S. Korea Expands the Scope of Its ODA Project to Benefit 50 or More Countries and Develops 10 or More Partnership Models

Sejong, 11 March 2025 — The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) announced the First Comprehensive Plan for the International Agriculture Cooperation Project for years 2025–2029. The plan aims to bolster food security of the recipient countries of the ODA project, provide support for the growth of their agricultural industries, and strengthen the global competitiveness of the Korean agri-food industry.

Importantly, the MAFRA has established a goal of (a) developing 10 or more partnership models of helping Korean companies in industries with forward- and backward-linkages with agriculture to enter overseas markets in connection with the official development assistance (ODA) projects by 2029 as well as (b) expanding the scope of the ODA project to benefit 50 or more countries. Accordingly, more and more companies inside and outside South Korea are expected to show more interest and participate in the International Agriculture Cooperation Project.

The key objectives of the comprehensive plan are as follows: 

1. The MAFRA will develop 10 or more partnership models to ensure that more and more Korean companies can enter overseas markets in connection with ODA projects.

The MAFRA will develop 10 or more models of partnership among international organizations, companies, non-profit organizations, and the government for the next five years. By encouraging more and more Korean companies to take active part in the International Agriculture Cooperation Project, the MAFRA will make efforts to ensure that recipient countries can maintain and advance sustainability in agriculture independently after its ODA projects have ended. The MAFRA will also make efforts to reduce the risks of the failure of its ODA projects while expanding the significant outcomes of its ODA projects through cooperation with international organizations having local networks and rich experience in the implementation of ODA projects.    

Concurrently, the MAFRA will provide support for more Korean companies to participate in the International Agriculture Cooperation Project. To this end, the MAFRA will open a permanent channel for public-private cooperation and thus develop public-private partnership models with Korean companies, based on their needs. 

The MAFRA will provide Korean companies with a broad set of support, including the provision of information and consulting, to ensure that they can take part in the projects of international organizations. Korean companies in industries with forward- and backward-linkages with agriculture (e.g. manufacturers of agricultural equipment and machinery) will also be provided with a tailored set of support—including market analysis, operation of demonstration farms, and running of marketing and promotion campaigns. Such tailored support aims to help them enter overseas markets through official development assistance (ODA) projects.   

2. The MAFRA will make efforts to ensure that K-Agriculture can be globally recognized and lead to repeated successes. 

The MAFRA will advance its flagship ODA projects—such as the food aid and the K-Ricebelt project—that have been receiving positive evaluation from the international community. The advancement of such projects will add up to a greater global recognition of the K-Agriculture brand and lead to repeated successes. As for the Korean rice aid project, the MAFRA will increase the number of recipient countries, expand the volumes of rice aid, and diversify assistance items. 

Also, the MAFRA will expand the K-Ricebelt project, currently underway mainly in East and West Africa, into South Africa and provide a comprehensive assistance for African countries in terms of industries with forward- and backward-linkages with rice farming, improvement of a living environment in rural areas, enhancement of education and welfare, etc.

<Countries where the K-Ricebelt project is being implemented>

* The Republic of Senegal, the Republic of The Gambia, the Republic of Ghana, the Republic of Guinea, the Republic of Cameroon, the Republic of Uganda, and the Republic of Kenya.

<Countries that signed an MoU on participation in the K-Ricebelt project with the Republic of Korea>

* The Republic of Madagascar, the Republic of Malawi, the Republic of Angola, the Republic of Zimbabwe, the Republic of Sierra Leone, the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, and the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire

3. The MAFRA will provide support for the entire cycle of the agricultural value chain of recipient countries to strengthen their self-sustaining agricultural and economic foundation. 

The MAFRA will provide recipient countries with a comprehensive assistance by analyzing their needs and their agricultural value chains. Such comprehensive assistance will go to improvement of agricultural policies and systems, establishment of agricultural production infrastructure, enhancement of the capabilities of processing and distribution of agricultural products, and enhancement of the capabilities of those engaging in agriculture. This way, the MAFRA will provide support for the recipient countries so that they can develop their own agricultural industries independently and lay the foundation of self-sustaining economy.

Importantly, the MAFRA will run education and training programmes in connection with the agricultural facilities it has already built in recipient countries as part of its ODA project. This way, the MAFRA will provide support for recipient countries to ensure that such agricultural facilities will serve as a foundation for advanced agricultural technologies to be widely introduced after its ODA projects have ended. 

4. The MAFRA set up a special team responsible for the management of the International Agriculture Cooperation Project and designated organizations to carry out the project.

In December 2024, the MAFRA set up a new team, known as the Global Agricultural Development Team, dedicated to comprehensive management of the International Agriculture Cooperation Project. The new team is responsible for project planning, project management, the management of project outcomes, enhancement of recipient countries’ agricultural capabilities, and public relations. As the International Agriculture Cooperation Project is evolving to be more diverse and requires more specialized skills and expertise, the MAFRA designated organizations^* to carry out the work in specialized fields, such as planning, digitization, education, performance management, etc.

* General management and planning will be led by Korea Rural Community Corporation (KRC), digitization and education by the Korea Agency of Education, Promotion and Information Service in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (EPIS), and performance management and evaluation by the Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI).

H.E. SONG Miryung, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said: “With this year marking the 20th anniversary of Korea’s agricultural ODA, the First Comprehensive Plan for the International Agriculture Cooperation Project carries great significance in that it allows us to look back on what we have achieved through the ODA project we have implemented until this time. And the comprehensive plan also carries great significance in that it is a win-win plan that helps recipient countries grow their agricultural industries and, at the same time, helps Korean companies enter overseas markets.”