Organic consumption on campus to lift organic production and achieve the net-zero target
The AFA explains that to counter climate change and pandemic threats, net-zero and sustainability have taken center stage in policymaking. Carbon reduction and soil carbon sink are among the key strategies. Meanwhile, organic and eco-friendly cultivations are highly emphasized for their agricultural resiliency and environmental sustainability features. Encouraging schools to use organic ingredients is key to lifting production with consumption. It enables more organic farmers to fully commit to organic farming and facilitates the entire country to join forces in achieving the net-zero target by 2050. The AFA points out that most schools have established the routine of using organic vegetables once a week. To increase the ratio of organic ingredients, a total of five municipal areas, namely Taipei City, Taichung City, Yilan County, Hualien County, and Taitung County have committed to using more organic rice. In 2022, over 1,000 metric tons of organic rice were used under the program, which was equivalent to the yearly yield of 210 hectares of organic rice cultivation and provided tremendous benefits to the producers. With the rise in organic consumption, domestic organic and eco-friendly cultivation has grown to 19,408 hectares, accounting for 2.5% of the overall cultivated area. Each year, it has reduced 23 thousand metric tons of chemical fertilizers and 250 metric tons of chemical pesticides, reducing CO2 emission by 37.7 thousand metric tons and benefitting living, production, and ecology all at once.
Allowing food and farming education to take root by reaching out to youngsters
The AFA says that to create a connection between campus diets and sustainable farming. Local organic farmers and promotions groups were brought in to design teaching devices, learning sheets, and award quizzes to convey topics such as organic farming, organic rice processing, ecological balance, and resource recycling. Children were invited to create creative dishes like organic rice balls with their hands, or grilled vegetables from organic rice powder. Through the experience, they not only gained knowledge about organic sources and rice culture in a fun and entertaining way, they also became more aware of their food and recognized the value of organic agriculture. The initiative of providing students with healthful and assuring organic ingredients has been well received by students and teachers, and as a result, parents and citizens are now more willing to buy organic products. This virtuous cycle of consumption lifting production can genuinely benefit organic farmers and helps Taiwan step forward in organic development. We sincerely invite you to be part of our journey toward net-zero agriculture.
