Ministry of Agriculture Witnesses SKS and Shin Kong Life Foundation Partnership Extending Sustainability from Land to Ocean
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A single grain of rice can do more than support disadvantaged families—it can also become a force for protecting the ocean.
Witnessed by Taiwan's Ministry of Agriculture, SKS and the Shin Kong Life Foundation have strengthened their long-standing partnership to advance a circular sustainability initiative that connects their respective commitments to land stewardship and marine conservation.
For many years, SKS has collaborated with Qingchu Yilan Cooperative to support young people returning to their hometowns to cultivate organic rice using environmentally friendly farming practices. The harvested organic rice is donated to disadvantaged families across Taiwan, transforming the bounty of the land into meaningful social support.
Building on this shared commitment, the Shin Kong Life Foundation extends the value created on land by utilizing rice husks and other agricultural residues generated after harvest. Following a feasibility assessment conducted by National Taiwan Ocean University, the agricultural by-products are converted into biochar in accordance with international standards by TCHAR. The biochar is then incorporated into coral restoration blocks to support coral restoration and enhance natural carbon sinks, extending the value of every grain of rice from the land to the ocean.
On land, SKS works alongside partners including Qingchu Yilan Cooperative, the Hualien District Agricultural Research and Extension Station of the Ministry of Agriculture, Originlimit Co., Ltd., and yeahyeah Ltd. to promote youth engagement in agriculture, environmentally friendly farming, the circular economy, and farmland biodiversity. Through initiatives such as sustainable farming, the creation of solitary bee habitats, ecological surveys, and the application of biochar to farmland, the partnership fosters healthier agricultural ecosystems where food production and biodiversity can thrive together.
In the marine environment, the Shin Kong Life Foundation has long promoted nationwide coastal and underwater cleanup initiatives. It is now further transforming agricultural residues into materials for coral restoration, integrating coral cultivation, citizen science, and academic research to establish a comprehensive coral restoration model. Biochar produced from rice husks is incorporated into coral restoration blocks, and in collaboration with BlueTrend, the Foundation has developed coral observation educational materials in support of the United Nations' International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism initiative while launching the Coral Observer Training Program.
The program invites divers visiting Penghu to learn about coral conservation while contributing to marine protection by documenting coral health, growth conditions, and the surrounding ecosystem during their dives. In this way, tourism becomes more than an opportunity to appreciate the ocean—it also contributes to its conservation. The observation data will be analyzed by the Department of Fisheries Science and Technology and Management, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, establishing long-term coral monitoring datasets to support coral restoration, biodiversity research, and marine conservation while continuously enriching Taiwan's marine ecological database through scientific research.
A defining feature of this circular sustainability model is that it goes beyond the recycling of agricultural residues. It connects agriculture, marine conservation, materials science, and biodiversity conservation into an integrated sustainability ecosystem. SKS continues to cultivate sustainable land stewardship, while the Shin Kong Life Foundation remains committed to marine conservation. By leveraging their respective expertise, the two organizations connect long-term sustainability initiatives across land and ocean, maximizing the impact of cross-sector collaboration and shared resources.
Looking ahead, SKS and the Shin Kong Life Foundation will continue expanding their collaboration by working with businesses, government agencies, academia, and civil society partners. Together, they aim to extend the value created on land to the ocean, demonstrating how a single grain of rice can create lasting environmental and social value across interconnected ecosystems.