The transformation of the sugar industry and land use policy in Taiwan

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between the sugar industry and land use patterns in Taiwan from an extended historical perspective (1624-2008), covering the colonial era, the period of industrial development, and the island's current status as a newly industrialized country. Description and analysis of historical factors are used to provide insight into how an agricultural society copes with the pressures of development, industrialization, and urbanization, as well as the key factors pertaining to land use conversion, the land crisis, and the overall condition of rural industry. This paper focuses on the development of the sugar industry and the sugarcane plantations, and also includes an examination of the relationship between the sugar industry and nation's land use policies. By analyzing the related materials, we hope to reappraise the sustainability of current land use practices, and offer insight on how appropriate land use policies can be used to promote a new vision of urban planning and industrial heritage reuse during the course of rural industry transformation.