Tue, Aug 26, 2008 page4

• Community Compass: PROFILE: Organic farming couple tangle with China

  RAISING A RUCKUS French national Phillipe Vasse and his Taiwanese spouse Heather Lin fight Beijing’s name games and the vested interests of farmers associations

  • By Richard Hazeldine / STAFF REPORTER
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  Whether it’s helping disadvantaged kids in remote areas get an education, tending to their organic vegetable crops, or fighting China in its endless campaign to suppress Taiwan on the international stage, nothing is too much of a challenge for Frenchman Phillipe Vasse and his Taiwanese wife Heather Lin (林秋珍).

  Vasse, who became acquainted with the country in the 1990s through his cultural and educational exchange work with Taiwan’s representative office in his native Paris, moved here in 2005 and got married last year.

  The couple’s desire for a more natural life combined with concerns about the “looming world food crisis” saw Vasse, who had a deep-seated passion for nature and farming from his youth in France, and Heather, who knew about organic farming from her job with the US State of Indiana trade office, decide to give up city life and buy some farmland.

  The couple’s passion for fresh, chemical-free produce led them to make friends with many people active in Taiwan’s organic farming movement, who shared a common interest — a desire to join the world’s top organic body (IFOAM, The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements). That quest in turn led to the Association of Taiwan Organic Agriculture Promotion (ATOAP), an umbrella group for the domestic organic movement that they joined, which helped them realize their IFOAM dream.

  As international cooperation director and executive director of ATOAP respectively, Vasse and Lin said they soon found themselves involved in a battle with a larger, more formidable pest than most organic farmers are used to — China.

  Phillipe said the trouble began early this year when, under pressure from Beijing, Taiwan’s designation on the IFOAM Web site was suddenly changed to “Chinese Taipei.”

  The move enraged members, who were astounded that Taiwan’s political troubles could seep into the world of organic food. The organization fought back and under the threat of a lawsuit, IFOAM eventually reneged, reinstating “Taiwan,” they said.

  But the battle was not yet won, as it became apparent to Vasse and Lin and the rest of the Taiwanese delegation to the 16th IFOAM Organic World Congress, which was held in Modena, Italy, in June, that China was out to kill Taiwan’s bid to host the 17th congress in 2011.

  Thankfully those pushing the Chinese agenda were ousted during the congress’ elections, and despite losing out to South Korea in the bid to host the congress, Taiwan was able to have its flag displayed at the opening ceremony, an outcome that had even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs congratulating the group, Vasse said.

  Despite such troubles, Vasse and Lin said they remain undeterred in their battle to push organic produce. But this task — despite the nation’s legions of wealthy, health-conscious consumers — is not as easy as one would think, the couple said, as the organic farming movement is fragmented and very localized, with a lack of consumer confidence in the four existing domestic certification schemes.

  Another problem the group faces is tackling the vested interests of Taiwan’s all-powerful farmers associations, as association chiefs are usually the ones who supply farmers with pesticides. This, combined with an aging population of farmers who lack business and marketing skills, makes most reluctant to leave their comfort zone and go green, they said.

  But Vasse and Lin persist, and in less than a year since it was formed, ATOAP now has around 400 members, so although progress remains slow, the future looks promising.

  Away from the farm, Vasse and Lin keep themselves busy with voluntary work at the Youth Care Foundation (普仁青年關懷基金會), a charity dedicated to helping children from disadvantaged families get a better education.

  Youth Care, established by a group of university students in 1982, works with schools and teachers to identify children whose domestic circumstances are affecting their studies, Lin said.

  Contributors to the foundation “adopt” these children, donating NT$1,500 (junior high school) or NT$2,500 (high school) per month to help them with education expenses, which are surprisingly high even in rural areas.

  The money is paid into each child’s bank account (teachers keep the account chops after a few bad experiences where parents stole the money for alcohol) and the children can withdraw cash whenever they need it. The children then have to write reports charting their progress, which their financial guardians can access via the foundation’s Web site.

  The foundation also has a facilitation program designed to help kids with talent in areas other than academia, Vasse said, such as music, crafts or sport. In July 2006 one school, Hong Jen Junior High School in Nantou County, received a grant that enabled it to take part in and win an international tug-of-war tournament in Japan, for which the participating students received a sports college scholarship.

  The couple admits that visiting some of the almost 1,000 children who benefit from the scheme brings home the “shocking” reality of life for many poor families in Taiwan and “makes one despair that things can be so bad in a rich country,” but with determined people like Vasse and Lin working on their behalf, the future for these kids looks just a little bit brighter.

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