Roumanie, India, New Zealand, Sudan, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Pakistan, Maroc, Norway, Czechoslovakia
EL PRESIDENTE: Señoras y señoree delegados, vamos a continuar en la mañana de hoy con la lista de oradores que desean participar en el debate general.
A. ROGAJANU (Roumanie) (interprétation du roumain): Monsieur le Président, permettez-moi tout d'abord de m'associer aux délégués qui m'ont précédé pour exprimer au nom de la délégation roumaine nos félicitations pour votre élection en tant que Président de la vingtième session de la Conférence de la FAO. Je voudrais également adresser mes félicitations cordiales à toutes les personnalités qui ont été élues Vice-Présidents de notre Conférence. Nous sommes confiants que sous votre direction, étant connue votre activité aussi bien au niveau national qu'international dans le domaine de l'agriculture, les travaux de la réunion aboutiront à un succès, avec la collaboration active de toutes les délégations.
Je saisis cette occasion pour adresser une chaleureuse bienvenue aux nouveaux Membres de l'Organisation, le Samoa occidental et la République dominicaine. Leur activité au sein de la FAO sera d'une très grande importance.
La vingtième Conférence générale de la FAO a lieu dans une période où le monde est confronté à une série de problèmes complexes dont la solution doit être trouvée sans délai si nous voulons un climat de compréhension, de paix et de sécurité dans le monde.
Tout d'abord, je voudrais souligner que les phénomènes de sous-développement ne sont pas seulement persistants, mais que les décalages qui existent entre les pays en voie de développement et les pays développés continuent de s'accentuer. La situation de l'agriculture et de la production alimentaire en est un exemple particulièrement approprié.
Comme l'a fait récemment remarquer le Président de mon pays, M. Nicolas Ceausescu, continuer à accepter ces différences constitue une cause permanente de la détérioration des relations inter-Etats, de l'instabilité économique du monde, des phénomènes de crise qui, à leur tour, ont des conséquences négatives pour l'évolution de tous les pays et pour la vie internationale dans son ensemble.
C'est pour cette raison que l'élimination du sous-développement devrait constituer l'un des principaux objectifs de notre temps.
Comme il a été mentionné dans les documents préparée par le Secrétariat de la FAO, tout particulièrement dans le document C 79/2 de même que dans le discours de Monsieur le Directeur général M. Edouard Saouma, la situation alimentaire du monde ne s'est pas améliorée par rapport à 1978. La production agricole a même été encore plus faible en 1979· un grand nombre de peuples continuent à se trouver dans des conditions de malnutrition. A notre avis, ce problème ne peut être résolu qu'en intensifiant les efforts en vue d'établir un nouvel ordre économique international, caractérisé par de nouvelles relations de justice et d'équité, qui assurerait un développement économique accéléré, en particulier pour les pays en voie de développement.
Eh ce qui concerne l'alimentation et l'agriculture, nous considérons, comme nous l'avons déjà dit en d'autres occasions, que les prémisses de base pour éliminer à jamais la faim et la malnutrition et pour assurer la sécurité alimentaire mondiale résident dans l'accroissement substantiel de la production agricole, tout particulièrement dans les pays en voie de développement.
Comme il ressort de notre expérience et de celles d'autres pays, atteindre cet objectif demande tout d'abord des efforts soutenue de la part de tous les pays en voie de développement eux-mêmes et l'utilisation au maximum de leurs ressources matérielles et humaines.
C'est la raison pour laquelle la Roumanie, pays socialiste en voie de développement, a fait et continue à faire de très grands efforts pour assurer un développement rapide de tous les plans de l' économie, y compris celui d'une agriculture moderne, en lui accordant un pourcentage important de son revenu national.
Permettez-moi de vous donner ici un très bref tableau de la situation de notre agriculture en 1979 basè sur les données dont nous disposons.
Nous estimons que la récolte de céréales de cette année sera de 20 millions de tonnes, c'est-à-dire supérieure à celle que nous avons obtenue l'an dernier. Nous avons obtenu de bons résultats pour la récolte de maïs: ce sont les plus importants rendements qui ont été enregistrés dans l'histoire de notre pays. Nous avons également eu de bons résultats pour les légumes, les fruits, les raisins. Dans le secteur de l'élevage, des accroissements importants de la production de viande et d'autres produits ont été obtenus. La production agricole à laquelle nous sommes arrivés cette année nous permet de donner à notre population des produits agro-alimentaires en quantités suffisantes pour faire face à nos besoins du point de vue économique national et d'avoir en plus certaines quantités destinées à l'exportation.
En dépit de ces bons résultats, nous sommes loin des productions obtenues dans les pays développés. Nous porterons une grande attention et nous intensifierons nos efforts dans le domaine de l'agriculture.
A cet égard, j'aimerais souligner certains des objectifs principaux pour le développement de l'agriculture dans notre pays pour l'année 1990·
Dans le programme de développement, nous nous sommes fixés l'objectif d'une plus grande productivité agricole. Nous voulons augmenter le revenu national et le bien-être de notre peuple. L'industrie chimique produit 290 kilos d'engrais en substances actives à l'hectare, de môme qu'elle produire les produits nécessaires pour toute l'agriculture. Les régions qui seront irriguées atteindront en 1990, 4,5 à 5 millions d'hectares, que l'on peut comparer aux 10 millions d'hectares de terres labourées. Nous accorderons une place très importante aux céréales qui, en 1990, atteindront une production de 26 à 30 millions de tonnes, comparée aux 20 millions de tonnes de 1979· priorité sera accordée au développement du secteur de l'élevage. Sa part représentera, en 1990, environ 50 pour cent de la production agricole totale.
Convaincue de l'importance décisive de l'effort de tous les pays pour résoudre les problèmes alimen-
,taires dans les pays en voie de développement, la Roumanie est consciente de l'importance de ce
problème et de la contribution que peut apporter à cet égard la coopération internationale et l'appui accordé aux pays en voie de développement par les organisations internationales, en premier lieu par la FAO, de même que par les pays développés.
Nous considérons que les efforts remarquables réalisés au cours des dernières années par la FAO, comme il résulte entre autres des programmes concrets pour les pays en voie de développement, tels que le programme de coopération technique, le programme pour empêcher les pertes alimentaires et le programme nouvellement proposé ZEE, devraient être intensifiés au cours des années à venir par des actions et des mesures tendant à augmenter la production agricole et de produits alimentaires dans les pays en voie de développement.
De telles actions devraient, à notre avis, porter tout particulièrement sur la construction et l'utilisation de moyens de production et de techniques modernes dans l'agriculture et l'industrie alimentaire. Elles devraient également faciliter l'accès libre et sans limites des pays en voie de développement aux technologies modernes agro-zootechniques; planifier de façon rationnelle et utiliser au mieux les ressources internes en augmentant le potentiel productif des terres ayant une faible productivité; introduire sur une large échelle des variétés de plantes hybrides et procéder à une sélection animale en tenant compte des conditions climatiques; diminuer les pertes de récoltes; développer les industries agro-alimentaires; établir des centres régionaux, sous-régionaux et interrégionaux pour la formation de personnel aux niveaux moyen et plue élevé; établir des centres de recherche scientifique aux niveaux régional et inter-régional; utiliser les ressources financières afin d'accélérer la coopération entre pays en voie de développement; opérer des réformes de structure sociale et augmenter la participation des femmes et des jeunes dans les villages dans le processus de développement rural; assurer un libre accès aux marchés agricoles des pays développée de la part des pays en voie de développement; établir des relations équitables entre les prix des produits agricoles et ceux des produits manufacturés.
Toutes ces mesures devraient, à notre avis, être conçues comme faisant partie d'une nouvelle stratégie internationale du développement qui sera adoptée lors de la prochaine session spéciale de 1980 de l'Assemblée générale des Nations Unies consacrée au Nouvel ordre économique international.
Nous sommes particulièrement heureux de voir que cette approche a prévalu au sein de la FAD lorsqu'elle a élaboré le document C 79/24 sur l'agriculture vers l'an 2000, qui est la contribution de l'Organisation à l'établissement de la nouvelle stratégie internationale pour le développement.
Nous aimerions féliciter le secrétariat de la FAO pour l'excellent travail qu'il a réalisé en mettant à notre disposition ce document. On peut voir ainsi la préoccupation de l'Organisation d'intensifier les causes réelles qui ont conduit à la situation alimentaire et agricole actuelle, et les efforts qu'elle a réalisés pour élaborer sur cette base des propositions concrètes pour l'avenir. Eh tenant compte du fait que ce document servira de document de base lors de la prochaine session spéciale de l'Assemblée générale des Nations Unies, nous considérons qu'il pourrait être encore amélioré, en particulier en ce qui concerne les propositions d'action concrète au cours des vingt années pour résoudre le problème alimentaire et éliminer à la fin de ce siècle la faim et la malnutrition. Nous considérons très important que, sous l'égide des Nations unies, la FAO avec le FIDA, la Banque mondiale, l'ONM et d'autres, établisse, comme partie de la nouvelle stratégie internationale de développement, un programme spécial à long terme pour le développement de l'agriculture dans les pays en voie de développement. Un tel programme devrait tenir compte des recommandations et des décisions de la Conférence mondiale sur la réforme agraire qui s'est tenue à Rome en juillet dernier. La délégation roumaine présentera en détail son point de vue sur ce sujet à la Commission appropriée de la Conférence lorsqu'on arrivera à ce point de l'ordre du jour. Nous nous référons au programme de travail et de budget.
De même, les objectifs à moyen terme proposés par le Directeur général, M. Edouard Saouma, correspondent selon nous dans leur ensemble aux besoins des pays en voie de développement. Nous voulons les appuyer. Nous voudrions cependant souligner que dans les objectifs à moyen terme on devrait tenir compte des caractéristiques de toutes les régions. Nous pensons que la FAO devrait accorder toute son attention à l'avenir des activités au niveau européen, en tenant compte du fait qu'il existe des pays en voie de développement sur ce continent également, et d'autre part à la contribution que l'Europe pourrait apporter pour accélérer le développement agricole dans les pays en voie de développement dans d'autres régions.
Eh ce qui concerne la coopération entre pays en voie de développement, nous sommes satisfaits du fait que la FAO ait accordé son attention à ce problème. La consultation qui a eu lieu en juillet cette année a montré les possibilités dans ce domaine, de même que la nécessité d'organiser des réunions visant à identifier de nouveaux moyens pour renforcer encore davantage la coopération entre les pays en voie de développement dans le domaine de l'agriculture. Comme on le sait, la Roumanie est prête à convoquer une telle réunion.
En ce qui concerne les autres questions inscrites à l'ordre du jour de notre Conférence, j'aimerais mentionner que la Roumanie trouve très positives les activités entreprises par la FAO pour atteindre la sécurité alimentaire mondiale. Elle apprécie tout particulièrement les propositions de M. Edouard Saouma se référant au plan d'action dans ce domaine.
J'aimerais également mentionner que tout en appréciant de façon positive les activités du programme alimentaire mondial, la Roumanie se prononce en faveur du renforcement de ces activités.
Mon pays s'est également intéressé à intensifier sa collaboration avec le programme alimentaire mondial.
Monsieur le Président, j'ai présenté simplement quelques objectifs sur lesquels la FAO et la communauté internationale devront concentrer leur attention afin de contribuer à la solution des problèmes agricoles et alimentaires auxquels doivent faire face les pays en voie de développement et l'humanité en général, et permettre ainsi l'établissement d'un nouvel ordre économique international. Nous espérons que cette Conférence constituera un pas important dans cette direction.
Eh ce qui nous concerne, la Roumanie souhaite participer de façon active aux délibérations de la Conférence et contribuer à identifier et à adopter des mesures concrètes qui, si elles sont mises en pratique, pourront conduire à l'amélioration de la situation alimentaire dans le monde et permettre d'augmenter le niveau de vie de tous les peuples.
Β. PERKASH (India): Mr. Chairman, Excellencies and Ladies and Gentlemen, I feel privileged to have this opportunity of addressing the Twentieth Session of the General Conference of this great Organisation. I am particularly happy that this Conference is being held under the guidance of His Excellency Dr. Jaime Lamo De Espinosa, Minister of Agriculture of Spain. May I on behalf of our delegation offer to you Mr. Chairman, our felicitations and best wishes. Spain is one of the countries which has had relationships with India ever since man learnt to cross oceans in simple boats. I am sure, Mr. Chairman, you will bring the atmosphere of the same crusading spirit in the deliberations of this Conference. May I also offer my sincere congratulations to Their Excellencies the Ministers of Agriculture of Colombia, Pakistan and Morocco for being elected as Vice-Chairmen of this Conference.
This Conference is being held on the eve of a new development decade. It has to consider and approve the budget of FAO for the first two years of the next decade which is to usher in a new International Economic Order. I would like to congratulate Dr. Saouma not only for introducing a sense of urgency and dynamism in the programmes of FAO, but also for trying to mobilise resources within the Organisation itself for responding to urgent calls for help. On behalf of my Government and myself, I would like to offer our gratitude as well as felicitations to the Director-General for the leadership he has provided to rid humanity of the fear of hunger. This was the goal set for the Organisation by Lord Boyd Orr and Dr. B. R. Sen and we are happy that concrete steps towards achieving this goal have been proposed in the activities and programmes of the Organisation for 1980-81.
Today, also happens to be the 90th birth anniversary of our first Prime Minister, the late Jawaharlal Nehru. I would, therefore, like to recall what Jawaharlal Nehru told us soon after became independent. He said "everything else can wait, but not agriculture" thereby emphasising that political freedom has no meaning if people do not have adequate food. The same sentiment had been expressed many centuries ago by the great Roman philosopher, Seneca, who said that a hungry people will not care for reason nor for religion. Therefore, the more we delay the arrival of the day when,as resolved by the World Food Conference in 1974, no child, woman or man will go to bed hungry and no human beings' physical and mental potential will be stunted by malnutrition, the nearer will be the day of widespread political and social chaos. A grave responsibility rests on all of us who individually and collectively are responsible for achieving the goal set by the World Food Conference to which I have just made a reference. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research, which is now one of the largest scientific and educational organisations in agriculture in the world, completed 50 years of useful service this year. It has chosen "Lab to Land" or the rapid transfer of technology from the laboratory to the field as the principal method of commemorating the Golden Jubilee. I would suggest that a global "Lab to Land" programme designed to bring benefits to the rural poor from the vast untapped production reservoir should be included as one of the important instruments of achieving a new international economic order. Obviously, an economically viable technological package will have to be supported by appropriate packages of services and public policies to ensure that all farmers, irrespective of their input mobilising and risk-taking capacity derive benefit from the technology. Remunerative pricing policies for farm products and promoting parity between prices of agricultural and non-agricultural commodities constitute important components of agriculturally oriented public policies.
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, in six weeks from now, we shall have entered the decade of the 80's. When we look back upon the 70's, we find that it has been a decade of unfulfilled sentiments and promises. Thus, the picture on the production front is disappointing. In contrast, the desire to help poor nations is also drying up. This is evident from the fact that the target of 500,000 tons of cereals for the International Emergency Food Reserve during 1979 has not yet been met. An international food security system is yet to emerge. In contrast to the slow pace of agricultural growth, the cost of inputs is galloping. Naturally, the price of foodgrains is also going up. The desire to make profit out of poverty is yet to be vanquished. How then are we going to face the challenge of the 80's, if not the challenge of 2000 AD for which an excellent publication has been prepared by the FAO?
India is a country committed to the philosophy of bread with freedom.
I am convinced that this can be done only by strengthening the cooperative movement. An outstanding example of the power of cooperation is provided by the history of dairy development in my country.
We now have 10 million farming families organized into dairy cooperatives.
We are now working on a similar project for organizing fishermen and I do home that "Operation Aquaculture" will become a reality soon. Under "Operation Aquaculture" we wish to organize fishermen families engaged both in inland and marine fisheries into cooperatives which will undertake capture and culture fisheries and promote the growth of integrated production and processing systems.
We are convinced that what will happen to global agriculture in 2000 A. D. will largely depend upon how speedily we are able to spread scientific land and water use as well as organic recycling practices.
In our view, an important feature of agricultural development programmes for the 80's should be detailed attention to the optimum use of land and water in addition to renewable forms of energy. For doing this, attention will be necessary to the following four major groups of areas:
a) Ecology, with particular reference to soil crop-water-weather relationships;
b) Energy with a view to developing integrated energy supply systems based on an optimum blend of renewable and non-renewable forms of energy;
c) Economics, with reference to stable income from units of land, water, air space, time and cultural and solar energy; and
d) Employment, through multiple and intercropping, mixed farming and integrated production and post-harvest technology systems.
I would appeal to FAO to initiate during the 80's a global "Man and Land and Water Resources development project" on the lines of the "Man and Biosphere project" of Unesco.
The urgent need for better land and water management has become particularly clear during last year when we have been experiencing severe drought in large parts of India. There will hence be a shortfall in foodgrain production during 1979-80.
The first component of our strategy relates to mitigating distress to human population in the drought affected areas. Widespread drought could result in the unholy triple alliance of famines of work, water and food. The famine of work results from the failure of the single crop usually grown in un-irrigated areas. Consequently, both farmers and landless agricultural labour are deprived of work. Since we had built up a grain reserve of over 20 million tons as a part of our National Food Security Programme we have been able to allot 2. 5 million tons of foodgrains for initiating food-for-work programmes in all the drought affected areas. The need for work as well as for food is simultaneously met through this programme. This is probably the largest food-f or-work programme ever undertaken in human history. This programme is designed to strengthen the production infrastructure in villages like lining water conveyance channels, deepening wells, planting trees and developing more ground and surface water irrigation facilities.
In order to insulate the old and infirm, pregnant and nursing mothers and young children from hunger, we have introduced a "Food-for-Nutrition" programme.
The famine has created a scarcity of water for drinking purpose. This is the most important factor which results in migration of people from drought affected areas. Fortunately, we have had extensive ground water investigations in India which have revealed considerable untapped ground water potential both for drinking water supply and for irrigation in many of the drought affected areas. The Central Ground Water Board of my Ministry has over 3,500 national water level monitoring stations for a continuous evaluation of the behaviour of the aquifer. Unfortunately, the number of rigs available with us for boring wells in hard rock formations is inadequate. UNICEF has been generously providing several down-the-hole hammer rigs for making arrangement for drinking water supply. The Government of India will be extremely grateful to countries and organisations which may be in a position to make available immediately down-the-hole air operated rigs. This will enable us to ensure that in all affected areas the minimum quantities of drinking water needed for human and animal use are provided. As a long term strategy for drinking water supply in the most seriously affected areas, we are examining the possibility of establishing a grid of ground water sanctuaries, which will be tapped only when the normal sources of water supply get dried up.
I have so far spoken about the steps that we have taken to alleviate the adverse impact of scarcities of food, water and work. Let me now briefly describe our strategy for achieving stability of crop production under adverse growing conditions as well as saving farm animals. Modern genetic research resulting in the breeding of crop varieties relatively insensitive to temperature and number of hours of sunlight has made the cultivation of crops in non-traditional seasons an economically viable proposition. Thus, crop life saving techniques, contingency planning and compensatory programmes in irrigated areas and non-traditional seasons form the three pillars of our crop output stabilisation programme. The response of our farmers has been excellent and I am confident that they will produce as good winter crops as seasonal conditions may permit.
In the absence of an adequate global food security system it is our duty to de-link the fate of agricultural production in developing countries from the vagaries of weather to the extent scientifically possible. This is why my delegation wishes to urge FAO to develop as a complement to its Early Warning System a "Timely Action Programme" to promote corrective measures which will help to avoid the human tragedy and crop loss implied in the early warning. For this purpose FAO should strengthen its agro-meteorological capability so that it can assist developing countries to provide to farmers applied climate services as envisaged in the World climate programme of the World Meteorological Organisation.
It is clear from the documents produced by FAO that global agriculture is at the cross roads. In the delevoped, centrally planned as well as high-income developing countries, the demand for food is increasing both as a result of income growth and higher levels of meat consumption.
What then are the prospects of achieving the World Food Congress goal of eradicationg absolute hunger by 1984?
In the view of my delegation, we have to look at this problem not so much from the statistical aspect of rates of increase in agricultural production and gross national product but from the point of ensuring within the next four years a measurable increase in the welfare of the millions of the rural and urban people. It is in this context that we congratulate the Director-General on his initiative in organising the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. The recommendations made at this Conference, if implemented, would help to bring about a more equitable distribution of the fruits of economic and agricultural development, as was stressed in the inspiring address of President Kaunda.
Equitable distribution will have to receive as much importance as increased production. I would like to urge on behalf of my Government the Director-General of FAO not to relent in his efforts in achieving the World Food Conference nutrition goal by 1984. In our view, this can be achieved, as we hope to try in our country, through the following measures:
1) Promotion of voluntary health care and nutrition services in villages with community participation in sanitation, drinking water supply, organic re-cycling and soil, plant, animal and human health care.
2) Promotion of Nutrition Gardens which can provide simple botanical remedies to the major nutritional maladies of each area: Programmes like "a Tree for Every Child" organised under the International Year of the Child Programme should become integral parts of the activity of every school and college.
3) Social security measures like Food-for-Work, Food-for-Nutrition and Employment Guarantee projects involving the payment of a human wage.
Obviously, to introduce measures like Food-for-Work and Food-for-Nutrition on a scale large enough to wipe out hunger from the 800 million people who are undernourished today in the world, we must step up our efforts in bridging the gap between potential and actual farm yields. This can be done through the introduction of National Minimum Yield Guarantee Projects in major crops backed up by efficient extension and input supply services. The "Lab to Land" project of research institutions should be supported by an efficient extension methodology such as the "Training and Visit" System recommended by the World Bank. Credit becomes a key input in such an endeavour and this is why we are planning to establish a National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development. Producer-oriented marketing and the preparation of value-added products within the village itself are the other needs. If these broad groups of action plans can be integrated in the form of a new Freedom from Hunger Campaign, I believe that we can still achieve the goal of making hunger a problem of the past in the near future.
Our contribution in this area will be to make India self-reliant in its food requirements. While we are determined to achieve this task through our own labour and resources, we certainly welcome such assistance others are in a position to extend to us. We shall also not be found wanting in sharing what we have with others. Love is given to us to give to each other. Let this be the motto of this Conference which has been blessed with an address by His Holiness the Pope. Let us decide that at the end of the deliberations of this Conference we will see not only volumes of learned documents but also the beginning of expanded action which would keep man as the supreme consideration in all our efforts.
E. H. HALSTEAD (New Zealand): Mr. Chairman, Your Excellencies, the Assistant Director-General, Ladies and Gentlemen, firstly I would like to congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, on your election and to express my country's pleasure to see Spain in such a position of honour and responsibility. I apologize for the absence this morning of my Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Duncan McIntyre, who has asked me to extend to you, Mr. Chairman, his personal congratulations and good wishes for success in your chairmanship. Mr. McIntyre unfortunately had to leave last night. He was to have spoken on behalf of my country here this morning, but he has an important meeting with Commissioner Gundelach up north and when industrial troubles cancelled his aircraft at midday today, he decided that the appointment with Commissioner Gundelach was very important; and I think most people-- and this Conference-- will understand the importance which we attach to our relations with the Common Market.
I speak as the representative of a small country, a group of islands in the South Pacific: New Zealand. In this area of the world the countries have banded together so that we can help each other. We have banded together formally and institutionally in the Pacific forum. We in New Zealand are an amalgam of the original Polynesian explorers, the Maoris who discovered the land, and the peoples from around the world who have since settled there, European, Asian and Polynesian. The ecologists would have said the land was an original paradise because before the Polynesians discovered it about 2000 years ago, the only animals we had were seals; some would say a perfect world!
Our natural resources are poor soil, a very mild climate, a vast area and clean air and, now, considerable natural gas yields. Everyone is descended from ancestors who had decided to move from their original homelands to discover New Zealand; from Polynesia, from Europe, from Asia. We are a country where several new experiments were tried and tested. For instance, we are the first country to adopt the policy that women are people in so far as voting rights are concerned. We have a theory that no person is more equal than any other person when it comes to decisions. How many here in this forum know the peoples of the South Pacific? Even the map in the foyer of FAO shows a portion of our area, our territories and our people.
This Conference was opened by two men of world renown and celebrity: His Holiness the Pope and President Kaunda. Both reminded us very forcefully why we are here. Hunger and malnutrition are greater forces than national or political boundaries. The ultimate answer to the existence of man is the distribution of food.
Time was when many in America or Europe came to believe that the near paradise was to live in a South Sea island. Since the north discovered these islands they have had to struggle to try to adopt the ways of the north and give away so much of what was so fine in their own way of life. In the South Pacific group we stretch from the equator to the Antartica, from the coconut palm to the iceberg. We are a grouping of peoples working out destiny. We depend for income on exporting the products of the soil. We are farmers. We have to go to the market with our goods and say: what will you give us for this? The fate of all producers of primary products rather than the industrialized countries who can say: if you want this, the price is so and so. A very different story!
By world standards, New Zealand is comparatively well-off. We produce meat, wool, dairy produce, timber and fish, but at a price which limits our markets. We suffer, like so many other countries, from the pressures of agricultural protectionism. So much is said about free trade for manufactured products, industrial trade, while at the same time barriers are built against free access of primary products.
In recent years, realizing our limitations for giving bilateral aid, we have deliberately concentrated on our own area, the South Pacific and South-East Asia, for much of what we do. At the same time we have given aid to countries as far afield as Malta, Egypt, Tanzania, Chile and Peru. So we do our best to spread our efforts when we have something to contribute.
As we sit in this Conference, having listened to President Kaunda, we will have made an audit of our resources. "Give him an axe and a hoe we are told" I. also like to recall the ancient Chinese statement which suggests that if you give a fish to a man you feed him, but if you teach him how to fish you support a generation. I believe that New Zealand's greatest contribution is to teach some people how to fish by educating the younger generation who come to us to learn and by offering our expertise to those who ask for it. Our skills are limited; pasture and animal production, geo-thermal generation, some engineering, food storage, research into improvement of a limited number of staple crops, irrigation. We have also developed the largest man-made forests in the world and have developed production of a wide range of timber products, pulp, paper and newsprint. In doing this we have developed a technology which we are happy to share with the developing countries.
Wool is useful if you live in a cold climate. We are so far away from any other country that with the introduction of the Law of the Sea we find ourselves in command of a vast area of ocean, not all productive. We have joined with other contries in joint ventures to harvest the crop from our exclusive
economic zone. We have joined with the countries of the South-Pacific as the South-Pacific forum, to share our experiences and to assist each other, and we welcome those countries that have formed joint ventures with us to harvest the crop of the sea. We are conscious of the countries that have no access to the sea, the land-locked countries. As I once told the Prime Minister of Afghanistan, we are a sea-locked country. He said he would prefer to be in our position than in his position.
We in New Zealand benefit from the vast investments made in research by the countries of the Northern Hemisphere. We learn, adapt and do our own investigations. We benefit from the distribution of knowledge from FAO and other world agencies and we try to repay this assistance to those who ask by passing on our experiences, our technology, not only agricultural and primary technology, but in adapting the large-scale production of the industrial world we have developed special technologies in small-scale production and we are pleased to pass on our experiences to the developing countries in this respect.
The great contribution that we in New Zealand make to help solve the world food shortage is not so much in products as in answering the calls that are made on us from time to time for assistance and advice. I sometimes think that New Zealand's greatest export is New Zealanders, professional people, technical
people and just people. You will find them all over the world. If we can continue to answer the
many calls made on us to help grow two blades of grass where one grew before; to produce a cow that gives twice as much milk for a given intake; to show how to rear and farm fish to increase the stocks in the sea, then we will be happy.
We all face the diminishing supplies of fossil fuel. We have all in the last fifty years come to rely on this form of energy and the best scientists in the world are working on the question of "after oil, what?". We must meet these challenges, not run away from them in panic President Kaunda made reference to this in his address to us. We, like every other country in this forum, are faced with this problem; it is so intimately tied up with food production. Without energy our dreams of surplus food fade into oblivion. There are many avenues that we can take, nuclear, solar, biomass and techniques as yet undiscovered. Fortunately in New Zealand we have discovered substantial fields of natural gas, but we will have to pay very dearly to the industrial countries for technology, equipment and infrastructure to develop them, but this we must do and borrow the money to do so,but it behoves us all to realise that when we meet and talk about food and agriculture we must include energy. No longer can we rely on finding it in a barrel or a pump.
We in New Zealand support FAO and its active work to disseminate the technology of food production and storage. The excellent work it does to try to forecast shortages and to level out inequalities and we congratulate the Director-General on the new emphasis, on the great emphasis he places on field development. This is so important and we welcome this emphasis,and will be pleased to assist in emphasizing the work in the field.
We have in recent years concentrated more on our own area, as I have said before, South-East Asia and the South Pacific. Although we are largely European people we do not forget we are in the Asian zone and we are proud to be full members of the Economic Commission for Asia and the South Pacific.
Within our limited knowledge we are keen and willing to help that man I spoke about, to fish, in preference to feeding him fish.
We in New Zealand look upon the FAO as an Organization with a great potential for finding the formula for man's continued existence, happy existence here on earth. If we can be of assistance, it is our desire to answer what calls we can.
A. A. ABDALLA (Sudan) (interpretation from Arabic): In the name of Allah the Compassionate and the Merciful, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Director-General, Ladies and Gentlemen: On behalf of the people and Government of the Democratic Republic of the Sudan, and in my own name, it pleases me to address you, wishing your august meeting every success.
I would like also to avail myself of this opportunity to congratulate you for chairing our meeting and I have no doubt that with your aptitude and able guidance, our Conference will successfully conclude its work and adopt resolutions and decisions that will enhance our efforts in the fields of food and agriculture.
I would like also to seek this opportunity to welcome Samoa and the Commonwealth of Dominica to our international community and I look forward with confidence to the day when all our brothers who are fighting in the occupied areas under the yoke of oppressive colonialism and foreign rule, in occupied Palestine, in Zimbabwe, Namibia and South-Africa will join us. Let me hail their patriotic struggle against oppression and aggression, assuring them of the support of my country until they attain their legitimate right to freedom and peace, and until they fill their vacant seats among the international community.
This Conference has a particular significance since it follows the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development which outlined the general principles and laid down the programme of work by which our developing countries can be occupied in laying down their policies and programmes during the coming decade. The World Conference has put our countries face to face to bear responsibilities and has underlined the political tasks which should be undertaken for achieving agrarian reform in a way that suits each country concerned. Following the World Conference my country has adopted long-term policies for reforming agricultural institutions, involving farmers in the management of agricultural projects and schemes and establishing several rural institutions with the objective of grouping farmers in vital farming groups and training them on how best to use agricultural inputs, including intermediate technology.
In the meantime we are adopting economic and financial policies aimed at reducing the prices of agricultural products, reducing agricultural taxes and granting progressive incentives to farmers according to productivity.
On the other hand, the State has laid down an investment law that grants several exemptions and facilities to those national and foreign institutions, a law which allows for the re-exportation of capital and profits and gives investors rights to open accounts in local and foreign currency. The main purpose behind this is to provide the best possible conditions for investors so that they can cooperate with us in utilizing our vast natural resources and promoting developments in our extensive country.
In all this we have a leading role for FAO to play due to its great experience which dates back to more than thirty years relying on the expertise of several thousands of experts, and due to its extensive world activities we will depend heavily on FAO in promoting our rural development programmes and in providing the technical assistance necessary to rectify the process of development in our country.
On the other hand, we will support any resolution that will enable FAO to continue its leap forward until the recommendations of the World Conference are achieved and we hope that these recommendations will constitute a salient feature of the FAO programmes in the next decade.
The new approach of work in the Organization which has been adopted by the Director-General, Dr. Edouard Saouma, is based on the decentralization of work and the establishment of country offices. The centres enjoy certain functions of the Director-General which help to extendi FAO's sevices to include investment and technical studies in addition to development projects such as the Technical Assistance Programme.
The considerable success that the Technical Cooperation Programme has achieved calls for the extension of the programme and the provision of financial and technical resources.
We also request the extension of the Director-General's functions to enable him to provide all the possible services to all developing countries. In this respect I would like to express my appreciation of the efficiency of the work being carried out in the region, which reflects the quick and effective response of the Director-General in time of emergencies and disasters to which our countries have been exposed recently.
In regard to the policy of decentralization, FAO has established a country office run by an efficient and active man who spares no effort to provide technical assistance to our country. In spite of the fact that his presence dates back two years only, nevertheless we have gratefully profited from his presence and we are among the foremost countries which enjoy the assistance of FAO. We are indeed grateful to the Director-General for his continuous response and his understanding of our problems.
During the Committee on Agriculture discussions our delegation has adopted the guidelines of the Programme of Work for 1980-81. In spite of its modest figures which amounts to 271 million dollars only we support the Programme of Work and Budget, particularly the importance given to Special Action Programmes such as the International Fertilizer Programme, Seed Improvement and Development Project, Prevention of Food Losses and the Food Security Assistance Scheme. The more the Organization allocates appropriations for these projects in the regular programme and the more efforts are solicited to mobilize external services the more voluntary contributions flow.
In our contry the productivity of agricultural and food crops, especially in the rainfed areas, is very low. Production hardly measures the costs at the farm level which is due to low-quality seeds, lack of fertilizers and the spread of pests and diseases. For these reasons we support the Special Action Programmes, which stress the importance of providing financial resources.
We also support the introduction of technical cooperation in the regular programme and the special attention that should be given to it.
We note with satisfaction the attention given to water management in the new programme. The production costs in the irrigated scheme form, where water is scarce, an obstacle to production increase. Any improvement in irrigation practices and management should lead to doubling the cultivated area without additional costs.
The new programme emphasizes the controlling of Trypanosomiasis, which constitutes a major constraint for animal production in our country and in neighbouring countries. The control of animal diseases cannot achieve its objectives except through regional projects. As most of the livestock belongs to nomads, to focus control in one country would not stop the spread of disease to neighbouring countries. In the Sudan we have adopted a disease-free area and animal production projects were initiated with the aim of exporting meat to the world market.
FAO supported one of these projects and we appealed to the meat importing countries to review their regulations in respect of importing meat from countries which declare disease-free zones in them.
One of the most important aspects of the new programme is the support given to the activities related to nutrition. Such activities will help in evaluating nutritional conditions at the national level as well as the impact of development projects of nutrition as well as the rural poor and those who are vulnerable to malnutrition. Without such activities the number of the hungry will increase in the world.
Again I would like to confirm our support of the Programme of Work and Budget and request all members to endorse it to enable the Organization to achieve its noble objetives.
The Democratic Republic of the Sudan is unique in that it has common boundaries with eight countries sharing the same tribes and ethnic groups. On the other hand, our country shares the cost of the Red Sea with various other countries. The great River Nile with its numerous tributories and sources also
connects the Sudan to its neighbours in the North, South and East. This situation provides wide opportunites for economic and technical cooperation among these countries especially in the fields related to agriculture, forestry and fisheries. We have already embarked on this road. We are sharing
with some of our neighbours our experience in irrigated farming, breeding of cotton and planting wood trees. We are also likewise benefitting from the experience of our neighbours in animal husbandry by the use of advanced technology. However, the existing scope of operation is still narrow and does not
correspond to the potential possibilities. This situation highlights the leading role of FAO, which helps countries to define their requirements, determine their capacities and provides them with useful information for the mutual use of technical experience prevailing among these countries. This activity
should be given its rightful place in the Programme of Action and the competent bodies should be given ¡all the means to play the role in strengthening technical cooperation among developing countries.
The questions related to food security are among the central issues which deserve special attention. FAO documents show that the stocks of cereals in the developing countries are on the downgrade since 1977. This is a serious indicator of imminent danger for the people of these countries. Developing countries are still subject to the hazards of natural conditions. The rising costs of agricultural inputs as a consequence of world inflation do not allow for the help of increased production in these countries in the near future. Equally, the rising costs of transports and storage have a direct bearing on increasing the possibilities of importing food to developing nations in time of crisis. For all these reasons intensive efforts should be exerted to help the increase of production in developing countries, especially those countries which possess rich natural resources, so that they may actively participate in securing food security.
The document "Agriculture towards 2000" shows that the ratio of per capita income in rich and poor countries is one to twelve. To decrease the difference by one half of what it is requires the acceleration of the rate of growth of income in developing countries at almost 30 per cent. To achieve such a rate agricultural production has accordingly to increase by more than 5 per cent annually, which is an unprecedented rate of growth. The agricultural sector in our country does not grow by more than 3. 5 per cent each year in spite of the active participation of the international community. The situation in many developing countries is not much different from ours. So how shall our people be able to decrease the difference of incomes and standards of living between rich and poor countries? The world has to discover a formula to be relieved of this vicious circle.
For the development of our countries we need tools and implements and all other agricultural inputs but for the time being we do not have the necessary resources to purchase them from the rich countries which own technology but cannot extend their economies to cover the demand expressed by our countries just because we do not own sufficient resources. One outlet from this dilemma may be that FAO adopt an international scheme for providing agricultural tools and implements through easy terms or facilitates or perhaps donations from some countries, as well as organizing aid among developing countries so that they may extend the list of their products. FAO is entitled to carry out this job, and all the circumstances are favourable for carrying out this great task.
Before concluding I would like to commend the great achievements of the Investment Centre in promoting external and local investment, particularly in the agricultural sector. One of the greatest achievements of FAO and the Director-General is the establishment of close relations with the financing institutions, development banks, the Arab Fund and the World Bank, which is the main multilateral source of funds to agriculture.
My delegation would like to praise, as it has always done, the great support that we receive from the World Food Programme in implementing major rural development projects and in overcoming the consequences of disasters and crises and for the settlement of refuges, hence our gratitude to the international community and the World Food Programme for the assistance which they have rendered to my country.
There are thousands of refugees now in my country who fled their homes as a result of political circumstances or as a result of drought. Their presence is exhausting our thin resources in consumption, employment and housing fields. Thus, my Government decided that 1980 will be the year of refugees in Sudan. We will try to recruit all available national and international resources.
To conclude, I would like to reiterate my praise to Dr. Edouard Saouma, the Director-General, and to express my country's appreciation for what he has done to strengthen FAO programmes and efficiency and to turn this Organization into a real pioneering international centre in the field of food and agriculture.
I would also like to convey to the Director-General and his assistants our people's appreciation of their contribution in promoting development in our country.
Mr. Chairman, thank you once more; peace and Allah's blessings be upon you.
J. WISE (Canada): Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and Mr. Deputy Director-General.
Mr. Chairman, I join my fellow delegates in congratulating you on your election as Chairman of the Conference, and I should also like to extend those congratulatory words to the Vice Chairman as well.
In our participation in FAO, Canada likes always to remember that the founding Conference of the Organization was held in my country in Quebec City in 1945. Since then, Mr. Chairman, I believe that my country, Canada, has played an active role in world food and agricultural matters. We share the noble objectives of this organization FAO. I therefore welcome this opportunity co participate with yourself, Mr. Chairman, and other delegates, in shaping the policies and plans for the period that lies ahead of us.
The Director-General has suggested that we give particular attention to food security and fisheries. Both topics are timely and are interlinked and interrelated. Mr. Chairman, I note that on a global basis the current and prospective harvest of cereals-and it is important to recognize that they must be combined with existing stocks-indicates that the world food security situation continues to improve somewhat. It is heartening that farmers all over the world are responding to the need for more food production. But global figures mask the exceedingly wide variation in performance in the regions, and the extreme hardships of millions of people all over the world. As a dairy farmer, I am well aware of the hazards that farmers face both from natural and man-made forces, and of the need to introduce as much stability as possible into the industry. Farmers are prepared, I believe, to take the necessary risks to produce increasing amounts of food for the world's needs, but it is important for us to recognize that they must be given the assurance of relatively stable markets and the necessary technical and institutional framework within which to do so.
As head of the Delegation from my country, which prides itself on the achievements in its primary production sectors, let me say that I am aware that in FAO when we say agriculture, we are referring not only to farmers in the narrow sense, but also to those in the fisheries and forestry sectors. Let me repeat then, that we need to provide economic opportunities to our farmers and to our fishermen and foresters. But in our efforts to increase production, we must also be good husbandrymen we must protect and we must enhance the resource base and the environment so that we always build a better world.
We must ensure that any progress which we make in increasing food production is done on an ecologically sustainable basis. I am please that the Secretariat's study "Agriculture: Towards the Year 2000", recognizes the importance of safeguarding our environment.
The report on the state of world food and agriculture reports that total production in this year, 1979, is likely to be down, after the record performance in 1978. On a per capita basis, the long-term trends in world food production are disappointing indeed in many areas. We will provide the latest estimates for production in my country, Canada, in the discussion under the appropriate item of the agenda, but for the moment, it is useful for me perhaps to comment briefly on the grain situation.
Canada's share of the world's 1978-79 wheat and flour exports remains substantial. Although Canadian grain production declined in 1979 because of poor planting conditions in the spring)however, a carryover of 15 million tonnes results in total supplies of 32. 5 million tonnes for domestic use, commercial exports, food aid and emergency use. This total is basically the same as we have had for the previous three year period. This production and this stock and our marketing system under the Canadian Wheat Board represent in our view a very substantial and indeed very practical contribution to world food security.
The level of Canadian wheat exports for the coming year are dependent not only on world demand, but also on the capacity of our domestic transportation and handling system. We are making every effort to upgrade and enlarge our handling system including terminal facilities in order to meet the demands that may be placed upon us in the future. This problem of storage and handling facilities for basic goods both in terms of the exporting countries and the receiving countries is an important issue as part of the world's food security system. We want to assure the Conference that we are fully aware of the importance of our transport link in the international trade in the area of grains, and it is for this reason that I make a point of referring to the improvements in our domestic system now under way.
Last September, Canada had the honour of hosting the Fifth Ministerial Session of the World Food Council in my capital city of Ottawa. At that time, I announced that Canada would set aside a $2million fund to assist developing countries to prepare long-term national food sector strategies or plans for the 1980's. We hope that this initiative will help to lead to an integrated food system approach which we believe is also an important means of moving towards achieving greater world food security. In the long run, world food security can only be founded on increasing the production and productivity in the developing countries. Much of Canada's development assistance is directed towards progress in these areas.
Mr. Chairman, we know that food aid can be a valuable development tool. Canada supports the $1,000 million target for the two years 1981/82 as proposed by the Executive Director of the World Food Programme. During the Ottawa Sessionof the World Food Council, last September, I also indicated Canada's intention to provide 600,000 tonnes of grain annually in a new Food Aid Convention and our willingness to negotiate a new Food Aid Convention separately from a new Trade Convention, although it would remain linked to the 1971 International Wheat Agreement. These are positive contributions towards world food security. The contribution of $5. 5 million which we will make in 1980 to the International Emergency Food Reserve, and the $95 million worth of commodities and cash which had previously been pledged to the World Food Pro-
1 gramme (WFP) for 1980, are other concrete expressions of our continuing commitment to world food security.
Canada will continue to cooperate with other countries within the International Wheat Council to examine what possibilities exist for successful resumption of negotiations for a new International Wheat Agreement, A balanced wheat trade agreement, in our view, would ensure meaningful stock commitments. It should contain economic provisions which would ensure adequate returns to our producers and supply availabilities to our consumers.
The question of food security cannot be divorced from the question of food production. Food security is impossible without maintaining continual high levels of production. It is essential therefore that markets provide producers with adequate incentives to continue to produce. I said much the same thing earlier but it is worth repeating. In order to encourage our own farmers and our own producers, we must provide them with the necessary economic incentives.
Also, Mr. Chairman, we must distinguish between the level of stocks required for, for example, world food security needs and the level of stocks which might be required for stabilization purposes. The former, i. e. world food security needs, can be defined in terms of meeting the needs of a relatively small number of developing countries in times of acute shortages of supplies. This would, in our view, be a much smaller figure than the 18 to 20 percent of production suggested by the Secretariat.
This brings me, then, to Canada's position with respect to the Five Point Plan as outlined by the Director-General and endorsed by the FAO Council and the World Food Council. As you are all aware, and as I pointed out earlier, Canada favours measures to enhance world food security. To this end, we supported the 1974 International Undertaking on World Food Security. In the several fora where the Five Point Plan has been discussed, Canada has reserved its position. We appreciate that most developed and develop-ingcountri. es which have endorsed the Five Point Plan noted that it is interim, and not intended as a permanent substitute for a new International Wheat Agreement. There are many points in the proposed Plan with which we fully agree, but there are others with give us difficulty. Canada already has proven stocking and marketing policies. No question about that. Because of the importance of grains to our national economy we must consider all issues before we enter into any undertaking, voluntary or otherwise.
We will be speaking more fully on this subject under Agenda Item 7. However, we would like to advise the Conference that after the most careful analysis of the proposals under the Five Point Plan, Canada's position is to accept the plan with reservations. Our reservations are consistent with the positions which Canada has taken in the past on aid, on trade, and international financing. It is our intention to present a written statement on these reservations during the discussion of world food security under Agenda Item 7.
Mr. Chairman, my delegation has studied the Proposed Programme and Budget for 1980-81 and we have noted with appreciation the efforts of the Director-General and the FAO Secretariat to streamline the work of the Organization and to redirect its efforts.
In addition to all FAO work in Agriculture, we are interested in the activities in the Fisheries sector
and Forestry as well. As we all know, "The Development and Management of Fisheries in Exclusive Economic|
Zones" is one of the main themes of this Session of the Conference. Canada believes that fisheries are a particulary valuable resource whose proper management is vital to us all. Because of our experience in fisheries, Canada is well placed to assist FAO in its work in this field, and to assist developing countries to manage the stocks in their Exclusive Economic Zones. We therefore support the FAO Comprehensive Programme of Assistance in this area.
We were pleased to hear that additional resources under United Nations Development Programme and other|
sources are to be provided to developing coastal states for this sector. Canada also welcomes the shift in the Forestry Department's programme towards more emphasis on forestry for rural development and increased focus on the integration of forestry with food production. It reflects a strong endorsement of the Jakarta Declaration at the recent World Forestry conference.
Before closing, I would like to comment briefly on the Canadian economic situation, since it is an important factor which influences our perspective and participation in international institutions. I will not review all of the specific economic indicators for Canada but these are difficult economic timesι for all of us. What is important, however, is that in view of our own experiences in Canada, the Government and Parliament are sensitive to cost effectiveness and efficiency, in the programs which they support both nationally and internationally. At home, we are committed to a policy of government growth in expenditures below forecasted growth in the Gross National Product. One result is that throughout the entire Canadian government, considerable attention in focused on reallocation of resources. Overlapping and duplicated resources are being identified and we are in the process of reviewing all our priorities. Under such economic constraints, you will appreciate why we take what we call a very hard lock at the proposed budget for the 1980-81 biennium, and why we are equally careful in all of the other international institutions in which we participate.
Canada has a very strong concern about the need for an effective and harmonious relationship between agencies and governments in the international development process. We are opposed to the birth of new funds and opposed to the birth of new organizations without ending or modifying some of the existing ones which may have largely completed their tasks.
With this in mind, I would suggest that any new bodies or programmes be given a limited lifespan with a commitment to reassess their usefulness within a reasonable period of time.
In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, I do not view the members who make up FAO and who concerned that it be the best possible international organization serving the world's food and agricultural industry, as split between the reluctant donors and militant recipients. No, Mr. Charman, rather, I see us all, as the prime minister of Zambia pointed out at the beginning of the conference? As interdependent countries which are contributing to their best possible extent, but which differ in their opinions of the priorities and resources which must be applied at this particular time. An analysis of our economy indicates that Canada shares some of the characteristics of the developing countries, such as our partial reliance on primary products for our livelihood, and our vulnerability to world price fluctuations. At the same time, we are an industrial nation facing a period of rather slow independent economic growth.
However, taking a longer view, we can see that definite progress has been made in the past thirty-five years in overcoming hunger and malnutrition. This is clearly demonstrated when one considers the substantial increase in world population since 1945, and indeed the formation of about 100 new countries. Many of these new countries lacked not only capital and experienced people, but also the necessary infrastructure for an integrated agricultural system. In this progress, FAO has played a substantial role. Canada also is fully committed to the goal of eradicating hunger and malnutrition from the world, and providing the basic needs for peoples all over the world. But let us not forget that food is an expensive item, both for individual families and individual nations, whether they be importers or exporters. Let us, therefore, all work together to ensure that agriculture, and to ensure that forestry and fisheries are given adequate priorities internationally and within our own countries. It is only by working together we can ensure that there is bread for all.
S. M. AL-RAGABANI (United Arab Emirates) (interpretation from Arabic): In the name of Allah the All-Merciful, Mr. Chairman and Director General, Heads of Delegations and Representatives of Organisations, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to ask the Chairman to accept my congratulations for the trust that was shown in him when he was elected the Chairman of this Conference. I would also like to congratulate the Vice-Chairmen of this Conference, and may the Conference work be crowned with success. I also express my hopes for the prosperity of the peoples of this world.
Wé are very happy today to be able to participate-that is to say, the United Arab Emirates are happy to participate in the work of this Organization while such great responsibilities will be taken in respect of the food security and further development.
The Conference is particularly important because as far as the present situation is concerned there are problems which constitute a barrier to agricultural development, especially in developing countries which suffer very considerable problems which the international community as a whole must face today, and the gap between developing and developed countries is increasing because the population growth has absorbed the modest growth rate achieved in the national production of these Countries.
Furthermore, the population growth has had an enormous effect on the international economy, and thus provide a structural imbalance and an imbalance in the creed of these countries. Thus the GNP has dropped and the flow of investments has dropped. The imbalance in the economic sectors has increased, and this explains the low economic growth rate. One thus can understand fully the responsibility one has in order to present these gaps widening even further, and also in order to adapt the necessary positions in order to set up the necessary economic plans.
One must use in the best possible way the existing ways and means for development as well as a technical know-how available at national and international levels.
The United Arab Emirates are fully aware of the dimensions of the roles they have to play thanks to Sheikh Zayed Β in Sultan, Head of State, and thanks to the setting up of agricultural strategies promoting the diversification of national economies. The Emirates have participated at Arab level in a status concerning the coordination and complementarity of work for agriculture. The Emirates have taken part in all world development efforts via these institutions, as well as via the Arab and Islamic financing institutions.
We find the participation of the Emirates as far as external assistance is concerned has now reached a level of 20 percent of its national revenue. This is one of the highest in the world. Furthermore, the ABU DHABI Development Fund has, between 1974 and 1978, contributed to 650 million dollars granted to Arab and African countries by about fifty development projects.
May I be allowed now to picture rapidly what the agricultural development is, as far as the United Arab Emirates are concerned. The overall national production in fisheries and agriculture has reached 659 million lira, that is almost 200 million dollars, that is an increase of 80 percent over 1974. The growth rates realized between 1977 and 1978 have reached close to 27 percent, and the agricultural area now is 47,000 hectares.
The United Arab Emirates attach great importance to the development of water resources and the rational utilization of water. The first stage has been set up, and we have a general inventory of resources. The State undertook the building of dams in order to promote irrigation and to increase the water table.
Furthermore a process is underway to set up a laboratory for the development of research in animal resources, plant diseases and combatting various disasters as well as setting up regulations concerning quarantines and veterinarian and phytosanitary measures. The State is setting up a 5-Year Plan for 1980-85, first of all contributing in the field of services, using the best modem methods and then there will be a vertical expansion of crops and then we will also have Very modern projects.
We want to have central regulations for irrigation, taking into account the regulation concerning the distribution of water in order to set up modern villages and settlements and organizing rural areas. These projects have provided excellent results which will become more general in all regions of our countries, in conformity with the ideas discussed at the Conference on Agricultural Reform and Rural Development.
-106-As far as food strategy and security is concerned, for production of animal foodstuffs and grain, an agreement was made between the Ministers of Agriculture of the Gulf States. Varied efforts have also been made in private institutions. In 1979, storage capacity was increased by creating new silos. There has also been an increase in the animal foodstuffs industry as a result of the recommendation of the 19th Conference and the Conference of Arab Ministers of Agriculture who adopted the recommendations made by the 19th Conference concerning a common agricultural policy.
As other speakers have said, we must find a solution for the problem of providing technology for developing countries, especially when it comes to protecting and rationalizing water resources. Many industries are threatened by drought and furthermore a very great number of Asian countries find that their agriculture could really feed their populations but they suffer under certain meteorological conditions. International programmes should be set up in order to strengthen the alarm system in these countries. There must be meteorological surveyance via satellite, in order to make better use of existing data and to prevent floods and to make the best possible use of rain.
We fully support the Regular Programme and the solutions for the future and we wish to extend our thanks to the Director-General for the overall proposals made in his declaration yesterday. We very much hope that this problem be given the importance it deserves, will be fully recognized and we hope therefore that we will have contributed towards meeting the lack of food throughout the world.
We support the cooperation programme and also the programmes intended to counteract the lack of food. We wish to express our thanks to FAO and its Director-General as well as to the Secretariat for the documents they have produced and to all those people who are contributing towards this work for the benefit of mankind. We very much hope that this session will adopt recommendations and resolutions for fulfilling our objectives.
D. S. AHMAD (Malaysia): Mr. Chairman, Mr. Deputy Director-General, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I join the other Delegations to this Conference in congratulating you, Mr. Chairman, on your election, as Chairman of this Assembly. Your experience, no doubt, will contribute in no small way to the smooth and effective proceedings of our Conference. I would also like to congratulate the three Vice-Chairmen who will, I am sure, share the same difficult task with you during the deliberations for the next two weeks ahead.
On this auspicious occasion, I would like to place on record Malaysia's congratulation to the Director-General Dr. Edouard Saouma and his staff, may they be at Headquarters, or at Regional Offices throughout the world, for their systematic approach to awaken the whole world over the problems of rural poverty and pressing shortages of food production as well as malnutrition among the world's population.
We note that leaders and statesmen throughout the world, whether from the developed or developing countries, are getting more and more sensitive and concerned about the problems of food production. FAO has organized a number of meeting, seminars and workshops to find solutions to these problems which were identified during the 1974 World Food Conference. In July this year FAO organized a "Summit Meeting" of Ministers of Agriculture on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. At the conclusion of this meeting the Ministers adopted the WCARRD Declaration of Principles and Programme of Action on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. This document will be tabled at this Conference for further discussion and endorsement. At the same time, FAO, as the lead agency, has drawn up a series of activities designed to facilitate the implementation of the Programme of Action. This implementation has been divided into two phases. The preliminary or first phase will be carried out in 1980. In order to ensure its smooth implementation, the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Far East recently organized an Inter-Country Consultation in Bangkok.
Mr. Chairman, Malaysia is of the opinion that the deliberations and the conclusions of the Inter-Country Consultation were extremely useful in clarifying the thoughts of not only officials of member countries but also FAO officials on many aspects of the WCARRD Programme of Action.
Further, FAO has commissioned a special study of the world agricultural situation together with forecast on food production up to the year 2000. These forecasts are important, because, to plan for increases in food production requires long term programming and at times we tend to forget or under-estimate the linkages of agriculture with all sectors of the economy of a country. We must recognize that agricultural development and industrialization are complementary to each other. The whole world today should acknowledge that food production is more of a humanitarian problem than a political one; but we must have the political will to see that innocent people are not deprived of their rights to food accessibility and we should not allow any room for errors in our judgement. We shall be failing in our duty if we permit this to happen.
It is a well-known fact that the acreage of land available for agriculture and food production around the globe remains the same while population continues to increase. This is putting tremendous pressure on the urgent need to improve productivity of the farmer and his land.
Malaysia is a small country with a population of just over 13 million people. Though my country, as a whole is free from hunger and starvation, we are classified by the United Nations as in the low middle income group, and as such we are bound to be affected directly or indirectly by what happens in the world, particularly in our region. In the world today when we are entering the age of supersonic travel, no single nation can live alone or in isolation and therefore developed and developing nations will continue to be inter-dependent.
Bearing all this in mind, Malaysia is striving hard, and leaving no stone unturned, to ensure that her small farmers, particularly the rice growers, are able to increase their production through proper application of science such as the correct usage of fertilizers, the development of better and high yielding rice varieties and the reduction of pre-and post-harvest losses. In addition, high support prices, effective marketing arrangement and provision of agricultural credit at reasonable rates of interest, and farm mechanization are all incentives to the small farmers to raise their productivity.
Agriculture is labour-intensive and requires vast sums for investment. It also requires improved technology for increased output. Transfer of modern technology which includes expertise and equipment is necessary and essential to almost all developing countries; and these have to be imported from the advanced countries. I am not advocating that food-producing countries reduce their export earnings to help others, but merely asking that technological knowledge and equipment for increasing food production be shared among us and be made available to the developing nations at reasonable costs. Such technical cooperation will go a long way in solving world shortages in food production.
Malaysia ia already involved in a number of international organizations dealing with agriculture, food production and rural development, such as the Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO, ASEAN and CIRDAP. I consider that the activities of all these organizations and agencies should be coordinated so as to avoid unnecessary duplication of time, effort and resources. This is necessary, and a mechanism must be found so as to draw up a formula which will ensure such non-duplication at the global, regional and sub-regional level.
Our belief on this is all the more strengthened as evidenced from the success of our efforts in ASEAN, which has resulted in establishing an ASEAN Rice Emergency Reserve of 50,000 tons which will act as food security measure for ASEAN countries during the emergencies; and under that set-up the rice stockpiles of individual countries of ASEAN will constitute the ASEAN Food Security Reserve. This is the joint commitment of ASEAN to the global problem of food security. Another example of sub-regional cooperation is the recent agreement of ASEAN Agricultural Ministers to establish a common Quarantine Ring around the member nations to prevent the spread of plant and animal diseases into ASEAN region. A third example of sub-regional cooperation is the Bilateral Agreement between Thailand and Malaysia which aims at the development of the border areas in the field of agriculture, fisheries, livestock, as well as drainage and irrigation.
Food security is an important topic which demands serious consideration during this session. Though Malaysia is neither a major importer nor a major exporter of food, we have never been in short supply of food. However, we are in full agreement with the concept of, and the necessity for, ensuring an adequate food supply to feed the world's population. Malaysia knows that the maintenance cost of a food stock is a colossal sum because we have been maintaining a rice stockpile but it is a cost that is often fully justified when the food stock prevents hunger and starvation among people. In this spirit, therefore, we support the Plan of Action of the Director-General in his efforts to promote global food security. To Malaysia, the SAOUMA PLAN is definitely a plan that is worthy of the unqualified support of all nations, both developed and developing.
In the past fishing has been confined mainly within the inshore waters. However with the recent development in world fishery scene, that is the declaration of the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone I can say categorically that developing countries which lack knowledge and experience to develop deep sea fishing not only requires large capital investment but also assistance.
We are pleased to note that FAO has taken the initiative to develop a comprehensive programme for the development and management of fisheries in the EEZ. We have examined this comprehensive programme designed by FAO and Malaysia feels that while it is necessary to have such a programme for the total benefit of the coastal developing nations, the implementation of this programme should not however be carried out at the expense of existing fisheries development programmes of FAO.
In this regard Malaysia feels strongly that the FAO should intensify and accord high priority to its present efforts in the development of aquaculture and inland fisheries for the benefit of rural poor and small scale fishermen. These programmes are gaining momentum and should be treated as sources of supplementary income to the fishermen and farmers.
Malaysia has developed a national economy based on the internationally well-known commodities, namely rubber and palm oil and of course without exception food crops mainly rice. In the early 60s we launched our Rural Development Programme with the view to stabilizing our agriculture economy. This stabilization effort includes diversification into other crops such as coconut, cocoa, coffee, pepper, fruit trees and other perishable commodities.
This is an integrated rural development programme which is based on the twin pillars of new land development and in-situ development of existing farm land, aimed at providing infrastructure and raising the income level of the rural people by raising their productivity. Thus, Malaysia stands committed to the aims and objectives of the WCARRD Declaration of Principles and Programme of Action. To us, this concept means the development of the rural areas by way of new and improved technology designed to raise the productivity of the small farmers, combined with guaranteed access to modern inputs like credit, fertilizers and pesticides at reasonable prices, and to market outlets where their produce can be sold at equitable prices. Land ownership per se is unimportant to us in eradicating poverty in the rural areas. What is pertinent is that he has gainful employment which generates him a regular source of income, and giving him a decent standard of living. Based on the objective ofa gainful employment, the productivity of the rural population will be increased through the introduction of new technology and techniques.
Malaysia feels that FAO should emphasise the need to include technological cooperation among developing countries when it formulates the agricultural aspects of the New International Strategy for the 1980s. We consider TCDC as a key variable in the development model for developing countries.
Research is an essential activity for the programme of any society and it is in the application of the results of research that the hallmark of progress is made. Developing countries often lack the capability to conduct research on their own, particularly due to the lack of trained manpower. This is where international organizations have a definite role to play in ensuring the continual development of developing countries. Malaysia has recognised and experienced this problem, and in her efforts to build up her research capability, she has taken a World Bank loan to send research staff abroad to be trained in every field of agricultural research.
Mr. Chairman, I would therefore like to urge FAO to assist developing countries to expand their research capability in their national in their national and rural development programmes. This can be done in the form of expanding research and training facilities in the recipient countries themselves as well as in the form of providing training opportunities for young professionals to equip themselves for their roles in national and rural development.
It is in encouraging research efforts that success can be obtained in most seriously affected countries in their efforts to grow more food. Traditional farming methods need research to improve and this is the key to agricultural progress.
Therefore, I would like to conclude my statement by saying:
"Give a man food and he eats for a day but teach him how to grow food and he eats forever"
Not only that,He is also able to feed many others.
M. F. JANJUA (Pakistan): Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen. On behalf of the Pakistan delegation to the 20th Session of the FAO Conference, please accept, your Excellency, our sincere felicitations on your election to the August office of the Chairman of the Conference. We are confident that under your leadership and capable guidance the Conference will find satisfactory solutions to the numerous and complex problems confronting it.
May I also avail myself of this opportunity to extend to the newly elected members, the Independent State of Western Samoa and the Commonwealth of Dominica our heartiest welcome.
FAO is today better equipped and well poised to meet the challenges of the future within the framework of a New International Economic Order owing to the review of its programmes, structures and policies undertaken by the Director-General and authorized by this Conference in 1977. We commend the Director-General on his pursuit of these objectives and assure him of our support in meeting the challenges facing the FAO.
I would like in this context to mention here specially the great effort that went into the Organization of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development that dealt with matters of supreme concern to all countries of the world. It was of special importance to my country in which rural masses constitute nearly 75 percent of the population. The World Conference was a great success and we look forward to its follow up action and implementation of its Declaration.
Much has taken place since the last FAO Conference. There have been some significant developments in the field of food and agriculture. 1978 was a good year for world food and agriculture. Production increased substantially and there was a distinct improvement in the world food supply situation. Unfortunately, this trend has not persisted through 1979. Already there are disturbing indications of poor weather conditions resulting in bad harvests. But what is a matter of even more profound concern is the fact that fundamental improvements have yet to materialize. Production trends in developing countries are still well below the 4% annual target set by the World Food Conference in 1974; food imports continue to increase in volume, prices of vital inputs like fertilizer continue to escalate, food aid in cereals remains below the target of 10 million tons, there is little evidence that increased world grain stocks have been converted into reserves for world food security terms of trade of most developing countries have not shown any improvement and in some cases may even have deteriorated.
Under these circumstances, the Pakistan delegation feels that while concern has grown, while issues have been carefully delineated there is not enough evidence of practical implementation. Five years have elapsed since the World Food Conference and the enunciation of a grand global food policy. Surely, it is now time to move purposefully and determinedly from mere pronouncements to action oriented programmes -- from the conference table to the field where the many millions sweat and toil to bring in good harvests. It goes without saying that the main burden and the primary responsibility for developing food and agriculture production rests with the developing countries themselves. Growth in agriculture is crucial not only for the realization of an overall income increase for developing countries but also on consideration of income distribution and the broad sharing of economic gains by the masses. The objective of removing the worst manifestation of poverty can thus be achieved only through a rapid growth of agriculture. To do this developing countries have perforce to accord food and agriculture sector the highest priority in their development plans and to provide the necessary financial, administrative and policy support. Happily, there is increasing and firm evidence that developing countries are conscious of this obligation andare making earnest efforts to the extent possible to provide the required support.
I would like to present briefly the position in my own country. Agriculture is a basic industry which employs 57% of the total labour force and provides sustenance directly or indirectly to about 75% of of our total population. It contributes 34 percent of the gross national product and 70 percent of our foreign excange earnings are obtained through exports of processed or raw agriculture products. Naturally, therefore, agriculture has a very special priority in our Fifth Five-Year Plan. Our current agricultural development programme is a rational mix of technological change, economic measures and institutional restructuring. It seeks to achieve a more effective and enlarged use of modern inputs with a view to achieving substantial increase in per acre yields. This is combined with an effort to build institutions and infrastructure in the rural agricultural sector to sustain growth in future. The modern system of extension services based on training and visit method and providing linkage with research form the core of these programmes. Direct investment in agriculture will be substantially increased during the current Plan period. This would be further supported by agriculture-oriented investment in other sectors. The entire activity in the rural agriculture sector will be backed up by the institutional and administrative changes conceived as part of a comprehensive rural development thrust.
The main objectives of agricultural development are given in the paper circulated to the Conference. I shall not, therefore, take your time in asserting them. I would merely say as a result of the
measures taken to implement the objectives narrated by me we have reaped a record crop of wheat. Production this year has been in the neighbourhood of 10 million tons as against 8. 3 million metric tons in the previous year-an increase of about 24 percent over the last year. As a result, the import of wheat during 1979-80 has been reduced to approximately one million metric tons as against 2,2 million metric tons for 1978-79.
We are grateful for the assistance that has been so readily forthcoming from the FAO. I would like specially to mention here the extremely useful and timely help that we received in obtaining rust resistant wheat seed and locusticides for controlling the locust menace. I take this opportunity of thanking the Director-General on behalf of the Government of Pakistan for responding so promptly to our requests and also for the efforts that FAO has made and continues to make in raising the standard of living through increasing agricultural production and in bettering the condition of the rural population in my country.
I have elaborated upon our efforts to demonstrate that developing countries like Pakistan are fully committed to increasing agricultural and food production within the resources available to them. The food problem, however, still continues to be a formidable one. Pakistan is still, to a certain extent, dependent upon food imports. Although the gap between demand and supply is decreasing, it is not decreasing fast enough. While we feel that the only solution to the problems of developing countries is increasing self-reliance, meaningful external assistance could play a vital role in bringing about the desired change more efficiently and rapidly. Unfortunately, the flow of development assistance has fallen short of requirement in volume direction and terms. We do not wish to enter into a debate on this subject but would merely remind the developed countries that they too stand to benefit from the comparatively low cost of production in developing countries and should, therefore, in the larger interest help developing countries to attain a greater degree of self-reliance. It is only then that both the developed and developing countries would be able to march forward as partners in progress.
On the subject of world food security, we are somewhat alarmed by recent developments. The indefinite adjournment of the United Nations Negotiating Conference on an International Wheat Agreement of 1971 has left the world precariously poised on the brink of a situation which has the making of a crisis similar to the one which faced the world in 1972-74. It is now estimated that world wheat and coarse grain production would not be sufficient to meet the consumption requirements in 1980-81 and it would be necessary to draw upon existing stocks. According to other estimates the brisk demand and latest crop expectations are creating a tight world grain market. It is estimated that the increase in international grain prices and freight costs would mean an extra expenditure of US $ 2 billion on commercial wheat imports by developing countries. We would, therefore, strongly urge a resumption of negotiations to reach a New International Wheat Agreement as soon as possible. At the same time we feel that it is vital to endorse the Director-General's Five Point Plan of Action on World Food Security. Under the present circumstances, and during the interregnum the Director-General's Plan of Action holds out some hope for a large number of countries who otherwise would be at the mercy of an uncertain and rapidly changing world food situation.
The GATT Multilateral Trade Negotiations and the Fifth Session of UNCITAD were held earlier this year. Many countries have already expressed their deep disappointment with the very limited progress achieved in trade matters. Trade restrictions hamper the possibilities of expanding exports of developing countries. International production policies in some developed countries have further aggravated the situation and damaged the potential of developing countries to expand their trade. Since the economic development of developing countries is the only genuine solution to the overall problem of poverty, hunger and malnutrition we would strongly urge the developed countries to demonstrate the necessary political will to arrive at equitable and fair resolution of the problems facing the developing countries in the field of trade.
I would also take this opportunity to make a reference to the World Food Programme. We are satisfied that the programme has proved to be a true example of partnership between developing and developed countries, and has firmly established the success and value of the concept of multilateral food aid and has, in the process, won the trust of recipient countries. We hope that this concept of multilateral food aid will be greatly enlarged in the future and an increasing volume of resources will be channelled through this programme. However, we are dismayed to note the recent difficulties in the programme's resource situation and the resultant effect on its commitments. We hope that this will be only a passing phase and that additional support will be forthcoming from existing as well as potential donors to enable the programme to meet its commitments and to mount a much larger effort in the future.
We note and applaud the increased emphasis on strengthening FAO's investment activities and its efforts to develop and refine its own investment support capacity. This must continue to be a major medium term objective of the Organization. In fact, we would urge that this expertise be utilized in identifying suitable investment opportunities for economic and technical cooperation amongst developing countries.
The diminishing availability of fertilizers is a matter of profound concern to all developing countries. The recent increase in prices of fertilizers has added to this anxiety. The decline in pledges to the FAO International Fertilizer Supply Scheme has also complicated the situation. We would therefore urge donor countries to increase their contribution to the IFS as well as to substantially increase their direct fertilizer aid to the MSA and LDC countries faced with balance of payment problems.
In the field of nutrition there is an imperative need to move from words to deeds and from discussions to action. The number of malnourished is increasing even while there is plenty in the world. We feel that a lot has to be done particularly in the field of Data Generation and Identification of Problems, Nutrition Intervention Programmes and most importantly for developing countries Nutrition Education and Training.
The Pakistan delegation would also like to make a special mention of the new programme of the FAO to help third world coastal nations exploit fisheries resources in their exclusive economic zones. We feel that FAO has a unique and leading role to play in assisting coastal states in their efforts to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities created by the new regime of the sea. In this connection, the most urgent task for which developing countries should get help is the locating, identification and quantification of fish stocks lying in their exclusive economic zones. We would urge all donor countries to respond generously to finance this programme during the 1980-81 biennium.
Mr. Chairman, it is indeed ironical that the world today despite breath-taking technological progress and spectacular development in human affairs continues to grapple with the task of the most vital human requirement of adequate food. Hunger and malnutrition are now attaining critical proportions. It is, therefore, the earnest hope of my delegation that this Conference will be instrumental in creating a better understanding of the food problem facing the world today and in ushering in a new era for agriculture and for the farmers of the world. This is a challenging task but we owe it to posterity to rise and boldly meet this challenge.
In conclusion my delegation is confident that if member states work with a spirit of cooperation and good-will which they have always displayed the deliberations of our Conference will lead to meaningful conclusions and achieve substantial results for the ultimate benefit of those millions who toil in the fields. Towards this end, Mr. Chairman, I would like to assure you of our fullest cooperation.
A. GHISSASSI (Maroc) (interpretation de l'arabe): Une fois de plus, ma délégation se retrouve au siège de cette Organisation et nous connaissons le rôle qu'elle joue dans le domaine de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation. C'est une occasion très heureuse pour moi que de prendre la parole devant cette auguste assemblee et j'espère que je pourrai donc participer aux débats. Je suis sûr que nous pourrons arriver à des résultats très réalistes et appuyer toutes les activités de l'Organisation dans le domaine agricole.
Je souhaite tout d'abord féliciter, de la part de la délégation marocaine, le Président de cette Conférence. Nous sommes persuadés que sa sagesse et ses hautes qualités permettront de mener à bien les travaux et les activités qui nous incombent ici.
Cette Conférence se réunit à un moment critique, dans des conditions économiques mondiales également difficiles et nous devons suivre les discussions en tout objectivité, et avec un sens des réalité, de façon à évaluer la situation actuelle correctement et de voir quels sont les moyens qui nous permettront de résoudre les problèmes imposés par ces conditions.
Nous avons pu constater dans les documents qui nous ont été distribués pour les réunions de cette année, et surtout lors de la Conférence sur la réforme agraire et le développement rural, les essais entrepris pour reviser les difficultés du secteur agricole et du secteur alimentaire. C'est une situation qui se détériore continuellement dans les pays en voie de développement en dépit des grands efforts faits tant au niveau national qu'au niveau international. Ces difficultés sont encore plus complexes depuis un quart de siècle en dépit des efforts qui ont été réalisés depuis la fin de la Seconde guerre mondiale sur la productivité, la mise au point de nouvelles techniques. Tout cela est de la plus haute importance. Mais nous n'avons malheureusement pas été en mesure de résoudre les problèmes de la production agricole dans de nombreuses régions du monde, c'est-à-dire le fossé qui existe entre les pays développés et les pays en voie de développement ainsi que les lacunes ou les fossés qui existent entre les besoins qui s'accroissent chaque jour, et les possibilités.
Le monde en voie de développement doit faire face à une croissance démographique extrêmement importante: D'après les dernières estimations nous voyons que cette population mondiale augmente encore. Il nous faut donc intensifier nos efforts dans tous les domaines pour pouvoir faire face aux problèmes qui se posent à nous et qui continueront à se poser au cours des années à venir. Dans chacun de nos pays c'est-à-dire au niveau national nous devons vraiment essayer de réduire la pénurie de denrées alimentaires. La grandeur de ce problème demande des efforts combinés au niveau national, et un examen plus approfondi des relations qui existent entre les membres de la communauté internationale et le besoin de restructurer cette communauté sur une base plus équitable et plus juste. Nous arriverons ainsi à un nouvel ordre économique international.
Sans aucun doute les organisations internationales, et les chefs de ces organisations, ont un róle vital, crucial à jouer grâce à des études entreprises, et en fournissant à la communauté internationale un forum où tous les pays riches et pauvres peuvent discuter des problèmes et leur trouver une solution.
C'est mon devoir de dire combien nous sommes satisfaits des efforts incessants de la FAO qui essaie de remplir de façon adéquate son rôle. Nous sommes très satisfaits des documents et tout particulièrement du document 'Agriculture-Horizon 2000'. C'est une preuve éclatante que l'on traite de ce problème avec beaucoup de sérieux.
Je voudrais exprimer l'avis du Royaume du Maroc concernant certains problèmes qui se posent à nous avant de passer en revue les défits qui nous sont lancés du point de vue sécurité alimentaire.
Les délibérations de cette Conférence sont en réalité importantes depuis qu'elles suivent les réunions internationales qui ont traité du problême des denrées alimentaires. Nous avons sous les yeux une stratégie intégrée pour faire face aux problèmes de la faim et de la malnutrition et pour appuyer les résultats que nous avons obtenus après la Conférence mondiale de l'alimentation qui s'est tenue en 1974, de même qu'après celle de la réforme agraire et du développement rural.
Nous voulons insister sur le rôle positif joué par notre Organisation de même que sur les efforts de personnes responsables, tel que le Directeur général, M. Edouard Saouma.
Nous prenons conscience au niveau international du fait qu'il est nécessaire de faire face aux dangers et aux menaces que l'on peut voir apparaître dans le monde. Nous savons que des millions de personnes dans le monde souffrent de la faim et de la malnutrition, alors qu'il existe des techniques extrêmement sophistiquées: tout ceci est une contradiction.
Nos progrès sont entravés par de nombreux problèmes et l'humanité, en réalité, doit surmonter ces problèmes comme elle l'a fait par le passé: elle a éliminé par exemple certaines maladies. Il est étonnant de constater les fossés qui existent entre le niveau de consommation de pays riches et les besoins de pays pauvres. Ces besoins se font encore davantage sentir. Et c'est une situation qui a été mise en lumière, non seulement par toutes les études, mais également par toutes les allocutions que nous avons pu entendre. Et je crois qu'il faut donc modifier quelque peu le processus du développement: il nous incombe de rejeter les tendances passées, de rejeter la répartition injuste des moyens de production, non seulement au niveau national mais également au niveau international. La communauté internationale doit rejeter une situation qui plonge des millions de personnes à vivre dans des conditions de nutrition inacceptables.
Nous ne sommes pas du tout pessimistes même si les pays en voie de développement n'ont pas encore fait face à leurs besoins et n'ont pas encore réussi à satisfaire leurs propres nécessités, et qu'ils aient jusqu'à présent eu recours aux importations. Si cette situation se poursuit, elle ne fera qu'augmenter la dépendance et limiter la liberté de ces pays du point de vue économique et même politique.
En conséquence, les pays en voie de développement doivent faire face à ce défi. Ils doivent affronter ces problèmes comme ils avaient à affronter l'exploitation coloniale. Le spectre de la faim et de la malnutrition s'imposent à nous, et je crois qu'au cours des dernières décennies nous avons essayé de mettre en oeuvre les différentes résolutions et recommandations que nous avions acceptées. Mais ce n'est qu'au cours des années 1970 que les peuples ont clairement pris conscience de la situation mondiale. L'une des causes principales de cette situation vient du fait que les ressources sont très mal réparties entre les différents secteurs de l'économie. Le secteur de l'agriculture est certainement l'un des secteurs importants pour la plupart de nos pays. Il n'y a pas doute que les efforts réalisés dans le domaine agricole pourront porter des fruits à. moyen terme ou à long terme. C'est la raison pour laquelle les investissements des pays en voie de développement ne pourront porter leurs fruits qu'au cours des années à venir.
Nous avons de larges surfaces cultivables qui ne sont pas encore exploitées: 200 millions d'hectares. Nous voyons donc la productivité à laquelle on pourrait tendre si de nouvelles techniques étaient utilisées. Nous pourrions par exemple augmenter le rendement des produits céréaliers par hectares.
Cet aspect du défi que j'ai mentionné doit être très clair pour tous les pays en voie de développement. Ce défi va au-delà des limites des frontières de chaque pays.
Les divergences qui existent entre le niveau de consommation des pays développés et des pays en voie de développement sont énormes. Nous lançons un appel au monde pour qu'il fasse preuve de solidarité. Tous les indicateurs économiques montrent que la consommation de calories par habitant représente, pour les pays développés 150 pour cent de plus que pour les pays en voie de développement. Les personnes qui souffrent de la faim et de la malnutrition sont nombreuses. Et les chiffres que je viens de mentionner nous en donnent un aperçu.
Nous ne devons pas non plus oublier un aspect négatif qui est la mauvaise répartition des ressources. Et le principal des défis auxquels nous devons faire face est de savoir comment satisfaire nos besoins sans cesse croissants. Nous avons enregistré dans les pays en voie de développement une augmentation de la production agricole: 2,8 pour cent au cours des cinq dernières années. Tout ceci est encourageant mais ne nous permet pas de faire face à tous les besoins de nos pays; et ces besoins sont en relation avec la croissance démographique dans notre pays. Nous avons un taux de croissance démographique de 2,6 pour cent.
En plus de ce taux d'augmentation de la population nous pouvons voir que les pays en voie de développement doivent faire face à des difficultés sans cesse croissantes de demande accrue de produits alimentaires de 3,2 à 3,7 pour cent annuellement.
Les besoins des pays en voie de développement ne pourront être satisfaits que si on leur donne les outils nécessaires pour essayer d'éliminer cette dépendance par rapport aux pays développés. Il faut donc mettre à leur disposition des ressources et leur permettre d'augmenter leur production alimentaire par différents moyens: utilisation d'engrais, de pesticides, semences améliorées, etc.
La solidarité internationale est un problème complexe étant donné les difficultés auxquelles doivent faire face tous les pays en voie de développement. Nous devons donc surmonter les difficultés internes afin d'augmenter la production agricole et afin d'atteindre une augmentation de quatre pour cent par an.
Nous devons augmenter les hectares de terre cultivés, nous devons utiliser les crédits, les possibilités d'investissement, mobiliser la main-d'oeuvre, et suivre une politique de crédit appropriée. Nous devons également mettre l'accent sur l'irrigation et éviter toute détérioration de la commercialisation des produits agricoles, évitant donc la pénurie d'investissements dans ce domaine. Les chiffres que nous avons pour le commerce international des produits agricoles montrent que la situation des pays en voie de développement se détériore. Le rapport d'experts des pays en voie de développement montre que les échanges entre pays en voie de développement sont de 82 pour cent, alors que pour les pays développés il est de 5,6. Les pays en voie de développement doivent donc faire face à de nouveaux problèmes (barrières tarifaires et non-tarifaires, mesures protectionistes) même si beaucoup de nos pays sont membres du GATT et ont essayé de libéraliser les échanges commerciaux, en dépit des efforts réalisés dans les forums tels que la CNUCED ou le GATT. Je veux dire que la situation au lieu de s'améliorer s'est encore détériorée; elle est alarmante, les négociations visant à conclure de nouveaux accords internationaux sur des produits de base ont échoué. Les pays en voie de développement doivent faire face à des contraintes, à des limites lorsqu'ils souhaitent commercialiser leurs produits agricoles, Le prix des intrants augmente sans cesse et provoque un déséquilibre de leur économie.
Il est donc peu facile pour nous de comprendre la logique des pays développés qui essaient de limiter l'exportation des pays en voie de développement, alors que ces pays peuvent remarquer que la balance des paiements et des échanges est en leur faveur.
Le secteur agricole nécessiterait 115 milliards d'investissements pour faire face à ces besoins; les investissements demanderont 17 pour cent de plus que le PNB actuel. Ceci ne peut se faire que si les institutions de financement augmentent les prêts de capitaux aux pays en voie de développement.
Les barrières intérieures et extérieures ont provoqué l'échec des pays en voie de développement, qui n'ont pu faire face à leurs besoins. Cette situation est alarmante, mais nous espérons que nous pourrons surmonter ces difficultés en intensifiant encore nos efforts, et en déterminant de façon très claire une stratégie qui tiendra compte de la situation de chaque pays. Au niveau intérieur, une telle stratégie devrait accorder une priorité importante au secteur de l'agriculture, sans oublier l'équipement et la possibilité d'enseignement, d'éducation, de formation. Nous devons essayer de mobiliser tous
les facteurs nécessaires qui permettront de promouvoir la coopération, c'est-à-dire réorganiser le marché des produits, et offrir des prix rémunérateurs qui encourageront le producteur agricole et lui montreront qu'il bénéficie des fruits de son travail. Il faut aussi maintenir au niveau international les denrées alimentaires à des prix raisonnables.
Cela doit être accepté à l'unanimité par les communautés internationales. Nous devons éliminer les barrières tarifaires pour les produits en provenance des pays en voie de développement. Les pays développés devraient aider nos pays à atteindre une certaine autosuffisance. C'est la raison pour laquelle je dois dire que votre Organisation a de très grandes responsabilités. Il convient de se baser sur des études pour formuler une statégie. Il faut qu'il y ait des consultations entre les différents membres de la communauté internationale, et nous estimons que. l'ordre du jour des réunions de votre Organisation montre clairement que cette Organisation accepte son róle et qu'elle est prête à l'assumer pour améliorer la situation actuelle. Notre ordre du jour comprend des points très importants, points d'ordre pratique: élevage, foresterie, pêcherie, engrais, etc.
Nous apprécions également les efforts déployés par l'Organisation, tout particulièrement ceux qui visent à atteindre la sécurité alimentaire à tous les niveaux, Nous savons que le Directeur général a pris des mesures dans ce but, et toutes les parties intéressées doivent s'engager à faire face aux objectifs tracés et essayer de conclure de nouveaux accords sur les produits céréaliers. Nous espérons que nos préoccupations sur la sécurité alimentaire seront reflétées dans les buts et objectifs de notre Organisation.
Nous devrions nous concentrer sur les problèmes qui sont importants pour les pays en voie de développement qui souffrent davantage de la crise alimentaire. Nous estimons que notre Organisation, grâce à ses activités et à ses études, devrait permettre un financement plus important aux pays en voie de développement pour consolider leurs programmes. Les organisations telles que la Banque mondiale, le FIDA, les Fonds de développement régionaux, devraient également participer à ce financement important.
Monsieur le Président, après vous avoir dit ce que nous pensions des différents points de l'ordre du jour, je voudrais vous donner une idée plus ou moins claire-ou assez claire-ou un tableau de la situation qui prévaut au Maroc. Mon pays joue un róle très important dans le développement agricole, et nous avons accordé une haute priorité au développement agricole qui permet d'augmenter sans cesse notre produit national brut. Aujourd'hui la population est de 18,8 millions; le taux de croissance démographique est de 2. 9 pour cent, beaucoup plus élevé que dans beaucoup d'autres pays. Pour les zones cultivées, nous avons 32 millions d'hectares, 7,5 millions d'hectares non cultivés, le reste étant des pâturages et des forêts.
Etant donné le manque de temps je vais exclure de mon exposé l'expérience marocaine. Je distribuerai le document à tous les délégués.
Pour conclure, je souhaite vous dire qu'au cours des deux prochaines décennies nous devrons faire face à un déficit considérable, non seulement dans tous les pays mais également dans mon propre pays. Si nous voulons arriver à exploiter au maximum le potentiel que nous avons à notre disposition, nous devrons done, au cours de la mise en oeuvré du programme de développement, relever le défi qui nous est lancé. Les problèmes qui se posent sont très importants, très nombreux. Nous nous heurtons à des fluctuations économiques, à des taux d'accroissement démographique importants, mais nous devons avant tout et par dessus tout assurer un niveau de vie décent à nos peuples. Nous devons pour cela faire un bilan de nos ressources naturelles, nous devons également montrer qu'il est possible de faire face au défi qui nous est lancé. Le Directeur général, dans son exposé, nous a montré quelle était la situation mondiale et quels étaient les programmes qui pourraient être mis au point pour assurer le bien être de tous.
O. OKSNES (Norway) (interpretation from Norwegian): Mr. Chairman, the Twentieth Conference of FAO is taking place directly after the successful World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. I should like to congratulate Director-General Saouma and the Conference participants on this Conference, which may well prove to be a milestone in the efforts to improve conditions for the millions of poor people living in rural areas.
The declaration of principles and the programme of action adopted there form a basis for securing both a more equitable distribution of resources and an increase in food production. A healthy and dynamic rural development, with more job opportunities and with the local population having a greater influence on development would doubtlessly lead to more people choosing to go on living in rural areas. This would, in turn, ease the pressure on the towns, with a resultant reduction in slums and their consequent debasement of human life.
In order that the results of the Conference will be successful, the prerequisite is that the proposed programme of action should be adequately followed up, both at the national and the international level. For Norway's part, great emphasis was placed on this very point, and our view is that the discussion of this question is one of the most important items on the agenda for this Conference.
As far as follow-up at the national level is concerned, this will naturally depend on the individual country's political will and ability to put the recommendations into effect. The various countries start out with different premises, but my impression from the Conference is that most countries adopted a positive attitude, and they wished to follow up the intentions of the Conference-for example, by attaching relatively greater importance to agriculture, forestry and fishing in future development.
I have reason to stress that the struggle against rural poverty is to a high degree a political question. The positive effect of aid from rich to poor countries is dependent on the existence of a political will to achieve an equitable distribution of existing resources and future benefits at the national level
As regards the international effort, the FAO was charged with a leading role in the form of the follow-up of the Programme of action. It is important that the FAO, in cooperation with the other agencies in the United Nations System, is capable of carrying out the great task for which the Organization has been made responsible. This presupposes giving priority to those questions within the limits of FAO's total resources, and the technical development in the FAO with greater weight on the socio-economic aspects of the development process.
Norway strongly supports the item in the Programme of action relating to the setting of specific targets for development, followed by monotoring and subsequent evaluation. The purpose must be to have yardsticks for judging the results of the policies followed in the various countries.
FAO should intensify the work of formulating criteria for such an evaluation. The indicators for measuring results in the individual countries should be of an appropriate nature, including literacy, distribution of income and nutrition. Norway is at present actively considering in which way we could support the follow-up of the Conference, technically and financially.
Many member countries will require assistance in setting targets and formulating strategies for rural development. In order to participate in an evaluation process, the member countries will also need to develop data coverage for the various aspects of rural development. Assisting the member countries with this work of analysis will be a major function of FAO.
Mr. Chairman, it was disappointing that the negotiations on a new wheat agreement broke down in February of this year. In the absence of a wheat agreement, Norway has supported the five-point plan as a means of improving world food security. An important element here is the work of FAO on the Food Security Assistance Scheme. Taking the years 1977, 1978 1979 together, Norway has contributed Nkr 3. 5 million for this purpose.
Norway has also signed the protocol concerning an extension of the Food Aid Convention from 1971, and from 1980 she will contribute 30,000 tons of wheat in conformity with the provisions in the 1971 convention.
Mr. President, the world's supply of wood is a subject of central interest for the FAO The Forestry Department of the FAO has in fact carried out a number of valuable analyses of future supply and demand in respect of wood.
These analyses seem to indicate that in only 20-30 years from now there may already be difficulties in satisfying a reasonable level of demand and that the shortfall in wood will become more marked in subsequent years.
In many countries the area of forest land is too small to be able to produce enough wood for domestic use. However, in the world as a whole the area of forest is so large that it can produce much more than needed to meet demand. This can be accomplished without any serious competition with agriculture over areas suitable for cultivation.
It is an obvious pre-condition, however, if enough wood is to be obtained both for fuel and industrial products, that investments in afforestation are substantially increased.
Besides the effort made towards meeting local needs, it is therefore essential that the analyses carried out by the FAO are followed up by discussion on how to finance greatly increased investment of this nature.
Apart from the funds which the individual countries can earmark for this purpose, here it will no doubt be necessary to mobilize international capital on quite a considerable scale.
I would like to mention that Norway has legally established that a certain share of the gross income by sale of industrial wood should be reinvested in the forests. Experience has shown that these measures have proved successful for our reafforestation.
Planning in the forestry sector must be on a long-term basis. To cover a shortfall in wood in the first half of the next century, we are already too far behind to make the investments clear enough to show that no time is to be lost in finding financing sources capable of solving the problem.
I realize that the FAO is aware of this problem, but it is hard to see that the programme and budget, as they have been presented to the Conference, pay sufficient regard to this long-term aspect.
I would request that the Director-General take steps to see that the Forestry Committee in the FAO initiates comprehensive discussion on the financing problems connected with silviculture, with a view to finding out how the necessary capital can be raised.
Another important question is the FAO's programme for a better utilization of the enlarged economic zones in fisheries. For the coastal states fishing in the economic zone could constitute an important element in food self-sufficiency, which is desirable both from the point of view of the countries themselves and in the international perspective. I would emphasize that the establishment of 200-mile economic zones is a necessary, but not sufficient, prerequisite for ensuring that the coastal states in the Third World can utilize the potential which the fisheries represent.
There will now be a great need to identify and plan suitable development projects. Here, naturally enough, it will be necessary to give the developing countries both technical and financial assistance-to help them both meet the immediate needs and create the basis in the longer term for their being able themselves to plan their own fishery policy and achieve their goals.
In this work, the FAO can play an important role and the Norwegian Government has already given substantial support to the FAO's special programme for the development of the economic zones. In this connection we would emphasize that the developed fishery nations have a special obligation to make expertise and experience available in this field.
It should be a goal for the international community to see to it that the world's fish catches as far as possible are utilized for human consumption. The development of suitable products therefore should be given high priority, Norway has gained valuable experience from the work done on development and acceptability testing of fishmeal (fish protein concentrate PPC type B) in food aid. We have now had this product included in the Norwegian commodity contribution to the World Food Programme,
The development of PPC is an example of ways in which fish can be used in the global food supply. Increasing effort as well as ingenuity are called for in order to develop cheap and simple products and processes so that the amounts and kinds of fish to be used for human consumption can be increased in the future. Prom a nutritional point of view as well, this has its importance.
An aspect of FAO's work to which Norway attaches great importance, is nutrition in its most comprehensive sense. We feel that the recent development here is a step in the right direction, as it has been agreed that nutrition becomes a permanent item on the agenda of the meetings of the Committee of Agriculture,
The Committee of Fisheries ought to deal with the topic of nutrition on a regular basis as well. The various nations should endeavour to be represented by experts in the field of nutrition when the subject is to be dealt with in the Standing Committees,
I would like to underline the importance of having a comprehensive view of all aspects of nutrition, especially within the UN system. The work of the ACC Sub-Committee on Nutrition, now well under way, is a positive development to this end,
I cannot too strongly emphasize that I see a full integration of women as a prerequisite of successfull rural development, I wish to refer to the Programme of Action in the report of the World Conference, on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development and stress that FAO must pay full attention to rural women in the future work of the Organization, Norway will give high priority to projects where this aspect is taken care of.
The important role of women in food supply clearly indicates that they should be actively integrated into education as well as the general economic and social development. That is to say, it should be made easier for women to obtain credits for agricultural investments. It should be recognized that
women in many countries possess the key to a more rational use of land, improved harvests as well as a more balanced diet. Too much emphasis on commercial agriculture must not interfere with food for immediate, local needs.
In this connection, let me add that the development of rural technology must be based on the needs of the small farmers-female as well as male. Even simple improvements in equipment give results
Before this Conference, the FAO prepared a document entitled "Agriculture Toward 2000". In the Norwegian view this will represent useful background material when we come to the planning of agricultural policy in the Third Development Decade.
I expect that this document will also be of central importance in discussions held in other United Nations fora apart from the FAO. Through this study the foundation has been laid for assessment of the interrelationship between the target-directed production of food and vital factors such as manpower, technical and financial inputs. Although this study can only be regarded as a first step it seems to me that according higher priority to the development of agriculture in rural areas is a necessary element in any future-oriented development policy. This study may become a new instrument in both multilateral and bilateral development assistance work.
There is one important area, however, in which I feel it necessary for the study to be taken further. Only slight attention is paid in the document to the socio-economic factors connected with the distribution of incomes and resources within the various countries. I regard it as necessary and important to place the requisite emphasis on this aspect in the further work on the document.
The World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development expressed the hope that the financing institutions in the United Nations system, together with other sources, would increase their support to the agricultural sector. I agree with this, but at the same time I would point out that it is just as often the lack of good projects as the lack of capital that hampers the work of development.
As the North-South Conference in the United Nations declared, food, nutrition and agriculture are key factors in the development of the Third World. The endeavours made in this field with the poorest segment in the rural areas in mind will release energy for economic development in general.
It is a greater effort of this nature, combined with a growing political will to achieve more equitable conditions in the individual countries, which in the course of the Third Development Decade will be able to bring us closer to reaching the targets we have set for ourselves as our ideal aim.
M. PETRIK (Czechoslovakia) (interpretation from Czech): Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Delegates, let me, on behalf of the delegation of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, congratulate the Chairman upon election to his high post; my sincere congratulations also go to the Co-Chairmen and other officers of the bureau. I would also like to congratulate our two new members upon their admission to the FAO.
General conferences provide the best opportunity for balancing world agricultural production, food policy, and work of the Food and Agriculture Organization for the past biennial period. The comparatively favourable trend of increasing the volume of world agricultural production has been affected by unfavourable weather conditions this year. The situation requires increased efforts for providing enough food for mankind. Some warning signal can be seen in the failure to meet the expected objectives and development rates of the Second Development Decade.
We therefore fully support the justified and realistic requirements of developing countries for a general reconstruction of international economic relationships, for strengthening their economic independence, and adjustment of international trade as indicated, in the respective parts of the Programme of Action on the establishment of a New International Economic Order and other United Nations documents. This task does not appear to be easy and solutions will be hard to find now that inflation trends continue in some countries of the world, with economic depression and instability. I would like to note that in our view the effectiveness of some international documents which are to be in favour of the developing countries is impaired by the fact that the reality of the present-day world is not fully taken into account-the existence of the socialist and capitalist socio-economic systems-and that the differences in the approaches to the problems of the developing world are not fully respected, including historical responsibility for the present state.
A special session of the General Assembly of the United Nations on economic problems in 1980 will discuss all these questions.
I would like to express my support to the programme orientation and policy of the FAO and its Director-General, aimed mainly at meeting the requirements for securing food in developing countries, particularly the least developed. We therefore welcome efforts for strengthening the coordinating role and importance of the FAO, and support any initiative for securing mutually advantageous international labour division. In this connection, my country also welcomed the decision to elaborate, in the FAO, objective studies envisaging the future, aimed at prompt and practical use.
I appreciate this intention, documented by the study "Agriculture Towards 2000", which is regarded by us as an exhaustive source of information on the present state and possible development of world agriculture. Although we do not fully agree with all conclusions stated in the report, and have some reservations in relation to it, we regard the whole study as a work deserving high appreciation.
Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Delegates, let me express my disagreement with the statement of the authors of the report that the causes of the lack of food in some developing countries are not exactly known. We believe that the causes rest mainly in the surviving socio-economic structure of these countries.
I declare again, on behalf of the delegation of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, what we already said at the recent World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development: without socio-economic changes, including the democratization of the ownership of land, no greater improvement of the situation can be expected in these countries.
Another cause, as we see it, is the division of the gross national product which reduces the purchasing power of the broad masses of population, restricts the sources for food import; and all this is combined, in many of these countries, with the persisting monoculture form of agricultural production, etc.
Let me make some remarks on the proposed budget and programme of work of the FAO.
The level of the budget is always one of the key problems at the General Conference, and all countries are interested in it. Our delegation will support its structure and volume; however, like the representatives of some other member countries, I would like to emphasize the need for maximum economy in the administrative and operational items. We note with satisfaction that some purposeful rationalizing measures were taken in the FAO Secretariat and in the style of its work, and I believe that further measures will follow, in order to improve the general effectiveness of the economic management. We also supported the earlier measures of this nature, e. g. the decentralization trends based on the transfer of a certain part of responsibility to the regional representatives of the FAO.
In this connection, however, I wish to call your attention to the fact that if the rate of decentralization is exceeded, the central coordinating role of the FAO would be weakened, however necessary it is in the existing complicated situation in world agricultural production to retain this leading role.
We have no fundamental comments on the plan of activity for the next year and in general, we agree with its structure and content. We support the integrating efforts of the FAO for close cooperation and reasonable division of work within the respective bodies of the Economic Commission for Europe.
I would like to note that, within the scheme of cooperation in the European region, we are involved-in five tasks of the joint research programme on selected subjects, and we would welcome, in future, an expansion of this cooperation.
Now let me add some remarks on the agricultural situation and problems of my country. The present stage of building socialism has greater requirements for the whole society, including the different branches of the national economy. The new problems which are to be solved arise from the higher requirements of the socialist society and from the complex situation in the world economy. These are objective facts constituting the starting point of our effort for more effective utilization of the internal potentials, material and labour resources and economic reserves, aimed at a purposeful and thorough realization of the objective of our agriculture and food industry: to increase the quality and effectiveness of production and to contribute, in this way, to an improvement of the living standard of the people.
The requirement for the use of the internal reserves and resources for supplying the home market with food in the needed quantity and assortment is augmented by the fact that, owing to the unfavourable weather conditions of the year 1978 and of this year, it is a more complex and difficult task to fulfill the planned objectives.
The level and successes of Czechoslovak agriculture are known to the leading FAO officials and specialists from different countries who have visited Czechoslovakia. Our possibilities in agriculture, forestry and water management, in pisciculture, and agricultural education are also known. All this gives prerequisites for an enhancement and extension of our involvement in all-round cooperation with the FAO in realizing FAO projects in developing countries and in the sending of experts. My delegation appreciates and fully supports the proposal made yesterday by my Hungarian colleague on the World Day of Food Production and Agriculture.
One of the main prerequisites for being able to fulfill the objectives and mission of the FAO is world peace, an intensification of the process of the alleviation of international tension-détente halting of armament race which uselessly swallows enormous amounts of capital and material resources, and speeding up the process of disarmament. Like other socialist countries, Czechoslovakia makes great efforts for achieving these basic objectives of mankind. We are interested in wide international cooperation, based on the principles of mutual advantage and non-discrimination.
In conclusion, I would like to assure you of Czechoslovakia's sincere intention to continue in supporting the general line of the FAO, in active cooperation on solving the problems of world agriculture and food, and to make, as an advanced country, an adequate contribution to FAO's noble endeavours.
EL PRESIDENTE: Si no hay ninguna observación más, levantamos la sesión que continuaremos a las 14. 30 horas, a las dos y media de la tarde.
The meeting rose at 13. 15 hours
La séance est levée à 13 h 15
Se levanta la sesión a las 13. 15 horas
