press release are inactive textual references only, and information contained therein or connected thereto is not incorporated into this press release.

Caution Regarding Forward–Looking Statements

This document includes "forward–looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "forecast," "intend," "seek," "target," "anticipate," "will," "appear," "approximate," "foresee," "might," "possible," "potential," "believe," "could," "predict," "should," "could," "continue," "expect," "estimate," "may," "plan," "outlook," "future" and "project" and other similar expressions that predict, project or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. Such forward–looking statements include estimated financial information for fiscal year 2023 and certain statements related to being on track to achieve our original FY23 financial targets, being well positioned to drive improved year–over–year profitability and strong free cash flow over the coming quarters, and reiterating our full–year 2023 guidance. Such forward–looking statements including those with respect to 2023 revenue and annual recurring revenue, profitability and earnings as well as commentary associated with future performance, strategies, prospects, and other aspects of Cellebrite's business are based on current expectations that are subject to risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those indicated by such forward–looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: Cellebrite's ability to keep pace with technological advances and evolving industry standards; Cellebrite's material dependence on the purchase, acceptance and use of its solutions by law enforcement and government agencies; real or perceived errors, failures, defects or bugs in Cellebrite's DI solutions; Cellebrite's failure to maintain the productivity of sales and marketing personnel, including relating to hiring, integrating and retaining personnel; intense competition in all of Cellebrite's markets; the inadvertent or deliberate misuse of Cellebrite's solutions; failure to manage its growth effectively; Cellebrite's ability to introduce new solutions and add–ons; its dependency on its customers renewing their subscriptions; the low volume of business Cellebrite conducts via e–commerce; risks associated with the use of artificial intelligence; the risk of requiring additional capital to support the growth of its business; risks associated with higher costs or unavailability of materials used to create its hardware product components; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; lengthy sales cycle for some of Cellebrite's solutions; near term declines in new or renewed agreements; risks associated with inability to retain qualified personnel and senior management; the security of Cellebrite's operations and the integrity of its software solutions; risks associated with the negative publicity related to Cellebrite's business and use of its products; risks related to Cellebrite's intellectual property; the regulatory constraints to which Cellebrite is subject; risks associated with different corporate governance requirements applicable to Israeli companies and risks associated with being a foreign private issuer and an emerging growth company; market volatility in the price of Cellebrite's shares; changing tax laws and regulations; risks associated with joint, ventures, partnerships and strategic initiatives; risks associated with Cellebrite's significant international operations; risks associated with Cellebrite's failure to comply with anti–corruption, trade compliance, anti–money–laundering and economic sanctions laws and regulations; risks relating to the adequacy of Cellebrite's existing systems, processes, policies, procedures, internal controls and personnel for Cellebrite's current and future operations and reporting needs; and other factors, risks and uncertainties set forth in the section titled "Risk Factors" in Cellebrite's annual report on Form 20–F filed with the SEC on April 27, 2023 and in other documents filed by Cellebrite with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), which are available free of charge at www.sec.gov. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward–looking statements, which speak only as of the date made, in this communication or elsewhere. Cellebrite undertakes no obligation to update its forward–looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws.

Contacts:

Investor Relations
Andrew Kramer
Vice President, Investor Relations
investors@cellebrite.com
+1 973.206.7760

Media
Victor Cooper
Sr. Director of Corporate Communications + Content Operations
Victor.cooper@cellebrite.com
+1 404.804.5910

Cellebrite DI Ltd.
First–Quarter 2023 Results Summary
(U.S Dollars in thousands)
For the three months ended
March 31,
2023 2022
(Unaudited) (Unaudited)
Revenue 71,234 62,385
Gross profit 58,828 51,402
Gross margin 82.6 % 82.4 %
Operating income (loss) 136 (1,946 )
Operating margin 0.2 % (3.1 )%
Net (loss) income (40,605 ) 55,438
Cash flow from operating activities 12,476 (10,537 )
Non–GAAP Financial Data:
Operating income 5,653 2,634
Operating margin 7.9 % 4.2 %
Net income 6,899 1,420
Adjusted EBITDA 7,304 4,082
Adjusted EBITDA margin 10.3 % 6.5 %

Cellebrite DI Ltd.
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(U.S. Dollars in thousands)
March 31, December 31,
2023 2022
Unaudited Audited
Assets
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents $ 98,972 $ 87,645
Short–term deposits 54,740 51,335
Marketable securities 48,938 44,643
Trade receivables (net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $1,264 and $1,904 as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively) 69,594 78,761
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 20,259 17,085
Contract acquisition costs 6,377 6,286
Inventories 11,405 10,176
Total current assets 310,285 295,931
Non–current assets
Other non–current assets 2,657 1,731
Marketable securities 18,521 22,125
Deferred tax assets, net 11,894 12,511
Property and equipment, net 16,725 17,259
Intangible assets, net 10,458 11,254
Goodwill 26,829 26,829
Operating lease right–of–use assets, net 15,320 15,653
Total non–current assets 102,404 107,362
Total assets $ 412,689 $ 403,293
Liabilities and shareholders' equity
Current Liabilities
Trade payables $ 4,918 $ 4,612
Other accounts payable and accrued expenses 37,198 45,453
Deferred revenues 157,903 152,709
Operating lease liabilities 4,723 5,003
Total current liabilities 204,742 207,777
Long–term liabilities
Other long term liabilities 5,577 5,394
Deferred revenues 48,384 42,173
Restricted Sponsor Shares liability 28,574 17,532
Price Adjustment Shares liability 46,126 26,184
Warrant liability 29,824 20,015
Operating lease liabilities 10,105 10,353
Total long–term liabilities 168,590 121,651
Total liabilities $ 373,332 $ 329,428
Shareholders' equity
Share capital * ) * )
Additional paid–in capital (119,061 ) (125,624 )
Treasury share, NIS 0.00001 par value; 41,776 ordinary shares (85 ) (85 )
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income (135 ) 331
Retained earnings 158,638 199,243
Total shareholders' equity 39,357 73,865
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 412,689 $ 403,293

*) Less than 1 USD

Cellebrite DI Ltd.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
(U.S Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
For the three months ended
March 31,
2023 2022
(Unaudited) (Unaudited)
Revenue:
Subscription services $ 47,367 $ 36,361
Term–license 13,915 11,824
Total subscription 61,282 48,185
Other non–recurring* 2,918 5,972
Professional services 7,034 8,228
Total revenue 71,234 62,385
Cost of revenue:
Subscription services 4,492 3,768
Term–license 2 250
Total subscription 4,494 4,018
Other non–recurring* 2,981 2,207
Professional services 4,931 4,758
Total cost of revenue 12,406 10,983
Gross profit $ 58,828 $ 51,402
Operating expenses:
Research and development 21,131 19,576
Sales and marketing 27,601 23,259
General and administrative 9,960 10,513
Total operating expenses $ 58,692 $ 53,348
Operating income (loss) $ 136 $ (1,946 )
Financial (expense) income, net (38,775 ) 56,400
(Loss) Income before tax (38,639 ) 54,454
Tax expense (income) 1,966 (984 )
Net (Loss) income $ (40,605 ) $ 55,438
(Loss) earnings per share
Basic $ (0.21 ) $ 0.29
Diluted $ (0.21 ) $ 0.27
Weighted average shares outstanding
Basic 186,338,076 180,545,126
Diluted 198,184,236 196,142,739
Other comprehensive (loss) income:
Unrealized loss on hedging transactions (44 ) (1,150 )
Unrealized income (loss) on marketable securities 177 (49 )
Currency translation adjustments (598 ) 402
Total other comprehensive loss, net of tax (465 ) (797 )
Total other comprehensive (loss) income $ (41,070 ) $ 54,641

* Other non–recurring is composed of hardware sales, usage fees and perpetual licenses, and was previously referred to "Perpetual license and other." Changing the name for this type of revenue reflects that perpetual license revenue has declined to relatively insignificant levels with hardware sales now representing the majority of this type of revenue.

Cellebrite DI Ltd.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flow
(U.S Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
For the three months ended
March 31,
2023 2022
(Unaudited) (Unaudited)
Cash flow from operating activities:
Net (loss) income $ (40,605 ) $ 55,438
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Share based compensation and RSUs 4,457 2,858
Amortization of premium, discount and accrued interest on marketable securities (171 ) 17
Depreciation and amortization 2,447 2,112
Interest income from short term deposits (684 ) (62 )
Deferred income taxes 560 (924 )
Remeasurement of warrant liability 9,809 (17,083 )
Remeasurement of Restricted Sponsor Shares 11,042 (13,506 )
Remeasurement of Price Adjustment Shares liabilities 19,942 (25,759 )
Decrease in trade receivables 9,627 7,015
Increase (decrease) in deferred revenue 10,468 (5,916 )
Increase in other non–current assets (927 ) (33 )
(Increase) decrease in in prepaid expenses and other current assets (3,637 ) 750
Changes in operating lease assets 1,367 ""
Changes in operating lease liability (1,562 ) ""
Increase in inventories (1,225 ) (1,347 )
Increase (decrease) in trade payables 264 (352 )
Decrease in other accounts payable and accrued expenses (8,879 ) (11,085 )
Increase (decrease) in other long–term liabilities 183 (2,660 )
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 12,476 (10,537 )
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment (1,064 ) (2,305 )
Investment in marketable securities (16,352 ) (29,276 )
Proceeds from maturity of marketable securities 16,073 ""
Investment in short term deposits (16,000 ) (7,000 )
Redemption of short term deposits 13,279 25,181
Net cash used in investing activities (4,064 ) (13,400 )
Cash flows from financing activities:
Exercise of options to shares 2,106 3,627
Proceeds from Employee Share Purchase Plan, net 624 ""
Net cash provided by financing activities 2,730 3,627
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 11,142 (20,310 )
Net effect of Currency Translation on cash and cash equivalents 185 56
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 87,645 145,973
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 98,972 $ 125,719
Supplemental cash flow information:
Income taxes paid $ 3,625 $ 1,287
Non–cash activities
Purchase of property and equipment $ "" $ 133

Cellebrite DI Ltd.
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non–GAAP Financial Information
(U.S Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
For the three months ended
March 31,
2023 2022
Unaudited Unaudited
Cost of revenue $ 12,406 $ 10,983
Less:
Share based compensation 386 246
Acquisition related costs 13 ""
Non–GAAP cost of revenue $ 12,007 $ 10,737

For the three months ended
March 31,
2023 2022
Unaudited Unaudited
Gross profit $ 58,828 $ 51,402
Share based compensation 386 246
Acquisition related costs 13
Non–GAAP gross profit $ 59,227 $ 51,648

For the three months ended
March 31,
2023 2022
Unaudited Unaudited
Operating expenses $ 58,692 $ 53,348
Less:
Share based compensation 4,071 2,612
Amortization of intangible assets 796 664
Acquisition related costs 251 1,058
Non–GAAP operating expenses $ 53,574 $ 49,014

For the three months ended
March 31,
2023 2022
Unaudited Unaudited
Operating income (loss) $ 136 $ (1,946 )
Share based compensation 4,457 2,858
Amortization of intangible assets 796 664
Acquisition related costs 264 1,058
Non–GAAP operating income $ 5,653 $ 2,634

Cellebrite DI Ltd.
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non–GAAP Financial Information
(U.S Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
For the three months ended
March 31,
2023 2022
Unaudited Unaudited
Net (loss) income $ (40,605 ) $ 55,438
One time tax income "" (1,825 )
Share based compensation 4,457 2,858
Amortization of intangible assets 796 664
Acquisition related costs 264 1,058
Tax expense (income) 1,194 (425 )
Finance expense (income) from financial derivatives 40,793 (56,348 )
Non–GAAP net income $ 6,899 $ 1,420
Non–GAAP Earnings per share:
Basic $ 0.04 $ 0.01
Diluted $ 0.03 $ 0.01
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic 186,338,076 180,545,126
Diluted 198,184,236 196,142,739

For the three months ended
March 31,
2023 2022
Unaudited Unaudited
Net (loss) income $ (40,605 ) $ 55,438
Financial expense (income), net 38,775 (56,400 )
Tax expense (income) 1,966 (984 )
Share based compensation 4,457 2,858
Amortization of intangible assets 796 664
Acquisition related costs 264 1,058
Depreciation expenses 1,651 1,448
Adjusted EBITDA $ 7,304 $ 4,082


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8835887)

Unceasing Human Attacks on the Source of 80% of Food, 98% of Oxygen

Several human-caused threats lay behind the current annual loss of up to 40% of food crops globally, mainly due to plant pests and the introduction of alien species. Credit: Jency Samuel/IPS - Protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and the environment, and boost economic development

Several human-caused threats lay behind the current annual loss of up to 40% of food crops globally, mainly due to plant pests and the introduction of alien species. Credit: Jency Samuel/IPS

By Baher Kamal
ROME, May 10 2023 – Two big facts are impressive enough: plants are the source of 80% of all food, and as much as 98% of all oxygen. Logically, it would be taken for granted that human beings would do whatever is needed to protect this essential source of life. But do they?

Not at all. Rather the whole contrary.

Several human-caused threats lay behind the current annual loss of up to 40% of food crops globally, mainly due to plant pests and the introduction of alien species.

Among them stands the massive international travel and trade business, which has been associated with the introduction and spread of so many pests.

Plant health is increasingly at risk. Plant pests are responsible for the annual loss of up to 40 percent of food crops globally. This is especially relevant to the millions of smallholder farmers and people in rural communities who rely on agriculture as a primary source of income and see their livelihoods at risk

Indeed, world trade hit a record 32 trillion US dollars in 2022, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Being such a highly profitable business, it continues to bring thousands of alien species that silently but relentlessly invade – and colonise – the whole Planet Earth.

 

The ‘White Sea’ and the Black Sea, invaded, colonised

Just know that over 1.000 alien species have already taken over the Mediterranean Sea (popularly known in Arabic as the ‘White Sea’) and the Black Sea.

But these two seas are no exception. All of the world’s seas are already occupied by aliens. And anyway this is not the case of seas only: also all the Planet’s lands and air are highly infected.

Such an alien invasion is extremely dangerous to native species, much so that it is changing the nature of the waters and the lands of these two nearly closed seas.

 

Aliens on board

“They are non-indigenous fish, jellyfish, prawns, algae and many other marine and not marine species, most of them are being brought by human activities such as giant cargo ships, oil tankers, touristic cruisers, and even medium and small fishing boats,” reliable data show in a recent UN report.

The Mediterranean Sea ranks high on the list of the world’s most trafficked waters.

Did you know that more than 2.000 cargo ships, oil tankers, cruisers, cross the Mediterranean Sea at any given moment?

Over half of those alien species have established permanent populations and are spreading, causing concern about the threat they pose to marine ecosystems and local fishing communities, reports the Rome-based UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

No wonder then that this sea is undergoing a “tropicalisation” process as water temperatures rise, largely due to climate change, the UN warns.

 

Where from and who is bringing them?

Many species have migrated via well-travelled Mediterranean shipping routes such as the Strait of Gibraltar or the Suez Canal, often attached to the hull of ships or inside them in the ballast waters, explains FAO.

Other species, such as the Pacific cupped oyster and the Japanese carpet shell, were introduced for aquaculture during the 1960s and 1970s and have since escaped and colonised Mediterranean ecosystems.

 

Number of aliens on the rise

In other words, “Invasive species are changing the nature of the Mediterranean Sea,” the world’s body warns.

Stefano Lelli, a fishery expert for the Eastern Mediterranean working for the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, knows about that. “Climate change and human activities have had a profound impact on the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.”

According to Lelli, “We have witnessed a swift and significant alteration of marine ecosystems, which has led to several impacts on local communities livelihoods. In the coming years, we expect the number of non-indigenous species to continue rising.”

Once established, non-indigenous species can outcompete native ones and alter their surrounding ecosystems, with potential economic implications for fisheries and tourism or even human health, says the FAO report.

 

Massive unsustainable tourism

Add to this the massive, often unsustainable tourism business, and travels by air and ships –both among the main causes of climate emergency–, and the many other invasive pest species that are also associated with rising temperatures which create new niches for pests to populate and spread.

Did you know that the Mediterranean Sea is by far the largest global tourism destination?

Simply, it attracts almost a third of the world’s international tourists (one billion a year), generating more than one-fourth of all international tourism receipts (200 out of 750 billion euros, or about 230 out of 800 billion US dollars).

No wonder then that it is one of the most infected basins by pests and alien species.

 

What is the reaction to the loss of 40% of food crops globally?

Instead of reacting swiftly to repair all these damages and avoid further ones, human activities resort to the intensive use and misuse of pesticides, which harm pollinators, natural pest enemies and organisms crucial for a healthy environment, warns FAO.

“Yet, plant health is increasingly at risk. Plant pests are responsible for the annual loss of up to 40 percent of food crops globally. This is especially relevant to the millions of smallholder farmers and people in rural communities who rely on agriculture as a primary source of income and see their livelihoods at risk.”

 

Humans continue to alter ecosystems, reduce biodiversity…

The climate crisis and unsustainable human activities are altering ecosystems, reducing biodiversity and creating new niches for invasive pests to thrive.

Concurrently, international travel and trade that can unintentionally spread pests and diseases rapidly around the world have tripled in volume over the last decade, causing great damage to native plants and the environment.

In view of all the above, no surprise that the UN has declared an International Day of Plant Health, which is observed each year on 12 May, to raise global awareness of how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and the environment, and boost economic development.

Until when -and how far- will human avidity continue to destroy the very source of life on Planet Earth?

Amid Power Cuts in Zimbabwe, Food Preservation Made Easy by Grannies

Frequent power cuts have meant that Zimbabweans have had to return to the old ways to ensure their food doesn’t spoil. Credit: Allen Meki/Unsplash

Frequent power cuts have meant that Zimbabweans have had to return to the old ways to ensure their food doesn’t spoil. Credit: Allen Meki/Unsplash

By Ignatius Banda
BULAWAYO, May 10 2023 – Amid silent refrigerators spawned by crippling electricity cuts, township grannies are relying on their smarts and traditional preservation: roasting and smoking meat over fires as they attempt not to throw away food.

And this at a time more and more Zimbabweans are going hungry amid a combination of shrinking incomes and price increases.

For 79-year-old grandmother Tabeth Chisale, food and perishables, such as beef sourced by her children, fill the fridge, but she is increasingly frustrated by the unrelenting power outages.

“Recently, we went for seven days without electricity,” Chisale said.

“We were informed it was not because of the regular power cuts but some thieves had vandalised the power supply,” she said, at a time there are increasing reports of the theft of copper cables and transformer oil from power base stations.

The country’s power utility has blamed erratic power supply on the vandalism of electricity infrastructure.

However, amid such a chaotic and erratic energy supply, grannies such as Chisale must find or have found ways of making the best out of a bad situation.

“Once I suspect the meat is going bad, I roast the meat over a fire, then hope that electricity will be restored in time. I then stew the roasted meat. You cannot watch the meat go bad in these trying times,” she said, her practice for many here a hard-to-understand culinary secret: first roasting meat, then boiling it.

Generators and fires have become the go-to heat source in electricity-poor Zimbabwe. Credit: Ignatius Banda/IPS

Generators and fires have become the go-to heat source in electricity-poor Zimbabwe. Credit: Ignatius Banda/IPS

Smoking meat over a fire to preserve it has been around for centuries, but Zimbabwe’s energy crisis has reminded older generations of the practice at a time when large-scale enterprises such as butcheries are having to rethink how they do business.

Local food scientists have raised concerns about the consumption of bad or rotting food, noting that it reverses the small gains the country is making towards addressing nutrition deficits among children and the elderly.

In a country where supermarket shelves are stocked with expired food items, the practices of Chisale show the desperation of consumers, local analysts say.

For Desmond Mugadza, chair of the food science department at the Midlands State University, the answer is simple: “Avoid over-stocking perishables.”

“Food must be free from bio-hazards to ensure it is safe for consumers to eat as all food items have a shelf life,” Mugadza said.

“We should rely on science on whether food is safe to consume,” he added.

Yet the desperation of consumers such as Chisale has meant that they have sought ways to salvage their food without the support of science.

It has been a long practice here amid economic hardships that bargain hunters stock up on food and other basic commodities because of regular price increases, creating difficulties in how the food is stored in the absence of electricity.

However, the food preservation methods available to Chisale come with a downside: “The meat that I try to save doesn’t taste as it should, but it’s still meat,” she said.

In Zimbabwe, where the backyard poultry business has become the favoured source of income for the unemployed, power cuts have wreaked havoc for people such as Nelisiwe Mudimba.

“When you slaughter your birds, you pray that they will be sold before they go bad in the fridge,” Mudimba said, adding that on numerous occasions, she has had to throw away dozens of rotting chickens.

She says she has also tried smoking the chickens over a fire, feeding some to her dogs, but: “I cannot eat all these chickens.  What’s the point, then, of operating such a business?”

These concerns come as global agencies lament the continued wastage of food when millions go hungry.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, “One-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally. This amounts to about 1.3 billion tons per year, worth approximately US$1 trillion.”

While FAO says most food losses in developing countries are during post-harvest and processing levels, in countries such as Zimbabwe, power cuts have only added to the food waste crisis.

Local consumer rights groups say inflation has added to the challenges as those who already cannot afford basics face more headaches with trying to stock the little food available in their homes.

“Consumers are unable to buy basic commodities that they desperately need because of the increasing gaps between prices and incomes,” said Effie Ncube, spokesperson of a local consumer rights group.

“To prevent the unlawful sale of expired goods, two things are required. The first is to ensure thorough enforcement of the Consumer Protection Act. Secondly, the government should address the root causes of the economic crisis that has led to runaway inflation, lack of incomes, and general price volatility,” Ncube said.

For now, Chisale and her peers continue to seek old ways to address new challenges and make their own local desperate efforts not to throw away food, albeit against their will.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 


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Population Growth is Not Good for People or the Planet

According to the United Nations, the world’s population is more than three times larger than it was in the mid-twentieth century. The global human population reached 8.0 billion in mid-November 2022 from an estimated 2.5 billion people in 1950, adding 1 billion people since 2010 and 2 billion since 1998. The world’s population is expected to increase by nearly 2 billion persons in the next 30 years, from the current 8 billion to 9.7 billion in 2050 and could peak at nearly 10.4 billion in the mid-2080s.

By Nandita Bajaj
ST PAUL, Minnesota USA, May 10 2023 – India’s population has just reached 1.4 billion people, surpassing China as the world’s most populous nation four years earlier than projected. Spurring this growth is a traditional patriarchal culture in which women’s identity is constrained by the social expectation they bear children.

Across the globe, pronatalist forces undermine women’s autonomy and self-determination. Pronatalism is an underlying driver of the global population growing to 8 billion and counting, with 80 million added each year.

The new UNFPA State of World Population Report is wrong to dismiss “population anxiety” as groundless and assert that “population sizes are neither good nor bad.” Population growth is not good for people or the planet, and anxiety is not an unwarranted response to how it affects us.

Population growth deepens social and economic inequality and has negative impacts on unemployment, housing costs, inflation, infrastructure, resource scarcity, pollution, and well-being. It even fuels resource conflicts and wars.

It’s also one of the key variables determining overall consumption and pollution levels, which are jeopardizing planetary life support systems on which we and Earth’s remaining biodiversity depend.

Population growth is a significant factor in climate change according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Over the past three decades, it has cancelled out most climate gains from renewables and efficiency.

Going forward, population growth will be concentrated in the developing world. Dismissing its environmental impacts betrays an assumption that low-income populations in the Global South will stay that way.

This is false as well as unjust. Across the globe, the middle class is the fastest-growing segment of the population, projected to grow another billion to reach 5 billion by 2030. This will bring better living standards for a billion of today’s poor. But we must recognize that it will also bring more peril to an already overburdened planet.

Beyond its impacts on GHG emissions and the climate, population growth also drives broader “overshoot,” meaning that human demands are exceeding Earth’s regenerative capacity.

Currently, we consume 75 percent more than the Earth can provide sustainably, resulting in unprecedented biodiversity loss and an extinction crisis, dwindling freshwater supplies, ocean acidification, expanding desertification, and resource scarcity.

Much of this damage comes from our global food systems, which are directly tied to population growth, and which have already transformed at least 40 percent of the planet’s ice-free land area. They are the primary threat to 86 percent of endangered species.

Much of agriculture’s negative impact is due to the Green Revolution, which is often invoked to inspire confidence that human ingenuity can solve the problems associated with population growth.

But the Green Revolution has posed wicked problems of its own, including deforestation, damaging soil health and the nutritional content of food, and agrochemical pollution. In the Global South, where these problems are especially acute, it has failed to improve health and well-being.

Similarly, faith in green technology, including the unfounded belief renewable energy will somehow decouple growth from environmental damage, ignores real-world negative impacts which disproportionately affect poor people and frontline communities.

Scaling up massive clean energy infrastructure without working to downsize demand wreaks environmental devastation. So does mining toxic rare earth metals, dirty and dangerous work which is done in slave-like conditions by people in the Global South.

The UNFPA report displays this kind of misplaced faith in technology and human ingenuity. Such faith is rooted in a bias toward endless economic growth, propagated by those who have most benefited from the current economic system and who are already wealthy. It ignores the ecological unraveling of continued human expansionism, and the massive toll it takes on human well-being.

According to the IPCC, the climate crisis will lead to increased death and illness from extreme weather and heat waves, growing agricultural losses, destruction of small island states, debilitating drought, declining freshwater supplies, and escalating losses of marine and terrestrial biodiversity.

Over a billion people are expected to be climate refugees by 2050.

From climate change, violence, and conflict to decreased economic opportunity, population growth’s impacts are felt most acutely by women, whose status in developing countries is already low, and by children, including those yet to be born. UNICEF calls the outlook for a billion children in climate-vulnerable countries “unimaginably dire.”

In a time when no government climate plans are on track to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and we are witnessing a human-driven mass extinction event, dismissing the profound impacts of population growth is shockingly irresponsible.

The UNFPA makes this mistake. It seeks to champion reproductive rights, yet dismisses the importance of population growth, which is driven by patriarchal pronatalist forces that pressure women into obsolete gender roles and abrogate their rights.

Failure to make this connection between rights and growth is the report’s most disappointing aspect.

Population deceleration and human rights go together; we need to advocate both. They are both achievable by the same set of human rights-based policies: universal education, women’s empowerment, children’s rights, and free, state-of-the-art family planning for all.

Truly advancing the causes of human rights and ecological sustainability requires humanity to shrink our population and our economies. It’s our only chance to achieve a high standard of living for all while staying within planetary boundaries.

Nandita Bajaj is the executive director of Population Balance and co-host of The Overpopulation Podcast. She also teaches the first graduate course of its kind: Pronatalism, Overpopulation, and the Planet, through the Institute for Humane Education at Antioch University.

IPS UN Bureau

 


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