Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation is honored to welcome Luce Scholar Isabel Ramos, who will be spending the next year in Taiwan exploring the intersections of sustainable farmland management, conservation, and food security. Through this collaboration, Tse-Xin and the Luce Scholars Program aim to foster meaningful cross-cultural learning and exchange, deepening mutual understanding of how ecological agriculture can support both people and the planet.

The Luce Scholar program, run by the Henry Luce Foundation is an experiential fellowship that offers emerging leaders immersive professional placements in Asia. The program’s goal is to create stronger and more compassionate cross cultural relationships.

Isabel has previous experience working in environmental science research and organic farms in the U.S and throughout the next year is excited to learn more about local food systems in Taiwan and the various programs run by Tse-Xin. Since beginning her placement, she has had the opportunity to meet with farmers across Taiwan – learning more about Tse-Xin’s collaboration with the Bunun people of the Nan'an community in Hualien, the Green Conservation label application and certification process, the Yangmingshan Friendly Agriculture Counseling Program, and the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI).

During her visit to Hualien, Isabel met with indigenous farmer Tina Uli, learning more about the educational initiatives they’re working on to promote and preserve culturally important crops such as millet in elementary schools in Taiwan. She also had the opportunity to visit Tse-Xin’s Green Conservation Exhibit in Da’an. She says these experiences have allowed her to expand her perspective on environmental education and alternative ways to raise awareness for environmental issues.

Moreover, Isabel had the opportunity to join IPSI’s Thematic Working Group Discussion:

“As someone whose main background is in research, it’s been so fun to learn

about the practical ways in which farmers collaborate with manufacturers, suppliers, and vendors to sell their organic products in Taiwan. Additionally, it's been really cool to learn more about sustainable supply chain management and the work of various international organizations through Tse-Xin’s IPSI partnership.”   

Throughout the next year, Isabel will be helping Tse-Xin research blog articles, conduct literature reviews on relevant case studies from Western countries, and assist in hands-on engagement in the foundation’s fieldwork and international initiatives. 

“To my knowledge, there is not an organization where I’m from that is as robust

and committed to helping farmers transition to organic in a way that is both economically and environmentally sustainable. Tse-Xin’s model is really inspiring and though I’ve only just started my placement, I’ve already learned so much and am overall really excited to work with Tse-Xin throughout the next year.”

As Isabel is Tse-Xin’s first international fellow, we are excited to engage in a meaningful cross-cultural exchange that will broaden both the Luce Scholar’s and the foundation's global perspective in organic agriculture and conservation.