Sustainable Agriculture in Taiwan
In September, the Director of FFTC, Dr. Torng-Chuang Wu, gave a lecture at the ACTETSME Conference Hall in the Philippines, as part of a Public Lecture Series about APEC economies. A summary of his lecture is given below.
The densely populated island of Taiwan is developing a system of agriculture that uses its resources in a sustainable manner
Introduction
Most of the less industrialized countries of the Asian and Pacific region are suffering from a degradation of the natural resources and the environment, as they strive to produce enough food for a rapidly growing population. However, we are all gradually coming to realize that resources must be used in a sustainable manner.
The term "sustainable agriculture" has different meanings to different people, but it is generally accepted to embrace economics (sustainable agriculture must be profitable); the ecological balance (sustainable agriculture must conserve the environment); and rural culture (sustainable agriculture must meet human needs, including social and cultural ones).
An important objective of agricultural policy in Taiwan is to maintain the harmony between production and the environment. There has been a conscious effort in recent years to realize the concept of sustainable agriculture. Agricultural systems are now integrated with ecological processes, in order to maintain profitable production while minimizing environmental damage.
Taiwan
The Agricultural Environment
Taiwan is a mountainous island, with steep slopes and soft parent rocks that are easily eroded. Rainfall is heavy, and Taiwan usually expects several typhoons and earthquakes each year. Furthermore, the island has one of the densest populations in the world. Land use is very intensive, and cultivation has been pushed up into marginal slopelands.
Director Wu described soil conservation practices and programs which have been developed and applied in Taiwan.
In the early years, the emphasis was on training farmers and on field demonstrations. Before 1966, conservation measures were applied to individual farms. Since then, the emphasis has been on watershed management, and on public facilities such as farm access roads, and drainage facilities.
Dr. Wu also described sustainable soil and fertilizer management, in which a soil testing service for farmers plays an important role.
Microbial fertilizers are popular among many farmers. Microorganism inoculation for crops, especially horticultural crops, is effective and widely used. A range of microbial products are made by government research centers and distributed through farmers' organizations.
Sustainable agriculture does not necessarily mean organic agriculture. There has been a great deal of debate about organic farming. Some scientists regard it as a craze, not a method, in which all chemicals are dogmatically banned. Others feel that yields are lower in organic agriculture, and that the labor cost is often higher.
In spite of these drawbacks, organic farming has become popular in Taiwan because of the demand for organic products. Model plots for organic farming have been set up, supported by government subsidies. Farmers are encouraged to use compost they make themselves as fertilizer, and to control pests by using non-chemical methods. These include spraying with sugar-vinegar-microbial solutions. Organic farmers also apply charcoal, camphor oil, tobacco and hot pepper extract to control pests, or one of the many other natural pesticides.
Although chemical pesticides are still used in conventional farming, the aim is to minimize application rates and maximize their effectivenesss. Chemicals are seen as a part of integrated pest management, which combines chemical and biological control with the use of resistant varieties and cultural practices which minimize pest damage. An island-wide monitoring program on farms and in markets protects consumers from produce which is contaminated with pesticide residues.
Sustainable Agriculture for Asia
Asia's strategy for sustainable agriculture must not simply be imported from Western countries. It must be developed in Asia, so that it is suited to Asian conditions.
Information is one of the most important inputs in sustainable agriculture. FFTC as an international information center hopes to promote the development of sustainable agriculture in Asia. It will do this by collecting and disseminating suitable technologies for crop and livestock production, soil and water management, and plant and animal health. Better information offers farmers more options in making productive and sustainable use of their agricultural resources.
Index of Images
Figure 1 Spring Rice Crop in Taiwan. Note Framework of Greenhouse, Which Is Covered in Plastic in Winter and Used for Vegetable Production.
Figure 2 Green Pepper Grown in Greenhouse. the Crop Has Been Protected from TMV-P Virus by an Attenuated Strain of Virus
