To expand regional collaboration and deepen food and agriculture education, the K-12 Education Administration of the Ministry of Education has commissioned NTHU to organize the “2025 Rooted in the Land – Greater Hsinchu Food and Agriculture Education Carnival and NTHU Social Practice Joint Exhibition.”

The event features 120 booths showcasing local agricultural products and specialty foods, along with various interactive experiences designed to engage students, teachers, and the public.

Simultaneously, the carnival hosts four major forums at NTHU’s Macronix Hall — the Roundtable Forum, Food and Agriculture Education Forum, Park ESG Forum, and NTHU USR Forum — focusing on themes such as regional collaboration, forward-looking policies for food and agriculture education, community revitalization and public-private cooperation, and place-based learning. By integrating schools, communities, and industries, the event embodies the vision of “shared prosperity through food and agriculture education.”

According to the K-12 Education Administration, food and agriculture education extends beyond agricultural policy — it integrates education, culture, health, and sustainability. NTHU’s “Food and Agriculture Education Model Schools and Regional Support Network Project” invites participation from local governments across Taiwan to build cross-regional collaboration mechanisms that encourage partnerships between schools and local industries, promoting experience sharing and resource exchange between urban and rural areas.

In practice, rural schools are encouraged to invite tribal elders to participate in outdoor courses, helping students learn about Indigenous food culture and traditional wisdom, while urban schools develop “market field trips” that let students interact with farmers and vendors, deepening their understanding of the journey from farm to table and the value of local food systems.

The carnival features diverse participants from the Greater Hsinchu region, showcasing rich achievements in food and agriculture education. Highlights include a zero-waste market and family-friendly experiential booths — such as herbal tea tasting, Hakka dessert DIY, learning about roselle and buckwheat, pork cuts demonstration, coffee roasting, and bamboo weaving workshops — inviting visitors to experience the beauty of the land and local food culture firsthand.

The event also includes a roundtable forum and three thematic forums, covering 13 discussion topics and 24 short talks on food and agricultural education and livestock sustainability. These platforms encourage dialogue and knowledge sharing among academia, industry, and government, transforming insights into educational and practical actions.

The K-12 Education Administration emphasizes that food and agriculture education is not only about food knowledge but also about cultural inheritance, sustainable development, and healthy living. Through the integration of the carnival and forums, the initiative highlights the power of cross-sector collaboration among schools, communities, and industries. Looking forward, the ministry will continue promoting the model of demonstration schools and regional support networks, nurturing students’ respect for the land and care for society, and realizing the vision of shared prosperity between education and local communities.