Organic production, sustainable farming methods, and agroecological practices.
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…
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…
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…
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…
As 2024 began, farmer protests swept across Europe, spreading like wildfire from Germany. At the peak of the demonstrations in mid-January, over 30,000 farmers drove more than 5,000 tractors from across Germany to protest in Berlin. The direct trigger for these protests was the German government’s announcement at the end…
Foodthink Says Organic farming is no pastoral idyll, and young people joining Foodthink’s Lianhe Project ecological farming internship programme have long been mentally prepared for this. Yet, once out in the fields, through day-to-day labour and observation, they develop an entirely fresh perspective on farmers, ecological agriculture and farm management,…
Near San Yuan Bridge in Beijing sits an unusual community greengrocer. Every fruit and vegetable arrives directly from local ecological smallholder farmers. Each item is individually identifiable, grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilisers, and adheres to rigorous production standards. The shop, named Jishi, is run by the Beijing Organic Farmers…
