臺灣農會已有近百年之發展歷史，然而近年來其社會形象欠佳，一時間似變得一文不值，農會往往被與地方派系政治劃上等號，外界紛將其與選舉聯想在一起，農會似已被認定政治性格化。但是，儘管的面臨內在危機與外在撻伐的雙重挑戰，然而，從發展論(Development theory)而言，的過去是臺灣農村發展的重要的角色。況且從政策研究(policy study)的角度而言，農會是政府農村發展的策執行代理者(policy implementation agent)，與政府間成一獨特而有效的「治理機制」(governance)，成功地推機灣農村發展與現代化，因而許多開發中國家，對臺灣農會在農村部門的制度功能暨好奇又羨慕。本文根據「新公共管理」所提出的「治理典範」(governance paradigm)，結合「社會資本論」(social capital theory)，探討臺灣農會歷經一世紀之發展，其多功能、多目標之獨特性，及其與政府所形成一有的「農村發展治理體制」。正因農會為一「非政府組織」(non-government organizations, NGO)，其與府間獨特的夥伴關係，增強了政府農村發展公共服務供給的職能，農會及其成員(農民)間的信任、認同、規範、網絡等關係，經由府之政治領導，通過政策轉化，適當地轉換為公共服傳送職能(pubic service delivery capability)，並且實質地提升政府農村發展政策績效。因而，當前社會雖一昧地指責農會淪為地方政治與選舉動員之「樁腳」，而其他面臨內部經營管理與外在經濟自由化、金融自由化之嚴峻考驗。然而，農會獨特的組織型態與成員關係，卻發展出獨特的「社會資本」內涵，從而成為政府之「政策代理者」(policy agent)與「政策傳送網絡(policy delivery networks)，其對農村現代化之公共政策執行有正面意義，對其他開發中國家而言，亦深具政策學習功能。因此，未來農會不應有存廢的抉擇，而是如何變革與組織再造的政策考量，這個百年老店如經適當改革，未來應仍能在臺灣農業部門轉型與農村發展持續扮演新的角色。

　　　　　Recently, the image of Farmers Associations in Taiwan (hereafter FAT) is so bad. It seems that this most extensive farmer group, composed of all farmers in the island state, will shortly become worthless. This organization reveals a strong political character as it has been extensively involved in local politics for several decades. Since the early 1990s, FAT has begun to encounter both internal crisis and external challenges. However, in developmental perspective, it has played a significant role in rural development in Taiwan since 1950s. Nevertheless, FAT is still valuable in terms of the role and function because it effectively helps government to successfully promote various programs of rural development. In perspective of policy study, FAT is a policy implementation agent. This farmer organization and the government have formed and unique and effective governance that successfully promoted rural modernization in Taiwan. Policy makers and implementing agencies in developing countries are eager to learn experiences of FAT and try to copy its model for implementing their rural development.Governance approach emphasizes the partnership between governments and non-government organizations that co-produces public services, social capital perspective places emphasis on trust, identification, norms, and social networks which may properly be transformed into delivery and provision of public services. government may make use of social capital that FAT presents and improve capacity of public policies. This paper, which is based on social capital approach, examines the role, function, and policy effectiveness of FAT in rural development and modernization in Taiwan during the past decades. Particularly, trust, norms, cooperation, and social networks embedded in FAT have been transformed into development policy effectiveness by the government. Obviously, FAT with rich social capital has actually played a policy agent since its formation in the 1950s. FAT, as a NPO, is valuable for policy learning for most developing countries. Hence, there should be no consideration of abolishing FAT. FAT should be reformed as a newly renovated farmer organization that will be able to play a significant role in transforming the agricultural sector as well as the development of rural areas in Taiwan.