[One Day Ten Thousand Steps] 6.1 Billion Steps Protecting Agriculture and Rural Areas... NongHyup's ESG

‘Together in ESG (Environment, Social, Governance), Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Communities’

The National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF, President Lee Seong-hee) held the first 2023 ‘Pan-Nonghyup ESG Promotion Committee’ meeting on the 16th at its headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, where it announced the Pan-Nonghyup ESG slogan and emblem. The emblem symbolizes the hope that "when all of us participate in ESG activities, farmers can smile brightly and create a hopeful future." Established in 2021, the ‘Pan-Nonghyup ESG Promotion Committee’ oversees and coordinates ESG initiatives and provides expert advice, while promoting various participatory activities. Notably, last year’s ESG campaign, ‘6.1 Billion Steps Walking with Nonghyup,’ received great enthusiasm within the organization, achieving a total of 6.44 billion steps.

Employees of NongHyup Mutual Finance and university student supporters who participated in the Ssudam Running event in November 2022
[Photo by NongHyup]

The 6.1 billion steps represent the 61 years since the establishment of Nonghyup in 1961, symbolizing the journey taken hand-in-hand by farmers, customers, local communities, and employees. Additionally, the distance of 6.1 billion steps equals walking around the Earth 100 times. Over the next 100 days, participants aim to walk one Earth circumference daily (approximately 60 million steps) to reflect on the importance of the environment and to realize the vision of a ‘Together 100-Year Nonghyup.’ Campaign participants downloaded the NH Healthcare app to practice walking in their daily lives and successfully exceeded their step goals. The NH Healthcare app is a digital healthcare platform by NH Nonghyup Life Insurance that allows users to cultivate a virtual garden through walking, converting harvested agricultural products into points that can be used or donated. It also offers healthcare services such as stress index and respiratory/heart rate measurements. Another campaign featuring the number 61 is the ‘61 Thousand Tree Planting.’ This year, approximately 96,000 trees were planted during Arbor Day week.

NH Healthcare

Nonghyup Mutual Savings Bank practiced ESG on November 11 last year by hosting the ‘One Step, One Spoon of Rice’ Ssedam Running (plogging) event around the Han River Park in Yeouido, Seoul. Plogging is a Korean term for the exercise of jogging while picking up trash. About 50 participants, including So Haeng Jo, CEO of Nonghyup Mutual Savings Bank, the NH Kok Supporters university student PR group, and employees, ran along the Han River for over two hours, collecting plastic, vinyl, fallen leaves, and other litter along the walking paths. To add significance to the event, Nonghyup donated a spoonful of Korean rice for every step taken by participants in support of the ‘6.1 Billion Steps Walking with Nonghyup’ campaign. The steps measured that day averaged about 4,000 per person, resulting in a total donation of 3 tons of rice to the Mapo Senior Welfare Center and Mapo Veterans Hall.

Employees of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation are planting trees in celebration of Arbor Day.
[Photo by Nonghyup]

Nam Geon-wook, a student from the NH Kok Supporters who participated in the Ssedam Running, said, "The weather has gotten chilly recently, so outdoor activities had decreased, but coming outside to run and pick up trash at the same time made me feel proud to take care of both my health and the environment." CEO So Haeng Jo of Nonghyup Mutual Savings Bank also stated, "Today’s ‘One Step, One Spoon of Rice’ event was very meaningful as we cleaned up the urban environment and shared warmth through Korean rice." He added, "We will continue to practice sustainable management through various activities that contribute to the local community and fulfill our social responsibilities, realizing the vision of a ‘Together 100-Year Nonghyup.’"

Lee Jae-sik, Vice Chairman of NACF, said, "In response to carbon neutrality policies in the agricultural and food sectors, we will prepare support measures at the Nonghyup level to help farmers prepare smoothly." He also stated, "We will lead by example in practicing ESG in daily life to realize a ‘Together 100-Year Nonghyup’ with farmers and the public."