hankyoreh

May 11. 　

By Park Gyeong-man

The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) has issued a statement saying that unless the issue surrounding the Paldang Organic Farm is resolved, it will rediscuss its decision to hold next September’s Organic World Congress, currently scheduled to be held in the Paldang area. The Lee Myung-bak administration issued its decision in April to tear down the farm and allocate the land for use in its Four Major Rivers Restoration Project.

IFOAM said it would open a debate this September and submit data refuting claims by the South Korean national and Gyeonggi Provincial governments that organic farming damages water quality.

A private, international organic farming movement with 750 organic farming groups and farmers from 110 nations, IFOAM holds its Organic World Congress every three years, touring the continents. The 2011 congress, to be held at the Paldang Organic Farm as the first to convene in Asia, will include an organic farming expo, debates and workshops on the latest organic farming technologies, among other activities.

According to the Korean Federation of Sustainable Agriculture Organizations (KFSAO) and Gyeonggi Province officials Monday, IFOAM Vice President Andre Leu and Director Ong Kung Wai met with Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo, who is also chairman of the 2011 Organic World Congress Organizing Committee, at the governor’s residence on the evening of July 16. Also in attendance were Namyangju City Mayor Lee Seok-woo, vice chairman of the committee, and KFSAO Chairman Cho Hyun-sun.

According to Cho, Leu dropped a bombshell at the meeting, saying the issue of damage to the Paldang Organic Farm is closely tied with the Organic World Congress. He said if the issue is not resolved by this September, IFOAM would plan a directors meeting to be held in South Korea from Sept. 23 through 25, during which they would decide whether to hold the congress in South Korea.

Leu also reportedly called upon Governor Kim, who drew the congress to South Korea and serves as the chairman of its organizing committee, to actively step forward to resolve the problem. Cho also reported that Leu said around the time of the directors meeting this September, he would convene an open debate and present scientific material refuting the administration’s claim that organic farming is ruining the water quality.

In response, Kim said in order to successfully host the Organic World Congress, he would visit the site of a sit-down protest to protect the Paldang farm and negotiate the issue with farmers.

Park Jong-seo, the policy team head of KFSAO, of which some 35 producer and consumer groups are members, said about 10 groups declared in April that if the Paldang farm was not preserved, they would not participate in the Organic World Congress. He said they were preparing an alternative to build a “permaculture” community in Paldang, a community of sustainable, eco-friendly agriculture.

In response, Gyeonggi Province Agricultural Policy Director Lee Jin-chan said, “We have yet to see a concrete plan from KFSAO or those protesting at Paldang, but as long as there are no legal issues, we are prepared to accept any plan.”

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]