Farmers protest 'solar farming' proposal, demand 'just transition'

Farmers are pushing back against President Lee Jae-myung's suggestion that solar power generation is more efficient than agriculture, allowing for a "comfortable life" through "solar farming." The president's remarks, made during a government report, proposed that solar power could boost electricity supply and revitalize local economies if paired with robust grid infrastructure. However, farmers view this as a directive to abandon agriculture.

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If that's the case, it's better not to do solar power at all.

Kim Chang-han, head of the Korea Association for Agro-Photovoltaics, stated that if such a choice must be made, it would be better not to pursue solar power at all. This sentiment was echoed at a recent parliamentary seminar titled "Beyond Unilateral Sacrifice, Towards a Just Transition: Listening to Rural Voices." The event, attended by farmers from across the country, highlighted widespread grievances over renewable energy projects like solar and wind farms, as well as transmission towers, which disrupt farming and daily life.

Lawyer Ha Seung-soo, representing the Public Interest Law Center 'Nongbon,' controversially argued that expanding renewables to combat climate change is a "scam." He contended that "carbon neutrality" is impossible without reducing electricity demand and structural changes, citing the global increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration despite two decades of renewable energy expansion. Ha emphasized that vulnerable groups like farmers often bear the brunt of climate policies and that "just transition" principles, promoted by international organizations, must ensure their participation.

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Expanding renewables to solve climate change is a scam.

Farmers argue that renewable energy projects, while promoted as climate solutions, are becoming "anti-environmental" by damaging farmland and rural landscapes. They are calling for a clear stance against such projects and asserting the greater importance of agriculture for food self-sufficiency in the climate crisis era. The government's "3 Great Mega Projects" are seen as exacerbating these issues, potentially increasing greenhouse gas emissions through reliance on LNG and nuclear power, and requiring more high-voltage transmission lines, all while allegedly disregarding environmental impact assessments.

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Farmers have endured the devastation of rural areas under the goal of carbon neutrality, but that perspective itself has collapsed with the 3 Great Mega Projects.