On April 20, Minister of Agriculture Su Jia-chyuan (
In Japan, the primary output value of every single hectare of paddy field is estimated to be some NT$360,000. But these paddy fields also hold water reserves rich in nutrients, store rainwater and flood waters, and provide a natural habitat for wild animals. They can also absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and can be used for recreational and educational purposes. The value of all these things added together is what we have come to term "green GDP."
So, how much is this worth? According to estimates by Japanese academics, the figure is approximately NT$800,000, more than twice the primary production value. Other things add to this value, beyond the paddy fields themselves. These include trees, both broadleaf and conifer. Taiwan's trees have not been felled for more than a decade now, with 99 percent of our supply of wood coming from imports. This puts the primary production value of the nation's trees at close to zero. But it must be remembered that our tree stock is growing year by year, as is the potential wood available for use. Is it really true, then, that the forests are worth nothing? This is a misconception resulting from the fact that the agricultural industry only counts primary production value.
Agriculture in Taiwan has been undervalued ever since the policy of using the sector to spur industry started in 1964. And the way in which farmers and agriculture have been ignored by the government all this time is a shame.
But it serves the council right. When officials in charge of economic and financial policy calculated primary output value in the past, they never explained, or even asked their own experts on agricultural economy to estimate, the value of the secondary and tertiary agricultural sectors. Nor did they ask professors of agriculture to estimate green GDP. Su should enlist the help of university professors and council experts to calculate these figures so that those with decisionmaking power can learn the importance of the agricultural sector and understand that allocating agricultural subsidies makes sense.
Modern agricultural production differs from traditional production. In the era of the knowledge economy, some of the most popular electronics companies turn less than a 5 percent profit, but they produce many types of pollution and consume water and electricity. On the other hand, someone growing black pearl wax apples or cultivating cobia fish can earn 20 percent or 30 percent profits.
People who work in the high-tech industry, economists, lawyers and rich people in general, can thank the agricultural sector for the fact that they are able to enjoy scenic spots in agricultural areas. While national unemployment figures are on the rise, rural villages often serve as a buffer zone and help to promote social order. It is not just idle talk when we say that the modern agriculture industry works for the good of everyone.
Yang Ping-shih is a professor in the College of Bio-Resources and Agriculture at National Taiwan University.
Translated by Paul Cooper and Perry Svensson
Saudi Arabian largesse is flooding Egypt’s cultural scene, but the reception is mixed. Some welcome new “cooperation” between two regional powerhouses, while others fear a hostile takeover by Riyadh. In Cairo, historically the cultural capital of the Arab world, Egyptian Minister of Culture Nevine al-Kilany recently hosted Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki al-Sheikh. The deep-pocketed al-Sheikh has emerged as a Medici-like patron for Egypt’s cultural elite, courted by Cairo’s top talent to produce a slew of forthcoming films. A new three-way agreement between al-Sheikh, Kilany and United Media Services — a multi-media conglomerate linked to state intelligence that owns much of
The US and other countries should take concrete steps to confront the threats from Beijing to avoid war, US Representative Mario Diaz-Balart said in an interview with Voice of America on March 13. The US should use “every diplomatic economic tool at our disposal to treat China as what it is... to avoid war,” Diaz-Balart said. Giving an example of what the US could do, he said that it has to be more aggressive in its military sales to Taiwan. Actions by cross-party US lawmakers in the past few years such as meeting with Taiwanese officials in Washington and Taipei, and
The Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan has no official diplomatic allies in the EU. With the exception of the Vatican, it has no official allies in Europe at all. This does not prevent the ROC — Taiwan — from having close relations with EU member states and other European countries. The exact nature of the relationship does bear revisiting, if only to clarify what is a very complicated and sensitive idea, the details of which leave considerable room for misunderstanding, misrepresentation and disagreement. Only this week, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) received members of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations
Denmark’s “one China” policy more and more resembles Beijing’s “one China” principle. At least, this is how things appear. In recent interactions with the Danish state, such as applying for residency permits, a Taiwanese’s nationality would be listed as “China.” That designation occurs for a Taiwanese student coming to Denmark or a Danish citizen arriving in Denmark with, for example, their Taiwanese partner. Details of this were published on Sunday in an article in the Danish daily Berlingske written by Alexander Sjoberg and Tobias Reinwald. The pretext for this new practice is that Denmark does not recognize Taiwan as a state under