Our January 2002 issue featured an article titled “Taiwan’s Agriculture in the WTO Era,” which reported on the potential impact of globalization on the island’s agriculture.
After the removal of the trade protection umbrella, only industries that possessed real capability and a healthy competitive edge were able to survive and prosper. Due to the eminence of Taiwan’s agricultural technology and the strength of overseas exports before the change, agriculture was in fact virtually unaffected by the switch to free trade. Producers of, for example, papayas, edamame, mangos and orchids had already been able to boast excellent export results before the implementation of WTO regulations.
In addition, farmers not only were required to possess skills in agriculture, but also needed to understand marketing. Thus, a number of production and marketing cooperatives emerged to assist farmers in understanding markets and distribution in order to reduce the impact of imbalance between production and sales, and to master the new demands of the international market.
Taiwan today still faces growing international competition, and the question of how to strike a viable balance between open trade and protectionism remains a controversial one.
Taiwan’s move to join the WTO adversely affected some sectors of agriculture, hitting growers of produce like rice and garlic. Transforming and upgrading in order to remain competitive became crucial.
Taiwan’s move to join the WTO adversely affected some sectors of agriculture, hitting growers of produce like rice and garlic. Transforming and upgrading in order to remain competitive became crucial.
Taiwan’s move to join the WTO adversely affected some sectors of agriculture, hitting growers of produce like rice and garlic. Transforming and upgrading in order to remain competitive became crucial.
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