China
China has the largest amount of organic farmland in Asia and potentially one of the most important markets for organic foods. There are 2,910 organic farms in the country managing 301.295 hectares of organic farmland. Most of the Chinese provinces and autonomous regions are involved in organic farming.
The development of the organic food industry has been largely government driven. The government formed the Organic Food Development Centre (OGFDC) in the mid 1990s and this set organic food production standards as well as guidelines for distribution, sales, storage, inspection and auditing of organic foods. OGFDC is active in the development of the organic food industry by providing inspection, certification, labelling and research.
The government announced in May 2002 that it would be stepping up Chinese organic food research and production in a bid to boost exports. It aims for Chinese organic foods to take over 1 percent share of the global market by 2012. A key thrust is to receive international accreditation for Chinese organic products, something which has been preventing a higher level of exports to many countries.
Most of the exported organic foods in China go to North America and Europe. The Japanese market has become more difficult for Chinese companies due to tighter regulations being introduced by the Japanese government in 2001. Important organic foods grown in China are rice, soya, nuts, honey, seeds, tea, medicinal herbs and spices, fruit & vegetables.
There is not much distinction between green foods and organic foods in the Chinese market. The organic label is considered to be more important for export markets. There are 3.2 million hectares of farmland that produce green foods in China, and green food sales are worth about US $6.9 billion. Certified organic foods are estimated to comprise up to $100 million of revenues with the bulk going to export markets.
Chinese and foreign media institutions are very interested in publicising the development of the organic sector in China. Increasing numbers of TV and radio programmes highlight organic farming and organic food. Reports and special columns related to organic agriculture and organic food have been published in newspapers all over China.

Korea
The Korean market for organic products is still very small. In 2001, locally grown organic produce (fruits, vegetables, and rice) accounted for only 0.2% of total agricultural production. However, judging from the amount of space retail outlets are devoting to organic produce, the demand for these products is growing. In response, the Korean Ministry of Agriculture (MAF) has developed a labelling program which indicates whether a product is organic, contains low or no agricultural chemicals. At present, imports of organic products consist mainly of ingredients for baby foods. infant formulas and some health foods. Specific information on the size of the retail market for organic products is not available. However, it is expected that the market for processed organic foods will grow dramatically in the next few years. Currently, the types of organic products available are either fresh produce, rice or products made with organic ingredients, such as baby food, bread, or flour.