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202502/21
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) has actively promoted under-forest economy policies to protect the forest ecosystem and revitalize the economy of mountain villages since 2019. Under the premise of maintaining the forest ecosystem and forest coverage, it has gradually developed products such as log-cultivated shiitake mushrooms and wood ears, forest bee products, Taiwan jewel orchids, Taiwanese wild tea, Assam indigo, and Formosan figs. These efforts have revitalized the green economy benefits of rural tribal communities, with a combined output value of more than NT$150 million. The FANCA recently announced the addition of more high-quality Taiwanese under-forest economy products. These include bamboo mushroom (Phallus indusiatus), five-leaf ginseng (Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino), and Taiwan ground orchid (Bletilla formosana (Hayata) Schltr.), as well as the addition of the Zhuluo variety under the Taiwanese wild tea category.
Diversification of New Products and Utilization of Resources to Create New Value
The FANCA explained that the newly added products offer high economic value and environmental protection features, giving full play to the unique ecological advantages of the forest. They are precious gifts of biodiversity and create a more sustainable and green economic future for local residents. Traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, edible mushrooms, or ingredients for herbal teas grown in the under-forest environment can provide the market with natural and pollution-free products.
Bamboo Mushroom (Phallus indusiatus): It is an edible fungus distributed island-wide in low-altitude broadleaved forests across Taiwan. Due to its morphological characteristics and nutritional value, it is often used in traditional Chinese medicine and as a food ingredient. It contains 21 types of amino acids, accounting for 40% of its total weight, of which 8 essential amino acids for humans account for 35% of the total amino acids. It is also rich in various vitamins and trace elements and has extremely strong antioxidant properties.
Five-Leaf Ginseng (Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino): Also known as Jiaogulan, it is a perennial climbing creeping vine that has received much attention in Taiwan because of its strong adaptability. It is distributed throughout the island of Taiwan in low to medium altitude mountains, open land, and forests. It is mostly found in shady and humid places in the mountains, preferring shady, moist, loose and fertile soils. It can also be cultivated artificially, and can be planted in fields with little sunlight. It is often used in traditional Chinese medicine and is lauded as “Southern Ginseng.” The information posted on the Food and Drug Administration’s Food Ingredients Integrated Query Platform is as follows: A herbaceous woody plant that is used as raw materials for tea bags, meal preparation packs or as an ingredient after extraction. Japan has used the five-leaf ginseng to make a health drink called “Amacha.”
Taiwan Ground Orchid (Bletilla formosana (Hayata) Schltr.): This beautiful orchid is found in low to high altitude areas across the island of Taiwan. It is suitable for planting at the edge of forests and is a perennial herbaceous plant with ornamental and medicinal value. Its dried pseudobulbs can be used as a traditional Chinese medicinal ingredient, and it occupies a significant place in Taiwan’s herbal medicine market. A tissue culture propagation and cultivation system for the Taiwan ground orchid has been established in Taiwan. The system can produce seedlings in large quantities for the purpose of promoting cultivation.
Green Economic Model Leads Sustainable Development and Promotes Local Employment and Industry Upgrading
The FANCA said that the under-forest economy not only increases the added value of forest land, but also brings new employment opportunities and income sources to local forest owners, tribal community residents, and cooperatives. The development of new products will strictly follow the principles of ecological protection to ensure the sustainable development of the forest land. In the future, we will further explore more innovative products, combine eco-tourism and cultural experiences, and achieve thriving development of forestry and green economy.
Starting today, forest owners, indigenous communities, and forestry cooperatives interested in operating under-forest economy-based businesses can apply for operation with the nearest township (town, city, district) office, Experimental Forest Office, or the various FANCA branch offices to increase forestry revenue. Let us jointly create forestry added value, and promote the sustainable development of public and private forest management.