Chinese agriculture today faces major environmental challenges, from unsustainably high applications of fertilisers and pesticides to widespread soil erosion, pollution, water scarcity and the loss of agricultural biodiversity. Coupled with the dramatic depopulation of rural areas and high-profile food safety scares, these challenges are prompting the emergence of a growing movement towards sustainable agriculture, witnessed by the rise in ecological farms, organic farmers’ markets in major cities, as well as increasing emphasis on sustainability in Chinese policies related to agriculture. But what impact is this movement having on these challenges and how can it best be supported?