202507/01
Since 2002, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA), Ministry of Agriculture, has been promoting the Plain Afforestation Program to guide farmers and agricultural enterprises to switch to afforestation. To date, 13,492 hectares of flatland forests have been created, generating diverse environmental and social values. The FANCA held a press conference today (07/01) and announced that with the support of the Executive Yuan, it will launch a 10-year “Extended Guidance Plan for the 20-Year Plain Afforestation Program.” This plan will implement further targeted guidance measures for established plain afforestation areas to enhance the ecosystem service value of flatland forests. Poet Wu Sheng and Chairman Koo Huai-Chun of Taihe Enterprise Co., Ltd., who participated in plain afforestation, also attended the press conference. Together, they declared their commitment to building a more comprehensive green ecological network for farmlands in Taiwan under the challenges of climate change and sustainable development goals.
The 13,492 hectares of flatland forests created since the implementation of the plain afforestation program have already created a range of initial benefits for Taiwan, including improved biodiversity, ecological corridors, landscape green belts, and microclimate regulation. The FANCA also utilized the outcomes of plain afforestation to establish three flatland forest parks: Danongdafu Forest Park in Hualien, Aogu Wetlands in Chiayi, and Linhousilin Forest Park in Pingtung. However, the original plain afforestation program had a relatively limited range of target tree species. There was also no clear purpose for the afforestation, and the sole focus was on the afforestation survival rate, without requiring important mid- to late-stage management measures such as pruning and thinning. This has led to poor growth and quality of the afforested trees and a monotonous landscape in later stages. There have even been questions about the future of the afforested areas after completion. All of these issues require further improvement and guidance in the future.
Lin Hwa-Ching, Director General of the FANCA, emphasized that plain afforestation has become a common trend in global agricultural policy and is also one of the policies actively promoted internationally for rural landscapes. It not only increases green spaces in plain areas but also provides a positive support for food security and farmland protection. Furthermore, plain afforestation has laid a solid foundation for a green ecological network in flatland agricultural areas. Further targeted guidance will be provided in the future. Efforts will be made to enhance the natural carbon sink functions for areas with “timber production value,” which will contribute to the net-zero emission goal and help increase domestic timber self-sufficiency. Areas with “biological habitat and landscape value” will become extensions of the Taiwan Ecological Network (TEN). They will also have the opportunity to be certified as Human-Biodiversity Coexistence Areas under “other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) through the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and become places where human activities, economic production, and ecological conservation coexist harmoniously.
The FANCA stated that after the 20-year term expires for farmlands participating in plain afforestation, targeted guidance measures will be implemented according to the inventory data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture’s assessment team in 2020. Based on this data, farmlands will be categorized into two types of areas: those with “biological habitat and landscape value” or those with “timber production value.” The participating farmers and enterprises will be guided to enhance the sustainable value of flatland forests in terms of ecological habitats, natural carbon sinks, and timber production. For those areas with “biological habitat and landscape value,” the government will provide private farmland afforestation participants with an annual environmental conservation incentive of NT$100,000 per hectare over the next 10 years to carry out tending management, tree species planting, creation of multi-layered forests, and daily maintenance work. For those areas with “timber production value,” the government will provide private farmland afforestation participants with an annual environmental conservation incentive of NT$80,000 per hectare over the next 10 years to carry out afforestation and tree tending. Professional teams will also be introduced to assist landowners in enhancing habitat optimization or forest management and tending operations. Areas not included in the above two categories may revert to agricultural use or continue to participate in the Extended Guidance Plan for the 20-Year Plain Afforestation Program.
Regarding Taiwan Sugar Corporation’s flatland afforested sites, given that the government holds the majority of its shares, the company should share the public responsibility for the environment and carbon sequestration. Therefore, for plain afforestation sites assessed as having biological habitat and landscape value, an annual environmental conservation incentive of NT$10,000 per hectare will be provided over the next 10 years. Furthermore, professional teams may be commissioned to assist with habitat optimization based on circumstances. For areas with agricultural and forestry production value, the company's preferences will be respected. They can transition to organic and eco-friendly farming, or receive assistance from the FANCA to shift toward multi-purpose operations like agroforestry.
Poet Wu Sheng also attended the press conference as a witness, sharing the process of transforming farmland into tree-planting areas, and shifting from monoculture to diverse tree species. Creating a “pure garden” filled with greenery in the increasingly industrialized Changhua countryside is a testament of deep commitment to Taiwan’s land and culture. Located in Gaoshu Township, Pingtung County, Taihe Farm preserves nearly 35,000 plant species across 20 hectares of land, making it the world’s largest tropical and subtropical plant sanctuary. It is also involved in more than 93 hectares of plain afforestation. Chairman Koo Huai-Chun of Taihe Enterprise Co., Ltd. believes that species conservation is a long-term relay race, and plain afforestation is the most critical support for the National Botanical Gardens - Project for Future Green! Professor Yen Tian-Ming of the Department of Forestry at National Chung Hsing University, who has long studied plain afforestation, emphasized the importance of conserving flatland forests with habitat and landscape value, which is also an effective strategy for addressing climate change.
At the press conference, the distinguished guests jointly launched the “Extended Guidance Plan for the 20-Year Plain Afforestation Program,” marking the next milestone for plain afforestation! The FANCA will soon hold policy briefings, guidance workshops, and skill training sessions across Taiwan to help assist afforestation practitioners in understanding operational regulations and guidance mechanisms, strengthen the ecological and forestry capabilities of professional teams, and enhance the practical knowledge of stakeholders to optimize plain afforestation, thereby achieving a win-win outcome for the environment and economy through optimized plain afforestation.