Smart Net-Zero

March 30, 2026 | Commercial Times | (In Chinese)

Taiwan's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) has revised its bamboo forest production and renewal incentive framework, expanding the eligible area from 32,500 to 100,000 hectares across all forestry land nationwide. The revision broadens the original scheme—previously limited to restricted felling zones in Indigenous reserves—and introduces a production-oriented incentive structure that links subsidies directly to volumes of harvested bamboo, rather than rewarding felling activity alone. The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency noted that bamboo's 4-year growth cycle and superior carbon sequestration capacity compared to conventional timber make it a strategic resource for Taiwan's net-zero pathway. Annual bamboo output had fallen sharply from a peak of 18 million culms to just 1.05 million culms by 2024, driven by shifting domestic habits, labor shortages, and international competition. The revised framework aims to revitalize the bamboo industry, strengthen forestry ecosystem functions, and support rural economic development.