The ROK and the Netherlands Modernise Their Agricultural Partnership to Accelerate Agri-tech Innovation  

Sejong, 21 May 2026 — Minister Song Miryung of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) of the Republic of Korea (ROK) met today in Seoul with Minister Silvio Erkens of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature of the Netherlands. The two ministers discussed the current status and future direction of agricultural innovation in both nations, and signed an amended Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on agricultural cooperation. This amendment marks the first update to the agreement since it was initially signed 13 years ago in 2013.

As a global agricultural export powerhouse, the Netherlands possesses advanced agri-tech capabilities. To date, the ROK and the Netherlands have maintained diverse forms of cooperation to date, including the sharing of agricultural policies and exchanges of personnel. This meeting is particularly significant as it was arranged to explore practical avenues for bilateral cooperation at a time when both nations are accelerating innovation in the agricultural sector.  

During the talks, the two ministers shared updates on policy developments in fields such as smart agriculture, AI-driven innovation, and energy transition, while exchanging views on future cooperation efforts. With a shared understanding of changing agricultural conditions, both sides signed an MoU to strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas such as food security and sustainable agriculture.  

Minister Song stated: “We have actively adopted the Netherlands’ advanced agricultural technologies and expertise, adapting them to suit our local conditions. In doing so, we have developed our own smart farming industry. I hope that today’s meeting will serve as a catalyst to further expand agricultural cooperation between the two countries.”