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A taste of sweetness, a lifetime of dedication. Every sweet mouthful savored in our daily lives comes from the sugar-making techniques passed down through generations.
Subtropical Taiwan is suitable for sugar cane cultivation and was formerly known as the kingdom of sugar. Taiwan Sugar Corporation (Taisugar) was founded in 1946 after World War II. It took over the Japanese sugar industry in Taiwan.
The 1950s and 1960s marked the heyday of the Taiwan sugar industry. Through exports, Taisugar earned a substantial amount of foreign exchange and built a solid economic foundation for the country, helping Taiwan gradually shift from an agricultural to industrial economy.
With a long history in sugar production, Taisugar has comprehensive and professional sugar-making techniques, from sugar cane breeding, cultivation, sugar manufacturing, and high-value-added sugar products. It's also the leading sugar brand in Taiwan.
Taisugar has embraced the concept of a circular economy in its sugar-making process. Biogas is used as fuel for co-generation, molasses as an ingredient for feed and fertilizers, and filter mud back to farmland. All the byproducts are recycled to reach zero waste.
In addition to sugar production, Taisugar is also the largest pig farming company in Taiwan. It started the pig farming business in 1953, and its pork supply chain has been vertically integrated from pig breeding, raising, feed production, meat processing, and distribution channels. The brand TSC Safety Pork is known for no drug residues. High standards of food safety and eco-friendliness make it very popular among consumers.
Taisugar has also incorporated the circular economy into its pig farming operations. After the Dafong Agricultural Circulation Park, it continues to renovate its 13 pig farms to lead the upgrading and transformation of Taiwan's pig industry. The new pig houses are equipped with negative pressure ventilation systems and water curtains, as well as solar panels on the rooftops. After being treated, pig manure and urine can be turned into biogas residues used to generate green power, while slurry can be used as fertilizer. These eco-friendly operations make the pig farms model sites showing how to achieve high efficiency, resource circulation, animal welfare, and sustainability.
Starting as an agro-based company, Taisugar is devoted to promoting organic farming and offers organic rice and fertilizers for the market. It also built the Mawang Organic Agriculture Circular Park to support young farmers and enhance food self-sufficiency.
To elevate and bring value to its agriculture, Taisugar launched an orchid business with vertical integration of breeding, propagation, cultivation, and flowering. The orchids under the Tyo brand are globally marketed with the help of overseas branches and international orchid events. Tyo has gained worldwide recognition.
In 2005, the Taiwan sugar industry was liberalized. In response to the challenge, Taisugar diversified its business segments to seize more growth opportunities. Based upon the fermentation technology from sugar production, it started a biotech business and produces dietary supplements, functional beverages, beauty products, alcohol, etc.
Also, to comply with the circular economy policies, Taisugar built the oyster shell biomaterial plant to recycle oyster shells from the western coastal areas into calcium carbonate, which can be further used in feed, fertilizer, and industrial applications. The plant not only promotes the reuse of marine waste but also benefits industrial development and sustainability.
Besides sugar, pork, cooking oils, and dietary supplements, Taisugar also works with suppliers to develop OEM products. All the products follow strict food safety standards and keep customers satisfied.
Taisugar integrates online and offline distribution channels with self-operated TSC Million convenience stores and E-go 888 online shopping platform to enhance product availability. It operates hotels and resorts to provide diverse recreation and tourism services and also runs 73 gas stations to offer gasoline, battery swapping and charging, and various products and services.
Taisugar reinvests in various business arenas to enhance its competitive edges. It adopts a diversification strategy to manage its land assets. The land use complies with major government policies and also fulfills its operational needs, not just contributing to the nation's economic development but ensuring sustainable utilization of land resources.
Taisugar applied circular economy concepts in architecture to build Taisugar Circular Village in Shalun, Tainan. This residential building was constructed using new construction methods such as modular designs and material banks. It adopts a business model of rent instead of buy to promote resource circulation in construction.
As the population ages, in response to the trend, Taisugar built high-quality senior housing for the elderly to live a healthier and happier life. Supporting the energy transition policy, Taisugar takes advantage of its resources to develop renewable energy such as solar and biogas to help the nation move faster toward net-zero emissions.
The natural environment is the foundation of national sustainable development. To slow natural resource degradation, Taisugar actively participated in the government's afforestation project to preserve farmland resources and biodiversity and also to develop an under-forest economy and forest carbon sinks, achieving a win-win situation for both the economy and the environment.
The century-old sugar cultural heritage is Taisugar's precious asset and a collective memory of Taiwanese people as well. Taisugar continuously revitalizes tourism, sugar factories, sugar cultural parks, sugar railways, and various cultural commodities to extend new sugar industry stories and pass on sweet memories.
From the golden age of sugar to its diversification, Taisugar has remained steadfast and proud throughout the years. After driving economic growth and then turning into a household brand, Taisugar embarks on a new journey of being an iconic healthy and green enterprise. By embracing innovation, excellence, and sustainability, Taisugar is going to start a new chapter in the industry's history as well as march toward a net-zero emissions future.