Developing Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture-Taiwan Experiences

Abstract

With growing concerns about deterioration of the natural environment scientists have in recent years been developing several agricultural systems which are capable of continuous and profitable production and improving living quality of human life. These concepts of sustainable agriculture include: natural agriculture, organic agriculture, ecoagriculture, renewable agriculture, biological agriculture, and biodynamic agriculture.Sustainable agriculture may be defined as an integrated scientific agricultural operation system guided by carefully designed resource management strategies for appropriate long range use of soil and water resources minimal dependence on nonrenewable resources, reduced contamination of the living environment and maintenance of a natural ecological equilibrium in order to sustain profitable production and preserve the natural environment for our future generation.Taiwan agriculture has focused on the following research areas: (1) rotation and intercropping, (2) soil nutrient management, (3) use of organic fertilizer, (4) plant pest management, (5) use of non - chemical natural pesticides, (6) non - chemical weed control management.We are, however, facing the following challenges in constructing an extension program and system for sustainable farming in the field.(1) Production benefits and resource efficiency tested in developed and temperate countries may not be applicable to less developed and tropical countries.(2) Farmers are used to intensive use of chemical materials.(3) Consumers' increasing demand for a good living environment may lead them to reject domestic agricultural products and seek imported foreign foods.The author is proposing that a corporate extension system can be employed to assist in developing a sustainable agriculture. The corporate extension system may be defined as a developmental strategy to organize farmers and customers and teach affiliated members to make normative and rational decisions to manage farms in order to achieve sustainable profits and continuous use of resources in response to market demands and societal needs.