The nation’s food self-sufficiency rate dropped to an 18-year low of 30.3 percent last year due to a decrease in rice production and a change in the dietary habits of Taiwanese, a report by the Ministry of Agriculture showed.
The average person in Taiwan last year ate 42.07kg of rice, down from 44.96kg in 2013, the report said. Over the same period, consumption of meat and poultry rose sharply from 71.63kg in 2013 to 87.19kg last year, due to higher demand for protein from health enthusiasts.
The demand for protein coincides with an increase in gym usage in Taiwan over the past few years. A May 24 report by FTV News said that there was an 80 percent increase in the number of gyms nationwide last year over 2019.
One gym owner was cited in the report as attributing the increase to greater health consciousness in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Since the pandemic, awareness of preventive medicine has been gradually growing. People are becoming more aware of the importance of muscle strength,” she said, adding that her gym also offered nutrition plans.
In a report entitled “Rice Production in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues and Perspectives,” the Food and Agriculture Organization related the rice consumption of a nation to its level of prosperity.
“With growing prosperity and urbanization, per capita rice consumption has started declining in the middle and high-income Asian countries,” it said. “But nearly a fourth of the Asian population is still poor and has considerable unmet demand for rice. It is in [poorer Asian] countries that rice consumption will grow faster.”
Much in the same way that birthrates go down as a nation’s middle class grows, so are the diets and recreational habits of a population tied to wealth. From 1951 to 1965, Taiwan was a recipient of US aid, which supplemented the Taiwanese diet, and lifespans were shorter.
Today, Taiwan is a provider, rather than a recipient, of foreign aid. Taiwanese now have abundant food choices, and a rising rate of diabetes has contributed to widespread health consciousness and the awareness of the risk of excessive intake of carbohydrates.
In 2001 then-Council of Agriculture minister Chen Wu-hsiung (陳武雄) said that the government aimed to increase Taiwan’s food self-sufficiency rate from 30.3 percent to 40 percent by 2020. Clearly, that goal has not been met.
To make progress on the issue, the ministry should work with farmers to bring about a shift in agricultural production. A visit to any supermarket in Taiwan today reveals that the majority of rice products are white rice, while brown and multigrain options — which are more popular with health-conscious shoppers — are limited.
The majority of packaged meats are also thinly sliced meats for hot pot, diced meats for stews, and ground beef and pork. Steaks and pork chops are largely limited to imported options and are more expensive. Chicken is generally good quality and affordable, and boneless chicken breasts are usually available.
The ministry could subsidize livestock farming, and encourage farmers to diversify grain and meat products and packaging, while also promoting fish, eggs, yogurt and lentils as good options for those on protein-rich diets.
The nation is capable of achieving self-sufficiency in its food production and should strive to do so — particularly since imports could be restricted for some time during a conflict with China. Minor changes in food production, packaging and marketing could help Taiwan achieve its food-related aims.
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