Urban food life, consumption behavior, and food culture.
I. The Australian Egg Shortage The first time I realised I could no longer afford eggs. For the New Year that had just passed, my family and I rented an Airbnb in Sydney, Australia, to ring in the celebrations. Being strangers to the area, we stuck to buying groceries from…
Every garden has a theory of beauty and a morality of happiness. — Santiago Belloc, Philosophy in the Garden It is somewhat serendipitous that my path to ecological farming began with “weeds”.First, weeds as a problem. As a sociology and anthropology student, I spent nearly a year conducting field research…
Recently, the news that delivery platforms have softened their stance and pledged to cover social security contributions for riders has sparked heated debate. Only time will tell how many couriers will actually stand to benefit, and whether this will genuinely improve their working conditions. In the latest episode of Foodthink’s…
Since January this year, the US has faced a widespread egg shortage triggered by avian flu. With supplies running low, numerous supermarkets have imposed purchase limits, and empty shelves have become a frequent sight. Meanwhile, egg prices have soared in response. Americans, accustomed to the daily availability of cheap eggs,…
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…
In 2024, we received a wealth of books spanning food, agriculture, ecology, sustainability, and culture, each capturing the complexities and possibilities of our world in its own way. From hurried workers to contemporary grassland pastoralists, from the food politics behind foie gras to the diverse efforts safeguarding seeds, from the…
Foodthink Says How many people can dedicate themselves to a single cause for a decade? The Nanning Urban Farmers’ Market certainly can. Since its inaugural market day in 2013, it has now entered its eleventh year in 2024. Taking place every two months, the market draws dozens of stallholders on…
I. Weather-Dependent Small Farmers and Mothers Seeking to Escape the Motherhood Penalty Affected by climate conditions, the survival rate for seedlings planted in late summer this year was remarkably low. Consequently, Hu Xuemei’s farm on the outskirts of Chengdu could not supply any vegetables for delivery over the past few…
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…
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…
