EL PRESIDENTE: Buenos días señores delegados. Continuamos con el Tema 6· de nuestra agenda.
Η. RIEM (Netherlands) : I have used only part of the weekend for the purpose you mentioned but we have also had introductory statements and we have had discussions in Plenary which should be taken into account in our discussion here. So I was interested in the Director-General's introductory statement to this Committee and the Director-General said that the state of food and agriculture in the world lies at the very heart of FAO. Also the head of our delegation, the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries said that we should ask ourselves again and again: are we making progress fast enough towards our goal of eradicating hunger and malnutrition?
The documentation on the state of food and agriculture that this Conference has received provides us with data from which we may draw only very general and temporary conclusions I think. The Director-General mentioned that developing market economies as a group actually met the target of 4 percent annual average increase in agriculture production in the period 1974-1976 but that oyer the longer period from 1970-1976 the rate of increase in food production in deyeloping countries as a group was considerably below that target. We also know that tie figures for 1977 wili not improve this average. These figures are averages for the developing countries as a group, and in them there are certainly countries that are doing better than the average but also regretfully countries that remain below the average, and it would be worthwhile I think for this Organization to study these differences and analyse them, and analyse also the factors responsible for those differences, In,judging the figures also account should be taken of the fact that the statistical average consumption of production per capita figures do very often not provide the decisive answer to the question whether hunger and malnutrition are really diminishing or banished.
There are also the very important questions of distribution of incomes within countries and of information and education in nutrition. These matters require the utmost attention, particularly in countries and in periods when supplies per capita are not abundant.
The Director-General said that these matters would be considered in the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. That would be very welcome but if you think of poor people in the cities, the problem certainly goes beyond the concept of rural development only.
Going back to the main question, I think that this Committee will no doubt conclude that progress is still too slow and that still greater efforts between countries as well as within countries are required to stimulate food production in many developing countries and also to assure the fair distribu tion and rational utilization of supplies if by 1985 the world is really to approach the ideal of the ereadication of huger and malnutrition.
My delegation thinks the World Food Council at its Third Session has with its programme of action made an important contribution to international cooperation in the field of food and agriculture. As the head of our delegation said in the Plenary we feel that it is the task of FAO to play a leading role in the implementation of that action programme. We are glad to see therefore that the Director-General has now made his preliminary comments known in document 77/24/1 , He has given his views on the implica tions for FAO of the recommendations of the World Food Council. The implications of the Programme of Action which has now been confirmed by the General Assembly of the United Nations, the implication for FAO and the comments of the Director-Generalcertainly require further consideration, in particular in connection with FAO's own Programme of Work for the next biennium. It is somewhat unsatisfactory that there has not been an earlier possibility to do this but we assume that FAO Council will take the issue on the Agenda of its next Session. We agree with the Director-General that in the meantime the Committee on World Food Security and other FAO Committees should consider sections of the Programme of Action that fall within their competence. The Committee on World Food Security should continue to
serve in general as a programme for discussions on progress towards increased World Food Security, in particular through the implementation of the provisions of the undertaking on world food security. It is regretable that still two very large countries which again this year exercised a major influence on world food markets by their policy and because of their crop results, remain outside the activities of the Committee.
An urgent matter in the opinion ofmy Government is also the negotiation and conclusion of an interna tional grains agreement with the double purpose of stabilizing world market prices at a reasonable level and of a further contribution towards food security through somewhat stricter provisions for the coordination of national reserve stocks of food and for food aid operations during the next few years.
Another subject which has to be mentioned in our Committee I think if we have to review developments in the workd food and agriculture situation, is the renewed efforts to stabilize world markets for agricultural commodities together with other commodities outside agriculture and within the integrated programme.
My Government is content with the outcome of the UN Sugar Conference even though it was not yet possible to. establish a relationship with the EEC, We trust that the international Cocoa and Coffee Organiza tions will provide effective floors for world market prices of those commodities and my Government will continue to make as positive a contribution as possible towards the conclusion of arrangements for other agricultural commodities. We hope that the establishment of a common fund will facilitate the conclusion of such arrangments in the framework of an integrated programme for commodities. We consider that the preparatory discussions in several of FAO's intergovernmental commodity groups play a useful role. We also think that the CCP should review and coordinate the activities of those groups and should from time to time review and discuss general principles with regard to trade and agricultural commodities. We think though because one should not lose sight of the fact that production, processing, trade and consumption of agricultural commodities in practically all countries are of such importance both in the satisfaction of the needs of the,population for food and fibre and as an occupation and way of life for large sections of that population, that no government can escape from the responsibility for sufficient supplies and fair prices and reasonable income requirements as compared with incomes in other production sectors. This means that national agricultural stabilization policies are required and this in turn necessitates frequent and intensive international cooperation on a world wide basis in which my Government will certainly continue to participate.
S.A.H. Al-Shakir, Vice-Chairman of Commission I, took the Chair
S.A.H. Al-Shakir, Vice-Président de la Commission Γ, assumé là, présidence
Ocupa la presidencia S. A.H. Al-Shakir", VieepresidentVicepresidente de laComision
J. TROUVEROY (Belgique): La lecture du rapport C 77/IT et de ses deux suppléments dont je tiens ici à féliciter les auteurs, les services de la FAO est à maints égards réconfortante. Si l'on compare en effet les données que contiennent ces documents sur la situation mondiale.de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture en 1977 avec le rapport sur le même sujet présenté par la FAO à la Conférence de 1975, il y atout juste deux ans, on ne peut que se réjouir de cette confirmation chiffrée sur l'accroissement de la production alimentaire durant les deux dernières années.
Les tout derniers chiffres que nous possédons à présent sur les récoltes de 1977 confirment cet optimisme: la consommation mondiale,alimentaire a progressé, les stocks céréaliers ont atteint 19 pour cent de la consommation annuelle mondiale, ce qui dépasse les normes recommandées par le Secrétariat de la FAO, comme niveau minimum pour assurer la sécurité alimentaire mondiale. La consommation d'engrais a augmenté, favorisée par une baisse des prix,et la fabrication des pesticides apparaît â présent suffisante.
Nous pouvons en outre nous féliciter de ce que la plus grande partie de l'accroissement des recettes mondiales a été le fait des économies de marchés en développement. Tout ceci confirme l'effet favorable qu'a incontestablement provoqué le cri d'alarme lancé à la Conférence mondiale de l'alimentation en 1974. Ces faits heureux sont certes dus en partie aux circonstances climatiques favorables, mais ils n'ont pu se consolider que grâce à l'aide internationale prônée et mise en oeuvre notamment par la FAO, et surtout aux efforts des pays en développement eux-mémes.
Mais, si ce qui vient d'être dit constitue autant de facteurs qui démontrent que la sécurité alimentaire est aujourd'hui satisfaisante, cela ne veut pas dire pour autant que les préoccupations très vives du passé sont à oublier. Bien au contraire, d'une part l'accroissement de la production alimentaire dans les pays en développement considérés dans leur ensemble n'est que de peu supérieur au taux de croissance annuelle de la population, et d'autre part, c'est dans les pays soit le plus gravement , touchés, soit les moins avancés, que l'on enregistre l'accroissement le plus faible et même négatif pour certains d'entre eux.
Dès lors, les couches de la population qui souffrent principalement de la faim et de la malnutrition. dans ces pays n'ont vraisemblablement par vu leur sort s'améliorer beaucoup et leurs besoins nutritionnels restent énormes. Comme le souligne très pertinemment la FAO au point 24 de son Document C 77/11, il convient d'approfondir les problèmes concernant ces pays qui abritent une population dépassant de loin le milliard d'habitants. La Belgique, comme d'autres pays d'ailleurs, est particu lièrement sensible à ces problèmes qui touchent les populations les moins avancées et est déterminée à contribuer à résoudre en priorité les difficultés de ces pays, grâce à des ressources rapidement disponibles leur permettant d'acquérir les semences, les engrais, les pesticides, etc., à un rythme accéléré.
Une autre priorité consiste, comme il l'a été dit, à mettre au point très rapidement les moyens destinés I conserver dans les meilleures conditions possibles, les récoltes engrangées en temps d'abondance.
S'agissant des progrès accomplis dans la production alimentaire depuis le début de la décennie, nous constatons sans doute entre 1970 et 1976 un accroissement annuel de 3 1/2 pour cent dans les pays en développement. Toutefois, un continent l'Afrique, en dépit de bons résultats en 1976, n'a vu sa production alimentaire augmenter depuis 7 ans que de 1,4 pour cent annuellement, ce qui est infé rieur au rythme de progression de sa population. Certains pays africains ont même yu leur consommation alimentaire baisser de 5 pour cent par tête d'habitant par rapport à 1970,
A ce propos, qu'il me soit permis de faire référence à ce que nous ont déclaré vendredi dernier les délégués du Niger et du Cameroun quant aux menaces qui continuent à planer sur la région sahélienne, au déficit alimentaire latent et au manque d'infrastructures de transport dans les pays enclaves. Nous voudrions rappeler les efforts faits par la Belgique lors de la catastrophe du Sahel, notamment en ce qui concerne l'acheminement de l'aide alimentaire jusque dans les zones les plus menacées et les plus inaccessibles. Nous restons d'ailleurs très sensibles à ce problème. En effet, au moment où je vous parle, mon pays participe à nouveau à des opérations de secours rendues nécessaires par suite de la sécheresse qui vient de refaire surface.
Tout ceci confirme qu'il est nécessaire qu'une attention toute particulière soit apportée à ce continent où se trouve le plus grand nombre de pays les moins avancés et le plus gravement touchés. Ceci n'empêche pas cependant que d'autres pays en dehors de l'Afrique ne doivent bénéficier d'une assistance renforcée en matière alimentaire.
Par ailleurs, si durant les 4 dernières années les économies de marchés en développement ont realize un taux de croissance annuel moyen de 4 pour cent préconisé par la stratégie internationale de développement pour la deuxième décennie des Nations Unies pour le Développement, il faut se rappeler que ce succès est fragile,et les conditions climatiques peu favorables risquent de renverser cette tendance favorable.
A cet égard, il convient d'insister sur l'importance de la 4ème enquête mondiale sur l'alimentation en préparation à la FAO car il est avéré que l'on manque de précisions sur la malnutrition et que cette carence ralentit l'aide qui devrait être apportée aux populations qui sont touchées par elle.
A propos des prix alimentaires, on constate que ceux-ci ont connu en général une décélération dans leur tendance à la hausse des dernières années qui est de nature à favoriser les importations dont ont besoin les pays en développement. Mais, autre aspect favorable, les recettes d'exportations tirées du commerce international des produits agricoles ont cru de façon importante dans les pays en développement alors qu'elles baissaient même dans la plupart des pays développés.
Enfin, l'instabilité des prix dénoncée au paragraphe 87 du document est un élément de très grande importance et la Belgique est d'avis, comme la FAO, que cela risque de devenir une donnée permanente de l'économie des matières premières en général, sinon des produits agricoles.
Cette situation démontre qu'il est nécessaire de prendre des mesures pour circonscrire les fluctuations excessives des coûts des produits. Dans le cadre de l'analyse effectuée par la FAO, la Délégation belge voudrait souligner également la création récente, au sein de la CNUCED,du Comité sur la Coopération économique entre les pays en développement. Il apparaît de plus en plus que la coopération internationale sera axée à l'avenir sur une coopération entre régions. Dès lors, le renforcement de la coopération entre les pays en développement, particulièrement sous l'angle régional, est un facteur de nature à accélérer le développement.
SOEGENG AMAT (Indonesia): The recent improvement in the world of food and agriculture, while highly welcome, certainly should not give cause for any feeling of over-optimism, let alone lull us into complacency. This was emphasized by the Director-General himself in his introduction to the subject under review, as well as by many delegations who have spoken before me. My delegation wishes in this respect to draw attention to a number of disquieting features which deserve to be given our fullest consideration. If in doing so I may be repeating what has been said already by previous speakers I would like to beg your kind indulgence, Mr. Chairman.
First of all, there is the uneven progress made by the two most important food grains, wheat and rice, an uneven development which has already been going on for quite some time. Statistical evidence over the last 15 years demonstrates that while production of wheat has increased by about 60 percent, or 4 per cent per annum, our average output of rice has increased by only 40 percent, or 2.5 percent per annum on the average. Growth rates in demand for wheat in developed countries, where wheat is the staple food, are relatively low, much lower then the 4 percent increase in production. On the other hand, the increase in demand for rice, the staple food for the millions of people in the developing world, is at a much higher rate than 2.5 percent per annum. Such a trend implies that developing rice-eating nations may have to supplement their diet in an increasing measure with grains, particularly with wheat.
This in itself should not concern us too much but for the fact that wheat is grown primarily in the developed world. If such a trend is allowed to continue unchecked many of the developing nations will increasingly have to depend on external supplies, that is, in the form of wheat from the developed world, to meet their food requirements. This underlines the need - the urgent need if I may say so -for all of us, FAO and other international organizations, including lending agencies, to devote increased efforts aimed at promoting the achievement of technological breakthroughs in the agriculture of developing countries producing such staples as rice, maize, cassava, sweet patatoes, groundnuts, soya beans etc.
This calls for considerably more investment to be made by the international world in this sector of agricultural development, including the accelerated development of high-yielding varieties of such crops. Reference to this subject was also made by the Secretary of Agriculture of the Philippines, His Excellency Mr. Arturo R. Tanco, when he addressed the Plenary Session of the Conference last week in his capacity as President of the World Food Council. In his statement, Secretary Tanco stressed the need for the international world to devote more attention, more efforts and more funds to promoting the accelerated increase in productivity of tropical agriculture - that means agriculture in the developing countries; in other words, global agricultural development policy, world agricultural research programmes and other related activities should be more, much more than in the past, oriented towards serving the needs of the developing nations and in particular towards promoting the accelerated increase in productivity of agricultural food products in the Third World. My delegation suggests that the Committee on Agriculture at its next session should devote particular attention to this subject and review the progress made, especially by FAO, in this field.
Another disquieting feature in the World Food and agriculture situation is the seemingly increasing vulnerability of intensive food farming, at least in quite a number of developing countries, due to irregularities of weather which appear to be becoming a more frequent phenomenon and to the increased incidence of pests and diseases, amongst other things, as a result of increased cropping intensities made possible by expanded irrigation facilities, as well as by more appropriate application of early maturing high-yielding varieties. This suggests, first of all, the need for strengthening our capabilities in making sensible weather forecasts on a somewhat long term basis, say one year or more. In the case of Indonesia, for instance, we had a very dry and prolonged east monsoon in 1976 and again in 1977, which is quite unusual.\Nobody knows whether the same thing will happen again next year, in which case domestic food supplies might worsen seriously, but if we were able sensibly to predict the weather, say six months from now, then at least the necessary precautionary measures could be taken, such as storage of water wherever possible, the planting of food crops that are less water demanding than rice, etc. FAO's work relating to weather forecasting, therefore, in cooperation with the World Metereological Organization should be further strengthened and focused on the need to provide as much as possible early warning services in this field to the developing nations in particular.
In addition, the development of high-yielding varieties of food crops tolerant against irregular water supply and more insistence against pests and diseases need to be given increased priority.
The world food and agriculture situation, as has been suggested by many speakers, is still fragile and whatever progress has been made also as regards world security may prove to be only temporary and of a short-term nature. Paragraph 63 of the Secretariat's document C 77/2 emphasizes the point by stating that:
"... it seems likely that the number of people suffering from a serious degree of hunger and malnutrition has increased over the more than 430 million estimated by FAO for the developing marketing economies in 1969-71 ."
Clearly, much greater efforts and commitments are needed to secure a more stable and sustained growth in agriculture, especially in the developing world.
Bearing all this in mind, my delegation is concerned, and regrets, to observe that international policy actions that have been taken, or are being considered, do not seem to reflect a general awareness and recognition of the urgent and increasing needs I have just mentioned. On World Food Security, for instance, international actions following the call by the Third Ministerial Meeting of the World Food Council in Manila last June, that an international emergency reserve be set up before the end of 1970, have not proceeded expeditiously enough so as to give any assurance that such a reserve will soon become a reality. Instead some major producing countries are already announcing their desire to reduce the acreage of food and feed grains. The danger that such policy actions, especially in theabsence of a world security reserve, can change the present encouraging world situation overnight into a tight situation and shortage is very real, particularly also since one cannot expect world weather conditions in 1978 to be generally as good as in the previous three years.
My delegation therefore expresses the hope that Governments of the major food grains producing countries concerned will adequately consider all the possible adverse effects of any set-aside programme before taking any decision to deliberately - and I say deliberately - reduced food production in the coming years.
Likewise, this current stagnation and even decline in the flow of international investments in and commitments to agriculture in the developing world is to be regretted. In 1976 such commitments were reported to be only half of the estimated requirements and the debt was in the order of $US 5 billion. Clearly, remedial actions by international lending agencies, as well as by governments of developed countries in particular, are urgently required to ensure the greater flow of such investments in the coming years, especially in view of the increased needs, to enable a more stable and sustained growth in agriculture, as mentioned earlier.
There are other points which previous speakers have also stressed, namely the failure of the international world again to achieve the minimum target of ten million tons of food aid agreed by the World Food Conference three years ago. My delegation wishes to endorse the appeals that have been made in this respect, that efforts be made to ensure not only that such a target be achieved but even surpassed, in view of the grave situations and difficulties faced by many MSAs and other food deficit countries at present.
In addition there are the problems of international agricultural trade where prices of agricultural commodities and production requisites continue to be unstable and where the access of developing exporting countries to markets in developed countries have only made marginal progress so far. Improvements in this sector are no less important to our overall efforts to bring about sustained growth in world agriculture. This important subject appears to have been given maybe insufficient coverage in my delegation's opinion, both in the papers presented as well as in the debate so far. This is understandable bearing in mind the preoccupation the world at present has with regard to problems relating to food supplies and food security. Nevertheless, my delegation suggests that the need to improve the situation of the developing world in agricultural trade is a subject which should be given continuously increased attention by FAO.
N. HINTIKKA (Finland): Although the growth of food production in the developing countries in the years from 1974 to 1976 was very satisfactory the latest information, as provided in document C 77/2 and supplements 1 and 2, show that the growth this year will be disappointingly low. We must also remember that the average annual growth of agricultural production in the developing countries during this decade, in 1970-1977 has been considerably below the 4 percent target and even lower than in the 1960s. Therefore the long-term prospects in the food situation give no reason for complacency. Fortunately, the good harvests of the period from 1974 to 1976 have considerably increased cereal stocks in the world.
My delegation associates itself with those speakers, for example the delegate of Norway, who have stressed the importance of world food security. The international community should take advantage of the present favourable stock position and rapidly implement the targets and principles presented in the FAO International Undertaking on World Food Security. The FAO Committee on World Food Security has recommended that all member countries should formulate national cereal stock policies by the end of this year. An internationally coordinated system of nationally owned stock systems should be created. My delegation hopes that the ongoing negotiations on the new International Wheat Agreement in London will lead to an outcome which directly takes into account the FAO Undertaking on World Food Security.
The hugh increase in international grain prices which took place in the period 1973-1975 had serious effects on the grain-importing developing countries. It also meant a serious decline in the volume of food aid. The international community should do its utmost so that this cannot happen in the future.
ISMAIL BIN SHAMSUDDIN' (Malaysia): My delegation would like to join all the other delegates in congratulating the Secretariat on the comprehensive and useful assessment of the State of Food and Agriculture for the year 1977, and wishes to make a couple of comments on the subject.
The first concerns the availability of fertilizers, pesticides and agricultural machinery, as these are important prerequisites in agricultural production. Although the suppply of these inputs has somewhat eased a little in the ten years, the prices are still very high. Even if the developing countries have the necessary foreign exchange earnings to buy these inputs, they are still not within the reach of farmers. Therefore to further accelerate growth in food production in developing countries FAO should give serious attention to the pressing problems of the high cost of these agricultural inputs.
Additional constraints to growth in production in developing countries are very extensive now and there is a need to combat the unpredictable weather conditions.
While governments are actively pursuing comprehensive training programmes, the creation of training for agricultural research workers will necessarily take time and therefore efforts should be made to assist the developing countries in these fields.
The availability of pesticides, fertilizers and agricultural machinery can only effectively increase production with the necessary investment and this can be achieved only if our national economy is healthy, and this requirement in fact was stressed by the head of this delegation in the Plenary. As a producer of raw materials such as rubber, palm oil, cocoa and pepper, we are concerned about the instability of the prices of these commodities in the world market. The need for a price stabilization programme is therefore very much felt by the developing countries like Malaysia.
We would like to work towards the establishment of an international agreement in which buffer stocking should play the major role wherever possible.
My delegation also supports the UNCTAD integrated programme which broadly encompasses most of the needs for remedial action in the commodity sector. In this regard we share the views of the other countries calling for the improvement of earning stabilization measures as an additional supplement to price stabilization arrangements. We would further stress the fundamental role of a common fund in the overall efforts to implement the UNCTAD integrated programme for commodities, and we hope that the current round of negotiations on the issue will be successfully concluded.
A. MAJID (Afghanistan): We all know that improvement in supplies of food grains started in 1975 and continued in 1976. Despite this improvement, the food and agriculture situation continued to be fragile in 1977, because of drought in certain developing countries. The average growth rate in developing countries hardly exceeded 2.6 percent as against 4.2 percent target for them.
Many problems facing countries are attributable to natural causes. The Northern part of Afghanistan suffered badly owing to unfavourable seasonal conditions. By this I mean there was a 40 percent decline in precipitation, and its irregular spacing, which caused a serious drought situation. This unfavourable situation adversely affected the performance of our agricultural sector. The adverse effects of such a drought situation are already being felt in wheat production and livestock in 1977. It is anticipated that despite carry over stocks and donor shipments from abroad, a serious shortage of wheat will exist in Afghanistan between now and next harvest season, which is next July. Unless immediate measures to supply wheat from international organizations and friendly countries are taken, the anticipated deficit in wheat production would be 140,000 and 150,000 tons.
My delegation appreciates the contribution of the donor countries, and hopes their contribution will continue to enable fulfilment of their target of 10 million tons of food grains, so that populations caught up in natural calamities are adequately taken care of.
Afghanistan has supported the international undertaking for world food security, and has also subscribed to this undertaking. In order to secure the intended objectives of world food security, as well as for a substantial acceleration of the rate of growth of agriculture and food production, adequate financial and technical assistance should be extended to the developing countries, especially the least developed and landlocked countries, for their agricultural development. Many of these countries, including my own, have promising potential for the realization of such objectives.
Fertilizer consumption over recent years has increased rapidly in Afghanistan, and the seven year plan aims at 1.56 million tons of urea and D.A.P. We hope to receive assistance, especially for D.A.P. through I.F.S. in this regard.
In recent years, the production of fruits, and especially grapes, raisins and pomegranates, has increased substantially. To promote exports of fruits, an integrated fruit and vegetables export project has been accepted which, when implemented, we hope'will boost exports and improve market conditions.
While it is encouraging to note that the volume of world trade in agricultural commodities has increased, it is distressing that this increase is unevenly distributed between different regions. We request the developed countries to give the exports of developing countries, especially the least developed and landlocked countries, preferential treatment.
S. DARANYI (Hungary): I should like to join the previous speakers who considered the document before us an excellent paper.
The Hungarian delegation advocates the view that most of the activities and processes in agriculture and food since the last FAO Conference have been favourable. This view is supported by the general trend of an expanding production caused partly by effective measures in various countries and partly by favourable weather conditions. It is promising that as a result of all this the per capita produc tion, although there are large deviations, has increased in the developing countries. At the same time, it would be a pity if this tendency gave rise to self-complacency because a lot of food related problems still require solution. The most important problem is perhaps that in many developing countries the growth of food production continues to lag behind the rate of population growth and in spite of an appreciable progress in production the consumption level of the population has not yet attained the level required by healthy nutritional standards.
Nor can we be satisfied with the current distribution of foodstuffs and the reported price rises of staple food products in several countries which affected the poorest social strata of consumers. An assessment of the recent two years has to anticipate the major strategy inter-relations of world production, and all the latent problems should be revealed and specified which might impede further progress.
As an example, it might be mentioned that the increase of world grain reserves requires a very careful assessment. To some extent this tendency may be considered favourable. On the other hand, a rapid rise in world grain stocks may also mean that a number of countries are still lacking the financial possibilities to ease their distressing food supply status. Growing stocks and decreasing prices might also lead to a setback of cereal production in market-oriented grain-producing countries.
In our view, greater consideration should be given to production boosting measures, with special respect to the role of economic incentives in production development. Our viewpoint is justified bythe fact that without the application of appropriate selective incentives a cyclic trend might occur in production which might be detrimental to food production and consumption alike.
In addition, I should like to make some comments on the statement in these documents on socialist and West European countries. We were surprised to read in the chapter on regional survey for Western Europe that most of the statements on the Common Market - which represent the majority of the paper - were prepared on the basis of the analyses by the Ministerial Council of EEC. These analyses were terminated in March 1975. I am afraid that in the following two years the situation has greatly changed. I hope that in the future the Secretariat will be able to find ways and means of having more up-tp-date information for the preparation of documents.
As to the part where agriculture in East European countries is dealt with, I should like to call your attention to two statements which are wrong in our opinion.
First, theproposition that the effect of the beef import policy of the Common Market upon East European countries is unappreciable seems to be unfounded. Contributions made over the last two years about this subject, in this forum as well, do not support this statement in the paper.
My other observation in this respect is that it should be underlined that alterations in the decision making policy of countries with planned economies has not come to an end - in contrast to what is said in the document - because the economy of these countries is under permanent development.
G. DUCOMMUN (Suisse): La situation mondiale de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation est un sujet abordé plusieurs fois par année dans diverses réunions internationales, par exemple au sein de la FAO, dans le Comité pour la sécurité alimentaire, dans le Comité des politiques et programmes alimentaires, dans le Comité des produits et dans le Comité de l'agriculture. Il est traité aussi au Conseil mondial de l'alimentation. Le document qui nous est présenté à ce point de l'ordre du jour s'améliore en per manence et nous nous en réjouissons, mais, pour l'essentiel, il est chaque fois une remise à jour du document antérieur. Dans ces conditions, je doute qu'il nous soit possible de nous entretenir de manière fructueuse, pendant cinq séances de travail,de ce sujet; si nous maintenons le débat à un niveau général, c'est quasiment nous obliger à répéter inlassablement des choses lues et entendues de nombreuses fois.
Comme cette situation ne nous satisfait pas, nous proposons qu'à l'avenir le thème de la situation mondiale de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture soit abordé d'une façon générale comme à l'accoutumée et, d'autre part, au travers de sujets particuliers. Ayant réfléchi aux facteurs qui conditionnent cette situation mondiale de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation, nous pourrions proposer par exemple les sujets particuliers suivants:
- premier sujet particulier: fumure des cultures vivrières et des cultures de rente et systèmes d'approvisionnement des agriculteurs en engrais;
- autre sujet particulier: système d'approvisionnement des agriculteurs en semences et en plants sélectionnés;
- troisième sujet particulier: le climat et ses variations, facteur fondamental de la situation de l'agriculture;
- quatrième sujet par exemple, influence des prix à la production sur la production agricole et sur l'alimentation de la population qui reste sous-alimentée même en période de prix normaux de production
- cinquième exemple: comment alimenter les populations qui restent sous-alimentées même en période de prix normaux de production abondante?
Ces différents sujets particuliers pourraient entre autres être apportés par l'étude d'un certain nombre de cas typiques de pays qui présentent des situations et des solutions différentes. Ceci nous permettrait, pensons-nous, d'avoir des échanges d'informations fructueux sur les différentes méthodes et solutions envisageables face à un même problème.
J'aimerais maintenant aborder une autre question: est-ce que, dans l'analyse générale qui nous est présentée et que nous nous faisons en général de la situation mondiale de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation, l'on ne cesse pas de mélanger les deux termes de l'analyse, à savoir la situation de l'agriculture, d'un côté, et la situation de l'alimentation, de l'autre. A notre sens, il faut séparer les deux analyses; la situation de l'agriculture est une chose, la situation de l'alimentation en est une autre; certes, il y a un lien entre ces deux questions, mais il est tout aussi évident que même lorsque la situation de l'agriculture est très bonne, la situation de l'alimentation reste attristante. L'Institut international pour la recherche sur les politiques alimentaires -IFTRI en anglais - a publié récemment un document d'après lequel le nombre des personnes sous-alimentées était d'environ 1,2 milliard en 1975 dans les pays en voie de développement à économie de marché, c'est-à-dire 60 pour cent de leur population. On peut penser que dans de bonnes années agricoles ce nombre de 1,2 milliard est quelque peu réduit, mais de combien? Quelle est la population qui a toujours faim, même en période d'abondance, et pourquoi? Nous suggérons que la FAO s'attache plus à analyser la situation spécifique de l'alimentation. Certes, elle devra le faire par pays et elle pourrait par exemple en publier les résultats dans les rapports annuels sur la situation mondiale de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture.
Nous pensons qu'en partie notre position rejoint ce qu'un des délégués a dit ce matin. Concernant la situation mondiale de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation, nous ne nous réjouissons pas non plus des résultats globaux atteints dans les pays en voie de développement concernant la production alimen taire et la situation de l'alimentation affligeante. Nous espérons qu'un accord international sur le blé, voire sur les céréales, viendra accroître la sécurité alimentaire mondiale. Nous accordons une haute priorité à la création de stocks nationaux céréaliers dans les pays en voie de développement, mais les problèmes fondamentaux de l'alimentation doivent, à notre avis, être essentiellement résolus au niveau de chaque pays par des politiques du travail et des structures agricoles adéquates. Cela nécessitera aussi un travail considérable, un effort prolongé des agriculteurs et un engagement total de leurs cadres.
R. RAMPERSAD (Trinidad and Tobago): Like most of the other delegates I commend the Secretariat on the excellent documentation it has provided upon this very important subject we are discussing. My delegation has noted with satisfaction the apparently encouraging trend in world food and agriculture production and stock accumulation as described in the documents, but our optimism is somewhat cautious. In this regard I should like to make a few observations which support the point we have made elsewhere that despite a welcome improvement in the overall food situation there is no room for complacency.
The first point is that the food and agriculture situation we have looked at is described on a global or total basis. The picture which would emerge when we consider the figures on a disaggregated basis, on the level of individual countries, for instance, might be far different, In fact as has been mentioned in the document, food production in some of the poorest countries has shown only marginal rates of increase. In other words, in most areas where the demand or need is most acute, supply responses have been lethargic.
Secondly, we should recognise that food production in developing countries taken as a group has not been as spectacular as the plainstatistics might lead us to believe. The 4.1 percent average annual growth rate recorded for 1974/76 might well be due to a large extent to the fact that the basis used for comparison was below the previous long term trend. For the years 1971/76 the average annual growth rate was only 2.6 percent. In fact some estimates for the period 1971/75 suggest that per capita food production in developing countries actually declined as compared with the per capita annual growth rate of about 1 percent for the developed countries.
The projection for 1976/77 in Table I of document C 77/2/Sup. 1 is that for both food production and agriculture production developing countries may record an increase of 1 percent to 1.5 percent, whereas the developed countries are expected to register an increase of 1.5 percent to 2 percent. The implications of all of this are that the imbalance in resources and production between developed and developing countries which was one of the root causes of the 1972/74 food crisis, has not been adjusted. The gap in food production between developed and developing countries is widening instead of contracting.
The third point is that the share of world trade in agriculture enjoyed by the developing countries is not improving substantially. Table 2 of document C 77/2/Sup. 1 indicates that in 1976 the value of agricultural exports of the developing market economies increased by 14.8 percent over 1975 as compared with an increase of 7.9 percent for the developed market economies. This percentage increase sounds impressive but it may well justify Mark Twain's description of statistics.
The real picture is described somewhat euphemistically in paragraph 37 of document C 77/2-Sup.1 where it is stated the share of earnings of the developed marketing economies declined to 65 percent while the share of the developing marketing economies increased to 28 percent. The share of the developing marketing economies has in fact increased by only about 1 percent.
There has been a lot of discussion, particularly since the World Food Conference, about the critical need for developing countries to increase their food production. Such an increase is desirable not only because of the income and employment benefits that will accrue- and in these countries income tends to be low and unemployment tends to be high; it is desirable not only because of the psycological benefit of improved self-confidence that derives from the knowledge of growing self-sufficiency and self reliance; more so it is desirable because current trade trends are such as to indicate that developing countries may not have the foreign exchange resources with which to purchase their food requirements. In any event the World Food Conference has forcefully drawn attention to the magnitude of the problem that would be involved in transporting massive quantities of food from the developed to developing countries.
This Conference is appropriately focussing attention on one of the essential pre-requisites for increased food production, namely, large scale investment in agriculture. In this context much emphasis is being placed upon the transfer of capital resources and technology from the developed to the developing countries, and the mechanisms by which this might be achieved. Such transfers are, in the opinion of my delegation, indispensable, certainly in the short run, but are not adequate in themselves. Equally necessary is the introduction of a set of trading arrangements which would assure to developing countries remunerative prices for their products and guarantee them a level of return that is both equitable and adequate for financing such adjustments in their economic structures as may be dictated by market forces from time to time.
Trade is as important as aid, if not more important. It provides the vehicle through which a country achieves its scope for development, including the potential created by aid itself. Greater international cooperation is required on a number of fronts to bring about rapid growth in those areas where the need is greatest and most urgent.
Mazol NA-AKWETI (Zaire):Avant son bref commentaire, la Delegation du Zaïre tient à adresser ses féli citations au Secrétariat pour l'excellent travail que représente le document C 77/II qui donne d'une manière claire et concise la situation mondiale de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture en 1977. Notre satisfaction est d'autant plus grande que cette analyse, tout en faisant état de l'augmentation de la pro duction alimentaire et agricole durant le dernier exercice pour l'ensemble du monde, n'a pas omis de re lever que dans certains des pays en développement la physionomie du secteur alimentaire est tout autre.
Cela étant, la Délégation zaïroise estime que des solutions à ces problèmes appartiennent d'abord aux Etats eux-mêmesqui doivent désormais considérer l'agriculture comme leur principale planche de salut. Il s'agit donc pour eux d'une volonté politique qui,dans la pratique,devrait se traduire par les mesures suivantes:
1) mobilisation de la promotion de la production alimentaire et agricole de toute la population active sans emploi;
2) abandon progressif du système agricole ancestral et adoption des structures et des techniques assu rant une plus haute productivité aux paysans et une plus grande efficacité aux encadreurs;
3) renforcement au double point de vue du nombre et de la qualité des services de vulgarisation dont les conditions de travail devraient être améliorées; il doit en être de même de la recherche agronomique;
4) accroissement de la part du budget national affectée à l'agriculture, ceci à la fois en raison du rôle vital de ce secteur dans la vie du pays et de l'importance numérique de la population travaillant dans ce secteur, population qui représente actuellement entre 70 et 80 pour cent de la population totale.
Il est également de l'avis de notre délégation que,parallèlement aux actions de relance menées en di rection des masses paysannes, la politique de promotion agricole et alimentaire devrait .s'appuyer sur la classe moyenne agricole, c'est-à-dire des agriculteurs moyens, exploitant de 5 à 100 hectares de culture, généralement lettrés et donc plus perméables aux nouvelles techniques d'exploitation. Ces leaders agricoles contribueraient certainement non seulement à la résorption des déficits agricoles et alimentaires mais également à l'amélioration des conditions de vie en milieu rural, préalable indis pensable à la lutte contre l'exode qui prive l'agriculture des milliers de bras dont elle a besoin pour son développement.
Il faut d'autre part noter l'impact direct des autres secteurs d'activités sur le développement de l'agriculture qui,faute d'être opérationnels, constituent un frein: il s'agit principalement des infra structures routières et sanitaires, des voies de communication, de transport, dont les programmes de relance devraient à notre avis mériter la même attention que celle accordée à la production agricole et alimentaire.
Un autre goulot d'étranglement, responsable dans une large mesure de la stagnation de l'agriculture dans les pays sous-équipés, est l'absence des institutions de crédit agricole auxquelles des agriculteurs ou des groupements d'agriculteurs devraient recourir en vue de leur équipement en moyens de production efficaces, le budget de l'Etat sechargeant des investissements de caractère public. Dans ce domaine du crédit, nous devons déplorer et regretter le fait que contrairement à l'industrie, contrairement au commerce et même contrairement aux grandes cultures, le café, le palmier à huile, le cacao, le thé, le caoutchouc, etc., l'agriculture vivrière continue de faire figure de parent pauvre et ceci en dépit de l'importance de son rôle.
S'agissant des engrais, notre Délégation, tout en se réjouissant du progrès réalisé par nos paysans quant au recours à cet important facteur de production, souhaite qu'en prévision de l'augmentation consé quente de production du pays qui s'amorce, des dispositions soient prises dans le sens de l'implanta-tion,au niveau de groupements régionaux et sous-régionaux, des unités de production de fertilisants minéraux.
Nous estimons que c'est à la FAO qu'il appartient d'aider à la réalisation de ce facteur de développe ment. Dans l'intervalle,nous pensons qu'en vue de freiner cette tendance à la hausse des prix des engrais, il y aurait lieu d'améliorer les systèmes de commercialisation, de transport, de stockage et dedistribution, et surtout d'envisager au niveau des Etats,et c'est le cas au Zaïre, l'exonération totale des engrais et autres inputs des droits d'entrée qui les frapperaient éventuellement.
Quant aux pesticides, notre Delegation considère que l'importance à leur accorder doit être à la mesure de l'extension que nous voudrions donner à notre agriculture et souhaite que les produits essen tiels soient disponibles en quantité et au moment voulus. A cet effet, nous suggérons que l'approvi sionnement en pesticides des pays en développement fasse l'objet,de la part de la FAO, d'une politique semblable à celle relative a son programme engrais et que, même, il fasse corps avec celui-ci.
Il devrait en être de même de ces semences à haut rendement qui elles aussi ne sont guère disponibles en quantité voulues et au moment adéquat.
Tel est le point de vue de la Délégation du Zaïre sur ces documents dont les passages consacrés à la situation alimentaire et agricole prévalant dans certains pays en développement ont plus particulière ment attirénotre attention.
R. GARCELL CARRO (Cuba): Al estudiar los ilustrativos documentos circulados por la Secretaría, nuestra delegación considera que aún es imprescindible seguir insistiendo en la necesidad de tomar medidas de carácter práctico encaminadas a garantizar en la producción agropecuaria incrementos superiores a los logrados en los períodos precedentes. Del éxito que se obtenga en tales empeños dependerá en lo fundamental la alimentación de una parte considerable de la población de los países en desarrollo.
El documento de la Secretaría C 77/II manifiesta que muchos países aún son particularmente vulnerables a los riesgos naturales y a la inestabilidad del tiempo y que además las inversiones son insuficientes. Nuestra delegación considera acertado tal fundamento y sobre ello quisiera añadir que unas y otras causas están íntimamente vinculadas entre sí y son independientes, además, del sistema económico social imperante en los distintos países.
Obviamente, para poder cubrir los riesgos naturales y los efectos de la inestabilidad del tiempo son necesarias inversiones. Generalmente, los países subdesarrollados, como consecuencia del colonialismo y del neocolonialismo, afectados por intercambios desiguales, encuentran que no disponen por una parte de las presas suficientes, sistema de protección de plantas ni del personal calificado y demás elementos de infraestructura, y de la otra, carecen de fondos financieros suficientes para poder adquirir esos aseguramientos, que, por demás requieren, sin más espera.
Es oportuno aclarar que esta situación, que se localiza principalmente en países de Asia, Africa y América Latina, no obedece a circunstancias de ubicación geográfica ni características raciales de sus habitantes. Es un hecho que se deriva de la historia impuesta por el imperialismo y el colonialismo. De esta manera se crea una circunstancia viciosa, de la cual no es posible escapar sin transformaciones sociales profundas que permitan desarrollar las potencialidades humanas.
Nuestro país,una vez que logró su emancipación política y social, dentro del marco limitado de sus recursos, ha dedicado una parte sustancial de los mismos al aseguramiento y modernización de la agri cultura, la cual debe desarrollarse en una zona tropical muy propensa a las plagas y sometida a un régimen de lluvias inestable, en la cual es posible y frecuente que en sólo 55 días se precipite el 85 por ciento de la lluvia de todo el año. Nuestra isla, larga y estrecha, propicia que apenas transcurridas unas horas, la lluvia caída vaya a parar al mar. Como consecuencia de la situación brin dada por el Estado cubano, nuestra situación actual con relación a los riesgos naturales se ha modificado; la capacidad de agua embalsada es hoy de 100 veces más que la existente en 1958, lo que permite disponer de un área de riegos mucho mayor.
El uso de fertilizantes, pesticidas y maquinaria, igualmente se ha multiplicado varias veces, aunque grandes esfuerzos ha requerido este empeño.
En caña de azúcar, nuestra principal fuente de divisas, la producción mantiene un ritmo ascendente cada año, incluso en 1977. Y con este comentario deseamos oponer nuestros reparos al pronóstico que en relación a nuestro país se ha hecho, como aparece publicado en el párrafo 21 de la página 6 del documento C 77/II suplemento 1.
Señores delegados, estamos convencidos de que una vez llegado el momento en que sea posible que los países en desarrollo puedan modificar su capacidad potencial y puedan vender también sus productos agrícolas a precios más justos, la situación alimentaria del mundo cambiaría y se modificarían cualita tivamente los informes de FAO, que se ve obligada a mostrar tono preocupante, como ocurre en el documento C 77/II.
Anunque la situación mundial de la agricultura ha mejorado, subsisten muchos problemas y algunos de esos problemas siguen pendientes desde hace mucho tiempo. De esta forma, nuestra delegación apoya el pronunciamiento del Director General al 71° período de sesiones del Consejo, donde expresa (citamos):
"La FAO estará más obligada que nunca a los trabajos del Consejo para que nuestra contribución al proceso de velar por el sector agrícola y alimentario sea pertinente, válida y efectiva". Y, como también dijera en otra ocasión el Sr. Saouma (citamos): "Ante todo, la FAO debe dar una imagen que no defraude la esperanza de todos los seres humanos en un mundo libre, pero de intolerables desigualdades", se impone, pues (decimos nosotros), trabajar en esos rumbos.
G. BELCHAMBER (United Kingdom): The United Kingdom delegation has listened with great interest to the statements made by other delegations on Friday and this morning. Earlier speakers have already paid tribute to the quality of the Secretariat's paper and may I say that my delegation is in substantial agreement with the paper. Other delegates also covered in a comprehensive and eloquent way the general state of food and agriculture and I just want to add a brief word about the United Kingdom's view of the overall situation. I think the common thread running through the discussions to date has been a general consensus that the world food situation has improved significantly since the last FAO Conference took place. My delegation finds this improving trend most encouraging. It is a measure of the improving situation that unexpected shortfalls in major producing countries no longer create the crisis situation that might have been the case just a few years ago but - and this is a qualification of which my delegation is fully conscious - this is no time for complacency. It behoves all countries, developed and developing, to do their utmost to ensure that the improvement is maintained. The point has already been stressed at other important international meetings. The communiqué issued by Ministers at the conclusion of the Third Session of the World Food Council held in Manila earlier this year acknowledged that "Recent increases in production have provided more abundant food supplies and have permitted the rebuilding of grain stocks in some countries". But the communiqué' also went on to point out that there is no assurance that this improvement in the world food supply will continue, and emphasised the importance of increased food production, particularly in food deficit developing countries. These are matters which should remain in the forefront of our minds.
But let us not forget that we are talking about a very complex subject. Questions of annual food production cannot be divorced from associated questions, including trade, aid and world food security. Let us not forget either that agricultural production is perhaps uniquely uncertain because of the va garies of weather and disease.It would be unrealistic to expect instant solutions to the many problems in this area. My Government, however, is very willing to participate in the many international fora which are attempting to find solutions to these interlocking problems.
As far as the food and agriculture situation in the United Kingdom is concerned, the policy of my Government is directed towards the expansion of those sectors of the agricultural industry which,by reason of our climate or other factors,can efficiently increase their output. We shall also continue to encourage and where possible, and where requested - to assist developing countries, particularly those with the necessary potential, to increase their own agricultural production because this is in our view an enormously important element in the fight against world food problems.
The Secretariat's paper emphasises the importance of agricultural adjustment.This is the subject of a separate Agenda item,of course, and we don't want to open up that discussion today. The paper also talks of taking advantage of the current opportunity to establish a system of world food security. For the moment, attention is focussed on work being carried out in the International Wheat Council towards a new International Wheat Agreement. My government believes that the negotiation of a satisfactory new International Wheat Agreement is of fundamental importance in moving towards a strengthened world food security situation, by improving stability in the wheat market and helping to alleviate world food problems, particularly the problems of developing countries.We hope that the outcome of the recent work of the International Wheat Council's Preparatory Group will enable the proposed negotiating conference to be convened early in 1978.
An earlier speaker referred to the crucial importance of political will in solving the problems of the developing world. The view of my delegation is that the key factor should be an attempt to reach mutual understanding between all nations, particularly between developed and developing countries, about the real problems of the global food and agriculture situation and readiness to sit down together to find mutually acceptable solutions, preferably on a long-term view, while recognizing that there are pressing problems demanding short-term solutions. This is an area, of course, where FAO has such an important role to play. If this is what is meant by political will, I can indeed assure you, Mr. Chairman, that it is not lacking on the part of my government.
J ROWINSKI (Poland): The subject which is now under discussion is a standing one at all conferences. It is obvious that the delegations to the Conference must have a deep knowledge and sufficient informa tion of the world agricultural situation in order to establish proper directives and priorities for the work of this Organization.
Recent years have been very good for agriculture in most regions and developing countries taken as a whole achieved a rate of growth of 4 percent per year, which is in accordance with the target for the Second Development Decade. As stressed in FAO documents, we should however be very cautious in our optimistic view. The main factor which influenced the results of agricultural production in most countries was good weather, which is something independent of human will and effort. On the other hand, the activities of the international community seem to be insufficient in order to eradicate permanently hunger and malnutrition. In spite of the fact that already three years have elapsed since the World Food Conference, many of its resolutions, among others those which contained certain quantitative targets, have not been fully implemented.
As we gather from one of the documents presented to this Conference, there are serious doubts whether the goals formulated in the Universal Declaration on the Eradication of Hunger and Malnutrition will be fully implemented until 1985. It is rightly said in the document that the attainment of this 4 per cent rate of growth in agricultural production in developing countries during the last three years does not constitute anything that could be considered as a permanent improvement of the situation.The average rate of growth for the last six years is nearly on the same level as in the sixties, and there is no ground for great optimism.
There is a more general question on whether the 4 percent rate of growth attained by developing countries in recent years could be maintained for the future in the longer run. The analysis of the development of agricultural production in most developed countries, with much bigger capital resources, modern technologies and higher levels of education, leads to rather sceptical conclusions. It is worth mentioning that in the so-called Tinbergen Report, a 4 percent rate of growth of agricultural production has been considered as desirable but at the same time impossible to obtain and, last but not least, the first estimation concerning the growth of agricultural production presented in a document submitted during this Conference shows already a marked "go-down".
On the other hand, there is enormous potential for the increase of agricultural production in develop ing countries which can result, for instance,from increased application of chemical fertilizers and better irrigation practices.It must be borne in mind, however, that even a 4 percent rate of growth of agricultural production in developing countries as a whole does not solve all the problems of developing countries as there are big differences between countries and regions. The figures presented indicate that even in the period of fairly good progress in overall production of developing countries some of them displayed a rate of growth substantially below the average.This means that the gap between the poorest countries and the rest of the world is growing and every effort should be made by the international community to narrow that gap.It seems that in 1977 the gap further widened.
In the Plenary sessions many heads of delegations, particularly from the Sahelian-zone countries, spoke about very bad weather conditions and a difficult food situation. We are now witnessing a revival of the tragic paradox where there are hundreds of millions of hungry people while at the same time some countries are returning to the policy of restricting agricultural output.
It should be remembered that important social and agrarian reforms are necessary in many developing countries.The scope of those reforms sometimes cannot be limited only to the sphere of agriculture. The problem of agrarian reform is very often raised in FAO and other international forums and I would like only to reiterate our opinion that in many cases agrarian reform constitutesa prerequisite for the development of agricultural production.
International statistics indicate that there are extremely big differences in the levels of income of the poorest and the richest groups of the population in many developing countries. There is a necessity for a redistribution of income and a reduction of the differences, otherwise the process of further economic development can be seriously impaired.It is obvious that one cannot develop the economy without involving the people and the elimination of the unfair distribution of income is of great importance in this respect.This problem is especially valid in agriculture, where in many countries there are large groups of small farmers and landless labourers living in poorest conditions.
In the documents prepared for the Conference, the lack of stability of markets for agricultural products is correctly underlined. Those markets are changing very quickly from surpluses to deficits. This fact should influence the way of thinking of the governments in order to accelerate the negotia tion of international commodity agreements. We have noted with satisfaction the first success of UNCTAD in this field, the conclusion of the International Sugar Agreement.
In concluding my statement I should like to say a few words about agricultural production in our country. During the current year weather conditions were very bad, especially at harvest time, which adversely affected grain production. It was the fourth successive difficult year for Polish agricul ture. In spite of the fact that we are doing everything possible to stimulate the increase of agricul tural production, we were unable to exceed the level of 1973. One of the results of this situation is that Poland, which was during nearly the whole of the post-war period a net exporter, is now a net importer of agricultural products.
As the demand for food, and especially for meat products, is very high in our country, we are making every effort to increase agricultural production in the coming years.
A.R. SIAFFA (Sierra Leone): On behalf of the SierraLeone delegation I wish to thank the Secretariat for the preparation of document C 77/2 and its supplements. Fertilizers have been mentioned in the documents under review. My delegation wishes to reaffirm its support for the International Fertilizer Supply Scheme. We would also like to add that the supply of crop protection chemicals and allied services should be given consideration under the Scheme.
We recognize the important role that the International Fund for Agricultural' Development can play in agricultural development, particularly in the developing countries. We agree with the observations made by the delegate of Kenya, namely that communications should be improved to facilitate the flow of food from surplus areas to the deficit regions within the country.Sierra Leone experiences similar transportation bottlenecks.
May I further observe that the development of an accurate system of yield forecasting is of considerable importance in order to discern dangers ahead and to take adequate precautions to avert them. Unfortunately, the machinery for forecasting production is non-existent in many developing countries; and where the system does exist it is often not reliable.The heavy dependence on rain-fed crops in many developing countries makes them very vulnerable to the vagaries of the weather.
Permit me briefly to refer to the agricultural development trends in Sierra Leone.In general, it is estimated that there was an overall increase in agricultural output in the years 1975 and 1976.The increases in crop out-put were largely due to increases in acreage and in the yield per acre of the food crop. Rice is by far the most important food crop.
In response to changes in economic conditions, the producer prices of export crops, except palm kernels, were adjusted upwards.The crops affected were coffee, cocoa and ginger.The farmers' response to higher producer prices was reflected in substantial increases of purchases of the Sierra Leone Produce Marketing Board, which is the sole agency for the export of these commodities.
Palm oil is the most important source of edible vegetable oil in Sierra Leone. Two large-scale oil palm plantations - with small farmers' out-growers holdings - have been established with mills for the processing of the fruits.
The fertilizer distribution programme of the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources continued to improve between 1975 and 1977, thanks to the contribution of the International Fertilizer Supply Scheme. Rice and tree crops, i.e. palm oil, received the bulk of the quantities distributed during the period.
The basic sectoral targets which we expect to achieve in the year 1977/178 might be summarized as .follows:(a) To increase total rice production through substantial expansion in acreage of swampland planted to rice; (b) to purchase from farmers larger quantities of the following export crops through higher produce prices: - coffee 10 000 ton; cocoa 10 000 ton; palm kernels 50 000 ton; (c) to distribute to farmers about 10 000 tons of commercial chemical fertilizers; (d) to make adequate financial appropriation in the agricultural crops sector for the implementation of potentially productive development projects.
I regret taking up so much of the Conference's time in reporting on our local situation, but you will recall, Mr. Chairman, that when we adjourned last Friday speakers were not readily available to take the floor; consequently, you kindly advised delegates to give further thought to the subject.It appears that I got some inspiration over the weekend.I would ask, therefore, that you kindly bear with me, even though I may sound too parochial.
While there were significant increases in retail prices of meat and livestock products in 1975/76, the situation in 1976/77 tended to level off except for beef, which registered a price increase of some 25 percent, that is from £. 0.4 sterling per pound weight in 1975/76 to £.0.5 sterling per pound in 1976/77.
The immediate objectives of the livestock programme in 1977/78 are twofold.Firstly, the adoption of a breeding programme aimed at upgrading the local Ndama breed of cattle, as well as sheep, goats, pigs and poultry.Secondly, to encourage farmers (through credit and technical services) to use improved breeds of livestock and to employ better management in order to increase the quantity and quality of their stock.
Turning to forestry, I would like to mention that the exploitation and development of forest products increased from about 526 thousand cubic feet of sawn wood in 1975/76 to 1 440 995 cubic feet in 1976/77. The immediate objectives of the forestry subsector include the training of staff, research, the expansion of forest estate by planting, encouragement of private entrepreneurs in the exploitation of small forest reserves and products, and the modernization of existing saw mills.
Finally, I shall make a few remarks about fisheries.The domestic landing of fish is estimated to have increased from about 40 thousand tons in 1975/76 to 44 thousand tons in 1976/77.It is also estimated that about 75 percent of fish landings are by canoe fishermen and the rest by commercial fishing vessels and shrimp trawlers fishing in nearby coastal waters.
The high price of meat and livestock products, which is about twice as high as fish, has contributed tremendously to the significant increase in the local demand for fish.
A training programme for Sierra Leoneans on improved fishing techniques, under an arrangement between the Government of Sierra Leone and the Government of Italy, is now in its second and last year of operation.A research project on the identification of suitable oyster culture techniques during the last three years has indicated positive commercial potential in various locations in the country.
I am compelled to end my delegation's contribution on a rather sad note.The vagaries of the weather have recently plunged Sierra Leone into a considerable loss of crops in the field.As a result of the unprecedented heavy rainfall in the past few months, thousands of acres of field crops, particularly rice, were lost through flooding.This is Sierra Leone's dilemma. Now that the floods have subsided, we are in the process of counting the losses.Estimates of the magnitude of the damage caused by the floods started to come in from various parts of the country just before we left home for this Conference. As a result of this disaster, we expect an extremely poor rice harvest this crop year.
P. HALIMI (France):Qu'il me soit permis de remercier le Secrétariat pour l'excellence du travail quîil propose à notre attention.Les documents qui servent de base à nos délibérations nous donnent une image très claire de la situation de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation au seuil de l'automne 1977 et ils en dégagent les conséquences au regard des multiples préoccupations de l'Organisation qui sont aussi celles de la communauté internationale.Tel qu'il se présente, le document du Secrétariat constitue un outil de travail qui incite à l'analyse et à la réflexion.Sans doute, la situation annuelle s'inscrit-elle dans une perspective d'évolution à long terme qu'elle contribue à infléchir, mais, pour échapper à la complexité des relations entre les différents objectifs immédiats et à terme plus ou moins éloigné, je me propose de formuler quelques remarques en distinguant, d'une part, la situation agricole et alimen taire dans l'intervalle de deux récoltes successives afin de bien caractériser les problèmes du court terme, d'autre part, les perspectives de réalisation des objectifs plus éloignés de façon à saisir les opportunités que la situation annuelle permet d'escompter.
A court terme, le résultat satisfaisant des récoltes confirme l'amélioration enregistrée depuis deux ans de la situation agricole et alimentaire mondiale.L'impression favorable est renforcée par la constatation d'une bonne répartition des résultats entre les différentes zones de production, ce qui permet de considérer avec un certain optimisme la couverture des besoins alimentaires dans la plupart des pays du monde.Ces résultats réconfortants nous engagent a considérer avec une sollicitude particulière la situation des populations qui n'ont pas été épargnées par l'adversité et qui se trouvent être celles qui avaient déjà le plus souffert de mauvaises récoltes ces dernières années.Ce sera la première remarque.
Un effort particulier au profit des pays du Sahel paraît d'autant plus justifie que la situation ge nerale le rend plus facile. A cet égard, nous remercions M. Vogel, Directeur exécutif du PAM, de nous avoir permis d'être directement informés des résultats de la dernière réunion du Comité inter-Etats de lutte contre la sécheresse au Sahel en organisant une rencontre des donateurs le 3 novembre dernier. Au cours de cette réunion, ma délégation n'avait pas été en mesure de faire connaître l'effort que mon pays effectuait et se propose d'effectuer dans la région du Sahel. Je vais actuellement pouvoir vous donner quelques chiffres: en 1976, le niveau de l'aide alimentaire à cette région était de 25 000 tonnes de céréales, mais, en 1977, compte tenu d'opérations encore en cours, il se situera à près de 40 000 tonnes. Ces aides d'urgence ne constituent qu'un fragment du flux total des ressources publiques dirigé vers ces pays. Ce flux total a atteint 900 millions de francs en 1975 et plus d'un milliard de francs en 1976, soit une moyenne annuelle de 200 millions de dollars; trente pour cent des investissements vont au secteur du développement rural. D'autre part, les pays intéressés, groupés au sein du CILSS, ont établi, avec le concours du Club du Sahel, un programme à moyen terme permettant une amélioration sensible de la production et de l'équilibre alimentaire de cette zone. Ce programme consiste en grandes opérations conjuguant les efforts de sources de financement bilatérales et multi latérales. Le Gouvernement français apporte sa participation à la plupart de ces grands aménagements. Il s'agit notamment de la mise en valeur du fleuve Sénégal, de la mise en valeur du fleuve Niger, du bassin des Voltas/SOUROU.
Pour en revenir à la situation générale qui pourrait inciter à l'optimisme, ses conséquences se partagent entre les lumières et les ombres. L'augmentation des disponibilités alimentaires, la situation des principaux marchés permettent sans doute d'escompter un effet modérateur des prix agri coles et alimentaires qui pourra aider à maîtriser les tendances inflationnistes qui avaient contribué à l'amplifier. Mais la réduction des recettes des agriculteurs,alors qu'ils doivent faire face à une augmentation continue des coûts de production, risque de les dissuader de persévérer dans leurs efforts, surtout dans les productions dont les réserves laissent peu d'espoir à un réajustement rapide des prix.
Il conviendrait donc - ce sera ma deuxième remarque - de mettre à profit une situation favorable telle que celle devant laquelle nous nous trouvons pour rechercher une solution au problème dé l'instabilité en mettant au point des accords internationaux dont les mécanismes régulateurs faciliteraient la gestion des marchés, aideraient les producteurs à prendre leurs décisions et éviteraient en fin de compte les retournements de situation, toujours dommageables et délicats à maîtriser.Parmi les préoccupations à long terme, il convient de distinguer les objectifs qui constituent un but en eux-mêmes tels que la croissance de l'agriculture des pays en développement, de ceux qui ne sont qu'un moyen ou une conséquence de l'objectif réalisé, comme c'est le cas de l'ajustement agricole.
Le rythme d'accroissement de la production agricole est incontestablement un des indicateurs les plus significatifs parmi ceux qui sont évoqués dans le rapport. Or, si un certain nombre de pays ont atteint le taux annuel d'accroissement de 4 pour cent, préconisé par la deuxième décennie du développe ment, il est inquiétant de constater que, dans des régions entières - j'ai parlé longuement de l'Afrique -, l'augmentation des subsistances est moins rapide que celle de la population, de sorte que la situation alimentaire se dégrade au lieu de s'améliorer. On peut souhaiter que le démarrage opé rationnel du FIDA contribue à atténuer cet écart et déclenche un processus de croissance des agricultures car, au-delà de l'accroissement de la production, qui n'est pas irréversible si des changements de structure ne viennent pas en consolider les résultats, le véritable objectif est de déclencher une dynamique qui assure une expansion auto-entretenue de l'activité agricole.
J'ai noté avec intérêt ce qui a été dit par les délégations de la Hongrie et du Zaïre sur les stimulants nécessaires.
Ces quelques considérations trouvent leur justification et leur conclusion dans un rapprochement de deux niveaux d'analyse. Dans l'attente de la réalisation des objectifs à long terme des agricul-tures endéveloppement, les secteurs agricole et alimentaire des différents pays ne peuvent constituer qu'un système hétérogène et mal défini au sein duquel les conditions d'équilibre des agricultures développées laissent des marges de manoeuvre souvent réduites, tandis que les points de • croissance des agricultures en développement restent fragiles. L'ajustement des objectifs relève d'un empirisme qui implique une modulation des politiques, mais le fonds commun à toutes les agricultures, c'est leur vulnérabilité - vulnérabilité aux conditions météorologiques qui peuvent faire passer la situation alimentaire d'excédents encombrants à une pénurie dont les conséquences vont au-delà de l'alimentation des hommes.Ce point a été longuement évoqué avant moi par les délégations de l'Indonésie, de l'Afghanistan, de Cuba, de la Pologne et de la Sierra Leone.
Il convient tout particulièrement de féliciter la FAO d'avoir organisé une conférence conjointe avec l'OMM ces jours récents et il serait souhaitable de savoir si les conclusions de cette Conférence permettront la prise en considération de la proposition faite, notamment par la délégation de la Malaisie, de former des chercheurs pour les pays en développement - vulnérabilité économique
qui, en raison des coûts de production rigides, ne permet pas de supporter facilement le choc d'une forte baisse des prix. Peut-être conviendrait-il de réfléchir à cette situation en particulier pour orienter les agricultures endéveloppement vers des types de croissance qui réduisent ces risques, par exemple en tirant un meilleur parti des cycles naturels de façon à rendre moins rigides les liens entre les facteurs de production d'origine industrielle. L'alimentation et, jusqu'à nouvel ordre l'agriculture restent parmi les préoccupations prioritaires de l'humanité.Il est important de trouver les voies les mieux appropriées qui nous rapprochent des objectifs que nous avons choisis.
L'activité de la FAO peut en indiquer les moyens.
C. KELLER SARMIENTO (Argentina): Con relación a la situación agrícola y alimentaria en el mundo se nos ha presentado el documento C 77/2 que constituye una buena síntesis de algunos aspectos de interés internacional en materia agrícola.
Evidentemente el nucleo central de la información proporcionada por dicho documento es el aumento notable de la producción agrícola registrado en el último bienio. El nivel alcanzado por los stocks cerealeros de 160 millones de toneladas, aproximadamente el 18 por ciento del consuma mundial, el ligero repunte de los precios de los productos primarios y la disminución del número de personas malnutridas, de 1 375 a 1 250 millones de habitantes, ha sido subrayado reiteradamente por varias delegaciones con general satisfacción.
Sin perjuicio de ello, señor Presidente, nosotros entendemos que se debe evitar el riesgo de un enfoque superficial o parcializado de la situación agrícola del mundo que proporcione excesivas ilusiones sobre la seguridad alimentaria mundial, así como el mejoramiento efectivo y constante de los niveles de nutrición.No queremos ser pesimistas, pero sentimos la obligación de ser cautos y, sobre todo, de indagar con cierta profundidad y rigor las condiciones y circunstancias que configuran la situación actual, con el fin de extraer conclusiones válidas y que realmente constituyan una base firme y cierta para nuestra programación futura.
En primer lugar, nos permitimos señalar que la existencia de cereales acumulados en la actualidad modifican sensiblemente los términos de una ecuación que torna más evidente las distorsiones de la realidad. Por una parte, los enormes excedentes cerealeros lo son solamente en relación a la demanda efectiva y ello explica que, a pesar de estos excedentes, el número impresionante de personas sub-alimentadas haya disminuido sólo en una mínima parte. Por otro lado, los efectos negativos que la acumulación tiene para los países productores, son resentidos por las poblaciones rurales de estos países y se traduce en el desaliento de los productores y la disminución del área sembrada.
Este fenómeno provoca, señor Presidente, una grave reflexión sobre dos aspectos:por un lado, es necesario un nuevo enfoque que permita conciliar esta realidad en todos sus elementos, aparentemente contradictorios, para que una buena cosecha mundial se convierta auténticamente en más alimentos para el mundo, para todo el mundo, sin ser una carga para los productores, o simplemente la iniciación de una fase, de un ciclo de abundancia o escasez, con todos los perjudiciales efectos de las mismas. Esto, y no el cumplimiento de una meta estadística arbitraria que encubre una realidad que no nos satisface, debe ser el objetivo de la comunidad internacional.
Por otra parte, la coyuntura actual vuelve a poner de manifiesto la necesidad de políticas apropiadas y políticas armónicas, en un proceso equilibrado de reajuste agrícola internacional, para que los progresos logrados sean genuinos y tengan lugar donde se necesitan y en la medida en que se necesitan.
Nadie duda de la necesidad de provocar un drástico aumento de la producción agrícola en los países más gravemente afectados y de menor desarrollo relativo así como los programas tendentes a esos objetivos, que merecen nuestro más amplio apoyo. Sin embargo, señor Presidente, nunca se repetirá suficientemente que es preciso también mantener una vigilancia positiva y un apoyo continuado y alentador sobre la producción de alimentos, sobre todo los de aquellos otros países en desarrollo que, sin pertenecer a las categorías más perjudicadas, mantienen una gran dependencia de sus producciones agrícolas y de ese modo sufren, a veces de manera dramática, la inestabilidad de los mercados.
A esta altura, permítaseme hacer una reflexión al margen. Mi delegación ha observado con perplejidad la ausencia, dentro del temario de la Conferencia, de un tema denominado "Situación del mercado internacional de productos básicos", o algún título similar, que tenga vinculación con este tema. Por supuesto, que podemos analizar este aspecto dentro de la situación agrícola mundial, como tenemos intención de hacerlo en este momento, pero de hecho el tema reviste una importancia tal que debería tener lugar a una identidad propia. Además, sin perjuicio de que los aspectos específicos del comercio de productos básicos se ventilen y se negocien en el marco de la UNCTAD o del GATT, entendemos que la FAO sigue siendo el foro perfecto que engloba todas las cuestiones relativas a los productos básicos y ellos continúan siendo el corazón de las actividades de la FAO, el núcleo. Y dentro de la
problemática de los productos básicos, el aspecto comercio es de fundamental importancia.
En este sentido deseo destacar el estancamiento registrado en el comercio mundial de productos agrícolas en el último año, estancamiento tanto más grave si se recuerda que el comercio total mundial aumentó el 11 por ciento en el mismo año pasado. En el párrafo 21 de nuestro documento se indica que el valor de los intercambios mundiales de productos agrícolas (se incluyen los ganaderos), ha descendido un 1 por ciento, arrojando una cifra de 83 275 millones de dolares. Pero el documento dice a ' continuación que esta inflexión se compensa con el aumento del 18 por ciento registrado en el sector pesquero y del 16 por ciento en el sector forestal. Permítaseme señalar nuestra discrepancia con esta cifra. Tal compensación no existe; no existe en términos numéricos, ni en cuanto a sus efectos en los países productores de productos básicos. En efecto, baste con comparar las cifras en términos absolutos: frente a un volumen ya señalado de 83 275 millones de dólares de productos agrícolas, los productos pesqueros apenas suman 7 395 millones de dólares y los forestales 30 000 millones de dólares. Téngase presente además que los principales exportadores de productos forestales son países industria lizados o ya desarrollados (como se. demuestra en el cuadro número 17).
En síntesis, señor Presidente, las cifras relativas al comercio mundial de productos agrícolas nos preocupan, y nos preocupan principalmente por lo que significan en términos de la participación de los países en desarrollo en el comercio mundial y asimismo por lo que significan en términos de ingresos provenientes de exportaciones agrícolas.
Deseo traer aquí algunos comentarios coincidentes del FMI y de la CEPAL en el sentido de que los países económicamente desarrollados han sufrido los vaivenes de los precios y volumen comercializado de los productos agrícolas, los cuales sumados al deterioro acumulativo de la relación de inter cambio que se ha verificado desde 1973 han impedido cada vez más a estos países aprovechar de una manera razonablemente útil para ellos la relativa reactivación potencial de la demanda mundial de productos primarios y los resultados excepcionales de sus cosechas.
También deseo hacer un comentario sobre el siempre candente tema de las fluctuaciones de los precios. En términos globales, se indica un aumento de los precios internacionales de los productos agrope cuarios. Sin embargo, un análisis un poco más profundo de estos datos nos da una idea más realista de la situación, que, de lo contrario, arroja índices que inducen a confusión al encubrir diversida des significativas en la estructura y tendencia de los diferentes productos básicos. Así, el vertiginoso aumento registrado en los precios del café y cacao así como de diversos aceites vegetales , y semillas oleaginosas contribuyó desproporcionadamente al alza registrada, mientras que los precios de otros productos alimenticios importantes, incluidos los cereales y el azúcar, bajaron notable mente en 1976, así como en el primer semestre del año en curso.
Se ha dicho alguna vez que las catástrofes parecen seguir siendo el único medio eficaz para provocar alzas significativas en los precios de los productos agrícolas. Queremos evitar que se produzcan esas catástrofes; no queremos estar supeditados a ellas; no obstante, queremos también dejar en claro que no somos del todo pesimistas y confiamos en que los convenios específicos de productos básicos (como el del azúcar, que tenemos la seguridad y la esperanza, sobre todo en este momento, de que tenga el efecto regulador buscado a partir de enero de 1978), así como las soluciones globales que se están elaborando en el marco del Programa Integrado de Productos Básicos de la UNCTAD y los debates que se realizan en la FAO en torno al té, introduzcan los necesarios factores estabilizadores del mercado, para beneficio de los países productores y consumidores.
En ese sentido confiamos también en una feliz y pronta culminación de las negociaciones relativas al Acuerdo Internacional del Trigo para disponer de un instrumento eficiente y útil que asegure la esta bilidad tanto de la producción como de los precios.
Tal vez sea pertinente a esta altura formular algunas consideraciones de carácter general sobre algunos aspectos de interés que se refieren a la política agropecuaria de la República Argentina. Como es sabido, mi país es un productor eficiente de alimentos provenientes de zona templada y uno de los mayo res exportadores del mundo de estos productos. Por ello este sector agropecuario es el mayor proveedor de nuestro saldo exportable y existe clara conciencia en el país de consolidar su capacidad de respuesta a la creciente escasez alimentaria mundial. Nuestras posibilidades como productor de alimentos pueden aún incrementarse de una manera sustancial y tenemos conciencia de la responsabilidad que cabrá a nuestro país en este campo en un futuro no lejano. Pero, así como el incremento del precio del petró leo marcó una etapa determinante en esta década, no sería aventurado predecir condiciones más favora bles para los países exportadores tradicionales de alimentos en los años que vendrán, sobre todo ante las crecientes necesidades de ayuda alimentaria y la cada vez mayor demanda de estos productos. Por ello mi país ha emprendido un proceso intenso y sistemático con objeto de asegurar que los precios
agropecuarios sean lo suficientemente retributivos en el nivel interno, de modo que garanticen un cre ciente proceso de modernización y equipamiento del sector. A este respecto, debe precisarse que el aumento de la producción agropecuaria puede provenir en este momento de dos fuentes:en primer lugar, de la elevación de los rendimientos de la producción en las áreas ya explotadas, y en segundo término por la ampliación de la frontera agropecuaria, incorporando tierras inexplotadas en la actualidad.
Para asegurar una cabal integración de este proceso, el Gobierno argentino, no sólo ha puesto énfasis en una acción de fondos públicos para la incorporación de tierras fiscales a la producción, sino que se está organizando la colaboración de cooperativas y compañías de colonización privadas que aporten el capital necesario para la culminación exitosa de este proceso.
Sintetizando, subsisten los siguientes objetivos en nuestra estrategia para obtener el máximo posible de nuestra producción agropecuaria:
Primero. Incrementar la productividad y producción del sector rural en todos sus aspectos.
Segundo. Mejorar el nivel de ingresos de la actividad, para estimular incentivos e inversiones.
Tercero. Modernizar la empresa agraria haciendo posible la aplicación de nuevas tecnologías.
Cuarto. Extender las fronteras agropecuarias,incorporando tierras improductivas a la tarea agrope cuaria e incrementar los rendimientos unitarios.
Quinto. Resolver los problemas sociales que se presentan en algunas áreas, por problemas de minifundio o por bajos ingresos per capita.
Señor Presidente:la expansión agropecuaria en que está empeñada la República Argentina determinará una larga cadena de efectos positivos, proyectando los beneficios de su crecimiento a toda la comuni dad internacional y en particular a los países en desarrollo. Confiamos también en que esté cada vez más en mejores condiciones para responder a las crecientes necesidades del mundo en el sector de la alimentación y de la nutrición.
X. VERGINIS (Greece): First of all I should like to thank the Secretariat for the very excellent paper they have prepared for us.
The world food and agriculture situation in its recent evolution has resulted in improvements of food consumption level in most developing countries, the decline of international prices of some food commodities, the restriction of international flow and in the creation of significant stocks. Examining these results from the food availability point of view, we repeat that important progress has been made in the campaign against hunger and malnutrition, and consequently an improvement in the world food situation has been realized.
Improvement in production of food, especially that of cereals, depends to a certain extent on weather, and variable conditions of a social and economic nature. The economic and social developments which all countries look for can only be realized in a way that permits of contributing to certain basic problems of the population of each country and also of humanity as a whole. One is food availability with which agricultural development is inextricably tied.
It is not necessary for all countries to follow the same strategies and apply the same policy measures to promote the situation in agriculture in order to succeed in their national projects such as the improvement of food production. The important point in our view is how to form such policies so as to create the necessary economic and social conditions, taking into account the resources available, which will enable a country to increase its efforts in a more productive way, in order to face successfully its peoples' nutritional needs and to provide the necessary quantities of food required. This could be achieved by increasing food production on an international level, by creating stocks, as well as distributing them geographically in an appropriate way. In this sense all countries must be encouraged to intensify and complete their efforts. For a long term production increase, we consider that certain actions should be taken to improve the ability of all countries and especially the developing countries to sustain and further increase their investments in agriculture from some aid sources, having in mind that sufficient resources are not fully available.
In Greece, continuing efforts have been made towards increasing the agricultural output by increasing productivity. The level of output obtained satisfies a great deal of the basic food requirements of the Greek population. Besides the progress achieved so far there is a lot to be done to improve agricultural productivity, food quality and marketing facilities for further agricultural development within the framework of the developed European agriculture.
In this respect the Greek government,in the agricultural policies it exercises, gives a high degree of priority to increase the amount of investment in the agricultural sector, mainly for expanding and improving irrigation facilities, for use of the proper technology, and for general reconstruction in agriculture.
The rate of increase of investment in agriculture could be higher if more financial resources were available. So far we welcome the establishment of the International Fund for Agriculture Development.
As far as cereals are concerned, we support the Committee on the World Food Security which emphasises the need for an international agreement to build up reserve stocks ensuring food security supply and price stability, by inducing countries to make efforts towards establishing an international grain agreement with appropriate economic provisions.
My delegation hopes that the effort made so far by the international community for solving food and agriculture problems will be continued at a more progressive rate.
My country is always ready to work for the establishment of efficient policies which will create better conditions for a more rapid increase in food production and for a greater food market stability in order to avoid a new world food crisis.
M.R. LEAR (New Zealand): The document before us on the state of food and agriculture provides in our view a very useful assessment of the current world food and agricultural situation. It is pleasing to us to note that the improvement in food and agricultural production over the last two years is likely to continue into the next season. However, although the developing market economies as a whole have achieved a 4 percent average annual growth in food production over the last two years we note with particular concern, as most other speakers before me have, that the longer term production trend has been disappointing especially in the MSA countries. Further, as the document points out, much of the recent improvement in production has been due to favourable weather conditions and given the uncertainty inherent in weather patterns, it is more than possible that over the next few years we could see a reversal in these recent achievements. We welcome therefore moves to take advantage of the building up in cereal stocks to provide for increased world food security by seeking to establish internationally coordinated systems for the management of cereal stocks. We would note, however, that the best long-term method of ensuring world food security is to develop the unused productive capacity of the world, especially in the developing countries. These and the price of fertilisers along with an adequate supply has no doubt helped to achieve recent improvements in production and it is to be hoped that this situation will continue.
It is interesting to us to note that the forecast increase in the soya bean crop will help to increase livestock production. This link between soya bean production and livestock production increase has been a feature of agricultural development in a large part of the world over the last decade and a half, but it may not be altogether desirable in the long-term. Livestock production systems based on a narrow feed input base are very vulnerable due to their dependence on the successful growing of one crop. Bad weather in a major soya bean producing area of the world could lead in any one year to a severe disruption of the world's livestock production. In the long term it would be far wiser for the international community to base its livestock production on a wide base, using lower cost feeds such as grassland.
New Zealand is an efficient producer of dairy products and meat so we find it disappointing to see that these two products, as noted in the document we are studying, continue to face particular market problems, problems of market access and problems of over-supply, the problem of over-supply being brought about especially in the case of dairy products primarily by high cost price support policies of domestic production by industrialized countries. We regret that this situation exists, not only because it causes us severe problems but more particularly because it tends to discourage developing countries from building up their own livestock and dairy sectors. They are discouraged both because markets are difficult to find for the exportable surpluses that they may develop and secondly because some industrialized countries export dairy produce in particular at heavily subsidised and concessional prices, thereby encouraging developing countries to import these products rather than to develop domestic production. This is not in the long-term interests of the developing countries and in effect some industrialized countries in their pursuit of self-sufficiency, which seems to result in chronic surpluses, effectively discourage developing countries which cannot afford to import food in the long-term from attaining self-sufficiency.
Because our economy is nearly entirely dependent on the export of agricultural commodities we can appreciate the magnitude of the economic problems faced by developing countries, problems brought about by virtue of the commodity price problems of market access and problems of declining terms of trade for many agricultural exports, especially when oil imports are added into the terms of trade
equation. We welcome therefore the efforts to stabilize the prices of commodity exports of developing countries being undertaken at UNCTAD and we hope that satisfactory progress can be made, although it needs to be remembered as we have learned in New Zealand, sometimes to our cost, that price and incomes stabilization schemes cannot be implemented with any hope of success without lengthy preparatory work, research and negotiations and compromise between all parties. Unless compromises are made and unless all partners to a commodity agreement are willing participants, the chances of the agreement's success over the long term are minimal.
We are also hopeful that progress in liberalizing market access for agricultural exports can be made in the negotiations being undertaken under GATT auspices.
It is disturbing to note the decline in the level of external aid provided for agricultural development in developing countries in 1976. New Zealand very much regrets that it has been unable to increase its own aid programme, primarily as a consequence of the continued deterioration in the terms of trade for our agricultural exports, but we have become increasingly aware of the need for greater concentration of our aid on agricultural projects and this we have attempted to achieve. However we would also note that there is increasing evidence that constraints on production are often due less to the availability of resources than to social and political obstacles in the recipient countries. We are hopeful therefore that the forthcoming World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development will highlight what needs to be done to overcome these internal obstacles to rapid development, and that the Conference will provide the necessary stimulus to action.
It is also to be hoped that the development of agricultural technology and FAO's increasing emphasis on practical programmes at country level will have a positive long-term effect on world food production.
L. COMANESCU (Roumanie): Ainsi qu'il en est résulté lors des débats de la Plénière ainsi que des dis cussions qui jusqu'à ce moment continuent encore dans notre Commission, presque tout le monde est d'accord sur le fait qu'en dépit de l'amélioration constatée dans les deux ou trois dernières années, la situation mondiale de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture pose encore de grands problèmes, parti culièrement dans les pays en développement.
Les études que l'on nous a soumises dans les documents. C 77/2 et C 77/2-Sup.1 sont assez éloquentes et nous remercions le Secrétariat pour son travail. Je n'insisterai donc sur des données statis-statistiques.
Ce que la délégation roumaine voudrait souligner,ce sont les conclusions qu'on peut tirer de l'analyse tiques.
Tout d'abord, il résulte, au moins dans la plus grande partie des pays en développement,qu'il faut faire de grands efforts encore pour arriver à un niveau de production capable de satisfaire le minimum nécessaire des besoins de consommation de toute la population.Cela demande naturellement des investissements toujours accrus dans le développement de l'agriculture.A ce sujet, nous sommes en tièrement d'accord avec ce que le délégué du Pakistan a déclaré vendredi dernier; à savoir qu'il ne suffit pas d'investir mais d'avoir en même temps une orientation appropriée des investissements dans l'agriculture.
Je me permets de faire sur ce point quelques remarques en partant de l'expérience de mon pays. A notre avis, les investissements dans l'agriculture devraient avoir en tant qu'objectifs principaux la mise en valeur, à haut niveau,des ressources de la terre et l'amélioration de celles-ci; l'intro duction, dans l'agriculture,des moyens et des techniques modernes de production; 1'introduction,dans la production, des espèces de plantes et des espèces rares d'animaux de haut rendement adaptées aux caractéristiques de leurs régions respectives.
C'est ainsi que l'on pourrait arriver à une augmentation substantielle de la production agricole dans les pays en développement et que l'on pourrait s'assurer que cette production ne soit plus influencée, comme c'est le cas aujourd'hui, par les conditions atmosphériques.
Nous sommes convaincus que la réalisation de cet objectif ne peut être imaginée sans une mobilisation maximum des efforts de chaque pays en développement. Nous sommes convaincus, à la fois, du rôle et de la contribution importante que la coopération internationale, y compris par l'intermédiaire de la.FAO, peut et doit y apporter. Nous sommes heureux de constater que la FAO est en train d'orienter deplus en plus ses activités dans cette direction. Quand nous parlons de la coopération internationale,nous ne pouvons passer sous silence l'importance toujours plus grande que ne cesse d'avoir la coopération entre les pays en développement eux-mêmes.
Celaest valable pour l'agriculture aussi,si nous tenons compte des possibilités et de l'expérience que beaucoup de pays en développement ont en ce domaine.
Nous sommes d'avis qu'il serait absolument nécessaire de développer davantage cette coopération et nous espérons que cette Conférence réussira à adopter des mesures concrètes dans cette voie.. Pour ce qui est de la délégation roumaine, elle est prête à présenter dans la deuxième commission toute une série de propositions visant au développement de cette coopération.
Je voudrais aborder maintenant,d'une façon aussi brève que possible, un autre sujet dont l'importance pour la situation de l'agriculture est primordiale. Il s'agit du commerce international des produits agricoles, qui constitue un facteur à même de contribuer tant à l'accroissement de la production agricole dans les pays en développement qu'à freiner cette production.
Il nous paraît dangereux d'interpréter d'une façon optimiste les données qui nous ont été présentées dans les documents du Secrétariat à propos du commerce des produits agricoles. Nous disons cela parce que, en dépit d'un certain accroissement des revenus que les pays en développement ont réalisé par leurs exportations, les produits de ces pays continuent à rencontrer de grandes difficultés sur les marchés développés, toute une série de restrictions leur étant imposée à l'importation sur ces marchés. Cela pour ne pas parler du rapport injuste qui apparaît entre les prix des produits agri coles et des produits manufacturés.
Des mesures de la part de la communauté internationale s'imposent encore, notamment de la part des pays développés pour assurer un accroissement substantiel et continu des revenus des pays en déve loppement et des exportations des produits agricoles. Cela serait de nature à contribuer de façon effective à l'augmentation et à la diversification de la production agricole de ces pays.
Avant de terminer, je voudrais soulever une question qui peut paraître plutôt technique, mais qui a quand même, au moins pour nous, une importance particulière. Il s'agit des différents tableaux statistiques inclus dans les documents du Secrétariat, y compris le document C 77/2-Sup,1. Prenons par exemple le tableau N° 1, page 4 du document cité.Il y a là une classification des régions.Cela provoque des confusions, sinon des malentendus. C'est pour cela qu'il nous paraît opportun de supprimer le mot "market" parce qu'il n'y a pas qu'en Asie qu'on trouve des pays en développement à économie centralement planifiée. Alors, à notre avis, il serait souhaitable de subs tituer le mot "market" à "économie de marché" en prenant en considération la note indiquant à juste titre qu'il y a des pays en développement dans d'autres régions que l'Afrique, l'Extrême-Orient, l'Amérique latine, le Proche-Orient et l'Asie.
R.A. THOMAS (Gambia):I wish to thank the Secretary for this stimulating paper.It is my intention to give just a brief account of what is happening in the Gambia, in view of the bitter experience we have gone through during the past cropping season. The rainfall this year was very erratic, and we had never seen such an experience as we had this year. It is our view, after a survey, that agri cultural production will drop: Swamp rice production about 90 percent will be lost, planted rice about 90 percent, sorghum about 20 percent, millet 40 percent and maize 60 percent.From these figures it should become obvious that we will definitely be requiring some food assistance, and the food assistance would be not only for a few months but up to the end of the cropping season next year. We have had some response from the Director-General, from the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Germany, as well as from the EEC, and we have had some financial assistance from the Ivory Coast.To all of these I extend my sincere gratitude.
In our five-year development plan, the first among our aims are to improve the nutritional standards of people in the rural areas and to make efforts to increase agricultural production, especially food production, so as to eliminate bulk cereal imports, especially rice.
My government is indeed trying to utilize, within the limits of its resources, local funds; but at the same time we are receiving assistance from overseas sources to develop, first, rice. At the moment, we are receiving considerable support from China in developing irrigated rice. Currently there are 4 000 acres that have been brought under irrigation and it is hoped that by the end of the planned period this will be extended to about 7 000 acres. With local funds we are undertaking feasi bility studies in two large swamps in the eastern end of the country to bring another 10.000 acres under irrigation. With external funds we hope to improve another 50 000 acres of rain-fed swamp.
The work we are doing on food crops does not involve rice only but also other cereals. At present we have a Rural Development Project going on, financed by loans from the World Bank/BADEA and a generous grant from the United Kingdom. With these we are launching a cereal package to farmers in the western part of the country, establishing a credit scheme for farmers to provide implements and work oxen as well as inputs to set up a seed multiplication unit, to train farmers as well as ex tension staff and the development of livestock throughout the country.
From the EEC we had money for agricultural development in the eastern part of the country and for exploiting our fisheries resources.Studies are now going on for the utilization of our ground water resources for vegetable growing throughout the country.Following the UNDP multi-donor mission a recommendation has been made for the building of a salinity barrage so that we can make full use of the river water for irrigation purposes.
I must admit that much effort is required on our side, especially in the training of staff and also for the training of farmers. Help is needed for land clearing, which is one of the bottlenecks as far as the opening of new agricultural lands is concerned.
It is my view, from the list I have just given, that a lot of external finance will be required to help us achieve our aims. At this juncture I should like to advise that external financing agencies must not try to lay down too stringent conditions for loans being given to developing countries because those loans might never get to the people they are intended for.
It has been said in this forum that the gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider. If we are not careful, the gap even within our own countries between the farmers will get wider, because when loans are given - for example, we have a loan at the moment to launch a credit scheme for far-mers, but the financing agency is insisting that in order to participate in such scheme farmers must deposit 11 percent of the total cost of the credit package to be given to them. That would auto matically exclude the bulk of the farmers because if the farmer has nothing I do not see how he will be able to deposit 11 percent of an initial credit package.
Finally, I wish to say that funds for agricultural investment must be adequate. I have said earlier in this forum that I come from a small country. At the moment we have only 90 000 farm families. If we cannot get funds for reasonable credit facilities to 90 000 farmers, I fail to see how we shall be able to assist all these farmers within a very short time. We need adequate support, financial support, so that we will be able to extend all these improved agricultural facilities to farmers throughout the country.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic):There is no doubt that the problems of food and agriculture which have been submitted to your worthy attention at the last two meetings have given rise to a considerable number of statements, several of which, coming from various regions of the world, have dealt with national policies in food and agriculture.This morning delegates have commented upon the Secretariat document and, apart from the question of raising production, delegates have discussed market policies and several proposals have been made to us.
The meeting rose at 12.40 hours
La séance est levée à 12 h 40
Se levanta la sesión a las 12.40 horas
