Korean supermarket chains commit to sourcing more fruit and vegetables from high-tech production sources
Lotte Mart and Lotte Super have announced they will actively expand sourcing of ‘smart farm’ agricultural products in response to challenges caused by climate change.
According to local media reports, the Korean supermarket chains plan to introduce a total of 50 smart farm agricultural products this year and more than double 2024 procurement volumes.
The top smart farm product targeted by Lotte is strawberries with volumes set to double this year. The volumes of ‘vegetables with living roots’ and temperature-sensitive European vegetables sourced from top smart farms are also set to expand as well as cherry tomatoes.
The retailer said the strategy reflects an increase in demand for salad vegetables due to the wellness trend. It said sales of vegetables with living roots have increased every year since their first launch in 2021, and last year, they tripled compared to 2023. It plans to introduce various herb vegetables harvested with their roots, including lettuce, cilantro, basil, and arugula, as smart farm products.
“One of the products that aligns with our value of providing ‘fresh foods without failure to customers’ is smart farm agricultural products,” said Jung Hye-yeon, head of the fresh food division at Lotte Mart.
“We plan to actively introduce agricultural products that apply various future farming methods, beyond smart farms, to spread the recognition that ’freshness is Lotte.’”
