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FAO Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS)
Today, more than 800 million people in developing countries, about 20 per cent of their total population, lack sufficient food to lead healthy and active lives. Technically speaking, they are chronically undernourished. Millions more live in conditions of vulnerability and risk; in other words, they cannot be assured access to sufficient food at all times. It is against this background that the Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) was launched by FAO in 1994. Focusing on low-income, food-deficit countries (LIFDCs), the SPFS was endorsed by Heads of State and Governments during the World Food Summit held in Rome in November 1996.
Prospective beneficiary countries are those in which net income per person falls below the level used by the World Bank to determine eligibility for International Development Association (IDA) assistance (set at US$1505 per caput in 1998) and which have been net importers of food over the past 3 years. At the summit, these countries committed themselves to making food security a national development priority, while donor countries undertook to give it priority in their development support policies.
Improve national food security;
Reduce year-to-year variability;
Improve people’s access to food.
SPFS is a multidisciplinary programme with a strong emphasis on meeting people’s needs directly by raising farmers’ net income, generating rural employment, increasing social equity and promoting gender sensitivity.
Considerable progress has been achieved in implementing SPFS since it was launched in 1994. As of February 1999, its Pilot Phase was in operation in 39 countries and under formulation in another 34.
SPFS in DPR Korea
In September 1997, DPR Korea expressed interest in SPFS participation and invited FAO to send an exploratory mission in November of the same year. Based on the findings of the mission, the Government identified the main elements of a First Phase in a SPFS National Programme document and a Plan of Operations was prepared, with a tentative budget of US$2.8m with the following components:
Intensification, involving demonstration of multiple cropping systems and crop rotations; labour and energy saving farming techniques; seed improvement; pest control; soil fertility management;
Water control, including drainage improvement and water harvesting in lowland/upland areas;
Diversification, including livestock, aquaculture, irrigated vegetable production
Constraints analysis, including identification of opportunities and constraints to food security, with a view to engaging Government in a dialogue on the general environment for food security.
Funding was arranged through project SPFS/DRK/8801 (water control) with a budget of US$88.000; with further support from GCSP/DRK/002/ROK (livestock, vegetable production) with a budget of US$500.00 over 2 years. These initial phases were completed in 2001.
Currently, there is one SPFS project being implemented by FAO in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). This project was initiated in May 2001 with a scheduled operational duration of 2.5 years. Due to delays (SARS, 2003, etc) the project is only now nearing completion. The estimated cost was US$1.47 million, with a donor contribution of US$970.000. (Government contribution, in kind, was US$500.000). Donor is the Italian Government. Project symbol is GCSP/DRK/003/ITA.
Three representative (3) cooperative farms[1] were selected for the programme in 3 provinces within the Cereal Bowl production area. These 3 cooperative farms (CF) are typical of the central western lowlands, with high agricultural potential and easy access to Pyongyang City, the national capital.
Implementation is the responsibility of the national Project Management Unit (PMU) located in Pyongyang and county/CF SPFS teams in each of the 3 counties, with coordinating support from the relevant MoA central/provincial offices.
Strengthen the capacity of cooperative farms to interact with County Cooperative Farm Management Committees (CCFMC) to address specific problems in the context of the consolidated County plan and the national crop programme;
Increase food production in targeted cooperative farms by introducing and promoting improved water control and management techniques; intensifying and diversifying crop production; promoting appropriate mechanisation and post-harvest technologies.
Increased crop yield per unit area;
More diversified farm production systems;
Higher quality agricultural products with higher value and marketability;
More capable and skilled agricultural staff at county level to assist farmers to increase their agricultural production;
Farmers, who have learned new techniques, adopted new technologies and are better able to manage their physical resources.
[1] Gobi CF (Kangdong County, Pyongyang); Waeso CF (Kaechon County, South Pyongan province) and Samhun CF (Hwangju County, North Hwanghae province).
Author - Mr. Michael Stapleton. FAO, DPR Korea, 24 March 2004.