I. Typhoon Shifts South: Force 12 Wind Zone Ravages Farmers “In this round of typhoons, the farmers are the biggest victims.” At dawn on the 25th, Hao Nan, a disaster humanitarian aid expert and head of Zhuoming 信援, sent this earnest voice message to the Foodthink editorial office. Before this,…
Recently, controversy erupted over an “art” activity by Cai Guo-Qiang and Arc’teryx, which involved blasting mountains in the Himalayas and damaging the fragile plateau ecosystem. The relationship between humanity and nature, and the exploration of indigenous culture, were the key phrases used in the promotional materials for this fireworks show.…
Foodthink’s Perspective From rice wine and fermented black beans to pickles and soy sauce, we have long been accustomed to seeking the warmth of home and the vitality of life within the sour, fragrant, and mellow notes of fermentation. In the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, fermentation is even more intimately woven into…
Foodthink Insights As the climate changes, “natural disasters” in rural areas are becoming a daily occurrence. However, there are always more solutions than difficulties. It is not only farmers and governments seeking answers; social organisations are also employing local, flexible, and community-based approaches to find a way for 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 Just an Observer July in Beijing is the height of summer. On this land I am soon to leave, the seeds sown in spring are now bearing plump fruit. Immersed in the joy of the harvest, I have come to realise how precious the past three months…
The dream of a lazy foodie is to create a self-sufficient lazy garden—a sustainable food forest where the harvest is as bountiful as possible and the labour as minimal. Years ago, while studying permaculture in Taiwan, I first encountered the concept of “food forests”. I had heard the term before,…
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 oppressive summer heat is finally drawing to a close, but the autumn rains can be just as chilling. This year’s summer has been extraordinary. Extreme rainfall and heatwaves have struck across the country: surface temperatures in Shaanxi peaked at 72.9°C, air conditioner installations surged in Harbin in the northeast,…
Foodthink Says *Eating to Extinction* is a work that explores the global crisis of food diversity and serves as a vital call for the protection of local germplasm resources and cultural heritage. On 9 July, Foodthink and Beiye Books jointly launched the *Eating to Extinction* online reading series, featuring in-depth…
