Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to Promote Four Major National Policy Initiatives: Agricultural Policy Transformation, Rural Balanced Growth, and Animal Welfare

Strengthening Food Security and Expanding Farm Income Safety Nets
Establishing Rural RE100 and Foundations for Pet Welfare

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will begin full-scale implementation of four major national policy initiatives focused on strengthening food security, transforming agriculture, promoting balanced growth in rural areas, and expanding animal welfare. Through these efforts, the government aims to foster agriculture as a national strategic industry, enhance the sustainability of farming households, and address both the crisis of rural depopulation and the growing demand for pet care, ultimately delivering tangible changes that citizens can feel.

.

Among the 123 national policy tasks confirmed at the Cabinet meeting on September 16, those led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs are: ▲Fostering agriculture as a national strategic industry to safeguard the nation’s food supply ▲Transforming agricultural policy with stronger state responsibility ▲Promoting balanced growth and energy transition in rural, agricultural, and fishing communities ▲Building a society where people and animals coexist in happiness.

To foster agriculture as a “national strategic industry,” the ministry will raise the target for food self-sufficiency, advance supply and demand forecasting using agricultural satellites, and establish a food security system through legislated budgets and farmland investment. Food vouchers and breakfast support will be expanded to include young people from lower-income groups and industrial complex workers, while fruit snacks for elementary students and eco-friendly agricultural products for pregnant women will be reintroduced. The ministry also plans to promote smart agriculture using AI and robotics, achieve 15 billion dollars in K-Food exports, and convert over 50% of wholesale agricultural product distribution to online channels.

The agricultural policy transformation initiative centers on strengthening the state’s responsibility for stabilizing farm household incomes. The ministry will establish an income safety net at the level of advanced countries by introducing a climate adaptation and animal welfare direct payment system and a price stabilization system, and will expand national responsibility for disasters through enhanced support for disaster recovery and reduced insurance surcharges. Support for responding to rising prices of essential agricultural materials will also be implemented in stages. In addition, the ministry will support stable generational transition by fostering 100 joint farming corporations, doubling the amount of public reserve farmland for young farmers, and introducing a preliminary farmer program.

For balanced growth in rural, agricultural, and fishing communities, the ministry will gradually introduce a basic income for rural residents linked to solar and wind energy pensions, and will create 500 “solar income villages” led by residents by 2030. The ministry will also improve housing, job, and service conditions by establishing specialized rural zones and regeneration hub villages, renovating 78,000 vacant rural homes, creating a K-Heritage tourism belt, and expanding AI-based demand-responsive transportation services. Foundations will also be laid for renewable energy self-sufficiency in agricultural facilities and the realization of agricultural RE100.

Regarding animal welfare, the ministry will enact the “Basic Animal Welfare Act” (tentative name) by 2027 and establish an Animal Welfare Promotion Institute to provide a policy foundation. The ministry will promote the spread of a healthy pet culture and ease the burden of pet care by introducing a breeding ban for animal abusers, a renewal system for production business licenses, and standardized veterinary fee schedules. Additionally, to foster the pet-related industry as a new growth engine, the ministry will pursue the enactment of the “Pet-Related Industry Promotion Act” (tentative name).

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to reflect public opinion and supplement policies through the “K-Agricultural Policy Council,” which includes participation from farmers and consumer groups, and through the online communication platform “Everyone’s Agricultural Policy ON.”

Minister Song Miryung of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs stated, “We will innovate agricultural policy in line with the new government’s philosophy and deliver results that both the public and farmers can feel,” adding, “We will pay even closer attention to voices from the field.”