Taiwan’s Fwusow Industry Co., Ltd: Pioneering the circular economy in agribusiness from farm to table
Publication Type
Case
Publication Date
12-2025
Abstract
In June 2025, Fwusow Industry Company Limited, led by Hung Yau-Kuen, became the first Taiwanese food manufacturer to have its products’ carbon footprint certified by the IECQ ISO 14067 international standard for greenhouse gas verification. Founded in 1920, Fwusow had evolved from a small, family-run fishing and agriculture business to a large, diversified enterprise with over 600 employees and an annual turnover of USD 467 million in 2024. Headquartered in Taichung, the company specialised in the production of edible oil, cereals, pet food, animal feed, and agricultural bio-products and fertilisers.
As a leader in Taiwan’s agri-food industry, Fwusow was a pioneer of circular economy practices, having successfully integrated its upstream and downstream operations to complete a sustainable farm-to-table loop. It was also the first Taiwanese food manufacturer to adopt the BS 8001 circular economy framework in 2018. The company implemented circular economy principles, which attained the highest “optimised” accreditation, further demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and affirming its leadership in responsible practices.
Yet, as the food manufacturing industry becomes increasingly competitive, Hung mused: How could Fwusow continue to grow while remaining true to its sustainability vision?
Students will explore how Fwusow implements sustainability practices through a Circular Agri-Food Model and they will also learn how the Hung family's values, such as harmony, fairness, and transparency, shape the governance of the family business. Using the Socioemotional Wealth framework, students gain insights into how the unique characteristics of family firms can be transformed into resources that yield strategic advantages for firms to achieve continual growth.
Keyword(s)
Circular economy, sustainable agribusiness, family business, socioemotional wealth framework
Discipline
Agribusiness | Finance and Financial Management
Area of Excellence
Sustainability
Research Areas
Finance
Data Source
Field Research
Industry
Crop Production Industry
Geographic Coverage
Taiwan
Temporal Coverage
2025
Education Level
Postgraduate; Undergraduate
Publisher
Singapore Management University
Case ID
SMU-25-0033
Additional URL
https://ccx-shop.smu.edu.sg/products/taiwan-s-fwusow-industry-co-ltd-pioneering-the-circular-economy-in-agribusiness-from-farm-to-table?variant=43888147628074
Comments
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