aT Partners with Harim for 'Low-Carbon Diet' Initiative

Agreement on Food Carbon Neutrality Practices and More

The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) is accelerating the spread of its 'Low-Carbon Diet' campaign, which aims to practice carbon neutrality in everyday life.

On the 20th, aT signed a business agreement with Harim in Iksan, Jeonbuk, to promote the 'Expansion of Low-Carbon Diet and K-Food Export.'

Through this agreement, both parties will actively cooperate not only to practice carbon neutrality in the food sector by participating in the 'Low-Carbon Diet Movement' but also to develop the agro-fisheries and livestock food industry by expanding K-Food exports. They will also work together to globally spread ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) values and environmental management by utilizing domestic and overseas affiliates and partners.

Kim Chun-jin, President of the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (right), and Jung Ho-seok, CEO of Harim, are taking a commemorative photo on the 20th after signing a business agreement to promote low-carbon diets and expand K-food exports.

Harim started its business in 1978 with poultry farming and expanded into poultry processing and feed manufacturing. Notably, Harim began exporting Samgyetang to the U.S. market in 2014 and last year became the top Samgyetang exporter, accounting for $74 million, or 44.5%, of South Korea’s total Samgyetang export value of $166 million. Additionally, Harim has established a European-style animal welfare system, including antibiotic-free breeding and production.

Kim Chun-jin, President of aT, said, "We are pleased to cooperate with Harim, which is raising the global status of our K-Food." He added, "We ask for active participation in closely cooperating to expand K-Food exports and to spread low-carbon diets that protect humanity and the planet from the climate crisis."

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), food-related greenhouse gas emissions account for 31% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making small daily actions such as adopting a low-carbon diet urgently necessary worldwide.

Accordingly, aT launched the Low-Carbon Diet campaign in 2021 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the entire food process. The campaign encourages composing meals with low-carbon and eco-friendly certified agricultural and livestock products, seafood such as seaweed and shellfish with high carbon absorption rates, and ingredients with low carbon emissions during distribution. It also promotes minimizing food waste discarded during processing and practicing no leftover meals, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions generated throughout the 'production-distribution-processing-consumption' stages of food.

Currently, 34 domestic administrative and educational metropolitan local governments, companies, universities, and producer associations, as well as global companies such as Amazon in the U.S., Alibaba in China, Carrefour in France, and 680 institutions in 45 countries including the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C. and Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, are participating in the low-carbon diet movement. Notably, Fairfax County in Virginia, USA, declared December 7 as 'Low-Carbon Diet Day' to encourage citizens to practice low-carbon diets.