Following the Launch of the ESG Advisory Committee
Producers, Consumers, and Corporate Representatives
Announce Greenhouse Gas Reduction Campaign
Promoting Local Food Diets
Reducing Waste to Encourage Carbon Reduction
'Korea Green Food Day' Proclamation Ceremony Commitment Performance. From the left, Yeom Hong-cheol, President of the Saemaul Undong Central Association; Kim Chun-jin, President of Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT); Won Young-hee, President of the Korea Consumer Organization Council; Kim Ki-moon, President of the Korea Federation of SMEs. (Photo by aT)
[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), responsible for food supply and agricultural product distribution, has been accelerating its ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management since the inauguration of President Kim Choon-jin in March. Following the ESG management declaration ceremony held in April with clients and partner companies and the launch of the 'ESG Management CEO Advisory Committee,' aT has now taken the lead in a campaign to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the entire food process of ‘production-distribution-consumption.’
According to aT on the 17th, the company recently held an online and offline proclamation ceremony for the 'Korea Green Food Day' campaign to promote a low-carbon dietary culture at the aT Center in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, with producers, consumers, and corporate representatives. The ceremony was attended by the Saemaul Undong Central Association, the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business, and the Korea Consumer Agency, who pledged to practice ESG management alongside aT. Representing 680,000 organizations and 4.86 million members, they committed to practicing low-carbon dietary habits, marking the start of a nationwide campaign.
Korea Green Food Day is one of the ESG management projects actively promoted since President Kim launched the 'ESG Management CEO Advisory Committee.' ESG management emphasizes non-financial factors such as environment, society, and governance rather than traditional financial indicators like operating profit. aT views ESG management as a virtue linked to realizing social value as a public institution operated with taxpayers' money.
aT first encourages households, restaurants, and cafeterias to voluntarily designate 'Korea Green Food Day.' Subsequently, at the production stage, it promotes the use of 'low-carbon and eco-friendly certified agricultural products,' and in the distribution process, it encourages meal plans based on 'local food' to reduce carbon emissions. At the consumption stage, it minimizes greenhouse gas emissions by reducing food waste through 'meals without leftovers.'
Since July, aT has designated the last Thursday of every month as Korea Green Food Day and has been practicing carbon reduction of approximately 148 kg through one lunch meal for 200 people at its headquarters cafeteria. Starting with this proclamation ceremony, aT plans to expand Korea Green Food Day into a nationwide campaign by collaborating with group meal institutions such as local governments, education offices, and public institutions.
President Kim said, "Without bold innovation toward carbon neutrality, neither sustainable food nor the future of humanity can be guaranteed. To protect our one and only Earth, we will vigorously promote the Korea Green Food Day campaign so that households, restaurants, and cafeterias also participate."
Meanwhile, aT has set ESG management as a major goal for this year and is actively pursuing it. The ESG management declaration announced in April includes practical tasks such as ▲practicing green management to establish a safe food circulation system ▲revitalizing the local economy and supporting socially vulnerable groups ▲realizing transparent management that respects ethics and human rights and communicates with the public. Additionally, aT has incorporated the ability to promote ESG management into the performance evaluation criteria for internal managers.
In July, aT held meetings related to projects such as the 'Resident Participation Sharing Economy-type Smart Farm Distribution' for the digital new deal with experts in agriculture, fisheries, and food sectors. Through this, they plan to create sharing economy-type smart farms that many rural residents, returnees to farming and rural areas, and young farmers can participate in, aiming to increase income for small and medium-sized farms and create new jobs.
At that time, President Kim said, "To create prosperous rural areas, innovative business models like resident participation sharing economy-type smart farms are necessary. We will do our best to discover projects so that the achievements of the Korean New Deal can spread to rural areas."
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