Farmers’ markets, solidarity economies, community-supported agriculture, local food systems, and PGS.
In mid-April, driven by a desire to learn how to run a farm, I arrived at the Letian Haiwan Farm in Shanghai. Before I knew it, my internship had come to an end after living and working here with my colleagues. Before I left, they asked if I still wanted…
Not long after moving to Kunming, I found a restaurant that I felt I simply had to share with my friends: Tusheng Shiguan. Now in its fourteenth year, it has earned a modest reputation in the city. Tucked away in a creative park on a steep slope, the ingredients and…
Starting an organic sourdough bakery was not a whim. In order to provide my family with quality carbs, I spent several years learning how to make sourdough using a natural wild yeast starter. Over those years, I often gave loaves to friends or brought them along to potluck dinners, where…
Foodthink’s Perspective Since the 1950s, a “Fair Trade” movement has emerged globally. Cheap agricultural products from developing countries are constantly imported into developed nations, yet the vast majority of profits from commodity prices are seized by large capital interests within the trade chain, leaving farmers and labourers with only a…
Foodthink Says As autumn arrives, The Little Dining Table in Yulin, Chengdu has been running for half a year. These six months of practice have fostered a growing sense of harmony between the cook, the dining companions, the farmers, and the food itself. For everyone involved, beyond the planned changes,…
Tian Le, founding editor of Foodthink, and other Chinese food and agriculture experts argue that Monsanto’s GM crops have not cut pesticide use or increased yields, and that public breeding systems, seed saving and consumer choice may better support farmers.
In late September, as the rainy season in Xishuangbanna draws to a close, Qin Xianrong—a youth from the post-90s generation who has returned to his roots—drove us north from Mengyang Town in Jinghong City to visit his ecological planting base in Dadugang Township. To reach Dadugang, one must pass through…
Editor’s Note In the previous instalment of this column, Sister Yiguo showed us how she uses her ‘Little Dining Table’ in the city to provide her friends with wholesome, delicious meals. Even more dedicated than her is the producer of the rice served at that table—Chen Ying, the owner of…
Editor’s Note We are what we eat; eating well has never been a trivial matter. The scandal involving edible oil transported in tankers has once again sparked anxiety over food safety, highlighting the immense difficulty of tracing the origins of what we consume. Along the long chain from farm to…
From the 1844 Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers to food and farming practices in Chengdu, Beijing and Taiwan, readers can see how consumer co-operatives and farmers’ co-operatives connect producers and consumers, and explore healthy, fair and sustainable food pathways.
