A British businessman previously linked by an Ecologist investigation to a controversial biofuel scheme has been arrested and charged with forgery in relation to a land deal in Cambodia, according to reports. Gregg Fryett, who is behind the company Sustainable Agro Energy Plc, is currently in prison after being accused of using a false land […]
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Revealed: America’s secret horsemeat trade
Few Americans are aware that their country’s horses are being exported and slaughtered abroad – often in appalling conditions – to supply European taste for a meat that’s shunned at home. Andrew Wasley reports Herded down a concrete shute, the horses — black and brown and grey; fat, healthy, thin, lame — have little idea […]
Special report: the truth about Thai prawns
By Jim Wickens These days we pick up a packet of frozen prawns from the supermarket almost without thinking. They’re healthy, flavour-some and cheap enough to count as an affordable treat, perhaps on a skewer for a barbecue or daintily arranged for a dinner party starter. If we give even a moment’s thought about where […]
Horsemeat scandal highlights murky trade in farm animals
The discovery of horsemeat in burgers and ready meals has revealed how live horses are shipped across Europe in a complex and secretive business. And it’s just part of a bigger global trade in livestock and poultry. Andrew Wasley reports The news that beef burgers and ready-made lasagne contain horsemeat has rightly caused alarm. Whatever […]
The slavery behind our seafood
The tropical shrimp industry in Thailand exploits both people and the environment, a major new Ecologist investigation has revealed. The film, produced in association with Link TV and Swedwatch, highlights how so-called ‘trash fish’ is caught by Thai trawlers operating – sometimes illegally – in foreign waters before being ground into fishmeal for use in farmed […]
Blood fish: why prawns should be blacklisted from all our shopping baskets
A new investigation has revealed appalling labour conditions for Burmese migrants working onboard boats supplying ‘trash fish’ for use in feed given to farmed prawns. But this is just the latest scandal to engulf the global shrimp industry, says Andrew Wasley A disturbing new investigation by the Ecologist has shone a light on the appalling labour conditions […]
Blood harvest: the hidden cost of Italy’s soft drinks trade
The Ecologist Film Unit recently travelled to Calabria in Southern Italy to investigate claims that the seasonal orange harvest makes use of African migrants, many of them paid poverty wages and living in squalid conditions. The region’s oranges are frequently bought by multinational food and drink companies for use as juices or concentrates, often ending […]
Coca Cola responds to orange harvest ‘exploitation’ controversy
The soft drinks giant is looking at extending its supply chain audits and facilitating talks on ensuring better standards after Ecologist investigation uncovers squalid conditions and low pay for some migrant workers in Calabria. Gianluca Martelliano & Andrew Wasley report Coca Cola is examining how the company can help facilitate ‘fair’ conditions and wages for […]
Coca Cola challenged over orange harvest linked to ‘exploitation and squalor’
The manufacturer of Fanta is being urged to help address the poor conditions and low wages endured by some African migrant workers harvesting oranges in southern Italy. Andrew Wasley reports from Rosarno It is perhaps the worst address in Western Europe. A ramshackle slum with a noisy road on one side, a railway on another, […]
Bitter harvest: exploitation ‘rife’ on UK farms
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 ‘There’s no justice, there’s discrimination… people are treated like cattle, not human beings, I never expected it could be […]
Ecologist Film Unit 