E-Mart to Donate 600 Million Won for Eco-Friendly Produce in Gyeonggi

E-Mart (139480) said on the 23rd that it has teamed up with Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Province Council on Social Welfare to launch the "Fresh Just Take It" program, aimed at supporting healthier diets for vulnerable households while helping local eco-friendly farms.

E-Mart signed the agreement a day earlier at the Gwangmyeong branch of the Gwangmyeong Food Bank Market Center. Attendees included E-Mart Chief Executive Han Chae-yang, Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae, Gwangmyeong Mayor Park Seung-won and Jeon Chang-ho, chairman of the Gyeonggi Province Council on Social Welfare.

"Just Take It" is a provincial welfare program that allows residents facing financial hardship to receive groceries and daily necessities without complicated income documentation or application procedures. Under the agreement, E-Mart will provide funding to purchase eco-friendly agricultural products, contributing 200 million won a year for three years starting this year, for a total of 600 million won.

The Gyeonggi Province Council on Social Welfare will use the donation to buy eco-friendly produce in cooperation with the Gyeonggi Agriculture and Fisheries Promotion Agency. The produce will be distributed to residents in need through 21 "Just Take It" sites across 17 cities and counties in the province.

The agreement expands the range of items available to program recipients, adding fresh produce to a lineup that previously centered on processed foods such as instant rice, soups and side dishes. E-Mart said it expects the program to help ease nutritional imbalances among vulnerable households and support healthier eating.

The initiative builds on the "Fresh Table" program that E-Mart and Gyeonggi Province have run since 2023. Under that program, launched with the provincial government and the social welfare council, E-Mart provided a total of 600 million won over three years, building a model that connected vulnerable households in the province with eco-friendly farms.

"Under the philosophy of returning to the community what we have gained from it, E-Mart has carried out a range of social contribution activities together with Gyeonggi Province," Han said. "We hope this program takes root as a model of shared growth that supports healthy diets for vulnerable households while also helping expand sales channels for local farms."