Suwon Sustainable Development Council and Gyeonggi Agricultural Products Distribution Promotion Agency Sign Memorandum of Understanding

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] The Suwon Sustainable Development Council and the Gyeonggi Agricultural Products Distribution Promotion Agency signed a 'Memorandum of Understanding for Sustainable Food Welfare' at Suwon City Hall on the 30th of last month.

About ten officials attended, including Jo Chung-sik, first deputy mayor and co-chairman of the Suwon Sustainable Development Council, and Kang Wi-won, director of the Gyeonggi Agricultural Products Distribution Promotion Agency.

The memorandum was signed to address blind spots in food welfare in Suwon City by providing vegetables and other food ingredients to shared refrigerators and to share the value of a 'culture of sharing.'

The Gyeonggi Agricultural Products Distribution Promotion Agency will deliver eco-friendly agricultural products including onions, potatoes, and mixed grains (valued at 1.6 million won) to 11 shared refrigerators installed in Suwon City and the Suwon Sustainable Development Council four times total in November and December (twice per month).

The agency will also support shared kitchens and shared restaurants, and plans to continue cooperation on policies, projects, learning, and promotion for sustainable food, as well as food welfare for vulnerable groups.

Meanwhile, a shared refrigerator is a refrigerator that anyone can fill with food and that people in need can take food from and share.

Since the Suwon Sustainable Development Council first installed one in Gosaeok-dong, Gwonseon-gu in January 2018, the Sustainable Development Council currently operates 14 and the Suwon Volunteer Center operates 5.

Residents wishing to share food including vegetables, ingredients, fruits, and side dishes can write the food item and the manufacturing date or expiration date and place it in the refrigerator.

In August, the 'Suwon City Shared Refrigerator' project was selected for the Presidential Award at the 22nd Sustainable Development Awards competition hosted by the Ministry of Environment and organized by the Korea Council for Sustainable Development.