On Saturday I shall be flying to China with a party of FW readers. We start, almost inevitably, in Beijing but after doing a few touristy things there we will be concentrating on more rural area's to try to assess what effect the countrys' so called economic miracle has had on farming. We already know that some 750million of the 1.3billion chinese still are in villages and have to make a living from rural activities. I suspect there have been few changes in the countryside despite what is happening in the towns and cities but we will see. I shall also be looking for evidence of China's contribution to greenhouse gases. I gather it will not be hard to find.
If I can make my laptop work from such places I intend to report some of what we learn while we are there and give a fuller account in FW when I get back.
At the risk of increasing my own carbon footprint to unacceptable levels I shall be taking another party to Germany in mid June. My justification is that, while there, we will be looking at virtually all of the many types of sustainable energy currently being employed in the country and hope to bring back idea's to use in the UK. Always assuming Gordon Brown or his successors at the Treasury provide sufficient encouragement to enable such initiatives to be pursued, that is.
While doing so we will be able to compare todays farming in the old East Germany with what has always been West Germany by visiting farms and estates, some of which are owned by friends of mine, on both sides of the old divide.
Incidentally, there are a handful of places still left on the German tour. So, if you feel like ten days mixing education and pleasure with other FW readers let us know. Like I said there are only a few places so be quick. Contact Jill Lewis, Tel 01636 705612 or jill.lewis@barfieldtravel.co.uk.