Friends of the Earth Cardiff Cyfeillion y Ddaear Caerdydd

Photo: Friends of the Earth International

European banks, pension funds and insurance companies are increasing global hunger and poverty. They are speculating on food prices and financing land grabs in poorer countries, according to a new report by Friends of the Earth Europe.

Photo: Ribera Conurbano Sur

A proposed development on the coast near Buenos Aires, Argentina, threatens ecological reserves and local communities.

South African energy company Sasol is the world’s leader in coal-to-liquid (CTL) technology. This is the most carbon-intensive way of making petrol and diesel. Sasol’s Secunda plant produces more carbon dioxide emissions than any other single source in the world.

Child with a skin disorder. Photo: Madre Tierra

Madre Tierra (Friends of the Earth Honduras) has denounced the health problems in Valle de Siria caused by a subsidiary of the Canadian gold company Goldcorp.

Children in the Niger Delta look on at a Shell horizontal gas flare. © Elaine Gilligan / Friends of the Earth

Despite promises made by Shell since the 1990s to stop flaring the 'associated' gas released in oil production in Nigeria, Shell flared more gas in 2010 than it did in 2009 in the West African country.

Lufthansa has launched its first controversial bio-fuelled flight, amidst outcry from green groups. Fuelling aeroplanes with biofuels presents Lufthansa and the aviation industry with a convenient smokescreen, greenwashing their image, facilitating the airline industry’s expansion plans and diverting political attention from the real need to cut air travel in order to tackle climate change.

Watch the Rat Race (live more!) video

When was the last time you felt real happiness? Was it when you were together with people you like, when you were doing useful work that you’re good at? Was it when you were enjoying music, dancing, arts or sports? Or was it when you bought another product advertised to bring you happiness?

Many people in West African countries such as Mali, Benin, Burkina Faso and Chad depend on growing cotton for a living. In these four countries cotton accounts for between 5 per cent and 10 per cent of their GDP.

West African farmers can produce cotton at a lower cost than almost anywhere else. There are three things stopping them growing cotton:

Please join Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie) and tell Unilever to stop buying unsustainable palm oil from the Malaysian company IOI.

The expansion of palm oil cultivation in South East Asia often comes at the expense of small farmers and forests.

This action is now closed. Thank you to everyone who took part.

On 13 January 2010 the Government finally acknowledged the need for a supermarket watchdog. But after two years of delay they still won't take action.

Tesco - a big block to planet-friendly farming - has launched its latest charm offensive. But they won't pull the wool over our eyes. What they don't tell us is that they: