Urban Farming
About 35% of China's labor force is in agriculture
Guangzhou’s agricultural industry is very important for Guangdong Province. It creates about 10% of total agricultural output value in the province, compared to only 6% of farm land and 5% of rural workforce.
Due to economic growth, Guangzhou is in constant urban development, and each year threatens more and more farmland that lives on the outskirts. The government recently passed a law to try and protect farmland, although its effect is yet to be seen.
The general public in Guangzhou are so oblivious to the farm land that they don’t know it even exists, “Guangzhou is a city; you won’t find any farms here”.
The farm is a serene place. The soil is gently watered and ploughed. Fresh vegetables are cut and placed in a basket. People are quietly working together, yet the air of calm is visually threatened by the ever present concrete backdrop which will no doubt soon engulf the little farm.
Photography by Tom Ford