The proposed conceptual framework explores how small-scale farms can combine
agricultural products and tourism into an eco-innovation strategy. This paper presents a case study
conducted on a family-run farm within the territory of the Paiwan tribal community of the North
Dawu Mountain situated in the Central Mountain Range of Taiwan. The area has become an important
coffee-farming region since the Japanese colonial period between 1895 and 1945. For many years,
most of the indigenous farmers of the area have cultivated varieties of coffee plants using traditional,
non-commercial methods, such as a single-sale channel. The small-scale farmer implements an
integrated approach that systematically optimizes supply chain relationships to improve both the
upstream and downstream sides of agri-food tourism services. The upstream element of agri-food
tourism, for example, can be adjusted to employ organic or “natural” farming methods that allow
small-scale farmers to secure an “organic” certification. Based on this approach, a small farm is
gradually transformed into a type of educational institution that can demonstrate to customers the
methods for farming high-quality organic coffee while also attracting tourists of various backgrounds
to experience the downstream components of agri-food tourism in a recreational setting. This case
study highlights how a particular small-scale farmer plays an important role in attracting other tribal
farmers to engage in sustainable practices that help preserve cultural, social, and environmental
systems while also presenting agri-food tourism as a brand identity.
