농업·농촌에 대한 2020년 국민의식 조사 결과

Abstract

2020년 농업계는 코로나19로 화훼·친환경 농업, 농촌관광 등의 피해, 외국인 이동 제한으로 인력 확보의 어려움을 겪었다. 자국우선주의와 보호무역주의 강화로 국제곡물시장의 불확실성이 커질 것이란 예측이 나오면서 먹거리 안보의 중요성도 강조되고 있다. 이런 상황에서 기후변화로 역대 최장 기간의 장마와 수차례 태풍까지 발생해 많은 농가가 재해를 입었다. 농촌의 저출산·고령화 문제도 지나칠 수 없다. 이로 인해 공공과 민간의 서비스 공급 부족이 심화하고 삶의 질이 떨어지는 악순환이 계속되면서 농촌지역 소멸론이 대두되고 있다.이 같은 위기를 해결하고자 정부는 코로나19와 자연재해 관련 지원을 강화해 농가의 경영안정을 도모했다. 또한 취약계층에 먹거리 지원을 확대해 먹거리 정책의 포용성을 높였다. 농정 틀 전환의 핵심 정책인 공익직불제 시행으로 농업·농촌의 공익 창출 기반도 마련했다. 이에 더해 포용사회, 선도형 경제, 저탄소 경제로의 전환을 위한 한국판 뉴딜도 추진하고 있다.한국농촌경제연구원은 올해도 ‘농업·농촌에 대한 국민의식 조사’를 실시하여 국민들의 농업·농촌에 대한 의식 변화와 농업 관련 현안들에 대한 견해를 파악하고자 하였다. 조사는 2020년 11월 12일부터 12월 11일까지 실시하였으며, 도시민 1,500명과 농업인 1,121명 등 국민 2,621명이 참여하였다.

The Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI) has operated the network of local correspondents since its establishment and surveyed them at the end of every year to grasp changes in Korean farmers’ thoughts and attitudes. In 2006, KREI started to include urban residents in its annual survey. Since then, it has asked farmers (producers) and urban residents (consumers and taxpayers) about their thoughts on agriculture and rural areas to track changes in their ideas and understand policy needs. The 2020 survey was composed of primary questions redesigned in 2013 and others selected per period (every year, every two years, or every three years) to inquire about agriculture’s current issues. The survey targeted 1,500 urban dwellers and 2,500 farmers. We surveyed farmers by post and commissioned a survey agency to interview city dwellers face-to-face. As to a question on agriculture’s essential functions, urban and rural respondents selected stable food supply. However, unlike urban residents, rural dwellers picked environmental conservation as the most critical function of agriculture and rural communities. The difference indicates that farmers have changed their thoughts on agriculture’ s future roles along with the execution of the direct payment programs. Most urban residents positively perceived the public functions of agriculture and rural communities and thought highly of their values. Many of them were willing to bear additional tax burdens to keep those values. Notably, urban and rural respondents were optimistic about the introduction of the public-purpose direct payment programs, their details, farmers’ social responsibilities and roles based on direction payment conditions, and income compensation for smallholders through direct payments. This result implies the national consensus on the directions of public-purpose direction payments. More urban residents were eager to migrate to rural areas for rural living or farming, as they became more interested in a healthy life and safe foods amid COVID-19. The skyrocketing housing prices in cities have also contributed to the change. Apprehending this trend, the government needs to develop various programs to support urban-to-rural migration and devise practical ways to improve their effectiveness. The survey also shows that farmers’ satisfaction with their occupation and living have continuously improved. They have become more aware of unusual weather patterns due to climate change, changes in cultivation conditions, and risks from natural disasters, such as typhoons and rainy reasons. To reflect these changes in policy directions, the government should prepare countermeasures to respond to new threats of which farmers are conscious. The issue that gained attention from urban and rural respondents in 2020 was natural disasters and climate change. Particularly, climate change negatively impacted rural communities and the entire public. To respond to related problems, the government has to develop practical measures to elicit changes in consumers’ purchasing behaviors and farmers’ cultivation methods. Air pollution from fine dust and the pandemic has increased the public’s rising interest in health and nature. The government needs to understand the trend as a new opportunity for agriculture and rural communities and devise specific plans to seize it. Researchers: Woo Byungjoon, Chung Dochai, Park HyejinResearch period: 2020. 1. ∼ 2020. 12.E-mail address: dcchung@krei.re.kr