One word – TOAF, well it’s more of an acronym. It stands for Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation, which we got to visit!
This company promotes organic farming and supports farmers dedicated to environmental sustainability. It was really cool to learn about their Green Conservation Label, which represents their vision of harmony between humans’ footprint and that of ecology. Tse-Xin described their efforts to help recognize producers who use eco-friendly or organic practices. Only 2% of Taiwan’s land is cultivated this way, so Tse-Xin works with farms to tell their story and get them certified for their organic products.
I found it interesting that these initiatives for organic certification came not from the government initially but from companies, like Tse-Xin, pushing to protect wildlife conservation and organic farmers’ lower product yields. In the spirit of harmony, Tse-Xin emphasized the importance of biotechnology working alongside sustainability.
Later in the day we visited one of the most famous tea farms in Taiwan, BY-TeaMaster – not organic, sadly, but competition grade in its teas! The young tea farmer gave us a tour of his factories and the land, which was shared by many different tea farmers. Since tea production is very labor intensive, younger people are less inclined to do it. It’s super cool that there is a Young Farmers Association that helps these young farmers come together, collaborate, and exchange technical knowledge.
This young generation of farmers also rebranded themselves using social media. The tea business is one that stretches across generations and is passed down, so each generation’s tea is made slightly differently and has its own distinctness. BY-TeaMaster’s method was meticulously adapted from the son’s father and now is renowned for its award-winning teas! I had so much fun learning about this and getting to try the competition grade teas through a tea ceremony!
We ended the day with our first nightmarket adventure! Our tour guide, Jesse, made sure to tell us essential tips. Don’t have all your money out. Stay away from fried goods. Know when to bargain. What fun!