NTUBP used the promotion of Blue Magpie TEAgriculture as an implementation of the power of society. They became the help and support of the tea farmers throughout the seasons by learning about the tradition of tea production and caring for the tea plantation, and consequently, participated authentically in the conservation of local Taiwanese rural culture and landscape.
What we do: Conservation of the cultural environment of “tea”. The border of wilderness and civilization can be called the “mountain next to our home” or “Satoyama”. The foothills surrounding a city is sometimes also called rural mountain. It is usually situated between a conservation area and civilization, like the relation between the greater Taipei region and Dapinglin. Such locations often have to undergo the awkward deliberation on whether it should be developed and how it should be protected. This time, the NTUBP collaborated with the Dapinglin tea farmers to form a new rural association. By using both agricultural production and environmental conservation methods, while continuing in the spirit of experimentation, explored the issues that Taiwan should face and resulted in the launch of Blue Magpie TEAgriculture. Since 2011, the Blue Magpie TEAgriculture was created through collaboration in tea country Pinglin, using the concepts of the “Satoyama Initiative”. It is an attempt to find a balance between human beings and nature to find a new path to “biodiversity and equilibrium”. After all, “tea” is a part of Taiwan’s cultural landscape. So the production methods of tea are what motivate the participation of Taiwan’s foothill communities. We uphold four principles in our Blue Magpie tea farms:
1. It must be environmentally farming according to the local climate and landscape, with no pesticide use.
2. The pre-existing tea farms cannot expand in size.
3. Business partnerships should adopt per “area”.
4. With regards to land and water maintenance, vegetation must be strengthened and the incline of the slopes must be according to legal regulations.