From a century-old shop to a zero-waste factory, how Dafang Dougan turns waste into gold and creates sustainable business opportunities
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Every innovation is to preserve this century-old Taiwanese flavor
In the old streets of Daxi, more than 600 metric tons of bean dregs are produced every day. These by-products of soy products have long been treated as waste, and Taoyuan alone spends nearly 200 million yuan a year on disposal. This is not only a cost burden, but also an environmental pressure.
But in this industrial dilemma, one century-old store chose to rise to the challenge and turn the crisis into a turning point.
Founded in 1923, [Tafang Foods Co., Ltd.] (https://www.tafangfoods.com.tw/home.php) started with the invention of dried black beans by the first generation. After five generations of inheritance, it has not only become the most representative soy brand in Taiwan, but also faced multiple challenges such as industrial aging, changes in tourism structure, and soaring bean dregs processing costs. It has successfully transformed into a modern enterprise that combines traditional craftsmanship, digital wisdom and sustainable development. This is not just a gorgeous turn, but also a journey of transformation that perfectly integrates the spirit of a century-old craftsman with innovative thinking.
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A piece of dried black beans supports a century-old foundation
In 1923, founder Huang Wu (Huang Damu) created [Dafang Dried Tofu] (https://www.tafangfoods.com.tw/about.php) in Daxi. The piece of dried black bean he invented not only established the status of dried tofu in Taiwan, but also created a miracle of a century-old industry.
Huang Jianjia, the current general manager and the fourth-generation successor, said: “We hope to use a piece of dried tofu to let the world see Taiwan. Because dried tofu is not just food, it carries the story of five generations of the family, Taiwan’s industrial context, and our generation’s mission to promote Taiwan’s bean culture to the world.”
Huang Jianjia is not only the general manager of Dafang Tofu, but also currently the chairman of the Taiwan Tofu Business Association, shouldering the responsibility of leading the transformation and upgrading of the entire industry.
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In the wave of fast fashion and Internet celebrity food, many traditional stores have to face a cruel reality: the once familiar taste has gradually been forgotten by the younger generation… After a hundred years of ups and downs, now, the fourth-generation succession team not only has to hold on to this sign, but also has to face the challenges of industry aging, tourists’ declining consumption power, and increasingly stringent environmental regulations. This is not a simple brand upgrade, but a profound dialogue that combines the family mission and the sustainability of the earth.
Not just making food, each generation is redefining “dried beans”
“Dafang Dried Tofu is unfolding the unique taste of Taiwan in a unique form.” Huang Jianjia described it this way.
For Dafang, dried tofu has never been just a black cube.
The first generation of Huangwu used a piece of dried black beans, which established the unique status of Taiwan’s dried tofu. This traditional production method of four times of cooking is still the craftsmanship that Dafang is most proud of.
The second generation transformed the family from an early manual workshop to standardized production, allowing more people to participate in manufacturing, and began to stabilize production quality, laying the foundation of Dafang Dried Tofu.
The third generation brought a packaging revolution. Huang Jianjia recalled: “At that time, the dried tofu on the market was still sold in bulk and on the roadside. My father was the first to introduce packaged dried tofu, which really brought the dried tofu into the retail market and entered the gift market. It also began to be exported. It was the first time that dried tofu was brought to the international market.”
By the fourth generation, Huang Jianjia’s generation, they are facing more complex challenges: “We are facing generational changes, changes in consumption patterns, and ESG requirements. We have begun to rethink the culture and narrative of Dafang Tofu, and how the product can move towards a sustainable path.” From design and channels to the introduction of internal ERP and CRM, they hope that the brand will move from a century-old store to modern life.
From waste to new business opportunities, the “okara revolution”
However, behind the century-old glory, there is a huge environmental cost hidden.
In Daxi, the soy product industry generates staggering amounts of waste every day. “Bean dregs is a huge environmental problem. The amount of bean dregs that needs to be disposed of in Taoyuan every year is nearly 200 million yuan.” Huang Jianjia pointed out the pain points of this industry with great earnestness. In the past, these okara, which was regarded as waste, was not only expensive to dispose of, but also a burden to the environment.
“If you don’t do sustainability now, you will be eliminated in the future!” This sentence sounded the alarm in the hearts of the management team. Unlike in the past, where sustainability was simply regarded as a marketing bonus, the team at Dafang Dougan deeply understands that “sustainability is our basic issue.”
Therefore, Dafang made a bold decision: to turn these waste materials back into raw materials. They cooperated with youth teams and food research laboratories and invested a lot of resources in research and development, trying to transform bean dregs into high value-added products such as plant-based meat and bean dregs biscuits.
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To be honest, this road has not been smooth. Huang Jianjia recalled the initial setbacks: “At the beginning, the okara tasted too thick, the quality was not good, and consumers were not willing to buy it.” In addition, in order to adhere to environmental protection, the packaging cost was 20% to 40% higher than traditional products, and the channel did not foot the bill at all. But these failures turned into nourishment, allowing them to learn the most important lesson: “Sustainability can only be truly sustainable if it is accepted by the market.”
Say goodbye to acting by feeling: digital transformation uses data to regain 30% of competitiveness
If solving the problem of bean dregs is to be responsible for the environment, then digital transformation is Dafang Dougan’s second venture for survival.
Faced with the shortage of workers and the difficulty of passing on the experience of old masters, Dafang has actively introduced intelligent and digital tools in recent years. From ERP and CRM systems to the AI robot customer service that will be added in the future, every step is to enable a century-old enterprise to keep up with the times. This is not only for efficiency, but also to solve the blind spots of traditional industries that “rely on feeling”.
“The most obvious benefit of the introduction is that our material shortage and process production waste have been reduced by 30%.” Huang Jianjia shared. In the past, relying on manual “back-to-back” experience guessing has now turned into precise data management. “We can clearly see the gross profit of each production line. The CRM system allows us to understand the market’s rigid needs, and we can more accurately formulate operation and marketing strategies and reduce errors.” In this way, the gross profit of each production line is clearly visible.
What’s even more interesting is that old employees who originally rejected new technologies have become supporters of digital transformation after discovering that AI systems can make working hours clearer, operations simpler, and even reduce overtime. This digital revolution not only increased production capacity, but also allowed this century-old company to learn to communicate with employees in modern language.
Entities provide warmth, and e-commerce provides the future: Dafang Dougan sells culture
Dafang also has a very clear strategic thinking in terms of access distribution. In terms of physical channels, it is the first line of brand emotion and experience. General Manager Huang pointed out that tourists can drive exposure, but they should not be overly relied on because relative loyalty is low. E-commerce platforms are the source of new customers in the new era. Any industry with an e-commerce platform will have higher scalability in the future.
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In terms of community management, Dafang’s strategy is to “tell culture, tell sustainability, and tell stories” and use cultural narrative to turn Dafang Dougan into a cultural platform. “We are not selling dried tofu to young people, but bringing them a new quality lifestyle.”
In order to attract young people, they redesigned the packaging, added various languages, and made the product look younger. Films were made to record the work of the craftsmen, as well as the special culture and scenic spots of Daxi. “What Dafang always sells is culture, not commodities.”
From bean dregs to wood art, local connection: creating a moat for bean culture
Returning to the issue of sustainability, Dafang continues to implement this concept with actions.
First, food is made from bean dregs, opening up a circular economy. Then cooperate with the local wood life center to promote the Daxi specialty wood industry, use environmentally friendly wood packaging, and reduce the use of packaging materials. Start carbon inventory and label application, moving towards sustainable production.
“We hope to turn carbon reduction and culture into commodities.” Huang Jianjia said. They also provide an industry platform that combines wood arts, design, and youth teams. “We hope that young people can stay in their hometowns and stay in their hometowns in Daxi.”
Of course, these approaches have met with considerable resistance. The cost of using sustainable packaging alone is 20 to 40% higher than that of traditional packaging. The rising price means that distributors may not necessarily foot the bill, and there is also a huge gap in consumers’ awareness of sustainability. “Many people like sustainability, but they may not necessarily pay for it.”
Their response is: “Use stories to let consumers understand the value behind it, make sustainable products better-looking, discuss strategic test points with channels, and let consumers experience them through the Bean Dried Bean Festival, markets and e-commerce.” They hope to create a cross-border narrative between the Daxi bean brand and wood crafts. It’s not just a plan, it’s about getting the organization to actually turn the corner together.
From solving the residue of a soybean to introducing AI brain, Dafang Dougan is building a moat that is difficult for competitors to cross.
Use soy foods to let the world see Taiwan
Facing the next five years, Dafang Tofu’s vision is clear: to become the sustainable benchmark for Taiwan’s bean industry. They hope to build a “zero-waste” soybean factory so that bean dregs can truly complete the industrial regeneration.
“We hope that the next generation will take over, and we cannot inherit the model of the previous generation.” From the first generation of black bean curd to the fifth generation of circular economy and AI governance, Dafang Dougan has proved that the value of an old store does not lie in the years, but in how each generation redefines the way to care for people and the land.
“Let the world see Taiwan with a piece of dried tofu.” This is not only a slogan, but also the commitment and persistence of Dafang Tofu, a century-old shop, for the next century.
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Further reading
- From Standard Chartered Building Cafe to AI Net-Zero Promoter: How does Taichuang Digital turn lunch box ordering into a good business with carbon rights?
- From handwritten notes to AI diversion, how can global pharmacies turn Li Changbo’s human touch into a digital moat?
- From the delivery room to the dining table: How Taiwan’s first “confinement agency” Zili broke the boundary between mother and baby and transformed into full-age care
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