Hansalim – working together in South Korea
The Southeast Asian industrial nation of South Korea is both densely populated and deemed highly modern. In fact, when it comes to feeding its population, western societies would do well to take a leaf out of its book.
Anybody need yet another example to demonstrate the fact that the whole of humanity is facing the same challenges? Just imagine if you would, that the people of South Korea, located in the eastern hemisphere, are thinking exactly the same thoughts as we are at Soil to Soul: How do we maintain the health and fertility of our life-giving soils – or even regenerate them? And how can food producers earn a fair income?
The German author Tobias Asmuth travelled to South Korea for the business journal "Brandeins" and discovered the Hansalim cooperative at its location not far from the nation's capital, Seoul. And we can't really add much to this organisation's succinctly formulated fundamental concept: "Farmers ensure the production of healthy food, in return, consumers ensure the existence of agriculture". Of course, we have long-been aware of this concept thanks to Italy's Slow Food movement or Switzerland's Bio Bud label, both of which have the self-same objective. Soil to Soul's own Soilfood Markets initiative also aims to establish the cost-covering sale of holistically and soil-consciously-produced food as the new norm. Appropriately, Hansalim is also South Korean for "save all living things". In other words – food that is grown on mismanaged soil is worth much less to us than products that thrive in a functioning circular farming system. This is because soil, as the substrate of cultivation, is unable to take the long-term strain of intensive farming practices. The cooperative members of Hansalim have the right to be proud of their initiative's success. According to the brennstoff.com website, the small farmers organised within the cooperative are able to feed around 2 million people and, in stark contrast to conventional producers, earn a much better living: 73 of every 100 won (South Korea's currency) earned on the market remains with the farmers.
In a future article, we will discuss how this approach was once commonplace in Switzerland – until it was replaced by a rather merciless, profit-orientated system. Until then, we encourage you to check out the article at brandeins.de and urge you to continue shopping at your local farm shop and weekly market, where you can maintain direct contact with the producers of your food.
It's worth reading Tobias Asmuth's article to the very end, check it out here..