Despite their historical differences and being in starkly contrasting industries, Deere and Apple have more in common as investments than you may realize. Both companies are the leaders in their respective industries and charge top dollar for their premium products. At their core, both companies make hardware, whether that's consumer electronics or equipment and machinery. But they also make software and are investing heavily in engaging with customers even after they purchase new products through aftermarket services.

Deere has even been caught up in the Right-To-Repair movement, which is focused on shifting aftermarket control away from the original equipment manufacturers to third-party players. Issues like this are common with software. Apple has faced similar debates for decades as some consumers complain that the company retains too much control by forcing software updates even after the product is purchased, which leaves the customer overly reliant on Apple and often leads to paying for new Apple products and services. (Motley Fool)

The Earth’s capacity to provide and replenish natural resources in key areas has been diminished by human production and consumption, due in large part to linear “take, make, waste,” approaches to production, consumption and disposal, the report says. This approach has been linked to high levels of emissions and waste and other environmental challenges, increasing business risks and uncertainties.

In contrast, the report says, a circular economy focuses on effective design; extended product lifespans through reuse, repair and recycling; and more strategic decomposition. This approach has a direct link to new products, practices and business models, offering the possibility for enhanced growth, reduced risk and improved financial returns.

Putnam’s analysis suggests that, at the current rate of resource use, approximately 1.75 Earths would be required to maintain healthy ecosystem functions and regenerate needed resources, the report says. For context, more than 100 billion tons of raw resources enter the economy every year, including metals, minerals and fossil fuels and organic materials from plants and animals. Of this, just 8.6% gets recycled and used again. (planadviser.com)

The agricultural sector has also evolved, to the point where equipment and machinery are yet another offshoot of the Big Data era. Now, a tractor like John Deere’s is designed to be interconnected and collect all kinds of information. In fact, John Deere’s software license, which a farmer accepts automatically by turning a key on his tractor, not only prohibits repair and modification, but also protects the company against lawsuits for “loss of crops, profits, or profits.” equipment use”.

Currently there are initiatives such as Open Source Ecology or Farm Hack, open source projects developing individual farmers and that can be a great help, especially in this type of case. Although these types of projects should still be commercially viable, they are still a more than interesting alternative. In fact, one of the reasons why the issue of the right to redress has become such a dangerous issue is that push farmers to use illegal Ukrainian software to hack their tractors. (thenewstrace.com)