The Taiwan Society for Circular Economy and the NPUST Center for Sustainable Research and Development jointly organized the Taiwan Agricultural Circular Economy Symposium under the theme of Creating a Sustainable Future: Opportunities and Challenges for Taiwan’s Agricultural Circular Economy. The event was held at the Chang Yung-fa Foundation International Conference Center on August 8th, at which time representatives of a variety of sectors came together to discuss Taiwan’s future development.
Taiwan Society for Circular Economy Chairman Liang-Jenq Leu, Chairman Willis Cheng of Charoen Pokphand Co., Ltd, CCCADS International Committee Member Clover Chang, and NPUST’s former president Chang-Hsien Tai were joined by many members of the NPUST Center for Sustainable Research and Development for the opening ceremony. Throughout the afternoon, excellent presentations were provided by the main speakers of the seminar, including Dr. Lao-Dar Juang Director of the Department of Resources Sustainability (Ministry of Agriculture); Chairman Fu-ching Tsai of the Rural Development Foundation; General Manager She-pin Hung of Fwusow Industry Co. Ltd.; Assistant Manager Yao-Yuan Chang of Taiwan Cement Center for Low Carbon R&D; Chairman Tsung-Chin Kuo of Kunnyih Wood Co. Ltd.; and Director Chen-Chiu Tsai of the Industrial Technology Research Institute Green Energy and Environment.
During his remarks, Taiwan Society for Circular Economy Chairman Liang-Jenq Leu said, “the Taiwan Society for Circular Economy in Agriculture was established in 2019. With current members coming from many different sectors, it is clear that circular economies are highly valued within Taiwan’s industry. However, the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) places Taiwan at a ranking of 74 out of 180 countries in the world, showing that there is room for further improvement. NPUST’s former president Chang-Hsien Tai made a loud call to bring together experts from industry, government, and academia to share on the circular economy achievements made in different fields with hopes that through this seminar we can promote cross-field cooperation between agriculture and industry and continue to work hard for circular economies”.
NPUST Vice-President Shui-jen Chen said, “circular economies in agriculture play an important role in industrial transformation when it comes to net-zero emissions; and agriculture is the cornerstone of Taiwan’s sustainable development. From food security and environmental sustainability to ecological conservation and biodiversity—all these things are closely related to agriculture. Today’s symposium, which was jointly organized by Taiwan Society for Circular Economy and National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, is of great significance for national development, with experts from many different fields of expertise coming together to discuss the current state of circular economy development in Taiwan”.
The theme of Creating a Sustainable Future: Opportunities and Challenges for Taiwan’s Agricultural Circular Economy was selected with the goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2040 in mind and the understanding that circular economies play an integral part in this effort. The NPUST Center for Sustainable Research and Development, headed up by former university president Chang-Hsien Tai, is dedicated to renewable energy and circular economy research, with teams focused on advanced green energy technology, agricultural and forestry circular economy value creation, biomass energy cycles, and animal husbandry environmental sustainability technology. They are developing methods to integrate green energy with high-voltage gas storage composite micro-grid systems and smart grids. They are also combining their research with other laboratories, such as the Agriculture and Forestry Circular Economy Value-Creation Laboratory to produce the thermal energy needed for the biomass pellet production process, the Biomass Energy Cycle Laboratory to enhance the heating processes required for production, and the Livestock Environment Sustainable Technology Laboratory to improve the aeration treatment of livestock house wastewater. Such cooperation helps to increase efficiency and reduce waste—goals which will be pursued further through the interactive exchanges which took place during the symposium. Together, the aim is to explore ways in which Taiwan’s agricultural industries can develop circular economies, use resources more efficiently, reduce waste, create new value, and reduce environmental pollution.
The Ministry of Agriculture was invited to offer guidance on current agricultural circular economy policy, while the Industrial Technology Research Institute contributed also made contributions to the event in the area of technology. The two national agencies will work with industries to help them integrate service platforms into their net-zero emissions strategies, they will also provide technical support or matchmaking services to farmers, business owners and academics.
Several companies which were invited to present are leading brands in the industry. Amongst these, Fwusow Industry proposed that the auxiliary materials from the production of consumer goods can be recycled as feed additives or developed into organic fertilizers for farmers. Not only will this reduce secondary manufacturing carbon emissions, but will also improve the quality of agriculture products. With consideration given to rural development, agricultural waste can be used for textiles, biochar or other economically valuable applications. Forestry is another important industry when it comes to carbon sequestration. Taiwan’s geographical and climatic conditions are suitable for bamboo, which can be harvested on for use every 4 years. The carbon sequestration capacity of bamboo is 3 to 6 times greater than that of wood, meaning that bamboo forests can play an important role in the drive for net zero emissions. NPUST and the Taiwan Society for Circular Economy hope that the university’s practical experience in agricultural and green energy can serve a stepping stone on the road to 2040 net zero carbon, and that through the symposium, members of various sectors can come together to develop new ways to recycle raw materials and find alternatives to chemical plastics as they work toward their common goal.
