Organic Food in Beijing

Shopping for organic food in Beijing has become tremendously popular in recent years.

Many large supermarkets in Beijing sell organic produce sourced from various farms and producers around China and overseas.

There are several organic farms in Beijing and some of these open their doors to the public. A few of them even rent out small plots of land so that you can grow your own organic vegetables.

Some of the organic farms have their own online store or WeChat accounts through which you can order food for delivery. As well, there are other online stores not linked to any specific farm which also sell local and imported organic food in China.

Several organic restaurants in Beijing use vegetables sourced from organic farms in their cooking.

Our Organic Food Guide at the end of this article includes listings for Beijing organic farms, Beijing organic restaurants and online stores selling organic food in China. We include their websites, contact information and WeChat accounts where available.

Soil, Water and Air – Do We Really Have Organic Food in Beijing?

Having a tough time grasping the Organic + China concept? While there are cases of severely contaminated soil and water in many places around China, Beijing seems to fair better than most areas.

However, it is widely known that the average Chinese farmer uses more pesticides to grow their crops than farmers in developed countries.

Fortunately, China is taking this issue seriously and putting in efforts to reduce the amounts of pesticides being used.

Farmers can apply for having their produce officially graded and labeled in various categories from ‘harmless/safe’ to ‘green’ to ‘organic’ agricultural products based on ever-stricter requirements for healthy cultivating practices. You can look for these labels on the vegetables you purchase.

The official organic certification is the most strict of these food grades in China, so a good choice for expats if you are concerned about food safety in China.

Of course, you will pay more for organic foods in China than non-organic.

Air Pollution’s Impact on Food Production

China’s battle with air pollution in recent years has been well publicized. Air pollution also impacts food production, but a bit differently than you might expect. It slows down the rate of growth.

Therefore, if you are not finding fresh tomatoes in April, it is likely there was heavy smog in February and March.

The significant reduction in severe air pollution in Beijing in the last few years, therefore, has helped local Beijing organic farms improve their crop yields.

Certified Organic vs. Organically Grown

There are two common ways to categorize organic food in China; officially certified organic foods and unofficial ‘organically grown’ foods.

The word ‘Organic’ in English, or Chinese (有机- you ji), cannot be used on packaging in China unless the producer has received official certification.

This certification can be confirmed by the official organic label shown here:

There is also a QR code on the label you can scan to confirm it is organic.

In order for a farm in China to be officially certified as organic it must hire an authorized agency, go through a lengthy procedure to cleanse its soil, pass tests conducted by the certification agency and then set up sanctioned and regularly monitored organic growing procedures.

A 3-year time period is required to first cleanse the soil of pesticides before the farm can receive its official organic certification.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Beijing

‘Organically grown’ is what you will most likely buy from a local ‘CSA farm’ or farmer’s market.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture where farmers sell their members an upfront stake in the coming harvest and then deliver fresh food to you when it’s ready.

Many of these farms follow organic growing practices, although they are not necessarily officially certified as organic, mainly due to the high costs of obtaining such certification. Such farms follow the basic rule of no pesticides, no antibiotics and no synthetic fertilizers.

Some CSA farms group together as a cooperative and self-regulate their organic growing practices with regular inspections from administrators.

Such organically grown vegetables are cheaper than the officially labeled organic vegetables, but still more expensive and look less appetizing than non-organic vegetables. However, by using less pesticides they are certainly healthier.

It is important to note that to test soil and water for contaminants only costs about RMB 1,000 in China. So if you are looking for a healthy CSA farm don’t be afraid to ask if they have done soil quality tests and will show you the results.

Fancy a weekend among the farms of Shunyi, Beijing? Want to do a ‘farm-stay’? Check out programs that some farms now offer, and join a ‘CSA’ as a member.

They may not have an organic label, but CSA farms are willing to build trust with their customers by having open doors and big hearts.

Where to Shop for Organic food in Beijing

When you start shopping for organic food in Beijing it may take a small investment of your time, but it will be worth it.

Here are some suggestions on where to begin your hunt for the best tasting organic food in Beijing.

Supermarkets Selling Organic Food in Beijing

Officially certified organic foods and vegetables are sold at several large grocery supermarkets in Beijing including some outlets of Ole’ , BHG, and Rainbow (Tianhong). Smaller supermarkets that target the expat community including April Gourmet, Jenny Lou’s and Jenny Wang’s also have a small selection of organic food.

You will find that official organic produce is 2-4 times the price of regular vegetables sold in grocery stores, so quite expensive.

The location with one of the widest selection of organic food in Beijing is the supermarket of the Youyi Shopping City, located on the basement floor of the Beijing Lufthansa Center complex, connected to the Kempinski Hotel.

Here you can find:

• Organic Mushrooms and Fungus
• Organic Eggs
• Organic Grains and Beans
• Organic Vegetables
• Organic Yak Milk
• Organic Flaxseed and Camellia Oil
• Imported Organic Milk
• Imported Zealong Brand Organic Tea from New Zealand
  Website: https://zealong.cn
  WeChat ID: zealong_china

CSA Farms

CSA organically grown vegetables can be found at several locations including:

Farmer’s markets in downtown Beijing: Here you’ll meet your CSA farmer with a small sample of their vegetable crop at their stand. Don’t be fooled if you don’t see much on the table. The harvest varies a lot throughout the year, and they may have already sold a part of their harvest to their members.

There are also many other fresh and prepared foods found at these markets, as well as clothing and even small gifts, so take the family for a fun day out and some good food.

1. Farm 2 Neighbors (F2N)
   Meets every Saturday and Sunday from 12-6pm at the Grand Summit in Liangmaqiao (subject to change).
   Add: No.19 Dongfang East Road, South section B1
   Wechat ID: F2NMarket
   WeiBo: https://m.weibo.cn/u/5833110678
2. Beijing Farmer’s Market
   They meet regularly, usually on Tuesdays from 11 am – 2pm (subject to change) in the NaLi Garden in Sanlitun as well as other locations around Beijing on other days of the week.
   Add: Taikooli Nali Patio, No. 81 Sanlitun North Street
   Wechat ID: countryfair
   WeChat ID: jishi1122
   Beijing Farmer’s Market Introduction
   Websites:
   https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/RmhlBYkpnoiSu2XgdyCkLg
   https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/RJttyfu5fS479BhlNqwFow

They do have English speakers so don’t be afraid to send them a message directly through Wechat.

Visit the Farm and Follow on WeChat

Many farms such as Shared Harvest (fenxiangshouhuo) offer a farm visit service.

At the farm you can sign up for a Community Supported Agriculture membership.

The CSA concept is growing rapidly in China. Customers who want the freshest food can satisfy their cravings by placing a small deposit at the beginning of the season with a farm and then have a box of fresh food delivered to their house or office weekly.

Many farms offer some amount of choice according to your personal taste and produce availability.

Beijing Organic Vegetable Delivery Service

If you don’t want to sign up for regular deliveries, there are some CSA farms who have a group-buying service with set drop-off locations – check with your farmer to see if they have this service. They often offer discounts if you are purchasing larger amounts for a special event or a big family.

Keep in mind that this service is for the ‘extra’ harvest so the variety of produce will be quite limited. They post the products available and prices on a weekly basis via Wechat and you typically buy in bulk (ie. 5kg per fruit or vegetable). Prices are generally between RMB 10 to 30 per 500g depending on the vegetable variety.

Some officially certified organic farms in Beijing also offer vegetable delivery services. We have contact lists for both certified organic farms and CSA organic farms below.

Shopping for Organic Food Online in Beijing

Many organic farms also have online stores where you can purchase organic vegetables that are available for quick delivery. But the farms will prioritize their regular delivery customers so there might not be a large variety of vegetables available online.

There are also several online stores in China that offer less perishable organic foods such as grains and mushrooms or imported organic foods.

Unfortunately, as the online shops are mostly only in Chinese, expats who do not know the language will have difficulty using them. Finding a Chinese friend to set you up with a weekly organic vegetable delivery or visiting a farmer’s market to meet directly with the farmers might be your better choice.

You can find contact information for several online organic food stores in China below.

Organic Restaurants in Beijing

It would be very difficult for a Beijing restaurant to use only organic food in all their dishes. But more and more restaurants in Beijing are promoting their sourcing of organic vegetables from nearby farms as well as other organic foods from China and overseas.

There are also a number of vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Beijing that use organic produce in their cooking, so you can enjoy these health food categories together. One area with several vegetarian organic restaurants in Beijing is the Wudaoying Hutong just north of the Yonghegong Lama Temple and Confucius Temple.

You can find a list of Beijing organic restaurants below.

Imported Organic Food in Beijing

China requires all imported organic food be certified by an authorized Chinese agency in order to display the word ‘organic’ on its packaging.

This means the applicant must normally invite and pay for the Chinese testing agencies to come to their growing and/or production facilities overseas.

Not many companies, therefore, are willing to go through this expensive process. So you will not find a large variety of imported organic food in China.

China has signed a mutual recognition of organic food certifications with New Zealand, and a looser cooperation agreement with Australia to facilitate organic certificaton. So you can find a few organic products from these countries at supermarkets in China.

Jenny Lou’s (WeChat ID: gh_21b152b16bfb), April Gourmet (WeChat ID: APRIL_Gourmet) and Jenny Wang’s (WeChat ID: jwnnywang) have imported organic foods in Beijing such as:

• Australian Organic Raisins
• Italian Organic Rice Drink
• Australian Organic Rice Milk
• Australian Organic Soy Milk
• British Organic Cow’s Milk

The British organic dairy maker, Daioni, has managed to gain organic certification in China and has their milk sold in the above mentioned small retailers.

China Biofach Organic Food Exhibition

For those interested in the organic food industry in China, you can check out the annual Biofach China organic food exhibition in Shanghai, held every May.

At this organic exhibition, you can meet many local farms and manufacturers selling organic food in Shanghai.

Beijing Organic Food Guide

This Beijing organic food guide lists some of the best organic food suppliers in Beijing including farms, organic restaurants and online stores selling organic food in China.

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