The future of agriculture is live streaming

E-commerce is a way of life for retail in China, but until recently it had barely touched the agricultural industry, one of the country’s least innovative sectors. But this changed the past year with the pandemic accelerating farmers’ move online.

Farmers have taken to live streaming on online platforms, typically the domain of urban influencers showcasing luxury and consumer goods for a digital audience. Live-streamed shows provide links to featured products, making it easy for viewers to click and purchase.

The technology is enabling China’s rural sector to rapidly create a direct farm-to-kitchen business model, something which would have previously taken years to achieve.

China’s largest e-commerce platform Pinduoduo received more than one billion orders for agricultural products in the first quarter of the year, an increase of 184% compared to the same period…