CRI

 [ABSTRACT]

  In this study, changes in government policies and domestic and foreign environments, especially in Chungbuk, are identified, and support for fostering high-income farmers and rural people in Chungcheongbuk-do is explored and realization plans through literature review, interviews, and existing research.

  There are a lot of realistic challenges faced by domestic agriculture, such as labor shortage due to a decrease in farm population and aging, increased risks due to climate change, and increased profits for farmers. Above all, ‘digitalization of agriculture’ and ‘smart agriculture’ are emerging as measures to solve this problem. In other words, today, data and sensors are combined with various smart facilities and equipment, leading to advanced industrialization of agriculture, and accordingly, the paradigm of agriculture is changing. As such, various new businesses are created through the convergence of agriculture and advanced technology, and countless opportunities are expected to be created.

  ‘Digital transformation of agriculture’ for high-income agriculture is to pursue digitalization of agriculture by standardizing and modularizing resources and processes throughout the entire process, including agricultural production, distribution, and consumption. Through this, if a problem occurs at the production site, it provides a customized solution to the farmhouse according to different surrounding environments and subjective factors (e.g., type of production facility, components, grower's skill level).

  Digital transformation of agriculture is already by our side, such as smart agriculture, but it has not yet spread to many fields. In particular, it is not enough just to introduce technology and services, and the mindset (or attitude) and capacity of farmers are more important than anything else. That is why ‘education’ that transforms the vision of agriculture must be accompanied. A ‘culture of farming with data’ must be formed in which all farmers are interested in digital technology and trends, communicate flexibly, and make decisions based on data. In addition, in order to innovate agricultural culture, 'farmers or young farmers with values and philosophy' are needed as the subject of digital transformation, not agricultural engineers.

  The goals pursued by agricultural and rural policies need to be reviewed in several aspects. First, it is necessary to secure the rationality of agricultural and rural policies through policy design and promotion based on scientific and objective basis, not microscopic and sectoral policies. Second, it is not uniformly promoted, and the basis for promoting agricultural and rural policies in a consumer-oriented manner must be created. Third, it is necessary to respond to the demands of the times for decentralization and balanced regional development and to develop policies that are suitable for local resources and circumstances. Fourth, policies that respond to new demands such as changes in people's perception of agriculture and environmental problems should be promoted. Fifth, policies that respond to the trend of changing rural areas into complex spaces such as living, working, sheltering, and community should be promoted.

  In order to foster high-income farmers in Chungcheongbuk-do, first, long-term and short-term analyzes on the prospects for agricultural manpower supply and demand must be continuously conducted, and these results must be reflected in agricultural manpower supply and demand policies. Second, it is necessary to establish an educational system for cultivating elite agricultural manpower. For example, the Jeollabuk-do Agricultural Human Resources Development Institute manages information such as the curriculum, detailed training contents, training period, and instructors of agricultural education and training institutions in Jeollabuk-do, and excluded overlapping training programs and promoted specialized education for each institution. Third, in order to systematically grow or develop agricultural manpower newly entered the agricultural field as an elite agricultural manager, an annual education plan was established and trained. In addition, through the introduction of the agricultural management consulting business and coaching system, continuous support is provided by resolving problems and establishing development strategies. Fourth, it is necessary to ensure that these educational infrastructures and agricultural digital transformation strategies are well matched.

  In order to foster future advanced farmers and strengthen competitiveness in Chungcheongbuk-do, it is necessary to nurture young farmers to revive rural areas where the aging population is deepening. In addition, it is necessary to secure the sustainability of agriculture by expanding smart agriculture to respond to natural disasters and decrease in labor force. Targeting successor farmers, prepare various support systems to increase the successor's motivation to start a business. Education on management strategies and management skills is supported by establishing management competency reinforcement education, periodic counseling and mentoring programs according to the age group of farmers. While the population of farm households across the country is steadily declining, the rate of increase in the population returning to farming and returning to villages is accelerating. In particular, cultivation of farmers can now be done in cities rather than rural areas, and practice farms in the suburbs of cities are also needed for prospective returnees. Considering these changes, it is expected that technology development and investment will increase in the future, focusing on facility cultivation in agricultural facilities such as smart farms. Smart farms are considered a reasonable alternative to address food shortages, which are becoming more and more important day by day.

  A summary of Chungcheongbuk-do's high-income farmer fostering policies is as follows. First, in the case of young farmers, especially the important role of the MZ generation, programs such as "education, financial support, and production activity support" should be utilized, and "business systematization by stage" is also necessary. Second, in the case of successor farmers, various support systems are prepared to increase the successor's will to start a business, and management ability reinforcement training is conducted according to the age of farmers. In addition, regular counseling and mentoring programs are prepared to support education on management strategies and management skills. Third, in the case of existing farmers, it is required to strengthen management ability and improve productivity by preparing counseling and education programs for establishing management strategies. Fourth, in the case of general farmers, a policy to foster returnees as professional farmers is needed. Fifth, in the case of future advanced farmers, it is required to promote 'agricultural artificial intelligence (AI) utilization plan'. Lastly, it is necessary to improve farmers' management mindset and strengthen competitiveness.

  On the other hand, smart farms are centered on agricultural businesses belonging to the fields of facility gardening, open field agriculture, and livestock farming. In particular, when considering the entire agricultural value chain, the focus is now on the ‘production’ stage. However, it can be said that the value chain of practical agriculture does not start at the production stage where crop cultivation takes place, but at the preliminary stage of crop production where crop variety development takes place, that is, the seed industry. In particular, in order to produce high-quality agricultural products, cutting-edge technologies must be grafted from the stage of cultivar development. Seeds are evaluated as a key factor that determines the direction of agricultural production, processing, distribution, and storage after production.

  In order to secure internal and external competitiveness of Korea's agriculture and promote true smartization of agriculture, data must be accumulated across the agricultural front and rear industries ranging from breeding - seed-gathering - raising seedlings - growth - harvest - distribution - consumption. In addition, it is essential to secure data traceability so that the data accumulated at each stage can be flexibly used to manage the growth environment and cultivation environment of crops. In other words, smart agriculture is urgently needed throughout the agricultural ecosystem. It is necessary to look at a more extended value chain than the value chain of agriculture, which has been discussed in the past as production, distribution, and consumption. The value chain of smart agriculture also needs to be newly defined as starting from the ‘pre-production stage of farming’.

  In the future, when the value chain is expanded throughout the agricultural ecosystem, ‘comprehensive smartization of agriculture’ will be realized. As the importance of sustainable agriculture increases, smart agriculture emerges as a way to realize it. Successful realization of smart agriculture is possible when technology convergence is achieved in all stages from the seed stage, which is the stage before production, to production, distribution, and consumption. Actively cooperate with other companies in the agricultural value chain to pursue innovation throughout the agricultural ecosystem through smart agriculture. In addition to the 4th industrial revolution and ICT technology, we are using convergence technologies such as biotechnology (BT), nanotechnology (NT), environmental technology (ET), space technology (ST), and cultural technology (CT) to add value to agricultural products and agricultural innovation spreads. In addition, efforts should be made to effectively utilize public R&D resources by strengthening cooperative approaches between the front and rear industries of agriculture at the pan-governmental level.

  To secure a competitive edge in smart agriculture, an active and leading innovation ecosystem must be created. All countries around the world are recognizing agriculture as a future growth engine, regardless of government or business, and are trying to gain a competitive advantage. In order to secure competitiveness in the competitive environment of global smart agriculture that is gradually intensifying, various business development and policies and active business entry must be carried out at the same time.

  Finally, to summarize the plans for fostering high-income farmers and developing the agricultural industry in Chungcheongbuk-do, first, the implementation of the "Comprehensive Plan and Roadmap for Fostering Future Advanced Farmers" is urgently needed. In particular, it is necessary to promote more effectively through the previously planned 5 strategic goals and development plans presented as 24 tasks. Second, as the smartization of agriculture in Chungbuk progresses, the number of farms introducing ‘smart farms’ or ‘smart farming’ is increasing. Therefore, 'innovation of the value chain of new Chungbuk-type agriculture' is required considering this.