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Intellectuals

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Exemplary Agriculture

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Abstract

This chapter provides an account of sustainable farming events in China that are organised and led by intellectuals interested in rural reconstruction. Using ethnographic data collected at three sustainable farming events, the chapter examines intellectuals’ desire to foster a “new consciousness of the countryside” and encourage urban residents to leave the city to set up sustainable farms. Cody contextualises these developments within the broader political economy of rural development in China as well as the popular narrative of ruralism, or the belief that authentic and ‘real’ Chinese culture is found in the countryside but not in the city. “Intellectuals” discusses the politics of representation explicated by these events.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Government-supported model organic farms (mofan youji nongchang) are functional farms, though are heavily used as sites for instruction and showcasing organic farming techniques and related business models to visitors. They are pet-projects of local government officials keen to promote sustainability and green-living concepts to others.

  2. 2.

    A district-level government official from Shanghai regularly attends the weekly meetings of the NGO involved in rural reconstruction and organic farming projects in Hengsha Island, next to Chongming Island. His government office provides funds and support for the NGO’s activities.

  3. 3.

    The experience of Dazhai community is a well-known example. Dazhai is located in a mountainous area in Shanxi province. It regularly experiences severe rainfall and floods that ruin crops. In the 1960s following severe damage, the local CCP Secretary insisted that not only would Dazhai rebuild their fields, they would also contribute grain to the state. Working in isolation, Dazhai residents re-worked the mountainous landscape into terraced rice fields. Dazhai became a symbol of the power of CCP ideological unity, solidarity and the Chinese will over nature. Mao utilised the Dazhai experience to great effect to promote the ability of Chinese to overcome any obstacle presented by nature.

  4. 4.

    Another speaker called Mr. Gao runs an organic farm near Chengdu in Sichuan province. He shared an experience concerning how he learnt what organic produce to sell to his urban customers using ziran principles. Mr. Gao began organic farming in 2008 with his two sisters after more than ten years working in the city. Initially, their agricultural knowledge was limited and progress was slow. Yet through observation of nature in situ, Mr. Gao and his sisters learnt a great deal. They watched what birds eat and noticed that they avoid eating bright red tomatoes. This simple observation taught them that the perfect red tomato—their original quest as they sought to woo urban customers—is not the best.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China

    Sacha Cody

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  1. Sacha Cody
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Correspondence to Sacha Cody .

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Cody, S. (2019). Intellectuals. In: Exemplary Agriculture. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3795-6_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3795-6_5

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-13-3794-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-3795-6

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