臺灣農村的異質性：由多重測量重新界定「農村」

Heterogeneity in Taiwan’s Farming Areas: Redefining Agricultural Villages through Multiple Measures

臺灣官方和學界甚少討論如何以不同層面的測量指標探索農村的多元類型，也難以明確界定農村的範圍。政府單位或學者在實務操作上僅由「非都市土地使用」等相關法規來劃定農村，如此單一、均質的途徑缺乏實證測量的有效依據。本研究同時考量概念學理及實務的合理性，藉由分析臺灣農業特性及其地理分布，探討農村的異質特性並確實建構完整農村範圍。除了藉由大型社會調查資料來彰顯「農村」和「鄉村」的實質區別外，更藉由三項大型公務統計資料庫嘗試建構多重測量指標。分析範圍在比較「單一變項」、「綜合指標」、「農業結構特徵」等三種測量結果。分析策略則著重在鄉鎮層級選擇最合適的分群方式，確認「農鄉」的基本特性應兼顧「農家」與「農地」等複合考量。除了鄉鎮的整體發展，農村的多元可能包含了混雜的類型（如「農鄉」的其他特性），以及鄉鎮當中的村里差異（如都市或都會郊區裡的「農村」）。本分析結果藉由實證資料劃定的農村總數為4,128個村里，對後續有關臺灣農村之學術研究及政策制訂，均可作為重要參考依據。

It has long been difficult for both the academy and the government to consider how to investigate the typology of farming villages using different measurement indicators and to clearly define the geographical scope of farming areas in Taiwan. Scholars and policymakers usually delimit the boundaries of farming villages solely based on the“non-urban land use”regulations. Such a singular and homogeneous approach lacks an effective empirical basis for measurement. Neither this conceptualization nor the measurement, however, adequately addresses the specific needs of the farming communities under question. This study develops a theory-driven approach to uncover the heterogeneity of farming and to redefine farming places in a practical way, which would help boundary drawing of agriculturally important villages according to their agricultural structure and geographical distribution in Taiwan. In addition to highlighting the similarities and differences between“farming”and“rural”through social survey data, we construct multiple measures through official statistical datasets. Drawing on data from the 2015 Agriculture, Forestry, the Fishery and Animal Husbandry Census, the 2015 Agricultural Statistics Yearbook, and the Aquaculture Stocking Database, this study focuses on selecting the most appropriate measurement at the township level and confirms that the basic characteristics of“agriculturally important township”should take into account both the agricultural household and land in farms. In addition to overall agricultural development at the township level, farming diversity also may include mixed types (such as other characteristics of“agriculturally important townships”) and village variations among townships (such as“agriculturally important villages”in urban or metropolitan suburbs). Based on our empirical findings about diverse farming circumstances, we compile a comprehensive list of 4,128 agriculturally important villages, which could serve as a more precise guideline for further academic research, as well as policy making, on farming areas in Taiwan.