“Those goals are outlined in a high-end agricultural development project approved by the Executive Yuan recently, “ the Cabinet-level Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) said in a statement.

Citing a 2006 study by Organic Monitor — an organic agriculture watchdog body, the council said Taiwan's organic food and beverage sales increased from NT$920 million in 2003 to NT$1.81 billion in 2006 and might further surge to NT$5.13 billion in 2013.

Increasingly health conscious, an increasing number of Taiwanese consumers are opting for organic products, even if they cost more.

Global organic food and beverage sales are also growing rapidly, according to the council.

Statistics released by the International Federation of Organic Movement showed that global sales of certified organic food and beverage amounted to US$46 billion in 2007. The amount may rise to an estimated US$67 billion in 2012, the group predicted.

At the moment, the Council said, about 70 percent of organic food and beverage sold in Taiwan are imported. Against this backdrop, the CEPD statement said the government will step up efforts to prod development of organic agriculture with an ultimate goal of making Taiwan a toxic-free agricultural island.

Under the project jointly initiated by the CEPD and the Council of Agriculture, the government will use land owned by state-run Taiwan Sugar Corp. and the Veterans Affairs Commission for organic agricultural production.

In addition, the CEPD statement said, the government will help owners of large plots of fallow farmland venture into organic farming.

The government will also help operators set up distribution centers, cultivate brands, tap new markets by developing e commerce, diversify marketing channels, and promote group purchases by local enterprises.

The organic agriculture development plan is part of a package approved by the Cabinet in May, under which the government will spend NT$24.2 billion over the next four years to develop a sophisticated agriculture industry in the country under three major themes — healthy agriculture, excellent agriculture, and LOHAS agriculture. The plan is to turn Taiwan into an island free of pesticides, known to the world for its advanced agricultural technology, and suitable for leisure activities.