Foodthink Says As climate change intensifies, rural “natural disasters” are becoming an everyday reality. Yet there are always more ways forward than obstacles. It is not just farmers and government bodies seeking solutions; civil society organisations are also drawing on their local, flexible, and community-embedded approach to help small villages…
Foodthink Says Xibei has apologised and promised to improve, and Luo Yonghao has fallen silent; the storm over Xibei’s ready meals has subsided for now. But has the controversy truly ended? Debates and doubts regarding ready meals may resurface—what will be the next focal point? Before the public fully recognises…
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…
The dream of a lazy foodie is to build a self-sufficient, low-maintenance garden: a sustainable food forest that yields an abundance of produce while demanding minimal labour. Back when I studied permaculture in Taiwan, I was properly introduced to the concept of a “food forest”. I had encountered the term…
Foodthink says *Eating the World: Industrial Britain, Food Systems and World Ecology* was published in 2020 by Chris Ott, a historian at Ohio State University. The book examines the shift in the British diet since 1750 alongside industrialisation: a transition from locally sourced plant-based proteins to the mass consumption of…
The sweltering summer is about to end, but the autumn rains may prove just as chilling. This summer has been far from typical. Extreme rainfall and scorching heatwaves have swept across the country in quick succession. Surface temperatures in Shaanxi peaked at a staggering 72.9°C. Harbin, deep in the northeast,…
Foodthink says *Disappearing Food* is a book that explores the global crisis of food diversity, serving as a vital call to action for the conservation of local germplasm resources and the preservation of cultural heritage. On 9 July, Foodthink and Beiye Books jointly launched the *Disappearing Food* online reading group…
Foodthink’s Take Since early June, a video titled “From a City Besieged by Waste to a Shortage of Trash to Burn: China’s Speed Leaves the West Stunned” has spread rapidly online. The prospect of shovelling unsightly waste into an incinerator to burn it all away, then harnessing the released energy…
I’ve always been drawn to this lyric: “We should have our moments of joy, happiness, and clear skies.” I’ve never quite managed to emulate Lao Lang’s unhesitating plea to “give me your pure, innocent smile.” After navigating periods of heaviness, sorrow, and gloom, one comes to truly understand how essential…
I. A Journey That Began with Bananas Bananas have been one of the plants I’ve encountered most frequently over the past year of travel. From Africa to Brazil, I’ve seen and eaten countless varieties along the way—fried in oil, stewed with tomatoes, pan-fried in butter; as long as an arm,…
