Species protection, ecosystem change, and habitat loss.
“When the yellow croaker arrives, ten thousand taels of gold follow.” Wild large yellow croakers are traditional banquet staples and auspicious dishes in Zhejiang and Shanghai. Along the Chinese coastline, perhaps no fish has experienced a more turbulent fate than the large yellow croaker. In October this year, I witnessed…
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…
Yue Xiaoxiao of the Beijing Xuanwu Youth Science and Technology Museum is leading primary and secondary school students to study Italian cocklebur’s invasive damage through questionnaires, interviews and field visits, inviting farmers in and around Beijing to join and farmers elsewhere to complete the questionnaire.
From 6 April, sand has been blowing almost every day in Damao Banner, Baotou, in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The worst was on the 10th, when a sandstorm lasted for nearly five hours; outside, the wind and sand blotted out the sun, leaving the indoors dim and dark. “We…
Highlights from the 10th annual Farmer’s Seed Network meeting at China Agricultural University in Suzhou, where farmers, researchers and local agriculture officials discussed community seed banks, heirloom varieties, organic seed certification, climate adaptation and seed exchange.
“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…
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 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…
