Vertical Smart Farms to Transform Agricultural Promotion Zones in Korea

New System and Smart Agriculture Promotion Act to Overcome Land-use Restrictions and Boost Sustainable Agriculture

In an ambitious move to increase the smart agriculture penetration rate to 30% of agricultural production by 2027, the Korean government plans to establish a system that enables the installation of vertical smart farms within agricultural promotion zones. This initiative will require overcoming the current land-use restrictions that typically limit development and construction projects in these designated areas.

To achieve this goal, the government will introduce the "Smart Agriculture Promotion Act" within the year, aimed at updating the existing land-use regulations to accommodate the implementation of vertical smart farms in agricultural promotion zones. The Act will address the concerns related to land-use restrictions, while ensuring that these innovative farming facilities align with the goals of promoting sustainable agriculture and preserving agricultural land.

In addition to the development of vertical smart farms, the government will construct a cutting-edge, 100-hectare greenhouse for agricultural management and smart agriculture companies by 2027. This state-of-the-art facility will serve as a hub for research, development, and implementation of advanced farming technologies, further solidifying Korea's position at the forefront of agricultural innovation.

The integration of vertical smart farms and advanced greenhouse facilities within agricultural promotion zones has the potential to revolutionize the industry by increasing efficiency, reducing the environmental impact of traditional farming, and promoting sustainable practices. Vertical farming allows for year-round crop cultivation, using significantly less land, water, and energy resources compared to conventional agriculture.

By revising land-use restrictions and promoting the adoption of vertical smart farms, the Korean government aims to enhance food security, attract young farmers, and foster the growth of the agricultural sector in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner.

The 2023-2027 Agricultural, Rural, and Food Industry Development Plan aims to revolutionize agriculture and foster 30,000 young farmers

The plan includes five major strategies and 37 detailed implementation tasks, focusing on securing solid food security, creating a foundation for the future agricultural and food industry, providing stable support for farm management, supplying safe and secure food for the people, and creating a pleasant and attractive rural community.

To reverse the declining self-sufficiency rate since 2017, the government has set a target of 55.5% starting from 2023. This will be achieved by transitioning from rice-centric production to a system centered around wheat, beans, and flour rice. The government will establish large-scale concentrated production systems for strategic crops and aims to expand production to 200,000 tons of flour rice, 168,000 tons of wheat, and 147,000 tons of beans by 2027.

In order to foster 30,000 young farmers by 2027, the government will ease the difficulty of securing farmland and funds while strengthening tailored support throughout each stage of their growth. Measures will include expanding rural community childcare centers and establishing a "rural-style daycare support model" to alleviate the child-rearing burden on young farmers.

The government also intends to foster new industries such as green bio-industries and food-tech industries for the future growth of agriculture, with plans to increase the size of the green bio-industry from KRW 5.4 trillion in 2020 to KRW 10 trillion.