Feeding 1 in 6. Who grows the rice

Feeding 1 in 6. Who grows the rice

From Feed: a food systems podcast by TABLEdebates.org

June 3, 2026 · 44 min

About this episode

This episode explores the dynamics of rice production in China and the challenges faced by aging farmers.

One-third of the world's rice is grown in China, on less than a fifth of the world's rice-growing area, by farmers whose average age is over 55, in a countryside that is slowly emptying. This episode asks how that's possible, and how much longer it can last. For more info, transcript and resources, visit: https://tabledebates.org/podcast/ episode101 Want to share your reflections on the episode? Send us an email or voice memo to podcast@tabledebates.org Guests Lena Kaufmann, Social Anthropo...

People in this episode

Guest: Lena Kaufmann

Topics covered

  • rice production
  • agriculture
  • China
  • aging farmers
  • food systems

Keywords

  • rice
  • China
  • agriculture
  • farmers
  • food systems
  • sustainability
  • demographics

Mentioned in this episode

Places: China

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