Women in China are truly "holding up half the sky" in advancing agricultural and rural modernization. With their wisdom and tenacity, they have been injecting sustained momentum into rural development.
This article focuses on the story of Liu Wenwen, head of Mengxing Agricultural Cooperative, in north China's Tianjin Municipality.
Liu Wenwen, a young farmer, born after 1990, is answering the nation's call for both grain production and conservation in Xiaozhan, a town in Jinnan District, in north China's Tianjin Municipality. She is devoting herself to the organic cultivation of Xiaozhan rice, a century-old rice variety, and to promoting smart-farming techniques, all to help farmers pursue common prosperity and ensure food security.
After she graduated from college in 2014, Liu worked nine years for the local government, as an accountant. In 2015, her father, a former entrepreneur, returned to his hometown out of love for Xiaozhan rice. He established a cooperative for eco-friendly rice farming. Liu was moved by her father's dedication. In 2023, she resigned her job to begin running the cooperative.
Liu started from scratch. She traveled across China to study advanced techniques being used in other r
egions, and she immersed herself in fieldwork. "Through learning by doing, I fell in love with organic farming," Liu says. Whenever she became discouraged, her father's example, and the sight of growing seedlings, renewed her resolve to succeed. During the past few years, her grit has transformed her from a beginner in agriculture into a skilled farmer.
Liu adheres to her father's eco-friendly farming principles, to ensure she produces pure organic Xiaozhan rice. Organic cultivation prohibits the application of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and is subject to rigorous verification procedures, including comprehensive farming records, on-site expert appraisals and post-harvest sample testing.
In December 2025, the cooperative obtained organic paddy and rice certifications, from China Organic Food Certification Center, which resulted from a decade of hard work. Certification boosted market performance: Rice prices, per 500 grams, rose from 10 yuan (US $1.47) to 15 yuan (US $2.21) for bulk purchases, and 20 yuan (US $2.94) for retail. Further, total sales increased 15 percent. More importantly, the improved quality and profitability drew many farmers to seek Liu's advice on farming techniques. "From an outsider to leading others forward, that feels like a solid achievement," she says. In 2025, Liu was appointed an agricultural technician by Tianjin Municipal Committee of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. She has since taken on the responsibility of driving the local grain industry to enhance quality and efficiency.
Earlier this year, Jinnan District launched a pilot project that used electrolyzed water to disinfect seeds. The technique eliminates the need for chemical pesticides. Liu's cooperative adopted the technique, which gives seeds a more bright and glossy color, achieves water recycling, and cuts costs by more than 10 percent. Liu also installed IoT (Internet of Things) sensors and smart-irrigation devices, to enable remote monitoring, via cellphone, and to allow for more precise, efficient field management. Now, 10 workers can finish planting seedlings in just two hours — a task that previously took 20 people a full day.
To share smart-farming knowledge, Liu runs a social-media account, Xiaozhan Rice Master, on which she shares farming tips in an easy-to-understand manner. She has also trained three agricultural technicians, who teach the farmers in the local dialect, to ensure the new techniques and methods are embraced by the farmers.
In July, Liu was appointed president of the women's federation for the rural livestreamers' alliance in Xiaozhan. She also attended a national training program, for women new farmers, organized by the All-China Women's Federation. "Trainees in our class came from various regions across the country. They were pioneers in their fields, such as farming, livestock breeding, agricultural-product processing, and rural e-commerce. During group discussions, I learned how they have stayed rooted in their hometowns, and how they have faced difficulties head-on. Their resilience deeply touched me," Liu recalls.
Throughout the years, Liu has also attended training programs organized by the local women's federation. "They don't just teach us skills; they also give us the confidence to carry on. After each event, I come away feeling more grounded, and more determined to stick with our organic Xiaozhan rice farming," she says.
"I have evolved from knowing nothing in agriculture to chairing a women's federation," Liu says. "In today's countryside, if you're willing to learn, opportunities are abundant. Agriculture can be high-tech, branded and cultural; it is not a chore, but a career."
Liu's efforts have earned her wide recognition: In 2024, she was selected to participate in a program to cultivate rural revitalization talent in Tianjin, and she won a scholarship. In 2024 and 2025, her rice won gold medals at the Tianjin Xiaozhan Rice Taste Championship. She has also received the Youth May Fourth Medal, in Jinnan. She views these honors as responsibilities. "They remind me to keep moving, and to bring more people forward." Liu believes it is important to teach children and young people, who live in the urban areas, how a grain of rice is grown, so they can truly cherish food.
"Tianjin is more than the Haihe River and jianbing guozi (a savory pancake roll filled with crispy fried dough sticks). We also have a bowl of high-quality rice to impress people across the country!" Liu says, proudly. She hopes to inspire more young women to return to their hometowns, and to promote rural revitalization. With unwavering commitment, Liu says she will continue to develop Xiaozhan rice, by leveraging the strength of the rural-livestreamer-alliance women's federation, and she will continue contributing to food security and rural development.
Photos from Interviewee
(Women of China English Monthly September 2026)
Video Editors: Wei Xuanyi and Cheng Yijia
Editor: Wang Shasha
