Carbon Neutrality in Food: aT Leading the Way

Agreement with Restaurant Association and Seoul Office of Education
Low-Carbon and Eco-Friendly Eating Campaign
Achieving Net Zero from Farm to Table

'Korea Green Food Day' Proclamation Ceremony Commitment Performance. From the left, Yeom Hong-cheol, President of the Saemaul Undong Central Association; Kim Chun-jin, President of Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT); Won Young-hee, President of the Korea Consumer Organization Council; Kim Ki-moon, President of the Korea Federation of SMEs. (Photo by aT)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The food service industry has also joined the "Korea Green Food Day" campaign promoted by the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), which aims to achieve carbon neutrality "from farm to table." It is expected that ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) practice cases, such as reducing greenhouse gases at restaurants and other sites, will increase.

aT recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korea Foodservice Industry Association to promote low-carbon diets and a healthy dining culture. This is regarded as a notable achievement in the "Korea Green Food Day" campaign that aT has been promoting company-wide since September. Through the agreement, the two organizations will jointly develop and promote the "Korea Green Food Day" campaign and cooperate on domestic and international foodservice information to practice ESG values together.

"Korea Green Food Day" is a campaign promoted by aT to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the entire process of food production, distribution, and consumption. The goal is to practice carbon neutrality (net zero) from farm to table. aT held a related proclamation ceremony last September and has been expanding participating organizations, with the foodservice industry now joining the campaign.

Since the 15th, the two organizations have been co-hosting the "2021 Korea Meokket Festa," a campaign to advance dining culture, for 30 days. This cooperation aims to overcome the management crisis in the foodservice industry caused by COVID-19 and to promote government policies related to safe restaurants and other dining matters. Kim Chun-jin, President of aT, said, "We will work together to spread an eco-friendly dining culture for the health of the planet and the people and to revitalize the foodservice industry’s management."

aT is also spreading Korea Green Food Day in educational settings. The most notable achievement is the recent signing of an MOU with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education at the end of last month. This social contribution activity simultaneously achieved carbon reduction in the food distribution process for about 1,300 elementary, middle, and high schools in Seoul and encouraged the participation of approximately 840,000 students in low-carbon and eco-friendly diet campaigns. The two organizations agreed to cooperate in spreading ESG practice culture through campaigns linked to "Green School Meals," activating public meals using low-carbon and eco-friendly agricultural and fishery products, and promoting flower experience education.

The goal aT aims to achieve through the campaign is to realize net zero from food production to distribution and consumption. The production process is managed to focus on "low-carbon and eco-friendly certified agricultural products," the distribution process involves composing "local food" menus, and the consumption stage encourages "meals without leftovers."

In particular, the campaign at the consumption stage consists of activities that can be easily practiced daily in schools and other places, and the fact that aT leads these activities distinguishes it from other carbon neutrality campaigns.

aT explains that the secret to promoting a large-scale food carbon neutrality campaign is having an advisory system for chief executive officers (CEOs). Previously, aT expressed its strong commitment to ESG management in public institutions by establishing an ESG Management Advisory Committee.

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