Opening of Gimhae City Food Integration Support Center ... "Safe and Healthy Food"

The new Gimhae City Integrated Food Support Center, which supplies safe food ingredients produced in Gimhae City, Gyeongnam Province, to various parts of the region, opened on the 19th.

The Gimhae City Integrated Food Support Center, built in Sinmundong, covers a total area of 2,500㎡ and consists of a distribution and logistics facility on the first floor and offices on the second floor.

The construction of the center involved an investment of 7.7 billion KRW, funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' Agricultural Product Distribution Center Construction Project and special adjustment grants from Gyeongnam Province.

The opening ceremony of the Gyeongnam Gimhae Food Integrated Support Center was held. Photo by Gimhae City Hall

Previously, the center began supplying food ingredients to 11 schools in the Gimhae area in 2014 and, in 2019, became the first in the province to supply food ingredients to the public meal center in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.

Currently, it supplies public meal food ingredients to all 118 elementary, middle, and high schools in Gimhae City, 38 daycare centers, and 2 local children’s centers.

More than 92% of the ingredients supplied by the Integrated Food Support Center are produced in Gimhae, and over 67% of the local agricultural products are sourced from the region.

A bird's-eye view of the Gyeongnam Gimhae Food Integrated Support Center. Provided by Gimhae City Hall.

The opening ceremony was attended by about 100 people, including Mayor Hong Taeyong, Shin Daeho, Director of the Gyeongnam Provincial Balanced Development Headquarters, National Assembly member Kim Jeongho, Chairman Choi Hakbeom of the Provincial Council and council members, Chairman An Seonhwan of the City Council and council members, representatives of related organizations, and farmers.

A city official explained, “Our city plans production, manages safety, and provides education to ensure excellent agricultural products are produced and distributed, and supports schools in purchasing local agricultural products,” adding, “Farmers strive to secure stable sales channels as producers of public meals and to provide citizens with healthy and safe food.”

Mayor Hong said, “Our Integrated Food Support Center will serve as an important hub that goes beyond expanding space to perform comprehensive functions such as innovating the distribution of local agricultural products, improving the quality of public meals, and strengthening food safety, thereby realizing a sustainable virtuous cycle of food.” He added, “We will do our best to provide safe and healthy food to citizens and to promote sustainable agricultural development.”