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
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