Gwangju Dong-gu Establishes and Operates Public Meal Support Center

Public Meal Support Center located in Dong-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Dong-gu Office, Gwangju.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Cho Hyung-joo] Dong-gu, Gwangju (Mayor Im Taek) announced on the 22nd that it will establish and operate the Dong-gu Public Meal Support Center to build a public food procurement system through mutual growth within and between regions and to enhance the reliability of food.

Last September, Dong-gu enacted the "Ordinance on Public Meal Support in Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City" and has been preparing for the launch of the Public Meal Support Center by setting up an office with low-temperature storage facilities in Sotae-dong and hiring operational staff.

In addition, to operate the center through public-private cooperation, the composition of the Deliberation Committee and the Operation Committee has been completed, and after publicly recruiting delivery and supply partner companies and selecting supply farms, the center began supplying eco-friendly agricultural products to local elementary, middle, and high schools from early this month.

Going forward, Dong-gu plans to establish a virtuous cycle food procurement system that supplies safe ingredients to schools, kindergartens, daycare centers, and social welfare facilities through connections with local and adjacent areas, and to support the center so that it can contribute to securing the public nature of group meals and improving the food welfare of residents.

Furthermore, Dong-gu will strengthen the basic rights to food and health of its residents by establishing a comprehensive food plan that includes the use of eco-friendly ingredients for public meal support targets, enhancing dietary education programs, operating community meals, building a food safety system for vulnerable groups, and running experiential exchange programs between urban and rural areas.

Mayor Im Taek of Dong-gu said, “With the launch of the center, we will not only supply safe ingredients and provide education but also promote the importance of food and the ecological value of agriculture.” He added, “We will build a sustainable urban-rural mutual growth public procurement system to contribute to forming a social relationship of trust between consumers and producers.”