The Council of Agriculture (COA) and the British Office Taipei jointly held the “UK-Taiwan Organic Agricultural Industry Forum” on December 5, 2022. The competent authorities for organic agriculture policies in the two countries and related businesses were invited to share information and experiences on topics including the current state of development of organic farming, the building of organic tea brands, and customer preferences in the organic tea market. About 40 people participated in person or by videoconference, and those in attendance unanimously agreed that organic tea from the two countries has considerable competitive potential in the international market.

The COA states that in order to provide consumers with even safer agricultural products and to ensure sustainable development of the environment, it has been endeavoring to promote eco-friendly cultivation methods, and that the number of farms and cultivated land area certified as organic have steadily increased over the years. Both the UK and Taiwan have long-standing tea-drinking cultures, and each has its strengths when it comes to the production and manufacturing of tea products. At this Forum the participants engaged in exchanges on policies and sharing of industrial experiences to promote organic products from both countries. Tea industry competent authorities and businesses found the event to have a positive impact in terms of mutual understanding and promoting the development, marketing, and creation of business opportunities for organic agriculture industries in both parties.