□ An event will be held to discuss local food* policies with the general public, experts, and the government. Recently, local food is gaining attention as iconic safe food.

* Locally produced agri-food which doesn’t require long-distance transport and multiple distribution steps.

 

□ The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (Minister Jeon, Je-cheol, MOIS) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Minister Kim, Hyeon-soo, MAFRA) will hold the 6th 「 Open Forum at Gwanghwamun 1st Avenue in 2021」(hereafter ‘open forum’) with the theme of ‘Local Food that Saves Health, Local Economy, and the Earth’ at 3 pm ,Wednesday, August 25th 2021.

○ Local food has become a safe and fresh diet option protecting the people’s health. Also, it has emerged as an alternative solution to grow the local economy by creating local jobs and securing a stable market for local small and medium-sized business, elderly and female farmers.

○ Moreover, it reduces carbon emissions with less food miles* and thus contributes to environmental protection.

* Food Miles is the distance of food transported from the time of its making until it reaches the consumer.

□ Since 2013. the government has made multi-faceted efforts to promote local food by supporting direct stores, enacting「Direct sales of agricultural food 」in 2015 and established 3-year action plans for the spread of local food.

○ As a result, the number of direct stores, which was only 32 in 2013, jumped to 554 in 2020. Recently, the subscription of direct stores and sales volume* dramatically increased. Moreover, supply chain of local food via public catering ** has expanded, gaining more interests and attention.

* (Subscription /Sales volume) 1,360 thousand consumers / 520.6 billion won in 2019→ 4,382 thousand consumers / 714.3 billion won in 2020

** (Expanded supply via public catering) catering for armed forces( 27.4% in 2018→48.5% in 202), catering for public institutions in innovation cities such as Naju, Jeonju, and Wanju (24.3% in 2018→35.0% in 2020), catering for government office complex (Sejong: since October 2020, Daejoen: since August 2021)

○ The 6th open forum aims to collect various ideas from the Korean people on local-food policies and reflect them on government policies.

 

□ The open forum will hold the 1st session online live on YouTube (Open Forum at Gwanghwamun 1st Street) with the general public and the 2nd session for small group discussions via Zoom where anyone can participate.

 

□ At the first session (15:00-16:10), Assistant Secretary Park Byung-hong of MAFRA will introduce discussion topics, share local-food policies of the current government and talk about the social value and importance of local food.

○ Researcher Jeong Eun-mi of Korea Rural Economic Institute will deliver a presentation ‘Local Food, Safe Food and Local Economic Cycle’ and Director Huh Hun-jung of Green Table opens discussion with the topic of ‘Our life and future with local food’.

○ With the introduction of discussion topics, moderators and relevant government agencies* will hold a talk with the public about policies required to revitalize local food, such as how to improve consumer awareness of local food and strengthen solidarity with local food.

* Director Lee Jae-sik of Rural Society&Welfare Division from MAFRA, and Director Kim Hyeon-jin of Safe Agri-food Team from Agricultural Technology Center in Chuncheon

 

□ At the second session (16:10~17:30), a small group discussion will start to collect policy proposals. As many as 50 people who have applied in advance will have an in-depth discussion on local food policies with a professional facilitator.

 

□ Various ideas to be collected through the open forum will be summarized during the review forum (1st week of September) into policy proposals. The proposals will be reflected in government policies through examination by relevant government agencies (by end of September).

○ The open forum will share policy proposals to be collected through the forum and how they are reflected in policy making at its website (www.gwanghwamoon1st.go.kr).

□ Head of Government Innovation and Organization Management Office, Han, Ghang-seop from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said that “Local food is an important policy that realizes social values including protecting the people’s health, revitalizing the local economy, and preserving the environment.”

○ ”We hope that the Korean people exchange various ideas to promote local food at the open forum from the producer and consumer perspectives,” he added.

 

□ Following the event, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will hold the 7th open forum this September with the topic of ‘Happier life after retirement that all generations prepare’.