The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has partnered with producer organizations and experts to expand the low-carbon livestock certification system. The government plans to reinforce institutional improvements and incentive support to encourage voluntary carbon reduction by livestock farms and cater to eco-friendly consumer trends.
On March 13 (Thursday), the Ministry held a ‘Low-Carbon Livestock Industry Meeting’ at the Livestock Products Quality Assessment Institute. Attendees included producer associations for major livestock groups such as beef, pork, dairy, and poultry, as well as livestock experts who discussed the direction of the pilot project for low-carbon livestock certification and the proposed amendments to the certification criteria.
The low-carbon livestock certification system awards certifications to farms that apply low-carbon technologies during production, reducing average greenhouse gas emissions by more than 10%. Initially introduced as a pilot for beef in 2023, the system was expanded last year to include pigs and dairy cattle.
Producer organizations asserted the need for the government to expand incentives to promote the widespread adoption of the certification system. In particular, the Poultry Association requested that laying hens be included among the species eligible for low-carbon livestock certification. Similarly, the Pork Association requested the inclusion of specialized sow farms by considering the conditions of separating sows and piglets.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to incorporate these requests and prepare incentive support schemes for low-carbon certified farms within the year. Kim Jae-kyeong, head of the Livestock Environment and Resources Division, stated, “As the low-carbon livestock certification system enters its third year, we will focus on consumer promotion and market channel support, with an aim to transition to a full-scale project by 2026 through the improvement of certification criteria and expansion of eligible species.”
The government is committed to fostering the expansion of low-carbon livestock certification in the market through active policy support and industry collaboration. Producer organizations also plan to engage in active promotional activities to raise consumer awareness and encourage voluntary participation.