The FANCA stated that in the past, businesses participating in the traceability system had to apply before the launch of each product on the market. Only after approval could they obtain QR codes for that batch of products. This cumbersome process was a hindrance to diverse, flexible processing and sales models. To address industry needs and improve the self-management and operational efficiency of businesses, the new system has introduced key reforms to the process:
1. Simplified application and verification procedures with strengthened source management: By eliminating case-by-case review and barcode issuance, businesses only need to register traceability information (such as tree species, volume, origin) in the Taiwan Forest Products Production Traceability System and upload relevant supporting documentation. After verification by the acceptance and review units, business operators can then generate and use traceability barcodes through the 　　　system.
2. Clarified operator definitions and responsibilities: The new system clearly defines “operators,” stipulating that all businesses involved in the production, processing, packaging, distribution, or sale of forest products must be responsible for the authenticity of their registered information and ensure that the barcode information matches the actual product status.
　　3. Strengthened market audits to safeguard credibility: Future market inspection mechanisms will be enhanced through random spot checks. If false registrations are 　　　found, penalties will be imposed according to the severity of the circumstances, ranging from corrective action within a specified timeframe to suspension of system 　　　privileges, or even pursuing legal liability.
　　4. Expanded the traceability scope to include bamboo products: To further improve the forest product traceability system, the new system officially includes bamboo 　　　products. This not only provides a more comprehensive source verification of domestic forest products, but also offers consumers who prefer bamboo products the 　　　same transparent and trustworthy choices.

　　The FANCA emphasized that the purpose of the Taiwan Forest Products Production Traceability System is to establish a trustworthy “identity card” for domestically produced wood and bamboo materials. Through digital tracking mechanisms, the legality of wood and bamboo materials can be confirmed, effectively differentiating domestic timber from foreign imports. The system also aligns with the international sustainability trends and connects with the global supply chain.
 

　　The FANCA pointed out that the new guidelines have significantly lowered the threshold and administrative costs for businesses to participate in the traceability system. Businesses are encouraged to apply for registration, leverage transparent production information to build their brand reputation, and jointly create an open and reliable domestic timber trading environment to drive industry upgrading. When purchasing wood and bamboo products, consumers can look for the “Taiwan Wood” label and “Production Traceability Barcode.” They need only scan the QR code with a smartphone to instantly check the product’s origin and producer information. By supporting “local production and local consumption,” not only can we help reduce the carbon footprint caused by trans-national transportation, but also take practical actions to participate in the sustainable management of Taiwan’s forests.

　　As an iconic national trail in Taiwan, the Jiaming Lake Trail faces pressure from climate change and the increasing number of hikers. This has resulted in traditional engineering methods becoming no longer sufficient to meet the needs of the high-altitude environment. Since 2016, FANCA Taitung has implemented an eco-craft trail construction method that relies primarily on manual labor, adapts to the terrain, and uses locally sourced materials. This approach not only protects the ecosystem but also incorporates total amount control and research monitoring.

　　Director General Lin Hwa-Ching of the FANCA, said that the Jiaming Lake Eco-craft Trail project was implemented through public-private partnership, involving the participation of construction crews, research teams, and volunteers. It has transformed environmental conservation from an abstract concept into concrete and sustainable action. The “One Person, One Kilogram” campaign initiated by hikers has transformed climbers from “travelers” into “mountain guardians,” with everyone working together to safeguard the mountains and becoming an important model of public governance.

　　The preview exhibition held in Taipei conveys the core spirit of the Jiaming Lake Eco-craft Trail through video footage, illustrations, as well as on-site displays of tools and installation art related to the trail construction. It offers the public insight into the expertise and dedication behind the management of high-altitude mountain trails. The main exhibition, fully showcasing the decade-long action plan and research results, will officially open in Taitung on January 21. By reducing disturbance to surrounding habitats and maintaining ecosystem continuity, this project establishes high-altitude environments as vital linkages supporting biodiversity and the National Green Network.

　　FANCA Taitung Director Wu Chang-You expressed his deep gratitude to the partners who have worked alongside FANCA Taitung over the past ten years. These include the Taiwan Thousand Miles Trail Association (TMI Trail) for providing technical expertise, Professor Wang Chih-Chiang from National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) for assisting in long-term monitoring and research, as well as the Miasan Outdoor Center and local tribal communities for overseeing on-site operations and high-altitude mountain collaboration. FANCA Taitung stated that it will continue to use the Jiaming Lake National Trail as an important venue for high-altitude mountain education. The focus will be on deepening local empowerment, while connecting research units, local constructions crews, and volunteer networks to cultivate local eco-craft trail practitioners, thus jointly forging a sustainable path for Taiwan’s high-altitude environment.

Lin Hwa-Ching, Director General of the FANCA, said that the protection of forests can definitely not just rely on pouring a large amount of money and guarding the forest land by closing it off. The Saisiyat Tribe in Penglai Village, Nanzhuang Township[MY1] , leverages the traditional wisdom of its people and combines it with a tribe-centric forest conservation policy. It was recently presented to the international community at the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity as a stunning example of how traditional wisdom can be harnessed to realize biodiversity. Today, the Saisiyat Tribe in Nanzhuang Township[MY2]  has become an international teaching center that will further demonstrate Taiwan’s influence in realizing the targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by connecting with the world, speaking out, and impacting the forestry policies of other developing countries.

According to Lin Hwa-Ching, the FANCA and the Saisiyat Tribe in Penglai Village, Nanzhuang Township, Miaoli County, signed a partnership agreement in 2018, kicking off their cooperation by organizing a reconciliation ceremony using the tribe’s traditional cultural customs. At that time, tribal elder Ken Chih You specifically stated: “We hope to have concrete cooperation with the government to revitalize the livelihood of our people, but we do not want to fall into the past mode of only receiving economic support from the government[MY1] .” As a result, the FANCA then developed and invested in a variety of emerging policy tools and guidance measures, while the tribal community went on to set up its own cooperatives to develop diversified green forest industries. These include eco-tourism, under-forest economy, forest therapy, and plantation  [MY2] management, which have effectively improved the economic situation of their community. In the past, some locals were forced to become illegal loggersto make ends meet, but now they have become “forest guardians” who are determined to protect their homeland because they deeply understand that their improved livelihoods are entirely benefited by the service values yielded from the forests.

Minister Jay N. Shih of the Ministry of Civil Service, said, “I have been teaching at NCCU for a long time and have also visited the Saisiyat Tribe in Nanzhuang Township to experience the ecological significance of this wall-less classroom and the full impact of the Satoyama Initiative. It was only by actually visiting this Tribe[MY1]  that I really understood the importance of the forestry policy and its impact on the residents of mountain villages. Director Lin used real-life examples to show me how to improve the lives of the tribal communities and restore their self-confidence through the reversal of the mountain forest management model. This is what touched me the most about the story of this Tribe. Today, it is very meaningful to witness the FANCA and NCCU organize a wall-less classroom at the Saisiyat Tribe in Nanzhuang Township, where students and researchers from Taiwan and abroad can learn about Taiwan’s natural resources co-management with indigenous peoples and diverse green forest industries. It will also allow them to further explore the value of the government’s public services in managing mountain and forest resources. The relevance of this cannot be overstated.” After the signing of the MOU, field surveys and study tours will be conducted in Nanzhuang Township in the future to document and systematize tribal history and knowledge of natural resources, as well as assist the tribal residents in strengthening their eco-tourism development and foreign language tour guide skills. The abundance of opportunities for international exchanges and cooperation in the future is highly anticipated.

The FANCA’s experience and achievements in natural resources co-management with Nanzhuang Township’s Saisiyat have continued to exert influence, winning the National Development Council’s Government Service Award, as well as earning membership of the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI) in 2022. In September this year, at the 2024 International Forum for Sustainable Asia and the Pacific (ISAP 2024), we showcased the best examples of public-private partnerships to the world and were recently awarded the Civil Service Outstanding Contribution Award by the Ministry of Civil Service.

NCCU believes that the natural resources co-management of national forests and the development of the green forest industry promoted by the FANCA and the Saisiyat in Nanzhuang Township’s Indigenous Reserved Land and national forest areas can serve as a future model for the government to promote regional governance and the economic development of mountain villages. It can also serve as a model for reference for many developing countries with abundant forest resources. NCCU enrolls a large number of international students every year. Additionally, NCCU alumni have served as a major force in civil services. Through the cooperation of the FANCA and the Saisiyat Tribe in Nanzhuang Township, faculty members have led students to visit the tribal community and gain in-person experience of tribal culture and the spirit of eco-sustainability. This initiated the project of building the first forest classroom without walls in Taiwan. Based on the content of the MOU, as well as NCCU’s academic assets and international exchange resources, NCCU set up the PaKaSan International Education Center in the Penglai Tribal Community, offering fieldwork and outdoor courses to document and systematize knowledge of indigenous history and natural resources. They also organize village overall planning workshops and collaborate with the community to develop spatial planning based on the land and culture of indigenous peoples. Not only will this help the tribal community to strengthen their tour guide and foreign language expressive skills, it can also enhance international cooperation and experience exchanges.

According to the FANCA, the signing of the tripartite MOU this time around is a reflection on the past and a look into the future. The FANCA expects that through this wall-less forest classroom, more students and people from all walks of life will be attracted to participate in the management of indigenous natural resources and the transmission of ecological wisdom, working together to realize the vision of sustainable forests and mountains. The FANCA will also continue to devote itself to the promotion of new forestry and biodiversity policies, and deepen its partnership with indigenous groups throughout Taiwan, so that the world can see Taiwan joining hands with indigenous peoples to demonstrate their creativity and strength in the management of natural resources.

 

(I) Wei-Chih Lin (the late former researcher of the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute), whose research focused on the classification, introduction, and utilization of bamboo species and who published more than 50 academic papers and related publications. The award was received by his daughter, Dr. Na-Sheng Lin of Academia Sinica. Dr. Lin is a pioneer in bamboo mosaic potexvirus research, following in her father’s footsteps by promoting the sustainable management of Taiwan’s bamboo species.
 

(II) Wen-Huang Liu, a native of Zhushan, Nantou, founded his bamboo furniture manufacturing company in the 1980s and invested in the development of laminated bamboo products. In addition to developing various kinds of exquisite furniture, the five-kilometer-long curved bookshelf in the Koo Chen-Fu Memorial Library of the College of Social Sciences, National Taiwan University is also one of his iconic products.
 

(III) Wen-Chih Wang, a native of Chiayi, specializes in the production and creative development of woven bamboo products. Inspired by the traditional basket weaving techniques of Taiwan, he tries to use bamboo as a structural element to design large spaces. He is not only a world-renowned master craftsman, but also an outstanding artist and architect. He has created works of art that have been exhibited all over the world, including in Japan, France, and Australia.

The 2024 World Bamboo Congress not only represents a new milestone for Taiwan’s bamboo industry, but also demonstrates Taiwan’s proactive stance toward sustainable development, circular economy, and the promotion of bamboo culture. The congress will provide new inspiration and impetus for the development of the global bamboo industry. For more information about the event, visit the official website and social media platforms to explore the endless possibilities of bamboo with bamboo enthusiasts from all walks of life!