Visit to Ebino City, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan for Elderly-Friendly and Local Revitalization Exchange - Agency of Rural Development and Soil and Water Conservation, MOA

Tainan Branch, ARDSWC, along with partners from the Green Care Communities and the Green Care Program team, visited the Miyazaki Prefectural Government and Iino High School from July 3 to July 7 to exchange experiences on rural elderly care and agricultural development.

On July 4, we met with the Mayor of Ebino City, Miyazaki Prefecture, where both parties expressed their desire to deepen exchanges on community elderly care experiences. They also visited Miyazaki Prefectural Iino High School and the operational site of TERRA Corporation to observe the community's agricultural product production and sales model, drawing inspiration to promote Taiwan's rural self-development and sustainable operations.

On July 5, we visited two farms to understand their production and sales models. The first farm implements a local production and consumption model through online direct sales, supermarket distribution, and circular economy practices. The second farm, a large-scale agricultural enterprise, integrates elderly workers and Indonesian interns, employing zero pesticide residue farming while balancing both processing and direct sales operations.

On July 6, we participated in the "Taiwan Festival" event, where we introduced Taiwan's Green Care Program. We shared how rural communities, with government support, have developed elderly-friendly environments, balanced nutrition, joyful learning, and health companionship models. The initiative garnered significant interest from local officials and medical institutions, fostering expectations for further exchanges and collaboration.