A Cooperation Letter of Intent MOU Signing was held at Grand Hilai Kaohsiung, where Cheng Shiu University, Hi-Lai Foods, and Pingtung Xinpi Yagou Agricultural Product Transportation and Marketing Cooperative jointly promote the use of local small-scale farmers’ agricultural products. Through industry–university cooperation, we plan to create a stable income for excellent small-scale farmers and implement the enterprises’ efforts to promote ESG and Cheng Shiu University’s implementation of its USR program. Bu-Ping You, Vice President of Cheng Shiu University, said that by implementing University Social Responsibility (USR), the University brings students out to serve the community, further deepening local cultivation, developing local industries, and comprehensively promoting the development of remote rural areas.

Global warming is accelerating. Thus, reducing carbon emissions and shortening food mileage have become the shared social responsibility of companies. Hi-Lai Foods began actively seeking to purchase local ingredients and develop dishes several years ago. Through cooperation with Cheng Shiu University and Pingtung Xinpi Yagou Agricultural Product Transportation and Marketing Cooperative, it has obtained more information on small-scale farmers and visited production areas to obtain ingredients this year.

Cheng Shiu University has achieved remarkable results in practicing USR. It was selected by CommonWealth Magazine as one of the five private universities of science and technology for USR in Taiwan. Cheng Shiu University has won the Global Views Monthly Model Award and the Taiwan Sustainable Action Award on several occasions. The three-party MOU signing event further implements the “USR X ESG” spirit, linking the USR program to local enterprises while investing more resources into local creation and rural development.

Bu-Ping You indicated that since implementing the Xinpi USR program, Cheng Shiu University has been committed to developing Xinpi Township’s specialty catering, enhancing local development and economic vitality, and creating a healthy and vibrant Xinpi.

Kuo-Bao Chu, Board of Directors’ Chair of Yagou Agricultural Product Transportation and Marketing Cooperative, said he is grateful to Cheng Shiu University and Hi-Lai Foods for caring for local small-scale farmers. Much of the land near Xinpi belongs to water conservation areas and does not contain industrial pollution. Thus, the water and soil quality are suitable for growing agricultural products. They will continue to provide high-quality agricultural products to catering operators in the south and cooperate with Cheng Shiu University to expand international sales channels.

The signing ceremony also featured seasonal agricultural products grown by small-scale farmers from Nanzhou, Pingtung, including local Dendrocalamus asper bamboo shoots, dragon fruit, and Madeline, in which production will be developed through Cheng Shiu University’s USR program.