Members of the International Food & Beverage Alliance (IFBA) have taken another step in progressing the commitments they first made to the World Health Organization in 2008 with the adoption of a worldwide plan to phase out industrially produced trans fatty acids (TFAs) in their products.

In what it is calling the "Mine of the Future," leading global miner Rio Tinto, is using automation to cut costs, improve safety and reduce environmental impact.

Only a few years ago, Africa was being dubbed "the next Asia," and multinationals watched with mounting interest as local economies boomed across the continent. Although a decline in global commodity demand has since ushered in a slowdown, Africa remains a promising long-term growth market.