A Word from Foodthink On 12 January, based on field research in multiple regions, Foodthink published an original article titled “Who Lowered the Standards of “High-Standard Farmland”?”. This drew comments from practitioners and researchers in the agricultural and engineering fields across the country, who shared their observations on the construction…
7 January 2026: the first big piece of news for foodies this year—the US has released a new version of its Dietary Guidelines. It has caused a stir, with opinions divided and debate raging. The most obvious changes are clear at a glance in this image. The comments following the…
I. A ‘Failed’ Strike On the final day of 2025, more than 40,000 delivery riders across India launched what would ultimately be a ‘failed’ strike. It is described as a failure because the strike did not achieve its primary objective. The riders hoped that by walking out during the New…
In November 2025, Zhao Lishun, a farmer in Meishan, shook his head in distress as he looked at the abandoned rice fields in his village. These fields were no longer his, nor those of his fellow villagers; they belonged to the ‘bosses’—large-scale land leaseholders from outside the region. At the…
I.Nine Years: What Has and Hasn’t Changed On 5 January 2026, coming across a report in *Farmers’ Daily* titled ‘Heating Issues in Rural Hebei Cannot Be Delayed Any Longer’, I was startled; it felt as though I had been transported back nine years. I am from Hebei. For many of…
Foodthink Says Milk, a symbol of purity and nature, is in fact an ideal breeding ground for microbes. Its propensity for rapid spoilage and decay meant that, originally, it was ill-suited for long-term storage or long-distance transport. Initially, milk was indeed a localised food, yet in today’s modern dietary system,…
Today, many people are beginning to seriously consider the value and meaning of rural life, with some even attempting to incorporate farm work and country living into their future life plans. In an era fraught with risk and instability, Foodthink hopes to support young people interested in food and agriculture—particularly…
Looking back at 2025, the year began with loss as I said goodbye to my mother. Returning to Evil Valley, I welcomed the various harvests; starting in spring, I gathered forty or fifty catties of rapeseed, providing me with more oil than I could possibly use in a year. This…
This is Foodthink’s final post of 2025. Surprise! It’s not a wrap-up! (Truth be told, the year-end review hasn’t quite been ‘dug out’ yet, so please try again later…) In the meantime, why not take a look at the antics we got up to at the recent Guangdong Harvest Festival!…
“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…
