Labor in food and farming systems, migrant workers, labor rights, and changes in production-side work.
A Note from Foodthink Termitomyces mushrooms, known locally as “Summer Solstice Mushrooms” in Shaoguan, Guangdong, have become a culinary trend in recent years, sparking a foraging frenzy across northern Guangdong. CaiCai and Dayan from the “Chunchao Springflut” studio ventured into Yao communities and inadvertently found themselves among the ranks of…
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…
Foodthink says As delivery riders face exploitation and gruelling workloads, merchants struggle with exorbitant commissions, and consumers are served food without proper health safeguards, a growing number of people have begun to critique and scrutinise platform enterprises. Beyond mere criticism, however, can we envision an alternative platform model? What would…
Foodthink Says This year is on track to be the hottest on record. Yet at the recently concluded twenty-ninth UN Climate Change Conference, nations continued to dispute funding allocations, repeatedly bringing negotiations to a standstill. The climate finance gap for agriculture, in particular, remains staggering. So, when we talk about…
“The American system prides itself on being a highly successful culture because we keep more people locked up than we have farmers. To feel smug about such a statistic is utterly contemptible.” Five years on, I still vividly recall the shock I felt when I first read Joel Salatin’s *Everything…
In mid-April, I arrived at Letian Haiwan Farm in Shanghai, driven by the aspiration to learn how to run a farm. Working and living alongside my companions here, my internship slipped by before I knew it. Before leaving, colleagues asked whether I still wanted to open my own farm. Confronted…
Foodthink Says Since the 1950s, a global “Fairtrade” movement has gained momentum. Cheap agricultural products from developing countries have flowed steadily into developed nations, yet the vast majority of profits embedded in commodity prices have been extracted by large capitals within the trade chain, while farmers and labourers see only…
Starting 1 January 2025, Singapore’s platform workers in food delivery, courier services, and ride-hailing will benefit from more comprehensive social protection covering workplace injuries, retirement, healthcare, and housing. They will also be able to form ‘Platform Work Associations’ to bolster their collective bargaining power. This change stems from the Platform…
Another Mid-Autumn Festival has come around. Gifts pass between relatives and friends, and mooncakes invariably take centre stage. The tins range from ornate to understated: Cantonese or Suzhou style, fresh meat or strictly vegan, handmade and organic. Here comes a venerable Hong Kong brand; over there, it’s the latest viral…
A Note from Foodthink Released this August, the film Another Day Full of Hope stands out not only as the most profound exploration to date of food delivery and algorithms, but also as a rare work of realist cinema in recent years. On 4 September, Foodthink invited director Liu Taifeng…
