Globalization compels changes in local communities

Rice Market Opening Threatens Local Economies

  The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MOAF) announced last December that it had reached agreements with rice-exporting countries to increase rice imports. 10 percent of foreign rice will be sold directly to Korean consumers as a result of the rice talks, and state rice purchase program will be scrapped starting this year. Finally, the rice market, the last stronghold of the Korean farming industry, is going to be opened. In the wake of the rice market opening agreements, farming groups, civic groups and student organizations began to protest against the opening of the rice market. Hundreds of farmers ruined their rice paddies and destroyed farm equipment to protest the opening of the rice market while civic activists held demonstrations nationwide, demanding the government improve measures to protect the disintegrating farming industry.

  At the end of last year, I attended a housewarming party for an ecological farm newly set up in Younggwang. Various people gathered for the party including several local members of the Korean Peasants League (KPL). The central issue of conversation at the party was rice market opening. The farmers in the party were boisterously worrying about the disintegrating farming industry and boasting about their heroic episodes in a rally held in Seoul a few days prior. While they were struggling against the market opening, they appeared to be skeptical about the effect of their struggle. A farmer at the party anticipated that the outcome of their struggle would be no more than getting a guarantee of minimal livelihood from the government. All in all, farmers were feeling pessimistic about their future. 

Government’s Measures for Rice Market Opening

  The government announced a set of measures to reform the agricultural sector amid concerns that the planned further opening of the rice market may put farm industries in serious jeopardy. New Agriculture and Forestry Minister Park Hong-soo vowed that the government would make all efforts to revive the agriculture industry although the government cannot use forceful measures to restructure the industry. The government will also select some 200,000 farming houses nationwide to have them take charge of more than 50 percent of the production of chief agricultural products and enhance the overall structure of farming leagues by promoting voluntary mergers between them.

 Park said, in order to tackle the rapid aging of farming people, the government plans to introduce internship programs for college students and unemployed youths to foster young farmers and make subsidies for farmers available next year to keep the price of farmlands stable in the wake of the rice market opening. He added that the government will give them financial support if they decide to settle in farming villages and provide education and training for young farmers.

Towards Organic Alternatives

  Farmers are turning to environmentally friendly farming. The number of organic farmers in Korea is on the rise as organic products become increasingly popular with customers. Organic farming is not "new.” In fact, it is a reaction against the large-scale, chemical-based farming practices that have steadily dominated food production over the last several decades. To date, organic farming has remained typically small business because of the low demand of organic products in the market. However, the situation is changing rapidly as consumer demand encourages large-scale organic production. Organic products, despite their high price, have strong competitiveness in local food markets for their quality and safety.

 Organic agriculture is something more than a business choice. Organic farming not only helps keep rural communities healthy but is also a way to prevent any more contamination of the air, earth, and water that sustain us. Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The primary focus of organic farming is to use practices that build healthy soils. The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, done in combination with soil building, helps keep air clean, build healthy soil, and protects water resources.

 In consumer sectors, the well-being craze sweeps the nation. One of the well-being trends is the “slow food” movement. The aim of the slow food movement is to preserve and support the traditional ways of cultivating, producing and preparing food. The movement focuses on the health aspect of people’s food culture, recognizing that the enjoyment of wholesome food is essential to the pursuit of happiness. The slow food mission includes guiding principals that recognize ecologically sound food production; and the revival of the kitchen and the table as centers of pleasure, culture, and community. The slow food movement is guided by those who are dedicated to living a slower and more harmonious rhythm of life.

 Gyeonggi Province announced last year that it would support the slow food movement’s efforts by helping to restore the “natural taste” of traditional cuisine, as well as by promoting the livelihood of farming communities by encouraging consumption of homegrown agricultural products. The slow food movement protects dying rural traditions and regional production of certain products. The movement also broadens the appreciation for food and brings awareness, respect and value to small and independent food producers.

Professional View on Rice Market Opening

 Chonnam Tribune interviewed Chun Tae-gap, a professor of the department of Agricultural Economics at CNU, about the rice market opening and its impact on local farming communities.

Q: Korea has reached agreements with rice-exporting countries to increase rice imports. For the Korean Government, is there no other choice than opening the rice market?

A: WTO is an international organization that was established based on the Uruguay Round of Multinational Trade Negotiations for free trade of goods including agricultural produces. Accordingly it urges us to open our agricultural market for free trade but Korea is reluctant to open rice market because rice is the most important income source for the farmers and its international competitiveness is too weak. However, if Korea is not willing to open the rice market, other countries will not accept it. Especially, the U.S., China, Thailand, and Australia call for rice negotiations.

Q: If the rice market is opened and the government’s rice purchasing program is abolished, what impacts will the changes have on the farming communities in Jeonnam?

A: About 60% of farm household income is agricultural income, 45% of which comes from rice-cultivating income. And 17% of total rice production in the nation is produced in Jeonnam. If the rice market is opened and the government’s rice purchasing program is abolished, the rice price will plunge to half or one third of the current price. As a result, farm household income will also fall as much. Especially, the household income of Jeonnam province will be greatly reduced.

Q: What complementary measures should the government prepare if the rice market opening is decided?

A: The government should adopt measures to lower the cost of rice production, to reduce the production of rice, and to increase the production of other crops for which we rely greatly on the international market. And also, another measure might be that we develop and produce various processed goods made of rice and provide North Korea with rice.

Q: How can farmers cope with the rice market opening and the abolition of the government’s rice purchase program?

A: There are several ways for farmers to cope with the rice market opening and the abolition of the government’s rice purchase program. First, they should increase the competitiveness of their farming business by expanding their farming land size to accommodate the lowered cost of rice production. Second, they should improve the quality of their rice so that consumers prefer domestic rice despite its high price. Third, they can switch into cultivation of other crops that are competitive and profitable. Fourth, they can produce local specialties and sell them in domestic and international markets.