Bhaskar Save, the 'Gandhi of natural farming', died last year after a lifetime of organic growing and determined campaigning against the destruction of India's traditional, sustainable agriculture, writes Colin Todhunter. His 2006 open letter, published here, sets out a devastating critique of industrial agriculture and its impacts, and an eloquent and timely agroecological manifesto.
… Bhaskar Save, the 'Gandhi of natural farming', died last year after a … level, Save was regarded as the 'Gandhi of natural farming'. In 2006 he published an open … Govt. of India I am an 84-year old natural / organic farmer with more than six …
New research suggests that we are heading for an "ecological Armageddon" that will affect all life on the planet, including humans. COLIN TODHUNTER investigates.
… glyphosate-based Roundup, have devastated the natural environment and have also led to … ) a shift to sustainable practice based on natural methods of suppressing pests and crop … priesthood . Michael McCarthy, writer and naturalist, says that three generations of …
Floods in continental Europe and a record-dry May in Finland’s forests are just two of many examples of climate change in action, says Rewilding Europe. But a new project to harness the carbon sequestration potential of boreal Finland hopes to bring about positive change at a time of intense climate crisis. CATHERINE HARTE reports
… communities in collaboration to protect these natural landscapes and their ecosystem … potential for carbon sequestration in its natural forests, peatlands and wetlands. With … support from the European Investment Bank’s Natural Capital Finance Facility, Rewilding …
The eastern lowland gorilla, found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is now critically endangered, with only 4,000 individuals surviving. Dominique Bikaba, a conservationist working to save this incredible ape - a close relative to humans - was last night presented with a 'Green Oscar', writes CATHERINE HARTE
Battle to save the eastern lowland gorilla earns 2018 Whitley Award Catherine Harte | 26th April 2018 News The Whitley Fund For Nature Dominique Bikaba DRC Eastern Lowland Gorilla …
The expansion of logging quotas in the Bialowieza Forest in Poland threatened one of Europe's oldest woodlands. However, the resignation of a minister and today's legal opinion from the Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the EU suggest the trees are safe. CATHERINE HARTE and BRENDAN MONTAGUE report
Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the EU speaks out for Bialowieza Forest Catherine Harte Brendan Montague | 20th February 2018 News Logging Poland Logging Poland EU Bialowieza Forest EU …
Less than a quarter of the Earth’s land surface has escaped the impact of human activity - and by 2050 experts estimate this will fall below 10 percent. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) today warns land degradation will negatively impact two thirds of humanity and is the biggest contributor to species extinction. CATHERINE HARTE reports
… levels of agricultural expansion, natural resource and mineral extraction, and … By 2014, more than 1.5 billion hectares of natural ecosystems had been converted to … impact of our choices on the health of our natural environment. "We cannot afford to …
The largest island rodent eradication operation ever undertaken in the world has been declared a success. The £10 million project organised by the South Georgia Heritage Trust and the Friends of South Georgia Island has taken a decade to complete, writes CATHERINE HARTE
… these birds, which evolved in the absence of natural predators and were becoming … to inspire others to help protect our natural world.” South Georgia Pipit. …
Agroecology is key to retaking control over food, farming and land from the 'monstrous machine' of agribusiness, biotech, big finance and 'free trade', writes Colin Todhunter, as it represents a truly viable alternative to agriculture for corporate profit. But such are the powers ranged against the world's small farmers that it must be supported by a broad-based, global people's movement.
… based on scientific research grounded in the natural sciences but marries this with … manure or compost for soil fertility, the natural management of pests and diseases, …
Today, 80 percent of current animal welfare legislation comes from EU law. But animal charities are concerned that post-Brexit new trade agreements could be made with countries with lower standards. The RSPCA is calling for the government to use Brexit as an opportunity to incentivise famers to increase their levels of animal welfare. CATHERINE HARTE reports
… severely restrict their ability to carry out natural behaviours such as foraging, rooting … in cramped cages, meat chickens without any natural light, a fully-slatted floor without …
The once popular countryside pursuit of 'game' bird shooting is falling out of favour with people in Wales, according to a new survey. The poll - commissioned by League Against Cruel Sports and Animal Aid - shows the majority of respondents were against the sport after learning of the poor conditions in which the animals were bred. CATHERINE HARTE reports
… the largest Welsh Government Sponsored Body, Natural Resources Wales (NRW). Life of cruelty … signed by more than 12,500 people, to both Natural Resources Wales and the National …
The internationally important seabird colony of the Shiant Isles has officially been declared rat-free following a four year programme to eradicate an invasive species of rodent. CATHERINE HARTE reports on how wildlife experts now predict a brighter future for seabird populations on the islands.
… the islands for three generations, Scottish Natural Heritage and RSPB Scotland. It has … future.” Bright future Andy Douse, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) ornithologist, said: … group of people from the RSPB and Scottish Natural Heritage - everyone involved should be …
The major US brands that do place a high value on sustainable production methods can now add a new certification to their eco credentials. But to become Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) requires an increased commitment to soil health, animal welfare and farm labour, as CATHERINE HARTE reports
… including the outdoor company Patagonia and natural health and beauty brand Dr. Bronner's. … a broad scale. Brands in the food, fibre and natural products industries have already shown …
A five-year study on the state of the world's birds makes for sombre reading. A significant number of once-common species now face decline and experts warn this worrying trend should ring alarm bells for the state of nature as a whole. CATHERINE HARTE reports
'The threats driving the avian extinction crisis are invariably of humanity’s making.' Catherine Harte | 2nd May 2018 News Birdlife International Birds Endangered Species …
The impact of human behaviour on the environment is well documented but now it seems man has become an evolutionary force in the lives of female Scandinavian brown bears as they change parenting tactics to ward off hunters. CATHERINE HARTE reports
Female bears respond to ban on hunting families by keeping their cubs closer for longer Catherine Harte | 5th April 2018 News Brown Bears Evolution Norwegian University Of Life Sciences Hunting …
One of the world's most endangered animals is being smuggled out of Central Africa into Asia via remote ivory trade routes. The highly prized Pangolin is being targeted by animal traffickers for its much sought after meat and scales. CATHERINE HARTE reports
… Dr Katharine Abernethy, of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, led the work, which also …
Africa is being opened up like a tin of sardines to a new wave of resource extraction, writes Colin Todhunter. Masked under the soubriquets of 'investment', 'growth' and 'free trade', a handful of vast global corporations are systematically plundering the continent's mineral wealth and leaving desolation in their wake, backed to the hilt by that ever-faithful servant of capital - the UK government.
… by a determination to plunder the continent's natural resources - especially its strategic … It's a scandal that Africa's wealth in natural resources is being seized by foreign, …
With EU ministers due to decide tomorrow on the future of the glyphosate in the EU, Colin Todhunter finds evidence of collusion between regulators and the corporations whose sales of the 'probably carcinogenic' herbicide add up to many billions of dollars a year - evidence that underlies a legal action alleging fraud by the European Food Safety Authority against the EU's 508 million citizens.
Glyphosate in the EU: product promoters masquerading as regulators in a 'cesspool of corruption'? Colin Todhunter | 17th May 2016 Activism Pesticides Health Science Regulation EU Toxics Corporations …
India's farmers are the targets of structural violence aimed at uprooting indigenous agriculture and replacing it with an intensive corporate model based on GMOs and agrochemicals, writes Colin Todhunter. But as Monsanto's GM cotton succumbs to insect infestations despite repeated pesticide applications, agroecological farming is an increasingly attractive option for cultivators.
… to control harmful pests. They allowed the natural predators of whitefly to proliferate, … food production, while preserving the natural resource base and empowering rural …
The corporate war on traditional farming is nowhere fiercer than in India, writes Colin Todhunter. After decades of the 'Green Revolution' that have impoverished the nation's soils, water, biodiversity and cultivators alike, agribusiness is poised for its final strike. But now the small scale farmers who produce most of the country's food are rediscovering ancient agroecological alternatives.
… water-recharging methods, numerous ponds and natural harvesting techniques of people then … farming. Save argued that restoring the natural health of Indian agriculture is the … imposed by the environment and work with the natural ecology rather than by forcing it to …
The Beast of the East has dumped snow all across Britain just as we should be looking ahead to Spring. The RSPB has today warned that birds will struggle to cope with the plummeting temperatures and urges people to give them a helping hand by providing food and shelter. CATHERINE HARTE reports
… of cold weather leave birds vulnerable as natural food sources become harder to come by …
The death of more than 1,000 garment workers in Bangladesh five years ago forced consumers to consider the true costs of 'fast fashion'. Yet many garment workers remain poorly paid and badly treated. CATHERINE HARTE reports on a new film that hopes to make us stop and think about the people who make our clothes
VIDEO: Fast fashion has a long history of environmental and social damage Catherine Harte | 27th April 2018 Reviews Fast Fashion Garment Workers Fashion Revolution frw17_citizen_grid.jpg The death of …
To understand how technology is used in the real world we must appreciate who owns and controls it, writes Colin Todhunter: whose interests it serves, and how it works in an economic system driven by profit, geopolitics and the compulsion to capture and control markets - while the monopolists proclaim a noble ideology of 'free choice' and 'democracy'.
Feeding the bank balance: GMOs, development and the politics of happiness Colin Todhunter | 14th March 2016 Comment Food Farming Politics Corporations USA kalimantan-cut.jpg To understand how …
Overharvesting for the luxury food market is pushing the iconic Chinese giant salamander to the brink. The future of the world’s largest amphibian is in serious jeopardy unless coordinated conservation measures are put in place. CATHERINE HARTE reports
World’s largest amphibian heading for extinction Catherine Harte | 4th June 2018 News ZSL Salamander China resized.jpg Overharvesting for the luxury food market is pushing the iconic Chinese giant …
Wildfire prevention methods in California are not only harming avian populations - but are also *increasing* the risk of fire, according to a new study by scientists at the universities of Arizona and California. CATHERINE HARTE reports
… at the University of Arizona School of Natural Resources and the Environment, said: …