O. IXAMABO (Nigeria): I would like to join the last speakers in congratulating the Secretariat for what I think is a fine report. The concept of an international agricultural readjustment I think is a very good one and the eleven guidelines focus on some very important areas. But some of the areas get only passing mention and I think require much greater emphasis than they have in the report. It seems to me that to bring about any readjustment one of the basic essentials is to build the capabilities, the national capabilities of the lesser developed countries to produce agriculturally and to do this what is essential in my view is training-training in all fields, training of planners, training of managers, training of those who monitor, training of those involved in business as a whole, and It think training requires much greater emphasis than is shown here.
Another area I think that requires very strong emphasis, and much stronger emphasis than is here, is research. Research is the foundation for bringing about any change, any improvement, but it gets only passing mention in guideline 10. There there is reference to investment in agricultural research by the CGIR and its international research centres. This is good but there is no mention at all of the national research systems and the national research capabilities. I think an organisation like the FAO cannot shy out of helping to build the essentials, for improving agricultural production in developing countries, and that is in national research capabilities of the coun tries concerned.
The term "transfer of technologies" seems very fashionable these days. It means different things to different people and if the lesser developed countries are to acquire any technology at all one needs to strengthen their own science and technology capabilities. I think it is quite clear and there is ample evidence around the world that for you to acquire and be able to utilize technologies developed elsewhere or having to develop your own technologies, your own science and technology base must be strong. I would therefore wish that much greater emphasis be given to building national research capabilities.
The emphasis on crops that rolls through this report I think is good on crops and crop production as such but there is very little mention of storage and processing. If you produce and do not utilize what you produce you will lose quite a lot. I think the figure of losses due to poor storage and pests varies but it probably averages 35 or 40 per cent so if we can only preserve what we produce the position about what is available will be very different.
I am pleased about the mention of forestry by many speakers although the document does not emphasize that much. A lot of emphasis is given to fuel wood as a source of energy, forestry as a means of helping rural development, but I think too we should mention that forest trees are an important source of food for rural populations. There is work done in some parts of the world now where there is direct assessment of the food actually obtained by rural populations from these trees and I think this requires continuous support and a mention in the role of trees in increasing food production in the developing countries.
I find very little reference to livestock and fisheries. I think this deserves as much emphasis as perhaps crops as well because they are a very big local source of food.
And again when we are talking of food I do not know whether it is right for us just to think of production without referring to some factors of production. The soil is extremely important and now evidence shows that soil management is extremely important because we are losing a lot of our soils due to bad agricultural practices. I think some reference should be made to this in a document like this and a definite effort pointed out towards improving soil management practices. The role of water, and by this I mean the irrigation in agricultural production, is again extremely important, in fact one of the greatest potentials for increasing production in developing coun tries where there are hazards that bring health problems and so on while the potential for in creasing production through irrigation I think needs some mention and emphasis.
With these comments I would like to commend this document but I do wish strongly that the points I have mentioned be taken into consideration.
S. SABER (Iraq) (original language-Arabic) : First I should like to thank the Secretariat on the preparation of this report. My delegation feels that international economic cooperation for development is of essential importance because if such cooperation were to stop or to slow down it would mean that the objectives of international strategy would certainly not be reached in ti me and that very often has a negative impact on the development of developing countries, especial ly the least developed countries. However, we are now more optimistic, after having noted the de tails of this strategy for the Third Developing Decade and we are confident that the implementation of this strategy will be a factor which will help in setting a new international economic order.
It is quite clear that the main responsibility for development in the developing countries is that of the countries themselves and has to rest on their own efforts, but the international community must have the true will to help them to reach their development aims. The main policy of our countries is to fight against colonization, foreign interference and economic interference, because we feel that all this is an insurmountable obstacle for the economic and social development of every country. We hope that justice and equity will be brought about in all parts of the world.
The document we are now discussing proposes an annual rate of development of national production in developing countries during the Third Development Decade of 7 per cent. In order to achieve this rate we feel that enormous efforts have to be made, nationallv and internationale. We hope that in addition to the achievement of this rate of development, an improvement of the term of trade for the developing countries will be brought about, that their exports will be better remunerated and that they will have better access to markets.
We are very glad to see among the main objectives of the international strategy the better management of countries' resources in developing countries and we note with great hope the plans of the IMF for these countries. The inflation of international economies, especially in the developing countries, has obviously led to the creation of barriers to development efforts and we agree with what is stated in the report, that a reduction in the rate of inflation would have a positive effect on the international economy.
We feel that the fight against hunger and malnutrition is a difficult task which cannot be brought to a happy result in the near future and it can only be successful if there is a rate of agricultural food production growth of 4 percent. This rate would make it necessary to invest a great dealof capital and to have a highly developed technology. This is where the responsibility of the international community lies to help the countries to achieve the aims of their development programmes.
It is also very important that the countries concerned give higher priority to the implementation of the recommendations of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. These countries will also have to use all the inputs in order to improve their production.
We have noted with a certain distress that the International Food Aid Convention, which was to produce 7. 6 million tons of aid, is well below the target figure of 10 million tons. It is therefore necessary that it should be extended for 3 years, as proposed in the document, and that the target should be increased.
As for the International Emergency Food Reserve, this should be at least 500 000 tons. Since developing countries need official development aid from the developed countries, we believe that 0.7 percent of GNP for development aid could help the developing countries to reach their objectives. It is also necessary that there should be an improvement in conditions of official aid and financial aid given by international and regional organizations in order to meet the increasing requirements of the developing countries. Also, the rate of exchange must be stable as well as flexible.
My delegation would like to stress the important role of international technical cooperation, which is of essential importance for the self-reliance of the developing countries. The developed countries should help the developing countries to have access to technological development without any difficulty. The policy of my country is to stimulate scientific research and to help in the transfer of the results of the research to the farmers, so that this research can be applied.
We have also given women an equivalent role to that of men, by providing education and training women for work in the factories and in the rural world on an equal foot, because we feel that any obstacle to the participation of women would mean that half the population was not participating in the development efforts.
We are convinced that developing countries also have to surmount the problem of the brain drain towards developed countries. This problem is of interest to the whole of the international community, because adequate measures have to be taken in order to avoid the negative impact of this brain drain from the developing countries.
We can well support what is stated in the document with regard to technical aid for training which should be provided by developed countries. We hope that the developing countries are going to adopt adequate policies in social matter and to reduce unemployement and also in order to provide the necessary care for mothers and children. Further, the necessary health centers have to be set up in order to provide a free service.
My country is undertaking continuous efforts of development and we are very glad that the essential indicators of our development plan are perfectly adequate and follow the outline of the International Strategy for the Third Development Decade.
SHIN-HAENG HUH (Korea): On behalf of the delegation of the Republic of Korea, I wish to extend my thanks to the Secretariat for the preparation of the Third Progress Report on International Agricultural Adjustment. Some of the guidelines in the IAA have become particularly important for the Korean agricultural sector, in recent years, with the rapidly changing circumstances, primarily due to rapid industrialization, which has been given the highest priority in economic development. Notable changes have occurred in areas of agricultural growth lagging far behind the non-agricultural sector, massive migration of the rural population towards urban areas to look for non-farm jobs, and the increase in agricultural input prices which has caused high production costs.
In addition, food production and agricultural prices have fluctuated widely from year to year, primarily due to the lag in agricultural production adjustment and to the increasing demand for commodities with a high income elasticity. I am sure that these adjustment problems are common to most of the rapidly developing countries, where the proportion of agricultural production in GNP declines. In this regard, the 11 guidelines for international agricultural adjustment are very appropriate and should therefore be strengthened.
From our own experience we believe that the guidelines can play a greater role in helping to provide a framework for agricultural development in the developing countries, which need to rationalize agricultural production to be efficient, if advanced countries transfer their technology and know-how to these countries.
The Korean agricultural sector was already in transition before the 11 guidelines were adopted in 1975. We have therefore experienced many unexpected adjustment problems, causing tremendous social costs through trial and error in the course of agricultural development. However, we have been able to overcome many difficulties by undertaking intensive research and development programmes, crop diversification, the expansion of non-farm income sources, irrigation and farm mechanization. Along with the continuous efforts in such areas, the Government of the Republic of Korea has formulated vigorous agricultural development projects in the fifth Five Year Economic and Social Development Plan which will
start in 1982. In particular, regarding guideline 3, the Korean Government has set up a new incentive scheme for rural youth through the establishment of a special fund of $ 50 million to aid those youths who are qualified and willing to work hard on farms. In addition, our Government has continued and will continue to support major farm prices to provide appropriate price incentives necessary to stimulate the farmer to adopt improved methods, expand production and play a wider role in economic development.
In conclusion, I would like to stress the importance of the guidelines to the developing countries facing agricultural adjustment problems, urging developed countries to provide their advanced technology and financial assistance to developing countries. Finally, we offer our adjustment experience to the developing countries which follow a similar pattern of agricultural development to Korea's.
C.E. ODHNER (Sweden): Since the beginning of the deliberations in this Commission we have successively discussed the State of Food and Agriculture, World Food Security and the Strategy for the Third Develop-Development Decade as to food and agriculture. The three discussions very much centred on the same issues : the sluggish agricultural development in developing countries and the unwillingness of the rich countries to live up to their commitments as to development assistance, food reserve contributions, and so on. A number of important problems have been touched upon by different speakers: the distribution and storage of available supplies to people who need them, the disincentive to local production created by food aid, the difficulties for developing countries to induce an increase in local production through sufficiently high prices and so on.
However, these problems have not really been explored in depth and specially they have not been related to each other to show the real problem, that is the inconsistencies between different strategies. Such discussions should have provided the starting point to formulate some main outlines to programmes of action which could then be adapted to the special circumstances in each country.
This lack of problem orientation has made the discussion too general, with too much reporting on national experience, too much of expressing hopes and wishes about future efforts and possibilities, and complaints of lack of political will in both groups of countries, instead of an exploration of possible ways to reconcile the goal of short-term and long-term food security and rural development. It is significant that the Commission is nearly one day ahead of its original schedule, although the questions we have discussed do not seem to be devoid of interest.
Just to explain which kind of fundamental strategies my delegation think ought to be discussed here in order to have a more problem orientated debate, let me take two examples:
It has been correctly stated that the commitments to food security by the rich countries are very insufficient. Likewise, it has been stated that short-term food security is largely a distribution problem, but, at the same time, that long-term self-sufficiency through expanding national production is the only possible solution for developing countries. Further, there are the difficulties in creating sufficient incentives to such long-run expansion of production, when the distribution network is lacking prices cannot be raised to cover production costs because of insufficient buying power among the poor people, and there is a political resistance to higher food prices among the politically dominating urban population.
Which elements of strategies could be combined to solve these problems? How should an expanded and improved world food security system providing food to those most in need, both because of special calamities and more long-run insufficiencies - people mostly unable to pay even a low price, how should it be combined with sufficient incentives to a long-run buildup of national and local production capacity, especially amongst small farmers, and with a more comprehensive rural development? How should a price policy for food be developed which creates sufficient inducements for building a distribution network and processing facilities and for long-term increased production, without increasing prices so as to reduce demand and create political instability and thus become counter-productive?
We do not have the answers. We raised the questions to show what we think ought to have been discussed. Just let me say that raising demand by increasing employment gradually in balance with increasing productive capacity seems to be the core of such a strategy, and that food security provisions have as far as possible to be isolated from the normal market and normal buying capacity, by creating special distribution networks such as for instance the World Food Programme.
My second example of complex problems which ought to be discussed concerns the international markets and their repercussions on the national. If we succeed in approaching a higher degree of world food security within a free market system of the kind recommended by most of the exporting countries in the north group, we are running a great risk that this achievement will be destroyed by a growing cobweb effect due to the considerable swings in world production that always occur from one year-or still worse, from one couple of years-to another. Since price elasticity becomes smaller and smaller, bumper crops will reduce prices drastically and create disincentives to fulfil planned-or anyway much needed-long-term expansion. Government will meet political difficulties in keeping prices sufficiently high and building stocks to take care of the surplus, without international guidance and support. On the other hand, when world production falls short of the expanded demand, problems will be created by steeply rising prices. Those who have been able to build up stocks will earn gigantic profits, as in 1973-74.
These considerations lead me to two suggestions. The first is that the Secretariat should be asked to give more attention to complex but unavoidable problems of this kind. The second is that the documents should, where applicable, on the basis of this work by the Secretariat, be preceded by one or two pages listing the main points for discussion, thus focussing the discussion of the Commission on the really pertinent problems for the development of elements of an efficient strategy.
M. KRIESBERG (United States of America): We have had a useful exchange of views on progress made and not made in connexion with FAO's International Agricultural Adjustment Guidelines; but it seems to us that many who commented on this topic yesterday seemed to reflect disillusionment with the Guidelines as a means of energizing governments to take actions which they were unwilling to take. We do not want to add this melancholy note, nor do we want to quibble with the Secretariat over fine points of data or interpretation of data. Our brief comments will be directed towards the meaning and the value of the monitoring exercise which we are discussing.
The Guidelines are an inexact set of criteria by which we may gauge relationships between different groups of member countries. Periodic analyses over time may indicate improvements and the economic wellbeing of one group or another, but not necessarily what caused the improvements or why the gains were limited. There has been however general agreement that a periodic appraisal of what progress has been made could be useful. The United States shares this view. Accordingly, we believe that this Conference should note and accept the reports of the TCP and of the Council concerning international agricultural adjustment, as these reports were made available to this Commission; and, by so doing, we should also authorize the Secretariat to make another progress report to the Conference two years from now.
N. ISLAM (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department): I have a very few questions indeed to answer; many of the points were also raised during discussions earlier this week. We are very grateful to the delegates for their very helpful and constructive suggestions and comments: these will be greatly helpful to us when writing our next Monitoring Report.
Several delegates have referred to the need to distinguish between different groups of countries while reporting on the progress and implementation of the Guidelines. We certainly agree with this, and to a certain extent we have tried to distinguish between high-income and low-income countries, but not in respect of the Guidelines. For example, we have mentioned and referred to high-income countries in paragraphs 6, 7 and 48, and low-income countries are specifically mentioned in paragraphs 6, 7, 28, 34, 48,103 and 106. Admittedly we could do more of this distinguishing for reporting purposes, but it is of course a matter of balance as to what extent we go on distinguishing between groups of countries, and in order to keep a reasonable balance we have to exercise our judgement - and of course the judgment exercised should always be subject to criticisms, because judgements certainly differ between groups of individuals or countries, etc. But we shall do all we can to proceed along this line, and we will concentrate more on the situation of countries which are the crux of the world food problem.
Now, suggestions have been made that we should pay more attention in analysing the reasons that progress or lack of progress achieves in the fulfilment and implementation of the guidelines, this is indeed a very desirable objective. As you remember, in the discussions on the state of food and agriculture, not only at this Conference, and also earlier conferences, this is precisely the sort of suggestion, made by Conference and the distinguished delegate and we have been trying to do some analyses along these lines. As you will appreciate this is indeed a very difficult area and as you push further and further in analysing the reasons for progress and lack of it, you end up sometimes with the statement that every case is unique. So, in order to generalise, or arrive at generalisations for progress, or
lack of progress, on the basis of groups of countries, regions, or developing countries, as a whole, I would submit that this is the exercise which is extremely difficult and whatever generalisations one would make on various levels one would end up with all kinds of qualifications, the more generalities, the more vague it would be and the more explicit and concrete the reasons would be, the more specifically they will relate to individual countries. I am sure all of you in your own exercises, in your own analytical work, will have been confronted by this dilemma but we hope to perceive in this line and arrive at some kind of compromise in pursuing in greater analytical detail the reasons for progress or lack of progress. But, we have the problem relating to the length of the report. We have been asked by Conference to keep the report short and succinct. Now, these are all sometimes conflicting objectives and therefore we have to make judgements again, how do you balance these conflicting objectives? Suggestions have been made that, while providing statistical data related to the same question, we should differentiate more specifically and not give local aggregate data; quite right, some of the data when related to global aggregates does not make any sense. All right, so we must distinguish. There are various ways of distinguishing, we can distinguish by region, which we have done, in some cases we have distinguished by blocks of countries. You can distinguish by the income level of country. You can distinguish by the degree of dependence of countries on agriculture as a source of income. You can distinguish between countries' dependence on agriculture by employment. You can distinguish between countries by the degree of dependence on agricultural trade. I could mention another 20 criteria. Again, you have to have judgement and balance as to what kind of distinction you want, if you want special statistical data for one distinction, and special statistical data for another.
While I agree with the general thrust of the comments, the Secretariat fully agrees and would like to point out whatever report we do you can always come up and say "this kind of suggestion is not quite right. "
Reference has been made to Tables 3. 1 and 3. 2 of examples of comparisons of unlike or non-comparable data. Insufficient description of data or wrong inferences being drawn from them and lastly a too limited coverage of years. All this points to a certain extent to right and not right. Do you compare in this table non-comparable data. This is a table where prices are quoted for various countries, intervention countries, etc. Prices are quoted only for countries where the commodity is of significance. We could give individual country details in a separate annex but that makes the report more bulky. We thought in a report of this nature such detail was not appropriate. We also do not quite agree thati the wrong inferences could easily be drawn from these tables. If we have higher support prices and one conclusion is this. We hope that the higher support prices do encourage increased production which would compete with or lead to the shutting out of supplies from low cost countries.
We have been discussing at length the question of price incentives. We do believe that higher prices provide higher incentive to produce more. If we have data on higher prices we make reasonable inferences this will encourage production. Controlled prices tend to show stability within the countries practising them and simultaneously it could increase instability in international markets.
In our chart 8. 1 we make the point that this source of instability coming from policies of developed marketing economies have not been much of a problem in the recent years. Again we have seen in the discussions that delegates do not necessarily agree on the interpretation of this table. We have tried again on the basis of data presented in this cable to arrive at a judgment as objective as possible. Of course, with this kind of socio-economic analysis we would never have perfect data. All of us know in our various works that we have to live with imperfect data, as we go every time, we get to some extent, in fact, this kind of analytical work and progress report in our view helps in drawing attention to the inadequacies of data and also stimulates efforts hopefully on our part and on the part of member countries to expand coverage on data.
Questions have been asked about the short time spans published in this report. This is quite true. There are two ways in which we could possibly handle this problem. The first is to cover a longer time period in analysis every two years when we prepare these reports. Another is to lengthen the period of the report itself, in other words, instead of reporting every 2 years, to report every 5 years. But as you know at Conference resolution in 1975 we enjoined to report every 2 years so, under this Resolution and this decision of Conference, what you can do is to cover a longer time span every time when you write a report, that is, every two years and, that certainly, we will pursue this line in the future reporting.
Questions have been raised as to the discussion of trade balance restricting the discussions, the annual agricultural trade balance under discussion under guideline 1 because exports other that agricultural exports are of growing importance to a number of developing countries. We have interpreted guideline 9 as having the basic aim of ensuring a substantial and steady increase in the agricultural equitable earnings of developing countries. We have therefore projected the coverage of these products in our analyses in this report. Space permitting there should be no difficulty in extending the discussion so as to take account of the varying degrees of importance of agricultural export and imports in the structure of total merchandise trade in different groups of countries. We have undertaken such detailed analyses along these lines in the documentation for committee and commodity problems and also in our annual FAO commodity review and outlook, distinguishing for example between oil importing and oil exporting developing countries. We certainly agree it would be useful to extend such analyses distinguishing between agricultural and non-agricultural exports, especially bearing in mind that agricultural exports account for fifty per cent or more of the foreign trade earnings of some seventy developing countries, most of which are in the lower income group in these countries, which are heavily dependent on agricultural exports. The trade balance in agricultural exports and imports indicate resources available for importing non-agricultural imports, manufactured goods, capital equipment, to that extent the surplus trade balance and agricultural export and import is critical for them for their development efforts. Of course, as we do these analyses distinguishing between agricultural and non-agricultural exports, we will also find many of the countries that suffer from deficit in agricultural trade balances also suffer from deficit in non-agricultural trade balances. So, the problem can be seen of course in a wider perspective, thus it is not necessarily true that a country suffering from a deficit in agricultural trade balance would have a surplus in non-agricultural trade balance, so worrying about an agricultural deficit is not any problem.
The distinguished delegate for Nigeria has referred to a need for greater emphasis on national agricultural research and we certainly agree with this, and linking up national agricultural research with international agricultural research. We also agree with the greater emphasis he suggests should be given to inadequate storaging and processing. We certainly will keep in mind, while preparing the next report, all the comments and suggestions made on the report of the Committee on Commodity Problems as well as in the Council report.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie le professeur Islam. Y a-t-il encore des questions qui n!ont pas trouvé de réponse?. . . Je ne pense pas puisque personne ne lève la pancarte.
Pour nous résumer, je dirais que le débat consacré au troisième rapport intérimaire sur l'ajustement agricole international vient de prendre fin. Vingt-cinq délégués y ont participé. Il a été généralement admis que les progrès réalisés vers les objectifs de l'ajustement agricole international ont été limités et inégaux. La production alimentaire dans les pays en développement, spécialement en Afrique, croit avec une lenteur préoccupante. Les investissements dans la production alimentaire sont insuffisants dans les pays en développement et doivent être accrus. Les prix élevés des moyens de production et la lenteur des transferts de fonds et de technologie ont été reconnus comme principaux facteurs responsables de la faible croissance de la production alimentaire dans les pays en développement.
Il faut donner des stimulants suffisants aux agriculteurs, utiliser les aliments locaux et associer les petits agriculteurs, les paysans sans terre et les femmes aux efforts visant à accroître la production alimentaire. L'incidence forte et croissante de la sous-alimentation a aussi été soulignée;selon quelques délégués elle s'explique en partie par le manque d'éducation nutrítionnelle spécialement en milieu rural. On a fait observer que la sous-alimentation était souvent imputable à la répartition inégale des ressources alimentaires disponibles. La dépendance croissante des pays en développement à faible revenu à l'égard des importations alimentaires est un facteur préoccupant. Plusieurs délégués ont souligné les problèmes qui naissent des barrières tarifaires et non tarifaires auxquelles se heurtent les exportations des produits agricoles et en particulier des produits transformés.
Les prix de beaucoup de produits exportés par les pays en développement sont en train de baisser, alors que les aliments et les carburants qu'ils importent renchérissent, d'où une détérioration de leur balance du commerce agricole. Selon quelques délégués, la balance du commerce agricole devait être examinée dans le contexte des tendances générales du commerce global. Le role important de la coopé ration technique et économique entre les pays en développement comme élément capital des relations économiques internationales a été souligné.
L'accord sur le fonds commun a été accueilli avec satisfaction et il faut espérer que tous les pays le ratifient le plus tot possible de façon qu'il puisse devenir opérationnel prochainement.
Plusieurs délégués ont souligné la nécessité de nouveaux rapports analytiques dans l'avenir pour qu'on puisse mieux identifier les facteurs responsables de la lenteur des progrès réalisés vers les objectifs fixés dans les lignes d'orientation. L'accent a été mis sur la nécessité d'améliorer les données de base qui permettraient de procéder à une analyse. On a aussi suggéré qu'à l'avenir les rapports intéri maires examinent l'évolution de la situation sur une plus longue période et dans un cadre plus large. C'est ainsi que certains délégués ont estimé que dans les analyses futures il faudrait aussi essayer d'examiner l'évolution de la situation en ce qui concerne d'autres produits alimentaires de base.
Tels sont les points saillants du débat. Le Secrétariat les examinera plus en détail en même temps que d'autres questions dans le projet de rapport qui sera soumis à la Commission.
Nous allons poursuivre l'examen du point suivant et étudier les autres documents consacrés à ce point 7 de l'Ordre du jour, à savoir le document C 81/21 sur la stratégie internationale du développement pour la troisième décennie pour le développement et le document C 81/22 sur les stratégies de développement régionales et nationales.
N. ISLAM (Assistant Director General, Economic and Social Policy Department): As you recall, the last Session of the Conference requested the Director General to transmit to the United Nations the report of its discussions on preparations for the Special Session of the General Assembly in 1980 and the new International Development Strategy. You furthermore asked that, in doing so, the Director-General should convey your conviction that this new development strategy must reflect fully the key role of food and agriculture in improving the quality of life of almost 2 billion people directly dependent on agriculture in developing countries and in raising the rate of economic growth of these countries. The Director General conveyed to the Preparatory Committee for the new International Development Strategy the report of the last Conference and its discussions concerning the future strategy. Again, at your request, he also submitted the Provisional Report on "Agriculture Towards 2000".
I believe that the document C 81/21, UN International Development Strategy For the Third Development Decade, indeed shows that the strategy gives the degree of prominence to food and agriculture which you sought.
Paragraph 28 of the new IDS text, which begins by saying that hunger and malnutrition must be eliminated as soon as possible and certainly by the end of this century, is a very succinct statement of the fundamentals of the strategy as regard food and agriculture.
These fundamentals are elaborated subsequently. Improvements needed in international trade are referred to in paragraphs 52-67. They add up to a call for a more open and expanding trade system in which more favourable treatment is to be given to developing countries, many of whom are heavily dependent on agricultural exports.
The main food and agriculture section is given in paragraphs 81-95. I need not summarize them. The earlier A percent target for agricultural growth in developing countries is reiterated. The whole statement is imbued with the conviction that both developing and developed countries share responsibility for the attainment of this target. Developing countries, "firmly supported by the international community", must improve their agricultural performance. The paragraphs indicate what is meant by such firm support.
Other parts of the IDS also have an important bearing on food and agriculture. These are particularly the objectives given in Section D regarding financial resources for development; in Section K regarding the least developed and related categories of countries; and in Section L on the environment.
The last section of the paper, paragraphs 169-180 discusses a review and appraisal of the implementation of the new strategy.
The likelihood of the start of the global negotiations makes it opportune for this Conference to take stock of what has happened so far, following the formulation of the IDS, and which areas of action need urgent attention. I may point out in this connexion that the Director-General has, on his own initiative and responsibility, prepared a note on the Elements of a Global Food Programme. It highlights the main issues and specific policies and programmes of action, encompassing four principal inter-related areas: increased food production, alleviating the poverty of small farmers and landless labourers, expanding agricultural trade and promoting world food security.
This programme draws upon the conclusions and recommendations of the FAO Conference, Council and other bodies. I emphasize, however, that this document, which has been circulated for information only, is not for discussion or decision of the Conference. It does not call for any debate.
Now I refer to document C 81/22 on Regional and National Development Strategies which briefly examines a series of issues which are likely to assume increasing importance in the coming decades as countries try to achieve their development objectives.
In the broadest sense, major development issues are often common to most developing regions, that is the means to accelerate production, to distribute benefits equitably, to encourage wider participation, and so on.
However, the relative importance of objectives as well as policy measures needed to achieve the objectives differs between regions and also at different stages of development.
Moreover, this document has to be seen in the context of other papers before this Conference, i. e. , Energy in Agriculture and Rural Development, follow-up to WCARRD and National Agricultural Research in Developing Countries. The document itself is not intended to be a comprehensive one and all countries will not find it a full reflection of their own problems and priorities. It deals with selected issues region by region in identifying issues and in suggesting measures for dealing with them. It is a brief paper in which only selected country situations can be referred to. It does, however, emphasize that most problems must be tackled at the country level. The frequent references to regions usually refer to conditions which are shared by a number of countries rather than implying a formal regional approach to the solution of these problems except, of course, in the last section which deals with economic and technical cooperation among developing countries.
The objective in putting this document before you is to stimulate discussion and invite identification of those issues for which increased attention should be paid. It is hoped that in the course of your deliberations you will examine whether the issues which we have identified are the major ones or the most critical; if not, what should be added to this list of selected issues? Most importantly, have we appraised the issues critically? Are the kinds of actions recommended most suitable? Are there additional or alternative approaches which should be examined?
In introducing this paper, therefore, I shall do no more than draw your attention to the issues with which it deals.
Obviously, the acceleration of food production is the number one problem in developing countries and it is most critical in Africa, Asia and the Far East.
How to improve traditional food crops is at the heart of the problem in both of these instances. But the pattern of consumption is changing. Is there scope for replacing part of the increasing imports by African countries of wheat and rice?Special attention needs to be paid to the increased production of maize under different ecological conditions in Africa. Considerable research efforts need to be adopted for the diversity of low cost ecological conditions. With customary systems of land tenure evolving rapidly governments will be well advised to develop policies regarding long-term patterns of land use.
Rice is the staple food in the majority of Asian countries. What are the policy issues and options here? The paper suggests that at least one such option is to give more attention to rice produced under rainfed, deep water and upland conditions and not only under irrigation. However, since in quantitative terms the bulk of future production increases must continue to come from irrigated agriculture, and since new irrigation projects are likely to be more extensive than in the past, the allocation of resources to irrigation investments has to be commensurately increased.
Staple food crops must continue to be our main focus. Nevertheless even with slow economic progress demand grows much more rapidly for products such as livestock and fisheries. Needed action in livestock production seems very different among regions. At the same time world fisheries are under going one of their most fundamental changes with the new regime of exclusive economic zones. The realization of opportunities under the new regime requires a multiple approach incorporating improved management of unconventional species, waste reduction etc. The paper discusses two major inputs -fertilizer and water. We can hardly over-emphasize the key importance of fertilizer. The elements of strategy for fertilizers range from additional capacity for production in developing countries, supported by substantial assistance in low-income countries to arrangements for coping with price fluctuations, stimulating growth in consumption coupled with extension and training for its efficient use and conservation.
Finally, when looking at food production, natural resources must be better looked after. The severe soil erosion problems of Africa south of the Sahara must be handled by ceasing the over-grazing and deforestation of these lands together with new plantings. Separate mention must be made of the fuelwood crisis which leads both to environmental degradation and to poorer nutrition of people already on the margin of subsistence. The last section of the paper discusses two sets of issues which are prominent in all regions. One is the special problems of small farms and landless labourers and the second, economic and technical cooperation among developing countries. We are all agreed on their importance. In Africa, where land is not yet a severe constraint in most countries, traditional agriculture is changing. What future forms should it take? A long-term perspective of land-use forms seems essential. Various approaches are possible. In Asia how to face the problems of increasing landlessness? In Latin America the issue presents itself in the shape of a serious and growing imbalance between larger-scale modern farms and small-scale peasant farming. Farming needs to be made more attractive to the young in most countries and nowhere is this more needed than in the Near -East and North Africa.
The last section of the paper discusses economic and technical cooperation amongst developing countries. This is a growth area. In the future increased demands for food and agricultural commodities and production requisites will come from developing countries. How best can they meet each others needs through trade and other forms of economic and other forms of technical cooperation? The paper distin guishes between three aspects of this cooperation:firstly, the development of technology, Secondly, cooperation on joint production and intra regional trade and thirdly, regional food security.
As I said at the beginning of my introduction the paper is intended primarily to provoke responses rather than to provide definitive answers. We have attempted to raise issues and suggest lines of enquiry. We look forward to benefitting from your experiences and insights in dealing with the issues which you consider important and relevant.
LE PRESIDENT : Je crois que les délégués ont entendu votre appel et qu'ils vont vous faire part de leur expérience. Donc le débat est ouvert.
Said Α· MADALLALI (Tanzania) : My delegation wishes to support the goals and objectives embodied in document C 81/81 and also the selected issues embodied in document C 81/22 as a vivid example of the immense work the Secretariat has done in trying to highlight what are the problems and issues to be looked into the next developing decade. The United Nations Development Stategy for the Third Developing Decade is a very important item we have to consider. It is on the part of the international community to establish a new international economic order aiming at the acceleration of development of the developing countries. More equitable distribution of economic opportunities among nations cannot be disputed by any of us as in an inter-dependent world this would be a source of economic strength. Just to emphasize this point I wish to refer to the appeal made by His Holiness Pope John Paul II to this session on Friday last. I quote "Great importance must be attached to present political planning for world-wide development where by it is desired to encourage developing countries to become self-reliant and to define and put into effect their own national strategy for development with a model adapted to actual conditions, capacities and the unique culture of each country. But this should not provide a convenient excuse for more prosperous countries to evade their responsibilities as though they could leave the burden of development to the needy countries alone. On the contrary these latter countries must be guaranteed adequate external support of a kind which respects their dignity and autonomy of initiative". The dignity and autonomy of initiative in the overall planning and economic development of developing countries is a crucial landmark to the failure or effectiveness of development aid and the improvements in the inter national financial system terms to enhancethe flow of financial resources to the needy countries. In this regard my delegation whishes to commend the Member countries from the developed world who have al ready reached and/or surpassed the agreed international target of 0. 7 percent of their gross national product-channelling it for developing assistance.
On specific issues of food and agriculture the document before us reaffirms what we have been discussing in this Commission on matters of increased food production, eradication of hunger and malnutrition, the importance of development aid and the commitment of Member countries to the FAO Five Point Plan of Action on world food security. Among many issues included in this strategy, one aspect my delegation would like to comment on is the nutritional policies which national governments must have whether they are getting self-sufficient in cereal grains or not. The nutritional needs of children and women are
of paramount importance for developing healthy nations. Thus in the development strategy of food production the deliberate policy of ensuring provision of an integrated approach to the essential components or ingredients that go towards the provision of nutritional requirements of the people cannot be over-emphasized. In this regard I wish to refer to the selected issue as pointed out in the document on livestock production. In the African context the document rightly points out the problem of try-panosomiase. Trypanosomiase is a limiting factor to both livestock development and agricultural production as well as a problem in human health. This requires the attention of FAO. As we know we set up a Commission on the control of African trypanosomiase. My delegation wishes to see how the progress of this Commission is doing and what we can expect from it as it is a major limiting factor to development.
Similarly in this document as it is not a comprehensive review a problem which arises in many East African countries is the efforts and research in the control of East African fever, a disease transmitted by ticks. This again is a limiting factor to livestock production and we invite the community to look at the research aspect and control of this infection. Mention has been made of trypano-tolerant livestock. This is typical of a breed in West Africa. Research has shown that it is trypano-tolerant but the mention here is of its applicability in other areas of Africa. In East Africa my delegation thinks it is of limited importance in livetock production. Talking of nutrition, we therefore support the recommendations in document C 81/21, paragraph 93 that the donor countries should ensure a high nutritional value of food aid to recipient countries.
On energy, my delegation would like to say that the role of new and renewable sources of energy should be fully investigated in the development decade. The energy-deficient developing countries which have greater potential for the development of hydro power should be assisted and supported by the United Nations system to implement programmes of this nature in order to solve their energy and power needs and possibly to be able to export energy to neighbouring countries on a regional basis. Tanzania has such resources, which only await investment in order to be able to produce hydro electricity for both national and regional requirements.
The selected issue contained in document C 81/22 on irrigation reveals that irrigation is important in Africa and we support the approach that both large scale and small scale irrigation schemes for village farmers are complementary and the idea of implementing projects on hydro power irrigation could be enhanced.
It is heartening to note that the document outlines steps to improve the physical infrastructure in developing countries. It is the view of my delegation that a proper and efficient communications system is a prerequisite for developing all other sectors of the economy, including agriculture and livestock production. We therefore support the statement in paragraph 132 of document C 81/21 and we hope that the implementation of the Transport and Communications Decade in Africa, 1978-1988, will be closely followed and monitored.
In conclusion, the Tanzanian delegation feels that the international community faces the Third Development Decade with full awareness of what should be the responsibility of the developing countries and the developed areas of this globe. In this regard we now have useful records to guide us, from different conferences, with their recommendations, such as the World Food Programme Plan of Action, the TCDC, the Lagos Plan of Action for the Development of Africa, the Nairobi Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy, the Paris Conference on the Least Developed Countries, the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Melbourne and the North-South Summit in Cancun, Mexico. From the foregoing it can be inferred that the will, the intention, to help equitable development is obvious. What remains is action towards implementation of the ideals.
I. MOSKOVITS (Malta):I would like to convey the heartfelt thanks of my delegation to Prof. Islam for his very interesting and excellent introduction. None the less we have to indicate our deep regret that document C 81/21 is submitted for information only and not for discussion or any action. We agree that, since the document is the fruit of a discussion in the United Nations, perhaps it does not need a debate here. None the less it would be good if the Conference did take note of several of the directives for the Third Development Decade which the United Nations agreed for itself and for the whole international community and also, of course, for the international agencies belonging to the United Nations family. I know that this raises a problem:the relationship between the United Nations General Assembly and FAO. For that very reason I think it would be good if at least some of the main points of this excel lent document, for thesubmission of which we thank the Secretariat very much, were to find a place in the report of this Conference.
It is my experience over many years that very often in technical meetings decisions taken by the United Nations are not known even to the Secretariats of those technical conferences, and some of the directives of the United Nations are taken in a very restricted sense. I would like to single out two problems which are of particular interest to my country.
The first is the TCDC and ECDC. We attach very great importance to this problem and this action, be cause if there is an effort to improve the general economic situation of the whole world and to establish a new economic order I think that the views of the developing countries, especially those belonging to the European region, should be taken into account, which could contribute a great deal in favour of other regions and countries. As I mentioned during the last Conference, we are very happy that FAO convened a first meeting of the TCDC, but after this meeting the European developing countries were not mentioned and they took part rather as merely observers. In this connection, the directives of the UN General Assembly for the Third Development Decade are very straightforward, that all developing countries, regardless of the region they belong to, should be consulted and should take part in the action.
The second problem I would like to mention is that of a group of countries which need particular attention. Here, too, we have had some very sad experiences. The resolution of the UN General Assembly was taken several years ago on developing island countries and land-locked countries, to which to some extent in assistance should be assimilated the MSE countries, were in several technical meetings of FAO either not known or completely ignored. For this reason, I should like very much that this important and very valuable document, and the merit of the FAO Secretariat in putting it among the working papers of this Conference, should be taken note of, not only for information but also for the directives of future FAO actions.
LE PRESIDENT : Je voudrais rappeler que le document C 81/21 est un document qui est soumis à notre Com mission pour être discuté aussi bien que le document C 81/22. Donc, il ne nous est pas transmis ici uniquement pour information mais également pour discussion. Je veux parler des documents sur la Stratégie internationale de développement pour la troisième décennie des Nations Unies pour le développement. Je rappelle que c'est un document à discuter et non pour information.
M. SANKARANARAYANAN (India) : My delegation, at the outset, would like to thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity given to us to speak on what we consider to be a most memorable presentation by Dr. Islam. The documents prepared by the FAO Secretariat, C 81/21 and 22, in the opinion of my delegation constitute the elements of a world food and agriculture strategy which has been put forward combining, if I may say so, the qualities of systematization and comprehensiveness for the first time. The new international development strategy in this action on food and agriculture, as I said earlier, provides the essential element of a world food and agriculture strategy. For the making of this strategy it is not necessary, but it might be useful, to say once again that FAO itself has made significant contribution not only through studies submitted to the United Nations General Assembly but also in its participation in the deliberations of the General Assembly. Therefore, in the opinion of my delegation, if it were asked to indicate which are the most important subjects for discussion in this FAO Conference we would unhesitatingly say that the two subjects 7. 1 and 7. 2 are the most important. We are therefore gratified, Mr. Chairman, with clarification that the documents are open for discussion by the Commission.
Actually, any elements of the international development strategy relating to food and agriculture have been elaborated, explained, extended in detail in various forums of the FAO before-in its Committees on World Food Security, Commodity Problems and food aid, as well as in the Council. In this context we are gratified to have read this note on what constitutes the strategy for a global food programme. This is extremely timely so far as its presentation is concerned. The only slight point of reservation which my delegation would like to make on this occasion is that when we talked in 1974 we laid down as a common global world objective to have this done within a period of ten years-that is, by 1983-84. Now we find in this document that hunger and malnutrition must be eliminated as soon as possible, and certainly by the end of the century. This is a long-term perspective and one is reminded of the words of John Maynard Keynes, that in the long run we are all dead. We should therefore keep in view this long-term objective, trying to see that hunger and malnutrition are eliminated from the face of this earth much earlier than 2 000 A. D. , and as elements of action towards that particular kind of objective I think these documents will prove to be useful starters.
Though I would be repeating certain things which have been said in other fora, it is necessary at this time to mention a few of them again.
The document has highlighted that developing countries have been particularly hard hit by continuing economic crises, and that hundreds of millions of people are still enduring hunger, sickness, under employment, unemployment and so on. It has also referred to the structural disequilibrium in the inter national situation-low growth rates, high inflation, unemployment, monetary instability, disincentive pressures, and so on. The vital importance of these matters to developing countries has been stressed. All these are good ; still, one finds that if one comes down to concrete issues, there are quite a few things regarding which much action has still to be taken.
One of the estimates relating to world cereal stocks, that these stocks have to be maintained at 17 to 18 percent of annual world consumption, is a target which we have been finding difficult to reach. It is essential, as mentioned in this document, that efforts be made to see that we have these international grain agreements. One might remember that when we met in Geneva some years ago there were clearly some hopes in this regard. Unfortunately, now, those hopes have certainly been-I would not say "reduced to ashes", but certainly those hopes are not very much alive.
My delegation would like to mention here that it would be appropiate for us to once again look at this kind of situation, and try to improve it.
As far as India is concerned, my delegation would like to say that, while agreeing with all the points made in these two documents, the priorities reflected in these documents are the same priorities which informed the planning for the International Development Strategy initiated in 1980, which was also the year when India was launched on this Sixth Five Year Plan. We have, as you are aware, been able to increase our food production from a level of 5. 5 million tons in 1950 to more than 130 million tons by 1980. We are allocating the highest priority to the development of agriculture, irrigation, and rural development. Another matter that may be of some interest to note is that in this Sixth Five Year Plan in my country, out of a total estimate of 975 billion Rupees, about 91 percent of the resources are being mobilised from within the country and 9 percent is external aid. At the same time we realize that this external aid is a crucial catalyst to economic development, and this is a point that has been emphasised in various fora by various people. So this aspect of external resources for economic development and relief for development which this document has highlighted is something which should be emphasised.
The strategy has spoken of the target for food aid programmes and of targets for the IEFR. We find on the basis of our experience that these are targets which have not been achieved. My delegation would like to say that we will do our every little bit to see that these targets are reached. In this connexion, my delegation would like to say that our experiences in the areas of increasing agricultural production, of increasing food production, and the management of food production, or of food distribution system (which is also semi-continental)-all this experience is available to all the other developing countries for such assistance as they require.
There is one last point which my delegation would like to mention. We are all aware that we are on the verge of global negotiations for a New International Economic Order. My delegation trusts and hopes that if and when these global negotiations are taken up FAO will have a very active role to play in them within the framework of global negotiations, both of the United Nations and as part of such negotiations and properly linked with them. It is the fundamental hope and desire of my delegation that the FAO is fully utilized. After all, one must recapitulate the fact that FAO is the United Nations specialist agency for food and agriculture, equipped with a large body of experts and supported by various specialist committees. Therefore, on this occasion my delegation would like to stress that when these negotiations start the full services of FAO should be made use of.
In conclusion, I do not think I can really do any better than quote Lester Pearson when he spoke on the occasion of the First Conference of FAO. These words, when we are discussing a subject like the International Development Strategy, in the opinion of my delegation, are extremely relevant. On the occasion of the First Conference Lester Pearson observed : "The first of the new, permanent United Nations agencies is now launched. There are few precedents for it to followit is something new in international history. There have been functional international agencies with more circumscribed objectives and tasks, but FAO is the first which sets out with so bold an aim as that of helping nations to achieve freedom from want. Never before have the nations got together for such a purpose".
It is the hope of my delegation that when the International Development Strategy comes into being, this will not be a prophecy of futility.
J. R. OWINSKI (Poland): The document on International Development Strategy for the Third Development Decade, which is the basis of our discussion, was approved by the UN General Assembly in December last. Therefore, the remarks concerning that document are delayed. Nevertheless, I would like to make a few observations.
In the document agriculture and food were given a proper place both in the part ''Goals and Objectives'' and in "Policy Measures". The precise goals and the means needed for their accomplishment are a generalization of the existing FAO programmes including Agriculture: Towards 2000, and a continuation of programmes passed by the World Food Conference and World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. All these programmes induce to a certain general reflexion that has been mentioned already in the speech of my Minister, Mr. Wojtecki at the Plenary session. The source of this reflexion is that global objectives formulated in those programmes are, practically, identified with the needs.
Undoubtedly, the identification of needs with goals is useful in the initital phases of works on the programme. However, this approach contains a serious danger. It does not take into account that resources, which might be designated for agricultural development, are limited. As it appeared in the past decades, various long-term global programmes dealing with agriculture and food have not been implemented owing to the shortage of means. There may be quoted, as an example, the programme of World Food Conference, which assumed the elimination of the most striking signs of hunger and malnutrition by 1985. As early as when the programma had been passed, it was known to be unrealistic. Other comprehensive programmes dealing with agriculture and food also remained, in general, to be wishful thinking. It followed very clearly from the discussion upon international agricultural adjustment. It is to be feared that the International Development Strategy for the Third Development Decade might become such a programme.
The verification of long-term global programmes has been affected so far in various forms outside the programmes. This form of verification will be continued, since a long-term global programme is, necessarily, of so general a character that it calls for further detailed plans. However, while a long-term global programme is being formulated, it should be confronted not only with needs but with the existing possibilities as well. It is of particular significance for the next coming years, in which, according to forecasts, a slowdown of the rate of world economic growth will take place. This means that the difficulties in financing food economy will accumulate. Therefore, the gap between the programme assumptions and the real effects may be still greater in the eighties than it had been in the past. A change in this tendency might occur only if, as is mentioned in paragraph 114 of the document, disarmament agreements would materialize. Then, the means spent for armaments before could be allocated to economic development, agriculture included. Poland ardently advocates the idea of disarmament, which, however, still remains wishful thinking.
S. POHORYLES (Israel): With your kind permission I should like to make a few brief comments to the subject of Regional and national strategies. The most important feature of contemporary agricultural development is their long-range impact.
Agricultural strategy must, in the Third Development Decade, take into account the fact than in ten to fifteen years agriculture will be totalyy different from what it is today-and the main problem is the need to find such economic, social and administrative means that will enable agricultural policy to shape the new form. This means comprehensive integrated development.
Therefore, maybe it will be useful and more efficient to include as a consideration of the programme of actions the generally accepted criteria of development promotion like:
1. The long term average real rate of agricultural growth as its quantitive expression.
2. The degree of economic heteronization of the rural areas.
3. The technological level of agriculture and the internal relation between productivity based on land and water and productivity based on neutral changes of technology.
4. The degree of self-sufficiency and the international status of agriculture.
5. The multiplier effect of agricultural development over the national economy.
6. The flexibility of agricultural adjustment to changing patterns of cyclical development on the international market and the inflation problem.
There is no doubt that the entire subject is very controversial; it implies an expression of a comprehensive rural strategy; it is placed in a centre of a development dilemma; stimulation of self-sufficiency, promotion of export or an optimal sybthesis of both approaches.
It seems to me that the Conference has to consider this problem. Another very important and, in our opinion autonomous imperative complex, is the problem of arid and semi-arid developments-a tremendous international issue. One of the typical features of arid and semi-arid zones is the lack of geographical proximity between agriculture’s two natural factors of production-land and water.
Institutional governmental intervention is therefore required in order to achieve the factor mix effect -vital for agricultural production.
Simultaneously, we have to do with a consequent process of internal realignment of the arid "factor mix" of the agricultural input basket, the share of land and water in the input composition declines-the share of neutral technology increases (new varieties, mechanization, adaptation of adequate technology) and will be more and more the dominant factor.
The new technologies for the third decade are:
1. Genetic selection of crops.
2. Water and fertilizer management.
3. Crops pest control strategies.
4. Development of controlled environment of greenhouse agriculture.
5. Multiple and intensive cropping.
6. Bioregulators.
7. New crops-nonconventional crops-tissue culture, aquaculture, desert crops.
8. Bioprocessing.
9. Anti-transpirants.
10. Development of plants to withstand drought.
11. Twinning-multiplying births in beef cattle.
It seems to us that the problem of arid development-because of this scale and intensity-should be an important autonomous component of the Conference Resolutions. I think also that a policy of successful overcoming of arid ecological constraints can serve as an interesting antimalthusianic example.
I would like to make two final remarks.
First, the transition from the development of agriculture per se to an integrated development of rural economy is an inevitable process. If transition is carried out in a planned orderly fashion it may save society a great many resources and much effort. A stychic process is liable not only to be very expensive, but also to trigger off crisis throughout the rural sector.
Second, for reasons already mentioned, it is important for the international community not to find itself in a situation where the correction of the reality is being performed ex post, the way which is being done in the case of ecology, urban planning, qualitv of environment and urban transportation.
It is important for the rural society to succeed ex ante in adjusting to the new reality, and so to prevent the suffering involved in correction ex post-after the fact.
I. OZORAI (Hungary): Thank you for giving me the opportunity to make some brief remarks. My first remark refers to document 81/21. Of course, I do know that to discuss the UN International Development Strategy for the Third Development Decade is uphill work. Indeed, the General Assembly passed 11 Resolutions at 31 Sessions. Therefore, I confine myself to short direct and indirect remarks.
First of all, I would like to say that I am not in full agreement with Professor Islam. May I say in brackets that Professor Islam's introduction was one of the best, if not the best, we have listened to at this Conference session. Professor Islam says that the document reflects fully, the important role of food and agriculture in the life of developing countries. I wish I could agree, but I have to say, at the same time, that I could do with some more side references in the text itself on food and agriculture. We have here fifteen sub-chapters ranging from A to 0 and I think, for instance, science, technology, environment and trade and so on need some more references to them. Of course, I am biased in favour of agriculture and food, so are all my colleagues here in the room.
What I wanted to say, that I think inter-dependency of the document itself could be enhanced with some more reference to it.
The second point we would like to make is the following: FAO's involvement in the Third Development Decade. I am speaking about FAO's great adventure towards the year 2000. Many delegates here in the room have had the opportunity two years ago to listen to the first version of the agricultural year 2000 and I recall thegreat interest that the paper has arisen, and I have to tell you I am sorry for not having the opportunity to make a detailed note of its decision, and we would have been happy had the A. T. 2000 been provided instead of being considered by Conference at the 21st Session as well.
I have been lucky enough to learn about some new features of the updated edition of the A. T. 2000 and it is my opinion that it has a great contribution to FAO, to the Third Development Decade; the A. T. 2000 was made more than two years ago and it is not a summary and with all the good will and good wishes, though it is an economically demanding and challenging, and alternative world guideline of modus vivendi and modus operandi, I can only say that we would have been happy if we could have had the opportunity to make comment on that.
My last remark refers to document 81/21 on development strategy. We think it is really an excellent document and I have only one comment to make, we do like the priority the paper attaches to small far mers' role in development, and to new ways to improve traditional agriculture in Africa and other regions as well. I have to disagree with one paragraph, that is paragraph 106, whatever cooperative or similar arrangements should be encouraged wherever they fit in with cultural patterns. You may well know that my country has some experience with cooperative posts in Hungary and African developing countries, and I have to say that cooperation should be encouraged not only where we think fit in cultural patterns, but actually cooperatives should be well-managed and well-run and also play a catalystic role in improving the growth in new environments. So I know what the second reject means and I have wanted to make these small amendments to drive my point completely home.
J. SCHERER (Federal Republic of Germany) (original language German): The document we are presented by the Secretariat C 81/22 can be seen as embodying the new international development strategies which are included in document 21 before Conference.
The report in document i. e. 22 gives a good survey of the status of the special problems of agricultural development in the various regions of the developing world. My delegation is of the opinion that the concepts which are based on this, concerning the priority approaches for future development measures, are directed in the right direction and we would like to give them our support in principle.
I would like to make the following comments with regard to the development strategies in document 22:
Firstly, the increase of food production in the food deficit countries should be especially stressed as a central element of regional or national agricultural development strategies. Further measures concerning food security, in particular food aid or regional reserve systems (see paragraph 144 seq. of the document) should only be subsidiary emergency measures and given support to the extent that the impairment of national efforts for the improvement of self-sufficiency in food is not to be feared.
Secondly, the achievement of the growth targets of agricultural production which is necessary for an improvement of the food situation in the countries concerned presupposes in the first line that the agricultural sector or rural development will be given the necessary priority in national development plans and that the adequate general agricultural policy conditions will be created. This involves, in particular, national agricultural price policies which will provide the necessary production incentive for the producers and will prevent undesirable developments of consumer behaviour. I refer in particular to paragraphs 21 and 22 of the document.
The application of national development strategies furthermore requires the establishment of efficient and continuously operational technical administration with outposts in the rural areas. The recommendations in the document on this subject-and I refer to paragraphs 23 and 24-that is to say, the improvement of the institutional conditions and human resources, is fully supported by my delegation.
Thirdly, closely connected with this, there is the need to achieve better utilization of available natural resources by suitable national land use planning, and to avoid the destruction of natural production resources by ecologically unadjusted forms of utilization. Paragraph 79 refers to this application, The application of regional strategies concerning the alternative of increasing the utilization intensity, as against the expansion of arable land also requires an improvement of national planning capacities. The need for clearly defined support in this field should be further emphasized.
Fourthly, as stressed in document C 81/22, to increase food production it is necessary to further in crease the use of high-yielding varieties of the most important food crops and of fertilizers and also to expand all irrigated areas. More importance should be given to the food crops of traditional importance. The question of giving a greater share of the possibilities and results to the large number of small farmers needs further attention.
Improved efforts in the field of research for the improvement of indigenous food crops such as sorghum, millet and cassava and the promotion of self-help facilities extension as well as special credit aid to improve the efficiency of small farmers, are important complementary measures of an adequate agricultural price policy (see para. 22 ).
Fifthly, it seems doubtful to what extent the proposed growth rates for the application of fertilizers in developing countries can still be considered to be realistic, taking into account the rapidly in creasing shortage of energy. Paragraph 60 mentions this problem. In this connection my delegation believes that it is of particular importance for greater attention to be given than in the past to alternative possibilities for the maintenance or improvement of soil fertility. This includes combined agricultural, livestock and forestry production methods, agricultural mixed crops, the utilization of bio-waste for fertilization and the replacement of animal waste (such as manure) as fuel by plant sources of energy from afforestation.
Sixthly, in connection with the energy shortage and the possibilities existing in agriculture of producing energy from vegetable oils and alcohol, my delegation believes that it is necessary in principle for the production of food to be given the highest priority, in particular in those countries where there is a critical food situation.
N. E. MUMBA (Zambia): My congratulations go to Professor Islam and his supporting staff for the clarity of the documents. However, I will dwell on paragraph 6 of document C 81/22. I wish to identify that which must be done in order to achieve the elimination of hunger in most developing countries.
The first thing which must be done is to increase food production among small-scale farmers. If in fact most of the small-scale farmers produced surplus food, it would be reasonable to assume that they would at least have access to food and the question of malnutrition among them would be a thing of the past. I believe that the appropriate technology for small-scale farmers is very important. If the small-scale farmers are going to play a significant role in food production, then ways must be found to improve their methods of food production. This means that more attention must be paid to extension and the training of extension workers. Proper extension is very important for the success of the small-scale farmers since they lack knowledge.
Agricultural research is one aspect which must receive support. By this I do not mean the importation of workers to come and do research. I mean the strengthening of national research institutes so that they can take care of the relevant problems in a meaningful way.
Cooperation among developing countries is another aspect which must receive increased attention. I believe that the developing countries have a wealth of information amongst them. They must share this information amongst themselves if they hope to achieve the positive results which they want.
I would like to appeal to the developed countries to put their money into programmes for consolidating food production and food security in the developing countries. After all, these are the countries that need the food now.
Α. RODRIGUES PIRES (Cap-Vert): Ma délégation est bien d'accord pour remercier M. Islam et ses collaborateurs pour l'excellente présentation du document. Je vais concentrer ma déclaration sur les points que nous pensons de grand intérêt.
Nous estimons que toutes les recommandations faites dans ce document ainsi que dans d'autres qui ont été faites par la FAO sont très utiles, mais nous savons tous aussi que l'augmentation de la production, et par conséquent l'amélioration de la situation alimentaire dans les pays moins avancés, surtout les pays africains, est avant tout de la responsabilité de ces pays et de leurs gouvernements. Nous sommes conscients que nous avons nous-mêmes à résoudre nos problèmes. Dans ce contexte, nous disons que le remède le plus utile si nous voulons construire une pyramide viable, èst de commencer à attaquer le problème par la base et non par le sommet. Il faut aussi que les pays développés prennent leurs responsabilités, c'est-à-dire que, parler d'une coopération internationale juste et équitable consiste surtout à appuyer les pays en voie de développement dans l'application de leurs plans (je dis bien de leurs propres plans) de développement conçus dans le cadre des problèmes réels de la population.
Nous avons beaucoup de recettes pour le développement, mais ce qu'il nous faut, ce ne sont pas des recettes mais des moyens pour appliquer ces recettes, des moyens de production pour l'expansion rurale, le développement agricole, la formation des cadres sur le terrain, l'appui aux petits producteurs, etc.
Nous accordons aussi une attention particulière au transfert de la technologie, ainsi qu'aux moyens matériels de production, à la formation des cadres, ainsi qu'à la coopération entre les pays en voie de développement: coopératives régionales et interrégionales, ce qui est le moyen le plus efficace pour résoudre nos problèmes qui nous sont tous communs. Nous croyons aussi que la FAO peut jouer un role très important.
En ce qui concerne le document C 81/21, nous nous permettons d'attirer l'attention de la Commission sur deux points qui pour nous sont pertinents: Parlant du développement rural, l'agriculture, l'élimination de la faim, la malnutrition, la réforme agraire doivent être le moyen indispensable pour stimuler la production agricole. C'est pourquoi l'une des grandes batailles que notre pays est en train de livrer consiste à résoudre à court, moyen et long terme les problèmes posés par la réforme agraire. Il convient de tenir compte aussi de la situation concrète qui existe dans chaque pays. Dans ce contexte la FAO doit aussi jouer un role très important.
Nous voulons aussi appuyer le contenu de la page 41 du document concernant les problèmes des pays insulaires. Nous pensons que pour éviter la vulnérabilité et l'instabilité économique de ces pays, il faut leur apporter une aide concrète de la part des pays donateurs pour les soutenir dans la création des infrastructures indispensables, sans oublier la pêche dont il convient de parler un peu plus dans ce document car les ressources halieutiques sont très importantes à nos yeux.
P. KANGA (Angola): En intervenant sur ce point, ma délégation ne prétend pas présenter une. analyse exhaustive du thème dont nous sommes saisis. Ainsi, ma délégation considère que ce document est très clair et suffisant. Nous tenons à souligner l'importance que la République populaire de l'Angola attache au secteur agricole comme base d'étude économique. A cet égard, nous saluons les efforts accomplis par la FAO pour la recherche de solutions dans l'analyse de la situation alimentaire et agricole mondiale qui nous préoccupe tous. Nous devons prendre comme objectif principal la satis faction progressive des besoins de plus en plus grands des populations en général. Cette satis faction des besoins produira à la fois une qualité progressive de vie, étant donné que l'amélioration de la nourriture, de la santé, de l'enseignement, de l'habitation, de l'utilisation des temps libres et d'autres secteurs essentiels à la vie des êtres humains sont des facteurs déterminants.
Nous pensons que la ligne stratégique déterminée par les principes énoncés est pour nous l'une des plus importantes, ainsi que l'organisation des petits producteurs en association plus vaste car ils doivent être les principaux bénéficiaires de l'effort de développement de la campagne.
Comme nous l'avons affirmé, l'organisation des petits pays aux formes de techniques les plus avancées n'est pas facile et ne peut donner une réponse immédiate à court terme. Ainsi, dans une phase initiale, on doit aider directement le petit producteur. Ma délégation aimerait bien mettre en évidence qu'elle considère l'organisation des pays en associations et coopératives comme la seule stratégie permettant de garantir un appui efficace à toutes les formes d'appropriation foncière basée sur la petite propriété. Relativement à tout ce que l'on dit sur la mobilisation des ressources, nous aimerions bien rappeler une fois encore les grandes difficultés que rencontrent un grand nombre de pays pour couvrir avec leurs recettes leurs dépenses courantes.
Ces pays, qui sont au debut de leur phase de développement, doivent canaliser leurs recettes au-delà même du domaine social, surtout à l'éducation et à la santé.
Il est vrai que c'est aux pays en développement qu'incombe au premier plan la responsabilité de leur développement. Mais rien ne sera changé si la communauté internationale ne prend pas la responsabilité de garantir aux pays en développement une grande partie des ressources dont ils ont besoin pour une formation effective des moyens de production leur permettant un développement plus élargi de celle-ci.
Pour terminer, j'aimerais attirer l'attention de cette Commission sur les paragraphes 12 et 13. Les stratégies que nous prétendons appliquer dans le système économique international ne pourront s'accomplir sans mener de pair la lutte contre l'impérialisme, le colonialisme, la discrimination raciale, l'apartheid à l’expansionisme et à toutes les formes d'agression et d'occupation étrangère. Tous ces maux constituent un obstacle majeur au progrès économique et en particulier au développement économique. C'est la raison pour laquelle nous demandons la condamnation expresse des pratiques que nous venons d'énoncer. A titre d'exemple, je citerai le régime inhumain de l'Afrique du Sud dont les agissements visent à l’assujettissement de peuples africains, notamment à l'anéantissement des efforts des pays de l'Afrique australe pour son développement agricole en menant des agressions dévastatrices et meurtrières sur leur territoire.
G. IJIGU (Ethiopia):Our intervention will be limited to a brief interpretation of documents C 81/21 and C 81/22-United Nations International Development strategy for the Third Development Decade, and Regional and National Development Strategies, respectively. We will especially stress the need for a reversal of the age-old problem that many a developing country, including my own, has been subjected to and is still suffering from, that is developing countries are expected and urged to achieve increased production through accelerated development without the corollary equity that should be forthcoming from the developed world. Our emphatic recommendation as my Minister already stated in the Plenary last week will concern itself with training, infrastructure and the investement whereby even elementary goals and objectives may be realized.
With this preface I will now turn to documents C 81/21 and C 81/22. My delegation heartily pays tribute to the Secretariat for these very well thought out presentations. Throughout our careful scrutiny of these documents we have noticed the admirable measure of devotion that must have gone into preparing such excellent pieces of work.
Turning to the text of C 81/21 my delegation welcomes the analysis given in the preamble. We appreciate in particular paragraphs 12 and 13 in that they accurately pinpoint the root causes of present-day instatibility which cater to perennial lags with regard to development of any kind other than the quest for defence.
The analysis encompassed by Part 3, Sections A-0 has our endorsement as far as its innocent broad pointers are concerned. Part 4 also claims our support in principle. Part 2 however forms the basis of our interpretation of the whole document. Paragraphs 20 and 21 speak of the need for developing countries to attain an annual GDP growth rate of 7 percent which would make possible a 4. 5 percent net growth rate assuming an annual population increase of 2. 5 percent. Paragraph 22 recommends that exports and import of goods and services of developing countries should expand at an annual growth rate of 7. 5 percent and 8 percent respectively while Paragraph 23 urges that the acceleration of production will required that gross investment reaches the level of about 28 percent of gross domestic product by 1990. Further on Paragraph 29 tells us that a 9 percent average annual growth rate of manufacturing expansion should be attained by the developing countries as a whole so that they may eventually account for a 25 percent share of world manufacturing output. All these growth targets would have been miraculously good were it not for the lack of equity in present day international economic relations. Consider for instance what happens when a developing nation including my own goes to the market place to buy a tractor or a lorry-commodities which are essential for mechanized agricultural activities. Let us say my country has to pay 10 tons of coffee for either of the two inputs this year. Next year the same commodity will cost much more than 10 tons of coffee. Conversely the price our coffee can fetch in reality either stagnates or progressively declines. In other words whereas developing countries are forced to incur progressively increasing costs for their imports from developed countries, prices paid for the exports of developing countries to developed countries are managing to stay depressed. Here lies the lack of equity that we are talking about. In this context the delegation of Socialist Ethiopia would appreciate being enlightened by the Secretariat as to the advantages of developing countries expanding exports at an annual rate of 7. 5 percent while expanding imports at 8 percent as recommended by Paragraph 22. The growth differential of 0. 5 percent per annum in favour of imports over exports by developing countries is the
factor which we need to understand clearly and precisely. Document C 81/22 also stands to our satisfaction in general. Yet we call for the same reversal of unfair economic relations between developed and developing countries if the pointers expounded in the document with regard to regional and national development strategies are to come to fruition.
Our particular emphasis falls on Part 3, Paragraphs 96 to 108. Socialist Ethiopia has totally behind her the sensitive question of land redistribution. Consequently we no longer talk about landless labourers, we talk of cooperatives that have mushroomed over the whole country for the last almost six years. The imputs that the document recommends, including fertilizers, are much in demand but for the prohibitive costs involved in their procurement. So if given a fair chance and if international equity were to be attained, there is no reason why the envisaged increases in production of food and other agricultural items should not be achieved, at least approximately, within this development decade by an overwhelming majority of developing countries. At any rate, my country has embarked in earnest upon rural development, fully convinced that there lies the key to any security of future supplies of food.
Finally, I would like to restate here two short passages from the statement my Minister made in the Plenary, which are relevant to the present review. The first one reads, in part:
". . . Our strategy for rural development, therefore, consists of land reform, mass participation and mutual cooperation with all countries, developed or otherwise".
The second is one of four proposals to the Conference:
"We strongly urge the Conference to adopt a resolution which would enable WCARRD follow-up work to include adequate measures for the realization of a trained manpower base and/or the creation of at least some criticalinfrastructures especially in low-income, food-deficit countries so that tangible results may be obtained in such countries quicker. "
The meeting rose at 12. 35 hours.
La séance est levée à 12 h 35.
Se levanta la sesión a las 12. 35 horas.
