1.    Diversified communications channels for major policies

　　In order to improve citizens’ understanding and endorsement of agricultural policies, the COA plans different media publicity methods for each agricultural policy. In 2017 these included issues related to policy measures like agricultural insurance, the use of “Four Labels and One QR Code” local ingredients in school lunches, the agricultural labor shortage, reinforced greenhouses, direct payments on land, the Organic Agriculture Promotion Act, food and agriculture education, the ban on burning rice straw, and clarification of online rumors, as well as issues related to activities such as the Sea of Flowers in Xinshe, the 2017 Sales Expo for Premium Agri-Foods of Assured Safety, and the Agriculture and Fisheries Excellent Product Exhibition in Taiwan. We released information through such channels as Internet short videos, banner ads on Internet platforms, television advertising spots, outdoor videos, print media, and radio, as well as through the COA’s own media such as its Facebook fan page and electronic bulletin boards at farmers’ and fishermen’s association. In these ways we were able to increase citizens’ knowledge of, and active participation in, policies and activities, and raise the effectiveness of dissemination of information about COA policy administration.

　　The COA has also strengthened policy exposure through cooperation with magazines, so as to allow agriculture to make a deep impression on citizens. For example, in cooperation with Commonwealth magazine, the COA held the “Let’s Eat, the Taiwan Way” promotion campaign, introducing readers and listeners to the taste of happiness of Taiwan agriculture. We also published, in cooperation with Global Views Monthly magazine, a special issue on the “Top 50 Young Farmers,” to introduce young farmers who have returned to the countryside to undertake the innovations and revolution of New Agriculture. We also held, with The Journalist magazine, a forum on “The New Southbound Policy: Setting Sail.” The COA furthermore organized four policy symposia, including one on “direct payments on farmland” and a series of three on how agricultural operations can cope with the challenge of climate change, which were broadcast live on the COA’s Facebook page, and released through Internet and print media, allowing readers and listeners to join in and collectively explore agricultural issues.

2.    New media diversified platforms for communication

　　The COA provides abundant agricultural information through the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan official Facebook fan page and our Line@ group. This includes not only real-time information about agricultural policies, but also technology R&D, press conferences, presentations of results of policies or activities, soft knowledge, and agricultural information sharing. We also rapidly reply to citizens’ questions, providing real-time services.

　　In 2017 there were a total of 315 posts on the COA’s Facebook fan page, with more than 115,000 likes. Moreover, each month we held a fan interaction activity, with an average reach of 38,000 participants per event, and the post reach and numbers of interactive comments both growing stably. On Line@ the COA issued a total of 191 messages, with the number of friends surpassing 28,000, a growth rate of 99%, showing tremendous effectiveness. 

3.    Promoting “Agriculture of the Whole People” through broadcast media

　　In 2017 the COA held 130 press conferences and issued 314 news releases, and continued to promote the “New Agriculture Innovation Promotion Program” through print media, television, radio, the Internet, outdoor media, media visits and reporting, exhibition and sales activities, and press conferences. In this way we concretely demonstrated the successes of COA administration including (i) use of “Four Labels and One QR Code” local ingredients in school lunches, (ii) direct payments on farmland, (iii) promotion of organic agriculture and eco-friendly farming, and (iv) the inventory of agricultural and farmland resources, as well as (v) promotion of the use of farmland, (vi) increasing biogas electricity generation, (vii) minimizing the spread of avian flu, (viii) eradicating foot-and-mouth disease, (ix) upgrading the competitiveness of the animal husbandry industry, and (x) trial implementation of agricultural insurance.