The Current Status and Potential of Local Food in South Korea

Due to the deterioration of small-scale agriculture in rural regions, and increasing concerns
over population health, the local food movement in South Korea has recently attracted
interest from many local governments and non-governmental organisations. This paper
examines its potential to address some of the social and environmental challenges associated
with current forms of food provisioning.
This includes an assessment of farmers’ markets, school meals, box schemes, and traditional
markets. It concludes with identification of six issues that need to be managed for local food
to continue expanding in South Korea. These being: reducing ambiguity surrounding the
meaning of local food; greater sharing of production risks with consumers; improving coordination
of government involvement; increasing up-take of appropriate production
methods such as organic; maintaining opportunities for diversity of local food producers
including small-scale family farmers; and finally, embracing local food sales in dominant
retail outlets such as supermarkets.