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Li Zhifang (middle) and his colleagues make sure that a continuous supply of fresh produce arrive at markets in Wuhan, Hubei province, during the city's lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak. [Photo provided to China Daily] |
UN Food Hero, who gets farmers a fair price, ensured fresh supplies in Wuhan during lockdown, Li Yingxue and Liu Kun report.
On Oct 16, World Food Day, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations revealed 26 Food Heroes, who, no matter what the circumstances, continue to provide food to their communities and beyond－helping to grow, nourish and sustain our world.
Li Zhifang, 44, marketing manager of Wuhan Qiangxin Vegetable Production and Marketing Cooperative, was the only hero from China.
Li learned about the news on the afternoon of Oct 15 from his niece who is majoring in English in college.
"I was on a business trip in Changyang, Hubei province, when she called me and translated the news to me. I was thrilled. How could the United Nations know my story? I didn't even know where the United Nations is located," he recalls.
A Wuhan local, Li used to do quality control on honey produced in his village. He has also cultivated crayfish and worked in the construction industry.
In 2012, he went back to his hometown Dongxihu district in Wuhan and joined Wuhan Qiangxin Vegetable Production and Marketing Cooperative. He has been dealing with farmers and their produce ever since.
In 2018, he started to do contracted farming－that involves growing produce to order－with Alibaba's fresh food chain store Freshippo, also known as Hema Xiansheng, and his main task is to balance and fix the prices to match market value fluctuations.
"We buy vegetables from farmers at a relatively stable price, and we provide the vegetables to Hema at a stable price, so that the farmers can have an ensured income despite drought or excessive rain," Li explains.
"For example, when the market quotation for a kilogram of a specific vegetable is lower than 1 yuan ($0.15), we purchase from farmers at the price of 1.5 yuan per kilo. But if the price rises to 3 yuan or higher, the purchase price rises with it to around 2.2 yuan.
"That's my understanding of modern farming, and maybe that's why the UN gave me this honor."
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The 15th Chinese Film Festival in Bangkok and the 2020 China-Thailand Film Exchange Week opens at the China Cultural Center in Bangkok on Oct 25, 2020. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
On Oct 25, the opening ceremony of the 15th Chinese Film Festival in Bangkok and the 2020 China-Thailand Film Exchange Week was held at the China Cultural Center in Bangkok. The event was hosted by the China Cultural Center in Bangkok and received strong support from the Chinese Embassy in Thailand and the Thai Ministry of Culture.
The COVID-19 pandemic doesn't impede the enthusiasm for cultural exchange between China and Thailand. This film festival uses live broadcast to present the opening ceremony and host the "China-Thailand Film Exchange and Cooperation Online Seminar". During the film festival, audiences can use the online platform of the China Cultural Center in Bangkok to watch films online, which greatly increases the global reach of the festival.
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Gu Hongxing, director of the China Cultural Center in Bangkok and China Tourism Office in Bangkok, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
Gu Hongxing, director of Bangkok's China Cultural Center and China Tourism Office, said film can not only introduce one's national culture, but also reflect unique social landscapes. Film has become an important part of cultural exchange between countries and enhance mutual understanding among people around the world.
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Yang Xin, Chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
Yang Xin, Chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, said since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand 45 years ago, the mutual trust between the two countries has continued to deepen, economic and trade cooperation has expanded, cultural exchanges have become closer, and all-around cooperation has achieved fruitful results. Both China and Thailand have a vast film market. As a traditional project of cultural exchanges between China and Thailand, the Bangkok Chinese Film Festival has laid a solid foundation for film cooperation between the two countries for 15 years and will add new drive to the promotion of cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Thailand.
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Itthiphol Kunplome, Thailand's minister of culture, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
Thailand's Minister of Culture Itthiphol Kunplome said in his speech the governments and people of Thailand and China have been in constant exchange. Cooperation in various fields has developed steadily, and the film festival is another important event to further promote cultural exchanges between the two countries. The people of the two countries can promote their understanding of the cultures of both sides through films, and promote friendly relations and cooperation in other perspectives.
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