Co-organized by the Office of University Social Responsibility (USR) at National Chengchi University—via the “Satoyama Initiative for Urban-Adjacent Areas” and the “Taipei Tea Road Social-Enterprise Incubation Project”—together with the Agricultural Technology Research Institute, the forum Exploring Diverse Approaches to Local Revitalization was held on 17 December 2022. Practitioners and scholars from around Taiwan were invited to discuss local-development issues. The afternoon session, titled “Ideas, Practice, and the Many Paths to Revitalization,” showcased a rich variety of approaches:

Keynote — Taiwan’s Rural Innovation
Dr. Yi-Ting Chung, Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica

Drawing on her rural-survey projects and activism with the Taiwan Rural Front, Dr. Chung outlined key questions facing Taiwan’s countryside. She observed that many rural communities actively resist marketization, urbanization, and modernization—an insight that shaped her island-wide field research.

The study combined qualitative interviews with quantitative surveys to explore how farmers engage in rural regeneration and community activities. Fieldwork was conducted mainly at the township level, reflecting the close link between local development and administrative boundaries such as farmers’ associations and local governments. Based on differing agricultural patterns, six sites were selected for long-term comparative study.

Beipu (Hsinchu) and Sanwan (Miaoli) both pursue revitalization but differ in agricultural prosperity; Douliu (Yunlin) promotes six-level industries, while Sanxing (Yilan) emphasizes land consolidation and large-scale farming; Jiadong and Fangliao (Pingtung) both rely on fisheries yet differ between aquaculture and open-sea harvesting.

Since Taiwan joined the WTO in 2002, agriculture has faced intensified market pressures. Similar international trends after 2000 spurred the idea of “rural innovation” under decentralized resource allocation. Compared with cities, rural areas offer greater room for creative social networks and action models; many speakers highlighted concrete “for-the-public” practices.

Cases from Chishang, Douliu, and Meinong show that “the public” is embodied in the creation of common goods—through farmers’ associations, township offices, or resource sharing in economic activities. Such public value is woven into rural economic models that blend market, non-market, extra-market, and social elements.

Concluding, Dr. Chung stressed that helping young activists—returnees or newcomers—enter local networks is essential. Social innovation extends beyond technology to new forms of interaction and economic organization. Rural economies display diverse hybrid models that mainstream markets have yet to fully explore.

“Relocation Support” — Juo-Jen Sung, CEO, Slow Island

CEO Juo-Jen Sung discussed Shengou, Yuanshan Township (Yilan), noted for its 150-plus small farms built on principles of land-sharing, housing provision, and community support.

After the 2008 financial crisis, Sung left Taipei for a semi-farming life in Shengou. Unlike Chishang, Shengou lacks grain traders, co-ops, or strong farmers’-association marketing. Instead, initiatives such as Lai Ching-Sung’s “Grain Farmers Club” and Yang Wen-Chuan’s “Liang Bai Jia” land-sharing platform underpin local agriculture. Using accumulated social capital, Sung secured a plot through the shared-land system. By 2013, over 150 farmers were practicing eco-friendly farming on more than 100 hectares—many were urban migrants living a “half-farm, half-X” lifestyle and helping community projects.

To address population issues, Slow Island Co., Ltd. was founded in 2019 by Lai, Yang, and local partners. It offers relocation guidance—training would-be farmers and brokering land deals—and, with National Development Council support, provides rental housing. Balancing public benefit with business viability remains an ongoing challenge. Shengou now shows city-like professional division of labor; expanding cultivated land and protecting the core spirit of caring for the land depend on attracting more rural-minded residents.

“Organic Production & Marketing” — I-Ping Lin, Chair, Green Yilan Cooperative

I-Ping Lin left an airport customs career to solve his parents’ marketing woes, returning home in 2013 to farm organically (kumquats, red plums, rice, vegetables). After trial and error, he boosted sales through online channels and educational tours.

Lin and local youth formed the Green Yilan Cooperative, promoting toxin-free farming and resource sharing. They also developed agritourism experiences and fostered inter-generational exchanges—elders teach traditional dishes like homemade fermented tofu.

Youth labor coordinated by the co-op now supplements large conventional farms once reliant on outside contractors. Field-experience programs for schools and clubs further promote local agriculture. Lin sees hands-on activities—such as water-course play in rice paddies—as a way to draw young people back and energize the community toward a cooperative, professionally diversified future.

“Meal Delivery for Seniors” — Hsi Fan, COO, Silver Linings

Founded in 2018 by Sun Shih-Shan, Hsi Fan, and Chang Yu-Mei, Silver Linings began with meal deliveries for older adults, pairing food service with pre- and post-delivery welfare checks.

The enterprise operates both as a company (serving fee-paying clients) and an association (serving vulnerable seniors), funding itself through crowdfunding and award programs. In 2022 it took over Chiayi City’s long-term-care meal program and found subsidies inadequate for high costs, leading many providers to quit. Paper-based registration, ingredient expenses, and extra labor have hindered sustainability since community meal services started in 1999.

Silver Linings digitized the process through an app and backend system, simplifying orders and care reporting. Families can monitor relatives via the app. The team also links services such as home art programs, tele-medicine, and farm-produce boxes.

With Taiwan becoming a super-aged society by 2026, Silver Linings plans nationwide expansion, aiming to meet long-term-care needs from individuals to communities with a people-centered approach.

“Tutoring for Children & Youth” — Ya-Sheng Huang, Chair, Puyu Cultural Foundation

Based in Houbi, Tainan, the Puyu Foundation began when Ya-Sheng Huang opened an after-school class at home to support local children affected by youth out-migration and aging demographics. The program later added meals and arts activities, attracting local youth volunteers.

In 2017 Huang founded the Puyu Cultural Foundation to tackle tuition, environment, and education issues, using agriculture as a medium. Partnering with National Cheng Kung University through a USR project, the foundation introduced natural farming to improve fields where small plot sizes had hindered organic conversion. Children now learn and play in these fields while earning support through produce sales and farm work.

To anchor activities, Huang and colleagues revitalized Houbi Elementary School’s former dorms into the Puyu Cultural & Creative Park in 2019, creating a new public space. Operated transparently by Puyu Academy Social Enterprise since 2021, the park lets residents earn points for maintenance and events, redeemable for local produce and refreshments, and provides open venues for meetings and activities.

The foundation now offers diverse classes, camps, and social-welfare programs, trains local mothers as instructors, and partners with universities, firms, and schools to promote culture and food-and-farm education. Puyu’s success has attracted collaborators eager to replicate the model across Taiwan.