NORTH KOREA

AREA OF EXPERTISE

Food security and livelihoods

FUNDING

• Funding: European Union (75%), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), French food aid (AAP)
  
  
• Final beneficiaries: about 235,000 persons: children family members, pregnant women and elderly people targeted by this action.
  
  
• Partners : APDRA Pisciculture paysanne: a French NGO specialized in fish-farming projects, involved in previous actions.

More specifically, it aspires to durably improve protein intake available for children cared for in social institutions through the enhancement of fish production, supply chain and utilisation in farms and institutions. In Onchon and Ryongchon counties of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), children institutions received an average of 477 grams of fish per day for the whole year 2013. This amount is way below the national target standard of 200 grams per child per day. Moreover, North Korean children are by far the most vulnerable populations with little daily food rations and unbalanced diet. This induces high risks of future physical and/or mental disabilities and poor school performance. In addition, poor diets' physical and cognitive damages on children remain largely irreversible after 24 months of age.

Distribution of lunch. City of Ryongchon's nursery school

For all those reasons, the project focuses on protein access for children cared for in welfare institutions and nursery children between 6 and 24 months of age and pregnant women are specifically targeted. Besides, North Korean's farm staff lack inputs and field guidance to improve their techniques and aquaculture systems.

TGH has previous experience in DPRK in the sector of fish farming. Indeed, from January 2010 to October 2013, TGH led a EuropeAid-funded action which also aimed at introducing an integrated crops-livestock-fish farming system in two farms of South Hamgyong province. This action was carried-out in collaboration with the Aquaculture Department, whose capacities have been strengthened throughout the project. The use of the Integrated Fish Farming (IFF) system, which was new in DPRK, has proved to significantly increase fish production and raised the interest of the Aquaculture Department at local and national levels to widespread the IFF system.

Strong of this previous experience and of lessons learnt during previous projects, TGH designed a new and similar one in order to implement IFF systems in other farming conditions in North Pyongan and Nampho administrative areas. It decided to develop a partnership with the Aquaculture Department and APDRA in order to ensure lasting technical support. TGH submitted a proposal to EuropeAid, which has been accepted.

The action just started on January 1st, 2015 and will last over 4 years. It will cover 3 entire fishing seasons and will also include a 6 months inception phase to fine tune the action. In fact, this rather long duration is appropriate in DPRK's context where time is needed to introduce new techniques. By promoting improved use at institutions level, the action will provide a long-term response to face the nutritional deficiencies of children's diets.

Carp fishing for distribution to children's institutions. Farm of Ryongchon

In order to reach these goals, several activities will be conducted by TGH, focussing on 3 main areas:

• The fish production of the two cooperative fish farms will be increased.
  First of all, crops and manure will be used to feed the fishes, for fodder production and for ponds' fertilization in order to begin to implement the new integrated system. Besides, the rehabilitation of the farms' infrastructures, supply of technical and fishing equipment and staff training will also be carried-out and will help upgrade the two cooperatives.

• Post-production steps (distribution, storage and use) pointed-out as dysfunctional and inducing significant losses will be tackled and improved to ensure the availability and access to food.
  These steps will be improved through the decentralization of storage and delivery mechanisms that will enable fish farmers to preserve the quality of the fish. Storage infrastructures (cold rooms) will be constructed and/or rehabilitated and transportation means will be provided as well as trainings on fish preservation and hygiene standards. Nutrition education trainings will be conducted in institutions on the rinsing and cooking of fish and on children's nutritional needs.

• The Aquaculture Department's capacities to master and replicate sustainable fish production systems will be enhanced.
  This will include the consolidation of the IFF system in two new sites in western areas and the implementation of technical innovations (fingerling production/fish production in reservoirs) where IFF is not suitable, enhancing the technical capacities of the Aquaculture Department.

Measuring the size of a fish before breeding. Farm of Onchon