NCKU team surveys Tainan farms for carbon sink potential

By AI, Created 4:49 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – National Cheng Kung University and local partners toured five rural districts in Tainan on May 11 to measure agricultural soil carbon and natural carbon sinks. The project aims to build a Taiwan model for verifiable farm-based carbon credits tied to net-zero goals.

Why it matters: - The survey aims to turn farmland into measurable climate infrastructure that can store carbon and support Taiwan’s 2050 net-zero target. - The work could help create a scientifically verified agricultural carbon credit model with international market potential. - The project links climate action with local farming, cultural preservation, and rural income opportunities.

What happened: - National Cheng Kung University’s Satoyama Mace Initiative led a field survey across five Tainan districts on May 11, 2026. - Distinguished Professor Yen-Hsun Su joined Dr. Yen, Chen-Piao, chairman of the New Agricultural Biotech Production Cooperative and a partner of the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative, plus 40 NCKU students. - The team examined net-zero pathways and natural carbon sinks in Xinhua, Xinshi, Shanhua, Liuying, and Xinying.

The details: - The survey focused on “Yellow Carbon,” meaning carbon sequestered in agricultural soil. - The team plans to use Measurement, Reporting, and Verification, or MRV, to build a validated method for measuring farm carbon sinks. - The project frames farmland as “natural infrastructure” that can absorb carbon dioxide while still supporting agricultural production. - NCKU presented the effort as a “Taiwan Model” that combines agriculture, local culture, ecological conservation, and carbon market potential. - Professor Yen-Hsun Su said Taiwan’s high-density agricultural management and technology can support a globally competitive carbon sink system. - Su also said agriculture is a solution for global climate governance, not only a food supply chain. - In Xinhua, the team looked at sweet potato fields as carbon reservoirs. - Xinhua District Director Li, Yi-Lung said eco-friendly cultivation and organic matter management can store atmospheric carbon dioxide in soil. - In Xinshi, the survey highlighted restoration of the endangered White Wax Apple. - Xinshi District Director Chang, Jung-Che said the restoration is tied to low-carbon community projects and products such as wax apple leaf tea. - The “Shenei Heart” green belt in Xinshi generates about 3.4661 tCO2e of carbon sink benefit per year. - In Shanhua, the team examined how high-tech industry and agriculture can coexist near the Southern Taiwan Science Park. - Shanhua District Director Tan, Nai-Cheng said the district’s strategy rests on industrial carbon reduction, campus greening, and natural carbon sinks. - Shanhua is using Taiwan Sugar Corporation land and green wall systems as part of that plan. - In Liuying, the focus was rice production and smallholder carbon sequestration. - Liuying District Director Liu, Fa-Chung said scientific cultivation could turn rice paddies into carbon storage sites. - The Liuying effort aims to convert carbon reduction results into internationally competitive carbon credits through MRV. - In Xinying, the survey focused on contract-farmed hardwood maize. - Xinying District Director Chen, Hung-Tien said crop rotation with maize and sunn hemp can raise soil carbon sinks. - Chen said the approach is meant to lift farmer income and connect local results to the international carbon credit market.

Between the lines: - The project is as much about measurement and credibility as it is about farming. - By pairing university students with district leaders and agricultural partners, the effort tries to make carbon accounting practical at the field level. - The five-district tour also shows how Taiwan is positioning rural land as part of a broader climate strategy, not a separate issue from development.

What’s next: - The team is expected to keep building MRV-based methods that can verify carbon sink performance on farmland. - If the pilot framework scales, Tainan’s fields could become a template for carbon credit projects elsewhere in Taiwan. - The Satoyama Mace Initiative plans to use the survey results to strengthen the case for agriculture’s role in global climate solutions.

The bottom line: - NCKU’s Tainan survey is trying to prove that ordinary farmland can produce measurable climate value, not just crops.