Recent studies of the substellar population in the Taurus cloud have revealed a deficit of substellar objects by a factor ≃ 2 compared to the Trapezium cluster population (Briceno et al. 1998; Luhman 2000). If confirmed, the higher low-mass cutoff in Taurus could have strong implications on IMF and substellar formation models. However, all studies to date have concentrated on the highest stellar density regions of the Taurus cloud. Reipurth & Clarke (2001) have proposed that brown dwarfs are stellar embryos ejected from their birth site early in their evolution. In order to test this scenario and investigate a possible spatial segregation between stars and brown dwarfs, we have performed a large scale optical survey of the Taurus cloud covering a total area of ≃ 30 deg2 down to a mass detection limits of 15 M_Jup. We first present results from a spectroscopic follow-up of a sub-sample of substellar candidates that revealed 4 new Brown Dwarfs and one Very Low Mass Taurus member. We then discuss the selection of candidates from a larger scale optical survey and the implications for the substellar IMF in Taurus.