This paper analyses the framing processes at play in the re-definition of "peasant agroecology" in contemporary China. Based on the study of "new-farmers" who have emerged in the networks of organic peasant agriculture, it interrogates the ambiguities of food ethics as the cornerstone of alternative food markets. The research explores the emergence of "peasant-entrepreneurs" (1) through the transmission of values and skills in processes of cultural heritage enhancement, (2) through the establishment of "trust" in the market relationship, and (3) through the negotiation between producers and retailers in a quality market for singular goods.