Organic production, sustainable farming methods, and agroecological practices.
Foodthink Author Kouzi Farmer trekker, village brewing master. Full-time foodie, part-time farmer, amateur writer. Readers familiar with me may have already noticed: I don’t stir-fry. Indeed, Villain’s Valley doesn’t even have a wok. Of course, my one-square-metre kitchen is equipped with a full set of appliances—pots, steamers,…
In 2016, I had a few failed attempts at grocery shopping at Sanyuanli Market. I only returned recently to visit an exhibition and found that the market had long since found its true calling: as an art installation. Returning after seven years, Sanyuanli has become polished and glamorous. To promote…
Foodthink’s Perspective In October this year, Foodthink partnered with dozens of farmers’ markets, eco-farms, fermentation artisans, restaurants, publishing houses, and non-profit organisations to launch the ‘Ferment Awakening Festival’. In November, we hosted four book club sessions centred on Sandor Katz’s *The Art of Fermentation*. Our guest for the first session…
In the first part of ‘Notes on an Internship in a Desert Oasis’, I tried to lean into my professional instincts as a business journalist to explore the operational struggles of an ecological farm. But in truth, during my two months interning at the Zhiliangtian Farm in Alashan, my daily…
I. The Beginning In 2018, in a scattered village in Hong Kong’s New Territories that was facing imminent demolition, I baked my first sourdough loaf using a jar of fermented starter I’d just received from a friend. Looking back, it hadn’t really risen properly; it could hardly be called bread.…
The Forest and Farm Facility and IIED report that 1,800-plus smallholders in 13 countries spend, on average, 5,866 yuan out of pocket a year for climate adaptation. Most practices benefit ecosystems, yet international adaptation funding remains far below need. Can Dubai’s COP28 take them seriously?
Those who have studied permaculture will likely be familiar with the name Sepp Holzer. As a pioneer of permaculture in practice, Holzer is almost a household name in Austria, and his book, *Permaculture*, has served as an introductory guide for enthusiasts across the globe. This June, I travelled deep into…
I’ve lived in Eren Valley for over two years now, and the annual cost of labour and farmyard manure for the fields is quite a substantial sum. The locals I hire often can’t resist doing the sums for me, pointing out that growing things this way is far more expensive…
This spring, before visiting Yan Ping’s “Happiness Fruit Herb Garden” in Guigang, Guangxi, I arrived with a misconception: that the place was remote and untouched, with a pristine ecological environment. In reality, the farm is surrounded by conventional orchards where the use of pesticides, chemical fertilisers, and herbicides is commonplace.…
At the end of 2020, I left the non-profit organisation where I had worked for over seven years. I wanted to explore a way of working that didn’t depend on an institution—one that could bring a relative balance to my mind, body, and spirit—while seeking a lifestyle suited for the…
