Global Eco Watch: Key Indonesia law incapable of protecting 80% of rainforest vulnerable to palm oil plantation

Down To Earth brings you the top happenings in the world of global ecology

Coffee bean prices have doubled in the past year and may double again – what’s going on?

The principal reason for surging prices is a series of environmental events in Brazil

India's demand for teak wood endangers Ecuador's rainforests

Ecudaor lost about 0.4 million hectares tree cover between 2001 and 2015

Different colours of green

How media has shaped people's understanding of environment

ASEAN nations adopt transboundary haze monitoring system

System would keep an eye on fire-emitting hot spots across the region to curb emissions

Assam heat wave kills over 10 people

Cyclonic disturbance diverts monsoon winds; tea plantations affected

Scientists get legal notice for highlighting health hazards of endosulfan

Excel Crop Care asks them to withdraw report, apologise publicly by July 28

What is crippling India’s valuable teak plantations?

Instead of simply advocating for teak plantations, farmers should be sensitised to holistic packages encompassing not only cultivation techniques …

World Environment Day: How our greed for palm oil is destroying tropical rainforests  

The rapid expansion of palm oil plantations has led to the destruction of huge areas of Indonesia and Malaysia’s tropical rainforests, …

Labour scarcity makes coffee plantation ecosystem in Western Ghats fragile: Study

Rising labour costs, urbanisation and increased use of pesticides point to a growing conservation concern in the Ghats

Coffee: here’s the carbon cost of your daily cup – and how to make it climate-friendly

Using less fertiliser, managing water and energy use more efficiently during milling and exporting the beans by cargo ship rather than aeroplane …

Forest panel bats for pvt plantations as compensation

Activists concerned Forest Advisory Committee recommendation will lead to privatisation, destruction of forests

Environmentalists hail Indonesia's moratorium plan on new palm oil permits, mining operations

According to a study published in 2014 Indonesia had the highest rate of deforestation in the world

Oil palm in India’s northeast: economy v ecology

India is promoting oil palm plantations in northeastern states, but this could have negative impacts on the region’s biodiversity

Roots of water scarcity

Contrary to popular belief, afforestation programmes that blindly plant trees in the hope of conserving water only end up consuming more water

Chhattisgarh communities assert forest rights

The Chhattisgarh Rajya Van Vikas Nigam was carrying out “thinning” inside the forests adjacent to the village, Sanauli, when a …

Expanding palm oil cultivation in Africa can be risky for endangered primates

A new study says that it will be challenging to reconcile oil palm expansion and African primate conservation as most areas suitable for …

Palm oil giant IOI challenges suspension order in Zurich court

The compnay has challenged the suspension of its certification by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil in the Zurich district court

REDD and REDD +: An Overview

Shankar Gopalakrishnan, from the Campaign for Survival and Dignity, stresses that REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest …

Here's how government is encouraging illegal trade in red sanders

A contradictory policy towards export of red sanders is fuelling illegality and hurting farmers

How indigo spread

Indigo Plantations and Science in Colonial India by Prakash Kumar, Cambridge University Press, Rs 995

Mornings sans coffee? Global production under threat due to climate hazards, finds study

Coffee growers in southern Brazil, where conditions are unaffected by El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), could help offset production losses

Don’t eat the rainforests: Top brands complicit in Indonesia’s ecosystem destruction, probe alleges

Companies procuring oil from and financing the Royal Golden Eagle, which set up palm oil and pulp plantations in Indonesia, finds investigation

Here’s how your cup of coffee contributes to climate change

When consumers use the recommended amounts of coffee and water, soluble coffee appears to be the most environmentally friendly option

Why India is unwilling to discuss forests at international fora

India’s recent spate of objections indicates an unwillingness to engage with issues related to forests and climate change, explained in …