A session of North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament last week revealed several significant new changes to the country’s agricultural policy, including the return of a ministry charged with overseeing food procurement and a new law related to increasing investment in farming infrastructure.

The changes are the latest in a series of policy developments that underline ongoing government efforts to address long-standing agricultural problems.

But while some of these changes could have a positive impact on the lives of farmers and agricultural production, a government campaign to increase state control over farming and ensure farmers