Earlier this spring, before visiting Sister Yan Ping’s “Happy Fruit and Herb Garden” in Guigang, Guangxi, I harboured a mistaken assumption that the farm lay remote from civilisation and enjoyed a pristine ecological setting. In reality, however, it is surrounded by conventional orchards, where pesticides, chemical fertilisers and herbicides are…
At the end of 2020, I left the non-profit organisation where I had worked for over seven years. I wanted to try a way of working that was independent of any institutional structure and allowed for a relatively balanced state of body, mind, and intellect, while also seeking a lifestyle…
Foodthink is a community dedicated to knowledge, information and writing on sustainable food and agriculture, co-founded and managed by a group of long-standing practitioners and researchers in the field. Since our launch in August 2017, we have connected with nearly 200 outstanding researchers and practitioners across China and internationally. Together,…
Recently, reports of Henan’s ‘rotting-field rain’ and the frantic rush to harvest wheat have swept across social media, striking a chord with everyone who follows agriculture. The Guanzhong region of Shaanxi, another major wheat-growing area, endured the same downpours almost simultaneously with Henan, and the outlook for its wheat crops…
The 10th Annual Conference of the Farmers’ Seed Network took place on 8–9 April 2023 at the Institute of Organic Cycling, China Agricultural University (Suzhou). Acting as a co-organiser, Foodthink was present on site and played a central role in shaping and moderating the conference programme. Four community partners supported…
In early 2023, Foodthink opened applications for the second cohort of its “Eco-Agriculture Internship Programme”. Our aim is to connect young people aspiring to work in eco-agriculture with well-established eco-farms. This initiative equips newcomers with practical farming knowledge and techniques, ensures that the hard-won expertise of seasoned growers is documented…
In late 2021, I left Shanghai and the new media industry, where I had lived and worked for eight years, to embark on a gap year. I felt a freer force calling to me from deep within. I suppose it was a seed planted while reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Once,…
I. I. Mother’s Hearth Heading northwest from Lijiang Old Town past Lashi Lake, the distant peaks of the Yulong and Haba mountains gleam silver-white, our journey threading through the high river valleys alongside the Jinsha River. Mid-October marks the transition between autumn harvest and winter planting. Though the land along…








