Promotion of Organic Agriculture in Eastern Taiwan
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JOURNAL OF WORLD HERITAGE STUDIES Special Issue(2017) ISSN 2189-4728 Promotion of Organic Agriculture in Eastern Taiwan Cheng-Hua Sun,1 Li Lin,2 Chung-Yu Hsu2 and Mei-Ling Fan3 (1) The Hualien District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, Agriculture Extension Section (HDARES), No.150, Sec. 2, Ji’an Rd., Ji’an Township, Hualien County; 97365; +886 3 852 1108#191, [email protected] (2) Assistant researcher of HDARES. (3) Director of HDARES. Abstract The Hualien District Agricultural Research and Extension Station (HDARES) has actively helped indigenous tribes to build stable, high-quality crop production systems, develop organic farming, and adopt the concept of eco-agriculture. In doing so, the HDARES helps locals to maintain biodiversity, sustain food production, improve their livelihoods, and protect the ecosystem. To protect indigenous traditional wisdom, HDARES focuses on recovering indigenous and organic farming technology and industry. The community of the Xinshe Tribe recovers and applies its traditional farming skills, making efforts to maintain the cultural customs of the Kavalan ethnic group. The Fushin Eco Farm introduced organic pest control measures to implement the concepts of the Satoyama Initiative. Thus, the work of HDARES is oriented to the recovery of nature-culture linkages in agricultural landscapes for the conservation of biodiversity and cultural traditions. KEY WORDS: indigenous traditional culture, eco-agriculture, leisure tourism industry 1. Introduction For centuries, many indigenous peoples have developed, maintained, and Agricultural landscapes are expressions adapted different types of eco-agriculture of the interrelations between cultural and systems. Their knowledge, traditions, land natural heritage; according to research, the use practices, and resource management continuation of traditional systems produces institutions are essential to the development of higher biological and cultural diversity (Fan their viable eco-agriculture systems; however, et al., 2013; Yen et al. 2016). Eco-agriculture due to modernization, migration, and aging is a system that supports both agricultural population, decreased emphasis has been production and biodiversity conservation while placed on traditional knowledge, to the point working in harmony to improve the livelihoods that it is disappearing. of rural communities (Scherr and McNeely The Hualien District Agricultural 2002); for example, producing crops with less Research and Extension Station (HDARES) pollution or damage to the environment. This is responsible for conducting agricultural approach enhances the role of traditional experiments and research for Hualien and agriculture in food security and ecological Yilan counties in Eastern Taiwan as well as conservation, increases the competitiveness performing multifunctional operations such in the high-quality agricultural industry, and as, demonstration and extension, farmers’ ensures its sustainable development. education and marketing counselling, and 11 JOURNAL OF WORLD HERITAGE STUDIES Special Issue(2017) ISSN 2189-4728 technological and technical collaborations. action plan created by the United Nations In addition, HDARES has become a regional University and the Japanese government, center for agricultural research development which aims to encourage the preservation and and extension. The work of HDARES is closely utilization of biodiversity. At the core of the related to farmers’ rights and interests as well initiative is the concept of “socio-ecological as to the construction of rural areas. Therefore, production landscapes and seascapes,” the functions of HDARES are crucial for the which encompasses the ecological habitat agricultural development of Eastern Taiwan. formed through the long-term interaction The offices of HDARES are based in the between humans and nature as well as the Hualien and Yilan counties of Eastern Taiwan dynamic landscapes utilized by humans. (IPSI (see Figure 1). These counties cover 6,772 km, of 2017) In landscapes and seascapes utilized which more than 13% is alpine hillside. Among for ecological production, natural resources the 736 km2 of arable land (10.9% of the total may be used, then recycled, and used again. land area), paddy fields cover only 293 km2 Additionally, the values and importance of (39.8% of arable land) while dry land covers the traditional culture should be recognized, remaining 443 km2 (60.2% of arable land). thus striking a balance among sustainable The main cultivated crops of Hualien food production, people’s livelihoods, and County are rice, maize, tea, pomelo, watermelon, ecosystem protection. In this way, the Satoyama plum, peanut, lily, and sweet potatoes, while Initiative promotes the recognition of cultural that of Yilan County are rice, cabbage, kumquat, values in productive landscapes, supporting orange, pomelo, tea, onions, wax apple, Yin Liu, the interlinkages between nature and culture and garlic. that contribute to environmental conservation, The area of arable land in Hualien especially biodiversity conservation. County is mostly covered with calcareous schist alluvial soil, shallow soil and gravel 2. Strategies of HDARES for the conservation that causes poor soil fertility, while that of of the agricultural landscape in Eastern Taiwan Yilan is slate alluvial soil, which causes poor drainage in some areas. This geographical 2.1 Development of ecological farming and area is characterized by mountainous terrain conservation of the agricultural landscape and steep slopes, short and rapid rivers, and frequent typhoons, earthquakes, and HDARES develops organic production other natural disasters. Among the region’s technology and techniques for crops and households, 47,188 (15.5% of the total number cultivates this knowledge in farmers, helping of households) live from agriculture and Eastern Taiwan to become an organic 202,000 people (25% of the total population) production hub in Taiwan. In recent years, are farmers (HDARES 2014). organic research conducted by the HDARES has In this context, HDARES has subscribed further ventured into the field of ecology with to the Satoyama Initiative, an international studies performed to identify ways to create Figure 1. The location of HDARES in Taiwan 12 JOURNAL OF WORLD HERITAGE STUDIES Special Issue(2017) ISSN 2189-4728 diverse biological habitats inside organic distinguishing tourism industries, revitalizing farmland, to develop techniques for operating the economy of the indigenous tribes (Sun et and managing ridge vegetation, and to teach al. 2016). farmers to use the principles of ecological balance for pest control. These efforts have 3. Development of ecological farming and reduced the costs incurred by farmers in pest conservation of the agriculture landscape prevention and control, elevated their revenue, and facilitated the sustainable development of In general, planting rice requires a large agricultural production. paddy field and monoculture (i.e., only one Also, over the past few years, the type of crop is grown) which typically leads to HDARES has actively helped indigenous tribes lower biodiversity and a higher risk of pests in building stable, high-quality crop production and diseases. To resolve these problems, the systems, developing organic farming, adopting HDARES modified the international concept the concept of eco-agriculture, preserving of eco-agriculture to include ecological wildflowers, and building hedges around engineering methods appropriate for Taiwan. organic farmland ridges. In doing so, the HDARES To protect indigenous traditional wisdom, helps locals to maintain biodiversity, sustain HDARES has started researching and promoting food production, improve their livelihoods, indigenous crops. They focus on recovering both and protect the agricultural landscape (Fan et indigenous and organic farming technologies al. 2013). and industries. The Xinshe Tribe community recovers and applies its traditional farming 2.2 Promotion of the indigenous tribe leisure skills and makes efforts for maintaining the tourism industry cultural customs of the Kavalan ethnic group indigenous to Taiwan. Additionally, the Fushin Indigenous tribes in Taiwan are often located Eco Farm has introduced an organic pest in places with stunning natural landscapes, control measure to implement the concepts of with each tribe having its own distinct culture, the Satoyama Initiative (Tseng et al. 2015). which gives them advantages in attracting and Thus, the work of HDARES connects developing tourism. HDARES made an inventory traditional knowledge and cultural values of of tribe resources and then customized indigenous people in Eastern Taiwan to the strategies for each tribe according to the conservation of biodiversity in the agricultural results. Counselling tutors provide suggestions landscape. and advice to every tribe and meet with tribe members regularly to discuss and brainstorm 3.1 In the Xinshe Tribe tour content. The purpose of this resource is to help these tribes in developing mature and Located in the Fengbin Township on Taiwan’s Figure 2. The agriculture landscape of Xinshe Tribe (Author: Chung-Yu Hsu) 13 JOURNAL OF WORLD HERITAGE STUDIES Special Issue(2017) ISSN 2189-4728 Figure 3. The agriculture landscape of Fushin Eco Farm (Author: Li Lin) east coast, the settlements of the Xinshe Tribe monoculture with biodiversity which will are surrounded by paddy fields (see Figure 2); increase the prevention and control of pests rice has been grown there continually for a and