Exhibitor’s Stories

Paper packaging that conveys the growers’ messages

Taiwanese couple Cheng Yun-yi and Lee Chien-te sourced organically grown rice, honey, and tea from small family farms in Taitung, Taiwan, packaging and marketing the food throughout the country under the Green-in-Hand Foodbank brand. The packaging, made of cardboard paper, plain brown paper, hemp, and Hakka wrapping cloths, is based on Taiwanese folk craft and invokes tradition, community, and family. The brand emphasizes taking care of the land and the people living off of it, so the packaging communicates organic farming methods, natural conservation, and fair trade practices in conjunction with book publishing, websites, social media, and engagement events, such as experiential learning opportunities in local schools. The simple but powerful packaging, when combined with a strong community building campaign that connects those who grow the food with those who consume the food, successfully differentiates these treasures from the countryside in the crowded marketplace.