Mrs. W. B. EIDE (Norway): My delegation has read with interest the document before us and has found a number of useful informations and view points in it. In particular, my delegation is glad to see an increasing proportion of what we can call general analytical considerations concerning the basic causes of the current food and agriculture situation. This will help in our understanding of the data available. It also no doubt reflects a greater consensus compared to some years ago of the nature of these causes. For example, my delegation appreciates the emphasis laid on the role of access to land, inputs and services to the producers. As the document points out, the effect on income distribution of the access to productive inputs on the alleviation of rural poverty must not be ignored. We could state that the opposite is also true, that there is an effect of the income distribution on access to production inputs, or in other words that there already exists a skewness in access due to differences in economic levels. Whatever way we put it, the increasing attention to the small farmers and the landless must continue and even be enforced. In this it is important that we do not generalize about who those are or where. The document strongly points out that there are wide variations in the composition of the rural poor in different regions. Only by knowing more about this composition and how it is linked to the processes of development of underdevelopment can we avoid rhetorical general ities and hope that the different efforts will have a real effect where it is most needed. This leads me to the main point of my delegation's comment. Since it is agreed that there are these wide internal differences with respect to how development efforts can affect the population and that the nature of these differences varies between countries, it is important that we have as good a statistical basis as possible for following the effects in different groups. To this end we need data on a con tinuing basis. My delegation would therefore like to draw the attention of the Conference to the present discrepancy between the instruments available for comparing distribution between countries and those which exist within countries. In the section of the document dealing with this point the average caloric availability for regions can be studied over time and we know that behind these data there are data for the individual countries. Based on such data it is stated in the document that there was a small improvement in the nutritional situation over the years 1977-79 measured in terms of average availability of calories. My delegation would warn against the use of this terminology here since the actual nutritional levels can only be described on a much lower organizational level than the nation. The changes referred to may in fact make it possible for those who can afford it to consume more without there being any changes in the consumption of the lower income groups.
In any case, reference to differences in calorific availability within countries is only given on ad hoc basis, that is, by means of results from token studies showing the close linkage between assumption levels and various socio-economic factors like size of land holdings, income, agricultural season, and so on, and we know that current research is unveiling others. None of the data referred to here are more recent than 1977 and in any case can only serve an analytical purpose regarding the ways in which consumption and nutritional levels link up with various aspects of poverty.
The Norwegian delegation thinks the time has come to ask for more systematic data of this type and, above all, that such data are collected as time series. By that we would bring in the dynamic aspects of changes in distribution and consumption-and I emphasize here, the changes. We think that under standing of such changes is a prerequisite for monitoring the general development process and specific efforts so that governments and international assistance agencies will know what is happening and be able to adjust their strategies and inputs accordingly. We believe that much of this work could be done within the present budgetary framework and linked to ongoing programmes under food and agricultural information, food and nutritional assessment and even evaluation of field programmes.
The hope that we are trying to express here is that at some time we may see the results of information collection under such headings as I mentioned combined into changes over time, data of changes over time, regarding consumption levels of representative social and economic groupings in selected areas. I am tempted here to borrow from the language of epidemology and public health and say that the goal for world food statistics must be to turn from giving figures only for the incidence of under consumption and under-nutrition to reporting on the prevalence, meaning that we should know not only absolute figures but also how such figures are spread in the society. When that happens, the already excellent reviews presented to the FAO Conferences will be even better and we will also have a better basis for realizing the combined goals of implementing a new economic order at the international level and those of WCARRD at the domestic levels, both of which are emphasized in the document as being necessary to alleviate poverty and malnutrition.
P. A, BLANDON (Nicaragua): Sefior Presidente, en primer lugar deseo saludarle a usted y a los compafňeros Vicepresidentes, al mismo tiempo que felicitar a la Secretaria por los documentos eficientemente prepa-rados. Nuestra delegacion desea hacer un breve comentario acerca de la reactivación agricola para la produccion de alimentos que nuestro pais ha tenido en el periodo reciente a traves de las siguientes politicas.
En primer lugar, la introduccion de una Ley de Reforma Agraria ha permitido verdaderamente incorporar a las cooperativas de produccion de alimentos basicos, sextuplicando de esta manera el area sembrada de alimentos, dando al mismo tiempo tasas preferenciales a traves del credito, distribuyendo los insu mos y servicios mecanizados a los productores; brindando asistencia tecnica de acuerdo con los pro gramas campesinos del Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario, otorgando precios de garantia que reco-nozcan al productor sus verdaderos costos y un margen generoso de rentabilidad de acuerdo con los ren-dimientos tradicionales: maíz, arroz y frijoles, lo que incluso ha mejorado el porcentaje de la recu-peración del credito, capacitando a activistas agricolas, productores campesinos, para multiplicar los paquetes tecnológicos acordados con los mismos productores, introduciendo sistemas de acopio campesinos a traves de la autoconstrucción en un programa de 40 000 trojes rurales para el almacena-miento de mas de 70 000 toneladas de maíz, evitando asi, con la cooperacion de FAO, grandes perdidas poscosecha; integrando una red de abastos rurales con 300 nuevos centros de abastecimiento rural admi-nistrados por cooperativas, haciendo que el campesino y su familia reciban una canasta de productos basicos de 30 productos.
Estas medidas son las politicas que han permitido a nuestro pais en un corto plazo reactivar ampliamen-te la produccion de alimentos, obteniendo aumentos de un 10 por ciento en maiz, den un 20 por ciento en arroz, de un 10 por ciento en frijoles y un 15 por ciento en sorgo, con relacion al periodo anterior.
Tenemos algunos problemas inmediatos por resolver como es el de disminuir la alta dependencia de insumos importados, sustituir las importaciones de oleaginosas mediante la introduccion de nuevas variedades de soja, mani, y otros productos, debido a reducción en las areas de siembra de algodon de donde extraemos aceite de semillas. Tenemos el problema del acopio para almacenar reservas. Ademas tenemos que un porcentaje alto de nuestras exportaciones de algodon, de cafe, de tabaco, de came y azucar va hacia el campo delpetróleo, y en este sentido debemos reconocer el trato preferencial que paises como Mexico y Venezuela han dado a Nicaragua y al resto del Caribe y Centroamerica.
Por otro lado. debemos de mencionar que nuestro Gobierno ha trazado una linea estrategica de produccion agricola, incluyendo fundamentalmente el Programa Alimentario Nicaragliense (PAN) que, apoyado princi-palmente en la Reforma Agraria, es un proyecto prioritario de la Revolución.
El segundo programa nos introduce en un plan agro-industrial destinado principalmente al establecimien-to de una exportacion permanente de nuestras materias primas transformadas que actualmente debemos de exportar como tales, y el tercer programa, el desarrollo de la ganaderia, la carne, la leche, con un programa de 500 millones de dólares para los próximos cinco anos.
Despues de lo expuesto la delegacion de Nicaragua se permite hacer la siguiente recomendacion a la Conf erencia a traves de la Comisión I para someter a la consideración de los Estados miembros de FAO. . . Nuestra recomendacion es la siguiente; A pesar de contar Nicaragua y muchos otros paises similares a ella con grandes recursos naturales como suelos, agua, clima: con recursos humanos y tecnicos, ademas de la cooperacion externa a traves de FAO y de otros Organismos ospecializados de las Naciones Unidas, y a pesar de la significativa colaboracion bilateral de paises amigos, Nicaragua se siente coartada en su genuino proposito por aportar a nuestro pueblo, a nuestra region y a nuestro mundo subdesarrollado una verdadera situacion de autosuficiencia alimentaria, debido a las causas que aqui denunciamos, Nuestra recomendacion es la siguiente:
A pesar de contar Nicaragua y muchos otros paises en similar situacion ella con grandes recursos natu rales como suelos, agua, clima; con recursos humanos y tecnicos, ademas de la cooperacion externa a traves de FAO y de otros Organismos especializados de las Naciones Unidas, y a pesar de la significativa colaboracion bilateral de paises amigos, Nicaragua se siente coartada en su genuino proposito por apor tar a nuestro pueblo, a nuestra region y a nuestro mundo subdesarrollado una verdadera situacion de autosuficiencia alimentaria, debido a las causas que aqui denunciamos.
La primera, la suspension de unos creditos ya ofrecidos para la produccion agricola y para la importación de alimentos. La segunda, el deterioro cada vez mayor de los precios de intercambio de nuestros principales productos de exportación contra los insumos, y maquinaria, cada vez mas cara, de la cual carecemos y que la necesitamos para producir mas alimentos. Tercera, los aflictivos y serios pasos burocraticos exigidos por instituciones financieras internacionales para la toma de decisiones para financiar a nuestros paises proyectos de desarrollo agricola, atrasando el primer desembolso, cuando a lo mejor ya es demasiado tarde, o el precio ya se ha elevado por encima de los limites del credito aprobado para ello; y mas aun, por los altas tasas y plazos de financiamiento otorgados en terminos "impagables", generando una seria contraccion en los proyectos de inversion para el desarrollo agricola, obstaculizandose gravemente la solución tecnológica de autosuficiencia alimentaria.
En cuarto lugar esta la constante e irresponsable introduccion en el ambito internacional y especifica-mente en la region de Centroamerica y del Caribe, de un clima guerrerista, fundamentalmente agresivo, con la seria intencion de impedir que nuestros pueblos logren las metas por tanto tiempo anheladas, como es el destierro para siempre del hambre y de la miseria.
Por tanto y en vista de los graves obstaculos para producir alimentos, recomendamos formalmente ante esta Comision I, en el debate sobre el Estado de la Agricultura y la Alimentacion en 1981, lo siguiente: En primer lugar recomendamos solicitar urgentemente de la Comunidad internacional representada por las Naciones Unidas y en especial a sus organismos, tales como la FAO y al resto de las instituciones multi-laterales, gubernamentales y no gubernamentales, que brinden una especial atencion para que nuestros in-expugnables propositos de producir mas alimentos, con una agricultura acorde con las necesidades de nuestra region y se nos permita hacerlo en paz. En segundo lugar, recomendamos realizar una acción concertada de todos los paises amantes de la paz para que verdaderamente se preocupen del problema de la alimentacion y del hambre en el mundo, a fin de lograr el cese inmediato de la postura irresponsable y guerrerista de una potencia mundial, que esta empenada en llevar al mundo al caos y a su autodes-trucciÓn.
De no realizarse acciones concretas en este sentido que recomendamos y que hemos traido a esta Comision, resultaría un tanto irrisorio hablar de resolver los problemas de la alimentacion y del hambre, cuando nos encontramos bajo el serio peligro de ser testigos y victimas de una hecatombe.
Muchas gracias, sefior Presidente.
J. THINSY(Belgique): Je voudrais tout d'abord vous feliciter pour votre election et pour la maniere tres efficace dont vous conduisez les travaux de cette Commission. En s'exprimant sur le point de lfordre du jour qui concerne la situation de l'alimentation et de l’agriculture, on peut soit se borner a une analyse de cette situation, soit, de facon plus large a partir de cette analyse, examiner les resultats des mesures prises actuellement et voir si un changement de politique ne s'impose pas. C'est vers cette recherche de solution que se tournera mon intervention. Je ne ferai pas une analyse detaillee du document C 81/2 qui nous sert de base. D'autres l'ont deja fait.
Je me bornerai a remarquer que sur un plan global la situation alimentaire serait plutot meilleure qu'au cours des annees precedentes. Les recoltes de cereales atteindraient des niveaux records en 1981 et les quantites disponibles pour l’exportation augmenteraient de plus de 10 pour cent.
L'OCDE, dans une etude sur la securite alimentaire,note que la production a augmente de 2,5 pour cent par an durant les annees 70 et 3,2 pour cent dans les pays en voie de developpement a economie de marche; cependant, et c'est ici que le tableau devient plus sombre comme le souligne la FAO si les pays en voie de developpement dans leur ensemble ont enregistre une augmentation de la production alimentaire plus forte que la croissance demographique, tel n'a pas ete le cas pour l'Afrique et les pays les moins avances. En constatant cette situation de coexistence d'un equilibre global et de la persistance de la faim on se doit de rechercher les causes de cette situation. Or le probleme de la faim est si vaste et ses causes tellement nombreuses et complexes qu'elles sont liees a l’en semble du probleme du developpement et que l'on doit absolument se garder de privilegier certaines causes.
En effet, les causes de la malnutrition et de la faim se trouvent dans la production locale insuffisante ou qui est mal conservée, on peut les trouver dans une aide alimentaire trop reduite, dans un manque de reserves internationales de cereales et de prix stables, dans les troubles politiques que creent des centaines de millions de refugies, dans l’absence de reformes agraires donnant aux paysans les plus pauvres l'acces a. la terre, dans le trop grand developpement des cultures dfexportation.
Cette enumeration est incomplete mais bien suffisante. Tous ces themes ont ete examines cent fois, ici, et dans d'autres instances des Nations Unies, pourtant sans que la situation de l’alimentation soit fondamentalement modifiee. Et lorsque l'on arrive au choix de solutions on doit remarquer que si de nombreuses actions sur le terrain sont entreprises, l'essentiel du debat au niveau politique se porte depuis des annees sur l'accroissement de l'aide alimentaire et la constitution sous une forme ou sous une autre de reserves de cereales.
Tout d'abord l'aide alimentaire qui permet de fournir directement la nourriture necessaire a ceux qui en ont besoin a longtemps ete la solution privilegiee. Vous vous rappellerez que les engagements souscrits dans le cadre de la convention relative a l'aide alimentaire sont passes de 4,2 a 7,6 millions de tonnes; la Conference mondiale de l’alimentation a fixe a 10 millions de tonnes l'objectif de l'aide alimentaire. Le Secretariat de la FAO lui-meme estime que les besoins passeraient de 16 ou 17 millions de tonnes en 1985. Or, on s'est rendu compte depuis quelques annees que la fourniture d'aide alimentaire, aussi indispensable qu'elle soit dans certains cas, peut finalement avoir des consequences negatives sur l’alimentation. Ainsi, une aide alimentaire reguliere, livree gratuitement ou a bas pris, peut dans de nombreux cas faire concurrence a la production locale, elle peut décourager les agriculteurs de déve-lopper leur production et favoriser l'exode rural. Cet exode rural peut aussi etre favorise par une distri bution d'aide alimentaire surtout orientee vers les populations urbaines. De plus, les pays en voie de developpement eux-memes se plaignent que l'aide alimentaire contribue a changer les habitudes de consom-mation des populations qui en arrivent a preferer les produits alimentaires importés aux produits locaux,
Ces commentaires ne sont d'aucune maniere une critique des actions menées par le PAM dont je voudrais souligner l'efficacite et le dévouement, II va sans dire que sans son intervention des milliers de refugies seraients morts de faim. En conclusion, nous estimons que l'aide alimentaire est indispensable dans les cas d'urgence et les penuries generalisees, mais elle doit etre limitee a ces occasions et non devenir permanente. Un accroissement majeur des quantites d'aide alimentaire ne nous semble donc pas une mesure adequate pour ameliorer valablement et de fagon durable la situation alimentaire mondiale.
Je voudrais ajouter quelques commentaires sur cette autre mesure qu'on presente comme une solution aux problemes alimentaires: la constitution de stocks de cereales. Nous ne voulons pas mésestimer ces mesures. Nous avons toujours considere qu'une nouvelle convention sur le commerce du blé, pouvant contribuer a stabiliser les prix des cereales, serait un element important pour la securite alimentaire mondiale. En attendant'nous avons accepte le plan en 5 points de la FAO qui entre autres a établi des critéres pour la gestion et le deblocage des stocks.
Le Conseil de l’alimentation lui-meme a avance des propositions quant a la constitution de reserves internationales. Comme je l'ait dit, nous ne voulons pas négliger ces propositions mais nous pensons qu'elles visent comme l'aide alimentaire, a chercher une conclusion internationale a un probleme d'alimentation qui est essentiellement national.
La Belgique apprecie l'evolution récente des idées qui reconnait que la priorite doit §tre donnee aux:: actions a mener au sein meme des pays ou le probleme de la faim et de la malnutrition se pose. Nous pensons que le concept de strategie alimentaire developpe par le Conseil mondial de l’alimentation et soutenu par la Communaute internationale recouvre ce retour a l’action sur le terrain. En effet la definition et la mise en oeuvre d'une strategie alimentaire permet d'integrer dans un plan d'ensemble coherent les divers facteurs dont on doit tenir compte pour ameliorer la situation alimentaire de la population et parmi ces facteurs je citerai le niveau de la production agricole et la conservation de la production (je vise par la les luttes contre les pertes apres recolte). on citera parmi ces facteurs le stockage local d'aliments, le niveau des prix a la production, les problemes egalement de distribu tion et d'infrastructure, la prise en compte d'une aide alimentaire eventuelle, les besoins de reforme agraire necessaire pour donner accés a la terre aux paysans pauvres, les problemes de l’approvisonne-ment en eau, l'exode rural, la repartition entre la production pour l’alimentation locale et l’exporta tion. Pour nous, la mise en oeuvre de ces strategies au niveau national constitue le moyen de lutte contre la faim auquel on doit accorder la priorite, et c'est dans ce cadre que l'aide, tant bilaterale que multilaterale, doit etre consacree et accrue. C'est sur le terrain que la faim doit etre vaincue par ceux-la memes qui en souffrent avec l’assistance accrue de la Communaute internationale.
K. S. BINGANA (Botswana):Since this is my first intervention please allow me to congratulate you on your appointment to the chairmanship of this Commission. With your permission, Sir, I would also like to congratulate Professor Islam for the excellent job he has done in presenting The State of Food and Agriculture as brought to light in document C 81/2 and its supplement.
Botswana's state of food and agriculture is not very enviable. Botswana has for many years been regarded as almost exclusively a beef cattle country and as a result arable agricultural production suffered such serious neglect that today we are amongst the lowest cereal producing countries in the world.
Cognisant of this neglect, my Government has implemented an Arable Lands Development Programme (ALDEP) whose main objectives are to increase arable production by about 6 percent per year with a view to reducing the annual 20-40 percent food grain deficit and achieving self-sufficiency in the long-term and to enhance rural development and welfare by raising arable incomes through improved agricultural productivity and optimising incomes distribution by concentrating on smallholder developments; it is hoped that 2 000-3 000 arable farm households will participate annually in one or
more of a number of schemes designed to improve production for subsistence and cash. The programme also aims at creating productive and remunerative employment in the land areas to absorb the rural under-employment and reduce. rural urban drift.
Alongside ALDEP there are other areas which are receiving the priority they deserve within the plan period 1982/86 and these are: horticulture, forestry, poultry, inland fisheries, and dairy industry.
I am happy, Mr. Chairman, to mention that our FAO mission, namely the International Scheme for the Coordination of Dairy Development, will be in Botswana from January to February 1982 to review the whole dairy industry and, hopefully, come up with acceptable recommendaions for future dairy developments.
H. F. NAJEB (Iraq)(original language Arabic): Allow me first and foremost to congratulate you Mr. Chairman, on your election to the Chair of this Commission and at the same time, perhaps I might congratulate and compliment Mr. Nurul Islam on his very detailed and complete introduction to this item and his remarks on the two documents at present before us. Similarly, I would like to tell the secretariat how appreciative we are of these two excellent documents which they have prepared.
We agree in general terms with the contents of these two documents. However there are one or two remarks we should like to make now if we may. Now, this document we feel shows that the nearest Near East region registered a production increase which did not reach a desirable level, the level we had hoped might be reached and this perhaps could be explained as the result of the fact that governments did not show sufficient concern for agriculture. But the Near East region, and in particular the Arab part of the Near East is an area which suffers from a rather difficult, indeed, a very difficult climatic situation. We have extreme temperatures and we suffer from drought which sometimes goes beyond six consecutive months. We have a very extreme climate as you see, rainfall is barely above 250 mm per annum. These 250 mm per annum only fall during about 5 months of the year. Now, in such an important area and in a very large part of that area there are no rivers where we have the waters flowing constantly throughout the year. It is our consideration here that this is a desert area as in other regions there is at least pasture land or arable land. But over and above all this we must realize that there is very little land in our area which has a rainfall of more than 400 mm in the winter which would enable us to grow wheat once every two or three years. We have a very poor distribution of rainfall over the seasons. That is why it is necessary for us to prepare special programmes for our area, special programmes which will enable us to tackle the problem of desertification, soil salinity and make better use of our water resources.
We do not think it appropriate to talk on this subject now because after all, it is an item which will be covered later on in our debate. But, the only possible agriculture that can be carried out in our area is on the banks of our rivers. In Iraq we have two historical rivers: the Tigress and the Euphrates, and along the banks of those two rivers we are trying to make the best use of their gifts by controlling the water. We are trying to distribute this water in a balanced manner throughout the area. Next year we shall be trying to build dams creating reservoirs, and for the very first time we have managed to link these two great rivers by an important canal. We believe that the building of this canal is an outstanding engineering achievement. In this way we have diverted waters of one of these rivers towards the other. This enabled us to control each cubic metre of the two rivers.
A very important operation has been launched to improve the quality of the soil. These are lands which have been farmed for more than six thousand years, and we have tried to introduce an integrated irrigation network, and we also are engaged in desalination operations.
Before this we introduced a globally integrated agrarian reform programme of the distribution of land. This does not mean that we shall soon complete the programmes. We are, however, forging ahead and trying to make the best use of what land we have in transforming our water resources. And we have introduced the necessary extension programme to improve livestock care and we have invested vast sums of money in these programmes. Yet, despite these efforts Iraq has not failed to take into account its duty vis-a-vis the development of agriculture in developing countries.
We are, in so far as we are able to, offering our participation and providing aid to other developing countries in this same context.
Now, as regards the Document at present being adopted we would say that despite the concern we feel and despite the fact that there has not been an increase in food production, and bearing in mind there is a gallopping population boom we are nevertheless bound to congratulate some developing countries for having managed to increase their food and agricultural production from 3 to 4 percent per annum. Some developing countries have even managed to achieve self reliance as regards grains.
In the case of Africa we wish to express our serious concern. As regards agriculture and food product ion in the African continent we would ask for an increased amount of aid to be provided for the African continent so that it may reach self reliance. In this context I would also point out that we are very pleased to note the remarks made by the delegate for Canada to the effect that the Government of Canada will increase its aid for agriculture from 30 to 45 percent out of the total amount of aid provided by Canada.
Another point concerns the use of vegetables and grains and cereals for animal feed. This procedure will always be followed up in the Near East region because of the special circumstances applying in our area where we have not sufficient pasture land.
Now, we would also express our support for the increased use of chemical fertilizers in developing countries and we would like to see a change in the use of these fertilizers in developing countries raising use to a higher level.
We are concerned about transport cost increases and the increase prices due to currency exchange rates fluctuation. We welcome improvements in cereal and grain production expected at the end of the 1981-82 season, as compared with the previous years. The 16 percent objective registered shows there is a very serious situation that still prevails.
Now, as regards food aid, the level of 8. 6 million tons is the lowest level registered since 1975. This gives us cause for serious concern but we are even more worried to note that this year there has been registered a very clear change in the use of food commodities as a weapon. Food commodities are now being used as a weapon, and we cannot accept such an approach and we reject this most formally and energetically.
As regards food trade we are far from satisfied by the drop in exports from developing countries in general. In order to try and solve this, we must abolish tariff barriers and assist developing countries wherever possible in that respect.
Indeed, in concluding, we must point out that we very much regret the fact that there has been a drop in the real value of the foreign aid or external aid offered to agriculture in developing countries. We ask for an increased role to be played as regards external aid for agriculture.
G. CAMELARIS (Cyprus) : It is indeed very disappointing that despite three decades of international and national development efforts the world is still living precariously on insufficient annual food harvest and at this very minute while we are discussing here food and agriculture somewhere in the world there are many people, many women and children, who are living their last breath because of lack or inadequacy of food and related diseases.
I do not intend to repeat what again and again has been said in this room now, and in previous conferences with regard to statistics and figures. These are already well known, nor would I want to be labour the Conference on the role of food aid and the official development assistance, the augmented food assistance in the developing world. These are crucial and necessary in the process of agricultural development in developing countries thus I would like to stress the fact that the long term solution to the problem of hunger and malnutrition in developing countries lies in developing themselves, and cooperation among them selves and to the developed countries as well as a self-sustained economy and self reliance in food production.
Neither food aid, however important indeed it is, nor continuously rising food imports on their behalf, constitutes sound long term options. These create often precarious situations and perpetrate dependencies in the political and economic spheres, whereas they do not solve the problem once and for all. I will urge that national and regional slef-reliance in agricultural production be the primary objective in the development strategies for agriculture in developing countries. I would underline that developing countries alone cannot afford the time or the resources to gp through the process of development for self reliance single handed. This should be done in sincere cooperation and with genuine and substantial assistance from developed countries. The principles of the plan of action we agreed upon during the World Conference on Agrarian Reform, as well as the principles of the plan of action set by this special Session of the United General Assembly on Food and Agriculture constitute sound platform to start from.
What should be done specifically is, of course, the sovereign right of each individual country which we must respect, but in order for such plans and principles to be implemented successfully and effectively, science and technology is not enough. There should bea favourable international economic environment
in which economic forces interact in a more equitable and just pattern; in other words, where the terms of trade are more just, protectionism is reduced in trade. and aid in financial and technological resources, as well as in kind, is more genuine and substantial. Such an environment would definitely be to the benefit of not only the under-privileged of the world but also to the developed countries as well, because in a world of such complex interdependencies paradise and hell cannot exist side by side.
L. PEREIRA BRAMAO (Portugal): Ma delegation a plaisir à saisir cette opportunité afin de présenter au Président nos plus sincères félicitations pour sa nomination. Les programmes du Gouvernement de mon pays donnent priorité á la régionalisation du territoire et à l'augmentation de la production globale agricole parce que nous sommes de très grands importateurs, ce qui nous rend très vulnérables. Nous avons aussi des difficultés à équilibrer notre budget. L'augmentation de la production agricole, nous la considérons comme très importante et c'est un des quatre points les plus importants de notre gouvernement. Nos importations d'aliments sont d'environ 50 pour cent de la consommation. D'autre part nous avons comme objectif de produire des produits agricoles de qualité pour les exporter, produits pour lesquels notre climat est plus favorable. L'importance du système du secteur agricole est aussi différente. A peu près 30 pour cent de la population portugaise est liée à l'agriculture, bien qu'une partie importante de cette population la réalise en occupation partielle. La production de nos terres est très basse et chaque agriculture fait vivre simplement deux personnes. Cette situation grave résulte non seulement de l'agriculture en transformation technologique et sociale, mais aussi en raison de conditions écologiques assez peu favorables. Par exemple, nos pays souffrent d'une période de trois années successives de sécheresse très intensive.
La production agricole est tombée drastiquement et le pays a souffert d'une réduction considérable d'extension. En même temps, l'énergie hydraulique est tombée drastiquement et la consommation de pétrole a augmenté sensiblement. Les questions concernant les différentes alternatives d'énergie, nous les présenterons au moment opportun. A notre avis, on devrait encore valoriser davantage les systèmes de coopération technique entre les pays et la FAO, afin de faciliter la mise en oeuvre de leurs ressources. Mon pays se sent en conditions très favorables pour des aides de ce type parce qu'il possède beaucoup de techniciens avec une large expérience du milieu tropical. Il en existe déjà quelques-uns qui sont intégrés dans les programmes de la FAO. Nous maintenons en ce moment des programmes de coopération avec les pays africains d'expression portugaise, avec les résultats les meilleurs, non seulement pour aider le développment agricole mais aussi et plus spécialement au niveau de l'éducation parce que nous pensons, et les pays cités pensent comme nous, qu'il n'est pas possible de parvenir à un très grand progrès au niveau de la production agricole si la population agricole ne reçoit pas la préparation de base.
Ms. R. C. ELARD (Syria)(original language Arabie):The developing countries work hard to secure their needs of basic foods, but it is confronted by the lack of expertise and the high expenses of modern technology.
The Syrian Government in its five-year plan has given key significance to agriculture, it provides the necessary services to boost production. We have launched a plan to reach the small farmer through extension. The echnical cooperation programme is helping us in training field extensionists. We have not forgotten the rural woman as she is after all the most significant in rural development.
Despite all these efforts for better use of the land and water resources, we are confronted by the increased prices of the imported agricultural inputs compared with the decreased prices of our agricultural exports.
I agree with the delegate of Jordan for the need to apply indigenous technology and the improvement of local varieties of crops and livestock.
The application of modern technology needs, in addition to the heavy investment, training. Training needs time, and we have to take all necessary measures to ensure higher production.
H. L. CHAWLA (India): Mr. Chairman, I will take only a few minutes to make one or two points in continua tion of my intervention yesterday.
Many of the difficult problems facing the developing countries have been very lucidly summed up in the introduction given by Professor Islam, which I did not have the privilege of listening to yesterday but which I can read today. I must say that it brings out very clearly the important points on which the attention of various countries needs to be focussed.
It is a matter of concern that there is a fall in the purchasing power of agricultural exports and certain important exports of developing countries are facing stagnation in world demand and competition from synthetics, as also tariff and non-tariff barriers. The problem of developing countries gets more difficult because of rising requirements of cereal imports, particularly by many developing countries in Africa, and deterioration in the terms of trade. It is indeed something to ponder over that the real prices of commodities like jute, tea and a few others have declined by 30 percent over the last decade. Similarly, other commodities like cocoa, sisal and rubber have also suffered in terms of real value.
These are disturbing trends. To improve the situation action has to be taken from several directions. An increase in aid alone will not be enough and it is necessary that the real value of exports of developing countries is not allowed to fall, leading to stagnation or a decline in their resources for development.
It is a happy development that UNCTAD is availing itself of the technical support of the FAO in its efforts to tackle problems of international trade in agricultural commodities. The Indian delegation would urge that the measures for relieving the difficulties arising from deteriorating terms of trade in agricultural commodities be taken expeditiously. This is necessary not only for dealing with current food shortages but also for overall development which would improve the capacity of the poorer sections of the population to buy food.
Secondly, I want to say a few words on forestry. The delegate of Canada has rightly referred to the importance of forestry to stable agriculture in the words of our Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi. Programmes for the conservation and development of forestry have to be given more attention. This is also indicated by the Nairobi Conference recommendations. In this context I would like to suggest that programmes of afforestation may be so planned that they cater not only to the needs of fuel wood timber and industrial materials, but also add to the supplies of fruits, raisins, vegetable oils, etc. , for human consumption and for increasing supplies of forage and leaf fodder, etc. , for animal use. This approach, in my view, would be helpful in augmenting food supplies and therefore would have relevance to the food problem in the coming years.
H. MARMILLA (Observateur pour la CEE): Ainsi que la majorité des delegations, je veux me permettre de vous présenter également nos félicitations pour votre élection et celle des deux vice-présidents. Nous tenons également à remercier le secrétariat pour les excellents documents de travail qui ont été préparés pourservir de base à nos travaux.
L'objet de mon intervention est de vous présenter la position de la Communauté économique européenne sur la situation mondiale de l'alimentation et de l’agriculture. Malgré certains progrès, les problèmes évoqués lors de la dernière conférence de la FAO qui s'est tenue en 1979 sont restés graves du fait que la crise mondiale déclenchée par la récession économique et accompagnée de la crise de l'énergie a touché aussi bien les pays en développement que les pays industrialisés. Cependant, la CEE souhaite poursuivre ses efforts de contribution au développement des pays défavorisés même si des sacrifices s'imposent.
Les problèmes alimentaires doivent être le centre des préoccupations des enceintes concernées, pas seulement ici mais également à l'Assemblée des Nations Unies et dans le dialogue Nord-Sud où les instances communautaires en ont constamment souligné l'urgence.
Par ailleurs, le rôle joué par la Communauté et ses Etats Membres dans le cadre du Conseil mondial de l'alimentation et lors des négociations avec les pays les moins avancés témoigne de sa volonté en la matière. Une nouvelle initiative lancée par le Gouvernement italien vient d'être approuvée par les instances compétentes de la Communauté: il s'agit d'un programme d'action sur la lutte contre la faim dans le monde comportant une série de mesures concrètes qui a été déjà présenté en séance plénière de cette conférence par un membre denotreCommission, M. Pisani. Je ne voudrais pas reprendre ce qu'il a dit, cependant j'aimerais souligner que ce nouveau programme d'action fait preuve encore une fois de la conscience des responsabilités et de la ferme volonté de la Communauté d'aider les pays en développement dans l'avenir aussi. D'ailleurs ceci ne vaut pas seulement pour notre politique de développement mais est également un des éléments essentiels de notre politique agricole.
L'importance de l'agriculture et de la politique agricole de la Communauté pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture dans le monde m'amène à consacrer quelques réflexions spécifiques à l'état de la politique agricole commune de la Communauté économique européenne. Vu la situation mondiale de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture, il faut en premier lieu noter que la Communauté s'est efforcée
de mener sa politique agricole en pleine conscience de ses responsabilités d'une part, dans l'approvisionnement en produits agricoles des pays qui en ont besoin et d'autre part en tant que le plus grand marché agricole du monde.
Dans ce contexte, les exigences souvent adressées à la Communauté d'ouvrir d'une part encore davantage ces marchés agricoles et de produire d'autre part suffisamment de denrées pour pouvoir participer activement à la lutte contre la faim dans le monde sont parfois difficiles à concilier. Toutefois, il restera un but important de notre politique agricole de rechercher un optimum possible de complémentarité dans la production et les échanges agricoles avec nos partenaires internationaux.
Par ailleurs, l'instauration d'une politique agricole commune au début entre six, après entre neuf, et aujourd'hui entre dix pays partant d'un nombre respectif de politiques nationales et de structures agricoles bien différentes, était déjà très difficile. Cependant, ces tâches ont été encore substantiellement alourdies par l'évolution récente, en particulier il s'agit de la crise économique, de problèmes budgétaires et de nouvelles techniques de production. Cette évolution a déclenché dans les dernières années des tendances à un aménagement adéquat de la politique agricole commune. Accompagnée par des discussions approfondies menées simultanément au sein du Parlement européen, la Commission des Communautés européennes mandatée par le Conseil vient d'élaborer une conception générale d'aménagement de la politique agricole. Cette conception sera prochainement traitée par les instances compétentes de la Communauté,
D'ailleurs il faut noter que certaines mesures d'aménagement de notre politique agricole ont déjà pu être aménagées dans quelques cas; par exemple, des aides directes ont été introduites dans une certaine mesure et dans un cadre bien précisé:les producteurs de lait participent depuis deux ans aux frais d'écoulement de leur production, une nouvelle organisation commune pour le marché du sucre vient d'être mise en vigueur et comporte une couverture par le producteur des frais d'écoulement sur le marché d'exportation. Toutefois, ce régime ne pouvait pas encore se répercuter sur les récoltes de cette année qui ont d'ailleurs été considérablement influencées par les conditions climatologiques très favorables, ce qui a amené la Communauté et ses producteurs à envisager de retenir de l'exportation environ 2 millions de tonnes de sucre communautaire et ceci tout en maintenant son engagement d'importer un peu plus de 3 millions de tonnes de sucre dans le cadre de la Convention de Lomé.
En ce qui concerne encore le sucre, une autre remarque:compte tenu des travaux actuellement engagés au sein de l'Organisation internationale du sucre en vue du renouvellement de la renégociation de l'Accord de 1977, le Conseil de la Communauté vient de renouveler la volonté de la Communauté de se joindre à tout effort entrepris par les Membres de l'Organisation internationale du sucre pour améliorer de manière significative la stabilité du marché mondial du sucre. Dans cette perspective, le Conseil a chargé la Commission de rechercher avec le Conseil international du sucre les moyens d'établir les bases de cette coopération en vue d'une adhésion éventuelle de la Communauté à un accord international amélioré dans le sens indiqué ci-dessus et qui soit compatible avec la réglementation communautaire.
Dans ses efforts d'aménagement de la politique agricole commune, la Communauté vise à maîtriser d'une façon générale des excédents structurels qui ne trouvent pas de débouchés et en même temps à harmoniser sa politique avec les exigences de la lutte contre la faim dans le monde.
Enfin, M. le Président, je me permets de vous assurer à nouveau,à l'occasion de cette 21ème conférence de la FAO que la Communauté est prête pour une coopération à l'échelle mondiale au sein de toutes les Organisations internationales et notamment au sein de notre Organisation, la FAO.
P. A. FONSECA, S. J. (Holy See) Although I am last on the list I hope I will not be too late to join in congratulations to the Chairman and the Vice Chairmen on their election to the Chair. I would also like to add how much we appreciate the report that has been placed before us on the State of Food and Agriculture in 1981 and the work of Dr. Islam in particular. By welcoming this excellent report on the State of Food and Agriculture this observer would like to make some comments on a few of the important issues regarding the distribution of the increases in food production in the years ahead, to determine informally immediate nutritional needs in terms of calorie availabilities. In the section on nutrition in document C/81/2 especially table 6 the FAO Secretariat has chosen 2,200 calories as a cut-off pointfor availabilities per capita in the various countries. No explanation has been given for the choice of such a figure. May one therefore infer that to some extent the choice of 2 200 calories per capita means the requisite minimum nutrition per person per day. It must be noted that there is still quite a lot of discussion regarding the needed calories not only for bare sustenance but for sufficient nourishment. In fact only a few years ago this minimum was determined at a higher level of calories than 2 200 but of late there has been a diminution of this level. However as has been made quite
clear from paragraphs 85, and the following and now I quote:"Table 6 deals with national averages without taking into account within-country distributions of calories and therefore direct distributional implications with respect to population totals cannot and should not be derived from the table. "
Thus it is obvious that the 2,200 calories is an average and even if it is true that there are a number of countries that have crossed this minimum or rather this average, it is still true that there must be quite a few people below this average. What would be very useful for the purposes of comparison is to have a set of figures representing both the average availabilities and the minimum number of calories that FAO thinks is essential for declaring a person to be receiving enough nourishment. Experience also shows that not everyone below the so-called poverty line in different countries is in deficit of the required calories. On the contrary, even those that are in fact above the poverty line may purchase less than the number of calories required. But the point is that we have to take the preferences of people into consideration and it is therefore necessary it seems to us not to confine production targets to just one type of food like cereals. The assistance required by the low income, food deficit countries therefore must include a variety of foods to cover the various preferences.
Let me now come to the second point. It is not only production that is the most urgent issue at this time. Obviously, without increased production it would be impossible to provide everyone with increased quantities of food, but it is certainly imperative to pay some more attention to the equitable distribution of the increased foodstuffs. There are studies to show that where attempts have been made to provide food for the vulnerable and needy groups the food often fails to reach them. No doubt the best way for the food to reach them is that they have the purchasing power to buy the food when it is avail able in the market, but for this they need to have the purchasing power to do so and this will accrue to them only through increased employment.
Further, it is not only the lack of purchasing power but it is often the very structure, the social structure, of the society in which they live that becomes the main obstacle in the way of their receiving the foodstuffs. One does get the impression when reading the report that not enough attention is being paid to an analysis of any structural changes that are taking place in agriculture side by side with increases in production. Many of the rich farmers have profited by the new technology and the availability of cheap credit, but unless specific efforts are made to open up or bypass the unjust structural obstacles in the flow of national aid and assistance to the weaker sections of the rural population it will take a long time before absolute poverty and malnutrition will be banished. Indeed, such efforts may only strengthen unjust structures instead of weakening them. Perhaps attention to this problem could be part of FAO's monitoring system.
What has been said here about the situation at the national level applies equally well at the international level. In the supplement to the Report there is mention of the unhappy way in which international price changes are affecting small farmers in developing countries. Higher prices for their production are often offset or negated by a fall in the exchange rate of the currency. Once again, structural changes will have to be undertaken to preserve them from such fluctuations, for which they are not to blame. We are living more and more in an interdependent world and a rise or fall in interest rates or the rate of exchange in one country may have grievous effects on another. This is specifically true of groups of countries as well, groups of rich and poor countries. It is only through multilateral aid and global negotiations undertaken in a truly human spirit of collaboration and concern for the weaker neighbour that we will ensure a better distribution of the world's wealth.
LE PRESIDENT: Merci Monsieur le delegué du Saint-Siège. Avec cet orateur s'achève notre liste. Je pense qu'il n'y a plus d'intervenants. Nous allons pouvoir passer la parole au Prof. Islam afin qu'il réponde aux questions qui ont été posées, après quoi, nous pourrons tirer ou plutôt faire un résumé de nos débats. Prof. Islam vous avez la parole.
N. ISLAM (Assistant Director-General, Economie and Social Policy Department): We are very grateful for the comments and suggestions made by the distinguished delegates and we will certainly take them into account when writing our full report on the state of food and agriculture for 1981. We are also gratified to note that the delegations find our analysis of the food and agriculture situation helpful in the formulation of policies at the country level as well as in the explanation of the international frame work within which national policies are formulated. We are also happy to note that delegates agree with our assessment of the food and agriculture situation and find it balanced, pointing out both the positive and the negative elements in the situation.
Reference has been made in the course of the discussion to population growth in developing countries and its impact on the food and agriculture situation. We certainly agree with the importance of this factor and we recognise the need to examine the inter-relationship between socio-economic development, including agricultural development, on the one hand, and population growth on the other. FAO's work in
the field of population programmes, I may mention here, is carried out in close cooperation with the United Nations Fund for Population Activities and is largely financed by it. It covers such areas as population education, specially integrated women's programmes, population components in education exten sion training programmes, as well as analysis of the inter-relationships between agriculture and rural development and population.
The Delegate of India referred to the importance of the analysis of development in such crops as pulses, vegetable oils, meat and dairy products and also emphasized the need for research and development efforts in this area. We would like to mention that we have given some data in our summary report, paragraphs 29 and 30, and we will certainly do more of this analysis in our full report.
Although it is not mentioned in the present report, I would like to remind delegates that these commodi ties are also covered in our Commodity Review and also in the deliberations and reports of the inter governmental commodity groups relating to some of these commodities. Some time back we have indeed done special work on pulses which was considered by the committees.
The Delegate of Tanzania referred to the need for more work on livestock production and trade, especially in meat and meat production, in the world as a whole as well as in the developing countries. We have referred to this matter, of course, in a very summary way in paragraph 33 of the document and paragraph 27 of the supplement. I may add here, however, some more detailed information which we will give in a fuller form in the final report.
The long-term expansion of world meat production slowed down in 1981 as world output rose only about 2 percent over 1980. Overall meat production in developing countries increased by about 4 percent in 1981, which is close to the growth rate of recent years. Among the main producing countries, however, only Brazil achieved another substantial rise this year. In developed regions, total meat output remained virtually unchanged in 1981 from the previous year.
World milk production increased very slowly for the third consecutive year in 1981. In developed countries a growth occurred, mainly in North America. In developing countries the overall increase was about 2. 7 percent. There was a further, expansion in Latin America, but milk production in India, after several years of substantial increase, suffered from adverse weather.
The Delegate of France referred to the need for analysis of protectionism among developing countries and also for trade liberalization to promote intra-developing-country trade. In this matter we are working in close cooperation with UNCTAD, which as we all know, is pursuing a programme of preferential arrangements among developing countries. Also in our work on TCDC economic cooperation among developing countries we do place special emphasis on trade expansion among developing countries.
The Delegate of the United Kingdom has questioned the basis of the statement in paragraph 158 that the real prices of many agricultural commodities have declined. I would like first to emphasise that this refers to a fall not in absolute prices but in relative prices, that is, to a comparison of international prices per unit of commodity concerned with the unit value of manufactures entering into international trade. This refers therefore to gains from international trade and not to the profitability of domestic production costs and returns. Producers around the world do not all face the same price and cost conditions. Some are much more highly insulated and protected than others from adverse changes in prices on the international markets. Secondly, in our analysis we have dealt with both short-term and long-term changes in terms of trade. It is not quite clear what is meant by significant productivity changes in the short term when you have changes in the terms of trade within a year or a two-year period. Of course it is true that in the long run increases in productivity, through higher yielding varieties and so on, could still leave producers with favourable net margins when the unit price of their output falls. In fact, however, the cost of manufactured inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, machinery and fuel, which are necessary to achieve productivity gains, have tended to increase-indeed, from time to time have sharply outstripped movements in commodity prices. In the face of this we doubt for instance that adequate incentives exist at present even for highly efficient exporters of commodities like sugar, with international prices as low as 12 cents per pound. The same applies to jute, tea and bananas.
In Secretariat document C 81/2-Sup. 1, in Table 5, we indicate the commodity terms of trade as well as income terms of trade by regions, and commodity terms of trade referred to a purchasing power of exports, and this shows the deterioration since the mid-70s.
The distinguished delegate of Colombia asked that information provided in paragraph 162 of the document, referring to sugar, should be updated in the light of the latest developments in GATT. GATT has been discussing EEC sugar policy for some time, in response to a complaint that the Community's practice of giving cash advances on sugar exports was in violation of GATT rules. Following examination by two GATT panels, a working party was established last year to look further into the matter, but it could not
reach agreement. Its report was discussed by the GATT Council in March 1981 and again in September when the Community announced changes in the EEC sugar regime, in view of the fact that several countries had said that the Community's new system is still constituting a threat to their exporting interests. The latest development is that the GATT Council has decided to set up a working party, open to GATT members, to review the situation and report by March 1, 1982. In the meantime, the EEC has began exploratory efforts on the possibility of community membership for the revised International Sugar Agreement.
The distinguished delegate for the United Kingdom questioned the use of food balance sheets giving estimates of supplies for assessing the food and nutrition situation in the world. It is true that food balance sheets do not provide the estimates of actual food intake, but what they do give is per capita supply of different foods at national level. In the absence of significant crops of food at national level in developing countries, the food balance sheets would indicate or reflect consumption. To estimate the actual intake of foods and related incidence we certainly need a national food consumption survey which would also provide information on the distributional aspects of food consumption between households. Unfortunately, however, only a few countries collect such information; we have therefore no other alternative but to rely on food balance sheets for practically all countries.
All this was noted and examined in our twelfth world food survey at the time of this analysis. Whatever other objective data could provide more definitive measures of nutritional intake, the fact remains that food balance sheets are the only measures which we can compile regularly for all countries, and as such we find them the only tools available at the present moment for monitoring and assessing the food and nutrition situation in different parts of the world. With all its imperfections and qualifications, the food balance sheet is quite a useful indicator. widely used to average supplies of food and nutrition. We use it as an indicator of the trend of availability of food and nutrition, as we use other indicators similarly derived from other data also, such as index numbers of food production for measuring the trend in available supply of food from domestic sources.
Regarding the relationship between income and food intake, it is true that income is an important explana tory variable:there is a positive relationship between per capita income and overweight. The risk of being overweight is higher in the households consuming a higher percentage of calories from fats.
The United Kingdom's delegate has also questioned the validity of the statement that there is no evidence of any major progress in the reduction of the incidence of undernourishment. If we have a decline over time in per capita supplies in relation to requirements, or if there is no change in average per capita calorie supplies over time then the conclusion is obvious that there is either a decline or no change in the nutritional status-unless of course there has taken place a redistribution of income in favour of the poor.
All I would like to say at this stage is that in nearly half of the developing countries, food production has not been keeping pace with population growth. This is particularly so in low income countries, especially Africa. Secondly, that there is no evidence of any major improvement in the distribution of income in most of the developing countries. Therefore, we find no difficulty in coming to an a priori conclusion that there is no reduction in poverty and undernourishment.
I should mention here, however, that over the past several years FAO has been instrumental in compiling more comprehensive data on food consumption. We are establishing an international data bank of food consumption data and we urge all member countries to have conducted food consumption surveys to cooperate with us in this compilation process. This will undoubtedly be of considerable value in meeting the estimates of magnitude of world hunger and future food surveys.
I may also inform the Commission at this stage that we are initiating work on our fifth World Food Survey in the next biennium. We will use new and additional data collected from various food consumption surveys as well as nutrition surveys. Secondly, we are also engaged in reexamining the nutritional standards which were established earlier on and we have recently had an expert consultation jointly with WHO and the United Nations University on this subject and later-early next year-we will have another expert consultation for policy makings and users of data to see how these standards could be used for estimating under-nourishment.
The distinguished delegate of Norway has also referred to the same problem, to the paucity of data -comprehensive data-on the nutritional status and the need for the collection of systematic data over time. As I had just mentioned we entirely agree with this; I would, however, like to emphasise that this task of collecting comprehensive detailed data on the nutritional status over time has to be done at the country level-in other words it will be necessary for the countries to devote resources, both financial and manpower to this task.
The distinguished delegate of the United Kingdom has also emphasised the importance of environmental factors, including water and fuel, in the improvement of child nutrition. We are in full agreement -in fact, I think he will have noticed that in the meeting of the Committee on Agriculture, where the
guidelines for cooperation of nutritional rural policies was discussed, this was done. The guidelines do incorporate means of providing better health and sanitation end environmental development projects.
I was however surprised to hear the distinguished delegate dismiss FAO's concern with breast feeding and weaning practices. The promotion of breast feeding and sound weaning practices is an important component of nutritional education and training activities, which are functions of FAO. This is a major area of concern in our nutrition programme; also, the development of suitable weaning foods is an area of concern in FAO's programme. Clearly, there is no conflict here between FAO and what is going on in other agencies. As you know, we have successfully coordinated our activities with other agencies, not only bilaterally but also through the ACC Special Committee on Nutrition.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie le Professeur Islam. Je pense que toutes les questions qui ont été soulevées au cours de ce débat et qui n'avaient peut-être pas trouvé de réponse dans le document viennent de les recevoir. Le débat sur la question est donc terminé. . . On me signale que le délégué du Royaume-Uni voudrait prendre la parole;alors je la lui donne.
A. B. CAWTHORN (United Kingdom):I am extremely grateful to Professor Islam for his comprehensive analysis and response to the numerous questions which I asked: he has treated us with his usual courtesy and given us very full answers.
I would hasten to assure him, through you Mr. Chairman, that we recognize the problems that he has to deal with. He spoke at some length in response to our questions on nutrition and food balance sheets and in the course of that he accepted that the figures were not available. I would simply like to point out that the object of our intervention was to question whether, if statistics are not available, the exercise is worth the effort. The point that we would like to stress is that perhaps the Secretariat ought to direct its efforts into getting the appropriate data rather than analysing inadequate information.
I am glad to note that Professor Islam has himself made this point, and has requested Member States to adjust their domestic activities to provide this data if possible, and I, on behalf of the United Kingdom, would thoroughly endorse this request.
N. ISLAM (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department):I think there is a misunderstanding-I did not say that information is not available at all. I said that the information available in food balance sheets data did not have distribution of income data. But on the analysis made, even on the basis of information available in food balance sheets data, you can derive some kind of conclusion, as I had analysed in detail, and you can arrive at assumptions. Therefore, I still insist that the analysis in the documents on the basis of limited information on food balance sheets leads to the conclusion which we have arrived at and that this is valid. But certainly, at the same time, I entirely agree that detailed distribution of income data is not available and should be collected by detailed consumption surveys and nutrition surveys, and over time the analysis will be considerably improved through better and more comprehensive data.
LE PRESIDENT: Je pense que nous sommes maintenant d'accord. S'il en est ainsi, je vais poursuivre pour dire que nous en avons terminé avec l'examen de ce point 6. 1 de notre ordre du jour, c'est-à-dire la situation de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture.
Le débat consacré à cette importante question a été très vaste et fructueux. Soixante-cinq délégués des pays membres et deux observateurs ont pris la parole. Le document clair et complet présenté par le Secrétariat a été généralement apprécié, ce qui a permis à la Commission de porter son attention sur les principales tendances, les faits nouveaux et les programmes qui ont marqué la situation mondiale de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture. C'est ainsi que certains orateurs ont suggéré qu'à l'avenir un examen plus attentif soit consacré à d'autres denrées alimentaires telles que les légumi neuses, les huiles végétales, les produits carnés et laitiers, ainsi que les plantes à tubercules, comme le manioc et autres.
Il a été reconnu d'une manière générale que cette année une certaine amélioration s'est manifestée dans la situation' globale de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture mais on a admis que cette amelioration ne devait pas nous conduire à trop d'optimisme car les inquiétantes tendances de fond et les problèmes
à long terme sont toujours là. En particulier, de nombreux pays en développement à déficit alimentaire se trouvent confrontés à des pénuries croissantes et à une aggravation de la situation de la balance des paiements. Il a été signalé qu'une meilleure distribution des disponibilités pourrait, dans une grande mesure, atténuer le problème.
De nombreux délégués ont évoqué les efforts, ou plutôt les effets néfastes des politiques protectionnistes sur les recettes d'exportation, en particulier celles des pays en développement. En effet, les obstacles tarifaires et non tarifaires continuent à bloquer l'expansion des exportations. On a également indiqué que le protectionnisme affectait aussi bien les pays développés que les pays en développement. On a souligné qu'il était nécessaire d'accroître les préférences commerciales mutuelles entre pays en développement.
On a fait observer également que la récession prolongée influe négativement sur la demande d'importations de nombreux produits agricoles.
Beaucoup des délégués ont mentionné les baisses de prix de plusieurs produits agricoles exportés par des pays en développement.
On a rappelé que lorsqu'on analyse l'évolution des échanges il faut classer les pays en développement en différents groupes en fonction de leur niveau de développement économique.
On a également indiqué que l'évolution des échanges agricoles devait être considérée par rapport à celle de l'ensemble du commerce.
La Commission a reconnu d'une manière générale la nécessité pour les pays en développement d'être plus autonomes en matière de disponibilités alimentaires. On a insisté sur l'importance qui s'attache au renforcement de la base de la production vivrière qui représente la solution à long terme aux problèmes alimentaires.
Les délégués de nombreux pays ont rendu compte de leur politique, programmes et plans, en vue d'accroître la production alimentaire. On a rappelé qu'il faut fournir des stimulants adéquats aux agriculteurs et mettre en place le soutien institutionnel nécessaire dans les domaines de la vulgarisation, du crédit, de la commercialisation, etc.
On a souligné la nécessité d'utiliser la technologie d'origine locale et de promouvoir les produits locaux nutritifs et faciles à produire. On a mis l'accent sur l'amélioration de l'utilisation des terres et sur l'accroissement de l'appui accordé à la recherche.
On a également mis l'accent sur le fait qu'il importe de consacrer une attention particulière aux programmes destinés aux groupes économiquement faibles, ainsi qu'à la protection des écosystèmes.
Plusieurs délégués ont rappelé la possibilité de recourir à la coopération technique entre pays en développement pour intensifier la production alimentaire.
Beaucoup de délégués ont également souligné l'importance du développement de la pêche et des ressources forestières, notamment dans les pays en développement.
De nombreux délégués ont rappelé que la hausse des coûts de production, notamment des engrais, rend plus difficile l'accélération de la production alimentaire et agricole.
On a observé que le problème de la hausse des coûts, affecte aussi bien les pays développés que les pays en développement.
L'accent a été mis sur la nécessité pour la communauté internationale d'accroître le soutien qu'elle accorde aux pays en développement dans leur effort en vue d'augmenter la production alimentaire et de renforcer la sécurité alimentaire.
On s'est en général accordé pour appuyer le système d'alerte rapide et souhaiter son renforcement. Une proposition a été présentée qui visait à créer un fonds international spécial pour aider les petits exploitants à accroître leur production.
Certains délégués ont souligné par ailleurs la nécessité d'adopter, parallèlement aux mesures visant à accroître la production alimentaire, des politiques démographiques appropriées. De nombreux délégués ont rappelé l'importance de l'aide alimentaire en tant que mesure intérimaire, car elle permet aux pays à faible revenu de faire face à des pénuries alimentaires en attendant que leur production
augmente. Il a été noté à cet égard que ces dernières années l'aide alimentaire a été soit stationnaire, soit en régression, et que les objectifs de 10 millions de tonnes et 500 000 tonnes fixés respectivement pour l'aide alimentaire et pour la réserve alimentaire internationale ne sont pas encore atteints.
Certains délégués ont déclaré que l'aide alimentaire ne devait pas être utilisée à des fins politiques. Les délégués de plusieurs pays donateurs ont informé la Commission des programmes d'aide alimentaire et autres types d'assistance technique et financière qu'ils mettent en oeuvre pour promouvoir l'agri culture dans les pays en développement et pour renforcer la sécurité alimentaire.
Quelques délégués ont mentionné également qu'ils prévoyaient d'accroître dans les années à venir l'aide à l'alimentation et l'agriculture. Plusieurs délégués ont souligné la nécessité de conclure rapidement un accord international efficace sur le blé comportant des prix et des clauses économiques et souhaité que des négociations similaires s'ouvrent sur d'autres produits. Un délégué a estimé que le manque de données n'avait pas permis de procéder à une analyse significative de la situation nutrition-nelle ou de son évolution dans le temps.
Ce sont là les principaux points qui ont été soulevés pendant les débats. Selon la pratique habituelle, le Secrétariat en reprendra les points importants dans le projet de rapport qui sera examiné par le Comité de rédaction et, si besoin, adopté par la Commission.
Je signale également qu'une recommandation a été déposée par le Nicaragua, cette recommandation sera examinée par le Comité de rédaction.
Voilà ce que nous avions à dire sur les points qui nous ont préoccupés hier et aujourd'hui. Compte tenu du léger retard que nous avons sur notre programme nous proposons de continuer cette séance en passant à l'examen du point suivant de l'ordre du jour: il s'agit du point subsidiaire 6. 2, "Mise en oeuvre du plan d'action visant à renforcer la sécurité alimentaire mondiale".
Le document relatif à ce point de l'ordre du jour porte la cote C 81/20. Le Secrétariat l'a préparé pour aider la Conférence à examiner l'état d'avancement du plan d'action pour la sécurité alimentaire mondiale qui, vous vous en souviendrez, a été approuvé par la Conférence à sa 20ème session dans la Résolution 3. 79. Je donne maintenant la parole à M. Islam, sous-directeur général, responsable du Département des politiques économiques et sociales qui va vous présenter le point 6. 2.
N. ISLAM (Assistant Director-General, Economie and Social Policy Department):It is now two years since the Conference endorsed the Plan of Action on World Food Security and urged all governments to take immediate steps to put the plan into operation. The Paper before the Commission reports on a number of steps that have been taken in these two years to implement the Plan of Action. Some progress has been made but much more still needs to be done. A partly positive step is a new food aid convention which guarantees, at least until the mid 1980's, food aid in cereals of 7. 7 million tons annually. While this is a step forward, food aid level is still below the minimum annual target of 10 million tons of cereal stated by the World Food Convention.
It is, however, encouraging to record that the target of 500 000 tons for the International Emergency Food Reserve will be met in 1981 for the first time since establishment. Moreover the International Monetary Fund member countries experiencing temporary increases in the costs of their cereal imports have now the possibility of drawing on the Fund compensatory financing facility, in line with the recommendation contained in the Plan of Action.
Further at its spring session this year the Committee on World Food Security elaborated a specific set of recommendations on the ways of improving the state of preparedness to meet acute and large scale food shortages. The recommendations, which were subsequently endorsed by the Council, concern measures for greater national preparedness, as well as arrangements for international consultations and coordination to tackle food shortage situations.
Many governments now have explicit national stock policies for cereals, although a number of developing countries have not yet been able to fully implement these policies.
Moreover, apart from strictly national food security policies, a number of governments in various regions are in the process of considering various possibilities for joint regional or sub-regional action to strengthen their collective food security.
However, in spite of these positive developments, overall progress towards world food security has been limited and slow, as was pointed out by the Council earlier this year, and the long-term world food security situation remains precarious. Under the preceding agenda item the Commission has already reviewed recent developments in food production and trade and their implications for world food security. The lack of progress regarding a new effective International Grains Arrangement is well known to delegates. Another disquieting feature in the world food security situation is the recent decline in food aid in cereals in the face of growing import deficits of the low-income countries and a continuing deterioration in their balance of payments position.
There are two central issues to which the attention of the Commission is drawn. First, there is the crucial long-term food security problem of achieving a more rapid growth in food production especially in the low income food deficit countries. The Commission may wish to reiterate the need for high priority to be accorded to food production in developing countries and for donor countries to increase the flow of financial and technical assistance to support these efforts.
The second outstanding issue arises from the fact that there still is no internationally coordinated system of national food reserves. The absence of such a system not only places an unduly heavy burden of carrying stocks on a few countries, but also does not guarantee that the poorest will have access to sufficient supplies in future periods of shortage and crop failures.
The FAO's Five-Point Plan of Action adopted by the FAO Conference in 1979 and endorsed by the UN General Assembly, is the only internationally agreed continuing framework for policies and action for the promotion of world food security. In the light of experience so far, it is necessary to refine and strengthen it for promoting world food security through harmonizing national food security policies and programmes.
For example, it may be necessary for the Committee on World Food Security to intensify its consultative function in reviewing and harmonizing national stock policies as suggested in the document (paragraph 50). As has been widely recognized, full participation by developing countries in a scheme of world wide stocks requires increased foreign assistance as a supplement to their domestic efforts. The Commission may wish to request the Committee on World Food Security to examine how to improve its ability, firstly to assess the needs of developing countries in respect of resources for building up physical infrastructure and stocks; and, secondly, to assess and evaluate food security assistance available for these purposes from both bilateral and multilateral sources.
In view of increasing food import requirements, on the one hand, and less than commensurate improvements in export earnings and balance of payments on the other, there is an urgent need for not only attaining the minimum annual food aid target of 10 million tons, but also for revising it upwards in view of the anticipated increase in food aid requirements in the 1980s. In response to a request by the Director-General, the Committee at its 12th Session agreed to consider at its next session the general approach for a review of food aid requirements and food aid targets which it will undertake in 1983.
Moreover, considering the vulnerability of many countries to food emergencies, the Conference may wish to urge developing countries to improve their national preparedness to deal with large scale food shortages along the lines recommended by the Committee on Food Security's Ad Hoc Working Party on Preparedness for meeting Acute and Large Scale Food Shortages. In this context, the various proposals considered by the Committee on Food Aid for ensuring the adequacy, predictability and guaranteed availability of resources at the disposal of the International Emergency Food Reserve, deserve serious follow-up and regular review should be made of the actual performance and possible further need for strengthening the IEFR.
In view of the close interrelation between stable and expanding agricultural export crops, on the one hand, and ability to import food and agricultural inputs, on the other, the Commission may also wish to underline the importance of a balanced expansion of agricultural trade for the achievement of greater food security. Also, the Commission may wish to invite the FAO Council and the Committee on World Food Security to continue to pay special attention to the opportunities for increasing collective self-reliance through regional and sub-regional cooperation amongst developing countries in respect of food security measures.
The limited progress so far in strengthening world food security and, in particular, the failure of the negotiations on a new International drains Arrangement with effective food security provisions,calls for new ideas, fresh approaches and different directions to safeguard the food security of the poorer countries. For example, exporting countries could explore ways to guarantee jointly that additional quantities of cereals will be available on reasonable terms for the low income developing countries to import in times of exceptional need. In return, importing developing countries possibly could assure to the exporters a minimum security of market outlets for sales in normal years. This could be one way of assuring access to essential food supplies at times of world shortages, to importing countries,
especially low income food deficit countries. The Commission may wish to call on the Committee on World Food Security and the FAO Council to take a fresh look at these issues and consider feasible solutions and alternative approaches which could lead the world community out of the present deadlock.
LE PRESIDENT: M. Islam a appelé l'attention sur un certain nombre de problèmes à propos desquels la Conférence voudra peut-être formuler des recommandations en vue de renforcer la sécurité alimentaire mondiale. Je suggère que dans vos interventions vous vous attachiez particulièrement à ces problèmes. Le débat est maintenant ouvert et j'invite les membres qui le désirent à demander la parole.
Said A. MADALLALI (Tanzania): I do not wish to speak. I am not prepared for this subject. I propose that we adjourn. Since Professor Islam has opened the discussion, we shall go and prepare ourselves and then be able to respond tomorrow morning.
PRESIDENT: Puisque c'est le voeu de la Commission nous allons lever la séance et la reprendre demain matin à 9 h 30 précises. Soyez à l'heure afin que nous puissions terminer les débats sur cette question.
The meeting rose at 17. 10
La séance est levée à 17 h 10
Se levanta la sesión a las 17. 10 horas
