Seosamsok "We Must Hurry the Enactment of Food Security Related Laws"

2022 GFSI 'Lowest Rank'... Strategy Evaluation '0 Points'
Key Crisis Response Issues Covered by Different Laws

Assemblyman Seo Sam-seok

Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Sam-seok (Yeongam, Muan, Sinan) urged improvements to the government’s food security policies during the comprehensive audit of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and its affiliated agencies held at the National Assembly on the 24th.

Lawmaker Seo stated, “As of 2022, the grain self-sufficiency rate (excluding feed) stands at 49.3%. Excluding rice, it is only 0.7% for wheat, 7.7% for soybeans, and 0.8% for corn, showing an absolute dependence on imports.” He pointed out, “Flood and wind damage has been concentrated in rural areas over the past decade, and this year, as import item tariff quotas and TRQs (Tariff Rate Quotas) have been increased to curb inflation, farmers are caught in a vicious cycle where they cannot even cover production costs.”

He continued, “Volatility in food and raw material prices is increasing due to worsening crop yields caused by abnormal weather, COVID-19, and conflicts such as the Ukraine war,” emphasizing, “According to the UK economic analysis magazine ‘Economist Impact,’ South Korea ranked 39th out of 113 countries in the ‘2022 Global Food Security Index (GFSI),’ highlighting the importance of national-level responses.”

In fact, South Korea’s food security index ranks among the lowest within OECD countries, showing less competitiveness compared to Japan (6th) and China (25th), and it was confirmed that the evaluation of its food security strategy received a ‘zero score.’

Despite the food security crisis, the budget for agriculture remains insufficient.

Lawmaker Seo explained, “The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ budget share has decreased from 3.8% of the total national budget in 2014 to 2.8% in 2024, ten years later,” adding, “As of last year, the agriculture, forestry, and food sector accounted for only about 4.5% of the GDP of 89.2 trillion won, which is low.”

In particular, national food security response policies lag behind those of neighboring countries.

Seo said, “To resolve food issues, Japan and China enacted the ‘Food Supply Difficulty Countermeasure Act’ and the ‘Food Security Guarantee Act’ respectively this year,” emphasizing the need for legislation on food security in South Korea, “However, important matters related to food security such as production, stockpiling, and international cooperation are scattered across different laws, which could hinder responses to the climate crisis and rapidly changing international situations.”

Meanwhile, Seo stated, “From the perspective of food security, farmers are warriors fighting on the front lines for the nation, and since the ruling and opposition parties and the government all share the seriousness of food security, legal and institutional measures must be promptly prepared to prepare for a national food crisis.” He urged, “The government and ruling party should cooperate in revising the Grain Management Act and the Agricultural Security Act and take the lead in enacting related laws to guarantee food security.”

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