Background of Research
The purpose of this study is to suggest the improvement strategies of an agricultural marketing system, including distribution systematization centered on producer organizations, and vitalization of direct transactions, local food, and local wholesale markets, through the investigation and a case study.
The Park Geun-hye government is creating a healthy competitive environment between distribution channels by selecting the improvement of the agricultural marketing system as one of the major national tasks, and aims to create a sustainable distribution system for farmers and consumers by reducing unnecessary distribution costs. Accordingly, the government is focusing on promoting direct transactions, improving the wholesale market trading system, modernizing facilities, systematizing distribution via producer organizations, controlling agricultural supply and demand, and stabilizing prices.

Research Results and Implications
Therefore, this study derived improvement plans by field in accordance with the government policy.
First, it is needed to complement the government's policy to improve the agricultural distribution system for vertical integrations. It is required to scale up shipments in producing sites, specialize in marketing, and enhance bargaining power.
Second, local wholesale markets should be activated to improve the efficiency of the agricultural distribution system. There is a need to reorganize the public local wholesale markets, adopt an approval system for the wholesale market workers and specify the validity period, and build the "shipment under reservation" systems and intermediate unloading systems.
Third, the number of farmers' markets should be increased. Also, it is necessary to ensure the development of educational programs and professional staff for farmers.
Fourth, the agricultural distribution system needs to be improved through 6th industrialization. It is necessary to promote direct transactions and co-marketing linked with local farmers' markets, online shopping malls, and hypermarkets to introduce a quality certification system for the 6th industrialization, and to develop a program to create mutual benefits through the linkage of regions.
The Government's policy of improving the agricultural distribution system can be successful through concrete action in the market and each region. In particular, it is needed to continually discover the cases of success and failure of distribution and wholesale market operation, direct transactions, and the 6th industrialization and to accelerate marketing improvement through efforts to create and spread a variety of successful models.


Researchers: Kim Byungryul, Kim Seongwoo, Kim Yoonjin
Research period: 2013. 9. ～ 2014. 2.
E-mail address: brkim@krei.re.kr