Based on the results of stakeholder interviews, the area of tea plantations in Wuhe reached 200 hectares in the 1960s, then dropped to less than 100 hectares before the invention of honey-flavored black tea about 10 years ago. Now the total area of tea plantations in Wuhe is about 100 hectares, and at least 60% of the plantations are now cultivated by EF practices. The remaining tea plantations are managed for the most part innocuously, i.e., pesticides are applied at a minimum and according to government regulations on pesticide application. Although tea farmers practicing EF saved 1,700-2,000 USD per hectare per year on the cost of pesticides and herbicides, this amount is scarcely comparable to the cost of extra labor required for EF practices (see below).

However, EF practices brought social benefits to local laborers. In the past, tea leaves were mainly plucked in spring and winter when insect damage was minor, and tea plucking laborers (mostly indigenous women and some foreign spouses) typically worked only 50 to 60 days a year. With the invention of honey-flavored black tea, tea leaves can be collected almost year round to produce various types and qualities of tea (see below). In addition, because weeds are cut or pulled manually once every 2-4 weeks depending on how fast grasses grow at an EF tea plantation, more laborers are needed. Due to the extra work of weeding and longer seasons of tea plucking, laborers hired by tea growers of EF tea farms now work more than 300 days per year, which means getting 5 to 6 times more income a year than before.

Although labor is costly (33-66 USD per day per person), the honey-flavored tea produced by EF practices sells so well that the income of tea growers has increased 2-5 times compared to 10 years ago. The price of honey-flavored black tea ranges from 60 to 120 USD per 600 gm, depending on the quality of the tea produced. Premium tea is sold as high as 400 USD per 600 gm. Tea growers now do not worry about hiring more laborers, using the more expensive organic fertilizer, or the loss in quantity caused by SGL damage because this extra cost and loss can always be compensated by the increase in unit price of various types of tea. In fact, feeding by SGLs is no longer considered to be “damage’’, but “benefit.” As the population of SGL decreases, tea shoots and leaves are less damaged and can still be processed into some other tea products, e.g. oolong tea, which is sold at regular or lower price. Therefore, tea plantations are managed to ensure that the SGL can feed on tea shoots and leaves. Timely weeding forces the SGL to feed on tea shoots and young leaves. The grass regrows within several days after weeding and the SGL may return to this shelter.

Results of the interview also showed that the Farmers’ Association is the most important institution to tea growers, and the Tea Research and Extension Station (TRES) is the key institution for training and extension. There are about 50 tea growers in the Rueisuei Farmers’ Association. However, farmers who are more actively practicing EF are in general younger farmers. Farmers do share and exchange knowledge and skills on tea growing through the arrangements of the Farmers’ Association. However, there is much know-how in terms of making teas, and tea growers seldom talk about how they make their own teas. Nearly 100 laborers were hired by tea growers in Wuhe in 2014. Like other rural areas in Taiwan, Rueisuei is also facing the threat of aging as the average age of the laborers is about 55. Most of the younger generation has moved to urban areas, though there are a few who either stayed or returned from urban areas and joined the tea farming business in recent years. Gender inequality is not a big issue in Wuhe, i.e. women have equal rights in terms of voting and being voted in, working, education, property ownership, etc. A woman was newly elected as Leader of the Tea Production and Marketing Group of the Rueisuei Farmers’ Association.

Our results showed that tea plantations with EF practices not only generate higher economic return but also conserve higher biodiversity. In addition, more job opportunities were created through the EF practices. We conclude that social interviews and stakeholder engagement as well as a biodiversity survey are not only useful but also critical tools to identify and verify a socio-ecological production landscape (SEPL) such as the tea production landscape in Wuhe Tableland.