The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of South Korea recently hosted the 'Korea-Africa Agricultural Conference' in Seoul, aiming to enhance the presence of Korean agricultural and livestock products in Africa. The conference saw participation from the presidents of Comoros, Zimbabwe, and Madagascar, along with delegations from over 30 African countries.
During the conference, Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) were signed with several African nations for the K-Rice Belt project, aiming to boost rice productivity using Korean technology. These negotiations aim to strengthen the agricultural cooperation between Korea and Africa, covering areas such as smart farms, rice productivity improvement, agricultural product processing, and enhancing rural living conditions.
The conference also highlighted discussions on various cooperation projects between Korea and Africa, including food aid, agricultural infrastructure construction, distribution of agricultural machinery, technology development, and the Saemaeul Movement. International agricultural organizations like the UN FAO, AfDB, IFAD, and the GCF also contributed to the discussions, focusing on the challenges and solution strategies for African agriculture.
Minister Song Mi-ryeong expressed the high expectations from Africa regarding Korean agriculture and emphasized the potential for new cooperation. The conference aimed at translating the discussions into concrete cooperation actions, aiming to elevate the status of K-agriculture globally.