This week in PostMag: from Hong Kong farms to Vienna’s Strauss

This week’s PostMag explores regenerative agriculture in the region and the ongoing debate on cultural restitution. Happy festive read!

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A new crop of farmers are taking a more holistic approach to farming in Hong Kong. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

Cat Nelson

Published: 12:45pm, 21 Dec 2024

“No one wants to think about salad at Christmas,” someone said in the midst of our lively debate about this issue’s cover (yes, we spared you from a full frame of lettuce). That might be true – and I wish you a happy, salad-free holiday – but still, I hope you do consider it.

Our cover feature dives into Hong Kong’s regenerative farm movement. A new crop of farmers are taking a more holistic approach to how our food is grown, restoring and strengthening the soil through natural means. My previous life in sustainable food and agriculture research might make me partial, but it’s important work they’re doing. “I didn’t set off to save the planet, I just wanted to grow good food,” Chunling Fong tells Kate Whitehead.

It’s not just in Hong Kong. Across the region, regenerative agriculture is gaining ground. Gavin Yeung, who travelled to Bali to check out Desa Potato Head’s newest restaurant concept, Dome, finds himself on a foraging journey that ends at an orange farm that’s restoring the soil through a biodynamic approach. In the kitchen, Dome’s chef Diego Recarte continues this philosophy of sustainability, drawing on Bali’s local ingredients and reducing food waste.

Halfway around the world, Peter Neville-Hadley stops in Vienna, the birthplace of Strauss. In 2025, the Austrian capital is marking the 200th anniversary of the composer’s birth with a whole year of special performances and exhibitions that put a new spin on his music and life.

And looking even further into the past, who do cultural relics belong to? Are museums accountable for returning their collections no matter how they were acquired? Spurred by a new book that challenges the dominant discourse, Peter also explores the ever-evolving, fiercely debated conversation around cultural restitution. It’s a longer, provocative read – something to mull over as you recover from your holiday meal.

A little announcement to wrap things up: we’ll be taking a break these next two weeks. While our print issue won’t appear with your Sunday paper on December 29 or January 5, you can always find us here online. Happy holidays and see you on January 12!