In Senegal, growing mangos or chilis to internationally certified organic standards is too expensive for most farmers. Now, some 500 of them are planning their own label for chemical-free crops. But how reliable will the new certification be?

While European cattle often spend their lives in sheds, things are very different in South Africa. Small herds roam huge pastures and farmers milk them by hand. And then there are rustlers, lethal insects and predators to contend with.

There's a broad range of bioplastics. Not all bioplastics are necessarily made from natural renewable materials — at least not completely. We speak to chemical engineering professor Bruce Ramsay who's with Canada's Queens University. Can you walk us through the differences when it comes to non-plastic? Let's maybe start out by explaining the terms bio-based, biodegradable and compostable.

A video of a diver swimming through a nightmarish soup of plastic bags and food wrappers off the coast of Bali in Indonesia went viral earlier this year, sparking anger and calls for action to tackle ocean pollution. Indonesia is the world's second-largest source of marine plastic waste, after China. Maria Bakkalapulo went to Bali to find out how people there are trying to cut down on plastic.

The white sand along Morocco's coast is extremely popular with tourists who come to enjoy scenic walks, soak up the sun and go swimming. One would think. But imagine wading into the water, feeling the salt on your skin, diving under the waves… and swimming into a cluster of plastic waste. Morocco depends on tourism, and yet attempts to implement a new environmental protection regime are flagging.

About one year ago, Kenya introduced one of the toughest plastic bans on the planet: People producing, selling or even using plastic bags now risk being jailed — or face fines of up to tens of thousands of US dollars! Plastic bags used to be very popular at markets, where they were given out for free. So what's the situation like now, one year after the ban was introduced?

Does glyphosate really make our food safer? IFOAM's Executive Director, Louise Luttikholt, questions the logic of this concept as ever more farmers find themselves trapped in the pesticide cycle.

Since 2016, tomato farmers in northern Nigeria have struggled to contain the Tuta absoluta moth infestation. The crop-loving moth — also known as the tomato pinworm — has become resistant to pesticides over time, and is forcing some farmers to abandon their livelihood.

Residents in the Chilean town of Paine say the use of toxic agricultural chemicals in food production has increased cases of cancer among farmers and other people who work on the fields. There are also more disabilities among children at the local schools. Is Monsanto to blame?

In an interview with DW, Franziska Achterberg from Greenpeace EU says many farmers rely too heavily on pesticides, allowing pesticide residues to enter our environment, food and bodies. But how dangerous is it really?