CONTENTS
I. Introduction
Ⅱ. Conceptual aspects
Ⅲ. A Brief
History of Korean Sustainable Agriculture
Ⅳ. Development and Characteristics
of SA Organizations
Ⅴ. Socio-Economic Characteristics of Producers and
Consumers
Ⅵ. Discussions
Ⅶ.
Conclusions
ABSTRACT
The term sustainability is conceptualized as a having double
meaning--inter-generational and intra-generational equity. Sustainable
agriculture (SA) is also understood as a totality encompassing agricultural and
rural development. Korean sustainable agriculture evolved since the late 1970s
as a "movement" to restore the soil, undergoing rapid expansion in the 1990s. A
few studies on Korean sustainable agriculture have indicated that the farmers in
this field are younger and more educated, implying that the sustainable
agriculture is a promising alternative farming technique. Consumers are also
younger, better educated, wealthier, and very often from the countryside. A
hypothesis is provided here about the existence of two types of SA farmers, the
"movement type" and "business type" practitioners. The possible convergence
between sustainable agriculture and sustainable rural development, and its
necessity, is discussed and proposed.
