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Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. (“CCE”) (NYSE: CCE) (Euronext Paris: CCE), Coca-Cola Iberian Partners SA (“CCIP”) and Coca-Cola Erfrischungsgetränke AG (“CCEAG”), a wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO), today announced they have agreed to combine their businesses into a new company to be called Coca-Cola European Partners Plc., in a transformational transaction that will create the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottler based on net revenues. Through a world-class production, sales and distribution platform for the Coca-Cola system in Western Europe, Coca-Cola European Partners will be positioned to deliver superior execution and customer service, driving long-term value creation for shareowners.

Strategically Positioned to Capture Growth
With more than 50 bottling plants and approximately 27,000 associates, Coca-Cola European Partners will serve a consumer population of over 300 million in 13 countries across Western Europe, including Andorra, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Iceland, Luxembourg, Monaco, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands. The combined company will operate in the four largest markets for nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverages in Western Europe – Germany, Spain, Great Britain and France.

Once combined, Coca-Cola European Partners will leverage and build on the best practices from each respective market and bottler to improve service to customers and consumers through a more consistent strategy for product development and market execution across Western Europe. The increased scale and flexibility of Coca-Cola European Partners’ broader European geographic footprint will allow it to compete more effectively across nonalcoholic beverage categories.

Coca-Cola European Partners is expected to generate substantial synergies, including supply chain benefits and operating efficiencies. These synergies are expected to result in realized annual run-rate pre-tax savings of approximately $350-375 million within three years of closing. The new company’s synergies will also position it for increased investment in sales and customer-facing activities to drive incremental top-line and profit growth over the long term.

Coca-Cola European Partners will combine the unique market knowledge of CCE, CCIP and CCEAG, enabling increased coordination and innovation to better serve customers and consumers at a local level in each market. As a larger and more diverse company, Coca-Cola European Partners will continue to invest, employ, manufacture and distribute locally, maintaining a strong commitment to the economic and social well-being of each community it serves.

“The creation of a larger, unified Coca-Cola bottling partner in Western Europe represents an important step in our global system’s evolution,” said Muhtar Kent, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Coca-Cola Company. “We continue to adapt our business model to innovate, invest and grow along with the changing demands of the marketplace. With the strong leadership that will be assembled from across the three organizations, Coca-Cola European Partners will be well-positioned to deliver better and more effective service to customers throughout Western Europe and drive profitable growth across multiple beverage categories.”

Sol Daurella, Executive Chairwoman of Coca-Cola Iberian Partners, added, “In 2013, we combined our family-owned Iberian Coca-Cola bottlers with over 60 years of history to better serve our customers and consumers. Our Iberian shareowners see today’s announcement as an important step to further develop and optimize our offerings in Western Europe. As the single-largest shareowner in this new business we will play a strong strategic role in Coca-Cola European Partners, while continuing to be close to our country, business, local consumers and customers. Combining our unique expertise in the on-premise channels, targeted marketing experience and operational excellence with the skills of CCE and CCEAG, together we will drive growth in Western Europe.”

“The creation of Coca-Cola European Partners will build on each bottler’s capabilities to create more efficient operations in their respective markets across Western Europe,” said John Brock, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Coca-Cola Enterprises. “We look forward to bringing together our world-class supply chain and sales team with the distinct strengths offered by CCIP and CCEAG to capture additional growth opportunities in each market. This transaction offers clear synergies, along with the scale to better serve the needs of our customers and consumers in Western Europe, to become an even stronger partner to The Coca-Cola Company and create increased value for CCE’s shareowners.”

Management and Governance

Ms. Daurella will become Chairwoman of Coca-Cola European Partners and Mr. Brock will become Chief Executive Officer. Both will be members of the Board of Directors.

Damian Gammell, currently Beverage Group President and CEO of Anadolu Efes and a previous Chief Executive Officer of CCEAG, will join CCE as Chief Operating Officer in autumn 2015 and become Chief Operating Officer of Coca-Cola European Partners upon closing. Manik (“Nik”) Jhangiani, currently the Chief Financial Officer of CCE, will become Coca-Cola European Partners’ Chief Financial Officer and Víctor Rufart, currently General Manager of CCIP, will become Chief Integration Officer. Other members of the new executive team will be announced before the closing of the transaction.

Along with Ms. Daurella and Mr. Brock, the initial Board of Directors of Coca-Cola European Partners will consist of 15 additional members, with the majority of the Board being independent, non-executive directors.

Coca-Cola European Partners will be incorporated in the United Kingdom, one of its largest markets, with its headquarters in London. The combined company will be publicly traded with listings on the Euronext Amsterdam, the New York Stock Exchange and the Madrid Stock Exchange.

Transaction Structure

At closing, Coca-Cola Iberian Partners and The Coca-Cola Company will own 34% and 18% of the combined company, respectively, with CCE shareowners owning 48% on a fully diluted basis. CCE shareowners will receive, for each CCE share held, one share of Coca-Cola European Partners and a one-time cash payment of $14.50 per share. The aggregate one-time cash payment of approximately $3.3 billion will be funded by the new company using newly issued debt.

On a pre-synergy, pro forma basis, for 2015 the combined company’s annual net revenues are expected to be approximately $12.6 billion with $2.1 billion of EBITDA and $1.6 billion of operating income with a volume of 2.5 billion unit cases. Coca-Cola European Partners’ effective tax rate is expected to be in a range of 26 to 28%.

The combined company is expected to have a 2015 pro forma net debt to EBITDA ratio of approximately 3.5x, and given anticipated cash flows, is expected to de-lever to approximately 2.5x by year-end 2017. Coca-Cola European Partners is fully committed to an investment-grade rating and intends to operate within a 2.5x-3.0x net debt to EBITDA ratio longer term. It intends to distribute dividends per share in the range of approximately 30 to 40% of net income over time, to be determined by its Board of Directors.

The Coca-Cola Company expects to account for its stake under the equity method of accounting and expects the merger to be slightly accretive to 2016 comparable EPS.

In support of this growth plan, The Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola European Partners will enter into a new 10-year bottling agreement with an option to renew for an additional 10-year period. There will be an initial four-year incidence pricing agreement, extending economic terms currently in place in each respective territory.

Approvals
The Boards of Directors of Coca-Cola Enterprises, Coca-Cola Iberian Partners and The Coca-Cola Company have approved the transaction. The proposed merger is subject to approval by CCE’s shareowners, receipt of regulatory clearances and other customary conditions. The merger is expected to close in the second quarter of 2016.

Advisers
Deutsche Bank acted as exclusive financial adviser to The Coca-Cola Company. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP acted as legal counsel to The Coca-Cola Company, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP acted as tax counsel to The Coca-Cola Company.

Lazard acted as lead financial adviser to CCE and Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP and Slaughter and May served as legal counsel to the company. Credit Suisse acted as financial adviser to the Franchise Relationship Committee (FRC) of the Board of Directors of CCE; Clay Long Esq. and Baker Hostetler LLP served as legal counsel to the FRC.

Rothschild acted as exclusive financial adviser to Coca-Cola Iberian Partners. Allen & Overy LLP and Uria Menendez served as legal counsel to Coca-Cola Iberian Partners.

About Coca-Cola Enterprises
Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. is the leading Western European marketer, producer, and distributor of nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverages and one of the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottlers. CCE is the sole licensed bottler for products of The Coca-Cola Company in Belgium, continental France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. CCE operates with a local focus and has 17 manufacturing sites across Europe, where the company manufactures nearly 90 percent of its products in the markets in which they are consumed. Sustainability is core to CCE’s business, and the company has been recognized by leading organizations in North America and Europe for its progress in water use reduction, carbon footprint reduction, and recycling initiatives. For more information about CCE, please visit www.cokecce.com and follow the company on Twitter at @cokecce.

About Coca-Cola Iberian Partners
Coca-Cola Iberian Partners is the bottling partner of The Coca-Cola Company for Spain, Portugal and Andorra. Coca-Cola Iberian Partners is responsible for meeting the demand for The Coca-Cola Company’s products at every stage: manufacturing, packaging, distribution and management of the different client channels. Coca-Cola Iberian Partners, with a staff of 4,380 employees, distributes products to Spain, Portugal and Andorra, serves 396,000 clients and reaches more than 55 million consumers. Coca-Cola Iberian Partners markets 17 different brands with 81 products. It has eight soft drink manufacturers, one of concentrated juice and six natural mineral water springs in operation. For further information please visit: www.cocacolaiberianpartners.com.

About Coca-Cola Erfrischungsgetränke AG
Coca-Cola Erfrischungsgetränke AG (CCEAG) is the largest German beverage company with a sales volume of 3.8 billion liters (2014). As a franchisee of The Coca-Cola Company (Atlanta), CCEAG is in charge of bottling as well as sales and distribution of Coca-Cola branded products in Germany. CCEAG serves around 400,000 trade and horeca customers and employs around 9,500 people. The beverages are bottled at more than 20 production plants.

About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most valuable and recognizable brands, our Company’s portfolio features 20 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.9 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world’s top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo, visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com or find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2015 — For the first time in its 110-year history, the Forest Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is spending more than 50 percent of its budget to suppress the nation’s wildfires. A new report released today by the Forest Service estimates that within a decade, the agency will spend more than two-thirds of its budget to battle ever-increasing fires, while mission-critical programs that can help prevent fires in the first place such as forest restoration and watershed and landscape management will continue to suffer. Meanwhile, the report notes, these catastrophic blazes are projected to burn twice as many acres by 2050.

As the costs of fighting wildfires grow each year with longer, hotter, more unpredictable fire seasons, the report details how the Forest Service has experienced significant shifts in staffing and resources. In effect, the Forest Service has nearly half a billion dollars less, in 2015 dollars, than it did in 1995 to handle non-fire related programs—the bulk of its programming. There has also been a 39 percent loss of non-fire personnel, from approximately 18,000 in 1998 to fewer than 11,000 in 2015, while the fire staff has more than doubled. Dedicated to its mission of protecting more than 190 million acres of federal forests and grasslands, as well as lives and personal property from the growing threats of catastrophic wildfire, the Forest Service in recent years has absorbed skyrocketing costs related to fire and relied increasingly on “fire transfer”—moving resources from non-fire accounts to cover firefighting costs.

“Climate change and other factors are causing the cost of fighting fires to rise every year,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, “but the way we fund our Forest Service hasn’t changed in generations. Meanwhile, everything else suffers, from the very restoration projects that have been proven to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires in the future, to watershed projects that protect drinking water for 1 in 5 Americans, to recreation projects that support thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of economic activity. The time has come for Congress to change the way it funds the Forest Service.”

Today, fire seasons are 78 days longer than in the 1970s. Since 2000, at least 10 states have had their largest fires on record. Increasing development near forest boundaries also drives up costs, as more than 46 million homes and more than 70,000 communities are at risk from wildfire in the United States.

“These factors are causing the cost of fighting fires to rise every year, and there is no end in sight,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. The release of this report is very timely based on the current hectic pace of wildfires in this country. We have been pointing out this challenge for the past few years, but we have not been able to effectively address it through our current budget process. It is important to keep the focus on this problem, ensure the discussion continues and a solution to the funding problem be found.”

By 2025, the cost of fire suppression is expected to grow to nearly $1.8 billion dollars, according to today’s report, but the Forest Service would be expected to absorb those costs into its regular budget, which has remained relatively flat. And if these trends continue, the Forest Service will be forced to take an additional $700 million dollars over the next 10 years from all the other programs. No other natural disasters are funded this way.

When fire suppression costs more than Congress appropriates to the Forest Service in any given year, the agency is forced to transfer additional funds from already depleted programs, called “fire transfer.”

Vilsack said the bipartisan Wildfire Disaster Funding Act, already introduced in the House and Senate, is an important step forward in addressing the funding problems. The proposed legislation, which mirrors a similar proposal in President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2016 Budget, would provide a fiscally responsible mechanism to treat wildfires more like other natural disasters, end “fire transfers” and partially replenish the ability to restore resilient forests and protect against future fire outbreaks.

“We must treat catastrophic wildfire not like a routine expense,” said Vilsack, “but as the natural disasters they truly are. It’s time to address the runaway growth of fire suppression at the cost of other critical programs.”

To read the full report, go to: http://www.fs.fed.us/about-agency/budget-performance/cost-fire-operations

The mission of the Forest Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to State and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the Nation’s clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.

WASHINGTON, – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is recognizing state and local agencies of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (more commonly known as WIC) that excel in offering education and support for breastfeeding mothers. As part of World Breastfeeding Week activities, Vilsack has also proclaimed this week, Aug. 1-7, as National WIC Breastfeeding Week, “in appreciation of breastfeeding mothers and of all the dedicated volunteers, professionals, communities, and organizations who support their efforts.”

“The work being done by WIC programs to empower mothers to breastfeed—addressing societal barriers, enhancing peer counselor programs, building key coalitions, and more-is absolutely vital and deserves recognition,” said Vilsack. “There is no better food than breast milk for a baby’s first year of life. Increasing breastfeeding rates can help reduce the prevalence of various illnesses and health conditions, which in turn results in lower health care costs.”

According to a 2010 study, if 90 percent of U.S. families could comply with medical recommendations to breastfeed exclusively for six months, the United States would prevent more than 900 deaths save $13 billion per year and from reduced direct and indirect medical costs and the cost of premature death.

Throughout the week the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is recognizing outstanding breastfeeding programs with WIC Breastfeeding Performance Bonuses and the WIC Loving Support Awards of Excellence. The recognition supports the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which calls for increased emphasis on breastfeeding promotion and support in the WIC program.

This year, WIC Breastfeeding Performance Bonuses are presented to large (>1,000 infants) and small (<1,000 infants) high-performing WIC agencies with the greatest improvement in the percentage of exclusively breastfed infants over the past year. A total of $500,000 will be awarded to eight state WIC agencies and Indian tribal organizations that have demonstrated successful breastfeeding promotion and support efforts. The performance bonuses highlight WIC agencies' successful breastfeeding initiatives, while encouraging and motivating other state agencies to strengthen their breastfeeding promotion and support services. For the first time, USDA is also recognizing exemplary WIC local agencies with the WIC Loving Support Awards of Excellence. WIC agencies utilizing the USDA Loving Support Model for a successful peer counseling program were eligible to apply for the honor, which considers their breastfeeding performance measures, effective peer counseling programs and community partnerships. A total of 55 local WIC agencies across the country qualified for an award. By recognizing their success and sharing best practices, the WIC Loving Support Awards of Excellence will provide successful models and motivation to other WIC local agencies with the goal of ultimately increase breastfeeding rates among WIC participants. The WIC program provides nutritious foods to supplement diets, nutrition education (including breastfeeding promotion and support), and referrals to health and other social services to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five. Services are made available through approximately 1,900 local agencies and 10,000 clinic sites. Visit www.fns.usda.gov/WIC to learn more about the WIC program. In addition to WIC, USDA's Food and Nutrition Services administers several other programs including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, National School Lunch Program, and the Summer Food Service Program which together comprise America's nutrition safety net. For more information, visit www.fns.usda.gov.

OMAHA, Neb.- ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG) reported results for the fiscal 2015 fourth quarter ended May 31, 2015. Highlights:

Diluted EPS from continuing operations of $0.47 per share as reported, vs. a loss of $(0.95) a year ago. After adjusting for items impacting comparability, diluted EPS of $0.59 this quarter was ahead of $0.55 a year ago, as expected. An extra week in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 favorably impacted current-quarter amounts.
Consumer Foods and Commercial Foods posted operating profit growth after adjusting for items impacting comparability, and including the benefit of the extra week.
Private Brands posted an operating profit decline after adjusting for items impacting comparability, and including the benefit of the extra week.
The company repaid approximately $1.1 billion of debt in fiscal 2015, resulting in cumulative debt reduction of approximately $2.1 billion since the completion of the Ralcorp transaction, which exceeded the $2.0 billion goal.

The company plans to exit the Private Brands operations.
The company’s new plans for creating long-term value center on a more aggressive approach to cost reduction, growing consumer brands (Consumer Foods segment) and Lamb Weston (within the Commercial Foods segment), as well as balanced capital allocation. Details to be shared at an investor event later this year.
CEO Perspective:

Sean Connolly, chief executive officer of ConAgra Foods, said, “With fiscal year 2015 now behind us, we are now pursuing a different plan to maximize value for our shareholders. Our new plan will center on a more aggressive approach to driving margin improvement through SG&A reductions, supply chain efficiencies and other projects. It also sharpens our focus on growing our Consumer Foods and Commercial Foods segments. We expect to continually refine our portfolio with prudent divestitures and acquisitions, and there will be a strong emphasis on deploying capital in ways that benefit shareholders.”

He continued, “As I have intensely studied the situation in our Private Brands operations over the last few months, it has become clear that the time and energy the company is devoting to the Private Brands turnaround represent a suboptimal use of our resources. To prevent further distraction, we are pursuing the divestiture of our Private Brands operations. Because the outcome of our strategic review for the Private Brands operations will influence our long-term financial outlook, we will wait until this process is complete before sharing long-term financial commitments. We expect to offer operating details of our plans as well as long-term financial expectations at an investor event later this year.”

“The underlying objective of the new strategic direction we are sharing today is long-term shareholder value creation. While we have a high degree of conviction in our plans, we also acknowledge that markets and opportunities change over time. For this reason, our management team and our board of directors approach long-term plans in a practical and flexible manner. If we are convinced that some other set of opportunities, or some other course of action, improves our outlook or will better reward shareholders, we will adapt our plans accordingly.”

Overall Quarterly Results

For the fiscal 2015 fourth quarter ended May 31, 2015, diluted earnings per share from continuing operations were $0.47, vs. a diluted loss per share of $(0.95) as reported for the fiscal 2014 fourth quarter. After adjusting for items impacting comparability, comparable diluted EPS was $0.59 this quarter and $0.55 in the year-ago period. Items impacting comparability are summarized toward the end of this release and reconciled for Regulation G purposes starting on page 11.

Consumer Foods Segment

Branded food items sold worldwide in retail channels.
The Consumer Foods segment posted sales of approximately $1.9 billion and operating profit of $304 million, as reported. Including the benefit of the extra week, sales increased 4% as reported (rounded), with volume up 5%, 1% favorable impact from price/mix, and 1% unfavorable impact of foreign exchange. The company estimates that the extra week favorably impacted sales and volume by approximately 7% for the quarter. The company increased prices in some categories to cover commodity costs, and continues to make progress with efficiencies in trade spending.

After adjusting for the benefit of the extra week, brands posting sales growth for the quarter include ACT II, Hunt’s, Ro*Tel, DAVID, Reddi-wip, Slim Jim, PAM, PF Chang’s, and Wolf.

The company continues to make good progress in fast growing channels including club, dollar, and convenience.
Other brand details are in the written Q&A document accompanying this release.
Operating profit of $304 million was significantly above $176 million a year-ago as reported. After adjusting for $15 million of net expense in the current quarter and $91 million of net expense in the year-ago period from items impacting comparability, and including the benefit of the extra week, current quarter operating profit of $319 million increased 20% over comparable year-ago amounts. In addition to the benefit of the extra week, the comparable operating profit growth reflects productivity which more than offset higher protein and packaging costs, favorable mix, and the benefit of pricing and trade spend efficiencies. Strong operating margins enabled a $7 million increase in advertising and promotion expense (an increase of 13%), and offset approximately $14 million unfavorable impact of foreign exchange.

Commercial Foods Segment

Specialty potato, seasonings, blends, flavors, and bakery products, as well as consumer branded and private branded packaged food items, sold to restaurants, foodservice and commercial channels worldwide.

Sales for the Commercial Foods segment were $1.2 billion and operating profit was $154 million, as reported, ahead of prior year amounts. The company estimates that the extra week favorably impacted sales and volume by approximately 7%. Sales for Lamb Weston’s potato operations grew, although international sales were impacted by the West Coast port labor dispute as well as challenges facing quick-serve customers in key Asian markets. The West Coast port dispute was settled in late February 2015, and Lamb Weston’s international shipments have been gradually improving; the company expects to reach normal shipment levels in the first half of fiscal 2016. Sales for the rest of the segment grew.

After adjusting for items impacting comparability, current quarter operating profit increased 3%, reflecting the benefit of the extra week. Lamb Weston comparable profits grew modestly, largely reflecting good domestic performance and efficiencies from good raw potato crop quality. Profits for the rest of the businesses in the segment grew modestly.

Private Brands
Private brand food items sold in domestic markets.

As reported, sales for the Private Brands segment were $1 billion, down slightly. The company estimates that the extra week favorably impacted sales and volume by approximately 7%.

The segment posted an operating loss of $(25 million), as reported, due to impairment and restructuring charges. After adjusting for $56 million of net expense from items impacting comparability in the current quarter, and $618 million of expense from items impacting comparability in year-ago period amounts (mostly impairment charges), comparable operating profit declined 30%, which includes the benefit of the extra week.

Higher commodity costs negatively impacted profits, as did lower volumes. Ongoing margin management initiatives are expected to improve profitability. The company has implemented a reorganization, and is highly focused on improving execution; this should strengthen customer relationships and volume performance gradually over time.

Hedging Activities
Hedge gains and losses are generally aggregated, and net amounts are reclassified from unallocated Corporate expense to the operating segments when the underlying commodity or foreign currency being hedged is expensed in segment cost of goods sold. The net of these activities resulted in $19 million of favorable impact in the current quarter and $14 million of favorable impact in the year-ago period. The company identifies these amounts as items impacting comparability within the discussion of unallocated Corporate results.

Other Items
Unallocated Corporate amounts were $62 million of expense in the current quarter and $61 million of expense in the year-ago period. Current-quarter amounts include $19 million of hedge-related benefit and $16 million of net expense from other items impacting comparability ($7 million of the $16 million of expense relates to mark-to-market pension adjustments). Year-ago period amounts include $14 million of hedge-related benefit and $16 million of expense related to other items impacting comparability. Excluding these amounts, unallocated Corporate expense was $65 million for the current quarter and $59 million in the year-ago period.

Equity method investment earnings were $30 million for the current quarter and $12 million in the year-ago period; the year-over-year increase mostly reflects the inclusion of profits for the company’s Ardent Mills joint venture (which are not in year-ago amounts due to the timing of the transaction). The operations of the former ConAgra Mills business for the fourth quarter of 2014 are included in results of discontinued operations.

Net interest expense was $89 million in the current quarter and $93 million in the year-ago period; the decrease reflects lower debt resulting from debt repayment.
Capital Items

The company repaid approximately $1.1 billion of debt this fiscal year, resulting in cumulative debt repayment of $2.1 billion since the completion of the Ralcorp transaction in fiscal 2013.

Dividends for the quarter totaled $107 million versus $105 million in the year-ago period, reflecting an increase in shares outstanding.
The company repurchased approximately 332,000 shares of common stock during the quarter for approximately $12 million.
For the current quarter, capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment were $154 million, compared with $117 million in the year-ago period. Depreciation and amortization expense was approximately $149 million for the fiscal fourth quarter; this compares with a total of $150 million in the year-ago period.

Outlook
The company will offer details on full-year fiscal 2016 expected EPS, as well as long-term financial guidance, at an investor event likely to be scheduled for the fall of 2015. This event will be scheduled after the company completes its assessment of strategic alternatives for the Private Brands operations, and determines SG&A reduction targets and investment needs for the remainder of the company.

With regard to first quarter of fiscal 2016, which the company expects to be unaffected by the outcome of the review of strategic alternatives for the Private Brands operations, the company expects EPS, adjusted for items impacting comparability, to be roughly in line with comparable year-ago amounts.

With regard to plans for the rest of the company, the company’s new focus will be on:

Productivity, notably within SG&A, but also in terms of supply chain and trade spending. The company sees significant margin potential through these initiatives.
Driving profitable growth in the Consumer Foods segment and at Lamb Weston potato operations (within the Commercial Foods segment). This will involve further portfolio segmentation, and investing behind the highest-potential categories in a disciplined manner. Investment may include marketing, infrastructure, innovation, and acquired businesses. The company expects some additional divestitures as it continues to refine the asset mix.

Balanced capital allocation that includes growing the dividend over time, increasing share repurchases, and having an investment-grade balance sheet.
Financial expectations and operating details regarding the above will be shared as part of the investor event later this year.

Major Items Impacting Fourth-quarter Fiscal 2015 EPS Comparability

Included in the $0.47 diluted EPS from continuing operations for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 (EPS amounts rounded and after tax). These include references to selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expense, and cost of goods sold (COGS):

Approximately $0.09 per diluted share of net expense, or $45 million pretax, related to the impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, a portion of which is not tax deductible. $40 million of this is classified within the Private Brands segment (SG&A) and $5 million of this is classified within the Consumer Foods segment (SG&A).

Approximately $0.05 per diluted share of net expense, or $35 million pretax, resulting from restructuring and integration costs. $16 million of this is classified within the Private Brands segment ($4 million of COGS/$12 million of SG&A), $10 million is classified within the Consumer Foods segment ($6 million of COGS/$4 million of SG&A), and $9 million of this is classified as unallocated Corporate expense (SG&A).

Approximately $0.03 per diluted share of net benefit, or $19 million pretax, related to the mark-to-market impact of derivatives used to hedge input costs, temporarily classified in unallocated Corporate expense. Hedge gains and losses are generally aggregated, and net amounts are reclassified from unallocated Corporate expense to the operating segments when the underlying commodity or foreign currency being hedged is expensed in segment cost of goods sold.

Approximately $0.01 per diluted share of net expense, or $7 million pretax, related to the mark-to-market impact of pension amounts.

Note: The company estimates that the extra week in the fiscal 2015 fourth quarter added approximately $0.04 of benefit per diluted share.
Included in the $(0.95) diluted loss per share from continuing operations for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 (EPS amounts rounded and after tax):

Approximately $1.47 per diluted share of expense, or $681 million pretax, a substantial portion of which is not tax deductible, from impairment charges and the corresponding impact on diluted share count. Approximately $605 million of this is classified within the Private Brands segment (SG&A), $73 million is classified within the Consumer Foods segment (SG&A), and $3 million is classified as unallocated Corporate expense.

Approximately $0.09 per diluted share of expense, or $58 million pretax, resulting from restructuring, transaction, and integration costs. $18 million is classified within the Consumer Foods segment ($3 million COGS/$15 million SG&A), $5 million is classified within the Commercial Foods segment (SG&A), $12 million is classified within the Private Brands segment ($9 million COGS/$3 million SG&A), and $23 million is classified within unallocated Corporate expense.

Approximately $0.06 per diluted share of benefit from unusual tax items, which included favorable tax adjustments resulting from changes in legal structure and state tax filing positions and the resolution of certain foreign income tax matters.

Approximately $0.02 per diluted share of benefit, or $14 million pretax, from the mark-to-market impact of derivatives used to hedge input costs, temporarily classified in unallocated Corporate expense. Hedge gains and losses are generally aggregated, and net amounts are reclassified from unallocated Corporate expense to the operating segments when the underlying commodity or foreign currency being hedged is expensed in segment cost of goods sold.

Approximately $0.02 per diluted share of benefit, or $10 million pretax, related to historical legal matters, a portion of which is not tax deductible; this is classified within unallocated Corporate expense.

Approximately $0.01 per diluted share of benefit, or $5 million pretax, resulting from a gain on the sale of a non-operating asset in the Commercial Foods segment (SG&A).
Note: in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, comparable EPS included approximately $0.05 of net contribution from items previously classified within continuing operations (primarily profits from flour milling), which have been reclassified to discontinued operations.
Discussion of Results

ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG) is one of North America’s largest packaged food companies with branded and private branded food found in 99 percent of America’s households, as well as a strong commercial foods business serving restaurants and foodservice operations globally. Consumers can find recognized brands such as Banquet®, Chef Boyardee®, Egg Beaters®, Healthy Choice®, Hebrew National®, Hunt’s®, Marie Callender’s®, Orville Redenbacher’s®, PAM®, Peter Pan®, Reddi-wip®, Slim Jim®, Snack Pack® and many other ConAgra Foods brands, along with food sold by ConAgra Foods under private brand labels, in grocery, convenience, mass merchandise, club and drug stores. Additionally, ConAgra Foods supplies frozen potato and sweet potato products as well as other vegetable, spice, bakery and grain products to commercial and foodservice customers. ConAgra Foods operates ReadySetEat.com, an interactive recipe website that provides consumers with easy dinner recipes and more. For more information, please visit us at www.conagrafoods.com.

WASHINGTON, – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is accepting applications for funding under a program that supports the production of advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals, and biobased product manufacturing.

“This critical financing will enhance our efforts to build a robust, rural bioeconomy by helping to expand the availability of biobased products and to increase the number of commercial-scale biorefineries in the country,” Vilsack said. “In addition to the available funding, I am proud to announce that USDA has significantly improved the biorefinery program to help create lasting job opportunities in rural America.”

USDA is making the funding available through the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program. It was formerly known as the Biorefinery Assistance Program.

The new program provides loan guarantees of up to $250 million to construct and retrofit commercial-scale biorefineries and to develop renewable chemicals and biobased product manufacturing facilities. Vilsack and USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service Administrator Lillian Salerno today hosted a seminar at USDA headquarters to discuss changes to the program and the opportunities available to produce more biobased products.

Two funding cycles are being held. Applications for round one are due October 1. Applications for the second round are due April 1, 2016. For information on how to apply, see page 38432 of the July 6, 2015 Federal Register.

USDA has made significant improvements to the program. Biorefineries are now able to receive funding to produce more renewable chemicals and other biobased products in addition to advanced biofuels.

Also, biobased product manufacturing facilities are eligible to convert renewable chemicals and other biobased outputs into “end-user” products. Further, USDA has streamlined the application process.

Sapphire Energy’s “Green Crude Farm” in Columbus, N.M., is an example of how USDA funding and partnerships with the private sector are helping to support the development of biorefineries. In 2011, USDA provided Sapphire Energy a $54.5 million loan guarantee to build a refined algal oil commercial facility.

The plant opened in May 2012 and is producing renewable algal oil that can be further refined to replace petroleum-derived diesel and jet fuel. According to the company, more than 600 jobs were created throughout the first phase of construction at the facility, and 30 full-time employees currently operate the plant. After Sapphire received additional equity from private investors, it repaid the remaining balance on its USDA-backed loan in 2013.

USDA released a new report on June 17 that shows America’s biobased industry is generating substantial economic activity and creating American jobs. According to the report, the U.S. biobased industry contributed four million jobs and nearly $370 billion to the American economy in 2013 alone.

Today’s funding announcement was made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill, which builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past five years while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community facilities to help improve quality of life.

MOFFETT FIELD, California, —Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden and NASA Deputy Administrator Dava Newman today announced an expanded partnership between the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) designed to better protect America’s working lands, predict and prevent natural disasters, and inspire young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and agriculture.

“Space is a unique laboratory that can be a gateway to solving some of the greatest agricultural challenges of our time,” says Deputy Secretary Harden. “This partnership is a powerful opportunity for USDA and NASA to yield new tools and techniques to help farmers and ranchers as they deal with the ongoing impacts of climate change and drought. Perhaps most importantly, this partnership will expose more young people to the power of science and innovation to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges.”

“There are many areas where NASA and USDA have overlapping interests,” said NASA’s Deputy Administrator Dava Newman. “We can now better coordinate and build on the resources of both NASA and the USDA to help learn more about our planet’s vital resources and inspire the next generation to become better stewards of our planet.”

Among other things, the agreement will expand cooperation on space-borne remote sensing efforts to gather soil moisture data. One potential outcome of the expanded partnership between USDA and NASA could be using satellite data to create a series of soil moisture maps for California that could be used to improve weather and water availability forecasting and provide a drought early-warning system to producers, particularly in California.

Under the new agreement, USDA now has expanded access to data from NASA satellites that will help Forest Service fire fighters and first responders better detect wildfires and predict their behavior. USDA and the Department of the Interior have spent nearly $1.5 billion annually over the past decade on wildfire suppression, but this new technology has the potential to stop wildfires before they start, saving money, land, and even lives.

Deputy Secretary Harden and Deputy Administrator Newman at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalizing the expanded collaboration between USDA and NASA. As hunger and climate change are rapidly escalating threats to public health and national security, both NASA and USDA have a role to play in inspiring the next generation of students to pursue careers in STEM and agricultural fields.

Ames Research Center, one of ten NASA field enters, is located in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley. For more than 75 years, Ames has led NASA in conducting world-class research and development in aeronautics, exploration technology and science aligned with the center’s core capabilities. The International Space Station (ISS), operated by NASA, includes a National Laboratory where ground-breaking scientific research is conducted every day. Currently, NASA has a mini veggie farm at the International Space Station to grow fresh produce like lettuce.

Since 2009, USDA has invested $4.32 billion in research and development grants. Studies have shown that every dollar invested in agricultural research now returns over $20 to our economy. In recent years, research by USDA scientists has led to discoveries of everything from a potential solution for millions who suffer allergies from peanuts to safe mosquito control that can help halt the transmission of diseases they spread, among others. For the latest on discoveries by USDA researchers, read the 2014 Annual Report on Technology Transfer.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – General Mills today unveiled its line-up of new products set debut this summer. Leading this collection is a host of new products to align with growing consumer interest in wellness, including new Yoplait Plenti, Nature Valley Toasted Oats Muesli, and Annie’s organic soups.

The company’s broad portfolio of new products can be found in its 2015 New Product Showcase, available on the General Mills company blog, A Taste of General Mills

“General Mills has been growing for more than a century, constantly innovating and investing to meet changing consumer needs. As we enter fiscal 2016, we are keenly aware of our consumers changing food preferences. This presents a tremendous opportunity to create growth for General Mills,” said Ken Powell, General Mills Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We remain deeply committed to following our consumers and adapting our portfolio to their tastes and interests.”

Powell and other General Mills executives will discuss the company’s Fiscal 2016 plans for growth at its Investor Day event in Boston on Tuesday, July 14. A webcast of the company’s Investor Day presentation is available here.

Addressing Wellness

Around the world consumers are focused on wellness and have new interests in products make with simple ingredients, foods free from gluten, natural and organic foods, foods that deliver more fiber, more protein and more whole grain, and foods free from artificial ingredients. General Mills is responding to these evolving consumer preferences with:

Nature Valley Toasted Oats Muesli – A blend of simple ingredients including toasted oats, sun flower seeds, dried cranberries, raisins, toasted coconut, almonds and pumpkin seeds, new Nature Valley Toasted Oats Muesli can be eaten plain, with milk or yogurt. Each quarter-cup serving has less than 5 grams of sugar. Available in Original or Blueberry flavors in the U.S., and Field Berry and Coconut Almond varieties in Canada.

Yoplait Plenti – This new line from Yoplait combines Greek Yogurt with whole grain oats, flax and pumpkin seeds for hearty, protein-packed yogurt. With 12 grams of protein in each cup, Yoplait Plenti is available in eight flavors including blueberry, black cherry, coconut, peach raspberry, spiced apple, strawberry and vanilla.

Annie’s organic soups – Available in the soup aisle for the first time, Annie’s introduces its new organic soup line in flavors like Star Pasta & Chicken Soup, Tomato Soup, Creamy Tomato & Bunny Pasta Soup, Bunny Pasta & Chicken Broth Soup and Creamy Carrot & Bunny Pasta.

Food Should Taste Good Real Good Bars – These delicious, indulgent bars combine large, whole nuts, seeds and real fruit pieces with fair trade chocolate and unexpected culinary spices like Madagascar vanilla, shaved coconut and chai. Food Should Taste Good Real Good Bars are gluten free and contain no-GMOs, no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

Nature Valley Simple Nut Bars – Simply made with the inherent goodness of whole nuts, seeds, honey, tapioca syrup and sea salt, these naturally gluten-free bars come in two varieties: Almond, Cashew & Sea Salt, and Roasted Peanut & Honey.

Cheerios Plus—In Canada, Cheerios Plus combines delicious toasted Cheerios with crunchy granola clusters mixed with nutritious protein or flax seed. Available in Cinnamon Coconut and Honey Almond.

Yoplait O’Fruit – In China, this drinkable yogurt has big fruit pieces that requires an extra-large straw to drink. It is one of three different lines of Yoplait launching this summer in China, which also includes Perle de lait, a thick and creamy French style yogurt, and Panier de fruits, a fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt.
The company has also announced significant moves to update the recipes for existing products in the U.S. including reducing sugar in Yoplait Original by 25 percent. General Mills has also made significant announcements on cereal. In February, General Mills said it would make the most popular flavors of Cheerios gluten-free, thanks to the company’s newly developed technology that separates its oats, which are naturally gluten-free, from other gluten-containing grains that find their way into the oat supply.

And just last month, General Mills announced it would remove artificial flavors and colors from artificial sources in Big G cereals, replacing these ingredients with fruit and vegetable juices and spice extracts. Seventy-five percent of the Big G portfolio will meet this claim by January with the remainder by the end of calendar year 2017.

Meal time short-cuts

While consumers are increasingly interested in wellness, they are also seeking contemporary solutions to help save time in the kitchen.

“Many millennials enjoy cooking and are interested bringing ethnic, international flavors to meal time. They cook from scratch less often than previous generations and look to convenient short cuts that not only satisfy their desire to cook, but also allow them to put dinner on the table in 20 to 30 minutes,” said Jeanine Bassett, vice president of Consumer Insights at General Mills.

General Mills, who has a long history of convenient meal helpers, is introducing new, convenient products that allow consumers to customize meal time. Most notable, this includes:

Progresso Cooking Stock – Progresso’s new line of premium Cooking Stocks are made by simmering real bones, vegetables and herbs to create a meaty, homemade flavor. And, with no artificial flavors or preservatives, Progresso Cooking Stock can be a go-to starter for soups, sauces and other culinary creations.

Green Giant Fire Roasted Vegetables – For the first time, Green Giant is bringing mouthwatering fire roasted vegetables to the frozen aisle, making it easy to create restaurant inspired dishes at home. Available in four varieties: Fire Roasted Zucchini, Carrots and Onions; Fire Roasted Corn, Peppers &Onions; Fire Roasted Root Vegetables with Red Onions; and Fire Roasted Tri-Color Peppers.

Old El Paso Mini Taco Boats – Say yes to tacos with Old El Paso’s new Mini Soft Tortilla Taco Boats. Its mini size fits perfectly in your hand, and the boat shape makes tacos easier to serve and hold, even packed full of all your favorite fresh fixings.
Latina Fresh Gluten Free Pasta – Gluten-free households across Australia can now enjoy a delicious pasta dinner with new Gluten-Free Pastas from Latina Fresh. Made with quality ingredients and no artificial colors or flavors, the Latina Fresh gluten free line includes Fettuccini, Lasagna sheets, Beef Ravioli and Ricotta & Spinach Agnolotti.
Sweet Treats

Even people following a wellness lifestyle, can find a little room for an indulgent treat. General Mills is introducing new a range of sweet treats from the ultra-indulgent to the permissible:

Cinnabon Mini Pull-Aparts – Pillsbury brings Cinnabon’s deliciously fluffy and gooey cinnamon rolls home in delectable, bite-sized pieces. Each package of new Cinnabon Mini Pull-Aparts comes with 12 mini pull-apart rolls and signature Cinnabon cinnamon and creamy frosting.

Häagen-Dazs Stick Bars – In France, Häagen-Dazs introduces a new line of ice cream stick bars in five flavors: Macadamia Nut Brittle, Salted Caramel, Pralines & Cream, Vanilla Caramel Almond, and Chocolate Choc Almond.

FiberOne Cheesecake Bars – Consumers seeking a wellness lifestyle can still make room for indulgence. With only 150 calories, these new bars are made with irresistible layers of graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake and flavorful toppings like strawberry and salted caramel.
Betty Crocker Mug Cake – In Brazil, Betty Crocker introduces a no-bake mug cake, a baking mix that can be prepared in a coffee mug and heated the microwave for 90 seconds. Available in four varieties: Brigadeiro, Beijinho, Paçoca and Orange.
Food for Fun

General Mills is also tapping into some of the hottest movie equities with products featuring Minions, Star Wars and Disney’s Frozen, letting consumers of all ages bring the magic of the movies into their lives to make breakfast and snacking fun. New to shelves will include Limited Edition Star Wars and Minions cereals, in addition to Yoplait Go-Gurt and kid yogurts featuring characters from Disney’s Frozen.

About General Mills
General Mills is one of the world’s leading food companies, operating in more than 100 countries around the world. Its brands include Cheerios, Fiber One, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., USA, General Mills had fiscal 2015 worldwide sales of US $18.8 billion.

PITTSBURGH and NORTHFIELD, Ill. – July 1, 2015 – Kraft Foods Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:KRFT) shareholders today voted to approve the previously announced merger agreement
providing for the creation of The Kraft Heinz Company. In a preliminary count of the voting results, more than 98 percent of votes cast at the special meeting voted in favor of the transaction, representing more than 69 percent of all outstanding Kraft shares, clearing the way for the merger to close after market close tomorrow, July 2, 2015, subject to certain customary closing conditions.

The transaction will create the third-largest food and beverage company in North America, and the fifth-largest food and beverage company in the world. “Today’s approval to create The Kraft Heinz Company will unite two powerful businesses, deliver incredible shareholder value, and provide a platform for growth both domestically and internationally,” said Alex Behring, future Chairman of The Kraft Heinz Company and Managing Partner at 3G Capital.

“This truly is a historic moment for our two companies as we combine to become a global food and beverage leader with an unparalleled portfolio of great brands,” said John T. Cahill, Kraft Foods Group Chairman and CEO and future Vice Chairman of The Kraft Heinz Company. “It has been a privilege to serve Kraft, and I look forward to continue serving The Kraft Heinz Company on its board of directors.”

The merger was announced on March 25, 2015 and received regulatory approvals in the U.S. and Canada. The final voting results will be disclosed in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission later today.

ABOUT HEINZ
H.J. Heinz Company, offering “Good Food Every Day”™, is one of the world’s leading marketers and producers of healthy, convenient and affordable foods specializing in ketchup, sauces, meals, soups, snacks and infant nutrition. Heinz provides superior quality, taste and nutrition for all eating occasions whether in the home, restaurants, the office or “on-the-go.” Heinz is a global family of leading branded products, including Heinz® Ketchup, sauces, soups, beans, pasta and infant foods (representing over one third of Heinz’s total sales), Ore-Ida® potato products, Weight Watchers® Smart Ones® entrées, T.G.I. Friday’s® snacks, and Plasmon infant
nutrition. Heinz is famous for its iconic brands on six continents, showcased by Heinz® Ketchup, The World’s Favorite Ketchup®. For more information, visit www.heinz.com.

ABOUT KRAFT FOODS GROUP
Kraft Foods Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: KRFT) is one of North America’s largest consumer packaged food and beverage companies, with annual revenues of more than $18 billion. The company’s iconic brands include Kraft, Capri Sun, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Lunchables, Maxwell House, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Planters and Velveeta. Kraft’s 22,000 employees in the U.S. and Canada have a passion for making the foods and beverages people love. Kraft is a member of the Standard & Poor’s 500 and the NASDAQ-100 indices. For more information, visit www.kraftfoodsgroup.com and www.facebook.com/kraft.

ATLANTA and CORONA, CA., – The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) and Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ: MNST) announced today the closing of the previously announced strategic partnership related to an equity investment, business transfers and expanded distribution in the global energy drink category. As a result of the transaction, The Coca-Cola Company now owns an approximate 16.7% stake in Monster. The Coca-Cola Company transferred ownership of its worldwide energy business, including NOS, Full Throttle, Burn, Mother, BU, Gladiator, Samurai, Nalu, BPM, Play and Power Play,

Ultra and Relentless, to Monster, and Monster transferred its non-energy business, including Hansen’s Natural Sodas, Peace Tea, Hubert’s Lemonade and Hansen’s Juice Products, to The Coca-Cola Company.

Since the transaction was announced, Monster and The Coca-Cola Company and its bottlers have amended their distribution arrangements in the U.S. and Canada by expanding into additional territories and entering into long-term agreements. The Coca-Cola Company also has become Monster’s preferred global distribution partner with new international distribution commitments already in place with bottlers in Germany and Norway.

In connection with the closing, The Coca-Cola Company made a net cash payment of approximately $2.15 billion to Monster.

About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most valuable and recognizable brands, our Company’s portfolio features 20 billion-dollar brands including, Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, POWERADE, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia, Dasani, FUZE TEA and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.9 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world’s top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo, visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com or find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company.

About Monster Beverage Corporation
Based in Corona, California, Monster Beverage Corporation is a holding company and conducts no operating business except through its consolidated subsidiaries. The Company’s subsidiaries market and distribute energy drinks including Monster Energy® energy drinks, Monster Energy Extra Strength Nitrous Technology® energy drinks, Java Monster® non-carbonated coffee + energy drinks, M3® Monster Energy® Super Concentrate energy drinks, Monster Rehab® non-carbonated energy drinks with electrolytes, Muscle Monster® Energy Shakes, Übermonster® energy drinks, NOS, Full Throttle, Burn, Mother, BU, Gladiator, Samurai, Nalu, BPM, Power Play™, Ultra and Relentless. For more information, visit www.monsterbevcorp.com.

WASHINGTON, – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of $17.5 million in financial and technical assistance to help eligible conservation partners voluntarily protect, restore and enhance critical wetlands on private and tribal agricultural lands.

“USDA has leveraged partnerships to accomplish a great deal on America’s wetlands over the past two decades, Vilsack said. “This year’s funding will help strengthen these partnerships and achieve greater wetland acreage throughout the nation.”

Funding will be provided through the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP), a special enrollment option under the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program’s Wetland Reserve Easement component. It is administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Under WREP, states, local units of governments, non-governmental organizations and American Indian tribes collaborate with USDA through cooperative and partnership agreements. These partners work with willing tribal and private landowners who voluntarily enroll eligible land into easements to protect, restore and enhance wetlands on their properties. WREP was created through the 2014 Farm Bill and was formerly known as the Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program.

Wetland reserve easements allow landowners to successfully enhance and protect habitat for wildlife on their lands, reduce impacts from flooding, recharge groundwater and provide outdoor recreational and educational opportunities. The voluntary nature of NRCS’ easement programs allows effective integration of wetland restoration on working landscapes, providing benefits to farmers and ranchers who enroll in the program, as well as benefits to the local and rural communities where the wetlands exist.

Proposals must be submitted to NRCS state offices by July 31, 2015. Projects can range from individual to watershed-wide to ecosystem-wide. Under a similar program in the 2008 Farm Bill, NRCS and its partners entered into 272 easements that enrolled more than 44,020 acres of wetlands from 2009 through 2013. Most of these agreements occurred through the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI). Through partnerships, MRBI identifies high-priority watersheds where focused conservation on agricultural land can make the most gains in improving local, state and regional water quality. The new collaborative WREP will build on those successes by providing the financial and technical assistance necessary for states, non-governmental organizations and tribes to leverage resources to restore and protect wetlands and wildlife habitat.

Through WREP, NRCS will sign multi-year agreements with partners to leverage resources, including funding, to achieve maximum wetland restoration, protection and enhancement and to create optimum wildlife habitat on enrolled acres. WREP partners are required to contribute a funding match for financial or technical assistance. These partners work directly with eligible landowners interested in enrolling their agricultural land into conservation wetland easements.

Today’s announcement builds on the roughly $332 million USDA has announced this year to protect and restore agricultural working lands, grasslands and wetlands. Collectively, NRCS’s easement programs help productive farm, ranch and tribal lands remain in agriculture and protect the nation’s critical wetlands and grasslands, home to diverse wildlife and plant species. Under the former Wetlands Reserve Program, private landowners, tribes and entities such as land trusts and conservation organizations enrolled 2.7 million acres through 14,500 agreements for a total NRCS and partner investment of $4.3 billion in financial and technical assistance.

The funding announced today was authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, which builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past six years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing, and community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.

Visit NRCS’s ACEP webpage to learn more about NRCS’s wetland conservation options.

SMITHFIELD, Va., June 22, 2015 – Smithfield Foods’ Hog Production Division, Murphy-Brown, LLC, and Tyton BioEnergy Systems announced today a research partnership to develop new applications for Tyton’s dedicated, non-smoking tobacco crop and the resulting soil amendment, filtration, and feed products within Smithfield’s hog production processes. The companies are pursuing mutual goals of protecting the environment while improving economic efficiency through this collaboration.

The two companies are establishing field trials with non-smoking tobacco using hog manure as fertilizer. High absorption rates of hog-fertilizer by non-smoking tobacco would enhance environmental outcomes and assist Tyton in obtaining lower-cost fertilizer for its industrial crop. In addition, the companies are pursuing the development of ethanol products using tobacco as raw material rather than corn.

Smithfield and Tyton also will develop applications for Tyton’s tobacco-based biochar and activated carbon products, which can be used for a wide-range of filtration, land remediation, and soil amendment purposes. Other research activities with Tyton co-products will occur in parallel.

Gregg Schmidt, president of Smithfield’s Hog Production Division, said, “This innovative project is a great opportunity for us and we are excited to be collaborating with Tyton BioEnergy Systems. We are always seeking novel ways to manage hog manure that demonstrate continual improvement, and we are also excited about the opportunity to pursue the development of ethanol options that utilize tobacco as their primary raw material source.”

Tyton BioEnergy Systems president Peter Majeranowski remarked, “Through our partnership in Virginia and North Carolina, Tyton and Smithfield can develop new applications for non-smoking tobacco to deliver value to farmers, value to the agriculture industry, and protect the environment. We see it as a responsibility to secure America’s food, energy and environmental futures, and we are so pleased to be working with Smithfield who joins us in advancing towards these goals.”

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world’s largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Farmland®, Armour®, Cook’s®, John Morrell®, Gwaltney®, Nathan’s Famous®, Kretschmar®, Margherita®, Curly’s®, Carando® and Healthy Ones®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com and www.smithfieldcommitments.com.

About Tyton BioEnergy Systems

Tyton BioEnergy Systems (www.tytonbio.com) is an agricultural biotechnology company that has developed unique tobacco technology to efficiently and economically produce low-cost sugars, oils and proteins at high profits for the green chemical, feed and existing biorefining markets. One acre of Tyton’s patented non-smoking tobacco outperforms corn, soy and other cellulosic feedstocks. Through its tobacco technology platform, Tyton is committed to delivering cost-competitive products while protecting the planet. The Company is headquartered in Danville, Virginia.

SPRINGDALE, Ark., — Mexico’s Federal Economic Competition Commission has approved the sale of Tyson Foods, Inc.’s (NYSE:TSN) poultry business in Mexico to Pilgrim’s Pride, which is part of a wholly-owned subsidiary of JBS SA (BM&FBovespa – Novo Mercado:JBSS3) (OTCQX:JBSAY).

The commission, which has been reviewing the transaction, recently voted to permit the deal to proceed.

“We appreciate the attention and efforts of the Commission and will now move forward with Pilgrim’s Pride to complete the deal,” said Tyson President and CEO Donnie Smith. “We’ve not set a closing date but believe it will be soon.”

Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride reached a definitive agreement on the sale last July. The Mexican business, known as Tyson de México, is a vertically integrated poultry business based in Gomez Palacio in North Central México. It employs more than 5,400 people in its offices, three plants and seven distribution centers.

After the sale is completed, Tyson Foods will continue to serve customers in Mexico. The company will supply them with U.S.-produced chicken as well as chicken produced in Mexico, in part through a co-packaging arrangement with Pilgrim’s Pride.

Executives from Tyson Foods, told investors at the Goldman Sachs Consumer Staples Conference that the company is transforming from a protein processor with one brand to a protein-centric consumer packaged goods company with a house of brands.

Donnie King , president of North American operations and food service, and Dennis Leatherby , executive vice president and chief financial officer, talked about Tyson Foods’ “advantaged brands in advantaged categories.”

“We’re demonstrating more stability and less volatility, and we have a growth story,” King said. “We have the #1 or #2 brands in 13 core categories. Our products are growing 1.6 times faster than the total retail food and beverage category. Ninety-two percent of our frozen product sales and 99 percent of our refrigerated product sales are in categories that are growing, and we were #2 in retail dollar sales growth for the last 52-week period (according to IRI data).”

Leatherby said the company has raised its targets for prepared foods profit improvement initiatives and synergies from The Hillshire Brands Co. acquisition to more than $250 million for the current fiscal year, $400 million in fiscal 2016 and $600 million in fiscal 2017.

Executives from Tyson Foods, told investors at the BMO Farm to Market conference that the company is strategically diversified because it combines branded consumer products, commodity protein production and prepared foods and value-added chicken for the food service industry.

“Tyson Foods is in a preferred position and a unique position,” Donnie Smith, president and chief executive officer, said. “We have the protein consumers want to eat, and we have the #1 brands in those categories. We have the research and development expertise and consumer insights behind those #1 brands to keep driving innovation. We have the raw materials to make those innovative products, and we’re a food company that’s growing.”

“Our goal is to deliver top-tier performance in the food industry,” said Andy Callahan, president of retail packaged brands. “We have an advantaged portfolio with a preferred position to grow ahead of the competition. Our brand building model has a proven track record of growth, and our new product pipeline is robust.”

CHICAGO, —Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) announced today that it has acquired tree nut and seed processing assets and operations in Modesto, California, from California Gold Almonds, adding critical processing capacity on top of ADM’s existing West Coast nut operations in Lodi and Stockton. Under the terms of the deal, ADM is acquiring the lease to the brand-new Modesto processing plant, and taking ownership of assets—including processing equipment—at the facility.

“This is a great addition that will help us continue to grow sales in our business,” said Vince Macciocchi, president of ADM’s WILD Flavors and Specialty Ingredients business unit. “Global demand for almonds, macadamias, pumpkin seeds, cashews and other healthy, on-trend nuts and seeds is growing, and production is projected to continue rising. Our Specialty Commodities business is a premier global supplier of healthy ingredients, including nuts, fruits, seeds, legumes and ancient grains; our customers look to us to make sure they can meet growing consumer demand, and we are committed to delivering for them. This acquisition helps ensure that we stay ahead of consumer demand trends, and continue to meet customer needs in a growing market.”

The Modesto plant is capable of steam pasteurizing, roasting, dicing, slicing, milling and packaging. Like ADM’s plants in Lodi and Stockton, the facility can process a range of nuts, including almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts and macadamias.

Forward-Looking Statements
Some of the above statements constitute forward-looking statements. ADM’s filings with the SEC provide detailed information on such statements and risks, and should be consulted along with this release. To the extent permitted under applicable law, ADM assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

About ADM
For more than a century, the people of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) have transformed crops into products that serve the vital needs of a growing world. Today, we’re one of the world’s largest agricultural processors and food ingredient providers, with more than 33,000 employees serving customers in more than 140 countries. With a global value chain that includes more than 460 crop procurement locations, 300 ingredient manufacturing facilities, 40 innovation centers and the world’s premier crop transportation network, we connect the harvest to the home, making products for food, animal feed, chemical and energy uses. Learn more at www.adm.com.

WASHINGTON, – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA is seeking applications for grants to make housing repairs for low- and very-low-income rural residents. The grants are being provided through USDA Rural Development’s Housing Preservation Grant program.

“These grants help rural homeowners and rental housing owners repair and improve their properties,” Vilsack said. “Funds may be used to resolve health or safety issues, make accessibility modifications for people with disabilities, or make energy-efficiency improvements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower utility costs.”

Eligible applicants for Housing Preservation Grants include town or county governments, public agencies, federally recognized Indian Tribes, and non-profit and faith-based organizations. USDA does not provide funding directly to homeowners under this program. For additional eligibility information, see page 28943 of the May 20, 2015 Federal Register.

USDA is making up to $3.3 million in grants available in Fiscal Year 2015. Pre-applications are due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 6, 2015.

Last year, USDA provided Housing Preservation Grants for 107 projects in 46 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. For example, four Vermont organizations received a total of $250,000 to help rural families repair and rehabilitate their homes. Southeastern Vermont Community Action Program, the Vermont Center for Independent Living, Northeast Employment and Training Organization, and Rural Edge each received a grant. The funds helped 118 rural Vermont families.

President Obama’s historic investments in rural America have made our rural communities stronger. Under his leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way – strengthening America’s economy, small towns and rural communities.

CAPE TOWN,— Despite high economic growth, competitiveness in Africa is stagnating, with few signs that productivity is rising, thus hindering the prospect of inclusive and sustained growth.

Poor-quality institutions, infrastructure, health and education hold competitiveness down, although efficiency in goods and labor markets is improving.
Supporting Africa’s structural transformation will require a comprehensive policy mix that prioritizes transport and ICT infrastructure, education, trade and further regulatory reform.

African economies’ prospects for long-term, sustainable growth are under threat from weakness in the core conditions necessary for competitive and productive economies, despite outwardly healthy-looking growth rates in many parts of the region, according to the African Competitiveness Report, which is published today.

The biennial report, themed Transforming Africa’s Economies, combines detailed data from the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) with studies on three key areas of economic activity; agricultural productivity, services sector growth and global and regional value chains. The data points to low and stagnating productivity across all sectors: agriculture, manufacturing and services, partly as a result of ongoing weakness in the basic drivers of competitiveness, such as institutions, infrastructure, health and education. This shortfall masks a better performance in other areas of the economy; specifically, better functioning of labour and goods markets.

In view of Africa’s young and growing population, labour-intensive sectors must play a larger role in the continent’s transformation: the growth in services – both in terms of GDP and employment – cannot propel Africa’s growth alone, and even here development remains uneven, with too many people employed in low productivity services.

“Due to the rapid growth of Africa’s working-age population, investments in highly productive labor-intensive sectors will be crucial to create more globally competitive economies. These investments will also promote the regional agenda for inclusive growth and generate much-needed employment opportunities for women and youth,” said Barak Hoffman, World Bank Group Governance Specialist and co-author of the report.

Key findings from the report’s analysis include:
Improving agricultural productivity: Agriculture provides an important source of income for the majority of African citizens, but productivity remains too low and based on small-scale subsistence production. Improvements such as better leveraging of technology (both information and communications technologies, as well as development of high-yield crops and better irrigation), more clearly defined land property rights and promotion of rights and opportunities for women, who represent a significant share of the agricultural workforce on the continent, are all needed to address this. Moreover, enabling greater market access for small-scale farmers would help ensure inclusiveness, while the development of regional value chains would serve as a useful stepping stone, enabling them to improve production and marketing processes, and ultimately to meet the quality standards of world markets.

Leveraging services: Services exports are typically viewed as an area of comparative advantage for more advanced economies, but a deeper examination of trade statistics suggests that they are much more significant for Africa than previously thought, especially as inputs into exports from other sectors. Further development of low-cost, high-quality services will help countries participate in local, regional and global value chains. It will also encourage policy-makers to promote services development as part of a wider growth agenda.

Tapping global value chains (GVCs): Greater participation in global and regional value chains can accelerate African economic transformation through the gains associated with enhanced productivity and the development of new activities. However, gains from GVC participation are not automatic and require a broad set of policies, with a particular focus on trade facilitation, investment, transport infrastructure and access to finance. Many of these policy areas have economy-wide benefits beyond GVC integration.

“Business cannot continue as usual in Africa’s agriculture sector. It is imperative that productivity be significantly boosted through tailored agriculture research, harnessing ICT and strengthening linkages between small-scale farmers and commercial producers while better integrating them into regional and global value chains,” said Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa, Ag. Vice President at the African Development Bank.

“The service sector is rapidly becoming much more prominent on the development agenda across Africa and for the World Bank. In many countries across the region, services are the most rapidly growing sector, creating new jobs and economic activities, and providing critical inputs to boost production in other sectors. Yet productivity of the service sector remains low. To be more competitive, governments must lower trade barriers as well as enact complementary regulatory reforms. These reforms are also necessary for Africa to deepen its integration into global value chains,” said Anabel González, World Bank Group Senior Director for Trade and Competitiveness.

“To consolidate the progress achieved and make new gains that will allow sub-Saharan Africa to fulfil its full potential, we need to promote further investment in infrastructure, adopt swifter trade procedures, increase regional integration and build more effective institutions. Faster structural transformation is also needed to boost productivity, enhance job creation and improve social cohesion,” said Angel Gurría, Secretary-General at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris.

WASHINGTON, – A $90 million grant program was approved by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) yesterday for a global partnership to promote investments in biodiversity conservation, preserve wildlife and encourage sustainable livelihoods in Africa and Asia.

The new Global Partnership on Wildlife Conservation and Crime Prevention for Sustainable Development builds on the urgent need to address wildlife poaching and illegal trade as a development issue that deprives countries of their natural assets. It aims to strengthen cooperation between development partners that will bring together biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods activities, and poverty reduction.

“The GEF is pleased to support the critical fight against illegal wildlife trade and poaching, and we are looking forward to work with country partners and other stakeholders to address this significant driver of biodiversity loss that has such negative impacts on protected area sustainability and human wellbeing in Africa and elsewhere,” said Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson.

“The recent wildlife poaching crisis in Africa has undermined its financial, social and economic capital while threatening the development of tourism and fueling political instability,” said Makhtar Diop, Vice-President of the Africa Region, World Bank. “We hope that this partnership will preserve wildlife and increase the resilience of communities whose livelihoods depend on these natural resources.

Participating countries include Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Congo Republic, Gabon, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, India, and Indonesia. The GEF agencies contributing to the partnership include the Asian Development Bank, International Union for Conservation of Nature, United Nations Development Program, United Nations Environment Program, the World Bank and World Wildlife Fund. In addition to the GEF grant funds, the partnership will leverage US$513 million in co-financing from other sources including, IBRD and IDA. The World Bank, as lead agency of the new program, will coordinate the partnership and ensure a cross-fertilization of the lessons learned across projects and countries.

“UNDP is fully committed to work with our partner countries in addressing the illegal wildlife trade which is pushing endangered species toward extinction, fueling corruption and conflict, destroying lives and deepening poverty and inequality. We believe that addressing the current crisis involves three key strategies: generating sustainable livelihoods for communities, strengthening law enforcement, and reducing the demand for illegally traded wildlife, strategies which are employed by the recently approved program,” said Adriana Dinu, Executive Coordinator, Environmental Finance, UNDP.

The country projects will focus on designing and implementing national strategies to improve wildlife and protected areas management, enhance community livelihood benefits, reduce poaching, and eliminate illegal wildlife trade. The activities will use an approach that create stronger incentives for local communities to engage in protecting wildlife and for public-private partnerships to invest in sustainable local development.

“Industrial scale poaching is violently upending pathways out of poverty for thousands of rural families across Africa,” said Paula Caballero, Senior Director, Environment & Natural Resources Global Practice, World Bank. “This program will build on national efforts to stop the slaughter and will once more make a country’s wildlife wealth available to support pro-poor decision-making.”

“This program aims to raise the scale of what the GEF can do to stop the bleeding across Africa and lay the foundation for wildlife to become a positive force for economic development across the continent,” said Gustavo Fonseca, Director of Programs in the GEF.

Illegal wildlife trade is a multifaceted global threat that is gaining increased international attention. The problem is particularly acute in Africa, where species such as the African elephant, white and black rhinos, and several other species are being poached to the brink of extinction. In 2014, over 25,000 elephants were slaughtered for their ivory. Presently, the global wildlife market is estimated at $8 billion – $10 billion annually, with wildlife crime becoming more international and better connected to organized crime and insurgency. (Chatham House)

Crime affecting natural resources and the environment inflict damage on developing countries worth more than US$70 billion a year (World Bank 2014). This means that when natural resources and wildlife are extracted illegally, private and public income is effectively lost. This World Bank-led partnership will support international efforts to stop the environmental and social crises generated by the poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking between Africa and Asia.

“Vulnerability to environmental crimes, and the underlying demand driving the related trade, is often deepened by overarching problems of governance, corruption, and weaknesses in accountability at the national level,” said Leonard McCarthy, WBG Vice-President for Integrity. “This cancer of corruption can only be excised through hard-nosed prosecution, transparency and partnership”.

The multilateral treaty known as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of species. CITES parties banned trade in ivory in 1990. Building on CITES decisions and work done to operationalize those decisions, the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade in 2014 and the follow-up Kasane Conference in 2015 resulted in a declaration signed by 46 countries to restate support for the ban under CITES and stop illegal wildlife trade around the world. The World Bank is a member of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), an effort led by CITES to bring coordinated support to national wildlife law enforcement agencies, and will work with partners to ensure a successful implementation of the new Global Partnership on Wildlife Conservation and Crime Prevention for Sustainable Development.

MILAN, June 3, 2015 – The Coca-Cola Company today unveiled the world’s first PET plastic bottle made entirely from plant materials at the World Expo – Milan. PlantBottle™ packaging pushes the boundaries on sustainable innovation by using groundbreaking technology to create a fully recyclable plastic bottle made from renewable plant materials.

PlantBottle packaging is The Coca-Cola Company’s vision to develop a more responsible plant-based alternative to packaging traditionally made from fossil fuels and other non-renewable materials. PlantBottle packaging uses patented technology that converts natural sugars found in plants into the ingredients for making PET plastic bottles. The packaging looks, functions and recycles like traditional PET but has a lighter footprint on the planet and its scarce resources.

PlantBottle Expo
Nancy Quan, Global Research and Development Officer, The Coca-Cola Company said “Today is a pioneering milestone within our Company’s packaging portfolio. Our vision was to maximize game-changing technology, using responsibly sourced plant-based materials to create the globe’s first fully recyclable PET plastic bottle made entirely from renewable materials. We are delighted to unveil the first bottles here at World Expo – a world-class exhibition where sustainable innovation is celebrated.”

PlantBottle packaging maintains the high quality package consumers expect but with the added benefit of being made from renewable materials. It can be used for a variety of packaging sizes and across water, sparkling, juice and tea beverage brands. Today, the company uses sugarcane and waste from the sugarcane manufacturing process to create PlantBottle packaging. Both materials meet The Coca-Cola Company’s established sustainability criteria used to identify plant-based ingredients for PlantBottle material. These guiding principles include demonstrating improved environmental and social performance as well as avoiding negative impacts on food security.

Since the 2009 launch, The Coca-Cola Company has distributed more than 35 billion bottles in nearly 40 countries using its current version of PlantBottle packaging which is made from up to 30% plant-based materials. It is estimated the use of PlantBottle packaging since launch has helped save the equivalent annual emissions of more than 315,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

The Coca-Cola Company plans to continue investment in its award-winning PlantBottle packaging.

About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most valuable and recognizable brands, our Company’s portfolio features 20 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.9 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world’s top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at
www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo, visit our blog,
Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com or find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company.

WASHINGTON, – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that incentives will resume this summer for farmers, ranchers and forest landowners interested in growing and harvesting biomass for renewable energy. The support comes through the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), which was reauthorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. BCAP provides financial assistance to establish and maintain new crops of energy biomass, or who harvest and deliver forest or agricultural residues to a qualifying energy facility.

Financial assistance is available through BCAP for costs associated with harvesting and transporting agriculture or forest residues to facilities that convert biomass crops into energy. Eligible crops may include corn residue, diseased or insect infested wood materials, or orchard waste. The energy facility must first be approved by USDA to accept the biomass crop. Facilities can apply for, or renew, their BCAP qualification status beginning today. $11.5 million of federal funds will be allocated to support the delivery of biomass materials through December 2015. Last year, more than 200,000 tons of dead or diseased trees from National Forests and Bureau of Land Management lands were removed and used to produce renewable energy, while reducing the risk of forest fire. Nineteen energy facilities in 10 states participated in the program.

Farmers, ranchers and forest landowners can also receive financial assistance to grow biomass crops that will be converted into energy in selected BCAP project areas. New BCAP project area proposals will be solicited beginning this summer and accepted through fall 2015, with new project area announcements and enrollments taking place in early spring 2016. The extended proposal submission period allows project sponsors time to complete any needed environmental assessments and allows producers enough lead time to make informed decisions on whether or not to pursue the BCAP project area enrollment opportunity. This fiscal year USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will allocate up to $8 million for producer enrollment to expand and enhance existing BCAP project areas. Additionally, in accordance with the 2014 Farm Bill, underserved farmers are eligible for a higher establishment cost share. BCAP projects have supported over 50,000 acres across 74 counties in 11 different project areas.

BCAP was made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill, which builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past six years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing, and community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. – IKEA is launching today its second global Life at Home Report, aimed to improve life at home through a better understanding of people’s everyday routines and views on food, including how they grow, store, cook, eat and socialize over it. This year’s findings, which focus on moments in and around the kitchen, are based on existing IKEA research and a new consumer study of more than 8,000 respondents from around the world.

The survey was conducted in eight major cities: Berlin, London, Moscow, Mumbai, New York, Paris, Shanghai and Stockholm. The results reveal some surprising global similarities and differences in how people interact with food. For example:
The Anytime, Anywhere Dinner: The kitchen has become a place for any and every home activity. Meals have broken free from their traditional domain and migrated to other places, like the sofa, bed, floor or desk. In fact, 36% of all surveyed never eat in kitchen or dining room during weekdays, with Berlin residents topping the survey at 54%.
Inner Child Influence: Our food preferences from childhood seem to stay with us. A third of those who remember themselves as being picky admit to dismissing foods they never actually tried. And yet as many as six in ten of these very same people wished they would try more new types of foods.
The Language of Sharing: 52% think it’s annoying when people use their mobile devices when eating together. One third of people would actually prefer it if no one was allowed to use social media when eating together. On the other hand, one in four young people (18-29) living alone think that social media makes it less lonely to eat alone.
What You See is What You Eat: People around the world are more concerned about how their kitchen looks than about the contents of their cupboards and fridges. Shanghaians (62%) are the most relaxed about how their kitchens appear to others, whereas one in five Parisians feel uncomfortable or even ashamed of having friends in their kitchen.
“It’s in the everyday moments at home and even in the everyday frustrations that we find our inspiration; it’s the base of our innovation and product development,” says Mikael Ydholm, Research Manager, IKEA of Sweden. “Through this report we get an understanding of how people live at home – what views, emotions and actions are connected to food and activities around it and we are curious of what expressions this takes in life at home and in the society.”

For the second year, IKEA has developed an interactive part of the Life at Home Report called the “Data Mixing Board”, designed to help users mix and compare data and break down the results in different cities and different segments. As the U.S. city included in the survey, the results showed some interesting insights specifically about New Yorkers:

Top Chefs
New Yorkers are naturals when it comes to cooking. 81% of New Yorkers say they enjoy cooking and feel confident in the kitchen, and 46% say they cook at home every day.
Despite their culinary skills, 37% of New Yorkers say they buy take out more than once a week, which is the highest of the eight cities surveyed.
Getting Greener
Overall, New Yorkers are conscious of the environment, with 65% claiming that they recycle regularly.
While New Yorkers are going green, their thumbs have stayed decidedly brown: only 27% of New Yorkers own or grow plants, the lowest of any city surveyed.
To avoid doubling up on supplies, urbanites should check their cupboards before making last-minute runs to the grocery store: 27% of New Yorkers feel bad about the amount of food they throw away each week due to excessive food purchases.
Eating Social
Food selfie, anyone? 24% of New Yorkers say they’ve posted pictures of food on their social media accounts.
41% of New Yorkers (60% for young New Yorkers ages 18-29) use their phones when they’re eating alone. But phones can get in the way of truly connecting when you’re in a group: 76% of New Yorkers have called or texted when eating with others.
To further explore the IKEA Life at Home Report and the data mixing board, go to http://lifeathome.ikea.com/food . For a video about the report with key findings and interviews, please see http://youtu.be/6uhYoKxuKsc.

Methodology
The data included in the report consists of existing IKEA consumer research, other published studies, interviews with various specialists and experts, as well as a new survey conducted in eight major cities around the world. The survey was collected through online panels in Berlin, London, Moscow, Mumbai, New York, Paris, Shanghai and Stockholm. All in all, 8,527 answers were collected among people from 18 to 60 years of age. The survey was carried out in cooperation with Swedish business intelligence agency United Minds, and has been complemented with reputable published studies and findings from external research sources.

ABOUT IKEA
Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered home furnishings of good design and function at low prices so the majority of people can afford them. here are currently more than 360 IKEA stores in 47 countries, including 40 in the U.S. IKEA incorporates sustainability into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information see IKEA-USA.com, @IKEAUSANews, @IKEAUSA or IKEAUSA on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest.

CHEYENNE, Wyo., – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) today released final environmental reviews for proposed land use plans that will help conserve greater sage-grouse habitat and support sustainable economic development on portions of public lands in 10 states across the West. The land management plans, developed during the past three years in partnership with the states and with input from local partners, will benefit wildlife, outdoor recreation, ranching and other traditional land uses that rely on a healthy sagebrush landscape.

The updated plans are an essential element of an unprecedented and proactive strategy to respond to the deteriorating health of the American West’s sagebrush landscapes and declining population of the greater sage-grouse, a ground-dwelling bird under consideration by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The collaborative federal-state effort includes three key elements to conserve the sagebrush landscape, which faces threats from fire, invasive species and encroaching development: a comprehensive strategy to fight rangeland fire, strong conservation plans for federal public lands, and conservation actions on state and private lands.

“The West is rapidly changing – with increasingly intense wildfires, invasive species and development altering the sagebrush landscape and threatening wildlife, ranching and our outdoor heritage,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. “As land managers of two-thirds of greater sage-grouse habitat, we have a responsibility to take action that ensures a bright future for wildlife and a thriving western economy. Together with conservation efforts from states and private landowners, we are laying an important foundation to save the disappearing sagebrush landscape of the American West.”

“Federal and state governments and private landowners recognize that a healthy sagebrush landscape means a healthy western economy,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “We are working with local partners to design innovative, long-term conservation plans. Together, we can put effective conservation measures in place that not only benefit the greater sage-grouse, but also preserve the western way of life, help improve grazing lands and bolster rural economies.”

The 14 final Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) and proposed plans released today, in addition to the Lander Resource Management Plan released last May, will guide land management on BLM and USFS-administered resources in 10 western states. The final EISs are the result of a robust, multi-year public process, including public scoping sessions, public meetings and public comment periods on each of the draft EISs. The plans are now undergoing a 60-day Governor’s Consistency Review period and concurrent 30-day protest period, after which Records of Decisions will be signed.

The plans address issues identified by the Service in a 2010 determination that found the greater sage-grouse was deserving of protection under the ESA due to the inadequacy of regulatory protections to prevent further sagebrush habitat fragmentation, placing the bird in danger of extinction. Federal protection was deferred because of higher priorities; however, the Service is required to revisit the determination by September 30, 2015.

With the shared goal of taking actions to avoid the need to list the bird, in 2011, then-Secretary Ken Salazar and western governors, led by Wyoming Governor Matt Mead and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, formed the Sage-Grouse Task Force to develop a cooperative approach to conserving the species across the West.

The proposed plans are grounded in the best available science and address threats identified in a peer-reviewed report written by state and federal wildlife biologists, known as the Conservation Objectives Team (COT) report.

The plans provide a layered management approach that offers the highest level of protection in the most valuable habitat, known as Priority Habitat Management Areas. Within priority habitat, the plans seek to limit or eliminate new surface disturbance, particularly in Sagebrush Focal Areas, identified by the Service as “stronghold” areas essential for the species’ survival. The proposed plans seek to minimize disturbance in General Habitat Management Areas, which are lands that require some special management to sustain greater sage-grouse populations, but are not considered as important as priority habitat.

Importantly, the plans will honor all valid, existing rights, including those for oil and gas development, renewable energy, rights-of-way, locatable minerals, and other permitted projects. The plan measures only apply to BLM and USFS-managed lands and minerals.

The plans contain three common approaches:

1) Minimizing new or additional surface disturbance – The plans seek to reduce habitat fragmentation and protect intact habitat by implementing surface disturbance caps on development, minimizing surface occupancy from energy development, and identifying buffer distances around leks – areas critical to the sage-grouse life-cycle – to be considered during project implementation.

2) Improving habitat condition – While restoring lost sagebrush habitat is difficult in the short term, it is often possible to enhance habitat quality through purposeful management. Where there are unavoidable impacts to habitat from development, the plans will require mitigation to enhance and improve sage-grouse habitat.

3) Reduce threat of rangeland fire – Rangeland fire can lead to the conversion of previously healthy sagebrush habitat into non-native, cheatgrass-dominated landscapes. Experts have identified wildfire as one of the greatest threats to sagebrush habitat, particularly in the Great Basin region of Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Oregon and California. The plans seek to fight the spread of cheatgrass and other invasive species, position wildland fire management resources for more effective rangeland fire response, and accelerate the restoration of fire-impacted landscapes to native grasses and sagebrush.

Individual proposed plans contain variations where different approaches or priorities were consistent with overall conservation objectives. To learn more about the BLM-USFS plans for each state, visit www.blm/sagegrouse.

The vast majority of federal lands within the priority sage-grouse habitat have zero to low potential for oil and gas, solar, and wind energy development. The plans limit surface occupancy within priority habitat areas for oil and gas; however, technological advances in horizontal drilling make it possible to conserve sensitive habitats while still developing subsurface resources. A fact sheet on the proposed plans is available here.

Over the last four years, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and its partners in the Sage-Grouse InitiativeThis is an external link or third-party site outside of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website. have worked with more than 1,100 private landowners to restore 4.4 million acres of habitat for sage-grouse while maintaining working landscapes.

More than 350 other species rely on a healthy sagebrush habitat, including elk, mule deer, pronghorn and golden eagles. Greater sage-grouse habitat currently covers 165 million acres across 11 states in the West, representing a loss of 56 percent of the species’ historic range. At one time, the greater sage-grouse population likely numbered in the millions, but is estimated to have dwindled to 200,000 to 500,000 birds range-wide.