Nutrition in North Korea: It’s not just about food

Randall IresonAmerican Friends Service Committee

Famine and Food Aid

“A hungry child knows no politics.”

Ronald Regan

“A hungry child knows no politics, but every hungry child is a victim of politics.”

Erich Weingartner

Precipitating Factors:

FloodFlood

Drought

Mass gymnastics show glorifying the Sun, Kim Il Sung (2005)

‘Arirang’ Mass Gymnastics Performance

(2002)

• Stunting: Low height for age

=Chronic malnutrition

• Wasting: Low weight for height

=Acute malnutrition

Malnutrition Rates in DPRK Children aged 25-84 months

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

stunting wasting

1998

20022004

1998

2002 2004

Distribution of Stunting, All children under 7 years. 2002 and 2004 data

2002

2004

Normal distribution

Causes = Policy Choices

Rice Paddies North of Anju

Harrowing a Rice Paddy

The “Rural Technical Revolution”

• Mechanization

• Chemicalization

• Irrigation

• Electrification

Great Leader Kim Il Sung Teaches About Agriculture

Fertilizer Use and Food Production in DPRK, 1989 - 2004

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

year

fert

ilize

r (1

000

ton

s) a

nd

gra

in p

rod

uct

ion

(10

,000

t e

qu

ival

ent)

Food production

Fertilizer use

Lessons for Us

Crisis as Opportunity

Food Production vs Need in DPRK

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Year

Gra

in e

qu

iva

len

t 1

00

0 t

on

s

grain production

minimum grain need

- A new food security

Local, sustainable agriculture systems

Five feasible changes

Raise rice yield from 4.0 to 6.0 T/ha, and cut post-harvest loss to 5%.

Raise corn yield from 3.5 to 5 T/ha, and farm only half the current area.

Grow soybean in rotation on half the corn fields, and raise yield from 1.2 to 2.2 T/ha.

Halve the area in double crops – which are not sustainable.

Raise average yields of other small grains (wheat, etc) from 2.0 to 3.0 T/ha

--- Would meet 98% of calorie need, and 102% of protein need

Item units neededtotal cost

($ million)

green manure seed 7000 tons 11

50 hp tractors 19000 95

small farm equipment 35500 47

small irrigation systems 240000 ha 167

farm trucks 6300 100

subtotal 420

administration and technical assistance 420

total 840

Estimated Investment for Sustainable Agriculture System in DPRK

Wind Turbines such as these can be used in DPRK

Extolling the Advantage of Raising Ostriches

Mass Gymnastics Praising Modern Poultry Farming