【New Taipei City News】After becoming a member of IFOAM Asia in July 2019, New Taipei City Government continued establishing the Center of Excellence for Intelligent Organic Marketing in Asia (CEIOMA) with IFOAM Asia. Vice mayor Wu Ming Ji, Jennifer Chang (the vice-chairman of IFOAM also served as the executive director of IFOAM Asia), Justinus Indro Surono, and Tomoko Miyoshi (both are the vice-chairman of IFOAM Asia), and other foreign guests and corporate representatives jointly attend the opening ceremony on February 24. In the future, CEIOMA will be an essential base to lead the development of intelligent marketing of organic agriculture in Asia.

Vice Mayor Ming-Ji Wu said that to promote New Taipei City and Taiwan’s organic industry to be in line with the international field, the New Taipei City Government is the first and currently the only local government in Taiwan to become a member of IFOAM Asia and Asian Local Governments for Organic Agriculture (ALGOA). It also cooperates with IFOAM Asia to hold the Asia Organic Youth Forum and build an organic platform to cultivate young talents. The international organization ALGOA recognizes the organic agriculture of New Taipei City. ALGOA also plans to set up ALGOA Center for Public Procurement (ACPP) in New Taipei City this year to promote the concept of public procurement and promote the overall growth of organic agriculture globally.

Justinus Indro Surono from Indonesia said he attended the ALOGA Summit and heard that the New Taipei City Government had promoted the organic school lunch policy since 2012, which increased organic production all over Taiwan about 15 times within five years. New Taipei City, with a population of 4 million, is the largest city in Taiwan. However, it is not a sizeable organic production area but drives Taiwan’s organic agriculture to rise through urban consumption power. IFOAM Asia cooperates with the New Taipei City Government to establish CEIOMA. ALGOA subsequently hopes to establish ACPP in New Taipei City, hoping to promote the development of organic agriculture in Asia and the world through such action.

The Agriculture Department of New Taipei City Government stated that CEIOMA is now in the operation stage and is committed to providing guidance and consultation on the organic model. CEIOMA acts as an incubator to assist in the development of innovative and excellent solutions and integrate them into the international market. In addition, CEIOMA will also start to develop an online database, blockchain, and other authentication systems, establish digital technology innovation channels, and combine urban consumption power to drive organic development. The Eco-friendly Contractual Farming League Platform has already recruited OwlTing Market, Pure Coin, Cai Tian Eco-Friendly Farming, Country U Box, Taiwan Bluemagpie Tea, An Yong Fresh Store, etc.), innovative marketers, and farmers’ organizations; companies such as Acer Incorporated, HwaCom Systems Inc., and Advantech Co., Ltd., etc. placed orders in responded to support the platform and is expected to exceed 20 members this year. It is hoped that it can create an output value of over 10 million through the Eco-friendly Contractual Farming League and gradually develop in the future, creating business opportunities of 100 million in 5 years.

CEIOMA is planning to hold organic agriculture and innovative marketing strategy training this August to introduce the current situation of the world’s organic market, as well as new trends such as vegetarian food, fair trade, halal certification, and organic hotels, and share new digital marketing technologies. In the future, farmers and the New Taipei City Government will also be encouraged to participate in international exchanges and international organic trade fairs. Farmers in Taiwan are welcome to join CEIOMA and the Eco-friendly Contractual Farming League. Enterprises are invited to order food materials from the platform to support Taiwan’s organic industry, which considers food safety and our environment.

More Information:
Agriculture Department, New Taipei City Government Forestry Section Huang, Chia-Wen / Chief Tel: 2960-3456 * 3105 Mobile: 0921-073-005