To date, HANDS ON has covered issues such as sustainable farming, building, mining, health, transport, energy, recycling, agro-forestry and innovative production methods. NGOs and businesses are supplying stories on best practices that are working. Stories already filmed range from the safe disposal of old fridges to gravity-driven ram pumps; and from micro-credit to re-using human waste.

The main criteria for selection are affordability and replicability. "We now know that from successful examples of viewers and listeners applying the these best practices, that the HANDS ON concept pioneered by TVE, really works."
Janet Boston, Hands On producer

" In the period BBC World and other stations have been broadcasting HANDS ON, stories TVE has received more response to programmes than in our previous 15 years. Clearly our aim to produce 'what can be done' information has uncovered a tremendous unmet need for tips on enterprise that can be ethical and green."
Robert Lamb, Series Editor, Earth Report

TVE/ Practical Action gratefully acknowledge support for the HANDS ON programmes from the UK's Department for International Development (DFID), the European Commission (EC), the UN Foundation and UNDP/The Equator Initiative in collaboration with the Government of Canada, IDRC, IUCN, BrasilConnects and the Nature Conservancy.