Policy, institutional, economic, and technology trends shaping food and farming systems.
In the three months following the disaster, from anxious consumers to government officials at every level, nearly everyone posed the same question to Zhen Rui: “What is the way forward?” In the early hours of 28 July 2025, extreme heavy rainfall battered the mountainous regions of northern Beijing. Flash floods,…
Foodthink Says In China, the Atlantic salmon is better known by a simpler name: salmon. Last week, we published an article on salmon farming titled Is Salmon Truly “Free”?. So, what exactly is the plight of wild salmon today? We may well have forgotten what genuine wild salmon are, and…
Late September in the Greater Khingan Range carries a faint chill. Perhaps owing to warming temperatures, the birch woods around Jagdaqi have yet to turn gold. As recently as a few decades ago, this forest served as hunting ground for the Oroqen people. A gathering of filmmakers has convened in…
On an ordinary day, you decide to cook a meal at home. You open your grocery delivery app, select your ingredients, and on a whim add a few snacks and a 4.5-litre bulk water bottle. Just as you tap to pay, the bold promise of “Delivery in 30 Minutes” catches…
Autumn harvest in North China has been disrupted by months of continuous rain, with some areas experiencing the rare occurrence of it starting as early as late August. News of unharvested corn and mouldy cobs has repeatedly topped trending lists. Foodthink visited six agricultural counties across Hebei and Henan provinces,…
The north has seen remarkably heavy rainfall this year, stretching from the torrential summer downpours right through to the lingering autumn drizzle. For this episode of *Food Talk*, we’ll begin by talking about those recent rains. We’ve invited Yu Yang, a former delivery rider who now works as an editor…
We tend to assume that provided produce passes inspection, is thoroughly washed, prepared at home and kept from spoiling, what ends up on our plates will be wholesome and natural. We scrutinise the origins of our meat and the ingredient lists on our condiments. Surely, there shouldn’t be any oversights?…
Early October saw record-breaking rainfall across multiple northern regions. Amid citizens’ bewildered exclamations of “How much longer will this go on?” and “Have we really become the south?”, and as farmers stood helpless before crops drowning in sludge, we marked the 36th International Day for Disaster Reduction. Established by the…
At first light, Yang Ge’s drone had already been working in the rice fields for some time. As a drone pilot, he holds the “life-and-death power” over some 2,000 mu of crops. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat that leaves only his eyes visible, he operates a remote control that records flight…
More than a year ago, I first encountered the concept of “climate-friendly rice farming” at a discussion on community-based agricultural practices addressing climate change. Last month, I travelled with fellow farmers from Panzhihua in Sichuan, Wuhu in Anhui, and Fuyuan in Heilongjiang to project sites in Kunming, Pu’er and Honghe.…
