 |
| A grain store in a traditional market in Seoul, April 7. Yonhap |
By Baek Byung-yeul
Korea's grain self-sufficiency rate has fallen to an all-time low, raising concerns over food security amid soaring international grain prices due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and rising shipping costs stemming from supply chain disruptions, according to the United Nations and local experts Sunday.
With global grain price increases showing no signs of abating, Korean consumers will continue to face steeper rises in food prices compared to their counterparts in other countries, experts said, stressing that the government should take proper measures such as paying out more subsidies to increase the self-sufficiency rate, in order to ensure Korea's food security.
The grain self-sufficiency rate refers to the proportion of grain production compared to domestic consumption of the commodity. According to the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) data, Korea's grain self-sufficiency rate stood at 19.3 percent in 2020, falling below the 20 percent mark for the first time.
The rate is 11.6 percentage points below than that of 2000. The figure also places Korea at the bottom of the 38 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It is incomparable to major grain exporters such as the United States, which has a grain self-sufficiency rate of 120.1 percent and Canada with 192 percent and it is also lower than Japan which has a 27.3 percent rate.
The Food Price Index of the FAO also showed that grain prices were on a sharp rise, increasing to 159.3 points in March, up 12.6 percent from February. It is the highest level seen since 1996 when the related index was first introduced.
"The self-sufficiency rate of grain should be maintained at a certain level in preparation for emergencies such as war, but the government neglected it. There are various reasons why the self-sufficiency rate is falling, including increased dependence on imports, but the government should have made plans to maintain the self-sufficiency rate above a certain level," Kim Dae-jong, a professor at the School of Business at Sejong University, said.
"The country remains in a standoff with North Korea, which could lead to a military crisis at any time. Taking the Russian invasion of Ukraine as an example, its grain stockpile, which is now known to last three months, should be extended to more than six months," the professor said. "Subsidies should be increased so that the private sector can also participate," he added.
Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said the government is striving to strengthen food security and raise the country's self-sufficiency rate.
"As of 2020, Korea's grain self-sufficiency rate was 20.2 percent and the food self-sufficiency rate was 45.8 percent. The government is working on ensuring food security and raising the country's self-sufficiency rate, especially focusing on wheat and beans, which have the second-highest proportion of domestic consumption following rice," the ministry said.
To increase the self-sufficiency of wheat and beans, which are heavily dependent on imports, the ministry added it is fostering specialized wheat and bean production bases. In particular, from a mid-to-long-term investment perspective, the Wheat Industry Promotion Act was enacted in 2019 to strengthen investment across the industry.
![[INTERVIEW] Yoon Kye-sang enjoys returning to rom-com with 'Kiss Sixth Sense'](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/8f2478bc998d4f1487a60b6e2b68d91a.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
