Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

•MCC involvement began in 1995

• So far, over $15 million US in food and other material resources has been provided

Four main areas of involvement: Humanitarian assistance Sustainable agriculture Advocacy Assisting other organizations

with English training

Food and greenhouses to tuberculosis hospitals and rest homes

Soybeans, soymilk makers, and other materials to orphanages

Continuing agricultural partnerships

Discussions began in 2008, MOU signed with DPRK in April 2009

MCC NE Asia Project has office in Beijing James Frey, MCC Project Officer, works from

Beijing, traveling to DPRK 3-4 times per year

Partners are DPRKMinistry of Agriculture and3 cooperative farms

Three cooperative farms are collaboratingin project (all located south of Pyongyang)

Combined area of 2,987 hectares(7,378 acres)All farms are growing riceOne farm devotes 80% of its cropland to rice production

Soils in area are: Eroded Highly acidic Low in carbon

Some causes: Excessive tillage Excessive fertilizer application Continual removal of plant matter

Project goals are to: Reduce tillage

Conservation tillage Specialized seeder

Improve soil fertility By using green manures (mixture of hairy

vetch & rye seed) Timely (slow) release of nutrients in soil

Increase plant residues left on field For better retention of moisture and nutrients To improve soil ecology

No-till seeders: Minimize soil

disturbance Ease labor

constraints Increase precision

No-till seeders:Used for most crops…

…but probably not suitable for rice.

There are good reasonswhy farmers till! Weeds are a major constraint

Project also provided: 60 hp tractors Fertilizer Green manure seeds Inoculant for seeds Backpack sprayers Herbicide

Opportunities for SRI: Rice is an important crop

on project farms Using fewer plants/m2

means using less seed SRI is in line with overall

project goals of managing soil fertility

Labour is a big constraint

Provide training along with all equipment and inputs

Develop participant understanding of conservation agriculture through workshops and training sessions

Provide expertise inareas relevant to theproject, including: Agronomy Horticulture Animal husbandry

Expertise provided through

short-term agronomists

Commitment to engage with partners, even when larger forces appear at odds

Fulfill MCC’s mission to show the love of Christ in the world

Down in the dirt: Work together to

break down barriers Acknowledge our

differences Discover our

similarities

ThankThank YouYou!