These 18 Selected Works Reveal Why Food Matters More Than Anything

Though their backgrounds varied widely, all 100 applicants shared a focus on the intersecting themes of food and agriculture alongside environment, society, technology, health, history, and culture. The cohort included journalists, farmers, NGO practitioners, students, freelance writers, media professionals, and artists. Across these submissions, we observed a profound commitment to sustainable food systems. Several revisited long-debated media themes such as young professionals returning to rural life and the pressing question of who will cultivate the land. Others turned their attention to trending subjects like fruit and coffee, digging into the underlying dynamics of land, community, and market forces. Where emerging agricultural technologies—such as AI, solar power, and drones—are concerned, applicants also voiced healthy scepticism.

Over the past two years, numerous cross-sector events have begun taking place in local food markets, prompting several applicants to examine the unique opportunities and challenges these spaces present. Conversely, other creators have observed that the massive influx of e-commerce into the core food and agriculture sector may be generating unintended consequences, with many online retailers and new-age formats struggling to align with the realities of sourcing and distributing agricultural produce.

Several creators grounded their proposals in their own hometowns, beginning with the watersheds and regions they call home to explore the deep ties between local food systems and communities. Applicants from the Guangdong, Guangxi, and Southern Fujian regions focused on distinctive local breeding and cultivation practices. Those from riverine, lake, and coastal areas examined both ecological shifts and the livelihoods of fishing communities. Meanwhile, researchers looking at pastoral regions uncovered a striking anomaly: the prevalence of imported beef and lamb on herders’ own tables. Overseas applicants expressed interest in exploring contemporary food and agriculture landscapes across Europe, as well as the narratives behind global supermarket chains.

These 100 submissions should not be ranked as good or bad; they simply reflect each creator’s thoughtful engagement with food and agriculture. They also reaffirm to Foodthink that a dedicated community continues to track the relationship between food, land, and the people who nurture it, through a diverse range of mediums. We extend our gratitude to every applicant, as well as to the judges and partner organisations whose collective efforts made this year’s Lianhe Creative Programme possible.

The following is the list of selected projects (presented thematically, in no particular order):

Fruit and the World Behind It

Behind the Sweetness: The Mobility and Labour of Contract Melon Farmers

Creator: Yan He

About the Work: Watermelon is an indispensable part of every summer, yet behind its sweetness lies a stark lack of writing about melon farmers. My work focuses on a group of tenant melon farmers on the outskirts of a town in Jiangsu province. They are defined by a “double mobility”: on one hand, they leave their homeland to grow greenhouse watermelons in unfamiliar lands year-round; on the other, the nature of watermelon farming forces them to relocate to new plots of land every year. Despite this seemingly precarious double mobility, these farmers manage to keep their production and daily lives running steadily. Drawing on sociological inquiry and non-fiction writing techniques, I aim to depict the often-invisible world of melon farmers, bringing to light their transient experiences and the landscapes of their labour. I also seek to probe what sustains this mobile labour, and how small-scale melon farmers manage to carve out a space for survival amid the pressures of large-scale capital.

“Energy Bomb: Who Wins and What Is Lost in Durian Consumption?”

Creators: Wu Bingcong, Liu Yi

About the Work: As China and Malaysia mark 50 years of diplomatic ties, fresh Malaysian durian is poised to enter the Chinese market. Existing reports have already noted China’s ever-growing durian consumption. As this trend gains traction, major Southeast Asian durian-producing regions—led by Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia—have begun expanding cultivation on a wider scale. While national statistics show that cross-border durian trade has boosted economic returns for producing regions, there are also growing ecological concerns: deforestation is accelerating, and biodiversity is being degraded. Against this backdrop, we seek to understand how this consumer preference has been constructed: who is driving it, and who is profiting from it? Will the expansion of durian plantations across these regions drive down prices? And what will this mean for local farmers?

A Strange Phenomenon in the Pastoral Regions:

Imported Beef and Mutton on the Herders’ Tables

“The Impact of Imported Beef and Mutton on Livestock Farming in Qinghai Province”

Creators: Jiao Xiaofang, Qiongwu Danzeng

About the Work: As a key livestock hub in northwestern China, Qinghai province is renowned for its high-quality beef and mutton. Yet we know remarkably little about the breeds involved or the details behind them. This project aims to conduct an in-depth investigation of Qinghai’s frozen food market, tracing how cattle and sheep products from around the globe reach local shelves. For instance, the frozen market in Adai Township is vast; alongside local beef and mutton, it stocks imports from Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and Argentina. These meats are chilled, distributed, and ultimately dispatched to markets across the region. The investigation will focus on the breeding techniques and supply chains behind these imports, as well as the threats they pose to local traditional herding practices and biodiversity conservation. We will document how locals navigate this influx, choosing strategies of adaptation and compromise. Through a detailed research report and documentary film, we aim to reveal the impact of imported beef and mutton on Qinghai’s local livestock industry.

“Why Have Imported Beef and Mutton Appeared on Herders’ Tables?”

About the Work: What comes to mind when you hear that herders on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are no longer eating the Tibetan sheep and yaks they raise themselves, but are instead turning to imported beef and mutton? As the Tibetan proverb goes: “Herders depend on livestock, and livestock depend on the grassland” (Tibetan: མགོ་ནག་བརྟེན་ས་སྤུ་ནག།། སྤུ་ནག་བརྟེན་ས་སྤང་དཀར།།). For centuries, herders have carefully tended to their animals to meet their own subsistence needs. Yet as imported beef and mutton begin to appear in these grassland pastoral areas, herders’ production models, food sources, and household livelihoods are shifting accordingly. Why is imported meat finding its way into grassland regions that are abundant in native cattle and sheep? And why are herders choosing to buy it? In this project, we hope to unravel this pastoral “mystery.”

New Smart Agriculture: The Double-Edged Sword of Technology

“Agricultural Drones: Have They Made Farming Smarter?”

Project Description: In recent years, smart agriculture cannot be discussed without mentioning agricultural drones. Boasting exceptional efficiency, the ability to replace vast amounts of manual labour, and significant cost savings, they have become the de facto “spokesperson” for smart agriculture. Within various promotional narratives, agricultural drones are touted as highly cost-effective and have nearly become standard equipment for modern farming. In the Jiansanjiang region of Heilongjiang, where adoption rates are exceptionally high, 90% of rice crops have utilised drone-based crop protection services. This project focuses on this very area. Stepping away from macro-level discourse, it seeks to understand: which farmers choose to use drones? Which crops are best suited for them? Who are the pilots behind this emerging profession? How do issues like pesticide drift from drone spraying arise, and how are they resolved? By exploring these practical questions, this work aims to present a more concrete, granular portrait of the agricultural drone industry, centred on the farmers’ perspective.

Photovoltaic Aquaculture: Dual Reflections Beneath the Water

Project Description: “Solar-aquaculture complementarity” is becoming a buzzword. This innovative model of “solar power + aquaculture” allows the same body of water to generate electricity and raise fish, hailed as a multifaceted solution to food, energy, and environmental challenges. It is not merely a marriage of new technology and traditional farming; it is also reshaping local husbandry practices and village life. As more solar panels “sprout” across the water, and as “solar fish” appear in markets, I want to delve into the stories behind them. Are the fish happy? Are the fishermen? What changes are they navigating? Amidst today’s technological surge, how do we seek balance between cutting-edge innovation and traditional customs?

Stories from the Dining Table

The Migrant Worker’s Dining Table: On Labour and Eating

Project Description: In everyday life, I have observed: married workers return to their rented flats after shifts to cook dinner; on days off, they gather with fellow villagers and friends to share a meal; those working year-round in the Pearl River Delta maintain a steady “food exchange” with relatives back home. They often remark that meat and vegetables bought in the city lack the flavour of home, and that cooking for themselves is healthier than eating out. They genuinely care about and value their meals. Eating well allows them to shed the shell of being mere “labour units” and reclaim their lives as individuals. I am curious: where does their food come from? How do they prepare it? What truly matters to them about food? Is the current food production and consumption system truly supportive of them? Can they find a voice in food-related debates? What insights might their food experiences offer to others? Step closer to their dining tables to see how migrant workers actually eat beyond the demands of their labour.

As Staple Ingredients Deteriorate, What is China’s Food Service Industry Doing?

Project Description: Driven by industrialisation and urbanisation, the ingredients on contemporary Chinese tables are undergoing profound transformation. The quality of staple foods like pork and vegetables is declining, and smallholder farmers are being squeezed out of the supply chain. Meanwhile, niche regional ingredients are being rediscovered and transported to tables across the country… My exploration will begin from a restaurant’s perspective: How do Chinese restaurants perceive these shifts in ingredients? Can they initiate change amidst this transformation? What factors shape their understanding of sourcing? Is it possible for Chinese restaurants to support sustainable and equitable agricultural production?

The first article, structured as research and commentary, will examine whether global dining trends such as Farm-to-Table, Slow Food, sustainability, and localism can take root in China’s food service landscape. It will also look at the ingredient challenges Chinese restaurateurs face and the actions they are taking. The second article will provide in-depth case studies of two to three contemporary initiatives involving self-built farms or partnerships with smallholders to optimise staple ingredients. I hope to spark deeper concern among industry peers regarding ingredient quality, while ensuring that those already taking action do not feel isolated.

Environment and Food: China in Flux

Yesterday’s Chicken

Creator: Zhou Pinglang

Project Description: Today, the chicken is the most numerous animal on Earth, numbering over 24 billion. From domestication as livestock, through genetic selective breeding, to industrialised farming, humanity’s impact on the chicken has been profound. Consequently, the chicken’s feedback on us has multiplied, manifesting in drug-resistant bacteria, hormone use, and avian flu. From factories, assembly lines, and laboratories to restaurants, fridges, and rubbish bins, chickens have left their mark everywhere. Some scholars have even proposed that the chicken chronicles how we have transformed the world and will stand as the defining emblem of the Anthropocene. This project takes the poultry industry as its entry point, exploring what this ubiquitous everyday bird has become, and where it is headed.

The Breath of Poyang Lake

Project Description: For millennia, Chinese people have strived to live in harmony with nature, despite harsh realities. Following the founding of the People’s Republic, population booms across the middle reaches of the Yangtze River led to the draining of several large lakes for agriculture, only for farmland to be returned to the water after devastating floods in the 1990s. At Poyang Lake, amidst the ebb and flow of fields and water, farmers continue to recalibrate the delicate balance between rice, climate, and human life. Over the past three decades, more than half of the world’s large lakes have trended towards drying up—a phenomenon China is not immune to. In recent years, China’s largest freshwater lake, Poyang Lake, has become known for its “prairie-like” landscape during dry seasons. The Poyang Lake basin is a crucial grain-producing region, with a complex mix of species across its ecosystems. Agricultural shifts here offer a vital window into observing broader climate change and urbanisation.

Decline and Transition:

The Dilemma of Traditional Markets and New Retail

Guangzhou’s Wet Markets: A Chronicle of Survival — Breaking Through in an Era of E-commerce Dominance

Creators: Xiao Wen, Dong Yifu, Xiao Ranran

Project Description: This in-depth report, *Guangzhou’s Wet Markets: A Chronicle of Survival — Breaking Through in an Era of E-commerce Dominance*, delves into the current state of Guangzhou’s wet markets under the pressure of e-commerce. It examines the challenges and opportunities they face, and illustrates how these markets are carving out a path forward in an age dominated by online retail. Through on-the-ground research in Guangzhou’s meat and vegetable markets, alongside interviews with stallholders, shoppers, and industry experts, this report aims to offer readers a comprehensive and nuanced perspective, highlighting the struggles, resilience, and innovative spirit of traditional trade in modern society.

So What If It’s Officially Endorsed? Playing House in the E-commerce Sphere

Project Description: How does one operate as an official agricultural middleman? A marketing budget of zero is fine; low revenue is fine. Its very existence is the purpose. When local governments speak of using new sales models to aid farmers, what are they really talking about? Does aid driven by administrative power ever truly reach those who need it? The government, intermediary sales firms, and farmers—every link in this chain seems caught up in a game of make-believe. As an outsider thrust into this system, I aim to document this bizarre spectacle. When individuals lack the power to change anything, preserving the truth remains at least one option—even if it must be told anonymously.

Regional Traditions:

The Connection Between Food and Emotion

Fermented China: The Wonders of Yunnan and Guizhou

Creators: Ma Junli, Liu Xinzheng

Project Description: The *Fermented China* book series approaches the subject from a geographical perspective on fermentation. Starting with the origins of traditional Chinese fermented foods, it explores the diversity of regional fermented specialties and the cultures behind them, prompting us to rethink the evolving relationship between food, land, and nature in the modern era. This volume first turns its focus to the provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou in south-west China. Thanks to their unique geographical and historical conditions, these regions boast a rich abundance of traditional fermented foods and preserve a wide array of fermentation techniques. Through extensive field research, the authors will document and weave together stories of people, crafts, history, and heritage, sketching a contemporary portrait of fermentation culture in the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau. It is hoped that this book will help more people understand fermentation correctly, appreciate China’s rich and diverse fermentation traditions, and inspire readers to try their hand at fermentation, experiencing the unique charm of these foods for themselves.

In Italy’s Mountains, Young People Seek an Alternative Way of Life

Project Description: Approaching my thirties, I travelled to the foothills of the Italian Alps to study food culture. I conversed with people around dining tables, in vegetable plots, and in workshops. For me, these interactions and cultural exchanges were vital experiences that shaped my character. Without the convenience of food delivery, my culinary life grew increasingly effortless. Despite language barriers, I found genuine friendship. This is because food connects us to the land, nature, and diverse cultures. Mountainous regions account for 70% of Italy’s territory, and a growing number of young people are returning to long-abandoned mountain areas to farm, cook, and brew wine. In my view, this is not a pastoral idyll, but a difficult yet deeply rewarding journey of self-discovery. It has little to do with fashionable notions of “relaxed living” or “wilderness escapism”; rather, it is about thoughtfully reflecting on the food we share day and night, and considering our own ways of life. Such a life is truly worth living.

《Crossing Mountains with Food: Local Food Exchange, Production, and Emotional Interactions at the Yao–Hakka Border in Northern Guangdong》

Project Description: In northern Guangdong, alongside Cantonese and Hakka villages, lie the settlements of the Guoshan Yao, a branch of the Yao ethnic group. These multi-ethnic communities live off the land, maintaining a quiet, unspoken bond with the Nanling Mountains and the Pearl River Delta watersheds. For generations, the Yao people migrated across mountains in search of sustenance due to barren soil, natural disasters, and food shortages. Since the 1990s, however, they have ceased seeking new peaks and instead relocated to nearby towns in accordance with government resettlement policies. In this new era of migration, how do the Yao and their food traverse the mountains together, and how are they drawn into urbanisation and market economics? How do the Hakka people and original inhabitants, who share this landscape, respond? How are the hidden emotions of migration expressed or soothed through food? Continuing the thematic thread of “how to live deep within the Yao mountains,” we take the Yao–Hakka market in Ruyuan County, Shaoguan City, as a new starting point. We will meet local smallholder farmers, return to Yao villages, and tell the emotional stories of people and food rooted in the fields.

A project jointly supported by Foodthink and the Farmers’ Seed Network

《Local Wisdom: Traditional Rice Cultivation and Adaptation to Climate Change》

Project Description: Our ancestors trekked over mountains and rivers to reach the Ailao Mountains, where they carved out terraced fields. Some describe this act of terracing as “carving the mountains,” but in truth, we coexist with nature, sculpting each other: we transform the mountains into wetlands, while nature’s temperament shapes our culture. What to plant in which season? Which crops best suit our ecosystem? How do we manage water in a region where distribution is uneven? In response to nature’s rhythms, we developed various cultural rules and practices. This ancestral wisdom, grown from our own soil, may now help us navigate the increasingly frequent extreme weather events we face. Heirloom rice varieties serve as a prime example. We aim to use short videos to showcase this ancestral knowledge, as well as the changes—and even crises—we are confronting today. Video is an excellent tool for documentation; one day, much of this may vanish. Short videos are also a powerful platform for outreach, and we hope to share our culture in a way that resonates more closely with the general public.

《Seeds of Innovation: Reform, Opening-up, and the Evolution of Wheat Varieties in Rural China》

Project Introduction: The Green Revolution brought profound changes to agriculture, particularly for the staple wheat grown in northern China. In the past, farmers rarely swapped out wheat varieties; today, they change seeds almost every year. My in-depth report will explore how the historic shift of reform and opening-up is closely intertwined with these changes in rural wheat varieties. When we turn our focus squarely onto wheat itself, how might we reinterpret this historical transformation? Through this writing, I hope to encourage readers to reflect on how natural factors—plants, climate, soil, and water—shape human society and culture. At the same time, I aim to spark deeper reflection on crop diversity in modern agriculture, highlighting the crucial role of farmers’ local knowledge in advancing sustainable and ecological farming.

Xuwen Pineapple Farmers Beset by the Mysterious Blackheart Syndrome

Project Introduction: This piece takes as its starting point the sporadic outbreaks of blackheart disease (pineapple small fruit brown rot) in Xuwen over recent years, which have become particularly severe this season. It documents how the condition has impacted local growers across two main fronts: cultivation (variety selection, agricultural extension, climate adaptation) and sales (the fresh fruit market and the secondary processing industry for “diseased” fruit). Drawing on agricultural extension archives and interviews with farming experts, and tracing the noticeably brief and scarce pineapple season experienced this year in the Yangtze River Delta, the work tells the stories of growers adapting to these challenges on the ground. It also aims to bridge the gap between producers and distant consumers, sharing the unseen hardships of pineapple cultivation.

We extend our sincere thanks to the judges, co-creation partners, and media partners who supported the 2024 Foodthink Lianhe Creation Plan.

– Lianhe Creation Plan Judges-

Li Changping

Scholar specialising in agriculture, rural areas, and farmers; founder of the Chinese Rural Development Institute; Yunshan Distinguished Scholar at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.

He served four terms as a party secretary at the township level, spending 17 years working at the grassroots. In 2000, he wrote to Premier Zhu Rongji, warning that “farmers are truly suffering, the countryside is truly impoverished, and agriculture is truly in peril.” This drew central attention to rural and agricultural issues and earned him the title of Southern Weekly’s Person of the Year 2000.

In 2011, he founded the Chinese Rural Development Institute, assembling the first professional team dedicated to rural construction, and pioneered a rural revitalisation model with broad applicability and scalable value.

His publications include Telling the Truth to the Premier, Telling the Truth to the People, The Big Climate, and Telling the Truth to the Premier Again.

Lu Zhi

Professor at the College of Life Sciences, Peking University; Executive Director of the Centre for Conservation and Social Development at Peking University; Vice Chair of the China Association for Science and Technology of Women; Founder of the Shanshui Conservation Center; Advisory Committee Member for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030).

Beyond her long-standing research in conservation biology, Professor Lu has deeply engaged in practice and reflection on the relationship between agriculture and nature, as well as sustainable development.

Fang Kecheng

Assistant Professor at the School of Journalism and Communication, Chinese University of Hong Kong; Founder of the “Journalism Lab”.

His research interests encompass digital media, journalism, and political communication. He holds a PhD in Communication from the University of Pennsylvania, and both a BA and an MA in Journalism from Peking University. Before entering academia, he worked as a journalist for Southern Weekly.

As a founder of the “Journalism Lab”, he is committed to collaborating with partners to cultivate a healthier information ecosystem, supporting more diverse and high-quality content production, including pieces that intersect with food and agriculture and serve the public interest.

Liu Juan

Associate Professor at the College of Humanities and Development Studies, China Agricultural University; Doctoral Supervisor; Deputy Editor-in-Chief of World Development.

Her primary research areas include environmental sociology and political ecology, international development and agrarian change, and rural development and revitalisation. In recent years, Professor Liu has published extensively on climate and environmental justice, agri-food systems, and peasant perspectives in rural revitalisation. Her papers on global environmental justice have consistently been highly cited. Her co-authored book, Rural Revitalisation from a Peasant Perspective, has generated significant social and policy impact, and she was named among Elsevier’s 2023 Highly Cited Researchers in China.

Zhong Shuru

Associate Professor at the School of Tourism, Sun Yat-sen University; PhD in Anthropology from Texas A&M University.

She has long conducted research on wet market culture and sustainable food systems, advocating for healthy diets and promoting green, sustainable development within the agri-food sector. Since 2016, she has carried out in-depth fieldwork across China, studying over 200 wet markets and ecological farms. She has published more than twenty papers in leading domestic and international journals. Her research has been featured by Foodthink, Yixi, China Daily, Southern Weekly, and other outlets, garnering over a million reads and sparking considerable public discussion. Her forthcoming books include Wet Markets in China and Sustainable Food Consumption in China: Changing Foodscapes, Values, and Practices.