The Food and Agriculture Education Act (食農教育法) promulgated on May 4 comes at an opportune time, as it involves the implementation of net-zero emissions and sustainable development goals.
According to the National Development Council’s Taiwan 2050 Net Zero Emissions Pathway and Strategic Overview, the production of low-carbon and healthy foods would require incentives for more farmers to adopt regenerative agriculture. A report published by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change also recommends the promotion of ecological farming.
The regulations echo the agro-ecological initiatives of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, involving a transition from the current practices of industrialized farming and globalized food distribution models to a local food and farming system through ecological organic agriculture by farmers for local consumption.
The food and agriculture system needs to be transformed, because the consequences of the existing system — soil degradation, environmental pollution, ecological collapse and damage to health — has long been evident, as is the threat of extreme weather in the near future. Ecological and regenerative organic farming will not only help reduce emissions and store carbon, but can also promote soil health and improve climate resilience in agriculture, which is in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
However, in Taiwan and on average worldwide, certified land for organic production remains under 2 percent of the total production area: At this rate, transformation will come too late to contribute to net-zero emissions by 2050.
The crux of the problem lies in the overcomplicated existing system, in which people can only follow the conventional rules, and changes or innovations can only happen incrementally, making a paradigm shift impossible.
This is because the conventional thinking over the years has dealt with issues by compartmentalizing them — for example, by highlighting the convenience and rapid action of pesticides and fertilizers, but downplaying the health hazards and damage they do to the land, or determining the value of agriculture solely by market prices, making it difficult for small farmers to compete, which leads to the decline of rural communities.
The untold truth is that the conventional system of agriculture comes at a huge social cost, while consumers have become addicted to low food prices.
The short-term electoral system drives policies to favor the existing system, and the indicators set out in the agricultural budget fail to incorporate important issues such as the overall environment, health and well-being.
The transformation of the food and agriculture system requires cooperation between the government and the private sector to overcome difficulties, mainstream ecological agriculture and change the overall view of food in education and research.
New indicators for sustainable food and agriculture systems must also be established, while transferring budgets to ecologically regenerative organic agriculture. In addition to expanding public procurement, it is necessary to focus on building short-distance supply chain infrastructure and new retail models to promote connections between production and consumption.
The Food and Agriculture Education Act should focus on the transformation of the food and agriculture system, which can be achieved only by joint efforts among industry, government, academia and consumers. A consensus built through dialogue is the cornerstone of achieving comprehensive transformation and the net-zero goal.
Warren Kuo is an emeritus professor in National Taiwan University’s Department of Agronomy.
Translated by Lin Lee-kai
Recently, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) hastily pushed amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) through the Legislative Yuan, sparking widespread public concern. The legislative process was marked by opaque decisionmaking and expedited proceedings, raising alarms about its potential impact on the economy, national defense, and international standing. Those amendments prioritize short-term political gains at the expense of long-term national security and development. The amendments mandate that the central government transfer about NT$375.3 billion (US$11.47 billion) annually to local governments. While ostensibly aimed at enhancing local development, the lack
Having enjoyed contributing regular essays to the Liberty Times and Taipei Times now for several years, I feel it is time to pull back. As some of my readers know, I have enjoyed a decades-long relationship with Taiwan. My most recent visit was just a few months ago, when I was invited to deliver a keynote speech at a major conference in Taipei. Unfortunately, my trip intersected with Double Ten celebrations, so I missed the opportunity to call on friends in government, as well as colleagues in the new AIT building, that replaced the old Xin-yi Road complex. I have
Former US president Jimmy Carter’s legacy regarding Taiwan is a complex tapestry woven with decisions that, while controversial, were instrumental in shaping the nation’s path and its enduring relationship with the US. As the world reflects on Carter’s life and his recent passing at the age of 100, his presidency marked a transformative era in Taiwan-US-China relations, particularly through the landmark decision in 1978 to formally recognize the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the sole legal government of China, effectively derecognizing the Republic of China (ROC) based in Taiwan. That decision continues to influence geopolitical dynamics and Taiwan’s unique
Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) — who once endured the hardship of living under an authoritarian political system and arduously led a quiet revolution — once said: “Democratic issues must be solved with democratic means.” Today, as Taiwanese are faced with the malicious subversion of our country’s democratic constitutional order, we must not panic. Rather, we should start by taking democratic action to rescue the Constitutional Court. As Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁) leads the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) in strangling Taiwan’s judiciary and depriving individuals of the right to recall and development, Taiwanese
RSS