Naju-si 'Local Food Producers Advancement Conference' Successfully Concluded

On the 29th of last month, Naju City in Jeollanam-do successfully concluded the '5th Local Food Producers Advancement Conference' at the Centum Hotel banquet hall.

According to the city on the 1st, the Producers Advancement Conference, hosted by the Naju Agricultural Promotion Foundation, was organized to encourage the efforts of local food shipping farms throughout the year and to reinforce the public value and mutual harmony of local food policies.

Mayor Yoon Byung-tae, Representative Shin Jeong-hoon, and other key guests along with local food farmers are holding a picket performance to strengthen producer awareness.
[Photo by Naju City]

Held for the first time in four years due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the event proceeded with a producer awareness-raising placard performance, awards for meritorious persons, reading of the producers' declaration, and a report on Naju local food achievements.

The event was attended by Mayor Yoon Byung-tae, Naju-Hwasun National Assembly member Shin Jeong-hoon, City Council Chairman Lee Sang-man, local provincial and city council members, heads of agricultural-related organizations, and over 400 local food shipping farmers.

The producers' declaration included commitments and efforts for ‘participation of small-scale and elderly farmers and guarantee of production costs,’ ‘securing consumer trust through food with a face,’ ‘protecting consumer health,’ and ‘education and training for the activation of local food.’

Lee Kwang-i, a flower farmer from Nampyeong-eup; Shin Chun-ja, a vegetable farmer from Donggang-myeon; Shin Mi-young, a consumer supporters group member from Bitgaram-dong; and Kim Gil-won, manager of the Bitgaram branch of the local food direct sales store, received commendations for their contributions to producing healthy food and securing consumer trust.

Naju Local Food has focused on organizing farms for planned production and distribution systems, expanding cooperative stores and related markets, certifying safe food, and securing sales channels in the metropolitan area under the slogan of the 8th elected administration’s agricultural policy goal, ‘Sustainable Agriculture, Returning Rural Areas.’

Since the 8th elected administration, the number of registered local food shipping farms increased from 672 farms last year to 718 farms, and this year, through agreements with Naju Nonghyup and Yeongsanpo Nonghyup, the number of cooperative stores was increased to four.

The sales of ‘Naju Mall,’ an online sales platform for local agricultural specialties, grew by 154%, from 170 million KRW last year to 270 million KRW this year.

Remarkable achievements were also made in the public meal service sector, which supplies fresh ingredients daily. Sales channels were expanded to the private sector, including Bitgaram General Hospital, Namyang Dairy Naju Factory, and Jungheung Gold Lake, discovering 27 supply destinations.

Agreements to expand exchanges between producers and consumers were signed with Gwangju Nam-gu, Seoul Gangnam-gu, and Seocho-gu, confirming the competitiveness of Naju local food by selling local food agricultural product packages worth 65 million KRW in the metropolitan area this year.

To secure consumer trust, the city has introduced and implemented the ‘Naju Local Food Certification System’ since August last year, which guarantees the safety of food produced by farms.

This system applies certain safety standards to mountain-grown agricultural and livestock products, processed foods, etc., and displays certification marks on shipped products.

Through this, farms supplying certified safe mountain-grown agricultural products gain trust and income, and consumers can purchase fresh food with confidence, establishing a reliable system.

Mayor Yoon Byung-tae said in his greeting, “With the value of 식약동원 (食藥同源), meaning food and medicine share the same root, I hope to open a golden age of local food as a direct transaction platform between producers and consumers.”

He added, “Naju local food is a precious asset that must be preserved and developed to move toward a sustainable agricultural future. I hope producers take pride in being local food producers and strive to produce healthy and safe agricultural products.”

Naju = Kim Yuk-bong, Honam Reporting Headquarters, Asia Economy baekok@asiae.co.kr