Research Purpose & Method
The purpose of this study was to investigate local agricultural governance and to suggest the activation measures. For the purpose, this study reviewed local governance literature on its constructing and affecting factors and related laws and history in terms of agricultural policy making. This study also carried out case studies of several basic local governments (Shi‧Gun) where there have been special efforts to organize and operate local governance in pursuit of development of the region, in which the process of the local agricultural governance formation and operation was investigated, and the positive results and challenges were derived. Furthermore, this study conducted a survey of 2,433 local agricultural governance related individuals including farmers, farmer organization members, and local agricultural officials to inquire into their perception of local agricultural governance and their governance participation.

Research Result
As results of this study, the measures to activate local agricultural governance were suggested. In terms of fostering private actors in local agricultural policy, farmers' perception of local governance participation and their participation experiences should be elevated, while the farmer groups’ governance capacity, their integral unity and the solidarity with local governance in other sectors should be enhanced. As for basic local government’s fundamental system for operating agricultural governance, the civil participation opportunities should increase and the related legal system needs to be organized. Governance education for local public officials, arrangement of an exclusive organization (or officials) responsible for governance related tasks, and activation of a current local agricultural governance-related committee are necessary. Finally, central government should support local agricultural governance activation by means of the chamber of agriculture pilot project expansion as well as the chamber’s executive offices and their staff’s capacity building. In the long term, the chamber of agriculture should be legalized nationwide.

Researchers: Ma Sang-Jin, and Kwon In-hye
Research Period: 2014. 1.～2014. 10.
E-mail Address: msj@krei.re.kr