Organic agriculture is important to achieving sustainable natural cycles. It is also a vital way to produce safe food. The New Agriculture Innovation Promotion Program launched by the Council of Agriculture in 2016 has highlighted enlarging organic and eco-friendly as its main policy goals. Since 2017, policies like on-land subsidies for organic and eco-friendly cultivation have been implemented to materially incentivize farmers to transfer to organic and eco-friendly cultivation. The enforcement of the Organic Agriculture Promotion Act on May 30, 2019 gave the promotion of organic agriculture another push as part of the effort to pursue full organic adoption in the country. As of the end of July 2021, organic and eco-friendly cultivation had combined grown to 16,571 hectares, exceeding the set target of 16,500 hectares. That was equivalent to 2.09% of the country’s arable land. This effort has decreased the yearly use of chemical pesticides by 200 metric tons and fertilizers by 20 thousand metric tons. It even cut the equivalent CO2 emissions from the agricultural sector by 6,142 metric tons, making a stride to make the world more sustainable.
Forestry cooperative of bamboo shoots adds force to the organic program
The AFA explains that it has continuously been promoting organic and eco-friendly cultivation and encouraging farmers to make the transformation. The just-certified “Nantou County Zhushan Township Limited Forestry Cooperative” is considered one of the primary forces behind the government’s initiatives to reach 16,500 hectares of organic and eco-friendly cultivation. Since established in 1948, the cooperative has been in the business of fresh bamboo shoots, bamboo shoot pickles, crisp bamboo shoots, sliced bamboo shoots, and other processed agricultural products and bamboo materials. To support the government’s policy on organic and eco-friendly promotion, this cooperative located among beautiful mountain ranges guided member farmers to cultivate bamboo shoots and other processed products following organic standards. The area certified to organic has reached 144.37 hectares and has become an idol case of forestry land successfully transferred to organic cultivation. It also maintains a decent balance between soil and water conservation and farmers’ livelihood. As the largest organic bamboo shoot producer, the cooperative proudly provides safe and healthful organic bamboo shoots and processed products to nationwide consumers.
An extensive organic promotion scheme to accelerate the organic growth
The AFA indicates that it promotes organic and eco-friendly agriculture in pursuit of sustainable agricultural operation while lowering its impact on the environment. In addition to producing safe and quality agricultural products, those practices are also recognized as the most environmentally friendly ways of agriculture. The government continually issues organic rewards and incentives, subsidies for certification and testing fees on organic and in-conversion products, subsidies on agricultural machinery, processing equipment, greenhouses (net houses), and fertilizers applicable to organic and eco-friendly cultivation, and take other policy measures. Dedicated organic zones in rural communities, the use of organic ingredients in school lunch, enhanced marketing channels, and education on organic agriculture are implemented to increase consumers’ confidence in the industry and lead to further organic development. With the implementation of the Organic Agriculture Promotion Act, the scope of promotion has extended from the previous crop industry to include forestry, fishery, and livestock industries, which is conducive to the mutual growth of each industry. For example, organic fishery and livestock production is predicated on the supply of organic feeds, which the producers of organic corns, soybeans, and forages can accommodate; promoting the management of forest lands or under-forest economies are all viable ways to protect forests and ecology. These efforts help to create a more holistic organic agriculture, amplify organic agriculture’s value to ecological sustainability, and establish a role model for Taiwan’s future organic development.
