South Korea adopts AI to enhance farming efficiency and protect animal welfare

07 Mar 2024 --- The South Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has unveiled a comprehensive work plan to propel the agricultural sector. The Ministry wants to see a future-oriented growth trajectory through regulatory innovation, removal of cross-ministerial and private sector barriers, digital transformation, and technological advancements.

Despite facing challenging conditions last year, including supply chain crises, economic uncertainties, and extreme weather events, the Ministry made strides toward sustainable agriculture and rural development by enhancing food self-sufficiency, advancing smart agriculture, and achieving record-high exports in K-Food.

A key focus will be on integrating technologies like information and communication technology (ICT) and AI across the agri-food chain, fostering young farmer initiatives, and leveraging synergies with emergent industries such as food tech.

Vice minister Hoon Han says: “Most of the country’s initial, so-called first-generation smart farms relied on hardware,” Han says. “We’ll lead that generation to the next level using AI.”

He highlights that the Ministry will implement ICT and AI technologies to equip more local farms with advanced technologies and thereby increase their revenue.

South Korea is trying to build self-sustainable rural infrastructure through smart digital agriculture technology.According to the Ministry, it will invest KRW 6.2 billion (US$4.7 million) in introducing new solutions for disease prevention, livestock farming odor mitigation and technological advancement related to greenhouses, livestock farms and crop fields.

Fostering technological innovation
The Ministry aims to foster technological innovation in vertical farming by easing regulatory constraints, thereby facilitating growth in both domestic and international markets.

To catalyze convergence between agriculture and the food industry, three food tech research support centers will be established, alongside increases in dedicated funds and R&D efforts. The green bio sector will also see the expansion of research and production bases as well as venture campuses.

Recently, digital technology has been changing the region’s agriculture sector with increased use of AI for labor-intensive farming tasks, transforming traditional farming methods and offering sustainable solutions for challenges like labor shortages.

Minister Mi-ryung Song is confident about the nation’s agricultural industry, emphasizing the Ministry’s latest agenda to spearhead transformations in digital, generational, and rural development spheres. 

She emphasizes the challenges faced by rural regions due to climate change and declining populations and affirms that the new policies are tailored to address these pressing issues.

Enhancing livestock management
In addition, the Ministry says the authority will start integrating AI and digital technologies to improve cultivation and livestock farming in 2024. 

This year also marks a key moment for pet welfare and related industries. In January, the South Korean National Assembly passed a bill to ban the dog meat industry, responding to growing demands to end the practice and transition dogs from being considered food to companions, with the ban set to take effect in six months and involve a three-year phase-out period.

New initiatives will focus on the growing pet owner demographic, including comprehensive welfare policies and the development of pet food.

Edited by Sichong Wang