Food production, farmers, rural society, and agroecological practices.
In the first decade of the 2000s, repeated food safety scandals prompted a growing number of Chinese consumers to seek out better farming practices and produce. Across the country, a new generation of farmers began pioneering organic agriculture. One such pioneer is this episode’s guest, Cao Xiaohong. In 2008, concerned…
I. The Early Blooming Flowers On the morning of 3 May, in Jinqu Town, Meixian County, Shaanxi, Xu Yuanlin spotted the messenger flowers in his own vineyard. He was taken aback. The messenger flower is the first spike to bloom in a vineyard, acting as a herald to remind growers…
The film *Nei Sha* opens with an immediate explanation of its title. On the banks of a reed bed in winter, Teacher Tang, an organic farmer, explains to a visiting professor: this is the mouth of the Yangtze River, where shifting sands have deposited over time to gradually form islands.…
“It’s all political games!” This was the near-universal response whenever I raised the government’s rice trade policies during my visit to Mindanao in the southern Philippines this past April. Those I spoke with ranged from mayors and government agricultural extension officers to ordinary smallholder farmers whose livelihoods depend on the…
Foodthink’s Take When discussing the impact of climate change on rural areas, we often say that “farmers are at the mercy of the elements”. But is it really as simple as that? What kind of agricultural systems and rural realities do today’s farmers actually live in? How should the macro-issue…
Foodthink says “In search of childhood flavours” has become a popular theme over the past two years. This article’s protagonist, the ‘White Rabbit Child’ melon, embodies the “childhood sweetness” widely preserved in the memories of Guanzhong’s people. This heritage variety has been cultivated since the collective economy era, with farmers…
In celebration of World Book Day on 23 April 2025, Foodthink has gathered book recommendations from our editors, authors and peers. Without any prior discussion, these selections have all independently converged on a foundational relationship vital to human existence: our connection to food, the land, and the natural world. From…
From late last year through April this year, Chiang Mai—a popular tourist destination in northern Thailand—has frequently been shrouded in thick smog. On 29 March, IQAir ranked the city as the world’s most polluted, recording an AQI (Air Quality Index) of 188; this stands at 17.4 times the limit set…
Last April, I arrived at Baicaoyuan through Foodthink’s ecological farming internship programme. Outside of Baicaoyuan itself, nearly all agriculture in Wule Town, Guigang City, Guangxi Province, relies on chemical-intensive methods. Driving into town, the landscape is dominated by the sight of fields being sprayed with herbicides. I vividly recall a…
This episode welcomes the social enterprise Muyunpo to Food Talk. We’ll hear how they have partnered with villagers to explore fairer and more sustainable production methods—one that protects the natural environment while bringing the village’s finest produce to wider markets, ultimately securing better returns for farmers. Xiaojin County in Aba…
