To connect sustainable actors scattered across Taiwan, the Taiwan Satoyama Sustainable Innovation Alliance (TASIS) and National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) held a press conference today (October 20, 2026) to debut six in-depth one-day experiential itineraries and sign Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with 29 corporate and travel partners. This event marks a major step towards creating a new “conservation economy” and building a bridge for enterprises to practice ESG commitments directly through local community engagement.
HIGHLIGHTS & SUPPORT
Leaders from the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, the Youth Development Administration, the ARD Soil and Water Conservation Branch, and academic experts praised the alliance for fostering grassroots collaboration. Building on this cross-sector backing, Inaugural Chairperson Prof. Mei-Hui Chen emphasized shifting from a generic “green economy” to a place-based “root economy” that utilizes Socio-ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS) to support local survival and intergenerational heritage. With TASIS officially becoming a member of the UN’s International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI), the efforts on this front have been further underscored.
SIX FEATURED ITINERARIES
Using the “Five-Sense Satoyama Living Prototype” (Mountain Forest Perception, Aquatic Symbiosis, Terroir Dining, Land Craftsmanship, and Cultural Flow), the alliance has introduced six regional southern Taiwan tours:
- Wutai Exploration & Pineapple Fun: Rukai seed-preservation farming, tribal culinary school, and organic pineapple pastries along Highway 185.
- Hengchun Peninsula Secret Realm Tour: Exploring Bitou Grassland and the rare stream ecosystem of Lrenren River with local guides.
- Baolai Crafting & Luohan Mountain: Plant hammer-dyeing in Liuguei followed by geological exploration of the Eighteen Luohan Mountain Reserve.
- Golden Prawn Catching Fun: Nontoxic aquaculture wading experience in Jiuru alongside friendly pineapple farming in Dashu.
- Chasing Jacanas in Zuozhen & Guantian: Bamboo craftsmanship, old street tours, and close-up observation of pheasant-tailed jacanas in friendly water chestnut paddies.
- Xibala Mountain Gathering: Traversing century-old tunnels and river valleys in Eighteen Luohan Mountain before exploring badlands and youth-led local creation in Zuozhen.
CORPORATE ESG INTEGRATION
The MOU signings establish TASIS as a central matchmaking platform. For businesses, the alliance facilitates ESG compliance and international sustainability alignment; for travel agencies, it streamlines green tourism development; and for the government, it advances biodiversity mainstreaming and OECM (Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures) partnerships.
