Organic production, sustainable farming methods, and agroecological practices.
Since Dutch farmers’ protests against nitrogen reduction policies began over six months ago, the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BoerBurgerBeweging, or BBB), widely seen as ‘pro-farmer’, has emerged as a dark horse in this March’s provincial elections. Founded just four years ago, the BBB not only secured nearly 20% of the vote but…
“I have an idea—though I don’t know if it will be of any use?” Her mother-in-law and the former housekeeper both stared at her. She said, “We are at our busiest in spring, but the autumn is quiet. Why not take this time to trade in Hangbai chrysanthemums? They are…
In Europe and Japan, there is a long history of children learning through nature and agriculture. Every year, primary school pupils are organised by their schools to visit the fields to learn how to sow, nurture, and produce food—moving from the classroom to the outdoors, and from spring ploughing to…
Foodthink says Last Monday, we shared the reasons why more than ten young people decided to press the pause button on their city lives. Why, then, did they not choose to simply ‘lie flat’, but instead head to the countryside to learn how to farm and embrace a more laborious…
This episode was recorded in the deserts of Alashan, Inner Mongolia, by Qihua, Foodthink’s researcher on climate change and small-scale ecological farming, and two guests. At the end of August 2022, the three of them sat beneath a great tree in an oasis within the Tengger Desert. In the background,…
Foodthink’s Agroecology Internship Programme was originally conceived to connect young people aspiring to return to their roots in agroecology with seasoned mentors who possess a wealth of practical experience. The aim was to foster a relationship of mutual learning and collaboration, helping a new generation of farmers minimise the cost…
A Note from Foodthink Since the launch of the recruitment for the second intake of Foodthink’s Ecological Farming Internship Programme, we have received many applications. Thank you all for your interest! We have been getting in touch with suitable candidates and conducting detailed interviews. By the end of this month,…
During the summer and autumn of 2021, Beijing experienced an exceptionally long flood season lasting 122 days, while precipitation across six northern provinces and municipalities—including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Henan and Shaanxi—reached its highest level since 1961. That same autumn, I began an online master’s programme in natural resources and…
Foodthink’s Perspective As the commercial seed industry continues to grow, heirloom seeds and ancestral varieties are becoming increasingly marginalised. Their disappearance is not only a loss of biodiversity but also signals the gradual decay of diverse local culinary traditions and cultures. However, a growing number of seed savers are now…
This episode was recorded in the Alxa desert of Inner Mongolia by Qihua, Foodthink’s lead on climate change and ecological smallholder research, along with two guests. In late August 2022, the three of them sat under a large tree in an oasis within the Tengger Desert; you may hear the…
