Ministry of Agriculture Selects Naju City as Best and Jangseong County as Excellent in 'Local Food Index Evaluation'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] In the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' '2020 Local Food Index Evaluation,' Naju City was selected as the best, and Jangseong County was selected as an excellent local government.

According to Jeonnam Province on the 8th, the Local Food Index Evaluation was implemented for the first time this year by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs targeting 159 basic local governments nationwide to raise public interest and awareness of the social value of local food, and to evaluate and support the efforts and achievements of local governments in revitalizing local food.

Naju City showed excellent performance in the public meal service sector.

In November 2018, it signed the first-ever agreement nationwide to expand local food supply with public institutions in the Innovation City. Before the agreement, 10 public institutions in Innovation City purchased about 4 million KRW worth of local agricultural products monthly, but after the agreement, the supply of local agricultural products expanded to 15 public institutions, amounting to 53 million KRW per month, contributing to the promotion of local food consumption and increase in farmers' income.

Jangseong County, which won the excellence award, has recently been selected for consecutive food plan-linked public projects and is investing in local food direct stores, striving to develop sales channels for local agricultural products.

Also, in February last year, it was selected as the only pilot area in Jeonnam for expanding local food supply to military units in non-border areas, and is expanding local food supply to Jangseong Sangmu Base.

The proportion of local food supplied to military meals was only 27% in 2018 but increased to 50% this year, and plans to expand to 70% by 2022, leading the establishment of a local food consumption system.

Kang Jongcheol, Director of Agricultural Food Distribution Division of Jeonnam Province, said, "We will establish a virtuous cycle system of local food so that fresh and safe food produced locally can be consumed locally first," and added, "We also plan to strengthen quality and safety to satisfy consumers."

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