Comparative Analysis of Multi-functional Public Values of Paddy Fields in Korea and Japan

한일간(韓日間) 논의 공익적(公益的) 기능별(機能別) 가치평가(價値評價) 비교분석(比較分析)

Rice farming is not only the most important income resources of Korean farmers but also the roots of Korean traditional culture. Paddy fields have acted as an food supply base but also have contributed to the public multi-functions such as flood control, water conservation, controlling soil erosion, providing recreational and resting spaces, water purification, air cleaning, oxygen supply and air cooling and so on. The public multi-functions of paddy except rice production have not been evaluated before UR negotiation and starting WTO system. Under the drastic changes of rice economic settings as price decrease of rice and downward decrease of farm income, Korean and Japanese farmers might have lost their intention to grow rice in paddy fields without the direct payment system to compensate rice income decrease. To adapt the direct payment system, the total public value of multi-function of paddy should be identified in terms of money. According to the research results, the total value of multi-functional value of paddy in Korea were estimated 21,596thousand won which is higher than rice production value by 2.1 times. On the other hand the total value of Japanese paddy were amounted to 21,390 Yen which is more than that of Korea by 10times outstandingly. Likewise Japanese have evaluated the paddy field very important enterprise from the view point of food security and multi -functions of paddy to their socio-economic life and environmental sustainability in Japan.