On Leezen’s shelves, one can see some produce bearing a special “Green Conservation” mark. The mark is in the form of the Chinese character 田 (tian), meaning “field,” with the four quadrants bearing footprints of a frog, bird, mammal and human, symbolizing the variety of life that fields can accommodate, to mutual benefit.
Shopkeepers will tell you that by buying such produce, you can help protect the habitats of numerous protected species! For example, you can buy Guantian water caltrops to save the pheasant-tailed jacana, Sanzhi lotuses to save the two-striped grass frog, Maolin mangos to save the purple crow butterfly, or Pinglin Pure Spring Tea to save the emerald green tree frog.
The Green Conservation Mark is an authentication system jointly launched last year by the TOAF and the Council of Agriculture’s Forestry Bureau. It can be placed alongside another organic mark or it can stand alone; either way, it signifies a win-win for production and the environment.
TOAF CEO Su Muh-rong explains that the organic certification mark is a chief criterion by which consumers can pick out organic products when shopping. But in certain areas that cling to regular farming methods, even farmers willing to go organic find it hard to stave off pollution from neighboring fields, especially given low acreage and manpower. Consequently they’re unable to secure certification in the short term. The Green Conservation Mark, on the other hand, has less stringent rules on the isolation of organic farmland, while also incorporating rules regarding wildlife conservation. This certification approach aims to encourage more people to convert to friendly farming methods, laying a foundation for organics.
Tse-Xin Organic Agricultural Foundation director Su Muh-rong often visits rural areas to help organic farmers find solutions to all kinds of problems. (far left and left) The two-striped grass frog and the pheasant-tailed jacana.