American historian Bart J. Elmore traces how Coca-Cola used public tap water, government-subsidised sugar and discarded caffeine to build a market capitalisation exceeding one hundred billion dollars — while shifting the cost of plastic waste and obesity onto the public.
I. Returning to 2011 The reserve’s shuttle stopped by the side of a narrow concrete road, flanked by karst limestone mountains that seemed strangely familiar. We passed through a sugarcane grove; in fact, countless bare stone peaks in the area are surrounded by sugarcane. Unlike the black-purple skin of fruit…
From the 55-year-old “Order King” who died suddenly on his delivery scooter to a rider begging online, from Xu Zheng’s Against the Current to Singapore’s Platform Workers Bill — in 2024, delivery riders under algorithmic control became a shared focus of cinema, scholarship and legislation.
Foodthink has compiled a 2025 reading list from the new books on food and agriculture, ecology and sustainability received in 2024 — from delivery riders’ working conditions to the ecological lessons of fungal networks.
In this episode, Food Talk host Tianle joins Sijia from “100 Ways of Living” for a special crossover conversation. This marks the first time Tianle discusses her journey on the podcast—how she transitioned from a media professional with a degree in international journalism to a public interest worker dedicated to…
Starting with the 2,282-hectare community forest in Cambodia guarded by Bunong villager Long Heng, the report surveys global debates over REDD+, the voluntary carbon market and indigenous land rights, and asks whether emissions-reduction promises are credible.
Foodthink Says How many people can commit to a single endeavour for a decade? The Nanning Urban Farmers’ Market is one such example. Since its inception in 2013, it has now entered its eleventh year. Held every two months, each market attracts dozens of vendors selling ecological produce from Guangxi—the…
Foodthink’s Perspective Some media outlets have dubbed 2024 the “inaugural year of GMO commercialisation” in China. In 2023, 37 varieties of genetically modified maize and 14 varieties of genetically modified soy passed variety certification, and 26 companies were granted permits for the production and operation of GM maize and soy…
Eighty years ago, Albert Howard warned that chemical fertilisers would sever the mycorrhizal network sustaining the soil; Swiss research later confirmed no mycorrhizal keystone species could be found on conventionally managed farmland. Under chemical fertilisers and pesticides, can ancient underground symbiotic relationships open another path for agriculture?
This year, whether in the city or the countryside, the rising cost of vegetables is on everyone’s lips. Yet, while we complain about inflation, the farmers in the fields are facing unprecedented challenges. Few stop to ask: why are prices rising like this, and are the farmers actually making…
