Building Sustainable Food Systems and Capacity for Organic Agriculture Development (BOKK II)
Project Phase
Phase II: January 2015 - October 2019
Funded by
European Union
Budget
Euro 486 262
Implementing Target Countries
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Partner Organisations
Pyongyang International Information and New Technology Center (PIINTEC)
The BOKK II project primarily addresses training and capacity building needs. Training courses are tailored for a variety of stakeholders, including partner organizations (e.g. institutional capacity building), model farm managers (e.g. training in organic agriculture practices), stakeholders in the agriculture knowledge dissemination system (e.g. content, tools and methodology to disseminate organic agriculture knowledge), and institutions involved in nutrition education and food management (e.g. diversified nutrition).
DPRK's sparse agricultural resources limit its agricultural production. Climate, terrain, and soil conditions are not particularly favorable for farming and the country has a relatively short cropping season. The majority of the country consists of rugged mountain terrain, and only about 17% of the total landmass, or approximately 20,000 km2, is arable. Of this, 14,000 km2 is well-suited for cereal cultivation.
BOKK II sought to mainstream organic agriculture as the most sustainable way to address challenges related to food and nutrition security in DPRK. Emphasis was placed on the relationship between agriculture and nutrition. To increase outreach around organic agriculture in the country, BOKK II worked across three levels: policy, academia, and practical. At the policymaking level, BOKK II trained government officers on how to advocate for organic agriculture as agents of change. At the academic level, the project supported an online library and provided books, research papers, and information on the latest research developments in organic agriculture. And at the practical level, the project trained over 250 agricultural and nutrition professionals on technical issues regarding organic conversion and utilized local dissemination systems to reach over 800 professionals and farm workers in five provinces.
IN NUMBERS
Provinces provided with specialised technical assistance
International Workshops
Study tours in the region
Objectives
The goal of the BOKK project is to enhance the relationship between agriculture and nutrition, paying special attention to organic agriculture’s benefits.
The Ssangun Farm, located in the South Pyongan Province was selected to serve as a demonstration site for organic trials practical training. Within the scope of the initiative, the farm’s management decided to convert part of the farm to organic and adopt several organic agriculture practices on other areas of the farm. The Ssangun Farm has served as a local example of how organic agriculture practices have been adapted and enriched by local agricultural practices of DPRK.
PIINTEC has carried out important tasks that have contributed to the development of organic agriculture in DPRK. Its role as a resource and networking center is particularly important. PIINTEC has also taken on other roles, e.g. in advocacy. This capacity was initially built during the first phase of the BOKK project. BOKK I also aimed to further strengthen PIINTEC’s role in facilitating organic agriculture development in DPRK by building the capacity and skills of PIINTEC staff and supporting the Capacity Building and Networking Center for Organic Agriculture (CBNC).
A number of professionals in the DPRK were equipped with basic knowledge on organic agriculture. The BOKK project sought to expand its reach and disseminate knowledge and awareness to a broader group of professions and other stakeholders. An intensive training course specifically for agents of the agriculture knowledge dissemination system and newly developed methodology/materials to facilitate course replication helped achieve BOKK’s goals. These capacity building efforts led to an increased adoption of organic agriculture practices throughout the country.
This project organized sensitization workshops featuring representatives from ministries involved in nutrition education and food management as well as research institutes and academies about diversified nutrition. BOKK also developed educational materials targeted at the household level. Due to their particular importance, childcare institutions will receive special attention. Consequently, elements from nutrition education were included in capacity building activities implemented under Result 2 and Result 3.
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