6. World Food and Agriculture Situation (continued)
6. Situation mondiale de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture (suite)
6. Situación alimentaria y agrícola en el mundo (continuación)
J.D. KEITA (Mali): Monsieur le Président, si j'avais eu l'occasion de disposer d'une telle tribune il y a seulement quelques mois je me serais félicite de la relative sérénité régnant au Sahel après la grande sécheresse de 1973. Mais hélas, les nuages s'amoncellent déjà à l'horizon. Les récoltes vi-vrières s'annoncent mauvaises et les pâturages maigres. Le Sahel vit à nouveau dans la crainte de lendemains incertains, les stocks ne sont pas reconstitués au niveau des familles et les Etats con naissent encore des difficultés de stockage.
Les Etats sahéliens, membres du Comité interétats de lutte contre la sécheresse dans le Sahel ont déjà tiré la sonnette d'alarme et fait appel à la solidarité internationale pour venir en aide aux po pulations sinistrées.
C'est vous dire, Monsieur le Président, que l'état de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture dans mon pays n'est pas satisfaisant. La grande période de sécheresse des années 1970-1973 a été suivie d'une augmen tation des productions industrielles de coton et d'arachides, ensuite d'une extension de superficies emblavées en céréales, avec en corollaire une relative augmentation de productions vivrières, en particulier du riz. Cette tendance ayant persisté pendant trois ans, notre pays avait commencé à con naître une relative sérénité sur le plan alimentaire.
Deux éléments essentiels, à notre avis, conditionnent la consolidation d'un état alimentaire satisfai sant dans notre pays: d'abord, la maîtrise des problèmes de stockage, ensuite l'augmentation de la productivité de l'agriculture.
Les problèmes de stockage semblent être les plus faciles à maîtriser et notre gouvernement, avec l'aide et l'appui des pays et organisations amis, a déjà entrepris de constituer des stocks de sécurité au niveau de l'état. Il est bien facile à percevoir que l'efficacité de ces stocks gérés par l'Etat est bien vite limitée sans l'intervention d'une première chaîne de stocks entre eux et les consommateurs. Cette première chaîne de stocks doit être constituée par les familles. La constitution de ces stocks au niveau des familles était de rigueur dans la société traditionnelle africaine. Avec le passage progressif vers une économie monétaire des échanges, ces stocks ont disparu, rendant la société plus fragile encore aux aléas du climat.
En ce qui concerne l'augmentation de la productivité de l'agriculture, le problème est lié à des fac teurs techniques comme la maîtrise de l'eau, la disponibilité du matériel végétal plus productif, l'augmentation de la puissance de travail des fermiers, etc., mais aussi et surtout ce problème est lié à la détérioration des termes de l'échange au niveau des producteurs. La crise inflationniste mondiale s'est traduite par une augmentation effrénée des prix des produits industriels donc des "inputs" agricoles. Tandis que les prix des produits agricoles ont connu de modestes augmentations, les termes de l'échange se sont davantage détériorés pour les fermiers, rendant ainsi inopérants tous nos efforts d'intensification de l'agriculture. Les engrais, par exemple, sont tout simplement hors de prix pour les fermiers du Sahel. Si les engrais continuent à être utilisés c'est parce que les gouvernements les subventionnent.
Notre gouvernement a entièrement soutenu les résolutions de la session spéciale des Nations Unies sur l'instauration d'un nouvel ordre économique mondial. La production de vivres ne pourra jamais progres ser de façon satisfaisante dans notre pays si la détérioration des termes de l'échange au niveau des fermiers s'accentue. Or, en raison de cette détérioration des termes de l'échange à leur niveau et la projection des iniquités dans les échanges économiques mondiaux concernant la production alimentaire d'origine animale, l'élevage sahêlien éprouve encore, après la forte diminution des effectifs au cours de la sécheresse, de sérieuses difficultés à ravitailler correctement les populations en protéines; les éleveurs pratiquant au maximum la rétention afin de pouvoir reconstituer au plus vite leurs troupeaux.
Cette pratique de rétention, par les éleveurs, a des conséquences fâcheuses sur les prix de la viande et prive ainsi le commerce extérieur de notre pays de l'apport de vivres du secteur bétail/viande. Après trois années d'inondations moyennes, les pêcheries retrouvent petit à petit leur niveau moyen d'activité. Cependant, leur gestion rationnelle, afin de tirer le meilleur parti de toutes leurs possi bilités, reste un problème préoccupant.
Les plaines inondables constituent pour nous une source importante de protéines. La forêt continue à se dégrader sous la double pression de l'agriculture itinérante et de l'urbanisation. La forêt sahê-lienne est mise à contribution de façon insupportable par le phénomène de l'urbanisation amorcé depuis quelques décennies. L'environnement des villes se dégrade à un rythme impressionnant
La fourniture de l'énergie domestique et des matériaux de construction soumet les forêts à faible ré génération à un rythme d'exploitation insupportable. Le résultat en est la rareté, et donc le coût élevé, des produits vitaux pour les familles déshéritées. On a pu écrire sans exagération qu'il coûte aussi cher dans les villes sahéliennes de remplir la marmite que de la faire bouillir.
Depuis la dernière session de la Conférence un événement majeur s'est produit au Sahel. C'est la nais sance, en mars 1976, à Ottawa, du Club du Sahel. Ce Club est un forum de caractère informel ayant pour but de soutenir les efforts de développement des États sahéliens par la recherche de financement de technologies appropriées. Ce Club est ouvert à tous les pays et organisations susceptibles d'apporter aide matérielle et savoir pour la mise en oeuvre des programmes de développement du Sahel. Depuis sa création, le Club a déjà accompli un grand progrès, avec l'aide d'ailleurs massive et compétente, de notre Organisation.
En effet, il a mis sur pied un groupe de travail ayant pour tâche de poser les grandes lignes straté giques d'un programme de developpemenf. à moyen et long terme du Sahel avec l'objectif majeur de l'autosuffisance alimentaire pour la "Région â l'horizon 2000".
Une première génération de projets a fait l'objet d'un examen par le Club, à Ottawa en juin 1977.
Avec votre permission, je voudrais profiter de cette occasion pour lancer un appel à tous les pays amis et organisations internationales compétentes, pour les inviter à joindre leurs efforts â ceux de notre Club afin d'appuyer les actions de développement des pays figurant parmi les 25 pays les plus pauvres du monde.
Je voudrais tout particulièrement inviter notre Directeur général à continuer de donner son appui à toutes les actions mises en place dans le cadre de notre club ,il' object if de l'autosuffisance alimen taire étant un des points essentiels de la tâche de notre Organisation.
H.S. BAR-SHAI (Israël): First of all, I should like to thank the Secretariat for the comprehensive report C 77/2 and the supplements provided, and for the thorough work they have done. I should also like to express our wishes and hopes that IFAD and the World Food Council programme mentioned in the document will, in their way, succeed and contribute towards progress in the production of much required food and towards freedom from hunger.
After analysing the data in C 77/2 and its supplements, there is little doubt that it is of the utmost importance to increase production in order to ensure at least existing world standards of feeding which, for many people, is not very high. Every effort should be made to increase production, be it by investment in the infrastructure in food production, machinery, etc., enlarging the growing areas, utilizing more fertilizers or insecticides; be it by preventing pre- or post-harvest losses and - not least important - inducing continuous research to find high-yielding and higher-yielding varieties suitable for the variable conditions in different areas of the world.
We have also suggested in plenary session the setting up of reserve forecasting centres, so as to overcome what is probably one of the most important obstacles in agriculture. The best forces should be enlisted, through FAO or by other arrangements, to advise where necessary on how to increase crops and yields and how to reduce losses. A campaign to change some of the consumption habits in various parts of the world should also be promoted, which may prove useful in disposing of some over-produced food or crops which can be grown more economically in other areas. May we be strong enough to deal with the growing requirements for food all over the world.
Israël tried to overcome these problems, among other ways and means, by regulating the supplies and prices of the various crops, neutralizing extreme fluctuations through a variety of systems, which we feel can also be applied on an international basis. Thus, we have an annual agreement with growers ensuring minimum prices or income to the growers, or minimum income through their organization or production boards which are managed by both growers and government. There also exists in Israël a central fund covering natural disaster damages which is financed by both farmers and the government. The fruits of our experience and research are applied successfully in Israel and are extended to other countries which are in dire need of any media that would increase their basis of agricultural self supply. We have previously in this Conference offered the arrangement of courses in interested countries on the subject of preventing pre- and post-harvest losses, for example.
If we are to apply our experience on an international basis, it follows that commodity agreements should be arranged in a way that ensures the interests of both growers and consumers and neutralizes the often extreme fluctuations in prices of more or less basic commodities, and which will regulate both the production and consumption of them.
Israel being both grower and importer of more than 2 million tons of foodstuffs will welcome and sup port any constructive international action or agreement designed to regulate supply and prices on an agreed world basis and which will facilitate a reasonable minimum existence to the grower and food prices to the consumer in other places as well.
We would also like to suggest at this point the setting up an international fund covering nature risks which will work with the cooperation of existing insurance companies and banks, both world and regional banks. Such a fund will hopefully give every possible assistance to regions hit by financial disasters. It also should cooperate with similar national or regional insurance funds the establishment of which should greatly be encouraged. This international fund should act in close cooperation also with the World Food Programme. May we suggest the Director-General of FAO should investigate the feasibility of such a fund and enlist the required cooperation of those countries who will be actively involved in the running and management of this fund. Israel is willing to give from its experience in running such a fund and in solving the problem, which would greatly alleviate the problem of natural disasters.
M. ISHAQUE (Bangladesh): It is quite heartening to note from document C 77/2 that the world food and agriculture situation has considerably improved.The information that the carryover stocks by the end of 1976/77 has been 18 percent of the current consumption, which is regarded by the FAO as a safe level for world food security, is very welcome.The document C 77/2 also mentions that serious problems remain, including widespread incidence of hunger and malnutrition among the poorest people. Yes, many problems remain which need to be solved for a peaceful happy community of humanity in our planet.
Before we discuss the methods of agriculturaladjustments in more detail in our Commission under the next item, let me briefly present the situation in my country, Bangladesh.
In this country of 55 thousand square miles with 80 million people and 22 million fertile cultivable acres, floods, storms and other natural calamities visit regularly and leave their deep footprints in the shape of devastation and crop loss with consequent maladies for the people. Yet, in this situation, the enthusiasm of the hardworking Bangladeshi farmers is producing food and other agricultural products for survival and growth. Against the requirement of food grains, the country produces 84 percent and the balance is to be imported with the available carryover stocks in the world, there at least exists a possibility of doing so.That is one way of handling the situation.The other way, the better way, is to produce enough and prevent the loss of already produced quantity.The situation, in this respect, is that we are in a take off stage, thanks to the increasing sympathy, consideration and support of the FAO and the U.N. system and other friendly countries and bodies in this serious endeavour of Bangladesh.
To increase the production of crops, modern technologies, based on seed, fertilizer, pest management and water control are the primary tools and Bangladesh, being aware of it, has embarked upon a massive programme, to use these tools.High-yielding varieties are at present (in 1975/76), grown in 4 million acres. The target is that we shall cover 5.7 million acres in 1979/80 and 12.9 million acres in 1985. This will involve us in investment of US$ 25 million. 30 percent of this will be foreign currency.The different kinds of rice that Bangladesh grows, suiting her agro-climatic situation, presents the problem that no high-yielding varieties are available yet for planting in certain kinds of land.A break-through in researches is necessary to have such varieties, and FAO, in my opinion, should take a hard look in this respect.Such new varieties will not only help Bangladesh but also many other countries with such agro-climatic ecological conditions like that of ours will be benefited.The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute has already made a mark by standing first during the last three consecutive years by developing the best varieties in the region, and I am sore, given the necessary support, the researchers over there can deliver the goods. Excuse-me, Mr. Chairman, for beating my own drum but for quicker results I have given the reference.
Coming back to the programme in Bangladesh, a very important one is water management. Our programme is to bring more land, 4.84 million acres against the present 2.71 million acres, under irrigation and increase the cropping intensity to 250 percent against the present 149 percent. This programme will require an investment of US$ 325.41 million of which 47 percent will be required in foreign exchange. This is a programme already launched and, again, I mention that it is at a take off stage. The programme is bound to be bogged down if continuity of enthusiasm, resources and support is not there. Therefore, it is necessary that serious attention is called for from world bodies to such programmes which are at the take off stage and give us the promise of higher production, accelerated growth and better security through agriculture. I am inviting FAO's leadership, to remove the handicaps that do hinder the progress of such programmes not only in Bangladesh but wherever they are. FAO's involvement for continuity and removing the handicaps is there but further intensification will, I am sure, improve the agricultural situation in the less developed countries at a faster pace.
Production loss both pre-and post-harvest is always there throughout the world, caused predominantly by pests. Pest control, therefore, is one important item of work if we want to make more food and gricultural commodities available for human beings. Concerted and coordinated effort must, therefore, be made with the collaboration of countries that face more or less similar situations. I suggest for the consideration of the FAO the possibility of establishing regional pest control institutes which I consider would be of benefit to all the member countries of the region of similar climatic, cropping and other conditions, and the agriculture situation in these regions will improve.
The less developed countries have to depend upon trade in agricultural commodities, due to fluctuations in prices of such commodities, the less developed countries suffer constantly in respect of production, trade and growth. Therefore, stability in the prices of agricultural commodities is urgently needed to be established.Terms of trade between developed countries and developing countries are gradually making adverse impacts on developing countries.Imports of developed countries fell over the past years continously whereas the imports of developing countries have gradually increased. Consequently most of the developing countries are having balance of payments deficits affecting their strategy, plan and growth. Policies should, therefore, be undertaken which should ensure the market of the developing countries.
Prices of inputs are very important for the developing countries which have embarked upon development programmes. Fluctuations and undue increases very seriously set back the programmes and the plans. Therefore, prices of essential inputs need to be rationalized and kept stable, at least during a pro jected period.
Full nutrition should be the objective of food intake. Therefore, food should mean total food.Solo emphasis on cereals should not, therefore, be given and horticulture should be given importance in all developing countries, in all of which malnutrition is widespread.Bangladesh, I am happy'to say is at a take off stage also in this regard.
Development of fisheries is possible in the developing countries andmy country of rivers, canals, lowland rice lands and the Bay of Bengal, has a tremendous possibility. While we have already undertaken the programmemore international cooperation, supportandcollaboration will not only take us to self-sufficiency in respect of this important protein food but also over to export trade.
Finally, it has been in the minds of many developing countries, that foreign aid has different kinds of strings with it.It will be better to demonstrate that it is not so.
V. STIPETIC (Yugoslavia): The document before us - "The State of Food and Agriculture for 1976/77" with its supplement are the treasures of the facts, marvellously assembled, for which I would like to give to the Secretariat my congratulations. Saying that, I do not like to accept all the conclusions in this document. Many of them are worth discussion, a few of them are in my opinion of dubious value.It is extremely difficult to discuss those statements here with time limits enabling us to discuss only a few subjects which for our respective countries have the main interest.For that reason, Yugoslavia shares the view expressed by the Swiss delegation and others that it would be much more . useful in following Conferences to divide the subject contained in the document on The State of Food and Agriculture into a few items which might enable us to discuss more thoroughly problems of world agriculture.By such method's our discussion would not be a series of monologues as now but dialogues with suggestions and solutions for world food and agriculture problems.
Among those subjects which Yugoslavia would like to see more thoroughly discussed at Conferences to come and especially in this Commission is the question of agricultural trade and access to the market. We regard the existing and growing agrarian protectionism in developed countries represents ah obstacle to the agricultural development in developing countries, especially in those commodities for which those countries have comparative advantages which could not be developed at the moment because
of this growing agrarian protectionism. But this subject is almost missing from the documents before us. We know UNCTAD and GATT are dealing with this problem but Ministers of agriculture,almost one hundred of them,attending this Conference this year, have something to tell on this subject, offering a so much needed solution.
When I mentioned that in the documents there are some statements which ought to be discussed and cleared on this Commission I had in mind primarily the prevailing optimistic position of the report. Let me quote a few of such statements which probably give a general idea. Let us take document C 77/2 on page 3 where there is the following statement. Paragraph 16 says "The generally good production performances in 1975 and 1976 have led to relatively plentiful supplies of most agricultural commodities, especially cereals, and to a considerable improvement in the current world food situation. World food production is now estimated to have risen in 1976 by 4 percent. Production rose by 3 percent in the developing countries following the 5 percent increase in 1975 and by 4 percent in the developed countries where it was the first major increase in three years..." This optimistic mood has been down-graded a bit in the later documents and I would like to quote document C 77/2 Supplement 1 where in paragraph 2 you will find the'following statement: "In July widespread good harvests were in prospect for 1977, although it was already clear that the increases in production were likely to be'smaller than in 1975 and 1976, and that world cereal production would be slightly below the 1976 record. While these prospects are now generally confirmed, FAO's first preliminary world and regional estimates indicate the somewhat disappointing result that world food production rose by only 1.0 to 1.5 percent in 1977..."
In paragraph 3 it says: "If these preliminary figures are confirmed by later more complete data, the increase in food production in 1977 would be less than the growth of population, both in the develop ing countries and in the world as a whole...". But this is always a simple year-by-year analysis. What does the factual situation look like in a rather long-term perspective? Let me analyse the situation in the 1970s only. This cannot be done precisely on the basis of the figures provided in the document, and for such an analysis I have prepared some figures showing what is the real world food and agricultural situation. I will deal with the figures given in document C 77/2 Supplement 2. On page 3 of this document you will find the rates of growth in world and regional agricultural production from 1970 to 1977. Better to say to 1976 and there is an addition for 1977 . I start this analysis by pointing out that the rate of growth for developing countries for the past six years was 2,6 percent. Since we have got the rather disappointing result of 1.5 to 2 percent in 1977, it is quite likely that the rate of growth for seven years is going to be 2.4 percent yearly which is only 60 percent of the rate of growth which was envisaged by the Second Development Decade of the United Nations. But much more serious are the results obtained for the seven-year period when those figures are compared with the rate of growth of population. Africa as such has got for the period between 1970 and 77 the annual rate of growth of agricultural production of only 1 percent yearly and a rate of growth of population for the same period was 2.6 percent yearly. By that, population has outpaced the rate of growth of production considerably. In the Far East the rate of growth of agricultural production is 2.8 percent yearly and the population growth rate is 2.3 percent yearly. In Latin America the rate of growth of population is equal to the rate of growth of agricultural production, namely 2.7 percent yearly. In Asian centrally planned economies, China, the rate of growth of population in those seven years was 1.7 percent and the rate of growth of agricultural production was 2.4 percent yearly. But taking the total for developing countries as a whole, the rate of growth of agricultural production is 2.4 percent and the rate of growth of population 2.6 percent which does not give a basis for the prevailing optimism which was expressed in the document.
As far as developed market economies are concerned, Western Europe has got a rate of growth of agricul tural production of 1.7 percent yearly and the rate of growth of population is only 7 permil yearly. In North America we have got a 2.9 percent rate of growth in agricultural production and a 9 permil rate of growth of population. In Eastern Europe the rate of growth of agricultural production is 2 percent yearly and the rate of growth of population is 9 permil yearly. The total for the developed countries is a rate of growth of agricultural production of 2.1 percent yearly and the rate of growth of population of 9 permil yearly. A slightly better situation for the world as a whole in the 1970s where agricultural production rose by 2.2 percent yearly and the population only by 1.9 percent yearly, is due exclusively to the higher rates of growth of agricultural production in the developed economies. The world as such has failed to obtain the faster rate of growth over population in the developing regions of the world which are so open to hunger and malnutrition.
Now if we take those figures I would like to underline that the world agricultural situation is very vulnerable with a fragile balance between growth of population and food production. There is no need for cheers. We ought to be cautious. The fall in world food prices on the international market is mainly due to the low purchasing power of the hungry and under-fed billions in the world.It is due to the growing debts of developing countries, to their low repayment possibilities and slow progress in establishing a new international economic order, as it was described by the Special Session of the General Assembly of the UN. It is almost unbelievable that in such a situation where the growth of agricultural production is slightly surpassing, if surpassing at all, the rate of growth of population
we have got a decrease in real terms in external assistance to agriculture in developing countries as it was correctly stated in the document which we have got that is document C 77/2 on page 32. In this document in paragraph 110 we see that all official commitments of external assistance to agriculture in 1975 was US$ 5,776,000,000; in 1976 (in current prices) US$ 5,400,000,000 and this is only 60 percent of the aims defined by the Manila Communique of the World Food Council which is called a Pro gramme of Action to eradicate hunger and malnutrition. In this document as well as in the Paris communique on the talks of north/south external resources in the nerghbourhood of US$ 8.3 billion at 1975 prices were called for so that we have got only 60 percent of the level which was placed as a goal for this period.
Finally I would like to add a few words concerned with my own country. Yugoslavia gave to agriculture, in its development plans, a very important role to play. We regard it that we cannot provide the welfare of the people without a considerable increase in our own domestic agricultural production. We consider that the basic prerequisite for stable economic growth is more balanced proportion in the development of agriculture and non-agricultural sector of the national economy. With this basic principle in mind my country favoured agricultural development and obtained a 3.4 percent rate of growth in the past 30 years which gives a 2.5 percent increase in agricultural production calculated on a per capita basis. This tendency continued in recent years. We have obtained a 7 percent increase in agricultural product ion in 1976, 4 percent in 1977. This enabled us to improve considerably the nutrition of the population with a far more balanced diet than ever before in our history. Just to show what we have done I would like to mention that we were producing early in the 1950s only 6 million tons of cereals. Now we are producing approximately 17 millions tons. Per capita production in the 5-year average from 1949 to 1953 used to be 370 kg. per capita. In the past three years it was 760 kg. surpassing 800 kg. in 1977 itself. As can be seen we almost tripled cereal production in the past 25 years, more than doubling cereal production on a per capita basis. We were able to obtain a more or less similar situation in other sectors of agricultural production. Meat consumption in Yugoslavia jumped from 25 kg. per head of population yearly in the early 1950s to 60 kg. nowadays. This is an example of what can and ought to be done in many other developing countries and we would like to see that on the world scale.
K. BEDESTENCI (Turkey): My delegation carefully examined the paper before us C 77/2 and supplements, which deals with food and agriculture.
At the 18th Conference of FAO when we were discussing the state of food and agriculture the situation was not good. Now we are very pleased to hear that the food and agricultural situation has considerably improved. My country is one of those, although many serious problems remain among the developing countries, especially the world's poorest people.
Many speakers before me have already given much detail of the problems of production in the food and agricultural sectors of the economy.
My delegation fully share their views, especially those of my colleagues from Pakistan, who spoke last Friday, and Yugoslvia who spoke today before me.
I must explain that Turkey would like to underline the following policies which are very important for the development of food and agriculture. FAO must inform Member countries about the input availability in the world market as regards price and stocks of fertilizer and pesticides. Secondly, FAO must give more technical aid according to countries' development programmes. In many developing countries the transfer of technology is still inadequate and serious difficulties continue to exist in financing necessary investment in agriculture. In this country, promotion of export of agricultural products is a question that could easily be tackled within the framework of FAO, such as measures to be taken for increasing food production, for its efficient marketing and raising developing countries' share in the global exportation of agricultural products. For that reason, FAO has a role to play in preparing an integrated and coordinated programme of action for developing countries in order to enable them to . improve agricultural production and agricultural exports. Such a plan has never been prepared and integrated.
R. SARAN (India): My delegation has enjoyed reading the material by the Secretariat on the state of food and agriculture for the year 1977. This is very interesting and up-to-date material. Before I deal with the policy issues, let me make a brief comment on the contents of the State of Food and Agriculture document. I appreciate that attention has been given to those agricultural products which have a global or an international angle. I was, however, hoping to acquaint myself with the detailed position on different aspects of items like pulses, oil cakes, jute and spices. I recognize that some of these commodities are important for a number of countries only but, considering the role of those commodities in the economies of those countries, I would suggest that we should be given not only the
up-to-date position in respect of such commodities in the annual State of Food and Agriculture but also a detailed analysis for some of them from time to time. I would particularly refer in this context to pulses. They are the principal source of protein in a country like mine, as also in some other countries. We have been concerned over the fact that their production has remained stagnant in recent years. With the extension of irrigation and the introduction of high-yielding varieties of cereals like wheat, the area under pulses has contracted. Being irrigated crops, the fields of pulses per hectare is also low. The per capita availability of pulses has gone down.
We have recently taken a number of steps, including the raising of the minimum support price by over 30 percent, but we would like to have a complete study made by FAO about the differentials in yields in different countries, the factors contributing to these differentials, the likely level of interna tional prices, the likely magnitude of export availabilities, etc. Also, we would like this study to deal with possible measures for increasing the production of pulses. After the study has been completed, the countries concerned might be assisted in developing and implementing a programme of action for pulses.
A similar analysis might also be undertaken for oilseeds, which are an important source of fats and whose production is subject to considerable fluctuations.
In regard to policy issues, I would be mostly repeating what a number of delegations have already said. In fact, the delegation of Yugoslavia dealt with the subject in such great detail that I find it difficult to say more than what he has already said.In any case, as is customary, I shall deal with some of the policy issues in order that my views are registered in this Commission. I might add that the leader of the Indian delegation, the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation of India has already referred to a number of policy issues in his statement in the Plenary.
It is a matter of gratification that after having suffered from economic crisis created by stagnation in production and the sharp rise in prices during the years 1972 to 1974, the world community has heaved a sigh of relief since 1975. Food and agricultural production has witnessed an improvement in the last three years with good moisture and soil prospects for the early crops of 1978 also appear to be good. But this is not the complete picture. There are certain disquieting trends which we cannot afford to ignore. Many delegations have referred to them, but let me reiterate them.
First, in the developing countries the rate of increase in food and agricultural production has gone down year after year since 1975. We have the data available in document C 77/2-Sup.2.There is no doubt that the area under high-yielding varieties and fertilizer consumption have significantly increased in the last three years, contributing to a continually rising trend in production, but it is also true that weather continues to exert a strong influence on agricultural output.
Secondly, over the longer period, 1971-1976, the rate of increase in agricultural production remained below the rate of increase recorded in the previous decade.
Thirdly, all the developing countries have not shared equally in the growth of production and the gap between the MACs and the least developed countries and those in the other developing market economies has widened considerably.
These broad conclusions are indicative of the imperative need for making much greater efforts towards raising agricultural productivity. Assured and better yields are possible by extending irrigation to large areas, and this involves huge investment which must be provided. Yields can be further increased if larger areas are brought under high-yielding varieties, fertilizer consumption is stepped up and plant protection measures adopted on an increasing scale.It is unfortunate that the strengthening of demand for fertilizers, particularly from the developing countries, has led to an upward pressure of prices in recent months.Such a trend in prices must be reversed or at least curbed in the interests or achieving sustained increases in production in the developing countries.This also brings out the need for creating adequate production capacity for fertilizers and other inputs within developing countries.
The relative easening in the food situation which we witness today is partly attributable to the replenishment of stocks in the world.We ourselves now have a sizeable stock of cereals.These stocks have brought a certain measure of stability on the food front.I would urge that the world community should not take any measures which might have the effect of bringing down the stocks at the global level, In fact, the present situationgives us the opportunity to set aside a part of supplies for the purpose of stockbuilding, so that not only are prices stabilized now but also supplies and prices are maintained m the future, even when crops fail because of widespread drought or other natural calamities.
The level of total stock and the reserve stock also to be internationally coordinated should also be adequate to serve the objective of food security. All countries, developing and developed, should continue their efforts towards increased and augumented food production to ensure continuity of supply, to avoid a food production shortage resulting from failure of crops and to sustain a steady expansion of consumption, particularly in the developing countries.
My country, and I believe other developing countries too, is ready to participate in a scheme of national reserves to be internationally coordinated, but developing countries are not able to bear the cost involved in acquiring and holding such stocks. They have to be assisted suitably to enable them to maintain national reserves.
We have noted that the Committee on World Food Security has recommendedthat the objectives and main elements of the international undertaking on world food securiuy should be reflected in the new International Grains Agreement. It is understood that this recommendation of the Committee has been forwarded to the International Wheat Council for necessary action.FAO should take a continuing
interest in the implementation of this recommendation, particularly so far as it concerns developing countries.
We have noted also that some progress has been made in receiving commitments towards the international emergency reserve of 500 000 tonnes of cereals. We should urge all .member countries to pledge as much cereals as they can so that the target of 500 000 tonnes may be obtained in the shortest possible period, in the interests of promoting an important element of world food security.
It is unfortunate that food aid in recent years has remained below the minimum level of 10 million tonnes of cereals recommended by the World Food Conference. Our suggestion is that food aid should be provided not only for current consumption but also to improve the nutritional standards of the under nourished and malnourished peoples of the developing countries.To assure continuity of supplies, the International Grains Agreement should include a food aid convention providing for food aid of at least 10 million tons a year.
Before I conclude may I join others in expressing the need for augmenting the flow of external resources consistant with the estimated requirement of $ 8.3 billion at 1975 prices, which comes close to a figure of $ 10 billion at prices prevailing in 1977. It is regretted that the value of develop ment assistance at $ 5.4 billion in 1976 was less than that in 1975 and the terms of lending had hardened. Unless adequate funds are available on soft terms, the prospects of achieving the 4 percent rate of growth will remain poor.
An account of international trade as presented by the Secretariat gives the impression that the developing market economies as a whole have been beneficiaries in the expanded value of world trade in agricultural products, but even in this case the most affected countries have not been able to keep pace with other countries.It appears to me that these countries have been encountering several barriers and relatively unstable and low prices for a number of commodities.For example, the terms of trade of commodities like tea and jute have been susceptible to large. fluctuations.
The Secretariat may do well to make a study of the commodities exported by this group of commodities in relation to those exported by others and suggest suitable measures for amelioration.
I am glad that the International Sugar Agreement has been concluded. Perhaps similar or arbitrary approaches in the case of other agricultural commodities, particularly those exported from MSA countries would help to improve their export earnings from agricultural commodities.
Lastly, I would like to support the suggestion made by the delegate of Switzerland about the procedures for discussion in this meeting. A similar suggestion was also made by the delegate of Yugoslavia. It would be good to have a general discussion and then a detailed discussion item by item. That will facilitate consideration of the different items in detail and focus attention on the issues wich remain loosely discussed in this type of debate that we are having.Of course the Secretariat might consider.a proper catalogue of subjects under which the discussion might take place.But the idea is good and we suggest that in the interests of having sufficient time for discussion, and also so as not to allow delegates to have an easy time during it we should have an item-by-item detailed discussion.
A.K. OSUBAN (Uganda):In view of the wide coverage already given to the subject of this Commission's discussions by the various delegations here, I should like to limit my commets to only one aspect. This is the International Fertilizer Supply Scheme.
The provision of fertilizers to developing countries through the Scheme is a very welcome trend. My delegation would like to thank all the donor countries for their generosity and appreciation of the problems of procurement of production imputs in the developing countries in view of the foreign exchange constraints. While the donor countries should be at liberty to decide whether or not to offer any donation that is voluntarily donated, FAO should be given sufficient discretion as the executing agency in the distribution of such donations.There is a feeling in some quarters that the operation of the International Fertilizer Supply Scheme leaves much to be desired.
The whole essence of organizations like the FAO is to transcend political and other barriers and engender international cooperation for the common good of the world community. When some donor countries therefore continue to strictly tie their donations they are directly negating the very spirit for which FAO exists. Therefore my delegation wishes to call upon the donor countries which insist on tying their donations to ease their controls and give FAO a freer hand to determine the recipients of such aid according to the priority list which it draws up. That is the view of my delegation.
B. de AZEVEDO BRITO (Brazil): Perhaps because I have the privilege to be the last one I can be brief and benefit from all the collective experience and knowledge which was so profuse at this Commission before. In fact, I do not have too much to say at this stage of the debate.
First, as the Group of 77 at the time of the Council, we have already warned our members of FAO of the fact that the situation and the immediate prospects in 1977 and the current year not at all bright. Therefore actual care should be exercised in order to avoid a deterioration of the world food situation.
That being said, first I would like to refer to the statement made in the Plenary by the head of my delegation, in which we tried to portray and summarize the Brazilian efforts to contribute somehow within our resources to greater availablity of food in the world. That being said, I would like very briefly to refer to the actual situation now.
I do not think I need to turn to facts and figures. Many delegates, for instance the delegate of Yugoslavia, gave quite a cogent indication of what the real situation is. I think it is clear that if the years 1970-74 were quite difficult in terms of low production - agricultural food production in particular - 1975/76 showed some improvement; and now again the immediate prospects for 1977 in the coming months are not at all satisfactory. I think just two figures perhaps are enough to underline this situation: the fact that in the developing world from 1970-1974 food availability per capita decreased from a rate of minus 0.6 percent, the fact that the prospects for 1977 are equal to a negative result per capita, in this case both for the developing and the Third World, show even more that the situation is not at all brilliant.Beyond that, if we take into consideration the regional disparities, then there is even more reason for concern.For instance in document C 77/2-Sup. 1 in terms of food production one sees that the percentage growth in food production and population growth one sees really that there is no reason for complacency at this stage. Perhaps there are other elements, however, which are equally important and somehow reflect this situation.
First, a growing dependence of developing countries taken as a whole of course, on food imports with a consequential increase in the weight of food imports in their balance of payments. That is one point of concern obviously. If the situation was slightly improved in 1975/76, again, as I indicated before, the prospects for 1977 are not at all brilliant with the prospect of the heavier dependence on food aid in a number of regions.That is of course not at all satisfactory.
In terms of food security, again it is useful to be reminded that we are far from the levels, let us say, of 1969 when, if my figures are correct, we had roughly 23 percent of world food consumption in terms of grains. We probably by now have barely between 17 and 18 percent.That means that we are living from one crop to another in global terms.
If one sees the prospects in terms of nutritional levels, the indication is that something like 100 million people will be undernourished in 1985.It is another indication that the trends are not at all satisfactory.
In terms of prices to the consumer, again we see the same trend of a negative result.
I believe that this Commission of the Conference should analyse and review those data with the purpose first of dialogue and, secondly, in order to come to clear conclusions and recommendations. First it is reasonable that this assessment of the world food situation suggests that once again each country, and each developing country in particular, should renew its priorities in terms of agricultural food production.That presupposes a number of support policies for food production.
Also a real effort must be made together with those production policies to estimate consumption, in other words to realize the potential demand. That is important. However, it is useless to speak about recommendations to developing countries to increase their own production if there is not a favourable external environment. What that external environment is, is clear. First, the transfer of adequate resources. Here the data we have before are not at all satisfactory. A moment ago the delegate of India referred to it.
In 1976 official aid resources in current terms diminished. From 5.7 billion in 1975 we had less than five - barely that - 4.7 billion in 1976. There is therefore a negative trend in terms of resources. This trend is even more serious if one takes into account the conditions of lending, underlined by previous speakers. It is needless to point out that it is not only a question of seeing what level of resources are available - external resources in support of developing countries for food and agricultural production - it is the conditions. In other words, we will have a situation of growing deficit in developing countries and that is inacceptable. Therefore it is necessary to attach much greater importance to the actual terms in which resources are being transferred to developing countries. Equally more effective technological transfer to developing countries is necessary in order to raise productivity.
Also, it is necessary that the external environment to which I referred should provide adequate conditions of access to markets, since in most parts of the developing world our food and agriculture production needs the stimulus of the external demand of the developed markets. Therefore, we cannot but see - as we indicated in plenary session during the general debate - with growing concern the fact that we are living more and more in a world of increasing constraints in terms of market losses; instead of improvements, we have negative results.
I make these observations - which I know my colleagues who have spoken earlier also mentioned -just to emphasize a few points of general lines of analysis which should suggest to us very clear recommendations by our Nineteenth FAO Conference, so that we will not be confronted with the situation, as we were in 1974, when emergency action had to be called instead of orderly, timely action which should start right now in order to prevent a deterioration of the world food situation.
I say that by referring to the statement of my own delegation at the beginning of our observations about our own efforts to respond to these requirements for increased production in the world. On our side, we are making as large a contribution as possible to make food available in the world in larger amounts. In that way we feel that at this stage we can contribute to world food security.
To conclude, I should like to indicate that my delegation would very much like to discuss and hear proposals to make more effective this debate on the food and agriculture situation. We believe that this debate is very important; it is a very important point of reference for our planners, and probably should be the central theme of the Conference in such a way that other action which is taken should reflect the policy conclusions which follow the analysis of the facts, and we must than the Secretariat for very thorough and informative material which we believe is extremely useful.
EL PRESIDENTE: Señores, no tenemos más oradores en nuestra lista, de manera que si no hay otros delegados que deseen intervenir sobre este tema, quizá el Sr. Subdirector General Jefe del Departa mento de Política Económica y Social, Dr. Islam quiera hacer algún comentario en relación con las exposiciones que hemos oído durante el debate.
N. ISLAM (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department):I am very thankful that the documentation prepared by my colleagues has been well received, and that our overall assessment of the situation has been generally endorsed. I will not try to sum up the debate; I will merely refer to points raised in the discussions in this Commission relating to the analysis of our report as well as to the information supplied in the report. I will confine my comments to a few specific points and provide some clarifications.
On the first of these specific points, several delegates commented that the overall data in terms of trade in Table 12 of document C 77/2 hide the disparities between different commodities and also the fluctuations that have occurred. In fact, the commodities that have recorded improvements in terms of trade are mainly confined to tropical beverages, fish, vegetable oils, oil seeds and hides and skins, and most others have suffered stagnation or decline. Our work on the terms of trade is being further developed, and both the final report on the State of Food and Agriculture and future reports will con tain more detail in terms of commodity breakdown/in terms of trade.
As regards information requested by the delegate of Iran, an analysis of the international price relation ships between fertilizers and food and other products has already been presented to the FAO Fertilizer Commission, and further work is being planned in this area.
I was most grateful for the additional explanations and more up-to-date information given by the dele gate of the United States and my colleagues have availed themselves of his offer to answer further questions. The estimates he mentioned for both US and USSR cereal production are, in fact, those we need in calculating the index numbers in document C 77/2 Sup.2 We have noted the corrected figures for the use of cereals in 1977/78, and also that it is only the set-aside for coarse grains and not for wheat which is subject to review next January and February. The estimate in paragraph 50 of docu ment C 77/2 Sup.1 of the likely effect of the set-aside programme on production was not an FAO estima te but was based on an earlier US Department of Agriculture statement, and we have noted the revised estimate given by the delegate.
A number of delegates requested that FAO should identify and quantify the relative roles of government programmes and recent increases in production. This is something which has been raised earlier at several sessions of the governing bodies, and we should very much like to be able to do it. However, aspointed out by the delegate of Ireland, there are many practical difficulties. Detailed analysis are needed at the country level, and we would be pleased to discuss with interested countries how best, to carry them out.
Relating to the comments on the general state of food and agriculture situation and the distinction we must make between various countries' regions as well as between the short- and long-term trends, .1 agree with delegates' comments that the short-term improvement should not make us complacent or forget the lor.g-term trends in food production which are far from satisfactory.
In this connection I may refer to the beginning of our summary and assessment in document C 77/2 where we, in fact, mention these thoughts.
A number of countries,have called for information on the nutritional situation, and the delegate of Switzerland pointed out that it is not very closely related to the agricultural production situation, nor necessarily a function entirely of increase in output. A good deal of new information will be available in the Fourth World Food Survey which is now in the press, and we hope to be able to keep this up-to-date in the future.
The delegate of India referred to the need for analysis of a few additional commodities, and we will do our best to respond to this suggestion, but in this connexion I would like to point out that FAO is currently organising an expert consultation on grains, legumes, pulses, in Mysore, India, covering world production and trade and other related problems. A paper by FAO is being presented giving all the information requested by the Indian delegate. Pulses are also covered in the outlook statements of FAO Food Information System. About oil seeds, I might mention that they are covered in the meetings and papers of the Intergovernmental Committee on Oilseeds, Fats and Oi]s, and also they are covered in the monthly publication of FAO Food Information System.
Several delegates have referred to the insufficient coverage of trade in the documentation, and the delegate of Argentina has referred to the absence of the specific item on commodities and trade in the agenda of the Commission. This was repeated by a few other delegates. I may mention here that this has not impeded a great deal of discussion of trade problems in this Commission on this item of the agenda. I may also remind you of the revised and updated information on trade contained in document C 77/2 Sup.1.
Specific comments by several delegates referred to the earlier incomplete information in document C 77/2 itself, and I agree with them that it is misleading to suggest that increased earnings from fishery and forest production in any way offset the lower export earnings of the developing countries from crop and livestock products.I should also add here that the document on international agricul tural adjustment provides the more extensive analysis of a number of trade policy issues such as stability of prices and access to markets. Hopefully, these will be covered in the discussions on that agenda item tomorrow.
The delegate of Hungary made a number of specific comments. These referred to the printed Report of the State of Food and Agriculture 1976 which was Issued some time ago. It was based on the latest 'information available in 1976, which in some cases referred only to the year 1975. Of course, we accept these corrections concerning the effect of meat policy and the policy changes taking place in the centrally planned economies.
The delegates from Switzerland, Yugoslavia and India made some interesting suggestions about the arrangement for Conference's discussion on the world food and agriculture situation. They have suggested that in addition to the usual general discussion there should also be discussion on the basis
of experience of different countries of specific topics, of which they proposed several. To some extent the Conference arrangements already make provision for this to be done, and I could cite, for example, in this Commission the discussion on the prevention of food losses. I am sure the Director-General will be glad to consider the tppics suggested by the delegates for discussion at future sessions.
The delegate of Rumania commented on the country classification used in the documentation. Here we follow the classification used by the United Nations. This classification, however, is under review, and we should be glad to draw attention in this review to the views of the countries concerned.
Finally, I have not referred to the many suggestions for improvement in weather forecasting and for an account of the conclusions of the recent meetings jointly held by the FAO and WMO. With your permission, I will leave this to Mr. Freré of the Agriculture Department.
A number of suggestions have also been made of a programme nature in the course of discussions, such as the suggestion for an international fund for insuring against natural disasters, regional pest control institutes, and extending the programme of assistance to the Sahelian, countries. The Secretariat has taken note of them and will study their implications.
M. FRERË (FAO Staff): The question has been raised regarding the improvement of weather forecasting and the possible involvement of FAO in these questions. I would like first to point out that the question of weather forecasting is purely a question of competence of the World Meteorological Organization. I know this Organization is putting much effort in its present programme to solve this question and is certainly aware of the requirements of agriculture.
On a slightly different field, I would like to mention here that FAO and WMO are pursuing together a programme for the improvement of Agro-Meteorology forecasting, that is, forecasting of crop yields at a certain moment of the growing season based on the meteorological conditions based on the past period -of the season and normally expected weather conditions to harvest time. An example of this is provided by the analysis we have done together with the Commodities Division and the Statistics Division on the monitoring of crop production in the Sahelian Zone. This has been done for the second year, and the results we have obtained in the crop assessment using very simple analyses of meteorological data have proved very encouraging. We are developing such kinds of advice to member countries, and I wish to tell you that presently my assistant is in Ethiopia to analyse what has been done in this field in the country and try to find improvements to his methods.
Other countries have already requested, FAO to give such kinds of advice.In this regard I wish also to mention that at the beginning of 1977 an agreement in these terms has passed between FAO and WMO.
I wish to mention on the same subject that a resolution to emphasize cooperation at national level bet ween the meteorological services and the agricultural services has been passed by Commission II of this Conference.
Finally I want to come to the technical conference recently held in Rome between FAO and WMO on the benefits of meteorology. The scope of that meeting was to get together specialists from the field of meteorology and potential users of this information. The meeting explained in great detail many of the possible and actual applications of meteorological information to the improvement of agricultural production. One of the conclusions of the meeting was that in general at national level there was not enough cooperation between meteorological and agricultural services towards the use of simple informa tion to improve agricultural production forecasts and other related subjects.
EL PRESIDENTE: Gracias, Dr. Frere. Pregunto si hay algunos comentarios adicionales a las respuestas que nos han dado los Doctores Islam y Frere. Bien, si no hay otros comentarios, yo creo que podemos dar por concluido el debate en relación con el tema 6 de nuestra Agenda.
Yo he tomado nota de las observaciones y los comentarios que han hecho las delegaciones que han inter venido y voy a tratar, a través de esas notas, de señalar cuáles, a mi juicio, han sido las tendencias principales que se han observado en el debate. En primer lugar, quizá conviene recordar que nos hemos ocupado sobre las principales tendencias y políticas en materia de agricultura y alimentación, conforme con lo que dispone el Reglamento General de la Organización y que para ello hemos contado con el docu mento que llamamos ''mini-SOFA'' y con dos suplementos con cifras actualizadas. Además de todos los datos y todas las informaciones que contienen esos documentos, creo que tanto la Secretaría como todos nosotros hemos podido ilustrar nuestros conocimientos con la valiosa información que hemos recibido de las delegaciones intervinientes.
En el debate han intervenido 46 delegaciones y aun cuando me doy cuenta de que un análisis cuantitativo no siempre refleja el interés que este tema pudo despertar en las delegaciones, sino que ese análisis cuantitativo está complementado con un análisis cualitativo de cuanto se ha dicho, creo que este numero reducido de intervenciones, que es poco más de un tercio de los Estados Miembros que asisten a nuestras deliberaciones, pone de manifiesto que quizá son atinadas algunas observaciones que se han formulado en relación con la forma en que podrían encararse los debates sobre este tema en la próxima Conferencia; es decir, partir de un debate general sobre la situación de la Agricultura y la alimentación en el mun do y luego localizar la discusión en algunos aspectos específicos de interés general, o de interés pa ra todos los países, con la información detallada sobre algunos productos que tengan interés general, interés para todos los países.
Creo asimismo que, a través de las intervenciones, ha quedado ratificada una de las principales conclu siones del documento básico que hemos utilizado para este debate y es que, aunque la situación mundial de la agricultura y la alimentación ha mejorado, subsisten muchos problemas que yo calificaría -como creo que la delegación italiana lo hizo- como problemas endémicos, queriendo reflejar con esta palabra el carácter permanente de estos problemas, algunos de ellos de naturaleza estructural, que se reflejan en la extendida difusión todavía del hambre y la malnutrición entre los sectores más pobres del mundo.
Igualmente se ha puesto de manifiesto que, aunque la situación ha mejorado, las perspectivas para el futuro no son satisfactorias, ni brillantes, particularmente en la zona del Sahel, como lo han indicado la delegación de Malí y otras. Frente a ello,cabe insistir en que una mejora en la producción es nece saria, porque quizá la situación que analizamos ahora es coyuntural, más que estructural y permanente. Por ello esta mejora que hemos apreciado no debe llevar ni a los Gobiernos ni a las organizaciones in ternacionales a disminuir los esfuerzos para lograr una mejora sustancial y estable en la situación agrícola y alimentaria en el mundo.
Hay además que prever desde ahora la eventualidad de que puedan repetirse situaciones graves de escasez, como las que tuvimos que vivir en el ano 74, por ejemplo. Esta necesidad de continuar con los esfuer zos, queda demostrada no sólo por las cifras que hemos visto en los documentos y por los comentarios adicionales que efectuó el Director General en su intervención aquí en el seno de la Primera Comisión, sino también a nivel mundial y especialmente entre los países en desarrollo.
Los aumentos en la producción agrícola y de alimentos en el año 77 no han acompañado al crecimiento de la población. Además, el aumento del valor de las exportaciones de productos agrícolas no ha sido su ficiente para contrarrestar las necesidades de divisas extranjeras para el desarrollo. A ello cabe agregar que los países más afectados continúan teniendo serias dificultades en sus pagos con el exterior.
Se han citado también los problemas fundamentales en la inestabilidad de los precios de los productos básicos, las barreras que se presentan al desarrollo del comercio y la competencia de los materiales, de los productos básicos naturales, que quedan aun sin resolverse.
Hay otro hecho que todos hemos observado y es que cuando los grandes productores logran abundantes co sechas, los precios dejan de ser remunerativos y ello desalienta a los agricultores; y mientras que, cuando los grandes productores no tienen buenas cosechas, la rigidez del hambre y la malnutrición se hace más insidiosa, porque los alimentos faltan y los precios suben a nivel que los países más pobres difícilmente pueden absorber.
Este panorama nos lleva a reafirmar la necesidad de promover acuerdos sobre productos que tiendan en la medida de lo posible a lograr una estabilización en los precios, en la producción y en los mercados. Nos obligan, además, a trabajar en favor de un sistema de seguridad alimentaria mundial, a trabajar en favor de la canalización de inversiones hacia el sector agrícola, particularmente en los países en vías de desarrollo; a promover una activa transferencia de tecnología entre los países en desarrollo, a fa vorecer la capacitación del personal local, a favorecer un uso más racional de tierras y recursos, a facilitar el mayor y más adecuado uso de fertilizantes y pesticidas por parte de los países en desa rrollo, a trabajar por la liberalización de los mercados y en definitiva a continuar con los esfuerzos en favor de los aumentos de la producción y de la productividad de la agricultura y la alimentación.
La responsabilidad de la realización de estos esfuerzos debe caer sobre toda la comunidad internacional, para lo cual es necesario continuar con la promoción de la cooperación internacional y del sentido de solidaridad internacional. Por cierto, que ello no debe reemplazar los esfuerzos que deben realizar los propios países en desarrollo, a quienes cabe la responsabilidad principal en relación con sus pro pios recursos en favor de un mejoramiento de su situación agrícola y alimentaria. El rol principal de la FAO en este campo ha sido unánimemente reconocido por las delegaciones que han intervenido, no sólo como Organización que debe mantener bajo permanente examen las causas del lento desarrollo de la agri cultura y la alimentación, sino también como Organización que debe promover la cooperación internacio nal y dar orientaciones de política, tanto a nivel nacional como internacional, y por ultimo estar ca pacitada para dar respuestas prontas y efectivas a los requerimientos de los países Miembros.
Existen también, según se ha dicho aquí, otros foros, de instituciones internacionales, a quienes com pete la responsabilidad de apoyar los esfuerzos que la comunidad internacional y los países realizan para erradicar el hambre y la malnutrición. En tal sentido se ha citado al FIDA, al Consejo Mundial de la Alimentación, a la UNCTAD y al GATT.
El caso del GATT y de UNCTAD creo que tiene particular importancia, porque se ha hecho mención, entre las causas que retardan al desarrollo de la agricultura y la alimentación, a las políticas proteccionistas que crean barreras que obstaculizan el desarrollo del comercio.
Estas son, a mi juicio, las principales tendencias que he podido apreciar de todas las intervenciones que he escuchado, que son 46. Por cierto que este resumen persigue solamente orientar, si cabe, al Co-mite de Redacción, pero en modo alguno lo obliga. Pregunto si hay comentarios adicionales a cuanto he dicho.
Señores: si no hay comentarios adicionales, ustedes habrán visto que la tribuna hoy fue frecuentemente visitada-por funcionarios de la Secretaría, que nos venían a pedir que insistiéramos en la necesidad de que las delegaciones aquí presentes trataran de conformar el quorum en la Sala del Plenario, donde se analiza el Informe de la II Comisión en lo que se refiere al aumento del numero de puestos en el Consejo.
En consecuencia, aun cuando tendríamos una hora más de tiempo para pasar al próximo tema de nuestra Agenda, que se refiere a los Progresos Realizados en el Reajuste Agrícola Internacional, voy a levan tar la sesión para posibilitar que ustedes puedan asistir a la Sala del Plenario; y anuncio ya que mañana, a las 9.30 continuaremos con el próximo tema de nuestra Agenda, que se refiere a Progresos Realizados en el Reajuste Agrícola Internacional, cuyo documento es el C 77/20.
The meeting rose at 16.35 hours.
La séance est levée à 16 h 35.
Se levanta la sesión a Ias 16.35 horas.
