Page 79 - Hualien Sustainable Living Bilingual Magazine

74 Moreover, NDHU is also working with the Hualien Agricultural Research and Extension Station and the Hualien County Government to promote the use of local food ingredients. The faculty and students from the NDHU Department of Life Science are producing in-depth product marketing for the tribal community producers and helping them think about the future marketing of the produce. In addition to helping small farmers plan marketing strategies for their produce, they are also working on packaging and processing to create agricultural products that would be more widely accepted by the public. For example, processing and developing shiso (perilla) into face cream, ice cream, coffee, and other products to create more economic benefits and added value to the produce. In the area of“ending hunger”, NDHU has partnered with many restaurants, such as New Paradiso, to promote the use of local ingredients, implement vegan activities and meat-free days, and provide affordable meal boxes for students in need of financial assistance. President Chao said, “Hualien’s farming area is quite restricted, and the creation of a more friendly agricultural production, transportation, and processing system is an important task for NDHU.” Hualien Issue