1. Study Objectives and Method

￮ The national production of ginseng is becoming more difficult due to decreased cultivation areas, aging farmhouses, declining agricultural human resources, and increasing operating costs.

￮ This study addresses the necessity of establishing mid to long-term policy projects to develop Jeollabuk-do’s ginseng industry. To foster this industry, this study seeks response methods from regional perspectives by classifying the response measures into the advancement of the production structure, commercialization and industrialization, tourism and hands-on education, and increasing manpower and governance.

￮ This study used the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs’ Ginseng Statistical Yearbook and data from Statistics Korea to identify the current status of Jeollabuk-do’s ginseng industry. The study observes the trends in policy preceding research to establish research direction and distinction.

￮ To identify the priority of the ginseng industry’s policy, this study reviews the policy for fostering the ginseng industry as implemented by the government and local governments’ research institutes. It categorizes the policy range into the advancement of production structure, commercialization and industrialization, tourism and hands-on education, and increasing manpower and governance.

￮ The study extracted priorities based on experts’ opinions and suggested basic directions and target projects for the ginseng industry.

￮ Advice was collected from experts, researchers, and university professors to determine support projects and specific and stepwise methods for fostering the ginseng industry.

2. Conclusion and Policy Suggestion

● Establishment of safe and reliable production · The distribution system for the sustainable development of the future ginseng industry

￮ Build the foundation for the production of safe ginseng that utilizes the government’s PLS standards and provide ginseng production and distribution information to consumers by using blockchain technology

￮ Strengthen the environmentally friendly activities of farms that practice low-carbon agriculture at the regional level and promote integrated marketing through the development of a communal brand

● Response to the aging era and the invention of ginseng food products that reflect the consumption trends, such as the simple meal trend

￮ Promotion of digital marketing education and shopping mall venture start-up education to satisfy consumers’ needs and to establish a system to immediately respond to these needs through interactions with consumers

￮ The invention of products for food enterprises to increase added value by creating environmentally friendly and HMR (Home Meal Replacement) products in response to the new food market and by marketing local ginseng

● Revitalization of the local economy and consumption through nurturing healing tourism and hands-on education using agricultural life resources and ginseng

￮ Creation of a healing town using Jeollabuk-do’s healing resources and ginseng; develop recipes for healing foods and promote a cooking program and package project

￮ Design of a food culture space using ginseng and food items to create a virtuous circle that leads to marketing, education, hands-on experience, and the consumption of ginseng

● Fostering ginseng experts and the establishment of governance where diverse stakeholders can exchange opinions

￮ Nurture a specialized and systemized management system and provide opportunities to the young agricultural population to learn about farm life and farming techniques

￮ Establish a platform to provide the required information to consumers, producers, and food enterprises

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