The United States is home to more arable land than any other nation, but insufficient rainfall in recent years means the livelihood of farmers are in danger. Horizons presenter, Adam Shaw, visits Texas, the third largest exporter of farming commodities in the United States, to see how Texans are finding new ways to feed crops to enable the State to increase yields for its population of 24 million.

Adam also visits Bluebonnet farm, which uses a method called hydroponics that consumes a fraction of the water and space that traditional farming methods use. The system grows plants in water using mineral nutrient solutions without soil.

Every year between 20 and 50 thousand square kilometres of arable land is lost in Texas due to soil degradation – a consequence of drought. Flying over Texas, Adam demonstrates how sophisticated new methods of irrigation allow crops to grow in an arid and windy climate. These large scale cotton and wheat farmers are increasing yields with remote control pivot irrigation technology. Some fields are only kept alive through an irrigation system operated by a central pivot that rotates automatically and is controlled by a mobile phone.

This ten-part second series of Horizons travels across the globe to destinations to find out about the business ideas that could shape mankind’s future.

The Horizons series, sponsored by DuPont, airs weekly on Saturdays at 7:30, 9:30 and 23:30, and Sundays at 17:30 (Singapore Time). For programme highlights and an insight into the future of global business visit www.horizonsbusiness.com. For all the latest news, behind-the-scenes pictures/videos and updates from Adam Shaw please follow at facebook.com/horizonsTVseries and/or on twitter at @horizonsbiz.

There are four weeks remaining in which votes can be cast online at www.theworldchallenge.co.uk until voting closes at midnight on 11 November 2011. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in The Netherlands, which will air on BBC World News on 3 December 2011. The winning project will receive a US$20,000 grant from Shell, while two runners up will each receive US$10,000 to help develop their initiatives.

This years 12 finalists are being profiled in six programmes on BBC World News television and a series of six advertorials in Newsweek.

The remaining episodes are:

Programme 3 – Egypt: A New Leaf and Cambodia: In the Bag (TX 22 October)
El Nafeza was established in 2007 to revive traditional papermaking in Egypt – partly as a way of getting rid of agricultural wastes that are typically burned, resulting in choking black clouds. El Nafeza organises workshops in papermaking for disadvantaged young people (80 to 90 percent of its employees are deaf and mute).

The first plastic bag recycling facility in Cambodia, Funky Junk makes fashion accessories and home goods out of woven plastic bags, in the process earning a decent income for poor rural communities.

Programme 4 – Chile: Tech Crunch and Nepal: Herbal Remedy (TX 29 October)
Recycla is the first and only electronic waste recycling social enterprise in Latin America. The company aims to tackle the problem of the eight million mobile phones and one million computers that are discarded in Chile annually. They are dismantled and separated into recyclable materials and toxic waste that can be safely disposed of.

The protected area of Shiva Community Forest is home to endangered species including tigers, Asian elephants and the Indian rhino. Local people have to contend with crop destruction by these wild species. Now, Shiv Forestry has found a non-lethal way to keep rhinos away from farms by planting chamomile and mint. Rhinos hate the smell of these pungent plants, which are also good cash crops for rural communities, especially when marketed by Shiv Forestry as wildlife saving products.

Programme 5 – India: Trash to Gas and Paraguay: Jungle Brew (TX 5 November)
NGO Hand in Hand set up a project with local people to collect food waste from households, hotels and restaurants, which is turned into biogas and used to generate electricity via a 10kW power station. The project now consumes about a ton of food waste every day – waste that would once have found its way into landfill.

Guayaki Yerba Mate is a Fair Trade organic company producing the traditional South American Mate tea drink made from a subspecies of holly plant. Consumed across the continent the plant has a high caffeine content. Using an innovative business model that directly links customers’ purchases to farming communities, Guayaki Yerba Mate believes they have all the ingredients for their own brand of market-driven conservation.

Programme 6 – Japan: Senior Service and Mongolia: Changing Spots (TX 1 November)
Shunran-no-Sato was set up by a group of elderly people to help keep their village alive. The project offers ecotourism with guestrooms in the villagers’ own homes and an opportunity to take part in traditional agricultural activities. It now caters for nearly 5,000 visitors a year as young urbanites come back to the country to rediscover their traditional culture and reconnect with the land outside the megacities.

Mongolia’s Snow Leopard Enterprises is an income-generation project that helps people living in poverty increase their standard of living, and at the same time protect their local ecosystems. They provide women across Central Asia with the training and equipment necessary to produce hand-made felt and other wool products, which are sold internationally through the Snow Leopard Trust and other venues. This provides the herding communities with an alternative income and helps prevent the poaching of endangered snow leopards.

The episodes to have already broadcast are:

Programme 1 – UK: Bangers and Cash and USA: Vertigo Farming (TX 8 October)
Giveacar is a social enterprise that raises money for charity by scrapping or selling unwanted cars. The company picks up the vehicles for free and uses eco-friendly recycling facilities to break them down into raw materials. Cars worth more than their scrap value are sold at auction. The car owner then chooses which charity the money should go to.

Brooklyn Grange Garden is at the forefront of urban agriculture in the United States. Set up by four friends on an half hectare of rooftop in Brooklyn, New York, the garden grows organic produce that is sold to local restaurants and delis foodies across Manhattan.

Programme 2 – Kenya: Cafe Society and Uganda: A Burning Concern (TX 15 October)
Vava Coffee produces coffee in a way that is both ethical and environmentally friendly. The company works with small farmers in Kenya to boost yield and income. It also employs street kids and people suffering from AIDS in the slums of Nairobi to make packaging from recycled waste.

Designed by a Ugandan entrepreneur, UgaStoves have a layer of clay insulation that greatly improves fuel efficiency. By mass-producing the stoves for domestic and commercial use, the company is reducing both deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions, with a claimed annual saving of one ton of carbon emissions for every stove.

Business is growing quickly, with a new space already under construction and a booming demand for rooftop vegetables, honey and eggs.

The programmes broadcast on BBC World News at the following times (Singapore Time):

Saturday: 22 October – 5 November at 0930hrs and 1630hrs

Sunday: 23 October – 6 November at 2230hrs

Fans can comment and find exclusive content on the Facebook page via http://www.facebook.com/bbcworldchallenge and the You Tube channel www.youtube.com/bbcworldchallenge and/or follow the latest competition news on Twitter via @WorldChallenge.

Beyond the Drawing Block – Inspired by CBeebies ‘Mister Maker’!
Nursery 2 to Kindergarten 2
Jump into the colourful world of “Mister Maker” and see how creativity comes alive as we learn to apply some of his “out-of-the-box” innovative techniques to transform everyday household objects into one-of-a-kind art pieces.

Week 2 (6 Jun to 10 Jun) 0900 – 1100 / 1230 – 1430 / 1530 – 1730
Week 3 (13 Jun to 17 Jun) 0900 – 1100 / 1230 – 1430
Cost: $275+GST per week (two hour sessions, Monday to Friday)

Drawing for those who think they can’t – Primary 1 to 4
Unleash hidden talents with this exciting and unique programme that is specially tailored to help bring out the creative skills and imagination of those who think they can’t draw.

Week 1 (30 May to 3 Jun) 0900 – 1100 / 1230 – 1430
Week 2 (6 Jun to 10 Jun) 0900 – 1100 / 1230 – 1430 / 1530 – 1730
Week 3 (13 Jun to 17 Jun) 0900 – 1100 / 1230 – 1430
Cost: $275+GST per week (two hour sessions, Monday to Friday)

Sculpture Culture – Primary 3 to 6
Embark on a journey of expression through the fascinating world of three-dimension (3-D) this school holidays, as students get to learn about different forms of sculpture and how to create art through the use of a variety of interesting materials.

Week 1 (30 May to 3 Jun) 1230 – 1500 / 1530 – 1800
Week 2 (6 Jun to 10 Jun) 0900 – 1130 / 1230 – 1500
Week 3 (13 Jun to 17 Jun) 1530 – 1800
Cost: $300+GST per week (two and a half hour sessions, Monday to Friday)

All Little Art Bug holiday programmes are held at 51 Waterloo Street, #02-04/05, Singapore 187969. For registration and more information, call 6338 1920 or download a registration form from www.littleartbug.com.

In Acting, students will explore how actors communicate with an audience. Using mind, body and voice in new and interesting ways, they will engage with physical movement, masks and props. Children will experiment with improvisation and characteristation, learning how to create real and believable characters for an audience. Working from the basic outline of a script, students will learn how to expand and shape a body of work into an original final performance.

Young performers will find expression through rhythm and movement by exploring fun dance routines that help improve coordination, balance and spatial awareness in the Dance and Movement discipline. Students will be exposed to a mix of traditional and modern dance styles in learning how a routine can be integrated into a final performance.

The Musical Performance component will demonstrate the importance of rhythm, timing and diction in song-delivery, a key aspect to any successful musical theatre performance. Students will also be coached on the rudiments of voice training, helping them discover their range and how it can be used to effectively strengthen a performance in the Voice module of Stage Lights.

Each programme level will conclude in a scripted and choreographed workshop performance for parents and friends, putting into practise the skills acquired throughout the course of the week.

Stage Lights is led by senior teachers from Julia Gabriel Centre for Learning’s EduDrama team. Experienced in performing arts, these teachers bring with them a wealth of experience and stagecraft knowledge to inspire and motivate each student and to help them realise their creative potential.

Themed ‘Starry Starry Night’, this programme will take place during the second week of the school holidays from 6 Jun to 10 Jun (Monday to Friday at 0900 – 1130 and 1430 – 1700). Each session is two and a half hours at $485+GST per week.

These school holiday programmes are held at Julia Gabriel Centre for Learning, #04-00 Forum, 583 Orchard Road, Singapore 238884. For registration and more information, call 6733 4322 or download a registration form from www.juliagabriel.com.

Young learners will be exposed to traditional Chinese music and dance, such as bamboo dancing; try their hand at creating beautiful brush paintings and calligraphy; learn about the exciting exploits of classic literary characters; and pique their taste buds with traditional Chinese snacks.

Specialist teachers use a variety of storytelling, performance arts and games to make learning Mandarin as interesting as possible, helping children absorb language effortlessly. This cultural exposure and interaction with strong language role models will enable children to express themselves more confidently in Mandarin.

Nursery 1 and 2
Week 1 (30 May to 3 Jun)            0900 – 1100
Week 2 (6 Jun to 10 Jun)            1430 – 1630
Week 3 (13 Jun to 17 Jun)            0900 – 1100 / 1430 – 1630

Kindergarten 1 and 2
Week 1 (30 May to 3 Jun)            1430 – 1630
Week 2 (6 Jun to 10 Jun)            0900 – 1100
Week 3 (13 Jun to 17 Jun)            0900 – 1100 / 1430 – 1630
Cost: S$315+GST per week (two hour sessions, Monday to Friday)

Other age-specific Mandarin programmes, which stimulate learning through play, arts and craft, storytelling, role-play and drama, also available under the ‘In the Middle of the Night’ school holiday theme include:

• Mandarin PlayNest (6 to 18 months) – Shhh…Be Quiet! and Run Little Mice, Run!
• Mandarin PlayClub (1½ to 3½ years) – The Midnight Garden and The Mud Garden
• Mandarin Early Readers (Nursery 1 and 2) – Time to Sleep
• Mandarin EduDrama (Kindergarten 1 and 2) – A Summer Night Story
• Mandarin EduDrama (Primary 1 to 3) – Night-time Mangrove Mystery

These school holiday programmes are held at Julia Gabriel Centre for Learning, #04-00 Forum, 583 Orchard Road, Singapore 238884. For registration and more information, call 6733 4322 or download a registration form from www.juliagabriel.com.