TOPIC

Food and agriculture

Food and agriculture
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on food and agriculture, with a focus on Hong Kong, mainland China and Asia.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
Luckin Coffee, China’s biggest coffee chain, has expanded into Hong Kong. Photo: China News Service via Getty Images
Hong Kong property

Mainland Chinese retailers make their presence felt in Hong Kong

China’s largest coffee chain opens first outlet in the city as it goes up against US rival Starbucks.

videocam
Hong Kong

Can this new wave of Hong Kong farmers bring agriculture back to the city?

Science

Scientists find key nutrient missing in China-grown durian

videocam
5
Hong Kong society

Suspected pufferfish poisoning leaves 2 Hong Kong men in hospital

One man is in a critical condition and the other is stable after eating a pufferfish they caught themselves.

The two men have been admitted to Queen Mary Hospital, with one in a critical condition. Photo: K. Y. Cheng
Hong Kong society

Dried fruits have highest sulphite levels, Hong Kong survey finds

But researchers say health risks are low given the population’s low dietary intake of the food preservative.

China food security

Fertiliser on its way out, advanced tech is in, as China sees record farm yields

Modernisation efforts come as food-security stability grows more critical in China’s agrarian undertakings.

videocam
10
Advertisement
Advertisement
China food security

Opinion | China’s ‘Food Silk Road’ holds key to thwarting Trump tariffs

Policymakers in Beijing have taken steps to address supply chain vulnerabilities and the weaponisation of imported food supplies.

videocam
A farmer operates a combine during soybean harvesting on the Voss farm near Palo, Iowa, on October 2. Photo: AP
Japan

In Japan, a protein pioneer’s edible insect experiment fails to fly

The founder of Gryllus Inc, which has filed for bankruptcy, maintains that his company’s insect-based food was ahead of its time.

videocam
China economy

China’s crop import curbs causing soybean shortage

Some soybean crushers in Dongguan in Guangdong province have had to suspend operations for the last three weeks, traders say.

Donald Trump

Trump vows to eliminate Daylight Saving Time

The US president-elect says the practice of moving clocks forward an hour in the spring ‘inconvenient’ and ‘costly’.

US president-elect Donald Trump gestures while speaking during a meeting with House Republicans in Washington in November. Photo: TNS
Japan

Japan auctions fresh fin whale meat for first time in decades

Japan resumed commercial whaling within its exclusive economic zone after withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission in 2019.

videocam
An auction selling fresh meat of fin whales at a fish market in Shimonoseki. Photo: AP
US-China relations

US House advances defence bill that bans Chinese goods from tech to garlic

The US$884 billion measure, which is considered ‘must-pass’ legislation, now moves to the US Senate.

29
China food security

China hopes to breed success with focus on quality soybean varieties

China completed a census of its agricultural germ plasma resources earlier this year amid a focus on food security.

videocam
Wellness

Beans, peas better than veggie burgers as alternatives to meat

Eating plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy lowers the chance of an early death. Scientists ranked the best foods to switch to.

Natural, unprocessed foods such as beans, peas and soybeans are better alternatives to meat and dairy than processed foods such as veggie burgers in terms of health, environmental impact and cost, according to a University of Oxford study. Photo: Shutterstock
Food and Drinks

Why prickly pear is a crop with potential in a warming world

In arid southern Italy, where drought, disease and global warming ravage olive trees, a start-up is growing prickly pear, a food and biofuel.

A worker picks prickly pears in Egypt. Photo: Reuters
China trade

Will China turn to Argentina to fill its farming import gap? Wheat and see

The first wheat shipment from Argentina to China since the 1990s suggests a deeper trade relationship could be on the horizon.

videocam
4
China food security

China announces plan to cut food waste at production, transport and storage end

Amid climate change and geopolitical pressures, Communist Party aims to raise public awareness about saving food, waste and healthy eating.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Robotics

Chinese start-up wants to replace human chefs with robots

Cooking robots can help restaurants cut labour costs by 30 per cent, and reduce food and seasoning waste by 10 per cent.

4
Botinkit’s Omni allows the operator to choose a recipe and follow the steps shown on the touch screen to complete the dish. Photo: Handout
China manufacturing

China wants to turn Xinjiang’s vast deserts into a string of pearls

Millions of pearls are already being harvested in the Taklimakan Desert, as China tries to turn the arid region into a hub for aquaculture.

Science

China surrounds ‘sea of death’ Taklamakan Desert with giant green belt

Just completed multi-decade project in Xinjiang region is intended to help prevent desertification and boost local economies.

16
Diplomacy

Opinion | Can Global South and G20 lead new era of poverty reduction?

The credibility of developing countries in the fight against poverty stems from lived experience rather than theoretical discourse.

Children sit in a camp in Gedaref, Sudan, for people displaced due to fighting in Sinja, on July 24. Photo: EPA-EFE
Hong Kong society

Editorial | Raise fines on Hongkongers for illegal imports of groceries

Hongkongers are increasingly bringing in raw meat, eggs and other food items from the mainland in contravention of the law.

7
Customs spotted 1,324 cases of illegal imports of food items at land-based border checkpoints between January and August. Photo: Dickson Lee
Donald Trump

Trump taps Rollins as agriculture chief for his final cabinet secretary pick

Several spots that are traditionally cabinet-level remain, including US trade representative and head of the small business administration.

videocam
US-China relations

US blacklists 29 more Chinese companies over alleged forced labour in Xinjiang

Products of offending firms range from hi-tech inputs such as polysilicon to food products like tomato paste, according to Homeland Security.

videocam
26
The Philippines

‘We don’t have anything to harvest’: storm-hit Philippines faces rice crisis

The onslaught from six storms caused at least US$131 million of crop losses, with rice bearing the brunt of the damage.

videocam
A farmer inspects his flooded rice field in Cagayan province, Philippines, on November 8. Photo: AFP
Food and Drinks

Mouthing Off | Why there’s a big problem with organic food labelling in Hong Kong

With no concrete rules or oversight, goods displaying organic labels in Hong Kong may not be that at all. One organisation wants to fix that.

Hong Kong lacks cohesive legislation and oversight concerning organic produce. Photo: Shutterstock Images
Business of climate change

Lab-grown meat lands on Hong Kong plates via Australian start-up

The Aubrey at the Mandarin Oriental has introduced two dishes featuring Sydney-based Vow’s cultured Japanese quail.

videocam
India

‘Cannot wait to sow seeds’: Indian farmers burn stubble despite fines, toxic smog

While authorities fine violators, farmers say they are forced to burn due to the short window between harvests and lack of government support.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement