Dr. A. TANCO (President of the World Food Council): Director-General Edouard Saouma, Executive-Director Vogel, other distinguished guests and members of the Council: We all know that I have been invited here as a stopgap measure because the Vice-President and Vice-Chairman of the Council have not yet been elected and this gives time for delegations to negotiate further. But nevertheless this is the first time that the President of the World Food Council has been present at an FAO Council session, not because we have not been invited, not because the FAO has not been invited to the World Food Council sessions, but for one reason or another we have not taken advantage of this opportunity to attend.
I want you to know that my attendance here on behalf of the World Food Council is a token of both our esteem and friendship for the leadership of the FAO today, Dr. Bukar Shaib and Edouard Saouma, also of the importance we attach to the role of FAO in eliminating hunger and malnutrition in the world and therefore the importance of the FAO Council.
The first thing I would like to do is to congratulate the FAO on the quality of its leadership. The professional reputation and the vigorous leadership of Dr. Bukar Shaib is well known not only in his country, the largest in Africa, but also throughout the developing world and indeed in all the food circles in the world. Director-General Saouma, on the other hand, has impressed all developing countries with his dynamism, the fact that he has done so much in so little time in this key food organization of the world. In fact,listening to him this morning on his theme of action organization on his FAO action report we are more than ever impressed with the leadership and the vigour which he has instilled in this institution. Whether it is asking for funds for emergency food aid, getting the food aid swiftly to the countries that need it, helping that most critical of regions, the Sahel region, tackling the newly reborn problem of locusts, providing TCP assistance to Asia, including among others my country, in a very swift fashion, his leadership has resulted in a vastly stepped-up programme of action of FAO.
In particular, his report this morning dwelt on obtaining additional funds, not only from Saudi Arabia but also from some other Arab and OPEC countries and this is one of the most critical things called for today.
FAO, then, is revitalized relevant now to countries, not,in the words of Dr. Saouma himself,an ivory tower full of dusty documents.
I do not intend to try to match the report of Dr. Saouma. I want to add only a few remarks, with your permission. First, allow me to introduce to you the new World Food Council team. Emulating the FAO we have installed within the last few months an entirely new managerial team at the World Food Council. At the helm we have Mr. Maurice Williams, an American from a developed country. Most of you know him, most of you knew him either as the USAID Deputy Administrator, particularly those from Bangladesh where he spent a great deal of time trying to coordinate efforts of assistance to that country at a critical time, or in Africa, as one of the prime organizers of the help to Sahel. Most recently he has been Chairman of the Development Asistance Committee of the OECD in Paris and as such has been administrator of billions of dollars worth of assistance over the last few years, indeed a friend of the Third World.
We are also very pleased that we have obtained within the last few weeks the services as Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Council a distinguished gentleman known to many of you in the FAO, Mr. Salahuddin Ahmed, who was the first Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to FAO, in fact was Chairman of the Agricultural Committee while he was Permanent Representative of FAO and subsequently became Chairman of Finance Committee of FAO and most recently was Permanent Secretary of Home Affairs of the Government of Bangladesh.
In No. 3 position is an Australian, Mr. Kalloway, who is still concurrently Assistant Secretary for Policy and Evaluation of the Australian Development Assistance Bureau, and only the last few weeks a Latin American from Brazil, Dr. De Gaspari, who is a Brazilian economist and used to head the technical staff of the President of Brazil.
With this kind of a team I think we will attempt to emulate the vigour, the movement, of the FAO and try to match it, although its footsteps are large indeed.
I do not intend to discuss FAO/World Food Council relations, because this is part of the agenda and will be taken up at the proper time, other than to repeat that the World Food Council is not in competition but in partnership with the FAO. Neither will I bore you with a lengthy repetition of the results of the Mexico meeting or the Manila Communique. I simply want to take up two or three points about our Manila and Mexico meetings. The first one pertains to the need to develop food plans and food policies in developing countries. As you all know, the dynamism of the FAO and the World Food Council notwithstanding, the main job of food production lies in the developing countries themselves. In this connection, in Mexico we tried to approach the contradictory statements made repetitively when one talks about the increased investments, increased external or internal resources going into food production in developing countries. On the other hand, the developing countries themselves, as you all know, say, "We do not have enough external resources being put into food production in our countries." Developed nations do not achieve the seven tenths of one percent of official development assistance that is asked of them. At the same time when one approaches the developed countries, when one approaches international financial institutions, the common complaint that is heard is that they have a lot of resources, more than enough resources, but that there are very few bankable projects. The term is used of absorptive capacities of developing countries. This dead-end dialogue has been continuing for many years now, as all of you are familiar with. In Mexico the 36 ministers and plenipotentiaries of the World Food Council instructed us to try and break this impasse once and for all. They instructed us to try and request developed nations to get together to identify the bottlenecks towards increased resources going to world food production efforts in developing countries. They asked international financial institutions to do the same. Then they asked developing countries to get together through their regional organizations or regional banks to identify the bottlenecks towards increased priority for food and increased investments, both internal and external, toward food production in their own respective countries.
The World Food Council has been faithful to these orders. Already the World Bank has agreed to coordinate meetings of the international financial institutions. The OECD has agreed to coordinate the position of developed countries,and other bilateral institutions and the regional banks, as well as the respective regional United Nations bodies of Africa, Latin America and Asia,have agreed to serve as a forum for developing countries to get together and themselves identify the bottlenecks toward increased investments in their own countries.
I say that because if these series of conferences which will end up, hopefully, in a round-up meeting in Bellagio early next year, if this does succeed in arriving at identifying bottlenecks and thus arrive at concrete and tangible programmes of action to remove these bottlenecks, then the role of the FAO will be critical. Because critical to increased investments is the preparation not only of food plans such as the African food plan prepared by the FAO but, even more important, the preparation of project studies, of project proposals that are bankable for developing nations to implement their food plans with; and in this, par excellence, the FAO's role is paramount.
The only other thing about Manila and Mexico is this whole problem of nutrition. It is like many other things: everyone talks about it but nobody does much about it. Both the FAO and the World Food Council have stressed the problem of malnutrition repeatedly in the past. It would seem to me that we now have a golden opportunity for the FAO to lead in tackling this whole problem of malnutrition together with agencies such as the WHO and UNICEF. We have already identified two micro-nutrient deficiencies which appear to be capable of solution within the next decade, the problem of goitre which affects two hundred million people, according to your fourth World Survey, and severe vitamin A deficiency which causes blindness in one hundred thousand children every year. It would seem to me that FAO has a special role in this battle against malnutrition, since it has admittedly the largest and most competent nutrition staff of all the international financial institutions. Because of these two - the role of FAO in policy and planning and the role of FAO in nutrition - may I add to the eloquent plea of your Director-General the pleas of the 36 member nations of the World Food Council for the fullest financial support to be given to the FAO in the next biennium. At a time when resources are short, that is the time to give more money to where it is more important and that would seem to me to be the whole area of food and nutrition.
I have one more point before closing, and that is this. Despite the Casandra-like warnings of people who speak about the food scene, despite the despair and the pessimism that is rife among many circles, the 36 ministers and plenipotentiaries of the World Food Council, together with the leadership of FAO, I am confident and believe that now is the time when conditions are ripe for us to be able to solve the food problem within the next decade; certainly, probably not - as the Director-General was reminding me during lunch - probably not within the next six years, which was the goal established by the World Food Conference four years ago, but certainly within a decade. I say this because for the past few years mankind has had the technology to double or even triple crop yields, particularly in commodities grown in the tropics and sub-tropics where hunger is most serious. It has been demonostrated clearly that farmers in the developing countries will shift to new technologies if these prove sufficiently productive and profitable. The experience of the People's Republic of China in wheat and rice, the experience of India in wheat, the experience of Pakistan and the Philippines in rice, the experience of Colombia in rice, of Kenya in maize and countless other developing country examples, are sufficient proof that this is possible.
Secondly, sufficient fertilizer supplies have become available, as you will know, at prices well below the peak of 1974. Thirdly, international assistance mechanisms exist, and some would say the will in developed nations to provide assistance exists, so that funds and technical assistance can be provided to food production in sufficient quantities for the first time in many, many years.
Fourth, it would seem to me, having gone around in the last year and a half as World Food Council President, talking to the leadership of many developing countries, that the world's political and international leaders have become much more aware of the food problem and much more desirous of diverting resources into solving these problems. This, my friends, to me is a most vital ingredient which has not been present in many parts of the world recently. In fact, the creation of the World Food Council itself, together with the Global Hunger Action Programme it is now pursuing, is witness to this growing political awareness since 1974. I am saying that because it; would seem to me that the FAO council, the World Food Council and other bodies concerned with food now have a golden opportunity to seize the conditions present today. As the world has put a man on the moon in the last few years, it would seem to me that the technology and the will combined can, in fact, catapult food production into vast increases within the next few years. Again, what is needed is for us to act in concert. In the last analysis, as I have said, it is countries themselves that will determine whether we win or lose our fight against hunger and malnutrition.
It is for institutions such as FAO to assist these countries in this battle, and of course we are all aware of the critical role that FAO played towards this end.
Allow me to close fittingly - since the World Food Council has now met in two developing countries in the last two years, the Philippines and Mexico - with the appropriate words of the Heads of State of these two nations. In Manila President Marcos quoted Thoreau: "There is no ill which may not be dissipated like the dark if you let in a stronger light upon it. Yet, if the light we use is but a paltry streak and narrow taper, most objects will cast a shadow wider than themselves." What is now needed, my friends, is not "a paltry and narrow taper" but a stronger light. And that light can be provided - using the words of His Excellency President José Lopez Portillo in Mexico whose campaign theme was the phrase "La solución somos todos" - the solution is all of us together: the FAO, the World Food Council, all the nations of the world acting together.
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CHAIRMAN: Thank you very much,Dr. Tanco, for this very interesting address. This sort of interaction between the World Food Council and the FAO Council, will, I am sure, lead to a better understanding and better cooperation between the two councils, so that we do not seem to work at cross-purposes, as had happened in the past. I am sure that under your presidency the World Food Council will come closer and closer to FAO. Of course you are within FAO, and the FAO management and the management of the World Food Council grow close together. Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN: If you will allow me, I should like to take the easier job first designating the Drafting Committee. Since these people are going to be the real victims and will have to work at all sorts of odd hours, perhaps we might put them in the document first. I have been advised, after consultation, that as Chairman of the Drafting Committee, or the Rapporteur, the suggestion is to nominate His Excellency M.A. Papageorgiou the Ambassador and Permanent Representative to FAO of Greece.
Mr. Papageorgiou is well known to all of us; he has taken an active part in deliberations of FAO and I think this appears to be a very good suggestion. I now put it to the House that Mr. Papageorgiou be the chairman of the Drafting Committee. The members of the drafting committee will be represented by a country and discussions have been held and the following are suggestions for your approval. For Asia the country recommended is India. Is India acceptable? Next, for Europe, we have France. For Africa we have Ghana and Zaire. For Latin America, we have Cuba. For North America we have the United States of America. Finally, for the Near East we have here a suggestion of Libya.
A.J. PECKHAM (United Kingdom): I was really rather surprised that all regions have not been included. I think it is a custom to do so and I thought that the South West Pacific area had not been represented. I did at a certain stage express views on this and I am surprised not to see them included. I do not see why the Drafting Committee should not include everyone.
CHAIRMAN: There have been discussions on this. The list I have now is eight and if you want to have a big Drafting Committee then we can include New Zealand to represent the Pacific. Does the house support this? New Zealand, I hope you are not going to refuse!
M.L. CAMERON (New Zealand): I was certainly going to express some concern on behalf of the South West Pacific region but we will certainly accept that and thank the Council very much for including the region in the Drafting Committee.
CHAIRMAN: Now we will go back to the question of the Vice-Chairman. As you know, according to our Rules, we are to have first and second Vice-Chairmen, in other words two Vice Chairmen. The Secretariat has worked on those assumptions and looked back into the record and suggestions have been made, but as many members may know, we have a grand old man amongst us who is going to retire, and that is Mr. Frank Shefrin. We feel that since this is the last session that Mr. Frank Shefrin is attending and since he has served the FAO for a very long time - in fact, I hope Mrs. Shefrin is not here but I have heard it said that Mr. Shefrin has been married to the FAO longer than to his wife, and I thought that if the house will agree I will call on the Legal Adviser to advise us on how we can suspend or amend the Rules for this particular occasion so that we can honour one of our members. If you agree to do this, I will then call on the Legal Adviser to explain to us how we can have three Vice-Chairmen instead of two.
LEGAL COUNSEL: Mr. Chairman, from your introductory remarks I take it that the proposal now is to have, for this particular Council session, three Vice-Chairmen instead of two. As you have pointed out, the Rules of Procedure of the Council provide for the election of a first and a second Vice-Chairman. In the event that the Council would wish to elect three Vice-Chairmen the relevant Rule would have to be suspended for the present Council session. A provision for suspension is contained in Rule VIII paragraph 2 of the Rules of Procedure of the Council which reads as follows: ''A Rule of Procedure of the Council may be suspended by the Council provided that 24 hours'notice of the proposal for the suspension has been given. The notice may be waived if no member objects''. Mr. Chairman, you may therefore wish to put it to the Council whether the Council would wish to suspend the Rule on the election of two Vice-Chairmen only for the present session and to elect three Vice-Chairmen. If the Council were in agreement with the suspension and the waiver of notice, nominations could be then called for the election of three Vice-Chairmen.
CHAIRMAN: It is quite clear now what we can do, and I suggest to you that we suspend the rule requiring the election of two Vice-Chairmen so that we can elect three and also that if no member has any objections, then the 24-hour notice clause should also be suspended. I put it to you that we take the actions advised by the Legal Adviser. If there are no comments, no objections, then I take it that we can suspend the Rule for this session for the purpose that was explained. Therefore we can go on to select our Vice-Chairmen. Now I do not want to classify Frank. What I want to do is to put to you that we elect Mr. Frank Shefrin of Canada as Vice-Chairman by acclamation now.
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F. SHEFRIN (Canada): In many years in the FAO I have been involved in many and active arguments and in many active debates and nothing pleases me more, than that in my last session here I should be in the middle of some rather active discussions and active debates,only I should have been happy if I was one of the ones who was one of the fighters rather than being merely, shall we say, a party to what was happening. I must also say that during my many years I had the interesting experience of I have said the issue is not a legal question, it is a question of substance that is important and I would like to think of myself as being a matter of substance rather than a legal question!
I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman, I want to thank all my friends for honouring me in this way. However, I look upon my Vice-Chairmanship as a job and not an honour; in this case I would expect to participate fully as an active participant, as a Vice-Chairman.
CHAIRMAN: You are certainly a man of substance, there is no doubt about that! May I call for nominations for the first Vice-Chairman?
H.L. CLAVERIE RODRIGUEZ (Venezuela): Con enorme satisfacción y gran complacencia hemos aceptado un delicioso encargo que nos ha sido formulado por la región latinoamericana, a través de la Presidencia de dicho grupo, la delegación de la República de Costa Rica, que lamentablemente en esta ocasión no pertenece al Consejo.
Se trata, Sr. Presidente, de pedir a este ilustre órgano que considere la candidatura de Su Excelencia la Sra. Florence A. Chenoweth, Ministro de Agricultura de la República de Liberia, para una de las Vicepresidencias de esta sesión del Consejo.
Indudablemente la solicitud que se nos ha hecho no podría haber sido más agradable para nuestra delegación. Estoy convencido de que cualquiera de los representantes que hoy se encuentran en esta sala la hubiera cumplido con el gusto con que lo hace la delegación de Venezuela.
La Excelentísima señora Florence Chenoweth, Ministro de Agricultura de la República de Liberia desde el año 1976, es altamente conocida por los miembros de este Consejo a través de las sabias directrices que ha sabido otorgarle a la política agropecuaria de su país y a la sana influencia que ha desarrollado en su propia región.
A la señora Chenoweth le cupo el honor de ser la primera mujer liberiana graduada en agricultura, y su amplia preparación académica ha culminado con la obtención de un honroso Master en Economía de la Agricultura otorgada por la Universidad de Wisconsin.
La señora Chenoweth, antes de entrar en posesión de su actual cargo de Ministro de Agricultura de Liberia sirvió a cabalidad a su Gobierno en varios e importantes puestos oficiales relacionados con el sector agrícola.
Es por todo lo anterior, Sr. Presidente, que reitero con gran satisfacción, en nombre de la región latinoamericana, la candidatura de la Ministro de Agricultura de la República de Liberia, Sra. Florence Chenoweth, para el cargo de Vicepresidente de este Consejo.
CHAIRMAN: You have heard that Venezuela has nominated Mrs. Florence Chenoweth, Minister of Agriculture of Liberia, to be the first Vice Chairman. Any seconds?
M. KADIATA-NZEMBA (Zaire): Monsieur le Président, ma délégation appuie fermement la candidature présentée.
CHAIRMAN: I now put it to you that we elect Mrs. Florence Chenoweth as the First Vice-Chairman.
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Mrs. F.A. CHENOWETH (Liberia): I would just like to say this to all of those who have supported us as we have just been nominated to serve you as First Vice-Chairman. I have taken an active interest in matters relating to FAO and relating to the Council for quite some time, and since as an agriculturist we believe in action and not a lot of words, I will promise you that it will be my pleasure to serve you as your First Vice-Chairman and I will serve as such to the best of my ability.
CHAIRMAN: I now call for nominations for the Second Vice-Chairman.
M, DESSOUKI (Egypt): (Interpretation from Arabic): It is my pleasure to present the candidature of Ambassador Rahman, the representative of Bangladesh, for the post of Second Vice-Chairman. His Excellency was the first Ambassador of Bangladesh to the Soviet Union, and then he was High Commissioner of Bangladesh to the Government of India. He is currently Ambassador of Bangladesh to Italy.
It is my pleasure, therefore, to nominate him for Second Vice-Chairman.
CHAIRMAN: Ambassador Rahman, the head of the delegation of Bangladesh, has been nominated as Second Vice-Chairman. Are there any seconds?
H. MENDS (Ghana): Ghana has great pleasure in seconding the nomination of His Excellency S. Rahman for the post of Second Vice-Chairman for this Session.
CHAIRMAN: I now put it to you that Mr. Rahman of Bangladesh be elected to the Second Vice-Chairman for this Session. If I hear no objections, then I take it that Mr. Rahman has been duly elected.
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S. RAHMAN (Bangladesh): Allow me, Mr. Chairman, to thank you and the distinguished delegates for nominating me as the Second Vice-Chairman for the current Session of the FAO Council. I understand that this honour is not only in appreciation of the great love which all the friendly countries here present have for Bangladesh, but also in apreciation for the great efforts Bangladesh is making in order to solve her agricultural and food problems in the near future.
While recognizing and admitting the fact that we are lucky to have you, Mr. Chairman, as our Chairman to guide the deliberations of this Council Session, I extend my whole-hearted cooperation and that of my delegation to you, Mr. Chairman.
N. ISLAM (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department): The details of the present world food and agricultural situation are contained in the Mini-SOFA (document CL 74/2), and in the updating document (CL 72/2-Sup.l). However it may be useful if I briefly remind the Council of the highlights of the situation and of some of the main problems and issues to which it may wish to give special attention. At the same time there is some new information to give you that is not in the documents, and I should also draw attention to certain new features in the documents.
I would single out six broad problem areas and issues. None of these will be new to the Council, but in each case there are some recent developments to report. First, food and agricultural production in the developing countries continues to increase much more slowly than is required, particularly in the poorest of these countries. Second, the number of people suffering from chronic hunger and malnutrition has increased, Third, in spite of the high level of global cereal stocks, there is still no viable system of food reserves. Fourth, food aid remains insufficient. Fifth, only slow progress has been made in improving the conditions of international trade in agricultural products. And sixth, the flow of financial resources to the agriculture of the developing countries is much less than is required to meet production targets.
Some of these matters will be taken up in detail by the Council under later Agenda Items, especially world food security under Item 5, nutrition under Item 10, and food aid under Item 11. But it is also necessary to include them in any general review of th world food and agricultural situation.
To begin with production, the preliminary estimates for 1978 shown in Table 1 of the updating document appear to be largely confirmed by the new information so far available. It now seems probable, however, that the increase in world food production shown as 3 to 3.5% will be closer to the lower end of this range. In the developing countries, both food and agricultural production are now estimated to have increased by about 2.7% in 1978. Thus the average annual increase in agricultural production in these countries during the first eight years of DD2 remains not only well below the 4% target, but also below the 3% achieved in the previous decade. Although there was an encouragingly large recovery of production in Africa in 1978, its DD2 rate of growth remains less than half that achieved in the other developing regions.
The record world cereal harvest in 1978 is now estimated at about 1 410 million tons (including rice in milled equivalent), which is slightly more than was expected earlier. It was recently announced that the U.S.S.R. cereal harvest reached a record level of more than 230 million tons (including pulses) in 1978.
The desert locust invasion in Africa and Asia, and the outbreaks of African swine fever in Europe and Latin America that have been striking features of 1978 will also affect the 1979 production prospects in a number of countries. Otherwise, it is still too early to say much about these prospects, except to mention that, since the preparation of our updating document, the United States Government has announced that in 1979 its set-aside programme will again be in force for coarse grains as well as for wheat.
The last session of the Conference asked us to study "the factors responsible for some countries achieving a production performance above the average and some below'-. We have done some preliminary work on this, and you will find some summary data on individual country performance, in the Mini-SOFA. But I must emphasize the great complexity of this question, because of the many different factors involved. One major aspect that we are now pursuing further is the relation between production performance and the flow of financial resources.
I turn now to the spread of hunger and malnutrition. The Council will already be familiar with the disquieting conclusion of FAO's Fourth World Food Survey. This year's Mini-SOFA contains a tentative assessment of food supplies and nutrition in the developing countries up to 1976. These data, together with what we know of per caput food production in 1977 and 1978, suggest that there is not likely to have been much improvement since 1972-74.
As regards world food security, it is at least encouraging to be able to report that the total carryover stocks of cereals (outside China and the U.S.S.R., for which we have no figures) is expected to reach about 200 million tons by the close of the current 1978/79 seasons. At this level, they would be about 21 percent of annual consumption in the countries concerned. But the stocks are still very narrowly distributed geographically. Most of them are concentrated not only in North America but in an extremely narrow belt of this region, where transport problems even in a normal year are such that, in the event of widespread harvest shortfalls, it would be difficult to move them quickly enough to where they were needed.
This adds even greater urgency to the need to establish the internationally coordinated system of national food reserves envisaged in FAO's International Undertaking on World Food Security. Progress here has for some time depended on the UNCTAD negotiations on a new international grains arrangement. As the Director-General has already stated in his speech, the reconvened negotiating conference on a new international grains agreement has again been adjourned without success. The Council will be able to discuss this disappointing development when it takes up the Report of the Third Session of the Committee on World Food Security.
Once again in 1977/78 food aid shipments failed to reach the World Food Conference's minimum target of 10 million tons of cereals. The preliminary allocations for 1978/79 now appear to have met this target, for the first time since it was established. However, in the absence of the guarantees provided in quantitative terms under a new Food Aid Convention, it remains to be seen whether shipments during the current year will actually reach this figure, and whether future commitments will continue to be made at this level. The contributions for 1978 to the International Emergency Food Reserve of 500 000 tons of cereals reached only 315 000 tons. The last session of the World Council agreed that this reserve must be replenished on an annual basis.
Concerning international trade in agricultural products, in 1977, for the second year in succession, the developing countries slightly increased their share of world exports of agricultural, fishery and forest products, and there was a small improvement in the terms of trade of their agricultural exports in relation to manufactured goods. However, the long-term trend in their share of world agricultural exports has been downward, and the rise in their terms of trade has already been reversed in 1978. FAO is attempting to analyse the changes in the degree of protectionism for agricultural products, and the results will be reported when the next session of the Conference examines progress in International Agricultural Adjustment.
The Mini-SOFA this year contains more information than usual on the market situation for main commodities, and on trade problems and policies. This is because, with no session of the Committee on Commodity Problems, developments in commodity and trade matters are dealt with under the Council's Agenda item on the State of Food and Agriculture.
There has continued to be intensive activity in international trade negotiations. As regards individual commodities, the infornai price arrangements under FAO auspices for jute and sisal have been continued, and also extended to abaca. There has been further work on the feasibility of an international agreement for bananas. Under the Integrated Programme for Commodities, FAO and UNCTAD are jointly servicing the preparatory work for an agreement on tea. The preparatory work on rubber has been completed, and a negotiating conference for an international agreement is under way.
More generally, the resumed session of the UNCTAD negotiations on a Common Fund for an Integrated Programme for Commodities is due to end only today. The GATT Multilateral Trade Negotiations continue, but it remains to be seen if they can be successfully concluded by the end of this year.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, I come to the question of the flow of resources for the agriculture of the developing countries. As regards external resources, our latest data indicate that, although there was a large increase in real terms in 1977, the total commitments of external assistance for agriculture were little more than half the target figure. Next year we hope to have figures of actual disbursements as well as commitments.
Information is particularly scanty on domestic expenditure on agriculture. We are making special efforts to improve the supply of information, including the issue of a new statistical questionnaire to Member Governments, and hope that high priority will be given to supplying the information requested. If you can help us in this way, we should from next year be able to provide a much better analysis.
In the meantime, the two documents before you contain some preliminary information on total investment (public and private, and domestic and external) in agriculture. These data are being analysed more fully for the final version of the State of Food and Agriculture 1978. The first results of this analysis are not very encouraging. There appear to have been increases in rather few developing countries either in agricultural investments in the real terms or in their share of total investment. However, the analysis completed so far covers only capital investments, and does not include the current expenditures on agriculture (for example, for fertilizers and other inputs, and for government services like extension). We have now begun to analyse the available data on the current expenditures, and it is particularly in this important area that we hope to obtain additional information from the new questionnaire.
I think this is all that I need say at present. My colleagues and I are of course ready to answer any questions that may arise during the course of your discussion.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you very much, Professor Islam. This is a very important subject. Before I give the floor to Members, I have been informed that items 4 and 4.1 are covered by the same document, and if you noticed, the introduction by Professor Islam also covered the two-. So when you are discussing, you can take the items 4 and 4.1 which are Commodity and Trade Matters. I give the floor to Brazil.
B. de AZEVEDO B.RITO (Brazil): My delegation attributes particular significance to the Review of the State of Food and Agriculture by our FAO Council. We feel that this review is specially useful in providing individual countries with a global picture against which they can measure their own efforts and evaluate their own expectations, both for production and for markets. We are grateful to the Secretariat for presenting us in document CL 74/2 with an excellent summary of available information upon which the Council can base its own conclusions.of the current situation in the field of food and agriculture.
We are also particularly appreciative of the excellent over-view of the current situation presented this morning by the Director-General. His observations and suggestions provide in our view an excellent framework for a renewed and strengthened international cooperation in the area of agricultural development. More than that, they give the direction FAO should take to further attune its programmes to the needs of the developing countries and the requirements of the New International Economic Order. I make a specific reference to the statement of the Director-General in the context of Item 4 of our Agenda, since we feel that the examination of the food and agricultural situation should be closely linked to the policies and programmes to be followed by this Organization.
With your permission, Mr. President, I would like to highlight a few aspects which we feel deserve the attention of the Council at this stage.
Taken globally, estimates of food and agriculture production, both in 1977 and 1978, justify in our view a degree of measured optimism in the light of stable levels of growth in production, particularly for cereal crops. Incrased production and higher stocks of both wheat and secondary grain suggest a relatively easy supply situation in global terms. Such an assessment needs, however, to be qualified. As document CL 74/4 points out, food and agricultural production of developing countries taken as a whole continues to lag far behind the target of 4 per cent of annual growth, with the alarming result that the number of malnourished in those countries is approaching the staggering figure of half a billion people. While it is true that there has been some progress in some regions and countries, the lack of progress in others is significant. Food import requirements in other developing countries may well have reached the level of seriously handicapping their developing efforts.
One might well ask - and this Council should certainly do - what has been the response of the international community to the plight of developing countries. While official commitments of external assistance for the agriculture of the developing countries have shown some recovery.in 1977 compared to 1976, it remains true that financial transfers to those countries remain much below the necessary target for external inputs to permit the 4 per cent annual growth envisaged in the International Development Strategy. Unfortunately, this is only part of the story, for neither have the production efforts of the developing countries been matched by developed countries in the crucial area of access to markets. Increased protectionism in the industrialized world has proved a constant source of frustration for all those who are trying to raise and improve living standards in the developing world by raising the levels of agricultural production and agricultural exports.
After indicating briefly its assessment of the State of Food and Agriculture, my delegation would like to present to this Council a few observations on our own current agricultural situation. As is well known, drought in the early part of the year in 1978 has affected adversely a number of important Brazilian crops this year. The fall in production has been particularly significant, as the documents indicate, for soya, corn, and rice, for which estimates of production for the current year are the following: rice 7.3 million tons (compared to 8.9 million tons in 1977), soya 8.9 million tons (compared to 12.5 million tons), maize 13.7 million tons (compared to 19,3 million tons. For a number of other important crops, however, production has increased for the year of 1978. That is the case, for instance,- for bananas, with a production of 4.3 million tons; for coffee with 2.4 million tons; for sugar cane with 129 million tons; for black beans with 2.5 million tons; for oranges with 6 million tons; and for cassaba with 26.5 million tons.
Taken as a whole, the rate of increase of agricultural production in Brazil in 1978 might not reach one per cent - significantly below, therefore, the 6.3 average annual growth rate of the period 1970 to 1977. Again, this point is well reflected in the comments of the Secretariat. The fact that the level of growth was 9.6 per cent in 1977 underlines the downturn caused by unfavourable weather conditions. Exports of agricultural products, which reached 7.5 billion dollars in 1977, will reflect the same trend of production. The present rate works out at 5.7 billion dollars of agricultural export, perhaps not more. The magnitude of this figure shows that, even in an unfavourable year, Brazilian agriculture is able to provide an important export surplus in most crops.
To give a few examples, taking the 1974 to 1977 average, one can see that 78 per cent of the soya, 78 per cent of the coffee, 87 percent of the cocoa, 23 percent of the sugar, and 40 per cent of the oranges produced in Brazil have been exported. The average growth of agricultural production in Brazil has been substantially higher than the 2.8 per cent population growth rate, and above the 4 per cent rate of growth envisaged in the International Development Strategy. Early estimates for 1979 suggest that agricultural production might repeat or even surpass the excellent performance of 1977. Brazil continues to expand its agricultural frontier as a matter of high priority. While in 1977 and 1978 around 44 million hectares were under cultivation, estimates for 1979 indicate that the cultivated area might reach 48.5 million hectares. Between 1974 and 1979 the area under cultivation is estimated to increase at an annual rate of 4.6 per cent - above therefore, the 4 per cent envisaged in the Second National Development Plan.
I have provided this Council with a few figures in order to underline the scope of the Brazilian contribution to a world where hunger will become scarce and where the basic human right to adequate food and nutrition will be universally respected. In spite of a number of constraints - the most serious being the cost of external inputs like fertilizers, and the perennial question of access to markets - Brazil has shown a steady increase both in the area under cultivation and in the productivity of the land.
One and a half centuries ago the Brazilian nation was enlarged and strengthened by the arrival of our brothers from the proud people of the Hausas, the Yorubas, the Ibos, and of the Fulani, all of the coming from your native Nigeria. I feel we can both be proud of what we have since achieved together on the other side of the Atlantic. I thank you very much Mr. President.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you very much, delegate for Brazil. There are indeed a lot of similarities between your country and mine. If one looks at a map, it has been said that in prehistoric times Brazil and Nigeria were in fact joined together because the bends fit. Therefore, we have the same crops and the same people.
M.E. HRAOUI (interprétation de l'arabe): A l'occasion de la soixante-quatorzième session du Conseil, qu'il me soit permis, M. le Président, de vous souhaiter, à vous et aux Vice-présidents, le meilleur succès dans vos travaux avec l'espoir que nous serons en mesure d'atteindre notre objectif, grâce à votre compétence et grâce à la façon tout à fait remarquable dont vous conduirez certainement les débats.
J'aimerais maintenant faire certaines observations relatives à la déclaration de M. le Directeur général ainsi qu'aux documents, dont nous sommes saisis par le secrétariat, relatifs à la situation mondiale de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture en 1978.
Qu'il nous soit permis de féliciter le Directeur général pour son allocution très complète de ce matin et de féliciter également les fonctionnaires de l'Organisation qui ont participé à l'élaboration et à la parution du document sur la situation mondiale de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture en 1978. Ce document montre bien que le taux d'accroissement de la production agricole mondiale en 1978 n'a pas dépassé le chiffre de 2 pour cent. Les statistiques publiées et relatives à l'année 1978 semblent indiquer que l'on peut s'attendre à une meilleure situation en 1978 par rapport aux années précédentes: mais si l'on compare ces statistiques à la situation que nous connaissons maintenant il ne faut pas nous cacher la réalité: de graves problèmes se posent à l'heure actuelle, notamment la malnutrition et la sous-nutrition en Extrême-Orient, en Asie. Il existe toute une série de nations très déshéritées dont les stocks de riz ne permettent pas de couvrir plus de 5 pour cent de la consommation.
Les autres stocks céréaliers représentent 17 pour cent de la consommation et c'est la première observation que je désirais faire.
J'en viens à ma seconde observation: 45 pour cent des réserves céréalières mondiales sont détenues par un seul pays et une partie importante de ces réserves risquent de ne pas trouver un accès sur le marché car on voudra les vendre à un prix très élevé. Or, il faut bien voir que les stocks des pays en développement sont en voie de diminution.
J'en viens maintenant au problème du criquet pèlerin qui constitue une menace très importante pour l'agriculture du Proche-Orient, de l'Afrique de l'est et de l'Asie du Sud-Est. Vous êtes tous parfaitement conscients des dégâts considerables provoques par les criquets pèlerins dans ces ragions du monde. Nous ne pouvons donc qu'exprimer nos vifs remerciements au Directeur général pour la façon très rapide dont il a réagi en aidant les pays affligés par les acridiens. Nous tenons également à remercier tous les pays qui ont fait preuve d'une grande générosité en nous donnant des ressources nous permettant de mener cette lutte. Je tiens à remercier en particulier le Royaume d'Arabie Saoudite qui nous a donné un demi-million de dollars; également la Banque arabe de développement africain qui nous a fourni 400 000 dollars pour nous aider dans notre lutte contre cette invasion acridienne qui constitue un véritable fléau.
Des différentes statistiques qui nous sont proposés, il ressort d'un grand nombre de ceux qui souffrent de la malnutrition sont passés de 400 millions a 450 millions. Ce chiffre à lui seul doit appeler notre attention sur le problème de la famine mondiale; problème qui exige de la part de toux ceux qui peuvent le faire, qu'ils nous tendent la main, qu'ils nous aident et qu'ils nous assistent. A cette occasion, je tiens à remercier l'Organisation pour l'étude tout à fait remarquable sur la situation de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation dans le monde. Des études comme celles-ci peuvent permettre à certains de croire que nous sommes tous pleinement conscients de la situation. Nous ne perdons pas de vue toute fois que l'Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture a la responsabilité de la situation mondiale de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture, qu'il ne doit pas exister de rivalité, ni de concurrence dans un domaine dans lequel la FAO a joué un rôle de pionnier depuis les trente dernières années.
Pour ce qui est du Programme de la sécurité alimentaire, nous notons avec plaisir qu'on attache à l'Organisation toute l'importance que mérite ce Programme. Nous pensons que l'individu, l'homme, a un droit sacré à l'alimentation et que les aliments sont la meilleure alternative qui existe aux médicaments et que si la FAO appuie le Programme de sécurité alimentaire par son budget, cela permettra de répondre aux besoins croissants des Etats Membres et aux demandes croissantes des Etats Membres.
Nous sommes donc reconnaissants à l'Organisation de ce qu'elle envisage de faire dans ce domaine. A cette occasion, nous tenons également que soient pris en compte les remerciements que nous adressons à l'Organisation pour la façon rapide dont elle a répondu aux demandes des régions nécessiteuses du monde, notamment, celles qui ont eu à souffrir de la sécheresse, je pense au Sahel, à l'Ethiopie, à l'Afrique et je pense également aux autres régions du monde qui ont subi des désastres naturels, inondations par exemple: je pense au Soudan, à l'Inde, au Bangladesh, au Viet Nam et à la Thaïlande.
Nous espérons également être en mesure d'augmenter le montant des réserves alimentaires internationales d'urgence pour que cette réserve internationale atteigne 500 000 tonnes. Par le passé, ce programme a atteint des niveaux aussi bas que 50 000 tonnes. A cette occasion, ma délégation tient à exprimer son appui pour la proposition soumise par le Directeur exécutif du Programme alimentaire mondial, ayant pour objectif de donner une solution aux problèmes alimentaires, et j'espère qu'un grand nombre de nos pays seront en mesure d'augmenter leur apport aux banques pour permettre à celles-ci d'agir de façon plus efficace, pour lui permettre d'atteindre les objectifs qu'il s'est fixés, notamment dans le cadre de ses programmes dans les pays en développement.
Pour ce qui est des produits de base agricoles, nous prenons acte de ce que la situation s'est légèrement améliorée au plan du commerce international des produits agricoles de base; néanmoins, ces améliorations ne correspondent pas à nos attentes. C'est la raison pour laquelle nous suivons de près la politique de "dumping" pratiquée par certains pays exportateurs, qui a certaines conséquences négatives affectant le commerce des pays en développement et notamment leurs exportations de produits agricoles. Certains pays industrialisés, certains pays avancés exagèrent leur politique de protectionnisme et n'ouvrent pas suffisamment leurs marchés aux pays en développement. Nous constatons avec regret également que les pays tant importateurs qu'exportateurs n'ont pas encore réussi à s'entendre sur une convention sur le blé qui aurait pu être suivie par une convention sur l'aide alimentaire. Nous regrettons vivement que les Etats membres du GATT n'aient pas réussi à s'entendre sur un engagement international relatif à certains problèmes comme par exemple le "dumping", le refus de l'accès à certains marchés. Nous estimons qu'il est extrêmement regrettable que ces négociations n'aient pas encore été couronnées de succès en raison de divergences de vues entre pays industrialisés eux-mêmes. Il ne s'agit pas en effet de problèmes entre pays du Nord et pays du Sud pour ce qui est de l'assistance à l'agriculture; nous sommes tout à fait satisfaits de l'accroissement du volume de cette assistance à l'agriculture des pays en développement. Les chiffres globaux de cette assistance en 1977 ont été de 6,4 milliards de dollars, augmentation de 23 pour cent par rapport à l'année précédente. Il s'agit donc d'une augmentation sensible due à un grand nombre d'organisations internationales, nationales, et aux pays de l'OPEP. Les pays de l'OPEP, en effet, ont versé 350 millions de dollars pour l'agriculture alors que les États riches d'Europe n'ont versé pour leur part que 35 pour cent de la somme globale. Autrefois, ces pays fournissaient 40 pour cent de cette aide.
C'est également avec satisfaction que nous avons note que la plus grande partie de l'assistance passe maintenant par l'agriculture, notamment pour les pays en développement qui ont bien besoin d'investissements agricoles et qui ont bien besoin de développer leur production agricole. Le chiffre global de l'aide est toutefois encore loin de l'objectif fixé par le Programme alimentaire mondial, à savoir 8 millions de dollars par an.
Nous tenons à exprimer tous nos remerciements à la Banque arabe de développement économique en Afrique, qui a versé 15 millions de dollars aux pays africains pour qu'ils soient déboursés dans le cadre du programme d'assistance technique à la FAO. Sur ce chiffre, 3 millions de dollars ont déjà été versés aux pays du Sahel pour leur permettre de lutter contre les conséquences de la sécheresse. En outre, la même banque arabe a accordé 400 000 dollars de subvention pour la lutte contre les criquets pèlerins. Nous attendons beaucoup de l'avenir, et nous espérons que la Banque arabe sera en mesure d'accroître l'aide qu'elle apporte aux pays qui en ont le plus besoin, ceci à l'issue du sommet arabe qui a prévu un chiffre plus important pour les pays africains.
Nous tenons également à remercier la FAO pour les différentes activités qu'elle déploie dans les différents domaines de l'investissement agricole.
Nous sommes également très satisfaits des efforts réalisés par le centre d'investissements de l'Organisation dans le domaine des investissements agricoles. L'aide attribuée pour l'agriculture a représenté récemment 2 millions de dollars, tandis que, par le passé, ces chiffres s'articulaient aux environs de 6 millions de dollars.
Nous tenons à louer les efforts du FIDA, et nous sommes très satisfaits de la collaboration fructueuse qui s'est instaurée entre le FIDA et la FAO.
Nous espérons également que les pays riches répondront aux appels qui leur sont faits pour une assistance financière accrue mais nous constatons que celle-ci a diminué. Leur pourcentage de PNB est passé de 0,52 pour cent à 0,31 pour cent tandis que l'objectif fixé par l'assemblée générale des Nations Unies est de 0,7 pour cent.
J'en appelle donc aux pays riches pour qu'ils prêtent une main secourable aux pays pauvres, puisque ce monde ne saurait aspirer à un avenir meilleur et ne saurait parvenir à la paix et à la prospérité aussi longtemps que la famine et la faim menacent les déshérités du monde et aussi longtemps que le fossé séparant les riches et les nantis du Nord et les pauvres du Sud continuera à s'accroître.
G. BULA HOYOS (Colombia): En primer lugar, haremos unas breves referencias al Suplemento 1 que complementa y actualiza las informaciones del documento básico CL 74/2, aunque en realidad el Suplemento solo confirma las tendencias ya previstas.
Se nos dice en el Suplemento que de acuerdo con las perspectivas favorables que ya se habían señalado para la producción en 1978, esa producción ha aumentado, pero el mayor aumento se ha producido en los países desarrollados.
También hay una referencia a las buenas condiciones del tiempo, que permite en 1978 una producción mundial re'cord de cereales, lo cual a nuestro juicio no debe causarnos complacencia pasiva, porque creo que aún todos recordamos la crisis de 1965 y 1966, a la cual siguió el aumento excepcional de la producción en los países en desarrollo, de un 6%, cuya situación es la que describe este documento. Esto confirma claramente que las pocas veces que se producen aumentos de producción en los países en desarrollo se debe solamente a factores coyunturales aunque no se han logrado establecer las bases sólidas y definitivas sobre las cuales los países en desarrollo puedan asegurar el crecimiento progresivo de su producción.
Finalmente, nos llama la atención en el Suplemento una frase que no hemos entendido a cabalidad y que tampoco aciaró el funcionario que presentó el tema, que trata de la declaración de un gobierno manifestando que para la cosecha de 1979 volverá a estar vigente la reserva del 20% de la superficie destinada al trigo y se espera el anuncio relativo a los cereales secundarios. Si se trata de recongelación de áreas de producción como ha sucedido en el pasado, la delegación de Colombia no vacilaría en afirmar que esa sería una actitud desafortunada que debemos deplorar porque es incoherente con la situación que se padece en otras regiones del mundo.
El estudio del documento CL 74/2 sobre el estado mundial de la agricultura y la alimentación conduce a conclusiones importantes en relación con el propio estado de esa situación y también con el comercio internacional de productos básicos de que se ocupa este documento al final y que, de acuerdo con lo que ha señalado usted, señor Presidente, corresponde al Subtema 4.1 del que también nos estamos ocupando.
Debemos hacer constar en nuestro informe que la leve recuperación de la producción apenas si no ha llevado al estado anterior a la crisis que se agudizo a partir de 1972; es decir, seguimos paralizados, sin avanzar hacia las metas que reclama la comunidad, mientras que los desnutridos en los países en desarrollo han aumentado de 400 a 450 millones, que representa el 25% de la población de nuestros países. La producción mundial agrícola y alimentaria aumento solo en un 2% en 1977; en los países en desarrollo, con economías de mercado, el aumento fue el 3%, sin embargo, ese aumento anual promedio dista mucho del objetivo del 4% del cual se viene hablando desde hace muchos años.
Al registrar las mejoras que se han producido, nos corresponde igualmente hacer constar que aún perduran muchos problemas y que los progresos continúan siendo excepcionalmente lentos en relación con los objetivos a largo plazo.
En el marco de los países en desarrollo nos complace registrar los aumentos, de la producción en algunas regiones, pero nos preocupa la situación en Africa que describe este documento. Por ello la delegación de Colombia encuentra acertada la respuesta inmediata y favorable que la. FAO ha dado a los Ministros africanos de Agricultura para la preparación de un plan alimentario regional africano. En el documento se afirma que la primera fase de este plan se ha terminado recientemente. Sería deseable que la FAO continuara ofreciendo su asistencia a la demanda de esos altos representantes de los gobiernos de Africa.
Convendrá destacar en nuestro informe la seria advertencia que se hace en este documento sobre el hecho de que si continúa el retraso en la producción en Africa y en los países más gravemente afectados en general, esa situación alcanzará proporciones inmanejables, pero además de registrar estos hechos, nos corresponde también analizar las causas de ese estado de cosas y tratar de señalar algunas posibles soluciones.
El incremento de la inversión agrícola en los países en desarrollo continúa siendo requisito indispensable para el aumento de la producción. El Banco Mundial, los Bancos Regionales y otros organismos de crédito están aumentando sus inversiones en el sector.
Del Fondo Internacional de Desarrollo Agrícola, el FIDA, se habla por lo menos en dos partes de este documento CL 74/2 en las páginas 30 y 40 del texto español, pero en ambas ocasiones nos da la impresión de que tal vez se le atribuye menor importancia de la que el FIDA tiene y va a tener en el futuro en el campo de la asistencia financiera para la agricultura.
Somos conscientes de que el FIDA no es la panacea que de la noche a la mañana va a arreglar todos los problemas de la asistencia financiera, pero confiamos en que este importante organismo, que apenas tiene un año de vida, sí va a corresponder a las esperanzas de solucionar en buena parte el problema de las inversiones. Esperamos que una vez que se hayan comprometido los recursos de más de 1 000 millones de dólares en los primeros dos o tres años, como está previsto, los fondos del FIDA se van a reconstituir y la acción de este fondo continuará beneficiando gradualmente a los países en desarrollo como esperamos siempre en estrecha y creciente cooperación con la FAO.
En cuanto a los resultados en los diversos países de que habla el documento en la página 6 del texto español, consideramos que se destacan las razones por las cuales existen diferencias de rendimiento productivo entre los diferentes países en desarrollo. En Colombia actualmente nos autoabastecemos de todos los alimentos con excepción del trigo, en el cual somos tradicionalmente deficitarios, pero para el incremento de la producción triguera estamos explorando nuevas posibilidades. El nuevo Gobierno colombiano goza de completa estabilidad política y económica no obstante los problemas universales en este último campo. Estamos estimulando el crecimiento de la producción por todos los medios posibles; el Gobierno ha concedido alta prioridad a la agricultura como fortalecimiento de la natural ocupación agrícola del pueblo colombiano; hemos establecido precios de sustentación para estimular a los productores y proteger a los consumidores; en el país está en curso un programa de desarrollo rural integrado en el cual coopera la FAO, dirigido a dotar a los medianos y pequeños campesinos de servicios y compensaciones que estimulen su trabajo.
Todas estas medidas del Gobierno colombiano están dirigidas a beneficiar a los medianos y pequeños agricultores; es la esencia de la política socioeconómica de nuestro Gobierno; el Ministro de Agricultura ha declarado que los alimentos son la base de la paz social.
Finalmente, la delegación de Colombia desea hacer unas breves referencias al capítulo titulado "El comercio internacional de productos agrícolas", en el cual con franqueza y realismo se plantea la difícil situación en que se encuentran los países en desarrollo. El valor total de la explotación mundial de productos agrícolas en 1977 aumentó en un 12%. Por dos años consecutivos los países en desarrollo tuvieron una ligera recuperación en la participación de los beneficios derivados de esas exportaciones, pero en seguida, a partir ya de 1978, esa situación ha cambiado de nuevo en desmedro de los países en desarrollo.
Igual cosa ha sucedido en la relación de intercambio entre los precios de los productos agrícolas exportados por los países en desarrollo que han descendido y los de las manufacturas exportadas por países desarrollados, que han subido.
En nuestra opinión, la situación es clara y en ese juego es fácil reconocer quiénes tienen el libre arbitrio de esa situación e impiden que los países en desarrollo avancen satisfactoriamente. Apenas mejore la situación en otros países, ellos aumentan los precios de los bienes de capital que nosotros necesitamos para nuestro desarrollo.
En una ocasión, echábamos la culpa, injustamente, al alza de los precios del petróleo, que ahora se han estacionado según dice este documento; en cambio, los valores unitarios de la exportación de productos manufacturados aumentaron con el doble de rapidez que los precios de exportación de los productos agrícolas. Esto hay que señalarlo en nuestro informe. Es como la presentación de una parodia aparentemente hábil con la cual se nos entretiene.
La delegación de Colombia llama la atención del Consejo sobre la sección "Problemas y políticas comerciales" que han realizado pocos avances en la solución de los problemas del comercio internacional de productos agrícolas. Las leves mejoras logradas no consiguen invertir la desfavorable tendencia a largo plazo, las políticas proteccionistas siguen vigentes, las barreras a la importación continúan siendo altas, la liberación de las importaciones provenientes de los países en desarrollo son casi insignificantes. Cuando en el pasado nos referimos a estos males crónicos, siempre se nos ha dicho que debemos esperar, pero ya la paciencia toca a su límite, la aplicación del sistema generalizado de preferencia ha sido lenta y acomodaticia, los debates y las negociaciones sobre el programa integrado para los productos básicos aún siguen desde 1976, después de la Junta de Nairobi, siguen resultando concretos. El fondo común no ha podido constituirse, mientras tanto siguen las consultas o se suspenden, según lo declaró el Director General esta mañana.
Nosotros siempre hemos pensado que en el seno de la FAO los representantes de todos los gobiernos nos reunimos con el espíritu de plena cooperación y entendimiento, sin distingos.
Con este espíritu, la delegación de Colombia propone que en nuestro informe hagamos un enésimo llamado más, franco y categórico a los países desarrollados para que revisen su actitud y asuman la responsabilidad política, moral y social que les corresponde, para que finalmente ofrezcan su cooperación seria, sincera, amplia y constructiva en asistencia de los países en desarrollo, particularmente de los MGA para que estimulen en éstos el crecimiento de la producción agrícola y eviten nuevas y graves crisis como las del pasado.
Igualmente, la delegación de Colombia propone que exhortemos a países desarrollados a que realicen sus propósitos de abrir los mercados a la exportación agrícola de los países en desarrollo, que eliminen las barreras y las trabas, que no se inquieten con los pequeños progresos económicos de los países en desarrollo, lo cual parece que los lleva al alza de los precios de los bienes de capital de los países en desarrollo.
La delegación de Colombia quisiera seguir creyendo en la frase del Sr. Pierson y de los miembros de su Comisión cuando afirmaron que el desarrollo es una empresa común pero ante la marcha de los hechos a que nos hemos referido, tal vez nos va a corresponder estar de acuerdo con los buenos vecinos y distinguidos amigos de China, sabios de todos los tiempos, quienes afirman que los países en desarrollo deben valerse por sí mismos. Esto es lo que queremos. A eso aspiramos, pero no nos dejan, no nos lo permiten quienes tienen los medios y el poder.
CO. KELLER SARMIENTO (Argentina): Una vez más debemos agradecer muy especialmente a la Secretaría por la gran calidad de los documentos presentados en este caso, me refiero al documento CL 74/2 y CL 74/2 Sup. 1. Son documentos que son leídos con mucho interés y son pasados de una parte de la administración a otra, y son tomados como un índice de referencia de inestimable valor por las autoridades de mi país.
Quiero agradecer de manera especial al profesor Islam por la excelente introducción que ha hecho, que ha aclarado algunas dudas que teníamos al respecto. Posteriormente, me referiré con mayor precisión a algunos aspectos de los mismos.
La exposición del señor Director General, de esta mañana, una vez más ha encarado con profundidad y acierto los problemas de los países en desarrollo, ha señalado con preocupación la necesidad global de estos países en desarrollo y sobre todo se ha detenido en indicar las necesidades de importación de cereales, la cual aumentará de 66 a 90 millones de toneladas en 1985. Es por ello, que me detendré un momento en este punto para hacer saber en esta oportunidad lo que estamos haciendo en nuestro país para resolver este problema. Por ello, si usted me lo permite, mencionaré algunos hechos y algunas cifras de interés que podrán dar una idea más cabal de la actividad de la Argentina en el sector de la agricultura y la alimentación.
Interesa esta mención no tanto por tratarse de uno de los pocos países en desarrollo productor eficiente de alimentos, sino por la enorme capacidad de expansión potencial de su producción, con la que se podría enfrentar con mayor éxito las sombrías perspectivas que se han señalado para otras regiones del mundo afectadas por el hambre y malnutrición.
La producción de maíz de la República Argentina en 1977/78 así como la de lino, arroz y sorgo han sufrido un aumento considerable, no así la producción de trigo que será este año de alrededor de 7 millones de toneladas con una capacidad de exportación de 3 millones y medio de toneladas. El problema del trigo es un problema de precios, de condiciones metereológicas, al cual me referiré más adelante. Con ello, la participación Argentina en el comercio mundial de cereales ha aumentado en el último bienio, del 6,7 al 8 por ciento y la participación en el comercio de carne ha pasado del 11,2 al 23 por ciento en el último año.
La República Argentina ha exportado 583 mil toneladas de carne en 1977 y exportará 700 mil toneladas en 1978.
Cabe señalar que por diversas razones de naturaleza comercial y estructural, estas cifras de producción de cereales y carne no han sufrido variaciones de importancia mayor en los últimos años.
No obstante, la República Argentina está decidida a incrementar en forma drástica su producción y para ello, acaba de finalizar estudios destinados a revelar la potencialidad del país como productor de granos, y señalar la presencia de cuellos de botella que impiden la expansión normal de este sector.
Desde hace 40 años, la producción argentina de maíz y trigo se mantiene en una cifra que no ha sufrido drásticamente variaciones. ¿Cómo es posible esto en la era del empleo masivo de fertilizantes, de la tecnificación del agro, de las nuevas tecnologías de siembra, cultivo y cosecha? Estos dos productos, maíz y trigo, mientras la producción de la Argentina no registró modificaciones, su producción en el total mundial se incrementó en un 217 por ciento. El crecimiento reciente de la producción de soja y sorgo fue compensado por la disminución de las áreas sembradas con lino, avena, centeno y sobre todo alfalfa. De modo que prácticamente no sólo no ha habido incremento importante en los rendimientos sino que no se han incrementado las superficies de siembra.
Un análisis exhaustivo y completo efectuado hace poco en el país sobre estos problemas, índica que con una aplicación más extensa de la tecnología existente en el país se puede lograr una cosecha de 38 millones de toneladas. Nuestra última cosecha fue de 28 millones de toneladas.
Un segundo nivel que prevé el estudio realizado implica la utilización de tecnología avanzada media, que significa un mayor empleo de agroquímicos y fertilizantes para el curso de la próxima década, la incorporación de nuevas tierras a los cultivos y una producción de alrededor de 68 millones de toneladas de diversos granos y oleaginosos.
En el tercer nivel que se espera alcanzar a finales de siglo, y que requiere la aplicación de alta tecnología y que se refiere básicamente a la extensión del riego por aspersión, supone una producción de 102,5 millones de toneladas, de las que 80 millones quedarían como saldo exportable.
Cabe señalar que el empleo de la tecnología que llevaría a estas cifras no se aparta de las conocidas, disponibles y aplicables en otras regiones de características similares o menos favorables a las del país. Ahora bien, ¿cuáles han sido las causas de este estancamiento relativo que ha vivido el país en el campo de la producción agrícola? Tengo conciencia de que no se trata en esta reunión de mencionar problemas particulares de cada país, pero sí deseo mencionar que han sido varios y la conjunción de todos ellos ha hecho que el resultado sea verdaderamente triste para nuestro país. Sin embargo, este problema está en vías de ser resuelto a raíz de un programa de construcción de nuevos silos de antepuerto con una capacidad de 2 millones de toneladas financiados por el Banco Mundial recientemente. El país está dispuesto a hacer un gran paso adelante en este sector y ya en el último año se han construido silos con una capacidad aproximada al millón de toneladas. Se está mejorando la infraestructura a través de una más racional explotación de las vías férreas y fluviales existentes. Al respecto, permítaseme señalar nada más que en el embarque de granos efectuado en el último mes de agosto derivado de compromisos de exportación, se ha llegado a la suma de 2 141 119 toneladas, lo que significa un 22,3 por ciento superior al récord de los 10 últimos años, acaecido en 1977. En lo que va del año, las exportaciones de granos llegaron a 14 millones de toneladas, con un promedio mensual de 1 750 000 toneladas.
Con respecto a la carne, pese a mantenerse las dificultades de comercialización en los países de la Comunidad Economica Europea, que siguen poniendo trabas al ingreso de este producto y subvencionan su propia producción, así como el desaliento que provoca en el productor la existencia de 44 millones de cabezas en 1976/78, se ha incrementado hasta llegar a 60 millones en 1977/78, lo que significa un incremento de casi el 25 por ciento. El consumo de carne de los argentinos sigue siendo uno de los más altos del mundo, con cerca de 100 kilos per capita por año.
Por último, una leve mención a las superficies destinadas a los cultivos. Sobre un total de 2 800 000 kilómetros cuadrados de superficie continental, existe una superficie cultivada permanentemente de 29 800 000 hectáreas. Además, los campos naturales y artificialmente ocupados por haciendas y susceptibles de ser empleados e incorporados a la estructura con poco esfuerzo suman 137 100 000 hectáreas. La superficie forestal del país abarca entre montes y bosques 63 300 000 hectáreas.
El esfuerzo que se está realizando en el país se ha hecho en condiciones muy difíciles de coyuntura mundial y se debe exclusivamente al esfuerzo de todos los argentinos y a una política sana de expansión nacional. La riqueza del país depende exclusivamente de su producción agropecuaria y sus posibilidades de vender sus productos en el mercado internacional. Es este mercado con sus fluctuaciones de precios, sus estímulos, y posibilidad de acceso a todos los países, el que condiciona exclusivamente la evolución de la economía argentina. Por este motivo, estamos especialmente reconocidos a la FAO, no sólo por la tarea rectora que efectúa en este campo a través de su información y sus estadísticas, sino por la importancia que ha dado al sector del comercio internacional de productos agropecuarios. La Argentina quiere jugar su rol en este sentido y está dispuesta a hacerlo.
Un pequeño comentario sobre los aspectos de problemas y políticas comerciales señaladas en el documento CL 74/2 . En la página 37 se comenta el interés de la FAO en preocuparse por estos problemas que afectan esencialmente los niveles de producción de los países en desarrollo. Agradezco al distinguido representante del Líbano y de Colombia de que hayan tenido la gentileza de mencionar, especialmente los países en desarrollo y sus accesos a los mercados de países de valor altamente adquisitivo. Estamos plenamente de acuerdo en que es necesario que se apliquen los problemas de acceso a los mercados que existen para una amplia gama de zonas templadas de producción. En la página 39, también deseo destacar la importancia que tiene para mi país el hecho de que los prestamos del Banco Mundial de la Asociación de Fomento aprobados en 1979 para la agricultura fueron casi un 75 por ciento superiores a un nivel medio de los tres años anteriores.
Por último, del análisis que hemos efectuado, surge evidentemente la necesidad del esfuerzo propio, como recientemente parece haber sido mencionado por el distinguido representante de Colombia, que fue dicho por el representante de China, el esfuerzo propio en resolver sus propios problemas y contribuir a incrementar las posibilidades de enfrentar con éxito el hambre y la malnutrición.
Pero también es importante la solidaridad internacional no sólo en los planes de ayuda, que en muchos casos se dan in extremis, sino en permitir a los países en desarrollo incrementar sus productos y estimularlos para ello. Esto será muy difícil mientras subsistan restricciones al comercio de esos productos y a su natural acceso a mercados de valor altamente adquisitivo. Estos mercados sostienen en general agriculturas ineficientes basadas en complejos problemas de apoyo sectorial.
Por ello, nos congratulamos con la FAO una vez más en hacer hincapié en estos problemas y le auguramos una mayor comprensión de los mismos a los países responsables.
S.A. PERVEZ (Pakistan): Mr. Chairman, at the outset we would like to wish you and your distinguished Vice-Chairmen all success in the conduct of this Session.
This morning we heard the Director-General's address reviewing the World Food situation and the activities of FAO during the last one-year period. As always, we heard him with great interest and have been impressed by his insight into the various problems facing the world in the field of food and agriculture. We agree with his various approaches to meeting the manifold problems. With his comprehensive approach we feel that FAO will go a long way towards achieving those objectives of eradicating hunger and malnutrition from the world. I would like to assure him of our support and do hope that the Council would give him and his organization the much needed support that is to our minds imperative when we consider the nature and the dimensions of the problems he has highlighted.
We would on this occasion like to congratulate Dr. Ralph Phillips on formally assuming his high and responsible office. We wish him all success.
We also take this opportunity of welcoming Mr. Sylla. His is an onerous assignment, and we feel that the job is in competent hands.
We have read document CL 74/2 with great interest and would like to compliment the Secretariat for presenting a comprehensive picture of the World Food and Agriculture situation. It is an even picture, with both dark as well as light aspects. The favourable aspect of the current food situation, that is, the high level of cereal stocks with prospects of a further rise in 1978/1979, is more than offset by the disturbing fact that the number of malnourished in the world are probably increasing. Cereal import requirements of MSA countries continue to increase, while the balance of payments difficulties prevent them from importing adequate quantities.
While fertilizer prices have reached an increase, fertilizer assistance has declined, placing further burden on the MSA/LDC. Official commitments of external assistance for the agriculture of developing countries has shown an upward trend, but we are nowhere near the attainment of the target set by the World Food Council in 1974. Similarly, commitments of food aid in cereals have increased, but we have still not achieved the figure of 10 million tons. Indeed, there are some disturbing developments which need immediate attention. Cereal imports requirements of the MSA have increased by 1.2 million tons as compared to 1976/77. There has been a serious and potentially dangerous outbreak of desert locust. Food and agriculture production in developing countries continues to lag far behind the basic target of 4% annual growth. Contributions to the IEFR have still not reached 500 000 tons in any one given year. With regard to the increased dependence of developing countries, this problem should be viewed both in the short-term as well as the long-term perspective. In the short term, the obvious and only answer is increased food aid. Leaving these countries to depend on their own means will place too heavy a burden on their meagre resources which they might not be able to bear. In the long term, the answer is increased investments in both internal and external resources in agriculture. The situation caused by the outbreak of desert locust is another matter which deserves the immediate attention of the Council. The response by the Director-General has been both prompt and positive, and we take this opportunity of thanking him for his help to Pakistan in meeting this grave situation. We also thank all the donors who have contributed so far, but as much more needs to be done, we would urge all those in a position to do so to contribute generously in meeting this potentially disastrous situation.
It is true that the present high level of global stocks produces the ideal opportunity for the implementation of the Food Reserves Provision of the FAO's International Undertaking on World Food Security, but this question is closely linked with the negotiations for the establishment of Internationally Coordinated Food Security Reserves which have been carried out within the broader framework of negotiations concerning the new International Grains Agreement.
Unfortunately, there has been little progress in attaining this agreement to revise the International Wheat Agreement of 1971. These talks have been adjourned indefinitely. This is indeed a matter of concern.
As regards the current food situation in Pakistan, we are in a somewhat difficult position due to wheat shortage resulting from rust attack on last year's crop. We have taken steps to import rust-resistant varieties from other countries, and we expect to have better results this year. This incidentally is a good example of DAC in operation.
We have also read the portion of CL 74/2 on development assistance and investment of agriculture with considerable interest. Mr. Chairman, with your kind permission I would like to say a word about the investment in agriculture in Pakistan and this is with reference to Table 19 on pages 34-35. As it would be apparent from this table, Pakistan is already doing its utmost to develop its agriculture. The fifth Five-Year Plan which was launched earlier this year has accorded topmost priority to the agriculture sector. The new Agricultural Development Programme is a rational mix of technological change, economic measures, and institutional structuring. It seeks to achieve a more effective and enlarged use of modern inputs with a view to achieving a substantial increase in agriculture. This is combined with our efforts to build institutions and infrastructure in the agricultural sector to sustain growth in future, also. An allocation that represents 32.1 million, representing 21.7%, that is, well over one fifth of the total public sector of the planned outlay, has been earmarked for agriculture and related water resources development.
I will not take your time by quoting expensive figures but will merely highlight some of the main objectives of our agricultural development during the period 1978/1983 in broad terms. These are to achieve a growth rate of 6% per annum for the agricultural sector, increased oil seeds production with a view to containing imports of vegetable oil, accelerated production of eggs, milk and fish, in order to improve the nutritional level of the common man, upgrade agricultural production in the outlying areas through an integrated plan for exploitation of reserves with a view to minimizing infraregional farm income disparity to improve the productivity of small farmers who comprise a majority of the farming community. Lastly, and before we close, Mr. Chairman, may we compliment His Excellency, Dr. Tanco, the President of the World Food Council, on a most thoughtful discourse. We welcome his initiative to establish a closer and mutually rewarding relationship to the FAO. We are sure this will contribute greatly in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.
CHAIRMAN: As we agreed in the morning, we will now have to stop and adjourn the meeting in order to honour our former Director-General, Dr. B.R. Sen, but because we have lost some time in the morning we are now running very much behind schedule.
Before we adjourn, I would like to tell you how many people still remain to speak. They are New Zealand, Bangladesh, China, India, Belgium, Japan, Federal Republic of Germany, Hungary, France, Cuba, and Senegal, with an Observer, and Iraq now, so that means we have to continue the debate tomorrow on this very important item, and I would like to suggest to you that in order to catch up at least part of the time we start tomorrow at 9 o'clock instead of 9.30, if this is agreeable to Members, so that we can meet our deadline of finishing as early as possible by the 6th of December.
I now adjourn the meeting until tomorrow at 9 a.m.
The meeting rose at 17.00 hours
La séance est levée à 17 heures
Se levanta la sesión a las 17.00 horas
