2025/07/17

Taiwan Today

Taiwan Review

Youthful Energy

November 01, 2023
Milkfish are one of several aquaculture products that form the basis of coastal Qigu District’s economy in the southern city of Tainan. (Courtesy of coFishland)

Balanced regional development stems from engaged youth invigorating rural commerce.

 

Taiwan’s post-industrial development and move to a service-oriented economy has favored the north over the south and the west over the east, leading to disparities in population size, income level and economic growth. The country’s aging population and declining birthrate have exacerbated demographic change and the urban-rural divide. In response, the government has turned its attention to rural development and made regional revitalization a national policy priority of the Cabinet-level National Development Council (NDC), which launched the National Strategic Plan for Regional Revitalization in 2019.

Kang Ting-yueh (康廷嶽), director of the NDC’s Regional Revitalization Project Office, explained that the plan pursues balanced development and sustainable population growth throughout the country. “We’ve established support systems nationwide through public-private partnerships to encourage young people to move from metropolises to rural areas while promoting commercial development based on local characteristics,” she said. Government measures include the introduction of technologies like artificial intelligence and improvements in information and communications technology infrastructure to meet digital age needs, the director added. 

Kang said she was impressed by young people’s creativity and innovative approaches when formulating projects to revive local industries and economies through agriculture, community regeneration, culture, tourism and social welfare. The support systems provided by the NDC include consulting centers, event venues and youth empowerment workstations. So far, 72 teams have each received an annual grant of up to NT$3 million (US$93,750) to run workstations  that assist young people in launching viable startups to address specific needs in their communities.

 

Rich Waters

Among beneficiaries of the program is coFishland in coastal Qigu District of southern Taiwan’s Tainan City. The ­company has a unique remit that benefits the local aquaculture industry by extending revenue streams for small farmers while aiding wildlife conservation. This year, a record 4,228 black-faced spoonbills wintered in Taiwan. One of their major habitats is Qigu, where aquaculture and wetlands ­provide food sources for this endangered bird. The rise in ­spoonbill numbers is partly due to a symbiotic relationship with shallow-pond milkfish farming and other ­eco-friendly ­methods encouraged by Taijiang National Park since 2011 to increase foraging ­areas for wading birds like spoonbills. Although the Qigu aquaculture farms are located outside the national park, the Taijiang authorities seek to minimize the environmental impact on its surroundings through supporting ­eco-friendly farming initiatives. 

The founders of coFishland, Liao Yi-pei, left, and Lin Xiao-jing, stand by a table of fishing net buoys retrieved from ocean waste that are set to be turned into fish models in craftwork activities. (Courtesy of coFishland)

Liao Yi-pei (廖宜霈), who participated in a habitat conservation ­project in the park while studying in the Department of Urban Planning at Tainan-based National Cheng Kung University, was intrigued by how commercial aquaculture operations outside the park were also wild bird-friendly. In 2017, she partnered with fellow student Lin Xiao-jing (林筱菁) to set up coFishland to help Qigu’s aquaculture industry. Consumers are educated about sustainable aquaculture practices, the value chain from farming, harvesting and processing to sales, and the relationship between commerce and the environment. Meanwhile, farmers benefit from an expanded revenue stream and recognition of the importance of their role in sustainable husbandry practices.

“All the things we’re doing are education oriented as we seek to engage consumers by improving their ­understanding of the production process that yields the food they eat,” Liao ­said. “We aim to create a winning situation for industry, the customer and the ­environment.” As fish farming is the backbone of the local economy, ­sustainability challenges cannot be ignored, she added.

Traditionally, local farmers raise milkfish in shallow ponds with a depth of no more than 60 centimeters from April to October before catching and selling them. After harvest they lower water levels, allowing birds such as the spoonbill, whose overwintering season is conversely from October to April, to feed on small fish and crustaceans remaining at the bottom of the pond. 

In cooperation with farmers, coFishland designs a variety of hands-on classes, tour packages and training programs to promote local eco-friendly fish husbandry practices and products, mainly clams, milkfish and shrimp. Besides offering courses in about 30 schools from primary through tertiary levels to raise awareness about sustainable aquaculture and ­responsible consumption, the company organizes tours of fish farms, allowing visitors to experience harvesting, processing and product preparation. Its farm-to-table activities have attracted around 4,500 participants thus far, creating additional income for farmers through heightened demand for local products and services.

coFishland organizes hands-on activities at fish farms to educate visitors on how their food is raised, harvested and prepared for consumption. (Courtesy of coFishland)

coFishland organizes hands-on activities at fish farms to educate visitors on how their food is raised, harvested and prepared for consumption. (Courtesy of coFishland)

 

Matchmaking Sectors

The company’s contribution to rural prosperity received recognition and support from the NDC under its revitalization plan. Positioned as a national-level security policy that requests collaboration among different levels of government, as well as the private and nonprofit sectors, the plan motivates young people to move back to or stay in their hometowns to work or start businesses by providing financial and technical assistance. 

Another entity helping young adults reinvigorate their hometowns is Taipei City-based Taiwan Regional Revitalization Foundation (TWRR). Established in 2021 by former NDC Minister Chen Mei-ling (陳美伶) and Chou Chun-chi (周俊吉), founder of the real estate business Sinyi Group, the national nonprofit organization seeks to coordinate public and private resources to scale-up local enterprises. “Taiwan is facing the twin challenges of rising urban density and rural exodus,” said Chen, who serves as the TWRR chair. “We take collaborative action to ­reverse the decline of rural regions through commercially viable and ­sustainable solutions.” Chen has been ­dubbed the godmother of regional ­revitalization for spearheading the concept during her 2017-2020 tenure as NDC minister.



Many projects by young entrepreneurs are based in rural environments and focus on updated traditional activities and practices, including forest picnics, smart greenhouse farming and rush weaving. (Courtesy of Taiwan Regional Revitalization Foundation)

TWRR serves as a platform for rural communities, project stakeholders and local authorities to connect, collaborate and exchange information through its website, activities and training workshops. The foundation has formed ­partnerships with 180 groups around Taiwan dedicated to nurturing rural development and local identity by capitalizing on unique attributes including cultural heritage, tourist sites and traditional businesses. 

“We want to provide the tools young people need to expand their enterprises: capital, technology and marketing,” Chen said. “Therefore we offer services matching business groups with social enterprises to incorporate environmental and social concerns into their wider business strategy.” The foundation’s website provides an uplifting view of youthful entrepreneurship in its list of all the ­projects implemented by its partners nationwide, introducing their ­business models, products and services, and how their operations address the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.

 

Evolving Tradition

Chen Wei-cheng (陳偉誠‬) is founder of Dawoko Co. in Hukou Township of northern Taiwan’s Hsinchu County, which was once a major charcoal production area with over 1,000 kilns in operation. Chen grew up helping in his parents’ charcoal factory, but the local ­industry experienced a sharp decline starting in the 1970s when charcoal was superseded by liquified petroleum gas and a logging ban was implemented in natural forests. 

“My parents worked hard but could barely make ends meet,” Chen said. “I wanted to instigate change and do something for my parents and my hometown.” After graduating from ­university, he ­decided to return home to reinvent the traditional industry. Chen founded Dawoko with college classmates in 2006 to create a green business model. The company’s annual revenue has surged from NT$360,000 (US$11,250) to NT$100 million (US$31,250) over the years thanks to diverse charcoal products with antibacterial, deodorizing and dehumidifying properties, as well as bespoke decorative and furniture items using reclaimed materials. It creates charcoal while developing a variety of  skincare products and household cleaners incorporating plant extracts and wood vinegar distilled during the process. 

Chen Wei-cheng, founder of Dawoko, reinvents traditional charcoal production from his parents’ era by creating new products with healthful properties. (Photo by Chen Mei-ling)

“We wanted to build a circular business model that contributed to environmental sustainability and consumer health while still generating profit,” Chen said. The company also runs woodworking classes that have thus far attracted about 700 participants. It ­offers wood-based DIY workshops for the general public and schoolchildren and ­cooperates with artists who work in wood. 

Chen teaches woodworking to young people through an NDC-sponsored youth empowerment workstation. (Photo by Chen Mei-ling)

With over 17 years of entrepreneurial experience, Chen decided to share his expertise with support from the NDC. His company received a grant of NT$3 million for the establishment of a youth empowerment workstation last year and became one of TWRR’s partners, thus gaining access to the foundation’s comprehensive resources. “Our objective now is to create more jobs and make our town into a lively commercial hub. Our greatest aspiration is to develop a business model that can be replicated across various locations and help like-minded entrepreneurs scale up their businesses,” Chen said. “We want to help more young people return to rural towns and enjoy a work-life balance like ours.”

Strong government support for ­regional revitalization helps foster grassroots-level innovative ­commercial initiatives like coFishland and Dawoko. “We’re glad to see well thought-out creative projects underway to build strong, resilient and prosperous communities,” Kang said. “Providing resources that empower young people to achieve sustainable rural transformation is the way to attain regional balance.”

Write to Kelly Her at kher@mofa.gov.tw

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