Worries Over Food Safety Drive South Koreans To Local, Organic Food Sources

Food safety concerns among South Korean consumers have spurred an upsurge in the membership of the country’s largest food cooperative, Hansalim, which sells mainly organic, locally grown vegetables and other food products. Concerns about food safety reached a critical stage after outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease and avian influenza in 2010 forced the slaughter of millions of livestock. Hansalim’s membership leapt by 20 percent to 250,900 during the year, completely by word of mouth because the cooperative spends no money on advertising. Hansalim operates 110 stores in South Korea, which together posted about $162 million in sales in 2010, a small number compared to leading discount store chains such as E-mart, whose product line is globally sourced.