As the global food crisis deepens due to the impacts of climate change and the spread of infectious diseases, the government is expanding agricultural official development assistance (ODA) projects. This is part of a plan to play a role as a member of the international community while also opening up export pathways for the K-agricultural materials industry based on agricultural ODA.
The Rural Development Administration reported this agricultural ODA promotion plan during a government-wide meeting on national agendas chaired by Choi Sang-mok, acting president and Minister of Strategy and Finance, on the 5th.
The government has continuously proposed measures to strengthen global food security since the G7 summit in 2023. It is steadily increasing the total expenditure on ODA in the agriculture and forestry sector, contributing to food aid, rural development, technology transfer, and the establishment of production infrastructure.
South Korea is a country that has successfully achieved food self-sufficiency through the development of unified rice varieties and rural development through the Saemaul Undong movement. From the perspective of developing countries facing a food crisis, South Korea is recognized as a model for development. An official from the Rural Development Administration said, "Korea's agricultural research capabilities are at the world's fifth level" and noted, "We believe we can lead digital transformation and respond to climate crises, contributing to the sustainable growth of global agriculture."
The government has set a goal to support solutions to the global food crisis through three major tasks: establishing an agricultural technology ODA cooperation system, enhancing international cooperation on agricultural technology R&D, and promoting pilot exports of agricultural materials packages.
The government plans to expand the achievements of ODA projects by linking agricultural technologies verified through KOPIA (Korea Program on International Agriculture) pilot villages this year with the policies of various countries.
Pakistan designates the disease-free seed potato hydroponic cultivation technology developed through KOPIA as a national project. The aim is to produce 30% of its domestic potato demand using this technology.
In Uzbekistan, productivity has increased by about 50% through rice variety improvement and cultivation method enhancement. Uzbekistan established a high-quality rice seed breeding center at the end of last year and is promoting a production increase project with a goal of a 30% rise in rice production by 2028.
Mongolia has achieved success in developing customized fermentation feed technology to improve the productivity of dairy cows and fattening cattle.
Support for rice seed production technology linked to the K-Rice Belt project is also being pursued. The K-Rice Belt project is a large-scale ODA endeavor that begins with seven countries south of the Sahara, transferring Korea's experience in achieving rice self-sufficiency. The goal is to improve rice productivity in Africa and address food situations, including the Kia problems.
In 2023, the rice produced through the K-Rice Belt project totaled 2,321 tons, achieving 114% of the initial target. The project goal for 2024 (3,288 tons) is also expected to exceed 100%.
The government is also promoting the establishment of a global R&D network. It is pushing forward climate change response research projects with 25 research institutions in the United States, Netherlands, and Germany, and seeks to expand cooperation to France, Canada, and Norway. The government will develop technologies necessary for global food security in partnership with agricultural technology powerhouses and pursue collaborative projects to disseminate these technologies to the international community through international organizations and institutions.
The government aims to promote the export of agricultural materials. It has been financially supporting corporations through agricultural materials export support projects to reduce their risks in overseas expansion. However, concerns have been raised that agricultural materials exports are concentrated among large corporations and show a high degree of skewness towards specific countries and items, indicating the need for diversification policies.
An official from the Rural Development Administration stated, "We believe we can support both developing countries and domestic corporations simultaneously by exporting technology solution packages for food security in developing countries," and added, "We will establish a collaborative system among domestic corporations that can supply all the necessary materials for agricultural operations at once."
It is also pushing to create overseas validation facilities for dairy technology packages. Initially, a validation facility will be set up in Uzbekistan, applying K-dairy technology throughout the entire growth cycle until around 50 calves are born and milked. The government plans to expand the project to neighboring countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Mongolia based on the performance in Uzbekistan.
An official from the Rural Development Administration remarked, "We will contribute to the development of agriculture in developing countries and domestically through reciprocal trade activities," and stated, "Through the international cooperation network, we will provide overseas expansion opportunities for small and medium-sized agricultural material corporations with excellent technology."