Concerns Over Food Security Amid Prolonged COVID-19... Government Accelerates Efforts to Increase Self-Sufficiency Rate

Grain Self-Sufficiency Rate Stands at 20%
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs: "We Will Strengthen the Foundation for Major Grain Self-Sufficiency"

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Amid growing concerns over food security following the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, South Korea's food self-sufficiency rate has been found to have dropped by more than 10 percentage points over the past decade. The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the main government body in charge, emphasized strengthening the related self-sufficiency foundation.

According to data on 'Domestic Food Self-Sufficiency Rate and Grain Self-Sufficiency Rate Status' received by Assemblyman Eo Gi-gu of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, last year the domestic food self-sufficiency rate was recorded at 45.8%. This is a decrease of 10.4 percentage points from 56.2% in 2009.

The food self-sufficiency rate fell to 45.2% in 2011, recovered to the 50% level in 2015, but then declined again to 48.7% in 2017, 46.9% in 2018, and 45.8% in 2019. During the same period, the grain self-sufficiency rate dropped by 8.6 percentage points from 29.6% to 21.0%.

The grain self-sufficiency rate has been on a downward curve since peaking in 2009, reaching its lowest point in the past decade last year.

Previously, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs set a 2017 food self-sufficiency rate target of 57.0% and a grain self-sufficiency rate target of 30% in its 2013 'Agriculture, Rural and Food Industry Development Plan,' but actual figures fell far short. The 2013 plan set targets for 2022 at 60.0% for food self-sufficiency and 32.0% for grain self-sufficiency, but in 2018 the ministry lowered these targets to 55.4% and 27.3%, respectively. However, if the current trend continues, it will be difficult to reach even these revised 2022 targets.

While the self-sufficiency rate for rice, the staple food of the nation, is relatively high at 92.1%, the rates for wheat, corn, and soybeans are very low. According to the self-sufficiency status submitted by Assemblyman Kim Young-jin from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs last year, potato self-sufficiency was the highest at 105.2%, followed by rice at a high level of 92.1%. However, wheat was at 0.7%, corn at 3.5%, soybeans at 26.7%, and barley at 47.7%, with many items falling short of even half the required self-sufficiency rate. Rice self-sufficiency also showed a decreasing trend, dropping from 104.7% in 2016 to 92.1% in 2019, a decline of 12.6% compared to 2016.

Looking at the grain self-sufficiency rate including feed grains for livestock, it showed a more serious decline: 23.8% in 2015, 23.7% in 2016, 23.4% in 2017, 21.7% in 2018, and 21.0% in 2019.

In this regard, Minister Kim Hyun-soo of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs attended the national audit on the morning of the 7th and emphasized, "We will strengthen food security in preparation for uncertainties in the global supply chain." He added, "We will start establishing specialized production complexes within this year and expand infrastructure such as storage and distribution facilities. We will also build an overseas procurement base in cooperation with private companies to ensure stable grain imports in emergencies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.