Han media: South Korea's caloric self-sufficiency rate is only 32.5%, and the dilemma of food security is becoming increasingly severe!
On November 19, the Korean media "JoongAng Daily" published an article stating that South Korea's caloric self-sufficiency rate has remained stagnant at 32% for three consecutive years, exacerbating the food security crisis. The South Korean government aims to increase this ratio to 50% by next year, but some have pointed out that the cost of stockpiling strategic crops is high, and more refined strategies are needed.
According to the Rural Development Administration of South Korea, the caloric self-sufficiency rate in South Korea was 32.5% in 2023, a decrease of 0.4 percentage points from the previous year (32.9%). The caloric self-sufficiency rate refers to the proportion of domestically produced grains, potatoes, meat, vegetables, fruits, etc., consumed by South Korean citizens, which has remained around 32% since 2021. In 1990, South Korea's caloric self-sufficiency rate was 62.6%, and it fell by half in just over 30 years.
The other indicator of food security - the food (edible grain) self-sufficiency rate - is also on a downward trend. South Korea's food self-sufficiency rate dropped from 70.3% in 1990 to 49% in 2023, less than half. At the same time, the food self-sufficiency rate including feed consumption also fell from 43.1% to 22.2%. These two self-sufficiency rates are among the lowest in the OECD.
Nations highly dependent on food imports are vulnerable to fluctuations in international food prices and supply and demand. This means that if major producing countries prohibit food exports due to war or climate change, importing countries will face higher prices. After the price of wheat, which is 99% imported, surged due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, "bread inflation" appeared, which is a typical example.
While China, Japan, and other neighboring countries are emphasizing "food security" as a core policy, South Korea has set a target to raise its food self-sufficiency rate to 55.5% and its caloric self-sufficiency rate to 50% by 2027.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of South Korea is encouraging the cultivation of strategic crops closely related to food security, such as wheat and soybeans, and purchasing them through the "Strategic Crop Direct Payment System." Next year, the budget for the Strategic Crop Direct Payment will be significantly expanded from the current 24.4 billion KRW to 41.96 billion KRW, and the reserve of soybeans will double from 30,000 tons to 60,000 tons.
The problem is that the price of domestic wheat and soybeans in South Korea is two to three times higher than that of imports, so they are being ignored by food manufacturing companies and consumers. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of South Korea stated: "Although it is costly to improve the self-sufficiency rate of food and calories, we need social consensus that if there is an international food supply crisis, the impact on us in the long term may be even greater."
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849205033531403/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.