Eco-Friendly Agriculture Act revised, effective April 22 next year

Appeal window for certification rulings extended from 7 to 30 days; new policy committee to include farmers

New field support centers to assist with production and management challenges

[Getty Images Bank]
[Getty Images Bank]

Starting next April, institutions operating group cafeterias established by central and local governments will be added to the list of entities required to prioritize purchases of eco-friendly agricultural produce. The government will also gain authority to order the suspension, correction or removal of online advertisements that falsely present uncertified products as certified. The window for appealing eco-friendly certification rulings will be extended from seven days to 30 days.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Monday it will promulgate Tuesday an amendment to the Act on the Promotion of Eco-Friendly Agriculture and Fisheries and the Management of and Support for Organic Food. The revised law takes effect April 22 next year.

The amendment focuses on broadening public meal service channels for eco-friendly produce and tightening oversight of the certification system and online advertising. It also establishes a new body to involve farmers, experts and consumer groups in policy decisions, and puts in place a field support framework.

Under the changes, institutions operating group cafeterias set up by central and local governments will be included among entities required to give purchasing priority to eco-friendly certified produce. The measure aims to expand the use of certified produce in public meal services and help producers secure stable sales channels.

Oversight of online advertising will also be strengthened. The government will be empowered to order the suspension, correction or removal of advertisements that could mislead consumers into believing uncertified products carry eco-friendly certification. Grounds for penalizing those who fail to comply with corrective orders without justifiable cause have also been established.

The appeals process for certification-related decisions will be improved as well. The period during which applicants may contest rulings on certification, renewal or extension of validity for organic food and related products will be extended from seven days to 30 days. Results of appeals must be communicated within 14 days.

A new Eco-Friendly Agriculture Development Committee will be established to deliberate on eco-friendly farming policy. Previously, major policy decisions were made through internal ministry discussions; going forward, farmers, experts and consumer organizations will participate in the deliberation process.

The committee will comprise up to 25 members, including two co-chairs — one from the government and one from the private sector. It will deliberate on key policy matters including the formulation and revision of eco-friendly agriculture promotion plans, evaluation of implementation progress, measures to boost productivity, and improvements to the certification system.

A legal basis will also be created for designating Eco-Friendly Agriculture Field Support Centers to assist farmers with technical difficulties and management challenges. Institutions, corporations or organizations with qualified personnel and facilities may be designated as centers to provide hands-on, field-level support.

Lee Si-hye, director general for agricultural industry innovation policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said the amendment would strengthen the systematic development of eco-friendly agriculture and fisheries and enhance field-level support. "Through the newly launched Eco-Friendly Agriculture Development Committee and the field support centers, we will carefully ensure that farmers' voices are reflected in policy and that unreasonable practices — such as unjust certification cancellations and false or exaggerated advertising — are improved," Lee said.


adastra@heraldcorp.com