through forward system to coerce allegiance to the regime. those who don't make it into the fun metropolis often poor and hungry. have fun in pyongyang starts feb 28th on w. . the new coronaviruses suffocating business in asia trade and tourism continue to fall putting many firms in danger so our markets already betting on a turnaround. also on the show the e.u. is ready to end its biggest ever trade deal with an emerging economy but there are concerns. and we'll get our hands dirty with a look at the growing market for humus the organic soil layer that's also a carbon sink. this is your business report i'm stephen beard's in berlin it's good

to have you with us china's economy has been paralyzed for 6 weeks now due to the new coronavirus production remains at a standstill and trade has been complicated by travel and shipping bands there are even fears that foreign companies could leave china if things don't improve soon. the streets of beijing remain eerily quiet. although some workers have returned to their jobs this is anything but business as usual employees across the country queue to have their temperature checked before they can go to work. those who make it in find themselves practically in isolation that is anything but splendid this office worker usually has 100 colleagues for company today there are just 3. usually there's a good atmosphere in the office everyone talks to each other at lunch time but today just with 2 or 3 of us it's really clear to me. the corona virus outbreak is

a tragedy for the more than 1000 people who have died is also a disaster for business in the world's 2nd largest economy close to half of the country's 1400000000 citizens are only able to move freely impacting businesses and supply chains of all kinds the situation has raised questions as to how long foreign companies can continue production in china that i've also talked to some of the companies in sens in one of the major manufacturing hubs in china they told me that only around 20 to 30 percent of the companies effect open during the past 3 days so given this uncertainty many businesses they have already placed their orders elsewhere to places like taiwan south korea japan so if china cannot control the outbreak by march or april we might see more and more business leaving china and even reorganize they say they say of the whole supply chain that scenario remains a way off but the longer streets like these stick quiet the closer it gets to becoming a reality. let's go down to our financial correspondent chelsea delaney in frankfurt

just we just saw there all the fears that businesses and asia are having and that's affecting europe as well and yet european markets are rebounding are they beginning to look beyond those fires already. that's right markets here in europe have been out records including the dax in frankfurt investors have been highly focused on the daily number of cases the number of new cases and there has been some good news on that front over the past couple of days china came out yesterday and said that the number of new cases was at its lowest point since january so that's given hopes this idea that the spread of this virus is going to be peaking very soon and that will allow companies and businesses and economies to rebound over the course of the year and really medicate the long term impact of this spread shows you can you give us an idea of how disruptive this virus has been for companies considering their supply chains. it's been highly disruptive and it's still very disruptive

a number of companies across many many industries airbus apple toyota have talked about how this is either drying up their supply chain or forcing them to close their own factories but there are signs that this is starting to turn around a number of factories a number of companies including. volkswagen and foxconn a big apple supplier are hoping to open reopen their supply chains very soon. alright chose to delay any tracking it all from frankfurt thank you. well the e.u. is calling it the most extensive trade agreement its ever reached with an emerging economy to deal with vietnam which is up for approval today in the european parliament would slash tariffs on goods and services and it would most likely further cement vietnam status as an upcoming economic player in the world but there are concerns. sports shoes could soon get cheaper for european buyers german

sporting goods maker has been producing sneakers in hoti minh city for years footwear is a big export for vietnam with 15 percent of all germans walking on shoes made in vietnam most goods leave the country via high. port the e.u. imports products with around $38000000000.00 euros from vietnam and it's not just shoes there are a lot of elec tronics and agricultural products european cuisine might be a bit less spicy without vietnam as it accounts for nearly half of all pepper imports. the agreement would mean the end of virtually all tariffs on bilateral trade. the benefit of the agreements are many preferential access to a vibrant to come to me of almost 100000000 people 3rd the move of non-tariff barriers for exporters which according to the famous for example on cars of wayne's spirits. the vietnamese side says it will comply with international labor and environmental standards and that also includes the possibility of founding

independent trade unions something so far impossible in the communist state. let's go now to correspondent barbara vessel she's in straws board right now where the european parliament is meeting barbara is vietnam likely to improve standards and regulations enough to satisfy critics of this deal. that is the big question here stephen because of course this is the typical conflict of interest with a trade good within a trade deal like this on the one hand the free traders say we reach out to our hand and we give our hand to a developing country and we give them the chance to sort of continue their change for the better at that is what the trade commissioner here said this is important they now we open the door and they can now sort of get. they can now sort of get the. the provisions and place to change for instance to reduce child labor the

government in vietnam said yes we're doing this we will be complying with labor standards spot the critics on the other hand say that the even though the provisions to. come for compliance are within the agreement it is toothless because the e.u. has never forced a country into compliance it has never really done anything to punish a government it would know it would not obey the new rules and that is the crux of this even though the treaty free traders are going to win the day on this there remains for many critics a bitter taste on this because they say that this is oppressive regime and their track record and human rights has gotten worse through the last years and not better or if we look at this deal itself it's much smaller than some of the other deals the e.u. has been striving toward canada japan south america what does that you get out of this why's of pushing so hard on this. there is of course

a very distinct political will behind this because the e.u. says vietnam is already our 2nd biggest trade partner in southeast asia they are in neighbor to china we want to get there because before china takes it all and then there is the 2nd aspect and that is quite important that the europeans see this is a stepping stone for a far more reaching far far reaching agreement with the as the un group the southeast asian economic and political area and that would then really open the door for european goods for souce to ages this is not only about trade in goods disease but to keep out services from europe they want to do doors to open for public procurement for instance and so in this battle between the 2 sides do we really force through human rights and can we do anything to sort of force governments into compliance and do we on the other hand really one free trade more

than anything the free traders are winning all right politics never far behind trade barbara vessel force and straws thank you very much. the climate change is already a challenge for farmers around the world as conditions alter like the availability of rain sort of planting strategies many organic farmers are now hoping that nutrient rich humus that is the organic layer of topsoil can give them an edge in changing times and as a bonus it traps more carbon. brussel sprouts one of the few vegetables harvested in the middle of winter in the german state of. new the danish border there's been a lot of rainfall and the plants did well. the organic brussels sprouts are top notch thanks to the high quality soil that we have a relatively long harvest especially for brussels sprouts we pick them until march and that comes from taking good care of the soil just going to. the land belongs to

the organic farmer had includes and he's been building up humus or the organic component of the soil for 30 years now he regularly has his soil tested today by agrarian engineer son your dream on the dock consistent color and the presence of worms in the soil are good signs. not asses all my stuff the 1st test you do is to just smell the soil to see if it has a nice sweet earthy aroma. good important global hot doesn't or just that's our goal so that we have great organic harvests but the decisive factor is the soils ability to supply the nutrients at the exact moment that the plant needs that you know d.m. billick then we can have high organic crop yields come good soil can produce conventional size harvests. convent to know let's figure putting knutson tries out new methods 1st at his home and then he brings them out onto his 111

hectares of farmland. for example compost tea he mixes compost with water then lets the mixture sit for 24 hours after that he brings it out onto the field the mixture is simple to make and saves money just as the situation's always getting harder for farmers the climate extremes are getting worse more drought floods we need the humus to improve the soil so that the location remains productive stand out so. something just by leaving the soil alone humans can be created too but that can take decades and newton was able to increase his ground cover by 15 centimeters within a year that absorbs 50 more tons of c o 2 annually. well some song will not be deterred the south korean company has unveiled a foldable smartphone for the 2nd time the galaxy z flip looks like a large make up compact when open it looks like any other smartphone difference

however is a price tag of almost $1400.00 the company launched its 1st foldable handset the galaxy fold in september after faulty screens forced an initial recall. and that's it from me and the d. business team here for let you check us out online dot com slash business i'm steve and there's an 11 thanks for watching.

but i don't need to see quick update of the old photo over the correction home the 4th time for the most recently that we can look at least about on the. day that the nasa dragon this word has called the hard truth. on. the used crime fighters are back africa's most successful radio drama series continues. this season the stories focus on hate speech prevention sustainable

chocolate production. all of the sodas are available online and of course you can share and discuss on africa's facebook page and other social media platforms. hard fighters tune in now. the 1st. hello and a warm welcome to our news from the world of arts and culture coming up on the program. brazil is the only one of its kind and a documentary film. students. and underwater photographer take some of the.

start off with sustainable fashion which in itself is a bit like an oxymoron given the fast fashion collections that are throwaway culture craves but there are moves afoot to curb one of the most polluting industries on the planet art see if is an israeli designer who has returned to his moroccan groups and with a very minimalistic team he does high end up cycling to great effect. at the foot high atlas mountains is the backdrop for a photo shoot. a model from the region. is the face of america's fashion. designer.