Holidaymakers planning to travel abroad are being urged to reduce their effect on the environment.

The Travel Foundation is setting up new carbon emission reduction programmes designed to reduce the "carbon footprint" of holidaymakers in destinations worldwide by means of initiatives such as low energy technology in hotels, better insulation and the use of low carbon tourist vehicles.

Holidaymakers can support the work of the Travel Foundation by making a donation when they book with operators including First Choice Holidays, Thomas Cook, and Sunvil, or by visiting thetravelfoundation.org.uk, or by texting the word "donate" to 61199.

The new initiative, starting initially with Defra , is aimed at reducing the environmental consequences of official travel, including their carbon emissions. Material will be made available to officials which will allow them to make more sustainable travel choices.

First Choice is committed to working to reduce the environmental impacts of all our activities, and our support for the valuable work being done by the Travel Foundation is a key part of our focus on sustainability. We are delighted that most of our customers choose to make a donation to the foundation.

The new Travel Foundation schemes are specifically focused on reducing the carbon emissions of tourism in resort destinations, and complement the Foundation's existing range of sustainability programmes combating poverty and promoting conservation of destination environments and their wildlife enjoyed by British holidaymakers worldwide; further information about the Foundation's work is on its website .

Donate your old baby blankets, Terry nappies and clothes, and Hipp Organic will give 50p to ?Feed the children? for every parcel received.  Hipp has announced it is repeating the successful ?Blankets for Babies ? campaign which runs until the end of December 2007.

The first ?Blankets for Babies? campaign took place during 2006 and parents were asked to send items by post direct to the ?Feed the Children ?. The campaign succeeded in not only generating many much needed baby blankets and baby clothes; but also ?5000 which funded shipment of the items abroad to those in need.

We urge all parents to dig out their unwanted baby things and send them in for the new campaign. Sending just one item in an A4 envelope will suffice.  For every package sent in, Hipp will again donate 50 pence to ?Feed the Children?.

Brian Main from Feed the Children comments "Working with Hipp on the 'Blankets for Babies' campaign was a real success in 2006. I want to thank all the parents who donated previously; and hopefully we'll get an even bigger response this year."

He adds "The children and babies in the regions where we send aid urgently need clothing and blankets for warmth as well as terry nappies which are in such short supply there. Our aim at 'Feed the Children' is to create more opportunities and a brighter future for children who have been neglected, abandoned or exploited as a result of poverty, conflict or disaster."

As a thank you for donations received, Feed the Children will send a free set of 4 colourful Hipp feeding spoons to everybody who includes their name and address with their donation.

Items should be sent in the post, along with the senders name and address if the feeding spoons are required to: Hipp 'Blankets for Babies' campaign, Feed the Children, 2 Tavistock Industrial Estate, Ruscombe Lane, Twyford, Berks, RG10 9NJ.

The retailer has committed that by 2010 all conventional fresh, prepared and frozen fruit, vegetables and flowers on sale in its supermarkets will be farmed to high environmental standards using sustainable farming methods.

This will be achieved by introducing the LEAF Marque Scheme - which demands environmentally responsible standards of farming on all conventional produce in its supermarkets.

Waitrose has been using the LEAF Marque on all UK produce for the last two years and is now working with LEAF in helping growers across the globe to deliver and demonstrate their environmental credentials.  In order to achieve LEAF Marque status, farms have to demonstrate high standards of environmental stewardship. These include minimising use of pesticides, encouraging natural predators, retaining 'green corridors' to protect wildlife, conserving water and energy, as well as maintaining soil vitality through crop rotation and prevention of soil erosion. They must also demonstrate continuous improvements year on year.

While Waitrose will always aim to source within the UK, when in season, the retailer is committed to taking a holistic approach in working to reduce its environmental impact.

Mary Vizoso, Head of Fruit and Vegetable Buying at Waitrose, said: 'This scheme will make an enormous difference to the long term future of farming communities, particularly in the developing world. In Britain many of these methods are becoming more widespread but for farmers in developing countries, they are often groundbreaking.'

Benefits of the LEAF scheme can range from reduced pesticide use, saving energy and water, supporting the preservation of threatened species and helping communities manage the land in a sustainable way so it can be farmed successfully by future generations.

Case Study: Ghana

Ahuntem Farm in Ghana is one of the farms working towards LEAF Marque status and it grows pineapples for Waitrose. Farmers have been educated about the benefits of allowing uncultivated strips within borders to grow wild. Initially, the reaction among farmers was sceptical but attitudes changed when they realised that providing habitats for predator insects could reduce the requirement for expensive pesticides. Instead of using single crop cycles, the farm is looking at how different crops can be rotated to prevent soil erosion and maintain nutrient levels in the soil.

Case Study: Kenya

The Tambuzi Farm in Kenya, a pilot LEAF farm grows roses and lilies for Waitrose. It has preserved uncultivated areas around their field margins and introduced a tree conservation project on the farm. In addition, they have developed a programme to compost all green waste.