How did an organisation focused on insect ecology start caring about farmers’ livelihoods? And how did an organisation focused on livelihoods end up writing a “Song of the Fly“? How did a man from Shanxi become a “male Women’s Director” in a Yunnan village? Why is a top genetic engineering…

Every 15 March, public attention focuses intensely on the issue of food safety. Yet, the impact of ‘electronic pickles’—a form of virtual food—on our dietary health has yet to receive sufficient attention. Short-form videos, TV series, variety shows, podcasts… this content, known as ‘electronic pickles’, has quietly become a daily…

When we step into a McDonald’s and wait for our meal at the counter, as is custom, do you ever sense it? In that open kitchen, a highly precise “production campaign” is unfolding. In the mythology of the fast-food empire, everything is standardised: a 90-second service target, fryers kept at…

Can three people accustomed to long hours behind computer screens actually cope when they decide to sell vegetables at a community eco-shop in Beijing’s Sanyuanqiao? Facing endless screens, data, and meetings every day, have you ever wondered: what is the point of all this? In this accelerated era, countless streams…

What happens when an “expert” who has spent 20 years studying agricultural policy decides to roll up his trousers and get into the fields to grow 2.6 mu of rice? Chen Jingjing, a graduate of a prestigious agricultural university and a long-term researcher in rural construction, made a “counter-intuitive” decision…

“A glass of milk a day, a stronger China” – a slogan most will find familiar. In reality, most Chinese people are lactose intolerant, and drinking milk can lead to issues such as diarrhoea and bloating. Yet, on today’s dining tables, milk has become a common staple. Food safety scandals…

Seeds are the essential vehicles for the continuity of plant species. Human survival also depends on them; our food—whether grains, oils, vegetables, or fruits—all begin as a tiny seed. Different seeds produce food with different flavours. In today’s maize, watermelons, and tomatoes, we can no longer taste those “vanished flavours…

Have you ever fantasised about escaping the city, returning to your roots to farm, and embracing a pastoral life? Have you ever held romantic notions of a “self-sufficient” existence? But life on the land is far more complex and demanding than we imagine—yet it is also far more moving. Wen…

Foodthink’s Perspective Today, fresh produce e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba’s Hema, Meituan’s Xiaoxiang, JD’s 7Fresh, and Dingdong Maicai are increasingly popular. On these platforms, you can buy everything you need for daily life without leaving your home; with just a few taps of a finger, your order can arrive in…

On an ordinary day, you decide to cook a meal at home, so you open a fresh grocery app. After picking out your ingredients, you decide to add a few snacks and a 4.5-litre bottle of mineral water. The moment you pay, the words ’30-minute delivery’ stand out on the…