Driven by Idealism into Rural Charity: What Detours Did He Take?

Taking a break from a conference in Nanning, we caught up with our old friend Huang Yajun.

As a seasoned rural development practitioner, Yajun, born in the 1980s, has witnessed over a decade of shifts in the countryside. From grassroots, community-led explorations to government-driven poverty alleviation and rural revitalisation initiatives, he has lived through it all. Across various villages, he has worked alongside locals to grow and sell rice, raise and sell chickens, harvest green plums and brew plum wine, run guesthouses, and develop rural tourism… He has also weathered his fair share of setbacks.

The idea for this conversation actually sparked from an academic paper. The author argues that the work Yajun and his peers do in the countryside runs counter to the broader modernisation drive—predominantly defined by industrialisation and urbanisation—and that this fundamental clash is why their efforts have repeatedly faltered.

But what truly defines the direction of development? Should we simply “follow the prevailing current”? Everyone likely has their own answer. Over the past decade or so, theories have come and gone, each vying to steer rural practice. Yet for Yajun, what matters most is that practitioners maintain their own critical judgment and reflection.

This episode features Yajun’s reflections as a practitioner. His perspective not only sheds light on the significance rural workers see in their work but also invites us to reconsider where rural challenges might lead. Admittedly, amid sweeping social change, not every village will thrive. But we still need those stubborn, dedicated explorers like Yajun.

At Foodthink, we hope urban listeners will feel a deeper connection between issues like food safety, social equity, demographics, and labour, and the complex realities of the countryside. Without understanding rural China, we risk failing to grasp the very social challenges we face daily. We trust this episode will offer you fresh insights and food for thought.

This Episode’s Guest

Yajun

Rural practitioner based at Shengen Social Work Service Centre in Conghua District, Guangzhou. He has lived and worked in villages, tilled the land, and woven his past and future together through rural development work.

This Episode’s Hosts

Tianle

Founding editor at Foodthink and convener of the Beijing Organic Farmers’ Markets. Despite more than a decade working in the food and farming sector, he recognises his own limitations and has remained based in the city. He holds deep admiration for colleagues who work directly within rural communities and make a tangible difference.

Wang Hao

Editor at Foodthink. He spent a short time working alongside Yajun in a village last year.

Around 2012, Yu Jun attends a meeting with a poultry cooperative in a village in Yunnan (above), while the cooperative loads chickens and eggs for transport (below).

Another venture into cooperative economics: the “Seven Fairies” of Xianniangxi Village in Conghua, Guangdong, collaborating to run a guesthouse.

The growth of the green plum industry in Xianniangxi Village has relied heavily on support from charitable organisations. The image shows villagers from the green plum cooperative smoking plums to produce wumei after the 2023 harvest.

Shengeng’s work extends beyond economic cooperation. The image shows Shengeng running the “Parents’ Canteen” for the left-behind elderly in Xianxi Village (top), and organising the older residents to cultivate a community garden together (bottom).

TIMELINE

00:27 In the broader wave of rural development, there is more than just “rural reconstruction”: Yujun and his team represent one of many diverse approaches navigating this movement.

06:46 In today’s highly urbanised landscape, do rural areas exist solely to serve cities? What other possibilities might they hold?

08:26 Yujun and his colleagues worked on-site in villages, helping farmers establish cooperatives for rice cultivation, green plum processing, and more.

09:52 Why do farmers band together to form cooperatives? Can’t they simply take their own chickens to the market to sell? What happens to isolated, individual farmers when they face the open market?

13:37 How many challenges arise when trying to help farmers build standardised production systems and viable sales channels?

19:49 Why are young people willing to “move to the countryside” for charitable work? How can idealistic young people truly understand rural life? See how Yujun and his team approach their work on the ground.

37:33 Can academic research and grassroots practice interact more closely? Beyond criticism, can the academic community offer greater support to practitioners through observation and reflection?

43:33 If theory concludes that “there is no future for the countryside,” should we simply give up? The necessity of action must not be dismissed.

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Click the titles to read related articles

Academic paper that inspired this podcast episode:

When the Idealism of Rural Reconstruction Meets Economic Realities: A Reflection on Contemporary New Rural Construction Movements

Response from the Shengeng Team:

Responding to “A Reflection” | What Kind of Theoretical Work Do Practitioners Need?