This is the story of a farmer who took on a massive multinational. Monsanto sues Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser for $200,000, claiming he’d illegally used their patented genetically modified seeds. But Percy fights back and launches a nationwide campaign defending farmer’s rights. The campaign highlights fears of “terminator technology” and the tactics of giant corporations.
EXTRA: Monsanto representatives makes the case for GM crops.

This is the story of a farmer who stood up against a massive multinational, and its right to claim ownership to a living organism.

One day representatives from the multinational company Monsanto visit Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser and demand he surrender his canola crops. They sue him for $200,000, claiming he had illegally used their patented genetically modified seeds.

Percy counter-sues Monsanto for environmental pollution and launches a nationwide campaign defending farmer's rights.

Modifying canola's genes makes the planet resistant to specific weed killers and, according to the makers, generally improves yield.

But Percy's campaign highlights popular questions about GM crops and food with GM products in. In particular there are fears of "terminator technology" and worries about the impact on farming communities.

Schmeiser also accuses Monsanto of using intimidating tactics against him. For days, according to the farmer, detectives with cars were in front of his driveway, following him onto the fields, observing his every footstep.

Finally, the case goes to Canada's supreme court. The court finds in Monsanto's favour - but he doesn't have to pay a big fine. Percy argues the verdict raises more questions than it answers - including the biggest of all - "who owns life?"

Duration: 30 mins
Year: 2010
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Duration: 23 mins
Year: 2010
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Multinational companies are aggressively marketing cigarettes to young people in developing countries - with devastating social costs.

This film visits Indonesia where low taxes and lax laws have turned the country into the third largest market for tobacco products in the world. Targeted by the industry's relentless marketing, Indonesians start young and die young.

"If I'd known I'd get this disease I would have quit a long time ago." Ujang has terminal lung cancer. At 45, he is the victim of a habit, which is killing millions in his country. Most Indonesians don't believe that smoking is bad for their health and the industry shamelessly cashes in on their ignorance.

The marketing strategies of cigarette companies play a major role in a massive national habit. Among men, almost 70% light up every day. That's about 80 million smokers

The behaviour of giant tobacco companies like Philip Morris and British American Tobacco are attacked as blatant breaches of corporate social responsibility.

Sampoerna, one of Indonesia's big three tobacco giants, was bought in 2005 by the world's largest tobacco corporation, Philip Morris International, creators of Marlboro and the Marlboro Man.

Over the years, Sampoerna's products could be credited with millions of premature deaths.

"Indonesia is a rogue state when it comes to tobacco control", claims David Stanford of Indonesia's Consumers Federation. ""Philip Morris is one of the most brilliant marketers in the world.

In a place like Indonesia what they're doing is they're making tobacco use a form of Western independence and growth."

Internal Philip Morris documents reveal the company's strategy. They want to entice young Indonesians to sample their deadly wares - and get them hooked.

Duration: 23 mins
Year: 2010
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The car was once a symbol of American ingenuity and technological progress. But globalisation is having a huge impact on both how it's produced and on the lives of the people in the complex networks of countries across the world involved in its production.

INDIA: In Chennai, India, Boniface works making radiator caps which will end up on a US pick-up truck. The global car industry has given him a good job and great hopes for his future and that of his family.

BRITAIN: In West Bromwich, UK, Brian's firm supplies springs and washers to Boniface's company to make the caps for the pick-up truck. But Brian sees his business under increasing pressure from companies outsourcing production to India and China.

AMERICA: In Tennessee, USA, Teresa's company makes the radiators for the pick-up truck - but loses her job because of global competiton.

"Everybody is competing with everybody," she says. "They are doing what they need to do to survive - but we don't have to like it."

CHINA: But when it comes to global competition, there's one country no one can afford to ignore - China, the new Detroit of the world car industry. Car companies aren't only moving into China to make goods for export, but also to meet local demand for cars - the new status symbol in one of the world's newest economies.

The rise of foreign car companies and global networks of suppliers raises the question - what now is an American car? Is there such a thing? Some countries are winning, some losing - but no one can predict the ultimate direction of the global car industry.

Duration: 30 mins
Year: 2010
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The Snowdonia National Park is an area of spectacular natural beauty, but it’s also a business and so is marketed. Marketing text books talk about the marketing mix – the “four Ps” – but how do these apply to a national park?

The Snowdonia National Park is an area of spectacular natural beauty, but it's also a business and so is marketed. Marketing text books talk about the marketing mix - the "four Ps" - but how do these apply to a national park?

PRODUCT: The first P is for product. Snowdonia's main product is the countryside experience - timeless, free of charge. But there other attractions here, too, which are part of the product - for better or worse.

ATTRACTIONS: Attractions include the Snowdon Mountain Railway, the state-of-the-art visitor centre on top of Snowdon and the Welsh Highland Railway - a magnet for railway enthusiasts and casual tourists alike.

GREEN BUSINESSES: But there are also a growing number of smaller, "green" businesses which are capitalising on the area's environmental appeal. These include Treetop Adventure and Hafod Elwy Hall Hotel, which aspires to be sustainable in every corner of its operations.

PLACE: The next P in the marketing mix is P for place. This isn't the place as in the scenery, but place as in how you get there. 50 years ago most people came by train - but the car now rules, with millions driving here every year. Is there a chance they might be tempted back to the train?

PROMOTION: Wales is promoted by means of TV advertising produced by Visit Wales, the Welsh tourist board. But the main marketing tool used to promote Snowdonia is one of the oldest - leaflets in the tourist information centres. But the internet and social networking are now becoming more important.

HOT SPOTS: You promote places to make them popular but what about places that are TOO popular? The hot spot of Beddgelert village, for example, is overrun with tourists. The council seems eager to spread tourism around - but is it a good idea to promote the parts the tourists don't reach?

PRICE: The last of the four Ps of the marketing mix - price. With price, value for money is key. Does Snowdonia deliver more for the same money than the Lake District, for example? Exchange rates can have a big impact on prices, too, from the foreign visitor's point of view.

BUT IS IT WORKING? But who is marketing Snowdonia exactly? And is it working? The council wants more QUALITY tourists - but is Snowdonia delivering quality customer service, food and accommodation? And is the area's precious environment threatened by over-marketing?

Duration: 27 mins (approx)
Year: 2009
DVD - VHS

This is a film about the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales. It's a beautiful place but is its beauty also its biggest threat, attracting more tourists than it can sustain?

NATIONAL PARKS: Snowdonia is the second largest of Britain's national parks. The national parks were established after years of campaigning by an act of parliament in 1949. The basic idea was to protect the countryside so everyone could enjoy it.

THE VISITOR CENTRE: The jewel in Snowdonia's crown is Mount Snowdon - the biggest mountain in England and Wales. On top of the mountain is a brand new visitor centre. Some people think it's wonderful. Others think it has ruined the mountain.

TOURISM: Tourism is vital to the economy of Snowdonia. It once had a slate industry but this is now mostly defunct. Agriculture is the only other significant industry in Snowdonia, but it provides few jobs.

TRAFFIC: But with tourism comes traffic, congested narrow roads and the pressure to build more car parks. Buses ease the problems, but the Welsh assembly government has actually axed services. Some people argue for a radical approach - closing the park to all traffic.

WELSH HIGHLAND RAILWAY: The Welsh Highland Railway is one of Snowdonia's outstanding new tourist attractions. Steam enthusiasts love it, but residents in the village of Beddgelert, one of the main stops along the line, are up in arms. It's too noisy and dirty, and instead of easing traffic problems, it actually increases them, by attracting more visitors.

HOLIDAY HOMES: Another problem in Beddgelert and across Snowdonia is the growing numbers of holiday homes. Around 50% of Beddgelert's houses are owned by people from outside. Local people can't afford to live in the area any more and are moving away.

WELSH LANGUAGE: A major knock-on effect is the threat to the Welsh language. Snowdonia is the heart of Welsh-speaking Wales, but as more young people move away, the language is bound to suffer

THE BIGGEST THREAT OF ALL? But the National Park's ex-ecology officer, Rod Gritten, says there is a much bigger problem facing Snowdonia: climate change. Hundreds of years of intensive grazing has robbed the mountains of their trees and soil erosion is releasing carbon into the atmosphere, increasing global warming. Radical action is needed now, argues Gritten, before it's too late.

Duration: 27 mins (approx)
Year: 2009
DVD - VHS

Textbooks speak of three methods of production - job, batch and continuous flow. This film shows how these methods work in the real work. Also: how do companies choose which type of manufacturing meets their needs? And what about bigger questions, like the impact of different methods of production on the environment and on society?

Duration: 28 mins
Year: 2009
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Textbooks speak of three methods of production - job, batch and continuous flow. This film shows how they work in the real work.

JOB: Job production is when you're making a one-off - anything from a dam to a musical instrument. A skilled craftsman explains the challenge in making a viola de gamba.

BATCH: Batch production is using the same basic equipment to make batches of different products. The simplest example is a bakery, making different types of bread and cakes. But you can apply the same basic principles to everything from chocolate bars to DVD players.

CHANGEOVER: The biggest problem with batch production is the changeover - the time it takes to switch from making one type of product to another.

CONTINUOUS: Continuous flow, mass production is the most well-known type of manufacturing. Cars, toothpaste, crisps -- the emphasis is on speed and the making of the product is broken down into small, simple tasks, carried out by people - or robots.

WHICH METHOD? Choosing the method of production depends on many factors - from the type of product you're making and the skills needed to make it to the capital cost and the size of the market. There's no point in mass manufacturing a product for which the demand is low or fluctuating.

FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING: In Britain there's very little mass manufacturing on the scale of the factories in countries such as China. Here companies tend to go in for flexible manufacturing - producing different versions of products to meet changing demand.

THE BIG QUESTION: But what about bigger questions, like the impact of different types of production on the environment and on society? Should we be aiming for sustainable production -- making products locally and not for profit but for need?

Duration: 28 mins
Year: 2009
DVD - VHS

In this provocative film, Tracy Worcester sets out to discover who’s paying the price for the cheap pork in Britain’s supermarkets. She reveals the impact intensive pig farming is having on the environment, on small farms, on communities in Poland and the US – and the pigs. She investigates the role of the European Union and finds, at the heart of the controversy, a powerful multinational company called Smithfield Foods…

Duration: 32 mins
Year: 2009
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In this shocking and provocative film, Tracy Worcester sets out to discover who's paying the true price for the cheap pork for sale in Britain's supermarkets.

WHERE IT ALL STARTED: Industrialised pig farming was pioneered in America, and it's the way most supermarket pork is produced. Critics here argue the factory farms are bad for the animals, their employees, the environment and residents' health.

THREAT TO SMALL FARMS: During the 1990s large-scale meat processors bought up livestock farms enabling corporations to control the whole process from farming and to packaging. Many small farmers have gone bust.

IMPACT ON POLAND: US companies like the giant multinational Smithfield Foods are targeting other countries, too - in particular Poland. Polish people complain of the impact of the factory farms on their health, their environment and the threat to their family farms.

THE EUROPEAN ANGLE: The transformation of Polish agriculture and life is being partly financed by the taxpayers of Europe. Smithfield is just one of the food multinationals who have received the backing of the public purse.

A FUTURE OF CHEAP MEAT? Smithfield Foods claim they're just giving customers what they want and that they're doing all they can to minimise damage to the environment. But US critics accuse them of diminishing their quality of life.

IN BRITAIN: British farmers too feel threatened by the rise of the factory farms. There are worries over the use of antibiotics and the spread of MRSA. Is consumer power - people buying locally produced pork - the answer?

Duration: 32 mins
Year: 2009
DVD - VHS

Three films look at how countries around the world are feeling the bitter effects of globalisation. In the US, Detroit, city of Motown music and big cars, is turning into an industrial wasteland. China, once booming supplier of cheap goods to the world, is now seeing factories close and workers sent back to their poor villages, while in Germany thousands lose their jobs as Nokia moves a factory to Romania in search of cheap labour.

DVD EXTRA: Interview with Nigel Harris, policy consultant to the World Bank

Duration: 46 mins (total)
Year: 2009
DVD - VHS
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Three films look at how countries around the world are feeling the bitter effects of globalisation.

USA: Detroit, the city of Motown music and big cars is turning into an industrial wasteland.

When the car industry was booming Detroit was the fifth largest city in the US. But now Japanese and other foreign car companies have taken more and more of the US market.

General Motors, whose headquarters are in Detroit, was once the world's biggest car maker, but now it's a shadow of its former self, and has been bailed out by the US government.

Businesses are being killed off and residents have fled the city. Car workers who thought they had secure jobs, are facing the reality that the wheels are falling off Motor City. Now General Motors is gambling its future on more environmentally friendly cars.

CHINA: This once booming supplier of cheap goods to the world is now seeing factories close their doors and workers fired and sent back to their poor villages.

A watch factory owner says: "I have been in the watch business for forty years. This is the most difficult time I've ever seen."

The Chinese government has set up a four thousand billion yuan program to help big companies and revive the economy, but smaller enterprises are still going bust.

In China's poorer rural areas, leaving for work in the city has become a way of life for young people - a way of life that suddenly seems far more precarious.

EUROPE: 2300 Nokia employees have been laid off following the factory's move to Romania.

Despite record profits, the mobile-phone maker's move to Romania is spurred by the search for cheap labour. Says one German worker: "The company has exploited us. They have taken us for a ride - and that's putting it mildly.'

But in Romania many welcome the move - they see Nokia as a new source of jobs and economic growth. The Romanian village of Jucu has been renamed Nokia Village and the mayor is planning what to do with the new income.

But how much will Nokia actually pay their new Romanian workers? And how long before Nokia goes elsewhere in search of cheap labour? The film offers a fascinating example of the ups and downs of "caravan capitalism".

Duration: 46 mins
Year: 2009
DVD - VHS

How do economies work? What’s meant by the market economy? What is economics and why do we study it? What are the key ideas of Adam Smith, Keynes and Marx? This film offers a critical guide illustrated with case study examples. Why did the “credit crunch” of 2008 happen? Is an alternative economic model possible?

Duration: 30 mins
Year: 2009
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This film looks at how economies work -- in particular, the market economy.

THE MARKET ECONOMY: This is an economy based on what's called "free enterprise" in which people are free to set up businesses to sell their goods or services and try to make profits. Economists divide the modern economy into primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. Some organisations are owned by the government - the public sector. The combination of private and public industries is called the mixed economy.

SO WHAT IS ECONOMICS? Economics is a social science. "Social" means it deals with people; it's a science in that it tries to explain how the economy works. Microeconomics looks at the way individuals and businesses make decisions, including factors like price, supply and demand, and the price elasticity of demand. Macroeconomics, meanwhile, looks at how the wider economy as a whole works, including theories such as those of Adam Smith and the "invisible hand" of the market.

BOOM & BUST: There are drawbacks to the market economy -- problems such as inflation and also cycles of "boom and bust". A spectacular example is the "credit crunch" of 2008, when US banks overstretched themselves by handing out too many mortgages to unreliable borrowers. A bust can lead to a slump, or recession, like the historic Wall Street Crash of 1929 in the US.

KEYNES V MONETARISM: John Maynard Keynes believed that governments could intervene to deal with a recession -- by stimulating demand. But in the 1970s, inflation became the big enemy and Margaret Thatcher tried a new economic theory - monetarism, which involved attempting to control the supply of money.

OTHER ECONOMIC MODELS: But the free market isn't the only economic model. Influenced by the ideas of Karl Marx, countries such as Russia and China, had revolutions and set up what they claimed to be communist economies. China is still, in theory, a communist country. In practice, it has embraced capitalism, including the exploitation of workers.

GLOBALISATION: To cut costs, companies are increasingly outsourcing their production to countries where workers are not given the same rights as in this country. In theory, multinational businesses support free trade - in other words, no barriers to selling goods. But in practice Europe and the US step in to protect their industries.

A BETTER MODEL? The market economy is based on growth and credit - but do economies have to be like this? Is it possible to develop an alternative model which doesn't depend on consumerism, waste and greed?

Duration: 30 mins
Year: 2009
DVD - VHS

This film looks at businesses, what they are and how they work. Since the days of Richard Arkwright, the model for business has been the entrepreneur and free enterprise.

Duration: 30 mins
Year: 2009
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This film looks at businesses, what they are and how they work. How are they changing under social and environmental pressures?

THE ENTREPRENEURS: Early entrepreneurs like Richard Arkwright were key players in the industrial revolution. The entrepreneur "super stars" of today are the direct descendants of Arkwright. Think of an idea, get backing, make a fortune -- this is the classic model of what's called "free enterprise".

TYPES OF BUSINESSES: Key to the development of businesses is the idea of limited liability - which enables shareholders to invest in businesses without being personally liable for their debts. There are two main types of limited companies - public and private, but there are many other kinds of organisations, too - from sole traders to co-ops.

FUNCTIONAL DEPARTMENTS: Businesses are divided into what's called functional departments, including marketing and sales, finance, production and personnel. Employees of a small UK manufacturer explain how their departments work.

PUBLIC SECTOR: But not all organisations are privately owned. Many are funded by the taxpayer and are there to provide services, for example, the National Health Service, schools and the local council.

EXTERNAL FACTORS: Almost as important as what happens INSIDE a business is what happens OUTSIDE. These are called external factors, and include the general state of the economy, exchange rates, and our membership of the European Union. Are the burdens of EU bureaucracy outweighed by the advantages?

GLOBALISATION & ETHICS: Much of what we buy is produced by people working in poor conditions in the developing world. The idea of corporate social responsibility has emerged - the idea that companies have a responsibility to a wider group than just their shareholders - their "stakeholders". But, by law, directors are obliged to run the business in the interests of the shareholders and this mean profits come first.

NEW WAYS OF DOING BUSINESS? Capitalism is supposed to be all about competition. But it's also about cartels and price-fixing - as has been suspected of the energy companies in recent years. Recent years have seen a growth in "social enterprises", companies who claim their main aim is to improve society. But what about the need to protect the environment? Some companies are taking steps to be greener - but is this enough for the health of the planet?

Duration: 30 mins
Year: 2009
DVD - VHS

Duration: 25 mins approx
Year: 2009
DVD - VHS

China's rapid industrialisation has come at a heavy price - polluted waterways and huge health problems. This film follows two Chinese environmentalists risking threats and violence to locate the factories polluting their water.

CHONGQING: The film begins in Chongqing, one of China's new mega cities, home to six million people, and a major centre of industry. Like elsewhere in China Chongqing's rapid industrialisation has come at a heavy price. Many of its waterways are now polluted.

THE ACTIVISTS: Wu Deng Ming is a local environmentalist. Together with his colleague, Yonghchen Wang, he monitors the toxic discharges from the factories which are responsible for much of China's water pollution. China now allows non-government organisations to operate, but activists like Wu and Ms Wang still face harassment from both the state and the factories.

WATER POLLUTION: According to Ma Jun, water pollution is the most serious environmental issue facing China. 60% of the waterways are contaminated. That means 320 million people don't have access to safe drinking water. The health consequences are devastating.

Strong laws governing pollution do exist, but are regularly flouted. Fines for violations are too small to deter polluters.

THE ROLE OF THE WEST: And while the West may not produce the pollution, they, in effect, import it into China. One economist estimates that 20% to 30% of China's pollution comes from the manufacturing of goods for export. Meanwhile multinational companies are threatening to leave China if local environmental laws are applied.

GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN: China's government is increasingly concerned about its toxic rivers. In one district, local officials are cleaning up a river polluted by factories. Local people complain of the effects on their health: "It has affected our eyesight. Many people have developed kidney stones and gall bladder problems. It has also caused numbness in hands and feet."

THE FIGHT GOES ON: Under the new official crackdown, companies who can't deal with their waste won't be allowed to build factories. And those caught polluting might be shut down. But strong resistance to change still remains. Wu and Wang are violently attacked on a visit to a polluting factory.

Duration: 41 mins approx
Year: 2009
DVD - VHS

This is a profile of two companies that seem to have proved it's possible to be green and make a profit. Ecover make cleaning and washing products. Green People make skin care products using only organic ingredients. But are man made chemicals really so damaging?

DVD contains a wealth of extras for further research.

Duration: 27 mins
Year: 2008
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This is a profile of two companies that seem to have proved it's possible to be green and make a profit. Ecover make cleaning and washing products. They avoid raw materials based on petrochemicals which, they claim, make "the big brands" so damaging - to our health and the environment. Green People make skin care products, using only natural, organic ingredients. They take the same position as Ecover. They believe conventional products are the cause of many of our modern health problems, from allergies to even cancer.

SO WHAT'S THE BIG PROBLEM?Ingredients based on petrochemicals have one big advantage for the companies that use them - they're cheap. But some of these ingredients are harsh chemicals, they have a different molecular structure to "natural" ingredients. It means our bodies don't recognise them, they can't break them down. The result? They built up in the fatty tissue with unknown long term consequences.

ANOTHER VIEWNot everyone takes this view. Toxicology consultant Paul Illing disputes that man made chemicals are any more damaging than their natural equivalents.

BUT IS IT WORTH THE RISK?A link between these chemicals and cancer has not been proven, "but the contrary has not been proven either," says Peter Malaise, of Ecover. Ian Taylor of Green People agrees. "While there is a doubt, we would prefer not to deal with these substances."

THE LONG HARD ROAD TO GREEN PERFECTIONBut finding natural alternatives to synthetic ingredients is not easy. Ecover has been developing its formulae for 30 years. Green People are often disappointed when developing a new product: either the formulation breaks down or they find it's been contaminated by synthetic chemicals: it's back to the drawing board!

A NEW FORMULA FOR BUSINESS?Both companies have found new formulae for their products, have they found a new formula for business, too? Although profits are important, they are not the be-all and end-all of business. Says Malaise: "I think that attitude is completely wrong. Companies are there to serve the needs of people."

A DROP IN THE OCEAN?Both Ecover and Green People are small players in a multi-billion pound market. Can they ever change the approach of the "big brands"? Can their niche market for "green consumers" ever become a mass market? They are both growing at about 20%. Says Ecover's managing director Mik Bremens: "I think that is considerable growth. I don't think that's a drop in the ocean, I think it will be a great wave!"

New Watch Film Clip

Duration: 35 mins
Year: 2008
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What is global warming? What is the evidence for it? How will it affect the world? This film explores these questions as it follows the icebreaker Louis St Laurent on a trip to the Arctic Circle.

The Arctic Ice Sea, a plate of ice roughly the size of Europe, is disappearing.

Scientists say that by 2013, there will be no sea-ice left in the Arctic, causing a tipping point for climate change throughout the world.

Polar bears, who are at the top of the Arctic food chain, are feeling the heat. As the sea ice shrinks, so does their world.

The forests of Alaska are suffering, too. Alaska's vast pine forests rest on a layer of solid permafrost and when the frost melts the ground literally gives way. Melting permafrost could soon be a worldwide disaster.

"The Arctic will export change to the rest of the world," warns one expert, "Melting sea ice will intensify the extreme weather caused by climate change, bringing violent storms and cyclones."

Very quickly the world's food and water supplies will begin to run short.

Canadian coastguards predict that it will not be long before the legendary Northwest Passage through the Arctic will be completely ice-free. And that's fuelling a new "cold rush" as businesses eye the vast oil and mineral reserves which, until now, have been locked beneath the melting ice.

Says one commentator: "This issue will become something that people are willing to go to war over."

Duration: 35 mins
Year: 2008
DVD - VHS

Until recent years the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has remained resistant to the forces of globalisation. But now things are changing. Television and advertising has appeared. Consumer goods, drugs and pop music are all having an impact. How will globalisation change Bhutan?

Duration: 30 mins
Year: 2008
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Globalisation is having a huge impact on countries across the world. But not all countries have bought into the consumerist dream. This film is about Bhutan -- a country pursuing an alternative economic path.

Bhutan is a tiny country in the Himalayas bordering on China and India. Until recent years it's been off-limits to outsiders and out of touch with the outside world.

People have little material wealth but the country claims to be achieving unique levels of contentment. The people's Buddhist faith and the way they live in harmony with their environment, it seems, have been the foundations of their "gross national happiness". Visitors come here to discover the secret of their happiness.

But in recent years things have begun to change. Tourism has become big business. People are leaving the countryside and the cities are growing.

Perhaps most dramatically television has come to Bhutan, bringing with it 46 channels exposing people to advertising and programmes from all over the world.

On the positive side people can now understand discuss world events. On the down side consumerism is taking off.

New fashions, pop music, mobile phones are appearing. Electronic goods and cosmetics are coming to the shops. Traditional dress is giving way to trendy T-shirts. Young people are becoming more violent. Drugs and AIDS have become significant problems.

People are worried that young people are neglecting Buddhism for computer games and Nike. People are working harder to buy material goods and there are fears that community life is breaking down.

How will the forces of globalisation affect this unique mountain kingdom? Will they be able to retain their happiness despite the forces of globalisation?

Duration: 30 mins
Year: 2008
DVD - VHS

In a world where producers in developing countries are often cruelly exploited, fair trade is seen as a small oasis of humanity. But what is fair trade? How does it work in practice? How might it improve the life of a worker in a poverty-stricken country like Bangladesh? This is the story of fair trade fashion company People Tree.

Duration: 29 mins
Year: 2008
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In a world where producers in developing countries are often cruelly exploited, fair trade is seen as a small oasis of humanity. But what is fair trade? How does it work in practice? How might it improve the life of a worker in a poverty-stricken country like Bangladesh? This is the story of fair trade fashion company People Tree.

SWEATSHOP LABOUR: The UK fashion business is worth over £40 billion annually. But beneath the industry's glamorous façade, there's an inconvenient truth: most of the clothes are made in the developing world using sweatshop labour. People Tree, set up by Safia Minney, claims to be trying to make a difference, by selling well-designed clothes produced in the developing world for a fair price.

THE BREAKTHROUGH: A big breakthrough for People Tree came in 2006 when they began to sell in Topshop's flagship Oxford Circus store in London. They're now working with 50 producer groups in 15 different countries. UK turnover is £1.5 million.

FAIR TRADE V FREE TRADE: Free trade means big companies get their products made wherever they want in the world - mostly by the cheapest producer, where workers are often paid a pittance. Fair Trade, on the other hand, means paying producers a wage that means workers can live a decent life, send their children to school and have access to health scare.

BETTER WAY OF DOING THINGS? All People Tree's garments are hand-made. This means it is all much more labour intensive and slower than in factories where machines are used. But that's the whole point: to create as much employment as possible. The result, say People Tree, are products which are much more individual than machine-made garments.

ENVIRONMENT: Care for the environment is also part of People Tree's plan. They use natural dyes and avoid toxic or synthetic raw materials. They use organic cotton which means not relying on harmful pesticides - but they're not totally organic yet.

DESIGN PROBLEMS: Workers need retraining to make the clothes People Tree can sell. Natural fibres aren't easy to work with. The limitations of production mean a big challenge for People Tree's designer. Hand-made production means long lead times - another problem for a company working in the fast-changing fashion business.

THE WORKER IN BANGLADESH: One worker in Bangladesh does seem to be benefiting from fair trade. She tells how working on producing fair trade clothes has improved her life, brought her more money and freed her from being stuck at home. Fair trade means she can put her child in a day care centre allowing her to work full time.

BUT IS IT REALLY FAIR? How we can be sure fair trade really is fair and that workers aren't being exploited? Independent bodies, like the International Fair Trade Association, monitor organisations claiming to be fair trade - but the price of certification is high.

MARKETING & SALES: People Tree has little money left over for advertising and marketing. To promote their goods they rely on public relations, good will and collaborating with "like-minded" companies like Café Direct and Ecover. Their website has now overtaken their catalogue as their main selling tool - it now brings in 80% of their sales.

BUT HOW FAR CAN IT GO? People Tree is what they call a "social enterprise" - set up not to make money for its owner but to help people. However, they still have to compete in the real world and every day is a struggle. Fair trade is still only a small fraction of the fashion business - can it ever go mainstream?

Duration: 29 mins
Year: 2008
DVD - VHS

Two organisations call in eco-auditor Donnachadh McCarthy to help them operate more sustainably. The boss of food wholesaler EFG wants to “go green” but can he take the business with him? Meanwhile Don helps charity MVSC make great progress in their offices – but their energy-wasteful building presents a bigger problem.

TWO FILM PACKAGE
Duration: 31 mins each
Year: 2007
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In these case studies two very different organisations call in eco-auditor Donnachadh McCarthy to help them operate in a more environmentally sustainable way.

CASE STUDY 1: ESSEX FLOUR & GRAIN
EFG is a food and drink wholesaler selling to schools, hospitals and other organisation. Boss Michael Spinks is a green enthusiast who wants to “do something worthwhile”.

Donnachadh tours the business and finds lots of problems. There are badly positioned radiators, plastic cups in the kitchen, fridges that are empty or too cold, the wrong kind of copier paper and toilets with the lights always on.

EFG isn’t recycling its waste either and a warehouse is using up huge amounts of electricity for lighting and heating to no good purpose. Donnachadh also takes issue with EFG’s product line – they sell bottled water imported from abroad instead of local products.

Donnachadh submits the findings of his eco-audit suggesting many changes. Twelve months later some improvements have been made. They’re recycling their waste, using bio-diesel in their trucks and switching the lights off in the toilets. They’ve also introduced more fair-traded and organic products – and UK bottled water.

But not everyone is cooperating with recycling the waste and one member of staff feels strongly they’re not getting enough support from the top to carry out the changes. Boss Michael Spinks is optimistic for future progress in his business – but less hopeful about the future of the planet.

CASE STUDY 2: MERTON VOLUNTARY SERVICE COUNCIL
MVSC is an organisation funded by Merton council in south London to help voluntary groups.

Donnachadh is called in to help them become greener.

He discovers a problematic water cooler, plastic cups, lights and computers wasting electricity, printers wasting paper, inefficient use of heating, and plastic bags in the rubbish bins. And they’re not using recycled paper.

But Donnachadh’s toughest problems are with the managers of the building in which MVSC is a tenant. Lights outside and inside the building are on when no one’s around. They don’t recycle their rubbish, there are toilets which are wasting water, and central heating that’s too hot or heating empty rooms. The building managers are sceptical whether they can make changes.

Six months later Donnachadh revisits MVSC. Progress has been made – they’re saving money as well as saving the planet. As well as recycling more paper and saving a lot by switching to double-sided printing, they’ve hired an organic caterer, who makes healthier, cheaper food. Even a sceptical building manager seems to have been converted to recycling.

But one big problem remains with the heating of the building – the loft needs insulating – and this is a big expense to meet.

Donnachadh has a meeting with staff who explain how much the greening of their business has inspired them and how they hope to influence the other organisations they work with. Donnachadh tells them they have made great progress – but it’s not enough.

TWO FILM PACKAGE
Duration: 31 mins each
Year: 2007
DVD - VHS

Multinational coffee companies now rule our shopping malls and supermarkets and dominate an industry worth over $80 billion - but what price are African farmers paying for the price of our coffee?

Tadesse Meskela is a man on a mission to save Ethiopia's 74,000 struggling coffee farmers from bankruptcy. Tadesse is manager of the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union.

The supply of coffee on the world market used to be regulated by the International Coffee Agreement until its collapse in 1989. Since then the price of coffee has fallen to a 30 year low.

Globally two billion cups of coffee are drunk every day. But Ethiopian coffee farmers get a tiny fraction of the price paid for a cup of coffee by the western consumer.

Four multinational companies dominate the world coffee market - Kraft, Nestle, Proctor & Gamble and Sara Lee. The international price of coffee is established in New York and London.

As his farmers strive to harvest some of the highest quality coffee beans on the international market, Tadesse travels the world in an attempt to find buyers willing to pay a fair price.

Chains of middlemen lie between coffee farmers and the roasters who prepare the coffee for sale to the consumer. The aim of Tadesse's co-op is to break these chains, and increase the end price to the farmer.

Business for the giant coffee shop chain Starbucks is booming. But life in Sidama, Ethiopia, from which the US multinational gets its coffee, is grim. A famine is in progress, and the low price of coffee is making people poorer.

Meanwhile Tadesse is in London looking for customers for his fair traded coffee. But competition for space on the supermarket shelves is intense. He makes the case for consumers buying fair traded goods.

On a global scale, Africa is the only continent in the world to have got poorer in the last 20 years. It has become more dependent on emergency aid from countries like the US than ever before.

Developing world countries argue the rules of global trade are biased against them, and that if they were allowed to compete fairly they would need far less aid.

But the World Trade Organisation, dominated by the rich countries, gives them little hope of things changing.

DVD contains the full uncut film, plus more interviews and background information.

"Remarkable -- a moving but scandalous story. Black Gold has extraordinary power." Daily Telegraph

Duration: 45 mins
Year: 2007
DVD - VHS

For years the huge multinational Coca Cola company has sold itself with an image of global harmony. But what’s the reality? This film highlights the company’s controversial activities in Germany and India. Coke is accused of stealing water in drought-stricken parts of India and treating its employees badly.

New Watch Film Clip

Duration: 29 mins
Year: 2006
DVD - VHS
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For years the huge multinational Coca Cola company has sold itself through an image of love and global harmony. But what's the reality behind the image? This film highlights the company's controversial activities in Germany and India.

THE WORLD CUP: Coca Cola is one of the sponsors of the World Cup in Germany and only allows its own soft drinks to be consumed at the matches. Coke hopes sponsoring football will boost its sporting image - but for many German workers the multinational has a bitter taste.

COKE IN GERMANY: Coke got over 10 million euros in government grants to come to a region of high unemployment in East German. But now it's closed seven of its bottling factories and hundreds of jobs have been lost. Workers believe they are victims of globalisation as the multinational organises itself to employ fewer and fewer people.

COKE'S WATER PROBLEM: Coke's bottled water has got it into trouble, too. Coke uses its sponsorship of the World Cup to promote sales of its little known bottled water, Bonaqua. But the company has been plagued with scandals about its water - most famously the Dasani fiasco in Britain. Dasani was shown to contain excessive levels of bromine, and Coke took it off the market.

COKE IN INDIA: Coca Cola also faces anger in the developing world. Farmers in India believe one of Coke's factories is polluting their water supply.

"The Coca Cola factory ruined my life," said one farmer, who has had to give up his farm and become a labourer on someone else's farm.

WATER SHORTAGE: In a land of severe water shortage many Indians feel Coke's factories are unfairly using up a precious resource. To produce a bottle of coke requires a litre of water. In some villages near Coke's factories water levels have dropped by 60 metres.

PROTESTS: Indians at all levels are united against Coke. Villagers accuse the company of being a water thief. Coke denies all responsibility and blames water shortages on wasteful locals. People protesting against Coke's actions are brutally attacked by the police.

WORKING FOR COKE: Coke is also accused of poor treatment of its Indian employees. Workers receive around 50 cents for a 12 hour shift. They have no unions and employees who protest are sacked. One worker complains of not being compensated for a serious industrial injury. He appears at the Coke factory every day, and every day he's turned away.

THE REAL WINNER? Coke sponsors the World Cup to associate its product with fun, achievement and being active - and the company gets big marketing benefits from this. No matter who wins on the football field, the real winner, it seems, is always Coca Cola.

Duration: 29 mins
Year: 2006
DVD - VHS

Multinational company Shell, claims to be dedicated to sustainable development. But is Shell as green and clean as it claims?

Duration: 30 mins
Year: 2006
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Shell is one of the richest companies on earth. It does business in 140 countries dealing with 25 million customers every day. It claims to be dedicated to renewable energy and sustainable development.

But is Shell as green and clean as it claims? This film offers a profile of this famous multinational, explains its growth, and investigates the impact of its activities on countries throughout the world.

Living next door to Shell can be a hazardous business -- as the residents of a community in Louisiana found out. Tests indicated they were being exposed to between 100 and 1000 times the normal levels of dangerous chemicals. Eventually Shell agreed to relocate the residents.

In 1995 Shell announced they were going to dispose of a giant oil tank called the Brent Spar in the Atlantic Ocean.

Environmental activists Greepeace occupied the Spar and the whole issue became a global sensation.

But there's one story which will always stick to Shell - Nigeria, where oil spills destroyed the homelands and livelihood of the Ogoni people living near Shell installations.

Writer Ken Saro Wiwa led international protests against Shell. In 1994 he was arrested on trumped-up charges by the Nigerian government and hanged. Shell washed its hands of involvement.

Since the early '90s Shell has made strong efforts to reinvent itself as a more caring company and made significant investment in renewable forms of energy. But how much is real and how much is pr "greenwash"?

Duration: 30 mins
Year: 2006
DVD - VHS

This film offers a stark account of the dangers threatening the planet and looks at what we can do to avoid disaster.

Duration: 30 mins
Year: 2006
DVD - VHS
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This film offers a stark account of the dangers threatening the planet and looks at what we can do to avoid disaster.

The problems start about 250 years ago with the industrial revolution. First coal, then oil, fuelled a world of mass production, mass consumption -- and cars.

But burning oil and carbon has been a disaster for our planet - most scientists blame it for global warming. New deserts will form, the polar ice cap will melt and sea levels will rise bringing floods and disaster.

Rainforests are called the "lungs of the earth" - but they're disappearing, and the industrialisation of farming and fishing is depleting natural resources and destroying biodiversity.

Population and life-style are major factors, too, creating rubbish and pollution. Tourism has been become a huge global industry - but local cultures and the environment have suffered.

Some people are taking action to make life sustainable -- planting trees, controlling traffic and promoting renewable forms of energy. But will this be enough? Is it too late?

Duration: 30 mins
Year: 2006
DVD - VHS

New Orleans carnival revellers throw shiny beads to pretty girls. But where do the beads come from and how are they made? This award-filming film visits a factory in China to explore the shocking human realities of globalisation.

Duration: 33 mins
Year: 2006
DVD - VHS
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New Orleans carnival revellers throw shiny beads to pretty girls to get them to take off their clothes. But where do the beads come from? This acclaimed film visits a factory in China to reveal the human realities of globalisation.

The Chinese factory workers, mainly teenage girls, work long hours for low pay, and are “punished” for making mistakes or missing quotas. The Chinese factory boss says punishment is crucial to productivity.

The workers earn 1 cent for every 12 necklaces they make – necklaces which in the US sell for as much as $20 dollars each. The US holiday-makers who flock to the carnival have no idea of the conditions in which the beads they buy are made.

Both the Chinese factory boss and the US company who buy the beads from China deny charges of exploitation. If the young Chinese girls didn’t work in the factory, the US boss claims, they’d be labouring in the fields, doing harder, more poorly paid work.

The film climaxes when carnival-goers in the US are shown the harsh realities in the factory which makes their beads, and the Chinese factory girls see what happens to the beads they make. Both sides are shocked.

DVD contains full-length version of the film and many extras including an interview with Noam Chomsky

Duration: 33 mins
Year: 2006
DVD - VHS

With the fastest growing economy in the history of the world, China is the workshop of globalisation. But are workers paying the price? This unique fly-on-the-wall documentary investigates life in a Chinese factory.

Duration: 33 mins
Year: 2005
DVD - VHS
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With the fastest growing economy in the history of the world, China is the workshop of globalisation. But are workers paying the price for a manufacturing revolution? This unique fly-on-the-wall documentary uncovers the hard realities of working conditions in a Chinese factory.

The film focuses on a German-owned company in Shenzhen, China, which makes the chargers for Nokia's mobile phones. Nokia sends in a two-woman team to carry out an “ethical audit” on its working practices.

The inspection reveals people are working 12 hour shifts, also problems of noise, smells and

hazardous chemicals stored near drinking cups. Worst of all, the factory is ignoring local laws on minimum wages. Some workers are being paid the equivalent of £14 pounds a month.

Workers live eight people per room in a huge dormitory near the factory. Living conditions are basic. State-controlled birth control is compulsory. Workers speak candidly about their working life. Hours are long and tiring. There are bullying supervisors and the food is bad.

Duration: 33 mins
Year: 2005
DVD - VHS
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How do political, economic, social and technological factors affect a business? This examines the experiences of companies in a local area.

Duration: 24 mins
Year: 2005
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How do external factors affect businesses? The experiences of the companies in a seaside town demonstrate the meaning of P-E-S-T.

POLITICS: People often complain about European politicians. But business is booming at the Royal Albion Hotel - and it's all thanks to a European grant.

ECONOMICS: Economic factors led famous model train maker Hornby Hobbies to close its factory and move its manufacturing to China.

Hornby's done well - but what about the social costs?

SOCIETY & TECHNOLOGY: The Happy Elephant jewellery company is making sales from a social trend called the “New Age”. Meanwhile technology has helped turn round the fortunes of the Bottleneck off-licence.

THE RETAIL PARK: But external factors are rarely clear-cut. How will a big new out of town shopping centre affect the high street shops?

Duration: 24 mins
Year: 2005
DVD - VHS
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Why is manufacturing now apparently in terminal decline in Britain's historic industrial centre? An exploration of the economics of the Black Country of the West Midlands.

Duration: 30 mins
Year: 2002
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For over two hundred years the Black Country has been a manufacturing centre. But now the factories are closing and young people want to move away.

The film explores the area via the experience of Maureen, a factory worker who has lived there all her life. It explores the impact of the varying fortunes of primary, secondary and tertiary industries on the local economy.

Can the service sector replace jobs lost in manufacturing?
We also explore the changing nature of the workforce, and discover problems of racism. Maureen's job seems safe - where will her grandchildren get work?

Customers' feedback: “An interesting and worthwhile video.” Tony Casey, Strode's College.

Duration: 30 mins
Year: 2002
DVD - VHS
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A study of the Cardiff Bay regeneration project. Is the new Cardiff Bay a good or bad thing for the people of Cardiff?

Duration: 30 mins
Year: 1998
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A study of the Cardiff Bay regeneration project. Cardiff was once a major international port, but the decline in the coal and steel industry led to a decline in the docks. Unemployment soared and Cardiff docks became a depressed area.

Then in the 1980s the Government began a series of urban regeneration schemes across Britain. After London Docklands, Cardiff became one of the most high-profile of the new schemes.

The old industrial areas were demolished and a new area of offices and leisure facilities, called Cardiff Bay, was planned. A quango called the Cardiff Bay Development Corporation was set up to guide the regeneration project, promising boom times to come.

The single most expensive part of the regeneration scheme was a barrage across the mouth of the Bay. The aim is to create a freshwater lake to provide a glamorous setting for the new development.

The authorities claim the Cardiff regeneration scheme has been a success. But many in Cardiff are unhappy about it. The barrage, built across the bay, cost too much, they claim and is bad for the environment. The jobs created are badly paid and residents complain of a lack of consultation.

Customers' feedback: “Good general introduction.” Dr J Roberts, Taunton School.

Duration: 30 mins
Year: 1998
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What drives a market economy? An exploration of basic economic concepts through the experience of South Wales.

Duration: 34 mins
Year: 1997
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What drives a market economy? The video visits South Wales to explore this question.

It illustrates primary, secondary and tertiary industries, and explains basic economic terms - demand and supply and the market price.
In the 1980s many Welsh coal pits were declared “uneconomic”.

The miners disagreed and fought a bitter battle to keep the pits open.

Now with the pits shut the video vividly illustrates the social costs of a market economy: poverty and unemployment. Is there an alternative?

Customers' feedback: “Excellent. Courageous in the way it presented the argument.” Mr Stephenson, Roedean School.

Duration: 34 mins
Year: 1997
DVD - VHS
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