As the new 'outbreak' film Contagion, starring Kate Winslet and Gwyneth Paltrow is released, The Ecologist reports on the book linking the threat of global disease pandemics and industrial animal farming
Phosphorus is a crucial nutrient and a vital component of fertiliser, a mainstay of modern farming. But we could be heading for a major shortfall in supplies, argues Hannah Hislop, with some alarming consequences
Would you work on confiscated lands owned by mafia bosses who have killed countless people? The Ecologist reports from Italy on the new farming cooperative turning a bloody past into organic olive oil, oranges and wine
Contrary to popular belief, composting is simple. What’s more, it’s also eco-friendly, cheap and utterly addictive. Hannah Corr shows you how to get started
As reform of the EU's agriculture policy gets underway, Miles King of the Grassland Trust tells Matilda Lee how intensive farming has all but destroyed England's 'rainforests' and why it's time we started asking for more from our farmers
An essential in pasta sauces, soups, stews and pizza toppings tinned tomatoes are one of our most popular foods. But many arrive as a result of slave like conditions endured by thousands of migrant workers in Italy. Who should we blame? By Andrew Wasley
Migrant workers are vital for meeting the UK's demand for year-round fruit and vegetables. But despite improvements since the Morecambe Bay tragedy, allegations of poor conditions and abuse in the horticulture sector persist. Andrew Wasley reports
In contrast to the squalid conditions faced by many migrant farm workers, employees of salad producer G's Marketing live in specially-built hostels with a social centre, sports pitches and a bar. Is this the future of industrial horticulture? Andrew Wasley reports
Faced with the potential use of a dangerous pesticide methyl iodide to spray crops in their backyards, a group of Californian teenagers decided to stand up to the might of industrial agribusiness. Rosie Spinks reports
Another strain of MRSA is emerging from the factory farms of Northern Europe, and it is linked to the insatiable demand for cheap meat on our plates. The Ecologist Film Unit investigates
Khushi Kabir was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 for her work at Nijera Kori, which has helped organise over 175,000 landless people in Bangladesh's rural areas since 1980
