Farmers, firms and local governments team up from product development to exports

A collaborative initiative bringing together farmers, companies and local governments to jointly pursue product development, market access and exports is getting underway in earnest. The government plans to provide multi-year support starting next year for projects involving businesses, producer organizations and local governments, ensuring the effort goes beyond one-off agricultural purchases.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs held a launch ceremony Monday for the "Mutual Growth for All" project — a cooperation platform linking agriculture, industry and local communities — at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul.

Mutual Growth for All moves beyond the conventional model in which companies simply buy domestic farm produce, fostering collaboration across the entire value chain: product development, brand building, market access and exports. Farms secure stable sales channels, companies generate differentiated products and environmental, social and governance results, and local communities gain jobs and new business opportunities.

Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryeong attended the launch ceremony alongside representatives from the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Foundation for Cooperation of Large and Small-Medium Enterprises and Agriculture and Fisheries, and officials from the food, restaurant and retail industries, as well as producers and local government representatives. Cooperation cases were also presented, highlighting outcomes in farm income growth, young farmer development, K-food exports and regional economic revitalization.

Hyundai Green Food is pursuing a project called "Mat-Daeum," which develops local specialty produce — including Seosan potatoes, Jeju cabbage and Taean green onions recommended by local governments — into corporate cafeteria menus. The initiative uses corporate food-service sites as stable outlets for regional farm produce while promoting seasonal ingredients and locally representative dishes.

CJ CheilJedang is pursuing a consortium-style project to bring together regional breweries' rice wine under a single premium traditional liquor brand. The company will handle brand planning, design, overseas expansion strategy and global marketing, while the breweries manage production and quality control using domestic farm produce such as rice and apples. The goal is to lower the distribution and export barriers that individual breweries struggle to overcome on their own.

Gyulmédal, a Jeju tangerine brand, has broadened the fruit's reach through cross-industry collaboration. It has partnered with Uniqlo to present tangerines as fashion content, launched Jeju tangerine dessert products with convenience store CU, and expanded its digital distribution through Baemin B-mart.

Orion Nonghyup — a joint venture between Orion and Nonghyup — produces "Market O Nature" products using domestic rice, whole oats and whole wheat. The Ministry of Agriculture said it expects the venture to boost consumption of domestic farm produce in the meal-replacement market and to pursue exports through Orion's overseas distribution network.

Ottogi is expanding its product lineup using domestic ingredients, while Pulmuone is developing new products that replace imported soybeans with domestic ones. Changuk produces rice cakes using local specialty produce, and Oasis Market connects eco-friendly fresh-food producers with an online platform.

The Ministry of Agriculture is also overhauling its support framework to ensure the collaborative projects do not remain one-off events. Starting in 2027, consortiums formed by companies, producer organizations and local governments will be able to propose projects, which will then go through a competitive selection process and receive priority multi-year support.

To that end, the ministry will revise its project guidelines next month and hold local government briefings and open a call for applications in September. It will also operate "Mutual Growth for All Connect," a channel through which companies and producers can submit project proposals at any time.

The ministry will also introduce a "Mutual Growth for All Menu," allowing companies that contribute to the Rural Mutual Growth Cooperation Fund to directly choose the projects they wish to support. The aim is to link corporate fund contributions to specific projects in farming and rural communities, improving the fund's overall utility.

"Mutual growth is not about one side unilaterally helping the other — it is about combining agriculture's quality ingredients with companies' technology and distribution networks to create value that both sides need," Minister Song said. "We will actively support good proposals so they can translate into real products, markets and jobs, and expand into larger markets."