Research

Alright, folks. I was warned that things may take a while to get rolling, and they did. Here's a little update on my research

Originally, the plan was to go out into the field, interview farmers about their agricultural practices, and compare the effectiveness of organic vs conventional methods. There is just one little problem... nobody seems to have hopped on the organic train. In fact, people seem to think it just doesn't work. I've spent the past few weeks surveying students, asking them what they think about the concept of growing plants without artificial inputs. I received a lot of reasons why they think it wouldn't work.

• Plants don't grow as big without fertilizer,
• insects eat all the plants without pesticides,
• there is more work involved,
• and the Chinese people don't like change (actual quote).

These were top reasons, which aren't necessarily true, but understandable worries given the pressure to produce enough for your family and/or make a reasonable income. Trying a new method of agriculture would not be without a certain amount of risk, there is always a learning curve. Finally, after a long discussion about organic farming with a member from my lab, we decided that China still has a long way to go. Education, workshops involving alternative methods, and a pilot project showcasing them would be a great start. If only I had more time here! 

The other interesting fact that I discovered was that many farmers have switched to growing ornamental plants. The city is very fond of covering every park and roadside with intricate displays of ornamentals. Trees, bushes, and grasses are all needed to fill the green spaces for new developments. This need has likely driven the shift to letting large companies mass produce all of the food. Which will make it even more difficult to find someone who would be interested in organic food production. 

every plant on campus was planted within the last 8 years

So that's where I'm at right now, good thing I put together a back up project! I'll update you with the details of the other project when things are finalized. Hopefully I can still redesign my original topic, I was looking forward to spending more time in the rural areas.

Two Weeks In

This first post is going to be a big one! It took a while to get decent Internet access, but now I’ll be posting more regularly. Where to begin… I’ve absorbed so much. It’s been two weeks since I landed in Xi’an, China and the transition has been fairly smooth so far! For those of you who didn’t see my Facebook post last week, there was a little confusion when I landed at the airport. After waiting for a while, I decided to explore Xi’an on my own until I made contact with someone at the university. I decided to take a bus to the center of the city to stay at the Bell Tower Hotel. The hotel got its name because of this amazing bell tower across the street.

This is what I’ve learned about Xi’an so far. The Bell Tower was built over 600 years ago, and lies directly in the center of Xi’an. Today a huge traffic circle surrounds the structure and connects the primary roads that span straight to the four edges of the city. Before applying for this internship Xi’an was an unfamiliar name. Yet, founded over 3100 years ago, as the city of Chang’an, this city has a long history. All I know so far is that it has been the centre of Chinese society on more then one occasion and was the eastern tip of the Silk Road. I look forward to finding out more about the history and sharing it with you.

Today this city is huge. 8 million people and growing every day. The Chang’an District I live in was farmland 5 years ago. Now all you’ll see are high-rise apartment buildings, parks, markets, and shopping malls. All of the universities that have campuses in the old city have created their new satellite campuses in this district. They even seem to be having a “best library” competition; I think Shaanxi Normal University actually won a prize. Here it is:

I put two pictures to show you what the air looks like before and after a big rainfall. The picture on the left shows you just how thick the haze can get. The rate of development is huge and the combination of burning coal and dozens of construction sites really takes its toll. Due to this rapid urban development, and all of the people migrating from rural areas, this metropolis has spilled out of the ancient walls that surround the old city. Agricultural land is being converted in to city blocks, reducing the amount of land that can be used to maintain the dietary needs of the population. One answer to this problem is to increase the productivity of the available agricultural land. 

This is the solution that I hope my primary research project will contribute to. Land is divided into very small areas. Sometimes as many as eight households divvying up one acre! In order to provide enough food for a family, and enough to sell for a decent income, the land needs to be as productive as possible. On top of that, there is a need to ensure that agricultural practices are sustainable. This will ensure long-term productivity and reduce their contribution to damaging the environment. There are many agricultural techniques being used, and by going out to interview farmers about their techniques and incomes I might be able to uncover which ones are the most successful. I'm certain that there are already some really great methods being used that are tried and tested for this climate. Ultimately, the appeal of higher productivity and income is a great way to convince people to practice sustainable agriculture. In the end, increased productivity means more food for everyone!

Biang Biang Mian aka Delicious Belt Noodles