Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) Kim Yung-rok (right) shakes hands with World Food Programme Director David Beasely after signing an agreement outlining the donation of 50,000 tons of Korean rice, at WFP headquarters in Rome on Feb. 28. (MAFRA)
By Kim Eun-young and Lee Hana
Korea has officially become a major food donor after years spent as a beneficiary.
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) Kim Yung-rok signed an agreement for food assistance with World Food Programme (WFP) Director David Beasely at WFP headquarters in Rome on Feb. 28.
According to this agreement, Korea will provide 50,000 tons of top-grade Korean rice, worth around KRW 46 billion, to the people of Yemen, Syria, Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda through the end of this year.
“This donation is all the more meaningful, given that Korea once used to be a recipient of food donations. We hope to continue to play our part in the fight against world hunger by supporting those in developing countries,” said Minister Kim.
The rice donated by the MAFRA will be transported and distributed by the WFP.
In 2017, Korea donated 750 tons of rice to Cambodia and Myanmar through the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR), an organization established under the purview of ASEAN and the agricultural ministries of Korea, China and Japan.
eykim86@korea.kr
