If Hanwoo Shipping Period Is Shortened, 'Low-Carbon Livestock Products' Will Be Certified

'Low-Carbon Hanwoo' Sales Starting as Early as June

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Joo Sang-don] Hanwoo beef certified as 'low-carbon livestock products' by reducing carbon emissions during the breeding process, such as shortening the Hanwoo shipping period, will be sold on the market as early as June.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 20th that it plans to establish standards for the low-carbon livestock product certification system and promote a pilot project to encourage voluntary greenhouse gas reduction activities by livestock farms and to meet the values important to consumers.

Low-carbon agricultural and livestock products refer to agricultural and livestock products that emit less greenhouse gas than the standard emission amount for the item by utilizing low-carbon livestock technology in accordance with the Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth Basic Act to respond to the climate crisis. For agricultural products, the certification system has been implemented since 2012, and as of 2022, more than 8,000 farms produce low-carbon certified agricultural products for 65 items. However, for livestock products, low-carbon livestock technology and certification standards have not been established, so low-carbon livestock product certification has not been conducted.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs operated a National Policy Design Group composed of livestock farms, distribution industry, consumers, and experts for over a year, and through research projects and expert consultations for the introduction of the low-carbon certification system, discovered carbon reduction activities in the livestock sector and established certification standards for low-carbon livestock products.

First, the government decided to support carbon reduction activities in the livestock sector and meet the values of consumers who emphasize carbon neutrality by establishing low-carbon certification standards and conducting a pilot project starting with Hanwoo this year.

Only Hanwoo farms that have received at least one hygiene and safety or environmental-related certification such as organic livestock products, antibiotic-free livestock products, farm HACCP, animal welfare livestock farms, or clean livestock farms can apply for low-carbon certification.

Among these farms, those that apply at least one government-recognized carbon reduction technology in the livestock sector and emit at least 10% less greenhouse gas than the average emission per livestock species can be designated as low-carbon livestock product certified farms. Among the livestock raised and shipped from low-carbon livestock farms, only individuals meeting certification standards such as shipping age and carcass weight will be allowed to display the low-carbon livestock product certification mark, and this will also be reflected in the livestock traceability information system.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, a Hanwoo beef cattle is estimated to emit about 5.9 tons (CO2eq) of greenhouse gases over its lifetime when shipped at 30 months of age. If the breeding period is shortened by 4 months to 26 months, methane gas in the late fattening stage, manure volume, and energy consumption are reduced, resulting in approximately an 8.92% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, methods such as frequently changing bedding in the barn or forcibly injecting air during composting are recognized to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 30-50% compared to conventional methods during manure treatment or composting processes.

If the Hanwoo breeding period is shortened from an average of 30 months to about 26 months, greenhouse gas emissions per head will decrease, and feed costs, which have recently been a burden on farm management, are also expected to be reduced by about 10% per head.

Low-carbon certified Hanwoo beef will be sold on the market with a low-carbon certification label and is expected to be chosen by consumers who value carbon neutrality. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to collaborate with large supermarkets and others to support stable sales channels for low-carbon certified livestock products.

Hanwoo farmers wishing to participate in this year's low-carbon livestock product certification pilot project can apply to the Livestock Products Quality Evaluation Service starting in March. Certification procedures for the applying farms will proceed, and low-carbon certified Hanwoo beef is expected to be sold on the market as early as June this year.

Kim Jeong-wook, Director of Livestock Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "Through this low-carbon livestock product certification pilot project, we will expand the dissemination of carbon reduction technologies in the livestock field to realize carbon neutrality in the livestock sector," and added, "We ask consumers to show great interest in low-carbon certified Hanwoo beef."

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