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FROM FARM TO FORK CHOPSTICKS KEY LEARNINGS Have you ever discovered that you had preconceived no ons, only by having them hit you squarely in the face? This was my experience on a recent Pulse Market trip to China that I had the privilege of being able to join. My preconceived no ons? That China is a modern country with ancient roots, struggling to bring its huge popula on into the 21st century. That China is ruled by a communist government, keeping all of its ci zens "equal" according to Maoist dogma. That China's air is polluted, its ground is contaminated, and its ci es are dirty. I realized how li le I knew of modern China when I stepped foot on its soil. I saw contradic ons everywhere, and it fascinated me. China is indeed a country with ancient roots, as a visit to the Great Wall will a est (which I highly recommend). But it is a modern country - the ci es have gorgeous skyscrapers and impressive infrastructure, the high speed train travelled at over 300 km, and the airports moved people as efficiently as any in the world. It is definitely ruled by a communist government, but capitalism is also thriving, which we saw as we visited immense food manufacturing and research facili es, Allison Ammeter, APG Past Chair Faba bean snacks in Shanghai market. mee ng with their wealthy owners. China struggles with pollu on, but has taken great strides, many days our air was clear, the streets had no li er, and it was obvious regula ons are being put in place to improve the environment. But nowhere did I see contrasts like we saw with the food manufacturing and use of pulses. In a country that was always highly reliant on rice as its primary carbohydrate, we now see far more grains being used, par cularly with wheat noodles and steam buns. However, the Chinese people, like North Americans, are recognizing the value of increasing the protein 3 4

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