Comparison of evolutionary organic farming policies reflected on the first and second Wales and England organic action plans (OAPs) for Korean context - As a tool ensuring the sustainable development of Korean organic farming

This study compares and contrasts the Wales and England Organic Action Plans (WOAP and EOAP) and a Korean regional Life-Food Development Plan (KLFDP) in order to facilitate the development of the organic sector in Korea. Early action plans, for example, the first WOAP (1999) focused support on developing the supply of organic products whereas later action plans focused on marketing and consumer. OAPs may not only provide specific issue-solving roles by proposing new policy measures but also perform a regulatory role as a controller for organic sector development as a whole. The current KLFDP seems to stick to the former role but hardly has the latter role such as setting priorities, harmonizing various conflicting policy measures and factors and performing evaluation process for further progress. To secure better harmonized and sustainable development of Korean organic farming sector, constructing comprehensive national-level organic action plan, which has policy developing, implementing, regulating, evaluating and evolving functions, might be the most efficient choice.