The Korea Rural Economic Institute held the OECD-Korea Conference on the Future of Korean Agriculture and Rural Development with the OECD, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Korea Agency of Education, Promotion and Information Service in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on Oct. 14 and 15 at the Ramada Hotel, Seoul.

The participants discussed innovative plans and the government's roles for agricultural and rural development in this event comprised of four sessions: recent trends and tasks of rural policies; analysis of mid- and long-term agricultural scenarios and future strategies; sustainable improvement of productivity through innovation―focusing on farmers' capacity building; and measures to develop the direct payment system. Each session consisted of presentations and discussions.