LE PRESIDENT: Je vous rappelle que, ce matin, nous avons laissé à cet après-midi la possibilité d'avoir une candidature pour le troisième poste de Vice-President. Y a-t-il des délégués qui souhaitent intervenir à cet égard?
E.P. ALLEYNE (Trinidad and Tobago): The delegation of Trinidad and Tobago is pleased to nominate for the position of vice-chairman Mr Dató Seri Mohammed Khalil Hj Hussein of Malaysia, who is quite familiar with the work of the Council.
B.N. NDIMANDE (Zimbabwe): I would like to second the nomination of Mr Dató Seri Mohammed Khalil Hj Hussein from Malaysia as vice-chairman. He is very familiar with the work of the Council.
Zhenhuan LI (China) (Original language Chinese): The Chinese delegation supports the nomination of the representative from Malaysia as deputy chairman.
LE PRESIDENT: Nous sommes saisis de la candidature de M. Dató Seri Mohd. Khalil Hj. Hussein, représentant de la Malaisie. S'il n'y a pas d'autres interventions, je considérerai qu'il vient d'être élu Vice-Président et je lui adresse mes chaleureuses félicitations, étant convaincu qu'il nous sera d'un grand appui dans la conduite de nos travaux.
Applause
Applaudissements
Aplausos
LE PRESIDENT: Je ne sais pas si nous pouvons aborder l'autre question restée en suspens, celle du choix du Président et des membres du Comité de rédaction.
Leopoldo ARIZA HIDALGO (Cuba): Nosotros en nombre del Grupo 77 hemos venido realizando contactos con la OCDE y con los presidentes regionales de Africa, Asia, Medio Oriente y América Latina para la constitución del Grupo de Redacción.
El Comité de Redacción ha estado formado tradicionalmente por 13 miembros (ocho y cinco). En esta oportunidad la OCDE ha planteado sólo cuatro. Por lo tanto, el Comité de Redacción estará formado de esta forma: ocho en desarrollo, cuatro desarrollados, cuyos nombres son los siguientes: Turquía, Italia, Francia, Estados Unidos de América, México, Trinidad y Tabago, India, Filipinas, Egipto, Líbano, Zaire y Zambia.
Queremos expresar que, lamentablemente, no hemos podido definir la Presidencia. Esperamos que en el término de esta tarde podamos definir la Presidencia del Grupo.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie le délégué de Cuba. Y a-t-il d'autres remarques? Pouvons-nous considérer que cette liste est avalisée par le Conseil et constituera notre futur Comité de rédaction?
Nous considérons donc que les pays dont la liste vient d'être lue constituent le futur Comité de rédaction. Je rappelle cette liste: Turquie, Italie, France, Etats-Unis d'Amérique, Mexique, Trinité-et-Tobago, Inde, Philippines, Egypte, Liban, Zambie et Zaïre.
It was so decided
Il est ainsi décidé
Así se acuerda
Leopoldo ARIZA HIDALGO (Cuba): Primeramente, queremos felicitar a la Secretaría por la presentación del tema, al Sr. Islam por su acostumbrada objetividad en la presentación de estos temas y al Director General por su exposición tan amplia y abarcadora que, realmente, consideramos completa con bastante precisión algunas cuestiones de este tema que nos trae preocupación.
El documento presentado por la Secretaría es una evaluación económica a nuestro entender, muy tímida. Sólo refleja parte de la realidad. El documento en este contexto y en estos criterios tiene debilidades en cuanto a que no precisa los puntos cruciales. Sin embargo, tenemos que decir que la intervención del Director General acotó con precisión la real situación de nuestras regiones en los campos alimentarios,económicos, productivos en el comercio, la situación real de la deuda externa, el proteccionismo, el desarrollo desigual. Esto, a nuestro juicio, completa este documento.
Las observaciones las hacemos para señalar con objetividad los problemas que atraviesa el tercer mundo. Por ejemplo, podemos decir que el párrafo número 2 señala consideraciones sobre el producto interno bruto que, a nuestro entender, hay que agregarle que el crecimiento fue insuficiente y ha estado desigualmente distribuido. Por ello, el producto por habitante experimentó una generalizada disminución, no por otra cosa.
Dos. El flujo de los recursos financieros, a los países en desarrollo no sólo ha disminuido drásticamente, sino que éstos se han convertido en exportadores netos de capital a los países desarrollados. A manera de ilustración, podemos decir que en 1982 los países en desarrollo habían recibido 10 400 millones de dólares y en 1985 transfirieron 31 000 millones de capital neto. La región de América Latina y el Caribe sola transfirió casi 120 000 millones de dólares a los países desarrollados en un período de cinco años.
La pesada carga de la deuda externa afecta a todos los países en desarrollo y en 1986 se elevó a poco más de un millón de millones y su servicio nacional a más de 118 000 millones.
Lastimosamente, el documento no señala esta realidad en toda su dimensión que afecta total y absolutamente a la situación actual de la limitación en nuestros países. Tenemos que decir que al brusco descenso de los precios de los productos básicos se añade la violenta reducción del poder de compras de las exportaciones de esos productos,debido al aumento de precios de las manufacturas que importan los países en desarrollo y que conforman el fenómeno conocido por intercambio desigual.
Aquí tenemos que hablar también de una cuestión que, a nuestro juicio, en el documento no la trata correctamente: la devaluación del dólar. ¿Qué significa la devaluación del dólar en la situación actual económico-financiera? Mecanismo utilizado por un solo país en su interés específico que inicia una anarquía total del sistema financiero y comercial. ¿0 es que no sabemos que la devaluación del dólar significa que nuestras reservas financieras en dólar, por lo menos como se expresó en la mañana, disminuyen en un 30 por ciento? ¿Que la devaluación del dólar bajó nuestros precios de exportación en más de un 30 por ciento? ¿Que la devaluación del dólar alza los precios de exportación en más de un 30 por ciento? Este es un fenómeno que es necesario destacar, cómo compro y vendo los alimentos, para hablar de situación alimentaria si no analizamos esta situación que es un mecanismo realmente egoísta.
El propio Fondo Monetario Internacional estimó que sólo en 1986 el Tercer Mundo perdió alrededor de 100 000 millones de dólares. ¿Es ésto verdad o no? El Fondo lo dijo. Si esto es así ¿cómo se puede plantear en el párrafo 8 que la disminución de los tipos de interés y la depreciación del dólar fueron acontecimientos positivos, lo dicen en esos términos, para el servicio de la deuda de los países en desarrollo importadores de capital? No lo entendemos realmente; quisiéramos que si hay alguna cuestión sofisticada en esto se nos pueda dar a conocer.
La inflación, que en Los países industrializados ha logrado contenerse y reducirse, en los países del Tercer Mundo continuó en ascenso, por obra y gracia ¿de qué?, ¿cuál es la razón?; ¿es que queremos nosotros ser inflacionarios?. No, no es un problema de capricho. Para el conjunto de los países en desarrollo el índice inflacionario pasó del 65,1 por ciento en 1983 al 152,4 por ciento en 1985. Hay que analizar ésto también cuando queramos analizar la situación alimentaria.
Se refleja en el documento una valoración bastante cercana a la realidad en el párrafo 12, al referirse a las perspectivas económicas mundiales para 1987; al respecto deseamos detenernos un instante en el proteccionismo, que no hay duda que mantendrá su tendencia creciente, y aquí deseamos recordar al azúcar, como el producto básico más afectado por esa medida en los últimos años.
Hay por ahí algunos análisis sobre que los países en desarrollo nos dedicamos a producir algunos rubros que no son rentables en el trópico, en un análisis técnico, muy técnico no es rentable en el trópico un producto y por lo tanto debemos dejar de sembrar ese producto para en función de la interdependencia y la división importar ese producto de los países que lo producen con productividad, y nosotros nos preguntamos ¿podíamos nosotros dejar de sembrar o de producir productos que no son rentables para esperar que se nos vendan? ¿ y por qué los países que están produciendo subsidiariamente no dejan de sembrar esos productos y nos compran a nosotros los productos que así los producimos rentablemente?
Esto es una situación que puede convertirse en una novela pero que hay que leérsela un día.
Sin hablar del futuro, que creo que el presente ya es suficientemente dramático, la deuda externa y el intercambio desigual provocan en el Tercer Mundo un terrible costo social: casi 1 000 millones de hambrientos en estos momentos de floreciente técnica, y la tecnología ha llegado a lo inimaginable; 185 millones de niños desnutridos. Los técnicos acá, en FAO, nos han enseñado que un niño desnutrido va a llevar una señal durante muchos años en su malnutrido cuerpo e inclusive puede empezar a afectar sus reflejos cerebrales y motores; eso no nos dice nada para poder eliminar un poco de egoismo. Más de 500 millones de analfabetos existen en el mundo y el índice de mortalidad infantil ocho veces superior que en los países desarrollados tienen los países en desarrollo.
En los párrafos 55 al 58 se habla de la Ronda de Uruguay. El Grupo Latinoamericano en la semana pasada discutió y analizó un poco la situación de las posibilidades que puede brindar la Ronda de Uruguay. Nosotros queremos, en nombre de la delegación cubana ir un poco más lejos de lo que ha presentado el Grupo Latinoamericano. Primero, consideramos que esta Ronda debe evitar, hay que evitar que la Ronda de Uruguay sea simplemente una ocasión para que los países más poderosos obtengan la consagración jurídica de la superioridad que ya poseen sobre el comercio de servicios y logren dar a esa superioridad un carácter tal que convierta al sector de servicios con sus estratégicos componentes de alta tecnología en un coto cerrado donde a los países que aspiramos a desarrollarnos algún día nos sea posible penetrar. Y esa Ronda de negociaciones comerciales debe ser utilizada para hacer retroceder la oleada de proteccionismo que nos arruina, para rechazar los
principios de reciprocidad por represalias y de intromisión en la soberanía de nuestros países que contiene como, por ejemplo, la ley de comercio exterior de Estados Unidos, en Norteamérica, debe servir para fortalecer el principio del trato preferencial en favor de los países del Tercer Mundo, para combatir la política de aplicación de subsidios y dumping, para mejorar las condiciones de comercialización de los productos agrícolas y de los productos básicos en general, para impulsar la puesta en marcha del Programa Integrado de Productos Básicos y del Fondo Común, y para revitalizar los convenios de productos básicos.
Por todo esto coincidimos, esto sí se discutió en el Grupo Latinoamericano en esta forma y se aprobó solicitar al Director General de la FAO que participe activamente como observador en las negociaciones comerciales y agrícolas internacionales, en las negociaciones multilaterales de la Ronda de Uruguay; recomendar al Director General también que la FAO preste apoyo técnico en dichas negociaciones, teniendo en cuenta la experiencia de la Organización en los problemas del desarrollo agrícola; solicitar al Director General que cuando le sea solicitado a su vez preste asistencia técnica en beneficio de los países en desarrollo que participarán en las negociaciones comerciales y agrícolas en la Ronda de Uruguay.
Esta mañana hubo algunas referencias que consideramos interesantes y claras, pero queremos hacer algunas preguntas; las referencias para hablarnos de la situación, son exclusivamente las que hace la OCDE, muy interesantes las cumbres de Tokio y de Venecia, esas son observaciones interesantes para saber en qué punto estamos, pero, por favor, queremos preguntar a los organismos de Naciones Unidas que están conformados por 158 países, la mayoría de los cuales están subde-sarrollados y sin embargo no se dan criterios de lo que expresan estos países en sus foros; en el Grupo 77 que ha celebrado varias reuniones importantes este año, en el Grupo de Países no Alineados que tuvo una cumbre en Harare, con un análisis a fondo y profundo sobre los problemas económicos en la Comisión económica. Consideramos que el análisis,en este momento se está celebrando en Piongyang una cumbre sobre sur/sur sobre la cooperación económica entre países en desarrollo, con criterios de los países en desarrollo que son parte también de Naciones Unidas, entonces, nos preguntamos ¿podría completarse de algún modo los criterios de las interesantes cumbres de Tokio y Venecia y otras cumbres de la OCDE con los criterios de estos organismos para poder ver cuáles son las cuestiones universalmente tratadas?. Creo que esto podría dar un poco más de democracia al análisis de la referencia, teniendo en cuenta a todos y creemos seriamente que podría ayudar a buscar algunas soluciones porque, sinceramente lo decimos como parte de este mundo que sentimos la situación económica, no hemos visto que ninguna de esas rondas hasta ahora tenga resultados tangibles, a no ser de prensa y propaganda.
Creo que estas cosas deben intentar analizarse ya de frente; por ejemplo hay un estudio, un documento estudio que no es de ningún grupo de éstos, es de Naciones Unidas, donde se hace un análisis de la situación de los países en desarrollo; se habla de insostenible, se habla de agravada por el enorme peso de la deuda externa. Este documento preparado por el Departamento de Asuntos Económicos y Sociales de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas sostiene que los países de América Latina tienen dificultades para pagar los intereses de la deuda y afirma que las naciones del Tercer Mundo perdieron 24 000 millones de dólares fundamentalmente por el creciente deterioro de los precios de los productos de exportación. Sencillamante, todo el mundo se mueve alrededor de esto:en Bogotá, Colombia, la tierra de nuestro estimado colega de la izquierda, se acaban de reunir ocho países para hablar sobre la deuda externa, el deterioro de los términos de intercambio comerciales y proteccionismo y fueron señalando éstas como las causas básicas que generan la pobreza absoluta de América Latina y el Caribe, según el diagnóstico de esos ocho países hermanos. Aquí participaron también organismos internacionales que analizaron con profundidad la pobreza extrema de Latinoamérica en que hay 140 millones de personas en el continente, nada más, una cifra muy interesante para nosotros que estamos aquí bastante bien alimentados.
Señor Presidente, estas son nuestras consideraciones como delegación de Cuba a este análisis de la situación de alimentos que en cifras nos da muy buenas referencias, pero los análisis nos parecía que pudieran hacerse con un poco más de precisión en las cosas cruciales, en las cosas decisivas a difinir.
No queremos convertir a la FAO en una academia retórica de análisis solamente, como algunos pretenden.
Ismael DIAZ YUBERO (España) Señor Presidente, le felicito y nos felicitamos por verle presidir de nuevo nuestras sesiones. Es para nosotros un honor poder contar una vez más con su presencia.
Agradecemos la declaración del Director General que ha sentado oportunamente cuál es la situación actual de la alimentación en el mundo y queremos también agradecer a la Secretaría el documento que ha elaborado y que tan clara y concisamente ha estado expuesto por el Señor Islam. Quizás este informe es menos sombrío que lo que eran años anteriores y por ello, lógicamente, nos complace.
Sin embargo, todavía quedan puntos oscuros, amargos incluso que no nos pueden dejar insensibles.
En lo que se refiere a Africa, mi delegación acoge con satisfacción las noticias favorables respecto a la situación de cultivos y su positiva repercusión en la disponibilidad de alimentos. Sin embargo, a pesar de los incrementos de producción de los países norteafricanos y el Sahel nos preocupa que la situación de algunos países como en el caso de Mozambique, siga siendo alarmante, como alarmante es la situación que se ha producido en Etiopía, Sudán, Zambia, Angola y otros países.
América Latina presenta una situación y unas perspectivas desfavorables. Los problemas de comercio y las deudas externas son problemas que asfixian a algunos países.
La disminución de producciones, la disminución de ingresos y sobre todo la menor disponibilidad de alimentos per capita agravados por la forma irregular en que estos hechos se han producido son un aspecto importante que debe ser contemplado detenidamente.
Señor Presidente, esperamos el estudio que el Director General nos ha prometido sobre problemas y perspectivas agrícolas en América Latina; parece ser que está muy adelantado y que ofrecerá un plan de acción viable. Esperamos con esperanza de que sea capaz de trazar las líneas maestras de actuación que den como resultado la posibilidad de evitar un deterioro; un deterioro y situación que ya se viene arrastrando y que este documento sea la base de una recuperación efectiva, sobre todo en los países más necesitados de América Latina.
Los últimos meses han significado ligeros incrementos de precios de algunos productos básicos como son cereales, sobre todo trigo y el azúcar. Sin embargo, las perspectivas no son optimistas de forma generalizada.
En la Ronda de Uruguay hay depositadas muchas esperanzas, la posibilidad de que el comercio exterior se reactive, pasa por muchos puntos que son difíciles de coordinar, los stocks crecientes, los proteccionismos, la necesidad de salvaguardar las aspiraciones de los agricultores son aspectos que han de ser estudiados a fondo entre otros muchos.
La soluciones existen, tienen que existir en un mundo en que los excedentes y el hambre coexisten; los excedentes son caros y el hambre es inhumana y la comunidad de Naciones, y en este caso FAO, deben jugar un papel fundamental para solucionar el problema.
Algunos optimismos son peligrosos, la economía de muchos países que comenzaron a remontar una situación deficitaria está muchas veces en un equilibrio inestable, los ejemplos de algunos países de Africa y Asia así lo demuestran. Las tendencias positivas han de ser consolidadas y FAO no puede dejar de seguir colaborando con aquellos países que comienzan a despegar gracias a la situación favorable de unas determinadas cosechas, cuyo futuro sigue siendo incierto como incierta es la climatología y que estos países no tienen medios suficientes para corregir estos factores climáticos adversos y aleatorios.
Fijémonos también en la tendencia de aquellos países en los que todavía no cabe ni siquiera la posibilidad de optimismo porque los indicadores siguen siendo negativos, como es el caso de algunos países de América Latina, y evitemos, ahora que estamos todavía a tiempo, que explote un problema como en su día explotó el hambre en Africa.
Los problemas de América Latina en 1980 y 1985 y la crisis de Africa tienen características comunes como fase coincidente del deterioro, así por lo menos lo dice el párrafo 68. Sería imperdonable que no hubiésemos aprendido, y que la experiencia que ha sido dolorosa, sea además inútil.
E.S.S. NEBWE (Zambia): Mr Chairman, my delegation would like to join earlier speakers in welcoming you once again to the chair. May I also take the privilege of commending the Director-General for a well thought-out statement which has been presented to us this morning. May I also, through you, congratulate the new members of the Bureau on their election. I am quite confident that with their assistance, and under your able Chairmanship, this Council will have very useful and conclusive deliberations.
The analysis of the current world food situation contained in the document before us clearly leaves one with the impression that regardless of the apparent record grain and cereal surpluses the vexing problems of hunger and malnutrition persist and are, in fact, on the increase, particularly when viewed from a food security angle. The war against hunger and disease is therefore far from being won. The international community and the Food and Agriculture Organization should spare no effort in addressing these enemies of man.
Furthermore, it has been reported that most of the current grain, cereal and food surpluses and stocks are concentrated in the developed countries. Given the problems of transport logistics and balance of payments, the existence of these surpluses, even in the developed countries, does not help developing deficit countries. In short, I am saying that the world food security situation is still far from satisfactory at sub-regional and national levels.
There is no doubt that developing countries have the capacity and ability to produce more food for themselves and for export, as has been evidenced by the commendable results which have been achieved by some of them in recent years. Zambia would have made strides in this respect if it were not for the vagaries of the weather. May I interrupt my address here to inform distinguished delegates that this year alone, because of the drought that we have experienced, Zambia potentially faces a food deficit in terms of production for the 1986-87 season. Our friends, comrades and colleagues have already been informed appropriately through normal channels.
Zambia is of the view that developing countries, and Africa in particular, still require assistance from the international community in order to address the following elements of food production: (a) development of effective and efficient fertilizers, seed and other input distribution systems; (b) expansion of the raw infrastructure such as feeder roads, transport and other utilities; (c) the establishment of functional national agricultural research institutions and extension services; and (d) training of farmers, farmer trainers and farm managers.
Whilst policy reforms, structural adjustment programmes and the adoption of national food strategies are the major steps needed for the revival of agriculture and economies in Africa, experience has shown that these on their own cannot be effective unless they are accompanied by finance and human and technical backstopping.
As my other distinguished colleagues have already stated, the African food and economic situation is being compounded by the unfavourable terms of trade coupled with protectionism, tariff and non-tariff barriers, and the subsidization of exports by the developed countries. Since developing countries are deeply indebted, debt servicing charges alone take most, if not all, of their export earnings.
At the end of the day I dare say that both the developed and the developing countries need each other and must therefore work as partners in the developmental process. There is also an urgent need for the United Nations organizations such as FAO, WFP, WFC and IFAD to coordinate their policies and programmes amongst themselves and with the international financial institutions on agriculture and food issues. In all these programmes, man should be at the centre of the development process.
It is encouraging to learn that total world fish production is increasing and that the FAO is beginning to give more and more attention to the development of acquaculture. At the same time, it should be pointed out that the situation whereby world fish production is rising faster and supplies of fish food dragging behind is not a healthy sign. This in itself calls for more attention to be given to inland fisheries and acquaculture development.
In landlocked countries, like Zambia, small supplies of food fish to the diets of the local population tremendously enhances protein intake, and therefore improves nutrition. Lack of proteins in the diets of the rural people is one of the causes of malnutrition.
Zambia would therefore like to appeal to the developed countries and to the Food and Agriculture Organization to re-enforce Zambia's efforts in acquaculture. The professional staffing position in Zambia in this particular area is particularly weak and requires backing-up services.
Finally, Mr Chairman, I would like to say a few words about desertification and afforestation with particular emphasis or reference to Zambia. As all the distinguished delegates are aware, Zambia lies between the two big deserts in Africa, namely the Sahara and the Kalahari deserts. I am reliably informed that each year these two monsters are moving a few kilometres towards each other, thereby threatening the countries that lie in between them.
I would like to appeal for a special and specific action plan within the FAO programme of action on tree planting, control of desertification and land degradation. Naturally Zambia reserves the right to speak on any of these subjects in the course of the deliberations of the Council in accordance with the approved agenda.
Hasim öGüT (Turkey): I would like to join previous speakers in expressing our pleasure to once again see the Chair of the FAO Council and to send our congratulations to the Vice-Chairmen for the election. The Turkish delegation commends the FAO Secretariat for preparing an articulate document on the state of food and agriculture which provides many useful insights. The introduction of the document by Professor Islam in his customary eloquence has further helped to pinpoint the issues to which this Council is expected to give special attention and importance. The fact that this Council session takes place before such important international meetings as the ECOSOC summer session, UNCTAD Seven and GATT negotiations, we believe it should fulfill an additional task of identifying the wills, wishes and messages of the world agricultural authorities present here to ensure that the current economic problems related to agriculture can be properly treated by these meetings.
As my delegation pointed out on previous occasions, we believe that world agricultural trade can be significantly improved by applying a discipline to commercial practices. In our opinion, domestic agricultural programmes and policies should also receive adequate attention in the search for remedies to world agricultural trade. We noted with satisfaction that the Council, with its deliberations on several items of the agenda, will evaluate these programmes and policies to an appropriate degree. Having said this, let me now offer our specific comments on the world food and agricultural situation. My delegation agrees with the Secretariat's assessment that the world is still undergoing a slow growth period following the recession experienced in the beginning of the 1980's despite some major economic victories achieved by a certain number of countries. The rate of growth, especially in developed countries, has been lower than the level that it was expected to be in view of the low interest and inflation rates and oil prices. As a result, progress in solving international financial problems and achieving greater liberalization in trade appeared to be insignificant in recent years. More importantly, slow growth led developed countries to implement more severe protectionist policies, hampering the efforts of developing countries in this interdependent world economic system to implement their adjustment programmes. Therefore, as indicated in the paper, the world economic agenda for 1987 and even beyond will be dominated by the same issues as in the recent past. We hope that the past efforts in the unsatisfactory years will guide us to a more productive period of national and international measures. In this context, my delegation wishes to make some general remarks. First of all, we believe that major industrial countries should give more emphasis to their adjustment programmes that aim to improve the production structures in order that they may produce such goods for export which can compete in a free-trading environment. At the same time, they should implement a more liberal policy, which is important for agricultural commodities. There are, in fact, certain agricultural commodities which are grown at low cost in developing countries and which provide much needed income to these countries. Falls in this income can certainly deteriorate the food and nutrition situation of their people who already lack a balanced diet. Similarly, their reduced income makes it difficult to implement plans for the import of industrial goods from developed countries, thus bringing difficulties to the performance of industry in the latter countries. Therefore, developing countries also need to contribute more effectively to the functioning of the world economy and trade. In other words, their agricultural policies should also provide appropriate backing for the measures to improve the world trading system. There are, however, several factors to consider in determining policies of this kind. First of all, developing countries, and especially those with high potential for production, should
continue to implement support programmes for producers which have mostly small plots and do not supply produce to the market. Secondly, developing countries should be allowed and promoted to undertake programmes aiming to establish collective food sufficiency on a regional basis. Turkey, with the advantages provided by the agroecological conditions, is eager to assume responsibility in this respect in the Near East. Let me underline, however, one viewpoint in this connection, that success in these collective efforts largely depends on the international market conditions. In fact, our past efforts have not resulted in satisfactory successes, due to the subsidized prices which prevail in the world food markets.
So far, I have briefly remarked on certain aspects of the adjustments that should be taken by national governments in their agricultural policies and programmes. I now wish to comment on the contribution required from the international organizations, mainly FAO, in support of these national programmes and policies. We believe that FAO's role in supporting global trade negotiations agreed on in Uruguay would be a key one in view of the fact that agricultural trade issues were included i: these negotiations. FAO, being an unique reservoir of technical information and statistical data on the production, consumption, stocks, and prices of agricultural commodities, is in the best place as far as the international bodies are concerned to contribute to the success of these negotiations. My government gives special importance to FAO's role in promoting the harmonization of national agricultural policies in such fields as plant protection and quarantine, food standards, distribution and use of pesticides, etc. National responsibilities in these fields are mostly with the ministries of agriculture in our countries, with which FAO has close contact. Thus, FAO is most properly placed to advise GATT and other related international organizations on the nature of these policies in the individual countries and their impact on world agricultural trade. International conventions, food standards and codes of conduct for which FAO is a depository or for which FAO has the promotion and monitoring responsibilities have already proven their usefulness and value in contributing to the world agricultural trade and agricultural development. In this connection, my delegation highly appreciated the timely initiative of the Director-General following the chain of events to convene an expert consultation with a view to preparing standards on the safe levels of radionuclear contamination in foodstuffs. The absence of international standards on this matter has added further difficulties to the export performances of certain food exporting countries like Turkey. Moreover, due to the absence of such standards, several food importing countries try to set their own limits and apply them very strictly to their food trade. Inconsistencies among the standards of different countries on the one hand and the lack of a sound technical basis on which these limits are set on the other hand have indeed hampered trade in agricultural commodities, at least in some markets. It is unfortunate that the report of FAO's expert consultation has not yet been taken up at an international meeting. Thus, the limits set therein have not been widely recognized and applied. It is further unfortunate that the meeting originally scheduled by FAO for this July to take place during the Codex Alimentarius Commission meeting had been cancelled due to reasons known to the Secretariat. Turkey is one of the countries that suffered most from the consequences to trade of radionuclear contamination after the Chernobyl event and from the absence of international standards and hopes to see a greater cooperation among international agencies, WHO and FAO in this respect, so that the gap in this type of international standard can be filled in the nearest future possible. Developing countries, in the implementation of their agricultural programmes required by the targeted world economic and trade system, are of course in need of greater international financial assistance. My delegation is well aware of the contribution expected from FAO to efforts of mobilizing international financial resources to agriculture. We would particularly refer to the useful words carried out by the Investment Centre of FAO and its programme promoting financial resources from private banks for agricultural development programmes. We therefore wish that FAO's current work in this field will continue to be of high priority.
Lastly, my delegation wishes to stress the importance of FAO's efforts to promote economic cooperation among developing countries. As we stated on previous occasions, Turkey firmly believes that expanded trade among the developing countries has a significant contribution to make to the improve ment of world trade in agricultural commodities. In concluding, we wish to reiterate our belief that the world food situation cannot be remedied in a sustained manner without the elimination of the external economic factors. We therefore hope that the FAO will be involved in the international efforts like ECOSOC, UNCTAD Seven and GATT negotiations, aiming to improve the world economy and trade in agricultural commodities.
Adbus SALAM (Bangladesh): Mr Chairman, Mr Director-General, Excellencies, first of all I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to you on your chairmanship of this important session of the Council. I am confident that under your effective leadership the Council will conclude this session successfully.
The distinguished Vice-Chairman of the Council will, I am sure, ably assist you in discharging your onerous responsibilities. The statement of the distinguished Director-General was illuminating. It has indeed put the direction of the Council meeting in perspective. The focused attention on the priority of the agenda is timely. I would like to convey my sincerest appreciation to the Director-General for his address. I also convey my appreciation to Professor Nurul Islam for the analytical statement he has made to this session.
While I speak on the agenda item 4, World Food and Agricultural Situation, we notice that the world food situation this year has hardly recorded an improvement over what was observed at the Ninetieth session of the Council. While food production on a global basis continues to increase and stocks are continuously on the rise in several countries, hunger and privation persist in many others. While developing countries as a whole have recorded some impressive increase in production of cereals, disparities in the degree of success achieved by them continue to remain worrisome.
That world food import has recorded a decline when stocks are rising at a very fast rate in the developed countries is a pointer to the existing paradoxical situation of an unhappy state of world food distribution system. The countries which are still deficient in food production cannot lift the grain stock from the surplus countries. The circumstances responsible for this anomalous situation have been ably analysed in the documents under consideration. It is now imperative that the international community should vigorously concert efforts in shaping the global food situation in such a way so that this scourge of hunger and malnutrition will be eliminated for ever from the face of this earth.
Developing countries which have achieved some significant success in raising food production are beset with the problems of storage, transportation and distribution. External assistance required for facilitating investment for improving their capabilities in these areas is not adequate. The developing countries which aim to achieve food self-sufficiency are faced with inadequate donor support and understanding for their national plan for food production.
I therefore wish to emphasize that feeding the world's hungry is not a problem of production and distribution alone. By now it has become evident that it is also a function of raising income and employment for the poor and also for the equitable distribution of world income, both among nations and individuals within nations. The problem of hunger is thus intimately linked with the fair sharing of growth in world's income. Could then, Mr Chairman, the problem of hunger be considered seriously in a situation of shrinking flow of international aid?
In Bangladesh, to which you kindly made reference in your opening statement, we have made significant progress in our effort to achieve autonomy in food production under the pragmatic leadership of President Hussain Muhammad Ershad: but we are yet to reach self-sufficiency. Our annual deficit still ranges between 1 and 1½ million tons. In the third Five Year Plan we have set ourselves a target of 20.7 million tons in order that a per capita availability of 16 oz. a day may be ensured by 1989-90. This requires an annual rate of increase by over 5 percent throughout the period. Given normal weather conditions, we are confident of achieving the target. Nevertheless, our success would largely depend on adequate support from the international community, both bilateral and multilateral.
I would now like to turn to the question of the World Food Security under the same agenda item. Bangladesh had welcomed the idea from the beginning of this concept. The essence of our food security programme remains as follows: achieving national self-sufficiency in the production of food grains; stabilizing the domestic market for grains; assuring access of the needy to the available food supply, and maintaining an adequate level of food security reserves.
We are lending our full support to the concept of a regional food security reserve which is going to be materialized through the establishment of South Asia Food Security Reserve. I recall with gratitude the technical support that FAO has been providing in this regard.
At this point I wish to draw the attention of the Council to the very important role that fisheries and livestock development can play in solving the nutritional problem of the developing countries, not only by increasing production of protein food, but also through generation of income and employment for the marginal and landless farmers. In our national planning we are now giving high priority to the development of these sectors. The strategy has already received appreciation from several donor agencies and in particular FAO has been extending its full cooperation to us in these sectors. I hope we shall continue to get increasing cooperation from FAO and other international donor agencies in these sectors.
In conclusion I want to put on record my sincerest appreciation to the FAO and its Director-General, Dr Edouard Saouma, for the assistance the FAO is extending to Bangladesh under his dynamic leadership in our effort to achieve self-sufficiency in food and thereby improve the quality of life of our people. FAO as the oldest UN specialized agency has proved the importance of the ever increasing role of the United Nations System in this area of human endeavour; which is providing succour, relief, food and nutrition to the hungry and the disadvantaged of the world. It is indeed a fulfilment of the Charter obligations by the Member States through the auspices of the FAO. We therefore, look forward to better international support and cooperation so as to enable the FAO to serve humanity with vigour and imagination.
G. BULA HOYOS (Colombia): Las referencias que se hicieron esta mañana a la situación alimentaria, la presentación y el contenido de los documentos 2 y suplemento 1, todo ello, a juicio de la delega ción de Colombia, adolece de una falla fundamental. Todo ello es muy descriptivo, en relación con lo que está sucediendo pero muy poco de qué se ha hecho y de lo que se deberá hacer para mejorar esa situación.
Apoyamos a nuestro colega y amigo vecino de la derecha, el Embajador Ariza Hidalgo de Cuba, sobre la injusticia que el Tercer Mundo padece en ese proceso lamentable y el desafortunado olvido de la opinión de los dirigentes de los países en desarrollo. Sí porque se nos ha hablado del acuerdo entre los grandes para el desarme del comunicado de la OCDE, del Summit de Venecia y nada se ha dicho sobre la función que corresponde a los líderes del Tercer Mundo que, si bien no representen Estados entre los más industrializados, sí son símbolos de la soberanía, la dignidad y la independencia de países que deben desempeñar funciones esenciales en el mejoramiento de esa situación; situación que no se puede enfocar en una sola vía como si la solución dependiera solamente de los países desarrollados.
A ese respecto, además de haberse hecho citas muy adecuadas anteriores, hubieran podido igualmente haberse hecho referencias a los seres destacados del Tercer Mundo como, por ejemplo, los ministros del Grupo de los 77, grupo que en Roma preside con singular competencia mi vecino el Sr. Ariza Hidalgo, de Cuba, Grupo de ios 77 que se reunió recientemente en la Habana,Cuba, y en cuya declaración, cito: "el decenio de 1980 ha sido un decenio perdido para el desarrollo." La situación económica de los países del Tercer Mundo sigue siendo crítica y el peligro del hambre se cierne sobre la población de muchos de esos países.
En cada reunión del Consejo este tema es el primero de fondo que se discute, a esto he asistido durante 28 años, y siempre las conclusiones son las mismas. Ese proceso ritual se repite hasta el Infinito y nada cambia. Convendrá preguntarnos entonces: ¿es que la gente está cansada de ayudar, como se dice en el resumen del Programa de Labores y Presupuesto? ¿0 es que la Comunidad Internacional está falta de incentivos para continuar ofreciendo su asistencia en forma tal que pueda por lo menos mejorarse esa situación, situación que es siempre grave y delicada, aunque se continúe permanentemente a reclamar méritos, cuyos resultados prácticos, concretos y específicos, no aparecen por parte alguna?
Coyunturalmente, cuando la nueva crisis de los años 80 se agudizó, la asistencia financiera y técnica se incrementaron y en 1984-85 la producción mundial aumentó. Para detener ahora ese ritmo de crecimiento que, según el párrafo 3 del documento 2, fue apenas del 3 por ciento en 1986, aunque el aumento de esa producción haya tenido lugar también en algunos pocos países en desarrollo, las informaciones confirman que ios grandes excedentes de hoy, calculados en un 27 por ciento, diez puntos por encima de las estimaciones de la FAO como seguridad alimentaria, esos grandes excedentes, repetimos, se han concentrado en un 68 por ciento en los grandes países productores.
Este proceso confirma la constante preocupación del Gobierno Colombiano sobre la forma descontinuada y coyuntural como se viene ofreciendo la asistencia técnica y financiera a los países en desarrollo, de manera que se les mantiene siempre en condiciones de dependencia mientras que nosotros propugnamos siempre la necesaria interdependencia que sólo podrá lograrse mediante asistencia sostenida en volúmenes, significación, términos y oportunidades que permitan sentar las propias bases a nuestros países sobre las cuales asegurar el crecimiento de nuestra producción nacional.
Reiteramos esto ahora porque todo es desfavorable para el Tercer Mundo. Según el párrafo 49, "Las existencias agregadas de cereales de los países en desarrollo disminuyeron en 1986 y,-lo que es más preocupante-se prevé una nueva reducción en 1987".
Ese párrafo 49 concluye que "no son róseas las posibilidades de hacer importaciones para los países deficitarios en alimentos". Esto quiere decir hambre y malnutrición en muchos países del Tercer Mundo. Todo esto debemos consignarlo en nuestro informe.
Trataremos de sintetizar la situación de la región a la cual pertenece nuestro país, América Latina y el Caribe, de la cual se habla sobre todo en los párrafos 15, 22, 44, 67 y 68 del documento 2.
Agradecemos a nuestro colega y amigo Ismael Díaz la solidaridad que ha expresado con América Latina y el Caribe a nombre de España, nación tan profundamente vinculada a nuestra región.
Los países de América Latina y el Caribe, casi todos con problemas de deuda externa y agobiados por el inmenso peso del servicio de esa deuda, seguirán obteniendo menos ingresos por sus exportaciones.
En 1986, la producción de alimentos en América Latina y el Caribe se redujo casi en un 5 por ciento, semejante reducción: 5 por ciento, y el párrafo 19 dice que se redujo en un 2,2 por ciento la producción por cápita en relación con el aumento de la población. Disminuyeron mucho el volumen y el valor de las importaciones de alimentos en América Latina y el Caribe como consecuencia de esa difícil situación económica que nos priva de recursos para aumentar la producción o importar alimentos y condena así a la población latinoamericana y del Caribe al hecho deplorable señalado en el párrafo 67 del documento 2, según el cual, "Los niveles medios de consumos de calorías mejoraron muy poco en América Latina y el Caribe".
Todas estas citas, y muchísimos otros datos provenientes de fuentes muy autorizadas, conforman la realidad de que es necesario que se revalúen los indicadores económicos obsoletos, con base en los cuales, sistemática y progresivamente, se ha venido desplazando de la asistencia técnica y financiera internacional a la gran mayoría de los países de América Latina y el Caribe.
El Gobierno de Colombia espera que en el estudio que la FAO debe estar preparando, a solicitud de la última Conferencia Regional celebrada en agosto pasado en la Isla de Barbados, aparecerán claramente todos los índices y factores negativos que hoy tan gravemente afectan a todos los países de América Latina y el Caribe, a fin de que la verdadera y preocupante situación de nuestra región merezca la atención y la asistencia indispensables de toda la Comunidad Internacional.
Confiamos en que las palabras pronunciadas esta mañana a ese respecto sobre el estudio de América Latina no vayan a ser solamente retórica ocasional, sino que se convertirán en realidad.
Sobre el comercio de alimentos, a partir del párrafo 42 del documento 2, las perspectivas son desfavorables para los países en desarrollo. Se acentúa el proteccionismo y continúan los subsidios.
Confiamos en que el resultado de la reciente reunión Ministerial de la OCDE, celebrada en París, y el Summit de Venecia y la revisión de la Política Agrícola Común que está realizando la Comunidad Económica Europea, puedan conducir a la rectificación que requiere la liberali zac ión del comercio internacional de productos agrícolas.
Muchos de quienes estamos hoy en esta sala acabamos de regresar de un gran país en desarrollo, China, después de asistir a la reunión del Consejo Mundial de la Alimentación, reunión en la cual pareció surgir un poco de luz, pero ligeramente empañada por ciertas actitudes aún no muy claras, pero que nosotros confiamos van a consolidarse, ojalá, positivamente.
Sobre negociaciones comerciales, después del párrafo 55, la delegación de Colombia considera débiles e incompletas las referencias que se hacen a este respecto.
Nada se dice de si la FAO está participando y cómo en esas negociaciones en las cuales la agricultura allá ha recibido consideración especial y no es como se dice en el párrafo 55 que se espera que esto ocurra.
Quisiéramos saber qué está haciendo la FAO concretamente en relación con la importante Ronda Uruguay.
Reconocemos el carácter especializado y limitado del mandato de nuestra Organización y la función específica del GATT y de la UNCTAD en estas materias, pero, como ya lo dijo el colega Ogut de Turquía, las experiencias y los conocimientos en productos básicos, producción, comercio, proyecciones, acumulados por la FAO deben estar a disposición del GATT en estas negociaciones. ¿Se está haciendo algo profesor Islam?
La delegación de Colombia espera que la FAO no vaya a considerar la Ronda Uruguay como otra ejecutoria rutinaria y superficial. El Gobierno de Colombia piensa que la Ronda Uruguay es una oportunidad excepcional que no podrá desaprovecharse. Por ello, esperamos que la FAO participe, pero de manera verdaderamente específica y concreta, lejos de teoría y de retórica, y nos mantenga periódicamente informados sobre lo que hace la Organización y cómo marchan esas actividades. En ese campo preguntamos: ¿será adecuado suprimir el cargo de D-l en la Oficina de Enlace en Ginebra, ciudad donde se adelantan los preparativos para la Ronda Uruguay? Pero, de esto hablaremos en el tema 15.
El párrafo 58 se refiere al Grupo CAIRNS del cual hacen parte 14 países intensamente empeñados en lograr la 1 ibera lización del comercio mundial de productos agropecuarios.
Colombia hace parte del Grupo CAIRNS y nuestro Ministro de Agricultura asistió a la última reunión que celebró ese importante Grupo, en Canadá, a finales del pasado mes de mayo.
A pesar de que el Grupo CAIRNS tiene apenas menos de un año de existencia, ya se han logrado notables realizaciones dirigidas a que a los problemas del comercio agrícola mundial se les ofrezca toda la atenta consideración que merecen.
El Gobierno de Colombia continuará solidario con los otros 13 países desarrollados y en desarrollo que integran el Grupo CAIRNS y esperamos ofrecer otra contribución a la mejora de la situación mundial de la agricultura mediante alcances progresivos en la liberalización del comercio. Confiamos en que la alianza dentro del Grupo CAIRNS y toda cooperación con países desarrollados y en desarrollo no vaya a ser solamente coyuntural ahora cuando también los problemas del comercio internacional afectan a los países desarrollados, sino que esa mutua y plena cooperación sea permanente para que todos reaccionemos frente a los males de ese comercio injusto y logremos una liberalización del comercio en un marco multilateral.
Señor Presidente, distinguidos colegas, la delegación de Colombia reitera su profunda preocupación por una situación injusta como la que describen estos dos documentos para el tema 4 y piensa que, no obstante, los buenos propósitos y algunos logros, la acción tiene que ser más vigorosa, mejor definida, orientada por actuaciones menos ampulosas y más pragmáticas, realistas, directas, objetivas.
Para contribuir a lograr todo ello, el Gobierno Colombiano está empeñado en una campaña que esperamos concluirá con buen éxito en la Conferencia de noviembre próximo.
Joâo Augusto de MEDICIS (Brazil): Please accept, together with the other members of the Bureau, our congratulations and an assurance of our determination to work under your guidance, Mr Chairman, for a successful session of this Council. I would like also to thank the Director-General for the complete report he presented to the Council. We took special interest in his references to the report on Latin American agriculture to be presented next year to the Regional Conference of Latin American countries to be held in Brazil.
Our thanks go also to Dr Islam for his presentation of this item with the clarity and precision we always have from him.
My delegation agrees that an unfair international economic order has widened the per capita income gap between developed and developing countries. We appreciate the provision of the very impressive data which highlight the severe difficulties faced by the economies of the Southern Hemisphere. We agree too, that the main causes of the present difficulties are reluctance in seeking long-term solutions to the external debt crisis, the persistence of protectionist policies in the developed world, the instability of exchange rates, the persistence of high level interest rates and the continuous lowering of commodities prices.
As mentioned, more strict measures are needed to alleviate the problems of indebtedness, such as the restoration of capital flows and the restructuring of the debt. As stated by the Havana Declaration adopted last April by the Ministers of the Group of 77:
"The debt cannot be serviced and repaid under present conditions and without substantial economic development."
The temporary lowering of interest rates, which are actually already edging up, cannot be seen, as suggested in the document under review, as
"a positive development for servicing the debt of capital importing countries."
The gains have been more than offset by a sharp deterioration in our terms of trade. The significant growth in food export volume by Latin American countries has turned export value growth negative as a result of low prices.
In the same line of the report, we disagree with the use of the expression-and it occurs throughout the document-"Capital importing developing countries" in relation to the indebted countries. The inversion of the process in the flow of capital renders this expression inappropriate. As has been stressed in many international fora, developing countries are today net exporters of capital to the industrialized world. For instance, according to the President of the World Bank, in the past four years Latin America has been transferring abroad around 4 percent of the gross domestic product of the region.
On the other hand, it must be perfectly understood that a long-term solution to the ever-growing debt problem is in the interest of all countries, developed and developing. Exorbitant interest payments are not the only major obstacle to economic growth in developing countries. Debt servicing as well is a major constraint to world trade, leading to formidable cuts in imports from the developed countries.
Senator Bill Bradley has recently stressed that "Latin America's debt-ridden economic collapse" has resulted in one million fewer jobs in the United States as the American exports to the region have been drastically reduced.
The important document prepared by the World Food Council and discussed in its 13th Ministerial Session in Beijing points out that 17 of the most heavily indebted countries reduced their total imports by an annual average of 9.2 percent from 1980 to 1984, and that some reduced them by 15 percent.
On the other hand, agricultural budget problems and prospects of trade friction among industrialized powers seem to be leading developed countries to consider reforms in their protectionist and subsidized agricultural policies. Moves in that direction have been announced and recommendations approved at the last OECD meeting. We do hope that this more promising attitude as reflected in the communiqué of the last OECD meeting will lead to serious action, and not rest as just another piece of mere rhetoric. We hope, too, that this time the interests of the developing countries will be taken into account by the wealthier nations in the adoption of agricultural policy reforms.
We wish to refer specifically to the proposal for a tax on the consumption of vegetable and marine oils in the EEC. In this respect we fully support the formal Communiqué recently released by a group of producing countries meeting in Brussels, which states that a tax on consumption is "a most dangerous precedent which could well be extended in the future to cover other commodities with disastrous effects for many countries".
The Brazilian delegation wishes to support the position taken by the Latin American Group regarding the participation of FAO in the Uruguay Round negotiations to provide all the needed technical support to GATT and to interested member countries in relation to the agricultural discussions to be held.
There have been calls for a more equitable distribution of rights and obligations among countries, which is a wise recommendation provided it is not used as a tool to extract concessions from the weaker parties in the world economy at the risk of aggravating present imbalances. In other words, search for greater equity in the distribution of rights and obligations must take full account of the recognized right of developing countries to differential and more favourable treatment.
Finally, let me reiterate that national and international reforms and negotiations in agricultural production and trade will prove effective only if accompanied by long-term agreed solutions to the debt of developing countries. This is the only acceptable path to follow towards a fairer international order that takes into account the basic needs of the developing countries and reduces the present North-South frictions. A firm political will is urgently needed to deal seriously with the debt crisis in order that it is not confined to financial and technical aspects.
In his recent message to the World Food Council meeting in Beijing the Secretary General of the United Nations declared that "hunger is not a technological but a political and moral problem." Let me add to that, as I did in Beijing, with the words of the President of Brazil speaking before the United Nations General Assembly: "The external debt cannot be paid with the hunger of our peoples."
Luka RADOJICIC (Yugoslavia): First of all I would like to express our pleasure that you, the eminent representative of Tunisia, are chairing this 91st Session of the FAO Council, which in our opinion is a very important one.
Allow me to express my gratitude and congratulations to the FAO Secretariat for document CL 91/2, which gives us a realistic overview of the global economic situation of the current state of food and agriculture in the world. The comprehensive statement by the Director-General further clarified the general picture of the world food and agricultural situation and pointed to the problems and difficulties our Organization is facing.
It is realized that the general economic situation in the world has improved somewhat over the past several years since the general economic crisis that lasted up to five years ago. However, actually economic recovery was uneven across countries and regions, as well as economic groups. Although the economic situation has been improved in the developed countries, as a whole their economic recovery is still unsatisfactory as a consequence of their internal difficulties, and particularly due to the unfavourable external environment, which has led to continuing deterioration of their position in the world economy.
We are witnessing a current global political and economic situation burdened by numerous uncertainties, which give the international community reason for profound concern. Let us hope that some signs of reduction in global tensions will lead also to a reduction in the enormous outlay for arms, which today is about 40 times greater than the total annual development assistance to developing countries. That would allow more available resources for the needs of long-term development.
In this context I would like to stress the interdependence of all countries in international economic relations, as well as the reality of unavoidable interdependence among economic areas, trade, finance and development. Therefore, with every moral right we expect from the international community more resolute specific actions and measures for curbing the long-lasting trend of shifting an unproportionately large part of the burden of adjustment from the industrialized to the developing countries.
We are facing a challenge to make all efforts for gradually narrowing the enormous gap in the level of economic development, a gap which is still a global characteristic of the present day world. The process of development in the majority of the developing countries, particularly in
the least developed, has come to a standstill and they are facing a "programme of survival", which entails the drastic reduction of all forms of consumption, including investments in development, with parallel emphasis on exports in a situation of growing protectionism in the major import markets. The enormous debts of these countries are only the final expression of the current adverse global economic order and financial mechanisms and of uneven economic development. Indebtedness, however, is threatening to transform the acute crisis of development in most developing countries into a chronic one, with unforeseeable consequences in the political and, in particular, the economic field. On the other hand, the process of economic recovery in the industrialized part of the world is slow, uneven in time and space and highly uncertain. In our opinion the world has reached a level of interdependence which makes developmental problems global ones that call for global solutions.
As is known, the development of agriculture is closely linked to and is an integral part of overall economic development. The recessive process has a deferred impact on agriculture and the continuation of stagnating tendencies in economic development would inevitably have extremely negative consequences on the growth of agriculture and food production. In this context, unfortunately, some developed countries are taking broader actions and measures at the national level and in various international fora that do not take sufficient account of the interests, problems and needs of the socio-economic development of developing countries and of the international community as a whole. Such a situation cannot be in the long-term interest of the developed countries themselves either as it further aggravates the structural imbalances characterized by further increases of agricultural production and particularly of stocks in the developed countries, while food production in the most vulnerable countries still lags behind the needs of their growing populations.
It is encouraging that in 1986 world food production grew by 2 percent and that a considerable part of this increase was attained in the developing countries. It is, however, worrisome that only in the countries of Asia with central planning and in the Far and Middle East this growth was higher than the population growth rate, and that only in the Middle East region this growth exceeded the production rate registered over the 1980-1986 period.
More resolute efforts are called for on the part of the international community for creating favourable general and international economic conditions to enable broader access by developing countries to the markets of developed countries by reducing their protectionist barriers, by facilitating the debt servicing burden of developing countries, by concluding commodity agreements and increasing the volume of development and other assistance for stimulating general development in the developing countries. It will certainly be important also for the developed countries themselves in view of the existing interdependence. In this context, priority should be given to more efficient joint action at the national and international levels for increasing the production of basic foodstuffs, particularly in low income food-deficit developing countries. It is high time to eliminate the further erosion of multilateral ism and to strengthen the principles of equal sovereign rights of all countries and their mutual solidarity.
Finally, I would like to underline the importance my delegation attaches to the efforts of FAO to overcome the existing problems in the fields of food and agriculture as sectors of the most vital interest to the developing countries, and to express our support to FAO's efforts in broadening and expanding economic and technical cooperation among developing countries in these fields.
Hisham F.N. TABAQ CHALI (Iraq) (original language Arabic): Mr. Chairman, on behalf of my delegation allow me to express our appreciation to you for chairing this meeting of our Council. I am most confident that your leadership will enable us to end our deliberations in a successful manner as you are known to be objective and efficient.
Mr. Chairman, allow me also to thank the Vice Chairmen in whom we have full confidence, and to express our appreciation for the Director-General's comprehensive and wise presentation in which he highlighted the difficulties facing the developing world, as well as what it has achieved. He spoke in humanitarian terms of the special situation prevailing in all of the regions of the world and also of his hope to see a better international economic situation for the benefit of all
countries, and especially the poorest among them. We wish to express our appreciation once again to the Director-General for his wise guidance of this Organization. We are most confident that his experience and professionalism will enable us to overcome any problems the FAO might face.
1 would like also to hail all those countries newly joining us here in the Council. We hope they will be most active in directing our discussions towards-success.
Professor Islam gave an excellent presentation of the document before us, CL 91/2, "Current World Food Situation". The current world food situation mentioned here reflects the scenario seen by the Organization and it would be better to complement this document with the declaration made by the Director-General this morning.
Paragraph 8 of the document speaks about the depreciation or devaluation of the dollar which has adversely affected exporting developing countries and oil producing developing countries.
Paragraph 10 needs reflection because it says, in fact, that the oil exporting countries are responsible, or might be responsible, for the foreign exchange problems of oil importing developing countries, but one here should think about the development activities that are carried out in the oil exporting countries which have suffered themselves from the devaluing dollar. We think that the increase in food production in some regions, and the food deficits that are witnessed in others, are amongst the factors exacerbating the economic and financial problems suffered by developing countries-be they exporting or importing foodstuffs, and including oil exporting developing countries. These problems will remain if we do not lay the foundations of a more just economic order.
Adel Helmi EL SARKY (Egypt) (original language Arabic): In the name of Allah the merciful and the compassionate, Mr. Chairman,allow me on behalf of my delegation to express my happiness at seeing you chairing our deliberations.
I would like to extend my thanks to Professor Islam and the Secretariat for the excellent preparation of this document. My delegation leafed through document CL 91/2 and Supplement 1 thereto. They were both comprehensive and balanced, concentrating on the analysis of the world food situation over the period 1981-86. They underscored the efficiency of the Organization in collecting, analyzing and providing the data which will enable the international community to understand, follow up and evaluate the present situation and the prospects for food and agriculture. This would also enable the various states to formulate production policies in the field of agriculture.
The general framework mentioned in paragraphs 1 to 16 highlights the fact that the economic situation in the world is not very encouraging, despite some positive trends registered during 1986. For example, we can mention the increase in world output, 3 percent; the increase in GDP, 2.5 percent in developed countries and 2.6 percent in developing countries, as mentioned in paragraph 1. GDP outpaced population growth, as mentioned in paragraph 3. The volume of agricultural trade exchanged, for example, increased in comparison with 1985 (paragraph 4). The decrease in inflation rates in a great number of developing countries was mentioned in paragraph 8; and reference was also made to the continuous provision of necessary finance, by oil exporting developing countries.
However, those very paragraphs which highlighted some positive trends at the same time highlighted some negative ones: for example, the increasing gap between the per capita income in developing and developed countries; the adverse effects of decreasing commodity prices; the continuous suffering of developing countries due to the debt service burdens as well as the weaker flow of investments in the developing countries.
We would like here to highlight the fact that there are certain encouraging estimates as far as production for 1987 is concerned. We think that we should help developing countries to achieve their aims and goals through serious concerted action towards debt rescheduling and alleviating its service. We hosted a meeting of the Board of Governors of the African Development Bank in Egypt, and launched an appeal to the international community to alleviate the debt burden as well as its servicing. We responded very positively to the appeal launched by the ILO meeting to participate in a specific meeting convened to discuss these issues. We hope that the Venice Conference recommendation in this field will be implemented in keeping with the developing world's aspirations.
We were heartened to see in paragraph 19 reference to food production in the Near East region, and the fact that the rate has increased during 1986 in comparison with the averages registered over the period 1980-86. That rate has increased in Africa at a reasonable pace over the last two years.
We would like to avail ourselves of this opportunity to urge African countries which did not register any increase to reformulate their agricultural policy on sound scientific bases; to increase self-sufficiency as well as utilizing their resources in a rational fashion. Our country stands ready to help all friendly neighbouring countries in implementing their development programmes. In fact, in our 5-year plan, which will end by July 1987, we achieved an increase in some of our food crops of 10 to 12 percent. We also exported other products. We would like to express our thanks to the FAO, the UNDP, the EEC as well as the US aid agency for their constructive efforts which enabled us to do away with desert locusts and grasshoppers and to limit their dangers in West and East Africa. We hope that such successful campaigns will continue during 1987.
My delegation was happy to see that in paragraphs 28 to 36 mention was made of the increase in the production of wheat, coarse grain, animal products and sugar, and the possibility of having similar high rates in 1987.
We are heartened to see in paragraph 47 of this document an increased focus on fisheries, important as they are to cover the needs of the population.
We also think that the liberalization of world trade in agricultural commodities is amongst the most important factors to achieve economic growth in developed and developing countries alike. We would like here to launch another appeal to developed countries to reduce protectionism because that too affects our economies negatively. We hope that the Uruguay Round will be successful and will improve international terms of trade.
We agree with what is mentioned in paragraphs 59-63 on the necessity of introducing some adjustments in agricultural policy so as to do away with the negative effects of surpluses in developed countries. We would like also to highlight the importance of what was mentioned in paragraph 61. All African countries which have suffered decreased agricultural production over the last ten years should be encouraged to continue serious efforts so as to increase their production through the adoption of policies-and programmes based on an increased return for farmers, a fairer price structure for food crops and an increased measure of self-sufficiency.
We went through paragraphs 65 to 70, related to food availability. We were gratified to see that most of the developing countries were able to achieve a substantial increase. This was mentioned in paragraph 66. The same idea was mentioned in paragraph 68 for Latin America. Some of the countries in our region, in the Near East Region, achieved a great measure of increase in the per capita calorie consumption, including my country. On average a person in Egypt is now consuming 106 grams daily of protein, and the total calorie intake has reached 3,772 which is above the requirements set by the WHO and FAO. We have also adopted new policies to increase the awareness of the population to this problem.
We believe that agriculture will remain for the majority of the countries in the world a major foundation of national economy or a major source of national income, as well as an employment source of great importance. However, we should try to overcome all the bottlenecks that face agricultural development. We are a little concerned about paragraph 77 because OCA has been reduced to 6 percent. Concessional commitments have been reduced by 17 percent, as mentioned in paragraph 80. The financial institutions should be urged to make an extra effort.
Finally, Mr Chairman, I would like to thank the Director-General for his address and congratulate both you and the Vice-Chairmen on your election.
Joachim WINKEL (Germany, Federal Republic of): Mr Chairman, with your permission I would like first of all to extend a friendly welcome to all those states which have become new members of the Council.
Allow me then to thank the Director-General for his impressive opening statement. We appreciate the informative statement on the current world food situation given by Dr. Islam. We welcome the presentation and the preparation of document CL 91/2 and Supplement 1 which contains a wealth of data and facts.
It is traditional that the document on the current world food situation should begin with an overall economic assessment. In this regard the low inflation rate as stated in paragraph 8 of this document which had by the end of 1986 fallen to under 2 percent-the lowest level for 20 years-is in our opinion an absolutely necessary and encouraging prerequisite for a long-lasting recovery of the macro-economic situation, the benefits of which will be of advantage to the world economy as a whole.
We take the heavy burden of the debt service problems of developing countries very seriously.
In this respect we advocate and practice a positive and pragmatic approach which takes the special conditions of each individual case into account. As you will know, my country, from 1985 to today already waived the debts from official development cooperation of more than DM 4 billion to the least developed countries. We continue our economic cooperation with these countries as far as public funds are concerned, not any longer by the aid of interest bearing loans, but on the basis of grants only. For decades already, the Federal Republic of Germany has made efforts to open her markets to the greatest extent for products from the developing countries. Traditionally, we have a high deficit in our trade balance in favour of these countries at the end of each calendar year. It amounted to DM 9.14 billion at the end of 1986 and was about the same as that of the preceding year. Due to the increase in value of the DM compared to the US dollar, the trade volume has been increasing.
We welcome the renewed increase in world food production by 2 percent in absolute terms and 0.4 percent per caput, as shown in Table 1 of document CL 91/2. It is in our opinion of particular importance that the growth of food production in the developing countries of 2.9 percent in absolute terms and 0.9 percent per caput is markedly above the world average. On the average of 1980-1986, the rates achieved were even higher. Africa and Latin America have unfortunately not had an adequate share in the generally favourable development of the other world regions. This applies in particular to per caput food production. We welcome the fact that the situation in Africa has improved in the last two years (para. 20 of document CL 91/2). However, the growth rate of food production did not keep pace with the high population growth. The situation in Latin America developed similarly, where only five countries could keep pace with population growth.
We welcome the increase in world fish production as an important source of protein supply. Under the condition that such production increases are achieved with due regard to the needs for stock conservation and under the responsible control of scientists over stocks, there will be no reservations as to further efforts for even higher catches to provide fish for a growing world population. The Committee on Fisheries will be dealing with these questions in detail, as has already been the case so far. The decline in world food trade is also, in our opinion, due to the general recession of the world economy as a whole.
We welcome the launching of the multilateral trade negotiations (MTN) within the framework of GATT and the inclusion of agriculture in these deliberations. First preparatory talks have already taken place in February and in May. In view of the planned duration of the negotiations of four years, it is presently still too early to express our views on that complex of questions. I would like, however, to focus your interest on the fact that the Federal Republic of Germany, together with her partners in OECD, has already underlined the strong determination to struggle for progress on this special issue as it is declared and published in the communiqué of the OECD Ministerial Council which took place in Paris on the 12th and 13th of May this year. I wanted to refer to the results of this important meeting because it took place when the document before us had already been finished. But this does not mean that our organization should become involved in trade negotiations. These, of course, will take place in the appropriate bodies.
We welcome the fact that the document stresses in paragraphs 59 and following, the efforts to limit to a greater extent agricultural services which are being produced not only in North America and Western Europe, but also in other regions of the world. The seven participants in the economic summit meeting in Tokyo had declared at the same time of the previous year that concerted world wide efforts are necessary to come to an adequate solution to the problems which exist in that sector. They affirm that-it is only a few days ago-in a statement closing this year's summit meeting in Venice.
As table 6 of document CL 91/2 illustrates, calorie dietary energy supplies reflect a positive development in principle. The figures for sub-Saharan Africa and low-income developing countries, however, show that substantial efforts are still necessary to improve dietary energy supplies in all regions in a sustained way.
The contributions of my country within the framework of official development cooperation in dollar terms also increased again in 1986. We traditionally spend about one-third of the total volume on measures in agriculture and/or development. The experiences of the past encourage the Federal Republic-of Germany to continue its fruitful cooperation with developing countries in that sector. Development cooperation of 37 years during which my country made an amount of more than DM 250 billion available has already become a constant factor in our international relations.
Sumiji NAKAZAWA (Japan): First of all, I would like to express my pleasure at seeing Mr Osman in the Chair. 1 would also like to congratulate the three Vice Chairmen on their election.
I have listened with special interest and deep concern to the excellent introduction given by Dr Islam on the current world food situation. The document CL 91/2 and CL 91/2 Sup. 1 have clearly presented a contrasting feature of the world food situation. Although food production in developing countries in 1986 increased in all regions compared with the previous year, some African countries have still been facing abnormal food shortages, stagnating food production and rapid growth in population, which has increased at a faster rate than food production in the developing countries.
It is therefore of paramount importance for food-deficit developing countries to implement economic and social policies which take account of the need for more equitable distribution of income so as to ensure that all shall have access to food. I believe that in order to attain an adequate supply of food for all, it is essential for each developing country to continue to give the highest priority to solving the food problems and to strengthen efforts for increased food production by implementing measures for the comprehensive development of agriculture and food on a medium and long term basis.
At the same time, it is important to promote international cooperation to assess the self reliant efforts of those countries. In this connection, my delegation is very appreciative of the efforts made by African countries to reform agricultural policies as stated in paragraph 62 of CL 91/2.
The volume and price of world food exports have declined mainly due to the slow growth of demand and oversupplying of a wide range of agricultural products on the world market. This unfavourable situation gives rise to serious problems not only for developed exporting countries, but also for developing countries which depend to a considerable extent for their foreign currencies on export earnings on agricultural products.
Being aware that the main causes of the present deterioration and confusion of world agricultural markets are increased production without adequate consideration for the supply and demand trend and therefore excessive export competition, each country should make an effort to solve the present world agricultural problems in proportion to its own responsibility and in cooperation with each other.
In paragraph 56 it is stated that the aim of the agricultural negotiations is to achieve greater liberalization of trade by improving market access, by improving the competitive environment and by minimizing the adverse effects that sanitary and phytosanitary regulations and barriers can have on trade and agriculture.
I would like to draw your attention to one more important aim of GATT's multilateral negotiations, and that is "to bring all measures affecting import access and export competition under strengthened and more operationally effective GATT rules and disciplines." My government recognizes that it is most important to establish new agricultural rules under the Uruguay Round, taking into account the special characteristics of agriculture and its multifarious roles, particularly those ensuring a stable supply of food and environmental conservation. I trust that considerable progress toward medium and long term solutions to the problems associated with the international agricultural trade will be made during the negotiations currently being undertaken in the Uruguay Round of GATT. We will participate positively in these negotiations and will contribute towards solving the problems.
As referred to in paragraphs 77 to 84, although total commitments of official external assistance to agriculture declined by 6 percent in 1985, multilateral commitments for 1986 expanded by 56 percent compared with the previous year because of a 180 percent increase in IBRD commitments. The figure for 1987 is expected to be favourable again. In this connection, Japan has decided, as a positive contribution to the international community, to take the following measures.
Firstly, while making the greatest efforts to move up the targets in the Third Medium-Term ODA expansion programme which aims at increasing the total ODA amount during the seven-year period from 1986 through 1992 to more than 40 billion dollars, and also to achieve double the 1985 ODA amount in 1992, the Japanese Government will at least advance the original seven-year doubling target by two years and make ODA disbursements in 1990 more than 7.6 billion dollars.
Secondly, seeking to solve the development and debt problems in developing countries, my country will recycle more than 20 billion dollars in new and completely untied government and private-sector funds over the next three years through the multilateral development banks or bilaterally in addition to the 10 billion dollars recycle, consisting of the Japan Special Fund established previously in the World Bank and so on.
With such policies taken by my Government, we believe that the assistance to agricultural development will be promoted as one of the major fields in Japanese economic cooperation in favour of developing countries.
Thomas YANGA (Cameroon): Mr. Chairman, the Cameroon delegation is particularly pleased to see you once again presiding over this session. My delegation is convinced that your exceptional qualities, with the assistance of your elected three vice chairmen, to whom we address our sincere congratulations, will lead us to a successful session, a session which is taking place at an important moment in the life of our Organization.
First of all, I would like to congratulate and thank the Director-General for his important intervention this morning. I would like also to congratulate the secretariat for the excellent document it has provided us with and of which Dr. Islam made a very comprehensive presentation.
This said, Mr. Chairman, I would like now, with your permission, to go on with the comments of my delegation on the document CL 91/2 and CL 91/2 supplement 1, in French, which is the other official language of my country. Continue en français: Notre delegation a étudié avec attention le document CL 91/2 et son supplément qui dresse un état de la situation actuelle de l'alimentation dans le monde.
Cette situation alimentaire est indissociable d'une conjoncture économique globalement difficile et particulièrement sombre pour les pays en développement, comme il ressort de la liste des principaux problèmes économiques auxquels notre monde doit faire face en ce moment, résumé au paragraphe 12 et à savoir: faiblesse de la croissance de l'activité et des échanges internationaux, énormes déséquilibres du commerce extérieur et menace persistante du protectionnisme, lourdeur du service de la dette, pressions pour réduire les déficits budgétaires, faiblesse des coûts internationaux des produits agricoles et ampleur du chômage.
La grande interdépendance entre ces problèmes appelle, aux yeux de notre délégation, des efforts conjugués, persistants, courageux et complémentaires de toute la communauté internationale dans un esprit de justice, de solidarité et d'équité avec cependant, comme le soulignent les paragraphes 13 et 14 du document, un support de volonté et d'efforts de la part des pays industrialisés.
S'agissant de la production alimentaire proprement dite, la délégation du Cameroun se félicite des résultats relativement positifs enregistrés en 1986 sur le plan global avec une croissance de 2 pour cent par rapport à 1985, dont 2,9 pour cent pour les pays en développement et 1,1 pour cent pour les pays développés.
Au niveau régional, l'Afrique semble s'être remise de la grande sécheresse 1983/84 avec cependant quelques points sombres localisés dans quelques pays. Ces pays, qui connaissent des pénuries alimentaires, risquent de voir leur nombre augmenter si la menace que les ravageurs acridiens font peser sur les récoltes céréalières de 1987, dans la zone sahélienne principalement, menace considérée comme la plus grave depuis plus de 20 ans, se réalise. C'est pour la délégation camerounaise ici le lieu d'adresser à la FAO des félicitations méritées pour la campagne de sensibilisation et le rôle de coordination qu'elle n'a cessé de jouer, et de même de remercier sincèrement tous les pays amis et autres organisations internationales qui nous apportent leur aide précieuse afin de lutter contre les acridiens qui menacent la partie nord du Cameroun.
S'agissant maintenant des disponibilités alimentaires et de l'accès aux vivres, on ne peut que déplorer le constat suivant: alors que des stocks de-céréales et d'autres produits ne font que s'accroître dans le monde, des centaines de millions d'êtres humains manquent du minimum nécessaire pour vivre. Cette situation humainement insoutenable, et dans laquelle l'Afrique une fois de plus se distingue malheureusement et tristement comme le montre le paragraphe 66, nous la déplorons vivement autant que nous essayons de la combattre au niveau national. En effet, la situation alimentaire du Cameroun est marquée actuellement par une autosuffisance sur un plan global, mais des efforts restent à faire pour éliminer des distorsions importantes suivant les groupes, et des affections liées à la malnutrition qui frappent les groupes sensibles que sont les femmes et les enfants.
Le Gouvernement entend donc, dans le cadre du sixième plan quinquennal 1986/91, accroître la production vivrière en vue de consolider l’autosuffisance et d'assurer la sécurité alimentaire; améliorer le statut nutritionnel de la population, améliorer les circuits de commercialisation et de distribution en tenant compte de la disparité des provinces et des classes socio-économiques les plus démunies.
Enfin, contrairement à ce qui est mentionné au paragraphe 76, les restrictions à l'importation des denrées alimentaires ces dernières années au Cameroun n'ont pas été le résultat de la crise économique ou de l'austérité financière, mais plutôt des performances grandissantes de la production vivrière nationale et aux stocks grandissants de certains produits, notamment du riz. Ma délégation voudrait souligner à l'intention du secrétariat que les disponibilités énergétiques et alimentaires au Cameroun étaient estimées à 2 271 calories par habitant et par jour en 1984/85. En somme, M. le Président, le Cameroun n'a pas connu et ne connaît pas de problème alimentaire en tant que tel mais le gouvernement reconnaît cependant que des efforts doivent être faits pour améliorer la situation nutritionnelle de certains groupes sensibles.
Pour terminer, M. le Président, permettez-moi de faire quelques commentaires sur les apports financiers pour la production vivrière. Ma délégation s'inquiète vivement face à la diminution significative des engagements multilatéraux à des conditions de faveur, alors que ceux sans condition de faveur ont plus que doublé.
Cette situation est d'autant déplorable que la majorité des pays en développement croule sous le poids de la dette extérieure et que ces pays sont engagés dans des programmes d'ajustements structurels ou sectoriels et voient leurs recettes d'exportation provenant des produits agricoles fondre comme beurre au soleil.
C'est pourquoi, M. le Président, tout en remerciant grandement et sincèrement les organisations internationales pour les efforts exceptionnels qu'elles ont déployés ces dernières années en faveur de l'Afrique, nous invitons la Communauté internationale à trouver des solutions globales, et dans une perspective à plus long terme, à l'ensemble des problèmes économiques fondamentaux que rencontrent les pays en développement, et particulièrement ceux d'Afrique.
Geng-Ou MA (China) (original language Chinese): Mr Chairman, may I at the outset warmly congratulate you and the other members of the bureau on your respective elections. The Secretariat has made a comprehensive introduction on the current world food situation which serves as an excellent background material for our discussion today. With your permission I will make a few comments on the item under review.
We have noted that the overall world food situation in 1986 was good in general with the global cereal production reaching a record level and an ample supply prevailing in the market. The staple food production in developing countries grew by 3 percent, exceeding the grown rate of the population. During the recent two years in particular the serious food deficit situation in Africa has been alleviated to some extent as a result of the continuous growth of food production. There are however still great gaps between developed and developing countries in terms of food production, trade, storage and consumption. There are food surpluses in a few developed countries while in many developing countries the food consumption is inadequate, and the people suffering hunger and malnutrition have increased in number. All this shows that a solution to the food problem should still be given priority in the future.
To develop production and to raise the level of food sufficiency in developing countries are an important way to solve the food problem and eliminate hunger and malnutrition. At the same time we cannot but notice the fact that the adverse international trade environment for agricultural products as at present, has become an impediment to the efforts of developing countries to further develop their agriculture. The unfavourable export conditions for agricultural products has reduced the foreign currency earnings of food deficit developing countries, and has limited their ability to import food and invest in expanding reproduction, thus affecting the development of the national economy as a whole.
Many agricultural products are at the moment in a state of over-supply. The protectionism practiced by major developed countries through restricting imports and encouraging exports by subsidies has impaired the interests of developing countries, and is not conducive to the interests of developed countries in the longer term as well. Therefore there is an urgent need to redress and prevent the phenomenom of various restrictions and distortions in the trade of agricultural products.
Now I must speak very briefly on the situation in China. This year a bumper harvest of summer grain crops is in sight, while the seedlings of autumn grain crops are doing well, and given effective and appropriate measures it is probable that production will increase over last year. However, due to a weak agricultural foundation and a huge population in China, we are still confronted with the arduous task of meeting the need to constantly improve people's living by futher developing our agriculture.
Our current food consumption is at a lower level in terms of per capita average. Therefore emphasis will be placed on the following: First that food production is still treated as a priority development area, and the construction of commodity grain bases shall be strengthened. The acreage sown to grains shall be guaranteed and efforts made to increase per unit area output. Secondly, investment in agriculture shall be increased and the capital accumulating capacity of the agricultural sector enhanced to ensure continuous and stable development in agriculture. Thirdly, financial and technical support for poor remote areas shall be increased in order to help improve their agricultural production capacity.
This discussion also offers us an opportunity for sharing information and exchanging experience with each other. It is our hope that through the discussion a consensus of opinion shall be reached on the present food and agriculture situation and its short-term development, thus making the discussion fruitful.
K.R. HIGHAM (Canada): The first point I wish to register regarding the two documents before us is our appreciation of them. FAO reports on the current world food situation are traditionally very highly respected in Canada in government departments which work in areas of agricultural trade, agricultural development assistance and in food aid. I should also mention that there is parallel interest in the document in our many non-governrnental organizations which work in areas of hunger and malnutrition.
Canadians will be pleased to note in these reports that per capita production is increasing more quickly in developing countries than even in developed countries which currently are in such chronic oversupply. Nevertheless, we are concerned that on a per capita basis food production has declined in Latin America and Africa, which only underlines that continuing further efforts are required to increase production in these and other areas of the developing world. Production is only one side of the hunger problem; poverty and purchasing power are the other.
In Canada we often see three main pillars on which to construct improvements in our agricultural development performance. The first and the most important is appropriate domestic policies; the second is a fair trade environment for agriculture and the third is effective and generous resource transfer mechanisms, bilateral as well as multilateral. I would like to address the second of the three pillars, the international agricultural trading environment.
This is the year of agricultural trade reform that is, when the great debate has gone further than ever before. For many that means reform of domestic agricultural policies which cause spillover into international trade. Canada has put much stock on the discussions in many different fora in recent months. These seem to be leading us slightly towards a satisfactory base for launching negotiations in GATT, to bring GATT discipline to trade and agriculture. The path to Geneva is a long one with stopovers at Punta del Este, in Paris at the OECD ministerial meeting, in Ottawa for a meeting of the so-called Cairns Group, the Group of 14, more recently and simultaneously at the summit in Venice, and in Beijing for the World Food Council. The objective of these talks has always been to develop and to gain acceptance for a set of principles for fair agricultural trade, principles which can serve us as outside parameters for the coming negotiations, principles for guidance as we get down to the traditional concessions and trade-off stages of the GATT negotiations. The search is for a new international trade structure for agriculture which allows for the eventual improved exploitation of regional and national comparative advantages, that is, advantages in agricultural production. We are looking for a so-called "local playing field" which limits privileges in agricultural trade-that is, the right to protection against imports and the right to distort exports by subsidization. We would like to see this limited to the necessary what I call pump-priming measures for developing countries, the so-called principle of differential and more favourable treatment of LDCs as embodied already in the GATT and related instruments and also in the Punta del Este ministerial declaration as applied to the negotiations on agriculture.
We believe that some good progress has been made towards preparing for successful negotiations on agricultural trade in the Uruguay round. We feel that this progress is just as important for developing countries as it is for those agriculture-trade-dependent developed countries-my own country is an example-and we are most anxious for a return to a stable agricultural world situation where prices realistically reflect the real cost of production.
I believe there is general agreement on the importance of a stable trade environment for the developing countries as well. Many of the countries in that category are suffering debilitating charges against their export earnings. Those charges are on two counts-collapsed prices due to the presence of surplus commodities overhanging international markets and secondly, charges due to restricted access to the cash markets of many developed countries. I believe that tropical products are especially of interest in this category. A second blow to the developing world's agricultural stability resulting from the current situation comes from the presence on their own domestic markets of subsidized exports whose unnaturally low prices undermine revenue and frustate their attempts to establish an economically sound agricultural sector. If anything, the current chaos in international agricultural trade has served to underline the interdependence of agricultural markets in commodities, and to show that it is folly to imagine that one country, or a group of countries, can manipulate production or prices in one commodity without destabilizing others. Rice at many times the world price in a domestic market is just as good as, for example, sugar, cereals, dairy products, or meat.
Given the obvious shared interest of developed and developing countries to bring increased stability to international markets, many here would agree that it would be appropriate for our report to reflect this sentiment, the sentiment of members towards the kind of principles contained in the OECD communiqué, and to add our own voice to those already calling for a satisfactory incorporation of agricultural trade into the discipline of the new GATT round. More specifically, we think that negotiations should contain the following basic obligations, and I will read the points worked out in Ottawa at the ministerial meeting of the Cairns group. The negotiations should include the following basic objectives: 1. Inclusion of all measures which adversely affect trade in agriculture; 2. A rapid and substantial reduction in those levels of support for agriculture which distort the international market place; 3. Establishment of new GATT rules or disciplines to ensure the liberalization of agricultural trade; 4. Agreement on specific measures for the phase-down of market access barriers to trade in agriculture and subsidization and all other measures which have a negative effect on world agricultural trade; 5. Agreement on the principles to prevent disruption of world markets in the. course of containment or reduction of structural surplus stocks.
I should add to those five points that the ministers reaffirmed that the principle of differential and more favourable treatment for developing countries as embodied in the GATT and related instruments as well as in the Punta del Este declaration applied to negotiations on agriculture as well.
In closing, I have one last remark which I believe is most important to register, given the intervention of some speakers before me-that is, concerning the role of FAO in the coming Uruguay round of GATT. I believe it has been suggested that FAO become actively involved in the negotiations themselves. I must register the traditional opposition of Canada to that concept, and insist that we would consider active involvement in these sensitive negotiations by any multilateral organization as inappropriate. It goes without saying that the well-known expertise of FAO in commercial and trade statistics and matters of commercial agricultural trade should be drawn upon by all members as they require. This is not a new FAO debate and I suggest we resolve it, in order to save valuable Drafting Committee time and energy, by agreeing to a text which accommodates the inevitable two points of view on this question.
B.N. NDIMANDE (Zimbabwe): My delegation would like to join other delegations in congratulating you, Mr Chairman, on being elected to the chair again. I also wish to congratulate the FAO Secretariat for producing such good working documents for this meeting.
With regard to the food situation, I would like to take this opportunity of stating that a number of countries in southern Africa have had poor rainfall during the 1986/87 crop season. In Zimbabwe we estimate that our maize intake will be only around 550 thousand tons as opposed to the good year of 1985/86 when we had a total intake of 1.8 million tons. The intake we are likely to achieve this season, plus last year's reserve grain, will give us approximately 1 million tons. Although this may be sufficient for our consumption, we expect that reserves will run low very quickly because farmers have not been able to reserve grain for their own consumption due to crop failure, particularly in the drier regions of the country. We have experienced in the past that drought can run to several years. If this were to happen, Zimbabwe also would possibly be in danger of running short of grain if we did not utilize what we have in a very careful manner. The big challenge facing us now is how to stabilize our food production in order to ensure an adequate production of food.
On the other hand, even when we have had good years we have faced problems in selling our produce at competitive prices due to higher producer costs which have been caused by excessive inputs in foreign currency.
This has resulted in a monetary loss because we have incurred storage costs for the products that we didn't sell. The severe competition by big producers has come at a time when we are struggling to move away from subsidies, which usually cause big trading deficits.
One of our problems is the effect of destabilization by South Africa, which results in an insecure situation for the farmers in their day-to-day activities. Generally our policies always have been to give good prices to farmers as an incentive to produce more. However, as I have said, we have incurred big trading deficits due to the fact that we have had to sell our commodities at low prices.
Efforts are being made to utilize all available external and internal financial resources. I take this opportunity to thank the FAO for its technical assistance. We are using all efforts to stabilize our production through the development of irrigation, agrarian reform, the strengthening of services such as research and extension services, and general improvement of resource management. It is my hope that the FAO will continue to support us in those areas where we are trying to help ourselves.
The meeting rose at 17.30
hours La séance est levée à 17 h 30
Se levanta la sesión a las 17.30 horas
