Gangwon Province to deliver free organic produce to 6,491 pregnant women and new mothers

Amid pan-government efforts to curb population decline, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province announced Friday it will provide free organic produce to pregnant women and new mothers — whom it calls "patriots" — to support maternal and fetal health.

This year, the province will distribute organic produce packages worth 240,000 won ($157) per person — with recipients covering 48,000 won of that cost — to 6,491 pregnant women and mothers who gave birth after Jan. 1, 2025.

The program is expected to improve maternal health while also boosting consumption of organic produce.

The original target was 4,400 beneficiaries, but the province secured additional national funding and expanded the program by 2,091 people to reach 6,491.

The total project budget is 1.558 billion won, funded 40 percent by the central government, 12 percent by the province, 28 percent by local municipalities and 20 percent by recipients themselves.

Eligibility extends to mothers who gave birth on or after Jan. 1, 2025, and women currently pregnant. Applications will be accepted from June 17 through June 30 via the integrated online mall Eco-E Mall and other channels.

The packages will include organic and pesticide-free produce as well as processed organic food products. Recipients can select and order items of their choice.

Each order must fall between 40,000 won and 100,000 won, and fresh produce must account for at least 50 percent of each order.

To ensure a stable supply, the province held an open recruitment process targeting local organic produce producers and retailers, selecting two suppliers: the Chuncheon Regional Food Integrated Support Center and Wonju Life Agriculture.

Applications close June 30. The province will then conduct eligibility verification and finalize the recipient list from July 1 through July 16, with deliveries set to begin after that.

Park Hyeong-cheol, director of the Gangwon Province agricultural policy bureau, said the program "protects the health of pregnant women and infants while at the same time realizing social values such as environmental conservation and revitalization of the local economy." He added that the province would "continue to provide support for safe food supply and stable farm household income."