Introduction

For centuries, pigs have helped bind the nasi people of China's southwestern Yunnan province together. Pork is a prized gift among villagers here during weddings and funerals. Over a decade ago, virtually every one of the village's 300 households raised black pigs. That number has since dwindled to around 180, of which two-thirds also raise white pigs. Many are raised by elderly subsistence farmers looking for a way to augment their income or a source of food in emergencies.