President Tsai Ing-wen said Aug. 7 that the government is sowing the seeds of success for sustainable organic agriculture, vowing to cultivate the sector into one of Taiwan’s signature regional and global exports.
Organic farming is an important component of the government’s New Agriculture undertaking given its pivotal role in promoting environmental protection, food safety and industry upgrades, Tsai said. It will add value to local produce and help safeguard the income and welfare of agricultural workers, she added.
The president made the remarks while opening an organic agriculture forum in Taipei City. Organized by Yilan County-headquartered Youngsun Culture and Education Foundation in northeastern Taiwan with support of the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture, the daylong event involved participants from around the country discussing challenges and opportunities stemming from the potential-laden sector.
According to the president, tremendous progress has been made in advancing organic agriculture since she took office in May 2016. This is evidenced by the nearly 10,000 hectares of land dedicated to eco-friendly and organic farming as of July, with the figure set to grow to 15,000 hectares by the end of 2020, she said.
A cornerstone initiative in this regard is the organic agriculture promotion act passed by the Cabinet in May. Expected to come into law in the first half of 2019, the legislation enables the government to quickly adjust rules and regulations, as well as allocate additional resources to pressing issues like acquiring land for certified farming and ensuring neighboring fields are free of contaminants.
The COA is also stepping up efforts in marketing locally produced crops at home and abroad, Tsai said, citing progress such as including organic produce in meals for members of the armed forces and 1.48 million students in 2,200 schools nationwide.
At the same time, the council is raising public awareness—especially among the younger generations—of the valuable contribution organic farming can make to promoting lifestyles of health and sustainability, or LOHAS, and strengthening food safety, the president added.
Launched in 2017, the four-year New Agriculture undertaking aims to firm up the foundations of Taiwan’s agricultural sector and transform it into a globally competitive player. Other objectives include increasing the country’s food self-sufficiency to 40 percent, creating NT$43.4 billion (US$1.42 billion) in added-value production and generating 370,000 new jobs.
The undertaking is a key component in the government’s five-plus-two industrial innovation program, which targets the five high-growth sectors of biotech and pharmaceuticals, green energy, national defense, smart machinery and Internet of Things, as well as promotes the circular economy. (SFC-E)
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