On a windy March day in Beijing, we sat down with Tang Liang, who had travelled all the way from Liangliang Farm in Sichuan, to reflect on his twelve-year journey back to the countryside at the Foodthink offices. Tang was the first in his family to attend university. After graduating…
One of the most significant stories from Europe recently has been the wave of farmers taking to the streets across the continent to protest EU trade and land management policies, with France serving as the epicentre of the demonstrations. According to leaders of the major French farming unions spearheading the…
In early 2024, Foodthink opened recruitment for the third “Eco-Agriculture Internship Programme”. Thank you for your interest and enthusiastic applications. This year, we received a total of 62 applications for the farm internship. Following detailed discussions between Foodthink, 12 farm mentors, and partner organisations, we have decided to invite 25…
Over twenty years ago, a group of pioneering farmers and social organisations charted a path for ‘ecological agriculture’ in China. Motivated by a commitment to food safety and a profound dedication to environmental stewardship, they began cultivating the land without pesticides, synthetic fertilisers, or herbicides. Whether they were newcomers starting…
The Spring Festival holiday has passed. What hometown flavours did you enjoy when you went back this year? In this episode of Food Talk, the Foodthink team gathers to share their culinary memories of the festivities. From Shaanxi to Hainan, and on to Harbin and Beijing, each region boasts its…
Foodthink Says As noted earlier, consumers are often too far removed from the production end, making it difficult to properly assess food quality and, consequently, to effectively protect their own interests. To address this challenge, practical applications of Participatory Guarantee Systems (henceforth referred to as PGS) have begun to take…
Foodthink Says 315 refers to Consumer Rights Day. Each year on this date, the public habitually turns its attention to what new fakes CCTV has exposed. Yet in everyday life, products are not merely a matter of being genuine or counterfeit. Consumers also care about quality and whether they are…
A year ago, I decided to leave a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting sustainable agriculture and head straight to the frontlines of cultivation. I wanted to observe and reflect on the practical workings of ecological farming, experience rural life as a semi-farmer, and explore the possibilities of putting ecological agriculture…
Early in 2024, Foodthink opened applications for the third edition of our Ecological Agriculture Internship Programme. Our aim is to connect young people eager to pursue careers in ecological agriculture with established eco-farms. This will equip the newcomers with practical farming knowledge and skills, while allowing experienced growers to document…
How do you tell if your fruit and vegetables are any good? Judging them purely by how neat and uniform they look? Yet why do all those irregular, “ugly” fruits and vegetables vanish the moment they reach the shelves? It isn’t a genetic mutation; it’s market selection. If consumers judge…
