Grow it Yourself
Feeding the growing numbers of the world's population is proving to be one of the most important challenges farmers have ever faced. Yet for many people, growing enough food simply to survive is the greatest challenge.

Out of the Woods
Most of us have heard of the Amazon Rainforest, but how many of us really know what it has to offer? Forests purify the air we breathe and many of the world's most exotic animals depend on forests for survival. They're not the only ones...

Fair Trade, Fair Profit
Hands On this month reveals how re-establishing partnerships between producer and purchaser helps give small producers both an income and a voice - so everyone profits.

Waste to Wages
For most of us rubbish is a tiresome waste of space. But green entrepreneurs and people who need to make money see it differently. For them where there's waste there's opportunity.

The Equator Initiative - Pure Gene-Eous
Seeing the match between the Equator Initiative and the philosophy behind Hands On, TVE is featuring 25 Equator Initiative stories as part of the 'Hands On – Earth Report' series over the next 12 months. This programme shows how five nominated finalists are working to make biodiversity and poverty reduction mutually inclusive.

Fuel for Thought
Approximately two billion people across the world have no access to grid electricity. A large majority of these live in developing countries where the vulnerability to weather damage and high cost of grid extension to remote areas mean that many small communities are without electricity for small industry and enterprise, health clinics and schools.

Funding the Future
'Local funds' recognise the importance of community-based initiative, particularly when local government structures are weak, ineffective or corrupt. Local funds get money into the hands of people without depending on the usual controls that donors impose from managing the funds themselves, including lots of paperwork.