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202503/25
To strengthen farmland ecosystem conservation and encourage farmers to create wildlife habitats through eco-friendly farming methods, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation have published the book Farmland as an Ark for Biodiversity: A Manual for Wildlife Habitat Conservation based on the years of experience in creating farmland habitats. The book launch was held today (03/25). Through 11 illustrated case studies, the book provides farmers with concrete and feasible guidelines on how to create ecological farmland and biodiversity habitats.
The FANCA said that this book, the first in Taiwan to focus on farmland habitat creation, showcases the results of collaboration between policy and the private sector and is an important aid in implementing farmland ecosystem conservation policies. For farmers who participate in the Green Conservation Label and the Payments for Ecosystem Services Program, the book provides practical guidelines for farmland ecosystem creation. For those who are responsible for implementing policies, it is a powerful tool to deepen farmland conservation actions and social communication.
Hwa-Ching Lin, Director General of the FANCA, said that the Guantian District pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) pesticide poisoning incident in 2009 attracted public attention at the time. The FANCA collaborated with the Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation to guide farmers to transition to eco-friendly farming, launching “Guantian Pheasant-Tailed Jacana-friendly Agricultural Products,” and establishing the Green Conservation Label. These efforts created an innovative model in Taiwan that balances agricultural production and environmental conservation, which is also how this book originated. Over the past 15 years, the Green Conservation Label system has been implemented by 675 farmers across Taiwan and across more than 938 hectares of eco-friendly farmland. It has also expanded from the initial conservation of pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) to the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), the farmland green treefrog (Zhangixalus arvalis), and the red-bellied annulate keelback (Trimerodytes annularis). It has provided a safe habitat for more than 46 protected or Red List species, making farmland a true sanctuary for biodiversity.
These farmland ecosystem conservation actions are also in line with global trends. In June last year, the European Union passed the landmark Nature Restoration Law, which stipulates that each member state must restore at least 30% of habitats in poor condition by 2030 and jointly achieve the EU’s overall goal of restoring at least 20% of habitats. The law explicitly lists the restoration of healthy agricultural ecosystems as an important strategy, including increasing the diversity of farmland landscapes, reducing the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and eliminating invasive alien species.
The farmland ecosystem construction work promoted in Taiwan is not only highly consistent with mainstream international goals, but is also in line with the targets revealed in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) especially in the implementation of “Target 3: Conserve 30% of Land, Waters and Seas.” The communities, tribes, and autonomous spaces where farmers live are the bases for ecological conservation outside of the protected areas, where we encourage the promotion of other effective area-based conservation measures (OECM). With the publication of this book, Taiwan continues to be at the forefront to demonstrate our proactive and on-the-ground approach to biodiversity restoration.
The FANCA pointed out that nearly 60% of Taiwan’s protected species live in low-elevation mountain areas, which highly overlap with most farmlands. If farmlands can be properly created, both the ecosystem and farmers’ livelihoods can be protected at the same time. The concept of protecting farmland ecosystems is not only the spirit of the Green Conservation Label, but also an important starting point for the development of the “Payments for Ecosystem Services for Endangered Species and Critical Habitat Promotion Program.” Since 2021, the FANCA has encouraged farmers to participate in wildlife-friendly and habitat creation measures. By providing payments for ecosystem services, farmers no longer have to bear the conservation costs alone. The promotion of a sustainable agricultural model that balances livelihoods and conservation has not only helped build the Taiwan Ecological Network (TEN), but also successfully combined the concept of the Green Conservation Label with farmland ecosystem conservation, becoming an important cornerstone towards sustainable development.
Farmland as an Ark for Biodiversity: A Manual for Wildlife Habitat Conservation provides techniques for creating habitats such as hedges, grassy field ridges, and ecological ponds with easy-to-understand illustrations and practical cases. The aim is to help farmers to create an eco-friendly environment that meets the needs of protected species and provide a guide for creating ecological habitats on farmland. The book also addresses the human-wildlife conflicts that have attracted widespread attention in recent years, and provides eco-friendly prevention methods to reduce pests in crops, such as setting up raptor perches to attract black-winged kites (Elanus caeruleus) to control rodent infestation, or utilizing physical fences and sound to repel boars and monkeys. These methods can assist farmers in striking a balance between conserving the ecosystem and safeguarding their livelihoods, allowing us to work together to create a farmland environment where people and nature can live and thrive together.
Hwa-Ching Lin said that this book has injected new energy into the existing Payments for Ecosystem Services policy and the Green Conservation Label system. It has also enhanced the practicality and effectiveness of policy implementation. He thanked the Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation for its long-term assistance and the farmers for their active participation. This “quiet revolution” in farmland ecosystem conservation not only demonstrates the results of Taiwan’s local conservation practices, but has also become an important model for promoting biodiversity policies internationally. We hope that this book will become an eco-friendly farming guide for farmers and help more consumers to understand and support eco-friendly agricultural products, allowing ecological farmland to turn into an eco-friendly ark of biodiversity.