To promote food and agricultural education, the Council of Agriculture (COA) sets the 15th day (similar pronunciation to food in Mandarin) of each month to be Food Day. To kick off a series of related events the COA organized a press conference led by COA Minister Lin Tsung-hsien along with the participation of celebrity chefs, consumer groups, and nutritionists. The Minister invites every citizen to take part in promoting the monthly Food Day campaign, and share locally food with friends and relatives while learning to cherish food. He hopes that more people and groups would join the cause and make food and agricultural education a country-wide movement.

The “3 do’s and 1 don’t” of Food Day

　　Joined by the celebrity chef Cheng Yen-chi, also known as Chef Ah-Chi, Minister Lin promoted local agricultural products by preparing quick and simple dishes on site using locally produced food such as persimmon, pomelo and loofah among others. Minister Lin said that the method of promoting food and agricultural education can start from farm to table, and the other way around. He hopes to make food and agricultural education a country-wide movement through simple and easy-to-remember concepts like the Food Day on every 15th day of the month.

　　Minister Lin also encourages everyone to remember the “3 do’s and 1 don’t” of Food Day: 1. Do consume fresh local produce in season; 2. Do share your food with others; 3. Do purchase unprocessed fresh ingredients; and 4. Don’t waste food. This means that it is always better to eat local produce in season whether at home or dining out, to share your food or information, to buy and cook unprocessed fresh ingredients, and most importantly, to cherish and not waste food. He also encourages people to eat the right amount, to be environmentally friendly to our planet, and to develop healthy personal eating habits.

Promote universal food and agricultural education movement

　　The COA stated that the future emphasis of food and agricultural education would be put on the integration of school and continuing education’s pedagogical resources to provide diversified food and agricultural educational materials; encourage the innovation and preservation of local dietary culture while creating an exchange environment for producers and consumers; establish integral food and agricultural education information platform and raise consumers’ recognition, trust, and support of domestic produce through the enhancement of domestic product labeling. The COA would work hard to expedite food and agricultural education’s legalization process so that a complete food and agricultural education system can be developed. The ultimate goal is to have every citizen in Taiwan onboard the project and enjoy high-quality domestic agricultural products as well as healthy diet.

　　The COA added that it vows to embed the monthly Food Day movement into people’s mind and daily life so that it can become a healthy lifestyle that everyone enjoys while giving support to domestically produced agricultural products. The COA invites every citizen to observe Food Day every month by eating local unprocessed food in season, and share food instead of wasting food.