Book Launch: Agricultural Atlases, Korean Edition 2023

No other economic activity is so closely interwoven with the human and natural environment as is agriculture. However, industrial agriculture is responsible for both colossal environmental and climate damage as well as global injustice. Additionally, pesticide negative impact on human health, biodiversity, water and soil is not a new insight by any means. It is high time for a socially and politically oriented regulation of the agrifood industry, a reform in the agriculture policy to protect the environment and the climate, improve animal welfare and promote small and medium-sized sustainable farms, as well as policies to significantly reduce the use of pesticides and support farmers in their transition towards agroecology.

Not only in Europe, South Korea is also facing crises in climate, food and agriculture. Korea’s food and grain self-sufficiency rates in 2021 was about 44.4% and 20.9% respectively. Its import of GMO products is the highest in the world, 215.4kg per capita, and pesticide usage also ranks first in the OECD at 10.5kg/ha. On the other hand, the farmer population is accounted for 4.3% of the total population, and 46.8% of them are over 65 years old. Only 4.6% of farmland is eco-friendly agriculture.

In 2023, the government is pushing 'smart farms' as the 'second agricultural revolution' and reducing the budget for eco-friendly agriculture so-called to respond to the climate crisis. Against this, Korean farmers' movements and civil society movements are creating alternatives by demanding reform to sustainable agriculture and a healthy food system. As a result, the revision of the eco-friendly certification system for environmental protection and the enactment of the Basic Food Act are being discussed.

Co-organised by Small is Beautiful and Heinrich Böll Stiftung Hong Kong office, the launch event on 14 June 2023 presented three newly published Korean editions of agricultural atlases, namely Pesticide Atlas, Agriculture Atlas and AgriFood Atlas, featuring expert presentations, insight sharing and discussions on agriculture policies and pesticide issues in South Korea and Europe/Germany.