KREI Held 12th FANEA International Symposium

The Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI) held the 12th FANEA (Forum for Agricultural Policy Research in North East Asia) International Symposium on “Revitalization of Rural Areas” jointly with Japan’s PRIMAFF (Policy Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) and CAAS/IAED (Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development) at the Saitama-Shintoshin Government Building, Japan on Oct. 12 (Thurs.).
 

The event was attended by about 70 agricultural policy researchers from the three countries, including KREI President Kim Changgil, PRIMAFF Director General Hayami Sato, and Deputy Director Wang Jimin of IAED.
 

The symposium consisted of two themes: “structural changes in agriculture and farming communities and farmers’ problems” and “agricultural marketing.” KREI research fellow Rhew Chanhee made a presentation on “Multiple Pathways of Family-Based Farming in Rural Communities” in the 1st session, and KREI research fellow Park Seongjin on “Agricultural Marketing and Changes in Its Environment” in the 2nd session.
 

After the presentations, researchers from the three nations had heated discussions. KREI research director Lee Yongsun argued that the agricultural structure should change for the sustainable development of rural regions as well as for an increase in productivity. KREI research director Jeon Changgon stressed that in this era agricultural products cannot be sold without marketing, mentioning the need to introduce the 4th industrial revolution technologies including ICT to agricultural marketing.
 

The three institutions established FANEA in 2003, and have hosted an international symposium in turn each year on the three countries’ common interests. In 2018 that marks KREI’s 40th anniversary, the symposium will be held in Korea. The theme of the 13th FANEA International Symposium is “Ways to Nurture the Agricultural Workforce for the Strengthening of Agricultural and Rural Competitiveness.”