I. Returning to 2011 The reserve shuttle bus pulled over beside a narrow concrete track, flanked on either side by familiar-looking karst hills. It passed through a stand of sugarcane; in truth, countless bald limestone outcrops are ringed by cane fields. Unlike the purple-skinned varieties eaten fresh, this cane bears…
Foodthink Says Unbeknownst to many, the dining habits of Chinese people, long proud of their rich food culture, are being profoundly reshaped by digital technologies driven by the internet, algorithms, and artificial intelligence. This transformation is most evident in the way food is consumed. According to media reports, 275 million…
In 2024, we received a wealth of books spanning food, agriculture, ecology, sustainability, and culture, each capturing the complexities and possibilities of our world in its own way. From hurried workers to contemporary grassland pastoralists, from the food politics behind foie gras to the diverse efforts safeguarding seeds, from the…
In this episode, *Food Talk* host Tianle joins Sijia from *100 Lives* for a special crossover conversation. This is also the first time Tianle shares on a podcast her journey from a journalist with a degree in international journalism to a social impact advocate working with agriculture and food, alongside…
Foodthink Says In response to the climate crisis, many advocate harnessing capitalist market mechanisms to cut carbon emissions. The model discussed here operates on one such premise: companies pay for carbon credits, with the proceeds directed towards reducing deforestation and fostering alternative livelihoods in a given region, thereby offsetting their…
Foodthink Says How many people can dedicate themselves to a single cause for a decade? The Nanning Urban Farmers’ Market certainly can. Since its inaugural market day in 2013, it has now entered its eleventh year in 2024. Taking place every two months, the market draws dozens of stallholders on…
Foodthink Commentary Some media outlets have dubbed 2024 “the inaugural year of GMO commercialisation” in China. In 2023, 37 genetically modified maize varieties and 14 GM soybean varieties passed varietal approval, while 26 companies were granted production and operation licences for GM maize and soybean seeds. In 2024, regional roll-outs…
Foodthink Says “Fungi are everywhere, yet remarkably easy to overlook.” Distinct from plants and animals, these life forms exist as mysterious, powerful, and often overlooked presences, quietly guiding humanity’s quest to live in harmony with nature. How do fungi and plants flourish together? What crucial role do mycorrhizal fungi play…
This year, whether in town or in the countryside, everyone agrees that vegetable prices have soared. Yet as we complain about rising food prices, those working the land face challenges like never before. Few stop to ask: why have prices climbed so sharply, and are the farmers growing them…
With the twelfth lunar month drawing near, a Shaanxi person’s comfort food invariably boils down to a simple bowl of tossed noodles: Yanguiqing’s Red Guangtou wheat wide noodles, sizzling chilli oil made from Qin pepper powder, and a rich minced pork topping crafted from free-range mountain pigs—the latter being the…
