The caloric intake of North Korean
residents stands at a paltry level, similar to that from 50 years ago, the
Voice of America [VOA] reported on Tuesday, citing an article from National
Geographic magazine.
Based on data collected by the U.N.’s Food
and Agriculture Organization [FAO], the magazine late last year analyzed
dietary changes in 22 countries from 2011. Research showed that North Koreans
in that year were consuming roughly 2,103 calories per day, not far off from
the average 1,878 caloric intake from back in 1961.
Experts say this falls short of the FAO
daily recommendation of 2,500 calories and trails behind the global average of
2,870.
Moreover, the average for meat consumption
per day dwindled in the mid-‘90s around the period of the Arduous March [the
North Korean famine of 1994-1998]. The average daily intake of meat, which was
141 grams per person in 1989 , stood at a mere 67 grams in 2011.
Defectors from the North also testify that
meat consumption decreased rapidly during the ‘90s famine and people have
struggled in regaining a steady supply of protein since then.
