J. H. M. AALDERS (Netherlands): Energy and food are two of the most urgent problems of the eighties. The document which the Secretariat has prepared gives a good picture of the energy problem with respect to agriculture and rural development. The analysis and recommendations for action correspond in general with the Dutch view. I would like to speak about three major issues in this field. Firstly the relation between energy and food production, secondly rural energy supply and thirdly relation between these two. I will restrict myself by stipulating the most important aspects.
Turning to the relationship between energy and food production, strong emphasis has to be given to food production in developing countries, this requires an assured supply of commercial liquid fuel for agriculture, fertilizers and all other goods, or growing conditions which are dependent on energy. This is a pre-condition for the increase of food production.
Secondly with respect to energy needs, my Government considers the needs of fuel for the rural populat ion of prime importance, hence special attention must be given to new developments in this field, namely the development of local renewable sources of energy such as wind and water and the improvement of conversion technologies, cooking equipment and the increase and improvement of the production of biomass, in particular fuel wood. As to the latter my Government has created a special assistance programme of energy in developing countries, an important part will be used within the framework of the FAO Forestry and Rural Energy Programme. The main objectives are the improvement in the productivity of existing sources for fuel wood production; development of new forestry plantations; the improvement of conversion technology and lastly the development of other renewable energy sources. With FAO, activities in the field of fuel wood are started in Peru and Burma. Potential donors are urged to join in the FAO Cooperative Programme on Forestry and Rural Development. The fuel wood crisis can be tackled by State authorities, but even more so by direct engagement of the rural population by stressing the responsibility of the local people themselves. Much gain can be made by the development of communal forest areas and by village forestry programmes. In many cases specific world food programme activities are directed to reforestation. We feel more use can be made of the'food for work' idea to improve the fuel wood situat ion at village level. The fuel wood crisis causes particular shortages in local supplies and it therefore becomes necessary to collect fuel wood over longer distances.
As the task of collection often is performed by women the programmes of action on fuel wood supply in rural areas should pay attention to the role of women which is in line with the recommendations of WCARRD. The energy crisis causes, in a number of countries, an increasing need for the production of liquid fuels from energy crops as has been pointed out by Mr. Lester Brown, the production of energy crops might be competitive with the production of food and this situation could endanger the supply of food at the international level. Moreover, if the production of liquid fuels from energy crops becomes economically attractive, the supply of food to the poor is enlarged. Hence, the supply of food at national and international level should not be endangered by the production of liquid fuels from energy crop.
Another aspect I would like to mention is the use of organic material and agricultural waste for energy production which could result in a decrease of the supply of organic matter to the soil in areas where soil fertility and soil degradation are crucial. This aspect should be taken into account.
Next to solving to a direct extent the fuel wood crisis, I now come to my third line, to mention the key role of forestry within the perspective of rural development. Forestry is important for the supply of fuel wood; the supply of building materials; the water balance in rural areas; environmental quality; the conservation of production capacity of soils as mentioned by Mrs. Gandhi to this Conference "there is food as long as there are forests".
In summing up, the medium term plans of action should not only deal with national food strategies, but also with national forestry policies within the perspective of rural development. My delegation therefore, supports the idea of a resolution as put forward yesterday by the delegate of Zambia stressing the key role of forestry in rural development, particularly in those areas which I have mentioned.
A. F. M. de FREITAS (Brazil): In the last few years the problem of energy has been frequently discuss ed in different meetings of international organizations. This demonstrates the importance of this question, particularly after the two substantial rises in oil prices of 1973 and 1979. FAO has also shown interest in the subject, especially in view of the consequences of the new prices of energetic inputs on food production. The Brazilian Delegation had different opportunities of intervening on the subject of energy in this Organization, especially on what concerns energy in agriculture and in rural development. Permit me, to discuss once more the experiences of the Brazilian Government on this question of new and renewable sources of energy.
But first, I would like to commend the Secretariat for the preparation of document C 81/25, which contains a concise and complete discussion of energy in agriculture. I would offer now a few comments on selected topics of the document.
There appears to be today a consensus in the world community regarding the target of 4 percent of annual growth in agriculture, if self-sufficiency in food production, together with a reasonable degree of Food Security are to be attained. This growth in agricultural production requires a correspondent growth in commercial energy use in the agricultural sector of about 8 percent a year. This position is recalled in paragraph 16 of the document. I would like to mention that the document might have included an estimate of the consequences of such a ratio on the food and agricultural production of developing countries, and of its effects on World Food Security.
Paragraphs 20-28 deserve a special attention by the Brazilian Delegation for the simple, concrete and easily applicable suggestions therein described, on the efficient use of energy. My delegation is also pleased to note that the experience of Brazil in this area is often mentioned.
In this respect, my delegation would be happy to offer additional information with regard to the new and renewable sources of energy developed by the Brazilian Government. Brazil has started an ambitious programme of biomass production for generating power through the use of natural renewable resources. Originally, this programme was only aiming at the production of alcohol by using mostly sugar cane. This is the so-called Brazilian Programme of Alcohol (PROALCOOL). The PROALCOOL is only one of the out standing aspects of the Brazilian efforts to substitute biomass energy for non-renewable energy sources. Launched in 1975, it is the result of an appropriate strategy to reduce petroleum imports, using the possibilities of the land. The Brazilian Government established a strategy aiming at: 1) increasing the domestic petroleum production; 2) promoting energy conservation; 3) stimulating the use of new and renewable sources of energy and 4) modifying the refining profile in order to adjust the products to the existing alternatives. It should be stressed that the main energetic restriction in Brazil is related to liquid fuels, since 70 percent of the transportation system depends on trucks, buses and automobiles.
Three favourable conditions led to the definition of ethanol as an alternative energy to replace gasoline:1) the existence of extensive sugar cane plantations, which were stimulated by the high sugar prices on the international market; 2) the existence of installed distilleries adapted to the ethanol production; and 3) the previous experience in using alcohol as fuel, that goes back to 1925.
The primary goal of alcohol production was set in order to provide a blending of 20 percent of anydrous ethanol to gasoline. This target being achieved in 1979, new structures and targets of the programme were then approved. Nowadays, over 81 percent of thePROALCOOL targets have already been achieved, and some social aspects can easily be quoted. PROALCOOL was established not only to reduce the dependence on foreign oil and to improve the balance of payment, but also to transfer other benefits to different social sectors. Aiming at these objectives, efforts are being directed so that (a) the programme will not adversely affect living conditions, (b) will not lead to a displacement of food •production areas, (c) will offer new job opportunities, and (d) will improve a more equitable income distribution. Taking into account the number of distilleries so far installed, one new direct job is created for every 20,000-30,000 liters of produced alcohol. Besides direct employment in the
industrial sector, there is a growing demand for manpower in the agricultural sector. More than 300,000 new jobs have been already created by PROALCOOL. The environment impact of distilleries effluents, stillage, in hydrological basins is the object of special concern, however, due to its high mineral content, particularly potassium, the stillage has proved to be an excellent fertilizer.
It should be stressed once more that the beneficial results of the Alcohol Programme have to be viewed within the framework of Brazilian social and economic conditions.
More recently, however, other raw materials are being used as a complement or in substitution for the sugar cane, such as manioc, sugar sorghum and wood. Furthermore, there is research going on in Brazil as part of a programme aimed at the production and utilization of vegetable oils as a source of energy. This endeavour is, however, conditioned to a very important limiting factor, which is the availability of financial resources. The government is considering this question with great care and concern, and it is devoting the necessary attention to its solution.
The accomplishment of this global production programme gives a new dimension to Brazilian agriculture and it is based on the fundamental factors which are at our disposal, that is, land, abundant labour, a favourable climate and a domestic market with a very large consumption potential.
The Brazilian government believes that energy from agriculture is the most immediate alternative for replacing fossil fuel for energy from other sources. In the case of Brazil, the total area devoted to agriculture for energy production is small in comparison with the total agricultural land for that use in the country. The Brazilian government has issued guidelines on this matter, taking into consideration the fact that the expansion of agriculture for energy should not forestall the development of agriculture for food. Brazil is perhaps one of the few countries where it is possible to harmonize three different goals in the agricultural sector, that is agriculture for food, agriculture for export, and agriculture for energy. The government is aware of the delicate balance of resources that should be allocated to each one of those sectors and it keeps a close watch on the development of each one.
Brazil feels proud for having anticipated some of the conclusions of the UN Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy, held recently in Nairobi. As is indicated in document C 81/25-Sup. l, the Nairobi Programme of Action for the Development and Utilization of New and Renewable Sources of Energy notes that:
"An energy transition from present international economy based primarily on hydro-carbons to one based increasingly on new and renewable sources of energy is inevitable. For developing countries an effective energy transition may involve the question of economic survival. "
And I go on with the quotation:
"Effective achievement of this energy transition should be viewed as an essential element for assuring sustained growth of the international economy, in a manner that, consistent with the needs and options of individual countries, is technically and economically feasible, socially equitable and environmentally sustainable and for safeguarding world peace and stability. "
In the light of the Nairobi Programme and of the Brazilian policies for the development of new and renewable sources of energy, it becomes a little bit difficult for the Brazilian delegation to accept some of the conclusions in Chapter V ofdocument C 81/25, in particular paragraphs 78 and 79. My delegation does not believe that policies which favour energy crops may become obsolete in a relative short time or that they may cause serious repercusssions to the supply and prices of food. We think that the great diversity of conditions in developing countries does not authorize this kind of broad generalization. Moreover, the Brazilian Government believes that each country should decide, with the maximum of flexibility, the energy policies that it deems appropriate to its peculiar conditions.
In conclusion, the Brazilian delegation is convinced that the utilization of liquid fuel from biomass is accessible to developing countries, and its economic and social relevance has been confirmed by the Nairobi Programme of Action. The equipment and services needed to produce liquid fuel from biomass are of low cost. Most of the equipment already installed for oil processing can be utilized for biomass. Brazil has always encouraged horizontal cooperation and we believe that with adequate financial resources this might be an appropriate field for the development of such cooperation.
Ms. R. TIRONA (Philippines): We have before us documents C 81/INF/18, C 81/25 and C 81/25-Sup. l which the Secretariat has painstakingly prepared for our meeting. I shall try to be very brief in my remarks.
My delegation appreciates the contribution of FAO in the field of energy and agriculture and rural development, particularly the Regional Project for Asia and the Pacific on improving soil fertility through organic recycling. The exchange of information on pertinent technology in this field including biomass is of special interest to the Philippines in view of its own experience in producing biogas. It is our hope that FAO will continue to regard research on energy for agriculture and rural development as an important and critical phase of its work.
The Philippine delegation takes note of the findings of the Secretariat in its paper C 81/25 and enjoins the Secretariat to proceed with this task on the conservation and management of traditional as well as commercial energy in agriculture. It is also useful, in my delegation's view, for research to be continued on issues which would lessen dependence on energy-intensive inputs.
It will be recalled that the Philippines was one of the participants at the UN Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy held in Nairobi last August. We should like to recall that the FAO Director-General, in making his statement, gave the assurance that the FAO, is following up the recommendations of the Nairobi Conference, would help governments maximize the use of energy from these sources.
The Philippines feel that the meeting of this Commission is a good opportunity to consider the Nairobi recommendations, particularly in the context of the follow-up action that FAO might be able to take. Therefore we would like to request the Secretariat to outline some suggested approaches for the implementation of the Nairobi Programme of Action on New and Renewable Sources of Energy. It may wish to do so towards the end of the deliberations of the Commission on this item when it makes its summary of observations.
The Philippine delegation notes that five of the areas of activity recommended in Nairobi are directly. related to the activities in which FAO is involved, namely fuelwood, charcoal, biogas, solar energy, draught animal power and wind energy. In outlining the Secretariat's suggestions, it might be practical to use the Nairobi Plan of Action item by item, including arrangements for the implementation and monitoring of the Plan.
Needless to say, the Philippines support the objectives of the Nairobi Plan of Action, as set out in document C 81/25-Sup. l, namely to promote concerted action in the context of the energy transition in development and the utilization of new and renewable sources of energy with a view to helping mutual overall requirements, especially those of the developing countries.
Furthermore, the Philippines wish to make the following comments in the light of the recently concluded Summit Meeting in Cancun, which discussed energy issues as one of the framework areas. The Philippines support the proposition that energy is a global issue which affects both developed and developing countries and therefore there must be a universal approach to this problem. It finds some merits in the proposed world energy plan as a framework to ensure orderly transition from the era of hydro-carbons to the era of diversified energy sources. It recognizes the potential contribution that regional cooperation schemes in the field of energy could make in development.
The Philippines share the views of some countries that the World Bank could expand its energy lending capabilities to developing countries by the establishment of an energy affiliate. It also concurs with the FAO that there is a need for an exchange of information between energy producing and energy consuming countries so as to assist in long-term energy planning.
Finally, the Philippines is inclined to suggest that national and international institutions should appraise the energy problem in a unified manner not only in providing an appropriate package of financial resources but also in making relevant technology more readily available to the developing countries.
A. GAYOSO (United States of America) : The problem of energy is one that for the past several years has seriously affected all of the countries represented in this room. It has, however, been particularly damaging to the poorest countries and especially to the food production capability of their populations. In the short run the problem is principally one of capacity to purchase. Very large shares of foreign exchange revenues continue to be needed for energy inputs which are no longer growing as fast as food production needs require, because in the short run only financial assistance will effectively assist non-oil procucers in securing the necessary energy required for food production and industry.
The United States is particularly pleased with the development of the special mechanisms on the part of Venezuela, Mexico and Nigeria to assist many developing countries with their oil purchases. Obviously financial assistance is not a long-term answer. Amelioration of the energy cost problem will be more a function of conservation, of the development of alternative sources of energy and of new agricultural technology which are less energy-intensive, of the development of plant varieties that fix nitrogen, thus reducing the need for hydro-carbon based fertilizer.
Having said this it might be worth emphasizing, lest our attention be fully diverted, that although a critical element, energy is not the only resource or input crucially affecting food and agricultural production. Water and land are also vital components that are not only in limited supplies in many areas but also dwindling because of misuse, over-use or poor management
I would like to complete my remarks by offering some comments on some of the issues explored in the Secretariat's document. We find this document to be a very useful one for our discussion. We fully support the view that commercial energy consumption within the developing world can be expected to increase severalfoldby the end of the current century, if projected food requirements are to be success fully met. While conservation and increased energy use efficiency is needed within developing country agriculture, low energy production techniques now commonly used in most of their production systems cannot produce the surpluses needed to feed rapidly growing populations. This is an area in which the Director-General was particularly clear in addressing the Conference on new and renewable energy sources, in which he said, and I cannot find a quote but I will paraphrase, that food needs in the remainder of the century would require a rapid transition from low energy use agriculture to high energy use agriculture so the problem of energy is here to stay for a long time.
In the light of my opening remarks the US delegation wants to stress its conviction that public intervention will most likely be required in most countries to ensure that agriculture gets the energy needed to enable it to meet the production goals required in most countries. Thus we strongly support the call for developing countries' governments to take the necessary policy actions to assure that their agricultural centers receive the crucial supplies of commercial energy vitally needed to improve performance and meet food production requirements. Similarly we agree with the assertion that the fuel wood crisis is probably the most critical international issue in the energy area. We think therefore that highest priority should be placed on efforts to expand supply by involving local groups and communities in programmes of systematic replanting, protecting and better managing their fuel wood resources including the introduction of improved and faster growing species of trees, more productive woodlots and the use of agro-forestry systems. We would like to commend the role that FAO is playing as represented and illustrated by the recent publication of an excellent book on eucalyptus trees. We also agree that agriculture's potential as a supplier of renewable energy food stocks is vital and should be developed as the utilization of such becomes economically and technically feasible. However we also very strongly agree that progress in this area needs to be closely monitored to evaluate its impact on food production capability particularly as larger scale energy cropping could divert substantial land area from food production. While call ing for increased energy inputs into developing country agriculture, we also support the need to con serve energy where possible and to adopt energy-efficient practices, techniques and production systems. The question of energy is a long-term question. It requires, as the paper suggests, to be looked at in a comprehensive way that will include not only consideration of energy as a factor but how it inter relates with land and water use. Finally, and probably most important in the long term, is the need to develop that form of energy that is even more vital to the process of increased food production, which is human energy, the necessity to increase human resource capacities in the developing countries.
H. K. SEIP (Norway) : Energy is certainly a most fundamental requirement for a decent life for humanity. My delegation highly appreciates that it has been taken up, with sufficient time for a broad discussion at this Conference. This shows that FAO is aware of the responsibility resting on the Organization for solving its part of the energy problem of the world. This part is of basic importance, first for the rural population but also for urban areas all over the world. I congratulate the Secretariat on the excellent document C 81/25 which forms a very good basis for the discussion in this Conference and also for action-oriented in time to come. The document takes up both the production and the consumption sides of the energy problem. Both are important. Let me first comment on the production side. Both agricul ture and forestry give inputs to the production of energy. Forestry is the leading producer here with its fuel wood and charcoal. In discussing energy from crop and livestock residues, the document in paragraph 49 states that there are however substantial constraints on using large quantities of both crop and livestock residues for fuel. On the other hand it is pointed out in paragraph 65 that defo restation leads to such environmental damage as soil degradation, soil loss, flooding and siltation. The unavoidable consequence of these statements must be a clear priority in the work of FAO for promoting the production of fuelwood rather than energy from agricultural biomass, even if the latter should not be ignored.
In many parts of the world it seems to be the responsibility of women to carry home the fuel wood. As the distance from the village to accessible wood increases, the women will be increasingly occupied with this part of their job and have correspondingly decreasing possibilities for giving active inputs in the process of development. To correct this situation there has been a strong tendency in recent years to concentrate forestry development on fuel wood plantations in the immediate vicinity of village. This is certainly an important thing to do but it is only a partial solution of the problem of the village. It is a short term solution of one isolated problem. It is only natural that a developing country with acute problems everywhere should give high priority to short term problems and solutions. Also in more developed countries such tendencies are visible. Governments should review their system of setting priorities to give more attention to long term problems. Even in an international organization like FAO, with responsibility for advising on management of renewable resources, the time horizon is rather limited. The year 2000 seems to be the end of imagination for most of us. Beyond this time limit the results of most of what we are doing in forestry, and even further into the future the consequences of environmental damage, will meet our children. In the document "Agriculture Towards 2000" we can read that wood will be scarce in the world for all purposes and there are clear indications that this will have a strong negative effect on development in general.
Most trees take time to grow. Only fuel wood production can be made in a few years. It seems to be a general situation that in setting priorities the human brain is more apt to think of a problem's distance in time than of its importance. It is important to notice then that future forestry programmes of the type mentioned can only be solved today. To achieve this it is necessary to look at production of wood in a very long-term perspective.
The document under discussion points out the need for an integrated view of the various sources of rural energy. This is certainly important. There are varied aspects in forestry including forest industries that need integration or coordination with other sectors such as land management and environmental conservation. All this integration and coordination is good and important as long as it does not lead to a disintegration of forestry itself. This is the danger in the strong concentration on the problem-of fuel wood plantations. A plantation that produces industrial wood will automatically also produce fuel wood. By varying the choice of trees the part of the production that is suitable for industrial purposes also varies and even industrial wood is good fuel where there is need. All forestry must have a a social aspect.
It must fit in with the needs of the society and be coordinated with and linked to other activities for development. In most cases pure fuel wood production serves the conservation of the existing situation but brings very little progress. A fully fledged multi-purpose forestry brings fuel wood and through employment and income also a basis for further development. Forestry should not be disintegrated. Undoubtedly much more can be achieved for the same amount of money if it is regarded as a continuous chain of operations from seed to a variety of useful products clearly linked to general development. A closer discussion of these problems should probably be taken in the COFO before it again comes up in the Conference. For this purpose it might be useful if the Secretariat in the preparation for the forthcoming meeting in May 1982 would include items within this spectrum of thinking. I would suggest headlines for two such papers. One could be "Long-Term World Wood Balance" and the other "Multi-purpose Forestry for Rural Development".
Let me now turn to another aspect. Questions arising from the increase in energy cropping are well covered in the document. Particularly important are the effects of energy cropping to world food security. In paragraph 60 it is stated that in the short term only small price changes seem likely.
In the longer term however energy cropping on a substantial scale in exporting and potential exporting countries could limit the availability and increase the prices of food with detrimental effects on the nutrition of poor people.
The Norwegian delegation will strongly underline this possible competition between energy cropping and world food security.
As a consequence FAO should be critical to increased energy cropping in general, and in countries with under-nourishment in particular. Priority must be given to food needs as also highlighted by Dr. Bommer in his introductory statement. Energy cropping is however not very practicable for small-scale agri culture; in fact it seems that for using this kind of energy to competitive prices, the agriculture is to be highly industrialized.
In most developing countries energy cropping is therefore not very suitable and does not seem to sti mulate rural development as defined in the WCARRD context.
I have been speaking at some length about problems of energy production. Allow me now to make some comments which are more connected with the consumption side. While recognizing the amount of human energy that in rural areas is being put to harvesting and transporting fuelwoods and the extremely low efficiency in cooking in open fireplaces, there seem to be very great possibilities for technological improvement. There is a long list of appropriate technology, including wood harvesting, transport and various types of stoves which are already available. There is certainly a demand for more research but to make existing technology available for people needing it is a still more pressing task. Also, more advanced technologies are to hand but here I think research should have a high priority.
In Norway we are now increasing research work on a number of renewable sources and I take the opportunity to comment briefly upon them.
Norway today favours four sources of renewable energy : biomass, excluding energy cropping, solar energy, waves and wind. For biomass, we have a particular research programme which gives high priority to easily available biomass sources such as hard wood and animal waste.
Of special interest for developing countries may be the research work on charcoal, which tries to work out stoves with higher degrees of efficiency. This research work is very promising. Economic analysis suggests that it may be possible to sell charcoal at a price corresponding to 3.5 US cents per Kw. hour when competitive prices are paid for the raw material.
Another research project aims at the production and utilization of biogas and compost heat from animal waste. The composting process produces a manure temperature of 40 - 50 C. This heat is transferred via a heat exchanger. The heat is most easily extracted by using air heaters. I cannot see this system mentioned in the document.
Work has also been started to calculate the various life-stages of important seaweeds, both in the laboratory and in the field. Seaweeds are the only large scale available primary producers in Norwegian waters.
They represent an annual production in the order of 10 billion tons of organic material. This water and carbohydrate-dominated biomass can be fermented into energy carriers methane and ethanol or they may be used as alternative energy saving raw materials by industry. No attempt has been made to improve these plants genetically.
I feel that I may have taken too much time, but the item under discussion is so important and so much could be achieved, so I could not resist and I hope I will be forgiven.
M. BOURGET (France): Je voudrais souligner l'intérêt que la délégation française attache à ce problème de l'énergie dans le développement agricole du monde rural. Il est tout à fait judicieux que ce problème ait été mis à l'ordre du jour de la présente session.
Je voudrais d'abord faire part de nos réflexions concernant l'excellent rapport qui nous a été soumis. Je voudrais noter la part relativement faible (3,5 pour cent) de la production agricole dans la consommation globale d'énergie. C'est un point important, mais le rapport fait également remarquer que la satisfaction des besoins énergétiques de l'agriculture revêt un caractère prioritaire pour accroître la production agricole et répondre aux besoins d'une population croissante. C'est effectivement extrêmement important d'accorder une réelle priorité à la satisfaction des besoins énergétiques de l'agriculture, surtout si l'on considère l'effort d'intensification qu'implique l'augmentation souhaitable de 3,7 pour cent par an,entre 1980 et l'an 2000, de la production agricole dans les pays en développement.
Pour réaliser cet objectif, il faut rappeler la priorité des priorités énergétinues qui devrait être réservées aux facteurs d'intensification de la production agricole dont certaines sont très exigeantes en énergie et je pense aux engrais azotés.
On ne peut pas non plus oublier la mécanisation. De ce point de vue, l'expérience acquise dans ces dernières années dans les régions de la savane sahélo-soudañienne est porteuse de promesses. Je citerai la production d'un tracteur économique qui peut être techniquement approprié aux besoins des agriculteurs les plus avancés, c'est le tracteur Bouyer qui a révélé d'ailleurs que, grâce aux moyens de travail accrus qu'il offre le bilan énergétique global des exploitations est non seulement amélioré par une augmentation de la production mais que cela permet également l'introduction de légumineuses fourragères réduisant la demande en fertilisants azotés. Il est par conséquent important d'encourager, comme le préconise le rapport, a la fois les économies d'énergie et le développement des énergies de remplacement dans le secteur agro-alimentaire.
Toutefois, s'agissant d'actions aussi diversifiées, il convient de bien distinguer les mesures d'application immédiate de celles qui nécessitent encore un important effort de recherche. La mise au point de cultures alimentaires moins exigeantes en engrais, ou de céréales ayant la même capacité de fixer l'azote que les légumineuses demandera sans doute encore plusieurs années. De même le développement de la lutte intégrée ne pourra être que progressif. En revanche, l'amélioration des pratiques culturales, des techniques d'irrigation et du réglage des moteurs peut être obtenue assez rapidement, mais elle réclame une action d'information et d'appui technique intense et suivie. Il faut aussi que l'examen des problèmes énergétiques afférents au développement agricole et rural tienne le plus grand compte des situations géographiques et socio-économiques très différentes selon les zones et les pays pour déboucher sur des solutions adaptées. L'approche de ces problèmes ne peut évidemment être la même dans une région equatoriale peu peuplée et dans une zone subdésertique fortement peuplée. Cela vaut particulièrement pour la mise en valeur très diversifiée des énergies renouvelables.
En ce qui concerne la contribution de l'agriculture à la production d'énergie, je voudrais mettre l'accent sur les possibilités d'utilisation des résidus agricoles (végétaux et animaux) et des déchets des industries alimentaires qui sont loin d'être négligeables, même si les techniques actuelles (je pense au biogaz) ne sont pas encore très performantes.
La récupération des déchets est d'autant plus intéressante qu'elle peut répondre à une triple finalité: énergétique bien sûr, écologique (réduction des pollutions organiques) et agronomique dans le cas de la fermentation anaérobie qui préserve le pouvoir fertilisant des résidus traités.
On doit en outre considérer que l'intensification, qui permet d'augmenter la production agricole, accroît aussi les quantités de déchets dont la récupération peut aider à réduire la part du bois de feu.
Le problème du bois de feu est tout à fait fondamental. La multiplication par cinq du rythme actuel des plantations exige un effort très important. Les moyens à mettre en oeuvre pour atteindre cet objectif devront donc faire l'objet d'un examen attentif par l'Organisation pour l'Alimentation et l'Agriculture. Le bois doit être considéré comme une ressource rare.
Quant aux cultures énergétiques, il ne faut en effet envisager leur développement que dans la mesure où elles ne risquent pas de nuire à la production alimentaire.
Pour l'action à moyen terme, nous mettons l'accent sur:
- l'intégration des considérations d'ordre énergétique dans les programmes de développement agricole et rural;
- les programmes de reboisement;
- le rôle des communautés villageoises comme unités de base pour le développement des énergies renouvelables ;
- une meilleure utilisation de l'énergie dans la préparation des aliments.
II - Pour la France, le problème énergétique est un problème majeur en raison de la faiblesse de ses ressources énergétiques fossiles.
Mais notre pays dispose d'un potentiel de production agricole et forestière important et diversifié, sur lequel il peut s'appuyer pour répondre en partie à ses besoins énergétiques.
C'est pourquoi il me paraît utile de vous présenter l'action de la France dans ce domaine.
La politique énergétique de la France vise d'une part à accroître très fortement les économies d'énergie, d'autre part à diversifier ses sources d'énergie en accordant une place importante aux énergies nouvelles et renouvelables: biomasse et bois, énergies solaire et éolienne, hydro-électricité, géothermie.
Pour mettre en oeuvre cette politique, notre pays s'est doté d'outils spécifiques tels que l'Agence pour les Economies d'Energie, le Commissariat à l'Energie solaire et la Mission Energie du Ministère de l'Agriculture.
Je tiens à souligner l'intérêt que la France porte aux énergies renouvelables dont le développement au cours des vingt prochaines années nécessite un très gros effort de recherches. Les organismes de recherche ont donc un rôle fondamental dans la promotion des énergies renouvelables.
Si l'on considère la production énergétique de la biomasse en France, c'est le bois de chauffage qui constitue nettement la ressource la plus importante. La contribution du bois de chauffage qui est actuellement de 3 millions de TEP (tonnes équivalent pétrole) par an, provient principalement des sous-produits de la forêt (éclaircies, transformation des taillis en futaies, déchets d'exploitation fores tière et des industries du bois). Elle peut et doit être doublée d'ici une dizaine d'années.
Parmi les autres sources énergétiques de la biomasse en France, on peut citer:
- l'utilisation directe des déchets végétaux (paille, rafles de maïs, sarments de vigne) pour le chauf fage ou le séchage;
- la fermentation mëthanique des déchets animaux et végétaux qui fait l'objet de recherches et de réalisations expérimentales;
- les cultures pratiquées à des fins spécifiquement énergétiques (taillis à évolution rapide et plantes saccharifères) qui sont encore au stade des essais.
L'action conduite pour développer la production énergétique de la biomasse en France repose sur:
- l'information et la formation;
- l'incitation à la recherche;
- l'incitation au développement industriel;
- le soutien aux opérations de démonstration;
- la définition des conditions d'utilisation des carburols.
III-De par l'intérêt qu'elle porte aux questions énergétiques, notamment aux énergies renouvelables; De par sa tradition agricole et forestière;
De par son ouverture aux problèmes du Tiers-Monde, la France paraît bien placée pour mener une coopé ration active avec les pays en développement.
Elle a clairement exprimé sa volonté d'aller dans ce sens lorsqu'elle a décidé:
- d'une part de doubler d'ici 1988 son effort d'aide publique au développement;
- d'autre part de retenir, parmi les priorités d'affectation de cette aide, la lutte contre la faim t et la recherche d'une plus grande indépendance énergétique.
Elle dispose d'organismes de recherche qui travaillent depuis de nombreuses années avec les pays en développement. Or, leurs moyens vont être accrus dans le cadre d'une politique de la recherche confortée.
Je confirme aussi l'intérêt que la France attache au réseau coopératif européen pour les énergies rurales renouvelables qui a été constitué à Paris le mois dernier. Les échanges d'informations et d'expériences que ce réseau engendrera devraient aussi profiter aux pays en développement.
DATUK AHMAD YUNUS (Malaysia): Firstly, I would like to commend the Secretariat for this excellent document which serves as a basis for our discussion. I would also like to thank Mr. Bommer for his concise and clear introduction. The Malaysian delegation endorses the proposals by the Director General to give greater emphasis in FAO programmes to issues relating to energy, particularly to conservation measures and development and promotion of new and. alternative sources of energy. We compliment the Director General for playing a major role in the preparation of the UN Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy held in Nairobi, Kenya, in August of this year. We hope that the conclusions and recommen dations of that Conference are given serious consideration and implemented accordingly.
On the question of commercial energy use and future requirements, my delegation notes with satisfaction the efforts undertaken by FAO in determining areas where the use of human labour and draught animal power be expanded. The projection made by FAO that a one per cent growth in crop and livestock production would require an additional commercial energy input of more than two percent: reflects the urgent need to find ways and means of conserving energy, and to develop new and renewable sources of energy in agriculture and rural development. It is therefore important that other possible energy saving devices and methods, apart from those mentioned in the document, be explored or discovered.
Malaysia is concerned with energy problems because of their direct effect on the national economy. A comprehensive national energy policy is being formulated to meet the increased requirements in energy inputs in line with the national economic goals. Measures are being undertaken to explore new sources of energy and to manage them efficiently. An important step taken towards this end is the Survey of Energy Sources covering both conventional and non-conventional sources. This survey, inter alia, will identify and inventorize potential energy sources, followed by economic and technical studies in priority areas.
With regard to the issue of the fuelwood crisis my delegation welcomes the call for international action to give all the necessary assistance in educating and stimulating awareness of the importance offuelwood in rural energy supplies, and to assist countries to develop the capability to formulate and implement a plan of action. My delegation supports the actions required to overcome the crisis as contained in paragraph 86 of the document.
My delegation compliments FAO on its activities in this field. Many information bulletins have been prepared and training courses conducted for the benefit of member countries. FAO has been cooperating and collaborating with other international agencies in its work on energy in agricultural and rural development. With this cooperation, possible areas of duplication are lessened and avoided.
Finally, the Malaysian delegation wishes to place on record its endorsement of the medium-term action and related sub-programmes as indicated in Appendix A of document G 81/25.
A. NIKKOLA (Finland):My delegation would like to thank the FAO Secretariat for the excellent document C 81/25. This report is, indeed, very informative. There is no doubt that the item under discussion is of the utmost importance.
It seems that there are actually two energy crises as far as the developing countries are concerned. In addition to the world-wide oil crisis, the poor rural people of the developing world are suffering from a worsening shortage of fuelwood and of other traditional fuels. The fuelwood crisis is very serious and seems to be getting worse. About 100 million rural people are at present living in areas where there is already an acute scarcity of fuelwood and as many as 1000 million are in situations of growing deficit. By the end of this century, the rural population in situations of acute scarcity or deficit of fuelwood might rise over 2 000 million.
In the view of my delegation, FAO should do its utmost in order to help developing countries to find solutions to the worsening fuelwoodcrisis. We note with satisfaction that FAO has already been active in this field. We strongly support the measures proposed in the chapter on "Forestry for Rural Energy" in the document C 81/25. The fuelwood crisis of the poor countries further emphasizes the importance of forestry voiced by many delegations during this Conference and also in the Commission. Also, a more efficient use of :fuelwoodresources, as for example the improvement of wood burning stoves, must be stressed. We note with satisfaction that a training centre for Africa on . fuelwoodand charcoal production is in preparation. We fully support the view that although the improvement of wood supplies for fuel belongs to forestry, the close inter-relationships between forestry and agriculture in the sphere of land use must be taken into account very carefully. We also stress that FAO should make its full contribution in the implementation of the Programme of Action of the UN Nairobi Conference.
Concerning sources of rural energy, there are two points which my delegation would like to touch upon. In our view, much more attention should be paid to draught animal power in developing countries, both within and outside the agricultural sector. Improved draught animals, animal draught equipment and hand implements could greatly ease the drudgery of human labour in the rural areas of developing countries.
My delegation would like to point out that our document does not at all mention one source of fuel energy which at least in some developing countries could be worthy of developing, namely peat. This source of energy, which is more or less non-renewable, is at present under intensive development in some developed countries, like our own. We think that peat should become one of the subjects of study when developing countries try to find new sources of energy.
Finally, I would like to say some words about the Programme for Rural Energy adopted in Finland recently. The main purposes of the programme are to conserve energy and to substitute domestic energy like wood, wood residues and peat for imported energy, like oil. Therefore technology forusing domestic sources energy e. g. in grain drying and especially in central heating of rural houses, will be promoted. It seems very likely that in a few years the production of nitrogenous fertilizers in Finland which is now based on imported oil will be based on domestic sources of energy especially peat.
To conclude, my delegation hopes that a European Cooperative Network on Rural Energies would start its function as soon as possible. A consultation on the stablishment of the network took place in Paris at the end of last month at the invitation of the French Government. Finland will participate actively in the network and we are convinced that this kind of international cooperation in the field of rural energies will not only benefit European countries but also FAO member countries outside Europe.
G. HOERSTADIUS (Sweden): Under the present agenda item this commission is addressing the problem of meeting the energy requirements of food production and of rural populations today and in the future. The Swedish government is concurring in the appraisal that this is one of the most urgent and vital problems facing the international community. Thus Sweden took an active part in the recent Nairobi Conference on'New' and Renewable Sources of Energy and its preparatory work. Within the framework of FAO'Swedish researchers are prepared to participate in the European Network on Rural Energies, which is about to be started.
As to the need of commercial energy for food production it seems evident that it has to be met largely by fossil energy in the foreseeable future. The classical technological package for intensive agriculture, which is based on such energy, cannot be changed overnight, and alternative systems are still in their infancy. Increases in agricultural output will mainly be brought about by means of intensified methods, and it has been estimated that as a rough global average another two percent of, commercial energy will be needed to secure a one :percent increase in production. Against this background, it appears above all essential that national and international energy planners take the growing commercial energy requirements of agriculture into account and ensure that they are met.
The most pressing specific energy problem for the rural populations in many developing countries today is that of fuelwoodto be used in the households. According to FAO estimates, more than 100 million people live in areas where there is already an acute scarcity offuelwood,.
The number of people thus affected will grow rapidly if the present over-exploitation of forestry resources is left unchecked. As for the ensuing fuel shortages, one has to add the serious side effects on the environment which could eventually lead to the loss of a significant part of the soil resources in the developing countries . /Measures to cope with the fuel wood crisis are top priority in FAO's Programme of Work and this policy has the full support of my delegation. Our support in this respect is not only verbal, as is shown by Sweden's contribution to the forestry programme for local community development. We note with great satisfaction that this programme is meeting with a very strong response from the developing countries.
The main document under the present agenda item C 81/25 depicts a very vast field of possible FAO activities concerning energy in rural development and in the agricultural sector taken in its broadest sense. Consequently, it poses the perennial problem of priorities. Apart from the general stress on the problems o'f developing countries the document does not contain any clear-cut suggestions in this respect Since a selective approach seems necessary, my delegation thinks that the Secretariat should be invited to present a tentative list of specific priorities for discussion. In our opinion, these priorities should be selected in areas where FAO has a unique and well-established competence. Among these priorities we expect to find subjects which FAO helped to prepare for the recent Nairobi Conference, that is, inter alia, fuel wood and draught animal power. Another priority task for FAO that we have in mind is a realistic appraisal of the potentialities of energy crops. Doctor Saouma had some interesting things to say about that in his statement to the Nairobi Conference.
The energy problem is looming large in the world economy of today and its many aspects are being treated in many international and national bodies. The risks for unnecessary duplication of work are, hence considerable. The final paragraph of C 81/25 is a reminder of this and of the need for close collaboration between those concerned. We wish to underline the importance of this paragraph.
Finally, let me quote the following from the statement by the Swedish Prime Minister at the Cancun Summit concerning the present obligation of political leaders:"We have a responsibility to formulate a sustainable energy policy as the world now seems to have passed the peak of the petroleum era. We must work togetherto find new energy resources and to distribute and manage available energy in a better way",
Sra. E. MUÑOZ (Cuba): Nuestra delegación ha analizado el documento C 81/25 y el Suplemento N° l relativo este último al Programa de Acción de Nairobi sobre Fuentes de Energía Nuevas y Renovables.
En general, el documento C 81/25 está acorde con el Programa de Acción de Nairobi, aunque este ultimo, en la síntesis revisada, incluye un número de medidas muy concretas en las cinco Fuentes propuestas, que son de acción coordinada con la FAO, de entre un total de 10 fuentes sugeridas. Es necesario, a nuestro entender, hacer concordar estas medidas de modo a incluirlas totalmente en el texto del docu mento C 81/25.
La utilización de energía comercial en forma de combustibles fósiles ha aumentado en los últimos años, al tiempo que los precios de los mismos experimentan alzas permanentes desde 1974.
El aumento pronosticado del 3,7 por ciento anual en la producción agropecuaria de los países en desa rrollo que conlleva a un incremento del 8 por ciento anual proporcional en la utilización de energía comercial para el período final del presente siglo, demuestra que la situación se hará aún más crítica en los próximos años.
El desarrollo tecnológico y la explotación máxima de recursos naturales que demanda la agricultura para elevar la proporción de tierras cultivables por habitante y por tanto, las disponibilidades de alimen tos, va aparejada a procesos que insumen energía. De igual forma, los métodos de conservación y ela boración de alimentos, conlleva también a mayores gastos de combustible. En tal sentido, apoyamos los aspectos planteados en el Suplemento No l, relativos a la transición inevitable de la energía de los hidrocarburos, a una que se base cada vez más en fuentes de energía nuevas y renovables. Asimismo, apoyamos la afirmación a que el acceso a las fuentes convencionales por parte de los países en desa rrollo seguirá jugando un rol importante en corto plazo.
Concordamos con el documento en las medidas a ejecutar relativas a un Plan general de ahorro de ener gía y de sustitución de fuentes, inevitable en las condiciones críticas actuales.
No obstante, lo anterior implica serios esfuerzos en la investigación, como se refleja en el Programa de Acción de Nairobi. Las investigaciones deben estar encaminadas a lograr que en ningún caso se afecte la productividad actual de los procesos agrícolas.
El empleo del tiro animal, el riego por gravedad y los molinos de viento, entre otros, no pueden con llevar a la ineficiencia en la explotación de los recursos naturales ni a la disminución o estanca miento de la producción agrícola. En tal sentido, destacamos el contenido del discurso del Dr. Saouma en Nairobi, cuando indicó acertadamente que el aumento de la producción de alimentos en los próximos años deberá proceder en sus tres cuartas partes de una mayor intensidad de cultivos y de mayores ren dimientos; así también en la afirmación en cuanto a que el empleo de insumos de productos energéticos fósiles en la actual tecnología agrícola es el resultado de medio siglo de investigaciones.
Concedemos la mayor importancia a las medidas relativas al empleo de biomasa, en cualquiera de sus for mas, como fuentes de energía nueva y renovable. Esta es una de las vías de mayores perspectivas que depende para su aplicación de los resultados concretos que aporte la investigación técnica.
En la utilización de los desechos de la industria agropecuaria, queremos repetir nuevamente, señor Presidente, los planteamientos de nuestra delegación ante el sexto Comité de Agricultura en marzo de 1981 y en la mesa redonda sobre cultivos energéticos, efectuada en nuestro país en 1979, relativos a la utilización del bagazo de la caña de azúcar como combustible en el propio proceso industrial de pro ducción de azúcar, así como otros derivados también de la caña de azúcar.
Los resultados en la investigación realizados con relación a la caña de azúcar en nuestro país arrojan resultados muy favorables en tres vías estudiadas:
Primero, ahorro de empleo de combustible fósil en el proceso de producción de azúcar, mediante el em pleo de bagazo, lo cual conlleva a un cambio en el proceso tecnológico de las fábricas actuales.
Segundo, producción de etanol, levadura forrajera, y
Tercero, utilización de los residuos de la cosecha de la propia cana de azúcar como combustible. Estos residuos actualmente se pierden en los campos de cultivo en grandes cantidades.
La aplicación de estos resultados conlleva en todos los casos a concluir estudios previos acertados a la inversion en nuevas fábricas o a la inversion para convertir las actuales tecnologías en centrales azucareras; pero tiene la gran ventaja de no competir decisivamente con la producción de azúcar para consumo humano, lo que constituye gran preocupación, como se expresa en los documentos que analizamos y en el discurso del Dr. Saouma en Nairobi, ya citado, respecto a no afectar la producción alimenta ria de los cultivos energéticos al destinarla a la producción de combustibles en gran medida.
La utilización de energía solar, eolica o híbrida constituyen, al igual que el empleo de la biomasa y la biometanación, importantes vías a utilizar en mayor escala en los países en desarrollo, aunque conllevan inversiones costosas y requieren transferencias entre los países de los resultados de la investigación.
Concedemos particular importancia a las medidas propuestas sobre rotación de cultivos, ahorro en la aplicación de fertilizantes, de plaguicidas y agua, al empleo de materia orgánica y fijación bioló gicas de nitrógeno en los suelos. En todos estos aspectos, señor Presidente, nuestro país propicia actualmente programas nacionales concretos para su aplicación a corto plazo.
Resulta también de particular importancia el estudio sobre la sustitución de materias primas sintéti cas, no renovables, que forman parte actualmente de muchos procesos vitales en la agricultura y están igualmente afectados por alzas continuas de precios.
Al igual que planteamos en el Comité de Agricultura de 1981, nuestro país está muy interesado en las nuevas tecnologías de producción de carbón con máximo aprovechamiento en relación a los métodos tra dicionales.
El documento C 81/25 debe incluir, señor Presidente, íntegramente los aspectos de investigación, trans ferencia de tecnologías y capacitación, recogidos en el Programa de Nairobi. Igualmente nuestra dele gación apoya los aspectos relativos a la planificación energética por cada país que se refleja en el propio documento. Queremos añadir, en este aspecto, que los proyectos de desarrollo que se confeccio nen por los países y por instituciones nacionales e internacionales deben, a partir de ahora, a nues tro entender como aspecto esencial, incluir la evaluación de su implicación sobre la demanda energética futura.
T. OKAMOTO (Japan): My delegation would like to thank the FAO Secretariat for documents C 81/50 and C 81/25-Sup. l on this very important issue. My comments are brief.
The Secretariat document points out that crop and livestock production in 1972-73 counted for about 3. 5 percentof the total world use of commercial energy, and that the developing countries were estimated to have been responsible for only 18 percent of this total.
We think that the future requirements of intensive energy inputs in the agricultural sector in the developing countries are inevitable in order to increase the food production required by the growing population. Under these circumstances it is very important for FAO to contribute to the solution of energy problems by means of data collection analysis activities and technical assistance to the developing countries in the area of energy for agriculture and rural development.
With rapid population growth and urbanization in many places, forest resources are heavily exhausted in tropical areas. The need to secure energy in rural areas of the developing countries was stressed as an urgent task at the United Nations Conference on New and Renewable Energy, recently held in Nairobi. My delegation hopes that the FAO will intensify its activities towards developing techniques for the conservation and reafforestation of tropical forests.
The document makes clear the medium-term action, which is an energy policy, planning and information, the improved use of energy in rural areas, the production of commercial energy from agriculture, forestry for rural energy and energy for fisheries and rural energy 'systems. Japan agrees with all the items for medium-term action.
The energy problem is complicated and extensive. Therefore my delegation hopes that the FAO will maintain close contact with the other international organizations concerned and in particular with the Administrative Committee on Coordination.
J. SCHERER (Federal Republic of Germany)(original language German): Document 81/25 on the importance of energy for agriculture and rural development is valuable follow-up of the publications that have been made by FAO on the subject of energy. We also wish to commend Mr. Bommer for his excellent introduction.
The FAO Secretariat has succeeded in providing a comprehensive review of the complex inter-dependencies between the supply of energy, the feeding of man and the conservation of the natural environment. It becomes quite clear in this connection that adequate energy supplies of developing countries are the truly pivotal cornerstone for a sufficient food supply, taking into account on the one hand the steady increase in populaton and on the other the conservation and safeguarding of the natural foundations for living and production for mankind.
We particularly welcome the proposal of the Director-General to give more emphasis to energy problems in FAO programmes, and particularly to focus on energy saving measures and the opening up of new and alternative sources of energy. Particularly in many developing countries the spiralling of prices for fossil sources of energy have already had quite negative impacts. Today the already expensive further increasing commercial energy, such as coai, oil, and electricity is being replaced by non-commerical forms of energy: wood, plant and animal residues.
The cutting down and the steady decrease of forests, which has now already reached shattering proportions, leads to the erosion and desertification of the environment. Food production in these countries which is becoming increasingly dependent on the use of high energy consuming fertilizers is running into additional constraints because of these developments. Thus in many developing countries the so-called diabolical circle of poverty, which has not yet been pierced, is being made further acute by the diabolical circle of the energy crisis and the diabolical circle of large-scale environmental destruction.
What we particularly commend in the document is the stocktaking and the future outlook of the situation as split up into three main sectors. However, in order to obtain an even clearer basis for political recommendations and measures and scope with respect to the setting-up of priorities for time, area and practical applications, it would be advisable to differentiate this analysis even more strongly according to different groups of countries. Here it would become evident that greater attention should still be paid to the really low income and raw materials poor developing countries and to those countries whose living and production foundations are jeopardized already today by this increase in erosion and desertification.
The forecast of requirements of commercial energy for the year 2000 should be further supplemented by an analysis of supply potential.
With this kind of information we could get an approximate idea of whether and under which conditions like market prices and regional availability, the quantities indicated for fertilizers, energy for irrigation, and so on, could be made available in these various countries and regions.
A further increase in domestic production of foodstuffs in developing countries should suffer no set-back. In this connection the available quantities of fertilizers which already account for 60 percent of the long-term commercial energy requirements are of great importance. The under-supply of developing countries is less a problem of quantity than a lack of foreign currency and purchasing power. This should also be strongly borne in mind.
With respect to the further increase in the capacity of nitrogen production, it might be useful for the energy poor developing countries to reach an agreement with the OPEC countries on the setting-up of factories for nitrogenous fertilizers in the OPEC countries. The deficit in nitrogenous fertilizers could be reduced in many regions of the third world if the oil-producing countries of the Middle East would make resources freely available for the production of ammonia and nitrogenous fertilizers. For instance, natural gas is still being burnt up uselessly in the atmosphere, while OPEC countries have sufficient investment capital, the industrial countries could put in their available know-how.
In order to give the poorest developing countries access to production-increasing fertilizers, wherever possible developing countries would also be recommended increased subsidies for fertilizers.
Over and above this, agricultural price policies, as demanded so rightly by the FAO Secretariat, should also take account of the increased cost of inputs in these countries.
We particularly welcome the fact that in document C 81/25 the vital importance of forestry with respect to energy utilization and ecological balance has been sufficiently stressed.
Forestry projects should be granted higher priority in the future. The Federal Republic of Germany will therefore support an increase in development aid in the area of forestry.
With respect to more economical utilization of renewable sources of energy, we should also pay greater attention to the promotion of biogas installations in developing countries. The production of biogas can contribute considerably to reduce firewood demand. Biogas production technology, we gather, has reached a mature stage, for example, as the Republic of China has already shown.
The planting of energy crops should certainly never be to the detriment of the hungry population of the world, which must always be supported. The economic justification for the selective planting of energy crops depends above all on the situation in the different countries and the prevailing conditions in the agricultural and energy sectors. In developing countries with surplus agricultural production and an energy deficit at the same time, the appropriate utilization of the agricultural potential should not be too problematical if it is a matter of producing energy.
Industrial countries, in view of the specific problems relating to the planting of energy crops, should support developing countries in their efforts in order to work out strategies which are compatible with their situation. Here aid should be particularly offered in the research sector so as to provide appropriate technologies of production and conversion. Here we should particularly promote such forms of energy production which do not bring about the controversial problem of food versus energy production competition, as we see in the case of maize and sugar cane.
We do not consider useful the proposal for an agreement giving priority to using foodstuffs to feed the world, as outlined in paragraph 87 of the document. Before far-reaching administrative steps are devised on an international level to organize energy production from biomass, present developments in that sector should be awaited. The stocktaking done by FAO on national production targets by using a questionnaire action could be a further useful contribution to this discussion.
We are in favour of the concept recommended by FAO of an integrated energy planning attuned to the agricultural and rural developments of each individual country. Here the prevailing rural and agricultural energy system should be again embeded meaningfully into the existing overall national energy policies. Through appropriate investment programmes for the opening up of domestic resources on the basis of World Bank investigations and surveys national energy production of oil-importing developing countries could be doubled up to the year 1990. In this connection I should like to quote our Federal Foreign Minister when he stated at the summit meeting in Cancun recently "The international community should contribute to the mobilization of the necessary major funds. The setting up of a World Bank branch for energy could be very useful in this respect. What is furthermore necessary is the setting up of a global energy dialogue. It should organize a comprehensive cooperation between oil-producing and oil-consuming countries which meets the interests of the various participant groups. "
May I wind up by making the following general remark. In view of the challenge caused by the shortage of energy throughout the world all the nations of this world should feel strongly involved to assume responsibility and thus devise long-term effective measures in order to promote the necessary substi tution, and economizing effects, in view of the presumably increasing prices of the traditional forms of energy. This requires apart from individual, above all also national and international coordinated and cooperative action and my country is prepared to do so.
V. VOCILKA (Czechoslovakia): We have studied the Conference document concerned, C 81/25, with great attention. I should like to inform the Conference of how this problem of world-wide importance is being faced in Czechoslovakia with special regard to the use of waste from agricultural and food production as renewable sources of energy. Let me first of all say that we have always considered food production waste as the most important raw material for feed production. The same applies to the use of straw and other organic materials which have a low energy yield when directly burnt. The organic waste which has already been used or which cannot be processed into feeds serve for the production of fertilizers or materials for the improvement of the physical properties of the soil and stimulation of humus production, or for an improved fixation of nitrogen from commercial fertilizers. It is only after such utilization that we consider it useful to bum organic residues as fuel.
Now I wish to make some remarks on the use of biogas from the waste of large-scale animal production. After a number of tests and experiments it has been concluded that the process needs too much capital equipment and skilled labour and that some energy must always be taken from the public mains to standardize the process and to keep it going. On the other hand this process secures a regular output from its energy storage and offers numerous end-use possibilities. Experimental use of animal excrement for the production of biogas through digestion of liquid manure together with city sewage has been made in one of our large-scale production fretting houses. For the time being the biogas is used for boilers
and further use is being considered on the basis of ecological factors. This is the disposal and use of excrements. The concentration and specialisation of agricultural large-scale production in the Czechoslavak Social Republic creates good prerequisites for intensive development of biogas production, although economic benefit has been demonstrated to be of secondary importance.
In conclusion I wish to indicate the fields in which our country has achieved some progress within the range of the subjects under discussion here and on which we are able to offer institutional and expert assistance. These are participation in perspective studies and analysis of energy policy of FAO in relation to agriculture, cooperation with groups of experts working on increased efficiency in energy utilization in agriculture in relation to conservation of environment; processing and preservation of plant products; reduction of post-harvest losses; the use of excrements for the production of biogas. The above represents also the sectors to which we shall attach priority in the European Energy Network which was established at the Consultation held in October in Paris this year. We think that this form of international cooperation is most important and look forward to a rapid development of its activités. We thank the Director General of FAO for this new opportunity offered to the European countries to increase cooperation on technical matters which are essential not only for the agricultural sector in Europe but also, as the distinguished delegate from Finland said, for the developing countries themselves We therefore hope that these countries will soon be given the opportunity to join us in the network.
A. SAISSI (Maroc) : Je dois souligner la qualité du document qui m'est soumis à propos de la question aiguë relative aux énergies nouvelles et renouvelables; nous en remercions le Secrétariat. La question de l'énergie nous préoccupe au Maroc intensément au même titre que les autres pays non producteurs de pétrole et surtout ceux dont le développement de la balance est grevé par les charges de plus en plus lourdes occasionnées par le relèvement du coût de l'énergie.
Au Maroc, la consommation en énergie commerciale est caractérisée par une prédominance des produits pétroliers qui représentent plus de 80 pour cent. Le charbon et l'énergie hydraulique n'interviennent que pour 10 pour cent chacun environ.
Etant appelé à croître sensiblement dans les années à venir, la consommation locale d'énergie se traduira par une dépense encore plus forte du Maroc vis-à-vis de l'extérieur si d'autres ressources nationales ne sont pas exploitées dans l'avenir. La consommation passerait en effet de quelque 5 millions de tonnes équivalant en pétrole à plus de 37 millions en équivalent pétrole en l'an 2000. Même si toutes les possibilités de mobilisation des ressources connues en charbon et énergie hydraulique sont entièrement exploitées de façon intense dans les vingt années à venir, elles ne représenteraient qu'environ six pour cent des besoins totaux. Cette situation se traduirait par un recours croissant des importations de pétrole. Cependant, en plus de ces ressources en eau et en charbon le Maroc dispose de potentialités dans le domaine des schistes bitumeux et des énergies renouvelables, solaires, alfa, bio masse et géothermie. Le Maroc situé dans une zone géographique proche des tropiques bénéficie d'un maxi mum solaire surtout dans le sud. Il est donc impératif d'exploiter son potentiel en énergie renouve lable. Ce sera là la mission du Centre de développement des énergies renouvelables récemment créé au Maroc. La mission de ce centre consiste à effectuer toutes les études et les recherches destinées à promouvoir les énergies renouvelables et développer leur mise en oeuvre en adoptant les technologies adaptées aux conditions spécifiques du pays. Parmi les objectifs de ce Centre on peut citer notamment l'établissement de l'inventaire des gisements des énergies renouvelables, la mise au point de procédés et des équipements efficients des sources renouvelables d'énergie, et le suivi de la réalisation de micro-centrales hydrauliques.
A propos du programme de réalisation de ce Centre en matière d'énergies nouvelles et renouvelables, nous pouvons citer: pour l'énergie solaire la réalisation de projets pour le pompage d'eau, de chauffage, d'éclairage et séchage, pour l'énergie éolienne, la réalisation d'unités de pompage, d'eau et la pro duction d'électricité (aérogénérateurs de 4 à 5 kilowatts) pour l'énergie biomassique, la réalisation d'unités pilotes pour la combustion de l'alfa, la fermentation méthanique et la production d'alcool, pour les microcentrales, la production de microcentrales hydrauliques à proximité des montagnes et des régions éloignées du réseau d'électricité dans le but de contribuer à l’electrification des zones ru rales. Dans le cadre du développement des sources d'énergie, il est nécessaire d'insister sur la sauve garde du patrimoine forestier. Le développement du reboisement à grande échelle doit recevoir en effet la priorité dans nos actions de développement et nos stratégies aussi bien nationales qu'internationales. La dégradation des forêts dans le monde, du fait de l'extension de l'urbanisation, de l'insuffisance du rythme de reboisement et la recrudescence de la consommation du bois est telle qu'il est impérieux de programmer, au niveau de nos pays, des actions de promotion forestière ambitieuses et volontaristes susceptibles d'égaler par leur apport la demande annuelle de bois et les pertes dues aux effets mul tiplicateurs de la dégradation des forêts: érosion des pertes, pertes de fertilisation etc.
L'un des objectifs de l'action de reboisement est de fournir aux populations rurales le bois de feu nécessaire. Je signale à ce propos que l'économie de l'énergie fossile ne peut passer par le dévelop pement de l'utilisation du bois de feu en raison précisément de la dégradation actuelle des forêts, il convient donc d'adopter dans ce domaine une planification et une programmation cohérentes. Il est nécessaire également d'orienter les recherches vers de nouvelles plantations forestières notamment à cycle de rotation court de façon à répondre aux besoins croissants des populations. Indiquons à ce pro pos que la forêt, par le biais de la cellulose des arbres et d'arbustes peut contribuer à la production de combustible. Par ailleurs la production agricole est confrontée à des coûts de production dont le facteur énergie occupe une part de plus en plus importante, notamment en matière d'engrais et de méca nisation, dans la structure du coût de production.
Ces facteurs à eux deux interviennent pour plus des 4/6èmes du coût de l'énergie commerciale que les pays en voie de développement consomment pour l'agriculture. Nous constatons donc que la moderni sation de l'agriculture appelle en principe une augmentation de l'énergie utilisée. Or cette augmentation entraîne un accroissement du coût à la production de l'agriculture, d'où la diminution de la rémunération du producteur, et d'où les problèmes sociaux susceptibles d'être engendrés s'il s'agit d'augmenter le prix à la production. Il est donc impératif de développer de nouveaux moyens de fertilisation et d'économiser l'énergie dans l'utilisation de la mécanisation des travaux des sols. Il est à cet égard nécessaire de développer les procédés de récupération et de recyclage des déchets animaux et des déchets végétaux. Le développement des énergies organiques devra être accompagné par l'introduction de cultures appropriées dans le système d'assolement par la recherche de variétés peu exigeantes, de fertilisants fossiles et par la recherche de technologies à faible coefficient d'utilisation d'énergie commerciale. Ma délégation pense que l'énergie doit dorénavant s'intégrer comme secteur à part entière dans la planification de notre développement économique. Nous pensons également que dans l'état actuel de la technique, la conception et la mise au point d'énergiesnouvelles et renouvelables, compte tenu du programme retenu à Nairobi, que nous appuyons fermement est tributaire d'abord de recherches au niveau de tous les pays et en particulier des pays industrialisés et ensuite d'une large coopération internationale permettant aux pays en voie de déve loppement de bénéficier de nouvelles technologies à travers un échange constant des diverses expé riences nationales.
E. K. SERWANGA (Uganda): I should like to congratulate the Secretariat on producing C 81/25, which covers practically all types of energy in agriculture for rural development in an excellent way. My delegation agrees with most of the views expressed but would like to make a brief observation about the sub-heading which introduces forestry as the source of energy to rural communities, which is to be found on page 22 and which reads "Forestry for Rural Energy". Looking at the sub-heading from the forestry point of view, it appears rather narrow and unsatisfactory.
When a forester leaves the state forests where he is practising classical forestry, with all its technical language which is mainly unintelligible to many people except himself, and goes to talk to the rural farmer about trees he should mention all the practical benefits which the farmer gets from trees, not only fuelwood and charcoal. The forester should then make every effort to persuade the farmer to plant the trees himself, emphasizing the point that the trees belong to him and his family.
I would therefore suggest, in the context of what I have said above, that the sub-heading should have read "Forestry for Energy and Improved Quality of Life for the Rural Community", or something to that effect. Under this sub-heading, the following points could have been fully covered: trees for fuel; trees for food, including fruit trees introduced from other countries; trees for human recreation; trees for animal feed; trees for timber; trees for medicine; trees for shelterbelts; and trees for building houses and fencing posts. That would give us an excellent opportunity to talk about all these things. All these things should be explained to the farmer in the simplest possible language and, where local internal systems allow, he should be persuaded to plant these trees himself to cater for his household needs in the future.
My delegation would like to make a few remarks about rural community forestry in my country. In Uganda, we have no landless communities: everybody who wants it can have a piece of land and develop it for his family.
We have made careful plans to persuade every household to plant woodlots on its land holding for fuelwood and other purposes. We are also making arrangements to talk to the farmer about fruit trees, short-rotation timber trees, trees for animal fodder, and so on. We hope to help the farmer to plant these trees himself, depending on the degree of his interest.
The overall objective, therefore, is to implement many of the excellent ideas embodied in the Jakarta Declaration, insofar as these ideas are compatible with our lo'cal conditions.
Continuing on the need to introduce to the rural farmer trees which benefit him other than those producing only fuelwood, I am very grateful to the delegates of India, Turkey and Nigeria, who have all along emphasized this point, since we started discussing food strategies under agenda item 6. My delegation would therefore be grateful if some sort of arrangement could be made to carry out exchanges of fruit tree seed and other types of tree seed between member countries. This could be done under either FAO or bilateral arrangements.
In conclusion, my delegation would be very grateful if the Secretariat could make arrangements for the foresters to discuss this issue under the tentative sub-heading which I mentioned earlier during their COFO Meeting next May.
H. HAUSER (Austria)(original language German): May I first, on behalf of the Austrian delegation, congratulate the FAO Secretariat on the preparation and presentation of document C 81/25 and the Supplement. These very valuable documents are helping our discussion on this subject. I wish also to thank Assistant Director-General Bommer for his introduction to this topic.
The Austrian delegation expresses its full endorsement and approval of the document, especially pages 20 to 24 where medium-term action is spelled out. Austria is of the opinion that in the matter of energy in agriculture and from agriculture we are dealing with a highly significant problem which, quite rightly, is now being dealt with in our Commission.
One of the most significant features in any development process, and for international economic relations in the 1980s, will be the safeguarding of our energy supplies, and the solution of this problem would be an asset to us and to the viability of the world economy. In this connexion all countries have a very great responsibility to face.
A long-term solution can only be found by way of a constructive dialogue between producers and consumers, most of all within the context of the global negotiations in the United Nations. We feel that a world-wide discussion which did not include energy questions would not be a very meaningful exercise, not only for industrialized countries but also for developing countries. The question of security in energy supply has become one of the most essential elements for further economic develop ment .
The Austrian Federal Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, in his statement to the Plenary on 10 November 1981, referred to the precarious situation in the energy markets and particularly welcomed FAO's initiatives towards solutions. In this connexion I would like particularly to refer to the energy network recently set up in Paris by the Agricultural Commission for Europe. We feel this is a highly significant development and should be made available to and benefit the developing countries in the framework of the existing networks of the Agricultural Commission for Europe. In recent years there has been increased and promising cooperation with other regions of the world. These develop ments are followed and welcomed most strongly by Austria, and we are full of interest in them.
The Austrian delegation, furthermore, welcomes the fact that the work of FAO, together with that of other international organizations such as the International Energy Agency in Paris, has been coordinated and harmonized, because above all this avoids overlapping.
Up to 25 percent of the world's energy requirement in the coming twenty years, according to the United Nations, will have to be found from new and renewable forms of energy. Valuable energy resources should no longer be wasted in industrialized countries. Our country has developed long-term and medium-term solutions.
As regards energy alternatives, we would refer to the International Symposium on Agriculture and Energy held in Paris in 1980. Austria at that time already referred to biomass and biogenic fuels, particularly wood and straw, and other alternative forms of energy. Energy from biomass is without doubt the most significant alternative source of energy in our country.
Moreover, it has an effect of immediacy in the first stages of its use for heating. In rural areas, wood and straw can play a big role in fuel burning activities.
Referring to the search which is now under way in Austria it was found that plant oils, because of their chemical composition, can replace diesel fuels. An initiative was taken by the Federal Minister for Agriculture and Forestries and since 1975, we have been carrying out very promising trials with plant oil/diesel oil mixtures.
Speaking of biogas, I would also like to point out that what we need here is a realistic and practical approach. On the basis of Austrian experience and work, we are concentrating closely on intensive livestock producing holdings. He have a number of installations in Austria which are working satis factorily.
With respect to energy saving in agriculture and in forestry, we must note that out of our total annual requirements in Austria about 40 percent is used for heating. Therefore, that is a sector where you can most save, and in Austria, in the future, we are embarking on major information campaigns and are paying great attention to energy savings.
With respect to energy strategy, we would like to refer to the following priority areas: firstly, the use of ersat'z, replacement energy, and technology-developments should be concentrated on this in the near future. Secondly, national technology research will concentrate on replacement fuels and alter native energy; and lastly, advisory and information work will focus on meaningful and judicious energy utilisation, and we will attempt to raise the energy saving mentality.
The switching over of rural areas to the utilisation of available biomass energy does require selective promotion of appropriate technology and concrete investment in craft and industries sectors. Over and above this it will also be necessary for research aiming at greater use of wind and solar energy. The use of hot effluents from industries will be made greater use of.
Those were a few comments and reactions to the theme which we are now discussing.
I. OZORAI (Hungary): Allow me to congratulate the Secretariat for preparing this useful document pre sented to us for discussing this agenda item. The views of FAO on energy issues are highly appreciated. We are fully aware of the fact that energy in general, and in agriculture and rural development as well, is one of the most important issues to be tackled by the individual countries whether they are deve loping or not. The share of agriculture in overall national energy consumption in Hungary has risen in ten years from 4 percent to 9 percent.
The Hungarian delegation agrees with the statement in the document before us, that the agricultural sector itself may be a major contributor to the supply of renewable forms of energy; so it is also a producer of energy, not only of the dietary energy, in the form of food, but of some countries also of fuel in the more conventional sense of the word.
The Hungarian Government considers energy issues as being of very high priority. The National Academy of Science runs a complex programme on finding and utilising both new sources of energy and energy saving technology. For food and agricultural production, the ministry responsible for this-Agri culture and Forestry-universities, etc, do have two programmes on agricultural energy. What is more, state farms and cooperative ones are trying very hard to develop and adopt relevant technology. Even the National Council of Farmers Cooperative in my country which is a non-governmental council represent ing the interests of cooperatives is working on a programme to encourage member cooperatives to adopt forms and expertise to alleviate energy pressures.
The natural conditions in Hungary are such that by the end of the century almost the total actual plant production could be doubled, provided that social, technical and environmental conditions are favourable In case of such conditions, in the year 2000, the Hungarian population could be supplied with an adequate nutrition level using agricultural produce from less than half of the land presently available. The yield from the remaining area could be used to increase exports of biological origin or to partially reduce imports, e. g. protein, timber, fuels as sources of energy, etc At the same time, the complex utilisation and recycling of organic materials will go towards satisfying the growing requirements of the public health service and environmental protection.
Hungary is in a favourable position as regards the production of nutritional raw materials. This ad vantage needs to be exploited, and sufficient priority must be given to food production to ensure the entire domestic food supply and a significant volume of food exports.
In addition to the world food supply and sources of raw materials, energy-as is well known-is also becoming a more and more serious problem.
In many parts of the world significant results have been achieved and a number of promising research projects have been commenced for the production of bioenergy. Both research and utilisation are likely to increase in this field, because, firstly, as a result of developments in genetics and agro-techniqueí an annually increased quantity of biological material is being produced. Secondly, a significant pro portion of the biomass by-products waste is not currently utilised although it has a considerable "energy" content. Additional justification for the use of this waste is that in many cases it pollutes the environment.
Furthermore, a decisive criterion for each alternative is that the energy utilisation from biomass production should be more rational than at present and should be combined with a certain gain in energy.
It is of fundamental interest to preserve the natural environment. Agricultural production can only be maintained at a high level over a long period if favourable natural conditions are ensured.
The above mentioned facts as well as our deep wish to contribute to cooperative programmes induced my government to join the new European cooperative network on renewable and non-renewable energy sources in agriculture, and furthermore our competent authorities were prompted to undertake the task to coor dinate the sub-networks of the said programme. We do hope that this cooperation will not only offer some good results to be utilised by the participating European countries, but that also a good number of non-European countries will benefit freely from these results.
Hungary has undertaken the coordination of the sub-network of direct energy production by agriculture and forestry: utilisation of waste and by-products, transformation of cultivations and biomass out puts, possible energy crops and plantations and fuel wood.
V. STIPETIC (Yugoslavia): My delegation welcomes the presence of the energy issue on the agenda of the FAO Conference. Energy and food are closely connected at certain key points, and the effect of their inter-relationship is, I think,worthy of our discussion and of the moves which will follow.
The heart, or the essence, of the world food problem lies mainly in the developing countries and those countries are predominantly in the tropical regions. They are changing the traditional pattern of agriculture to modern capital intensive farming practices, in which high yields are dependent on high inputs. All those inputs-mechanisation, irrigation, fertilisers and so on-are energy inten sive.
Increased productivity of tropical agriculture, like that of the temperate zones, will thus continue to largely depend on larger and larger use of commercial energy. Being professionally deformed I would like to mention, as an economist would, that the world's necessity for commercial energy consumption in agriculture is greater than the available resources-meaning that the additional output for which we are calling is going to be a more and more energy-costly business.
If this is the course of events-and the study Agriculture: Toward -2000 has confirmed that-what can we deduce from the experience of use of commercial energy in developed countries?
My delegation congratulates the Secretariat on the document C 81/25:it deserves the compliments which have been given during discussion. It is an excellent document. However, I would agree with the delegates who, while commending the paper before us, said that the document is predominantly descrip tive, explaining how things are going on with the use of energy in agriculture, and it is far less analytical or recommendative to the practice.
We need a critical review of existing practices which sometimes is energy wasting. I would like to point out that such an investigation is badly needed especially in the field of economics of energy use. Agriculture in the future will be more and more in a position to compete commercially by paying higher prices for it. The tendency of higher fuel prices which we have had in the past, since the time of cheap energy is past, are quite likely to continue, and the substitution of human and draught animal power in developing countries with machines, a tendency which will continue. The cost benefit ratio should be established in order to avoid this waste of energy use and to give the solution for more efficient use of it.
The same applied ot the substitution or supplementing of non-renewable resources by renewable ones. What are the capital costs for solar energy on the farm? Much of those promoted so-called solutions are extremely expensive at the existing state of knowledge, and my delegation would support the cautious views voiced by some delegates in discussion and expressed in paragraphs 68 to 70 which says, "if costs can be sufficiently reduced they could have important application in much use". That is the essence of the substitution of commercial energy with all those new sources which do promise, at the moment, much hope, but at the moment the cost efficiency ratio does not support the mass introduction of those matters in the practice.
Economies in fuel consumptions are badly needed and many aspects of it are still in the exploratory phases. There is not only the minimal tillage which is gaining in popularity which provides rather large savings in fuel but also with the transfer to the more efficient diesel machines,'engines, with smaller power unit doing more operations at the same time, and so on.
The same apply to the better utilizations of fertilizer with changing inputs in nitrogen production which is extremely energy costing production. From gas and oil we are coming to the peat and other, until recently, untapped resources. They are all energy-saving devices on which I will say the international policies should be created.
Finally, a small remark concerned with the long-range prospects. Higher fuel prices will force more and more countries to energy-cropping by which a portion of arable land or crops will be devoted to the non-food production. The minimal tillage and similar practices might also bring a temporary decline in yields. Both tendencies might affect the precarious balance between supply and demand on world level, and my delegation would ask FAO to monitor this situation closely.
My delegation would like to give its support to all action on a regional, national and international level aiming at the more efficient use of energy in agriculture and the development of alternative sources of energy. Only international efforts under the auspices of UN and FAO can bring us the so badly needed progress in this vital area of mankind activity.
W. E. ADERO (Kenya):My delegation would like to thank the Secretariat for producing documents C 81/25, and the Addenda on energy in agriculture and rural development. As has just been mentioned by the delegate of Yugoslavia it is my delegation's view that the days of cheap fossil-fuel for agriculture and other activities are over and other serious efforts will now have to be directed at the development of integrated systems of energy production and utilization with national and global considerations. We must learn from the lessons of the past. We are exactly where we are today because of the extravagant use we made of the bounties of the earth. The present crisis is one of misallocation of resources. Some have plenty and are wasting it, while others have very little or none at all. The approach to this question must, therefore, be in similar dimensions.
Firstly, there must be serious efforts to reduce and eventually eliminate wastage resulting from in efficient and unnecessary usage, misallocation and mistiming of production.
Secondly, there must be serious efforts to develop renewable and other forms of energy, and above all integrated systems for the production and utilization of these new forms of energy in order to circum vent the extravagant practices of the past whose overall effects have not only been the depletion of energy resources, but also the degradation and pollution of the air, land and sea and the perpetuation of inequality and the misery around the world.
Thirdly, research efforts must be undertaken in a global context in order to allow for the immediate and timely application of technology. My delegation agrees fully with document C 81/25 and Addenda and endorses the sentiments therein. We commend the FAO for its past and present efforts on the energy question. We also welcome the intention of UNDP and other donors to strengthen their activities on energy. We also welcome the intention of the World Bank to increase its lending for renewable united projects particularly fuelwood. We endorse FAO's proposed programme and its emphasis on energy policy planning and information, improved energy utilization in the rural areas, production of commercial energy from agriculture and conservation in fishing and forest harvesting. The harvesting of forestry for energy production and integrated rural energy systems.
My country is one of those most seriously affected by the energy crisis. Firstly, because we have a large development programme with far reaching industrial implications and this requires increasing amounts of energy. Secondly, we also have a robust urban and rural population which requires an increasing amount of energy and above all, food. Thirdly, we have no fossil-fuel resources. Our salvation, therefore, lies entirely in the kinds of programmes outlined in the document.
In Kenya we have initiated action in several directions:1) a survey has just been completed on fuelwood resources from gazetted woodlands and gazetted forests both natural and planted and the total fuelwood requirements. This emphasis on fuelwood is not misplaced, this is because our population is predominantly rural and this is the kind of fuel that is required right now. Also on the survey are the geothermal, hydro, solar and wind energy resources. 2) We are evaluating plant spaces for energy production, and particularly those that will not compete for land with food or other conventional crops, all those that can be grown in tandem with existing crops with mutual benefit in the cropping system. We are also investigating the possibility of substitution, at least in the part of mineral energy and vegetable-derived fuels, based on plants with high biomass yields. We are also continually viewing our overall food and agricultural production programme in order to develop systems which will ensure increased food production. We are also engaged in evaluating foodfuel, and charcoal burning and ovens with a view to avoid wastage at both industrial and domestic level.
We are grateful for the opportunity we have to host the UN Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy in Nairobi in August this year. The Conference helped to focus the attention on our population and even more sharply on the energy question, and the various ways in which different nations are attempting to alleviate the problem. The energy exhibits outside the Conference centre were visited by many of our people and assisted the nation in its campaign against energy waste.
We hope that this Conference will take account of the main conclusions of the Conference, particularly those concerning global cooperation. My delegation fully endorses the Director-General's programme of work and budget with all its financial implications, and particularly those related to the Programme on Energy.
N. DIMITRIU (Roumanie): La delegation roumaine a examiné avec attention les trois documents très importants relatifs au problème énergétique dans l'agriculture et dans le milieu rural; elle remercie M. Boerma pour sa brillante introduction en même temps qu'elle apprécie que ce problème soit considéré avec une particulière importance par rapport à la diminution de la consommation des combustibles classiques, afin de trouver des possibilités d'emploi plus intenses, des ressources agricoles et fores tières en vue de la production de l'énergie et de son utilisation dans la production agricole et alimentaire des prochaines années.
L'inscription à l'ordre du jour de la Conférence de ce problème est très opportune étant donné son importance dans le contexte de la crise énergétique mondiale.
La délégation roumaine considère positivement les préoccupations de la FAO dans ce domaine et estime qu'à l'avenir les problèmes énergétiques doivent trouver une place très importante dans le Programme de travail de l'Organisation. D'ailleurs, l'annexe du document analysé reflète les points du Programme qui se réfèrent au problème de l'énergie.
Il est vrai que jusqu'à il y a quelques années, nous avons tous cru pouvoir vivre tranquillement en ayant pour principale source d'énergie le pétrole.
Nous voilà dans une situation où la vie nous prouve que cette source n'est pas inépuisable. La hausse rapide du prix du pétrole fait que nous ne pouvons plus l'utiliser dans certains secteurs, ce qui nous amènerait à la hausse des prix de revient des produits agricoles.
C'est pourquoi nous sommes d'accord avec le point de vue selon lequel aujourd'hui plus que jamais nous devons mettre à l'épreuve le génie humain et utiliser d'une manière très étudiée toutes les ressources de l'agriculture, de l'industrie alimentaire et de la sylviculture capables de produire de l'énergie.
Etant donné l'importance vitale de l'alimentation pour l'humanité, nous considérons que la production alimentaire doit jouir de la plus haute priorité dans la répartition des ressources énergétiques par secteur de l'économie nationale. En même temps, nous estimons que l'on doit poursuivre les recherches concernant toutes les possibilités d'utilisation nationale de l'énergie dans la production agricole et alimentaire, ainsi que toutes les possibilités et les voies permettant d'obtenir une quantité aussi grande que possible d'énergie provenant de la production agricole, particulièrement par l'utilisation, dans ce but, de la biomasse considérée comme une production secondaire ou comme un sous-produit agri cole et alimentaire.
Il faut adopter en parallèle des mesures de première urgence en vue d'organiser la fabrication d'installations permettant de produire du biogaz à partir des déjections provenant des animaux de ferme et de la biomasse forestière; en vue également de produire l'énergie électrique et tout autre type d'utilisation du vent; le chauffage de l'eau ménagère et la production de miroirs pour l'emploi de l'énergie solaire; l'emploi de l'eau thermale, l'emploi de l'eau chaude provenant de l'industrie pour le chauffage des étables et des habitations de la population rurale, etc.
Nous retenons que parallèlement aux actions proposées par la FAO et par le nouveau réseau récemment créé à Paris, il est nécessaire d'inclure aussi dans les activités présentes et futures de l'Organisation les problèmes mentionnés plus haut.
Je voudrais signaler que de telles préoccuations existent en Roumanie où nous avons organisé des stations pilotes pour la production de l'énergie dans le secteur agricole et rural et nous pensons coopérer encore avec des firmes et des organisations étrangères, éventuellement avec des pays étrangers ayant des possibilités techniques plus avancées en vue de la production d'installations spécifiques permettant de satisfaire avant tout nos besoins et de faire part de notre expérience à d'autres pays qui s'intéresseraient à ce domaine d'activités.
La Roumanie est d'accord avec le document présenté.
G. A. STENEKER (Canada): We have read document C 81/25 dealing with the question of energy in the agri culture sector with interest. The material presented to us seems fairly complete and the possibilities of alternate energy sources and related problems have been covered most adequately.
We appear to be dealing once again with an area of concern which requires integration of effort, both within the agriculture and food sector and with non-food sectors such as forestry.
FAO has an important role in helping member countries who have the primary responsibility for action, to put all the appropriate pieces together and maintain an adequate perspective on energy in agriculture and forestry.
With the question of increasing energy demands, additional pressure is placed upon the soil, which in the final analysis is the resource that we have to maintain and manage on a sustained basis, in order that we may be able to reap continuous benefits from it, whether they be in the form of agricultural products either for food or energy, or wood for energy or timber. Each country will therefore have to set its priorities in the framework of an overall national energy policy, keeping in mind at the same time the optimum carrying capacity of the soil. I believe that the Swedish delegate referred to this item.
Canada's food system uses approximately 15 percent of the total energy usage with only 3 percent going to production activities. The primary forest industry uses another 5 percent of total usage and generates the equivalent of 4 percent of total usage itself.
The primary effort in Canada concerning reduction of energy use is directed to conservation and manu facturers have already reduced consumption by more than 10 percent.
In Canada no government policy has yet been established to promote the production and use of energy crops. Canada is conscious of the competition that could develop between food and energy crops. Canada has only about 4 percent of its land base in arable land with a maximum of 7 to 8 percent in the general agricultural category. Furthermore, only about 3 to 4 percent of wood cut annually is used directly for fuelwood. At the same time, Canada is concerned by the potential additional pressure that could be placed on land by expanding production of fuel crops.
The attraction of fuel crops is clear and inviting in the short term. The longer-term political food cost and environmental implications are not as clear.
In a discussion of the problems associated with energy cropping, the document could pay more attention to the factors which will govern each country's decision concerned on this matter. Each country will allocate its soil resources in the pattern which it feels provides maximum political, social and economic returns. I note that the bulletin on energy cropping has been issued recently by FAO. Perhaps the conclusions of that document should have been appended to document C 81/25.
Canada has recognized the importance that wood, as a source of energy, can play in its total national energy budget. Under a programme called ENFOR, an acronym for Energy from the Forest, the Canadian Forestry Service aims to develop the knowledge and technical competence to facilitate increased contributions from forest biomass to Canada's total energy requirements. Programmes deal with subjects such as inventory, harvesting transport, ecological impact and conversion to energy. The overall objective of the programme is to meet, by the end of the century, 25 percent of the primary energy demands with forest-based raw materials. This percentage will be made up primarily from logging residues and energy plantations will play a relatively minor role.
Recent achievements of ENFOR are an important advance in forest biomass inventory methodology, new techniques and machinery for processing logging residues, development of gasification technology and pioneering work on the production of liquid fuels. In the above areas we would be most interested to share technology with other countries.
The need in many countries for a greatly increased programme of fuelwood plantations is clear. To achieve the objectives suggested at the Nairobi Conference on energy, difficulties to be overcome would seem to lie primarily in the socio-economic field rather than the technical field.
It has been Canada's experience that the nature of land tenure is of the utmost importance. Those responsible for the establishment of plantations should also have the responsibility for their management and final utilisation. This will create the much needed incentives and assure that those indivi duals who establish and manage the crops will also obtain the direct benefits -from them.
J. B. WARREN (United Kingdom): We thank the Secretariat for preparing document C 81/25. We are aware that its contents have previously been considered by FAO's various technical committees and therefore its main value lies in its attempt to present a complete review of rural energy systems and proposals for an integrated approach to the needs and problems which are identified under energy.
We suggest that these can be conveniently sub-divided into the following categories:
1. Present and future energy needs of agriculture and associated rural populations.
2. Technical potions for meeting these needs from within and without the agricultural rural system.
3. Potential of agriculture and forestry as a source of fuels for the urban and industrial sectors.
4. National and international issues related to the evaluation and implementation of technical options including food: fuel competition
5. Identification of the main tasks and their priority to be accomplished during the next 5-10 years including where the main responsibility for execution lies; and finally,
6. An elaboration of tasks appropriate to the FAO and the Agricultural Department in particular, and subsequently to outline ways to promote coordination within FAO and with other UN agencies.
The discussions at the Committee on Agriculture in March covered these basic points very effectively.
We commend FAO action in assembling information on the rural development situation in developing countries and bringing it to world attention; we therefore encourage them to continue to improve the information both in regard to needs and resources available and to the appropriateness of new techno logies for their use. The assembly and dissemination of information and perhaps some involvement in training are the most appropriate activities for FAO in this field. The work of the FAO panel of Experts on Forest Genetic Resource is particularly important in regard to genetic resource for fuelwood species of arid and semi-arid zones.
I now turn to the section on energy for agriculture. In paragraph 16 an annual growth rate of 3. 7 per cent in developing countries' agricultural production is said to require about an 8 percent rise in energy use. Although agriculture presently demands only about 3. 5 percent of world commercial energy, it is very unlikely that a four-fold increase in energy will be available in developing countries by 2000 AD. We cannot see these quantities of energy being freely available to the farming sector, more especially as they will be at the end of a long supply chain.
In this respect we agree with the distinguished delegates of the Philippines and the United States that there appears to be a need to encourage a measure of re-distribution of commercial energy towards the agricultural sector in cases where productivity is being retarded by a shortfall of supplies. This having been said there can be no doubt that the conservation of energy use must be a priority since present productivityper unit of energy input is much lower than it ought to be,
In paragraph 22 we fully support the thesis given. There is a tremendous potential for saving energy in agriculture in developing countries. The greatest short-term (say five years) potential is by improving the management of existing equipment whereas in the longer term (say fifteen years) the use of improved cultivation techniques and alternative fuels will become essential. The use of herbicides could reduce machinery inputs for ploughing. We suggest therefore that the use of herbicides should rise and that as a consequence the percentage increase of energy use by farm machinery could be reduced. This leads to a consideration of energy substitution.
Systems to develop more efficient energy use will have little impact in resource-low smallholder agriculturet since the use of commercial energy is also low. We agree with the delegates from Turkey and elsewhere who maintain that the greatest saving and the focus of the programme should be on more efficient use of chemical fertilizers. This will naturally necessitate training of extension and research staff. Paragraph 29 mentions the need to change entire farming systems. This is not only a drastic but also an impractical procedure to try to implement, as practitioners of farming systems will know only too well. There may be scope for substituting non-renewable energy by renewable sources, involving changes in farming systems, but it must not be assumed that it is automatically desirable to do this without regard to economic circumstances. Certainly in the United Kingdom we would take the view that renewables should only supplant non-renewables as it becomes economic to do so.
In paragraph 32 reference is made to animal energy systems. We support further work on animal draught as the equipment already available does work, but greater attention should be given to extension work in areas that can utilize oxen. In Britain our National Institute of Agricultural Engineering is looking into the efficient use of animal power in support of the point raised in this paragraph. The emphasis in the future will be on maximising the power available from animals and utilizing it more efficiently rather than developing tools and evaluating them purely from the work produced,In addition, our Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine in Edinburgh is also working on the energy available from various animals.
Turning to energy from agriculture we agree with the many speakers who have drawn attention to the overwhelming importance of fuel wood which is by far the largest renewable source of energy at present; the recognition of the fuel wood crisis is probably the most critical international issue, and the repercussions of the fuel wood crisis on crop and livestock production, on the environment and on labour availability in the. agricultural sector, as mentioned in paragraph 65, are properly emphasized. We support the general thesis of this section and find the references to more specific papers of considerable value.
Finally, I should like to refer to energy cropping and here we agree with the many speakers who have referred to the dangers of potential competition between food crops and energy crops and we do not wish to elaborate further. However we would like to point out that the British Overseas Development Administration will shortly be publishing a handbook for planners entitled "Power Alcohol' which will include chapters on Process Technology, Benefits and Justification, Developmental Issues, and other topics which are fully explored.
The meeting rose at 13. 05 hours
La seance est levée à 13 h05
Se levanta la sesión a las 13. 05 horas
