Grain Rain ( guyu 谷雨 ) has arrived; the showers nurture the fields as the countryside enters the busiest and most vibrant season of the year. After a fortnight of quietude, Foodthink is also taking this solar term as a moment to begin anew. Riding on the season’s rains, we…
Looking back at 2025, what news about food and agriculture left the deepest impression on you? Was it the struggle to harvest crops amidst the relentless rains of North China, the delivery platform wars, the heated debates over pre-prepared meals that nearly sparked violence, or…? Over the past year, Foodthink,…
Today, many are beginning to seriously consider the value and meaning of rural life, even weaving farm labour and living into their future plans. In an age marked by risk and uncertainty, Foodthink hopes to support young people who care about food and agriculture—particularly those eager to pursue ecological farming—in…
I wonder whether many of you share my habit: when aimlessly selecting an ear of corn, a bag of rice, or a lychee from the chilled aisle of a supermarket, we scarcely give a thought to where it came from—the very soil that nurtured it. It’s as though provisions simply…
I. More Than a Mere Bystander In July, Beijing is at the height of summer. On this land I am soon to leave, seeds sown in spring are now bearing plump fruit. As I immerse myself in the joy of the harvest, I also come to realise how precious the…
This March, carrying a blend of uncertainty about my future career and anticipation for the unknown, I joined Foodthink’s “Eco-Farming Internship Programme” and arrived at Le Xian Gu Community Farm in Fengxian District, Shanghai. Until then, my image of a farm had been shaped entirely by the fields, lawns, and…
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…
Foodthink Says What do young people experience and take away when they step away from the conventional life path to intern at an ecological farm? This piece shares the reflections of Zhejun, an intern on Foodthink’s third ‘Ecological Agriculture Internship Programme’, adapted from her remarks at last year’s sharing session,…
I first encountered ecological agriculture around 2016. Through my work in nature education, I naturally crossed paths with practitioners in the field, learning that many were cultivating the land to produce healthier food, foster sustainable environments, and build a better way of life. Back then, I was tending flowers and…
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…