Naju City and 5 Organizations Sign MOU for Designation of Naju Pear as National Important Agricultural Heritage

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yuk-bong] Naju City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Kang In-gyu) announced on the 27th that it signed a “Business Agreement to Promote the Designation of Naju Pear as a Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage” with five organizations on the 24th: the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science Pear Research Institute, Honam Horticultural High School, Naju Pear Horticultural Agricultural Cooperative, Naju Pear Research Association, and the Namdo Studies Institute.

“Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage” refers to agricultural heritage recognized by the state as worthy of preservation and transmission, encompassing tangible and intangible agricultural resources that have been formed over more than 100 years by adapting to agricultural and rural environments, society, and customs.

The designation system for Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage was newly established in 2013 based on legal grounds in Article 30-2 (Preservation and Utilization of Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage) of the Special Act on Improving the Quality of Life of Farmers, Fishermen, and Agricultural and Fishing Villages and Promoting Agricultural and Fishing Village Development.

This aligns with the purpose of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations’ “Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems” system (2002), which selects and preserves traditional agricultural activities, landscapes, biodiversity, and land use systems to pass them on to future generations.

Once designated as a Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage, national budget support is provided under the name of rural multifunctional resource preservation, transmission, and utilization projects, enabling resource surveys, management plan establishment, and resident education programs for the relevant agricultural heritage.

Earlier, the city officially began preparing for the designation process, including meetings of the Agricultural Heritage Advisory Committee and field surveys, after applying for the designation of “Naju Pear” as a Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on the 30th of last month.

Through this agreement, the five organizations agreed to strengthen mutual cooperation in research, data sharing, preservation management, utilization projects, and promotion for the designation of Naju Pear as a Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage.

In 2010, the city was designated as the “Naju Pear Industry Special Zone” covering an area of 28,753㎡ in Geumcheon-myeon by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (now the Ministry of SMEs and Startups).

As the largest production area accounting for 20% of the national production and the optimal site for pear cultivation, the region is promoting mid- to long-term plans to revitalize the pear industry by fostering growth engines leading the region and advancing the pear industry through various regulatory exemptions, thereby driving farm income and regional economic revitalization.

Mayor Kang In-gyu said, “We will do our best to designate Naju Pear as a Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage through cooperation with the five partner organizations,” adding, “This will be an opportunity to further enhance the historical and agricultural value of Naju Pear and activate the pear industry as a representative brand of agricultural specialty products.”

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