Research Background
○The local food plan suggested by the Moon Jae-in Administration in 2017 pursues stabilizing the small or medium-sized farming sector and promoting regional distribution by efficiently linking production and consumption. Recently, along with the declaration of fundamental human rights for food made by local autonomous governments, people started to discuss “the public interest of food.” However, as the local food plan and the public interest are not well defined, opinions widely differ on how to execute those concepts.

○ In the meantime, the biggest challenge that the local autonomous bodies preparing for the local food plan currently face is to seek execution plans suitable for their regional characteristics. As they have different conditions in terms of demography, agricultural production, and consumption, it is not possible to apply a uniform project to them.

○ Against this background, this study aims to clarify that the local food plan is a process of establishing a local distribution circle to realize the public interest of food. Furthermore, it targets to identify policy tasks for local and central governments through the analysis of food-related projects and leading regional governments’ effort for the local food plan.

Research Methodology
○Statistical data, preceding literature, surveys, and in-depth interviews were carried out for this study. Also, we entrusted overseas experts to write on the relevant subject and listened to opinions from the advisory group consisting of Ha Seung-woo (author of “The Public Interest”) Kim So-yeon (professor of the Graduate School of Public Policy and Civic Engagement, Kyung Hee University), Oh Mi-ran (president of Gender & Community).

○Related employees in six local governments were interviewed, and more than 200 consumers responded to surveys. In total, 1,222 people were interviewed or surveyed for research on the detail of execution for food-related programs in the interviewed autonomous bodies and residents’ requests.

○For a case study in France, we requested Catherine (professor of Université de Rennes) and Gilles Marechal to write on the food plan in France focusing on its background and execution process and examples.

Findings
○Firstly, in the course of social campaigns for food, the concept of the public interest of food has expanded to include production stability and food safety, sustainability, and accessibility. In other words, the concept means the conventional idea of food security and further citizens’ participation. If food security is the minimum tool to secure citizens’ rights and duties, the public interest of food includes free activities of participatory democracy, such as citizens' participation and administrative governance for the expansion of rights.

○Secondly, local governments declared their proactive role in public health through the ‘declaration of fundamental human rights for food. In other words, while their effort for food security covered the underprivileged through food aids in the past, they have expanded their endeavor into all citizens‘ rights for healthy food.

○Thirdly, regional autonomous governments enact ordinances for local food, school or free meal services, etc. to promote the sale of local agricultural produce. Also, they run various corporations, such as direct sale stores or school catering services, to execute food-related programs. However, such organizations go through inefficiency as their logistics systems are different. The local food plan can integrate related programs to promote the sale of regional agricultural produce and maximize their synergy through organized production and the creation of consumer markets.

○Fourthly, concerning relevant cases of local governments, as their demography by age was different from each other, the categorization by region was not meaningful. However, the gap between the areas which initiated the food plan and the others which lacked such effort took place because the former had networks among various stakeholders for administration, governance, and food facilities, while the latter did not.

○Fifthly, France is very different from Korea in that it declared the national food plan (les plans nationaux d‘actions, PNA) and prepared a legal ground to support the local food plan. Its food plan took roots as residents became aware of the importance of the environment and directly traded with organic farmers. And the movement brought about outcomes such as increased consumption in vegetables in school meals and enhanced food education. Although the food plan in France is similar to Korea‘s in that the government initiated it, various networks there lead execution without specific organizations for implementation.

○Sixthly, people‘s interest in food-related businesses can expand the market size for the local food plan. The basic unit for the local food plan should be low-level local governments, while residents take the lead in execution. Also, while low-level autonomous bodies focus on organized production and the expansion of related markets, municipal governments should provide human resources education and information management. Meanwhile, the central government should put its energy into areas beyond the capacities of local governments, such as budget planning and intergovernmental programs.


Researchers: Jeong Eunmee, Choi Byungok, Choi Jaehyun
Research period: 2019. 1. ~ 2019. 10.
E-mail address: jeongem@krei.re.kr