Gyeongsangnam-do’s representative agricultural products are becoming part of the menu of famous domestic and foreign franchises, revitalizing the local economy. Changnyeong garlic, Hadong green tea, and Namhae garlic are processed into various products such as hamburgers, bakeries, chicken, and confectionery and delivered to consumers, increasing farm household income and increasing local brand image at the same time.

Changnyeong Garlic is considered a representative success story through the McDonald’s “Taste of Korea” project. According to Changnyeong-gun, McDonald’s “Changnyeong Garlic Burger,” which was re-released last month with Changnyeong’s new garlic as an ingredient, sold 1.98 million units in just over a month. Here, 58 tons of fresh garlic from Changnyeong were delivered.

McDonald’s sold fresh new garlic fresh from Changnyeong as a special limited menu for about a month from early August to the end of September. Earlier, 170 tons of Changnyeong garlic were delivered to McDonald’s for two months from August to September for three years from 2021 to 2023. During the same period, McDonald’s launched Changnyeong Garlic Burger sold 5.37 million units.

Changnyeong, which accounts for 22% of the nation’s garlic production, secured a stable market through this collaboration and caught two rabbits: increasing farm income and enhancing brand value.

Hadong Green Tea is expanding into the global market through collaboration with overseas franchises. Hadong-gun plans to export 7 tons (7,000 kg) of green tea and about 148,000 dollars (more than 200 million won) to the United States, Australia, and Germany for a month. The first 600 kilograms of powdered green tea (worth about 15,000 dollars) heading to New York is also significant.

According to Nubo, a green tea company specializing in green tea, Hadong green tea exports in the first half of this year amounted to $3.47 million, up 2.2 times from the same period last year. As Starbucks sells “K-Macha” made of this raw material in Japanese and American stores, Hadong Green Tea is captivating the taste of people around the world.

Namhae Garlic is also gaining popularity as it was released at Shinsegae Food’s store as ‘Namhae Garlic Bread with 4 pages of garlic’.In addition, Goobne Chicken is being sold from 2022 to the present as a product called “Namhae Garlic Basak Chicken,” and Tous Les Jours also has Namhae Garlic series such as “Namhae Garlic Garlic Fong Dang Bread” and “Sausage Garlic Cream Cheese Bread.”

Namhae citron, another specialty of Namhae, has created added value by recording millions of sales since last year in collaboration with Lotte Well Food such as Pepero. Jinju peppers were also used in McDonald’s new products last year to promote the taste of Korea.

The collaboration of famous franchises and local specialties ensures a stable mass market for farmers. It is establishing itself as a “win-win model” by providing companies with opportunities to develop differentiated menus and expanding options for consumers to access fresh domestic agricultural products.

Kim Min-sung, head of public relations at the Gyeongnam Agricultural Cooperative Federation, said, “The flow of cooperation between famous franchises and local representative agricultural products is a representative example of Ro-conomy. In the future, if Jinju pears, Haman watermelons, Changwon Junam lotus leaves, and Tongyeong oysters are also linked to restaurant franchises, the economic value of Gyeongnam agricultural products will expand further.”