Incheon City Establishes 'Food Industry Division'... Enhancing Agricultural and Food Competitiveness through Eco-friendliness and Exports

Incheon Metropolitan City is establishing a 'Food Industry Division' within the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to enhance the overall competitiveness of the local agricultural and food industry. The aim is to proactively respond to the rapidly changing agricultural and food environment and the changing food demands of citizens, establishing a virtuous cycle that connects production to export.

Incheon City announced that it will expand its eco-friendly agricultural infrastructure project more than threefold by 2026 compared to the previous year. The plan is to systematically support the entire process of production, processing, storage, and distribution centered around eco-friendly clusters, aiming for both the scaling and stability of agriculture. Through this, the city plans to induce carbon reduction in agricultural fields and promote the actual stabilization of farmers' income.

The city is also accelerating its entry into overseas markets. It has designated 2026 as the 'Year of Diversifying Agricultural and Food Exports' and plans to expand the consumer touchpoints of representative local agricultural products, such as Ganghwa Island rice, using three permanent sales locations in the Toronto area of Canada. In particular, it aims to cultivate 'export-leading organizations' that support quality control systems and logistics efficiency to increase the export share of high-value-added products.

To secure stable sales channels for local specialty products, both online and offline strategies will be implemented. In the second half of this year, a large-scale sales event called 'Incheon Market' will be held at the Song Sang Platform in Jung-gu to enhance citizen accessibility, and a 'Incheon Premium Agricultural Products Planning Exhibition' linked with large online platforms will target the non-face-to-face consumption market.

Additionally, by collaborating with local governments in the metropolitan area, such as Mapo-gu, Seocho-gu, and Yangcheon-gu, the city will increase participation in direct transaction markets while also strengthening support for the development of traditional liquors and processed foods using local agricultural products.

Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok of Incheon City stated, "The food industry policy for 2026 focuses on creating a virtuous cycle system that connects production, consumption, and export," and added, "We will do our best to provide safe and reliable food to citizens and enhance the global competitiveness of local agriculture."