>> today, on "earth focus," food and social justice, human rights abuses and financial speculation in the food industry. the swedishsh society for nature conservation and swedidish ecologists l look at how lives d livelihood arere destroyed in bagram-, mexico, -- in bangladesh, mexico, anand italy. >> offered in restaurants, sold in stores, tropical proms are a popular choice for food a aoss

the e western world today. how did this become affoordable? at what t cost? naturedishsh society for conservation travelled to bangladesh to find out who is really paying the price for our new standard of tropical prawns. the region in southwest bangladesh is the country's leading producer o of prawns for export. it is at the center of a ststruggle, pitting thousands of impoverished people who are fighting to conserve the natural resources and l livelihood agait the might of the prawn industrt. a a farmer by profession, like countless others, s she lost her familyly's land to shrhrimp far.

flooded with salt water to aggressive shrimp farmers, families once fertile landd lies under a pond. she is not alone. > [speakining foreign langua] >> it is not just the communities where they are cultivated that it is threatened. the rivers of this region flow a place forest, providing fofor river dolphins and

crocodile, and a local resource for the community. most shrimp farms in bangladesh stuff themselvess, caught in the rivers usingng very fine and ne. for everyry share of cox, an average of 50 juvenile fish will die. this practice is decimating the marine environment. [speaking foreign language] >> embankments arere used in ths region to protect farmers and communities from storms that regularly hit this coastline.e. illegally b billed tthrough the embankment. it has proven to be catastrophic

during times of extreme weather. striking bangladesh several years ago. >> [speaking foreign language] >> during the course of the

investigation our team also uncovered disturbing evidence to suggest that illegal chemicals are being regularly and routinely used in shrimp farms dedestined for european markets. >> [speaking forereign language] >> the household name of the chemical he is refeferring to is elba, banand in bangladesh, a ad 18 other countriries around d te

world. >> a broad spectrum insecticide that has been around for years. it is a veryy old calico a aimet killing inin sex and preventing them from becoming pests. the effect on the e eironment is disastrous. it is an incncdibly toxic chemical that affffects n nearly every elelement. amphibians,to fish, all the way u up the food chaha. it is banned in a huhuge numbebf cocountrieies around ththe worla reasason. it is dananrous and damagees the environment. but my message for consumers? do not do it. thet is not just unreregulated use that t consers shouldld be worried about. in 201010 they uncncovered evide

of shrimp destined for factories that supply the european union. traders demonstrate hush them from this region are secretly injected with h dirty water befe they are sold on to the factories. some aid agegencies have o often aremed that exports necessary for development in bangladesh. movementator in the for landless peoplee are affectd by commemercial frorom agricultr people who are liviving in areas where s shrimp is being cultivivated have been completey depriveded of their livelihohoo, the livevestock. system thatat is not

suststainable. i in thehat people northernrn countries can have something cheap?p? investigation found that those who go up against the shrimp indndustry are met with viviolencece and farar -- and fe charges, w with a local governmt that supupports the shrimp farmers. >> [speaking foforeign language] > allegations of sesexual harassment t towards women in

ruralommunitieses, like thosese employed by the s shrimp indust, are also commonplace. she is one o of the few whwho hs spokenen out against the employs that raped her in 2008. languagage]g foreign >> ourur research intoto banglah shows that the bangladeshi shrimp indndtry is a b brutal pt of t the ecological destruction and human rights abuses for the last two d decades. thousands of people hurt by extreme poverty, potottially undermining the health in

humans. but it does not have to be like this. wherere few aas management c could get rid of shrimp farms. the difference is striking. languagage][forereign >> the message frorom the commununity protected by shrimp farming is clear. >> [speaking foreieign language]

♪ >> the cost of food across the world was on the rise and many have blamed the price hikes. food speculation for the global finance market. ecologists travel to mexico, the birthplace -- birthplace of corn, to find out more about these effects that were being felt across mexican society. in the mountains in southern mexico, coffee production fuelled the economy. these rural communities and not self-sufficient on food, making them vulnerable to sudden crises.

>> [speaking foreign language] >> lorenzo and his wife look after their grandchildren during the day, while the rest of their family worked in the e fields.. >> [speaking foreign language]

>> food price vololatility on ts scale has beenn lilinked directy to spepelation. >> speculation is the e way that largrge banks can conceptptuallt on the pricece of food andnd has throrough what is known as futus markets, set u up to help buyers manage the risk of pricess changing over time. instead will we are seeing now is people coming in with no connection with the food supplpy whatsoever.. > this speculation i is growg strongerer and stronger. t think about 20% of the total is in the area of investor financials, financial investors, who are jusust making not need, that they do

the grain for any other purpose. prices riseave seen in recent months. he kind ofof waited. states is the principal of production, of course. , half of theosts children we expected went down. t the u.s. andfrom south afafrica. > inin a fistfight m mexico,n there is a low harvest andnd the , we see our poor

harvests from mexico with the board relied on by food from abroad. this hits them hardest. >> for mexicans this means higher prices. >> something nice in the culturur. [speaking foreign language]

>> hunter isis n not the real problem here. it has massive impact. we've found that where food prices have risen, families have less frfruit and berry and have far less healthy die.. taking out loans just to be able to afford food, cutting back on expenditures like health care and education, all of which has a much longer-term impact.

>> the impact of higher prices is felt throughout the expenditures of mexico and in terms of lower demand for other things. the mexican economy is the real concern because we do not see demand growing fast enough and we c could be e next. >> food speculationon is rampant because ofof deregulation o of e markets. it was seen as big investments, banks moving into commodity markets, w with $100 billion pouring into these markets. markets were overwhelmed, that is why it has become such a problem. >> the mexican government itself has begun to speculate on the market in an effort to counter the volatility. but many believe the only answer

is regulation. >> they are looking at some kind of regulation or action. it will diminish volatility in the future. i am not really worried about the large money coming in. > we are looooking for a limo the mamaets that t these traders can hold. much more e than the o oer trads who rerely on it dayay in and o. new rules for you, living involvement, allowing our prices to be more fair, stable, and transparent.t. ♪ >> southern italy. this is the center of the italian orange grove industry.

thousands of tons of f fruit are cultltivated from the surroundig countryside and brought here. sale then shipped off foror as fruit or deep fruit, used in drink anand manufacturing. itits the e ecologists escalalin that reveveals a hidden side. >> [speaking foreign language] >> citrus fruit cultivation is vital to the economy of the

region, butut rivalries abroad d a price crash have taken their toll. >> [speaking foreign language] >> each winter, thousands of migrants worked, hardly

scratching a liviving harvevestg orananges. are are from africa, some from eastern europe, many are in the country illegally. can be 25 euros for four days. but it can be much less. many migrants living in appalling squalor in rundown farm houses or makeshift salon is on the edge of town. -- slums on the e edge of town. the ecologists had to go in after dark after being told that they were not welelcome. >> i can see 200 people.

>> there is no running water, elelectricity, or anything?? >> no. when you see the conditions, it is n not right. >> mainstream hospitals often refuse to treat migrants. >> [speaki foreign l language]

>> some migrants are in temporary refugee camps. daniel's story is typical for many migrants arriving from africa. >> [spspeaking foreign language] some r rocks? what happened? a lot of people? >> three people died. >> thrhree people died? >> in 2010, they rolled over after two migrants were killed. many migrantwill busof towown will that refresh your own safety. been local authorities have trying to tackle thehe problblem everer since. -- [speakingus

foreign language] >> is due to bee opened by the authorities shortly after our visit, workers continued to rise each year. quick to hire. todaday m many want to return he but are trapped with no money, no documents, and no meanss of

escape. there is growing anger a and resentment. >> i am not criminal. i amamorking. we do not have no one to help. appetites. silence, poor vision. no future. ♪

reyes: mininors migrating to the united states caught in mexico and sent back to central america. why are they taking the risk? i'm elaine reyes in washington, d.c., and this is "americas now." first up, young migrants make a desperate joururney to the u.. to escape economic hardship, but many don't make it through mexico. we'll talk to some minors from guatemala who were sent back home. ththen, a doctor in florida dedicated to making medicacal breakthroughmamakes a profofessional breakthrorough or own.