Latest news and analysis

Human rights violations have been reported at plantations in virtually all major tea producing countries, while tea growing itself has a profound effect on the local environment. William McLennan reports

Sugar can be produced from both sugar beet and sugarcane. Sugarcane production is of particular concern in terms of environmental degradation and human rights abuses, reports William McLennan

As well as local outrage over 'fracking' drilling there is new evidence its greenhouse gas footprint may be higher than that of coal. Tom Levitt reports from the centre of this potential gas boom near Blackpool

Say sayonara to your standard tea and try a cup of one of the Ecologist’s 10 favourite Fairtrade and organic teas. Laura Sevier puts the kettle on

Watch this film examining how tea workers in the developing world struggle to get by on poverty wages while British supermarkets make huge profits

High in fat and with a carbon footprint to match, cow’s milk is neither the greenest or healthiest milk available. So what are the alternatives? Here are 10 of the best

It is time for the UK government to act if we want to stamp out the ongoing abuses perpetrated by corporations overseas and ensure an ethical weekly shop, argues Seb Klier

The fight against the controversial super-dairy in Lincolnshire may have been won but there's still much to do in order to keep British dairy farming humane, sustainable and natural, argues Suzi Morris

The British cuppa is an institution. But how many of us have actually wondered what goes into our favourite drink, or where the principal ingredients come from? The Ecologist investigates

As part of the Ecologist's special investigation into the hidden costs of tea, milk and sugar, here's how to get involved in cleaning up your cuppa

Can sustainability be stylish? If Lost Property of London’s eco-accessories are anything to go by, yes it can

Non-stick pan coatings made from PTFE, otherwise known as Teflon, release carcinogens, pollutants and even a World War One nerve gas when heated. So what’s the alternative?

A city fish bar that cares more than most about sustainability; Jemima Roberts puts Soseki to the test to find out whether its food is as good as its principles

A study in Torbay is the first time i-Tree software has been used in the UK to establish the true value of the 'urban forest' and raises questions over the effectiveness of smaller trees in absorbing carbon and pollutants

Synthetics free and all the better for it; the latest crop of green fragrances are good enough to appeal to even the choosiest of fragrance fans. Ruth Styles spritzes on some of the best