Ibrahim OUMAROU (Niger): Puisque ma délégation prend la parole pour la première fois, je voudrais vous exprimer notre satisfaction de vous voir présider les travaux de cette 91ème session du Conseil.
Ma délégation a pris connaissance avec beaucoup dhintérêt du rapport de la 12ème session du Comité de la sécurité alimentaire, et formule les commentaires suivants:
Sur l'évaluation de la situation actuelle de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale et l'évolution récente des politiques, ma délégation souscrit à l'analyse faite par le Comité et exprime sa préoccupation à propos de la situation de sous-alimentation chronique que vivent des millions de personnes, alors que des stocks mondiaux de vivres n'ont jamais atteint un niveau aussi élevé. C'est là un paradoxe majeur. Le problème le plus important est l'accès de ces affamés et autres malnourris à ces stocks. Ces déshérités sont évidemment des citoyens des pays en développement à déficit vivrier. Les efforts de ces pays pour sortir de cette situation sont malheureusement contrariés par un environnement international défavorable qui nous est imposé par quelques grands pays de ce monde.
En effet, la détérioration des termes de l'échange et le poids insupportable de la dette freinent nos pays dans leurs efforts pour obtenir les capitaux et les intranets indispensables pour accroître leur production alimentaire.
Pendant ce temps, ces mêmes pays développés pratiquent le protectionnisme, la subvention à la production et à l'exportation et autres politiques tendant toutes à étouffer le système de production des pays en développement afin de les mettre dans une dépendance alimentaire chronique.
Nous continuerons à dénoncer une telle façon de voir les rapports entre les Etats.
A ce titre la série des négociations multilatérales ouverte en Uruguay offre un cadre propice pour établir un ordre international nouveau, à condition que les pays développés se départissent de leur égoïsme suicidaire. Ils doivent au contraire s'engager dans une coopération franche, mutuellement avantageuse, entre eux et les pays en développement.
C'est là le gage de la relance de l'économie mondiale dans son ensemble.
En ce qui concerne l'Afrique australe, je voudrais dénoncer, comme l'ont fait de nombreux délégués avant moi, la déstabilisation qu'entreprend l'Afrique du Sud à l'endroit des Etats de la ligne de Front. Il est évident que cette situation compromet dangereusement la sécurité alimentaire de ces Etats. Par conséquent, j'appuie le paragraphe 10 du document, et notamment l'appui que la communauté internationale doit apporter à ces pays dans leurs efforts pour assurer la sécurité alimentaire de leur peuple.
Le chapitre relatif aux procédures administratives et au temps de réaction des donateurs face aux crises alimentaires a retenu l'attention de ma délégation. Elle appuie fortement le paragraphe 52 et souligne l'importance de la mise en place de dispositifs nationaux d'alerte rapide.
A ce niveau, je fais part au Conseil de l'expérience du CILSS en la matière, lequel a mis en place chez les Etats Membres un système d'alerte rapide fiable qui donne la situation alimentaire dans ces Etats dès la fin de la campagne agricole et appelle ensuite la communauté des donateurs à faire apprécier la situation par des missions d'évaluation.
Par ailleurs, ma délégation pense que le développement des échanges triangulaires est de nature à résoudre les lentes procédures administratives des donateurs face aux crises alimentaires.
Avant de terminer, ma délégation exprime ses vifs remerciements aux pays qui ont bien voulu répondre à l'appel de la FAO dans le cadre de la lutte anti-acridienne en Afrique. Cependant, le péril acridien pèse toujours sur l'Afrique et je lance un appel à tous les pays pour qu'ils oeuvrent à l’eradication de ce fléau.
Rainer PRESTIEN (Germany, Federal Republic of): My delegation welcomes the presentation of the report of the 12th Session of the Committee on World Food Security, document CL 91/10. We particularly welcome the assessment of the world food situation with special regard to food security, including recent developments as presented in paragraphs 6 to 22· The statements in paragraph 6 with regard to the development of per caput food consumption in a number of developing countries clearly show that efforts must be increased to raise the nutritional level not only on a world-wide statistical average, but also at regional level. My country will, as in the past, not neglect the obligation to help.
The Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany pointed out at this year's economic summit meeting, which just ended in Venice a few days ago, that my country takes the debt problems of developing countries very seriously. We have already referred to it under agenda Item 4.
On paragraph 11 in the document before us referring to trade problems we have already stated our opinion.
As regards Chapter III of the document dealing with the impact on world food security of agricultural policies in industrialized countries, the representative of the EEC Commission has already given his comments on that in the CFS meeting. I endorse his statements. It seems to be of special importance to my delegation to mention that either no restrictions are imposed on most imports from developing countries into the European Community or they enjoy preferential treatment. Moreover, it should not be ignored in this connection that the European Community as a whole and the Federal Republic of Germany in particular, traditionally for many years have had a deficit in their trade with developing countries which has been continuously increasing over the last two decades. European Community countries thus make a considerable contribution to international cooperation in the field of world trade and overall world economy. We have already expressed our view on the questions to be discussed within the framework of the multilateral GATT negotiations under agenda Item 4. FAO has to play its role also in this regard as a source of information and by providing basic data but without getting directly involved in these negotiations.
We share the discussion results, as reflected in Chapter IV of the document, with regard to the role of roots, tubers and plantains in food security in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as in the Pacific.
We can also largely share what is said in paragraphs 47 to 56 with regard to the administrative procedures and timing of the response of donors to food emergencies. Let me, however, point out in this connection that the propositioning of stocks in recipient countries or regions is an extremely expensive solution that does not necessarily have advantages only. We therefore associate ourselves with what is stated in paragraph 55, including alternative approaches mentioned in this paragraph.
In Chapter V, "Transnational Corporations in Food and Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery Sectors in Developing Countries", we particularly agree with the statements in paragraph 66 where developing countries are recommended to adopt a pragmatic approach to transnational corporations. We feel this attitude is most likely consistent with the principle of territorial sovereignty of states.
We are, however, also of the opinion that these questions can be discussed by FAO as a specialized agency less adequately than within the framework of the UN agency established for this very purpose, namely the UN Center for Transnational Corporations.
We endorse the statements in Chapter VI of the document dealing with the review of improvements in the Global Information and Early Warning System as well as measures taken to strengthen national early warning systems. We also welcome the statements in Part VII of the document concerning the external evaluation of the Food Security Assistance Scheme.
Several questions with regard to this agenda item refer to agricultural policies of the members of our Organization. In the European Community responsibility for the Common Agricultural Policy rests with the Community. The representative of the Commission of the European Community, present here, will give at a later stage of the discussion the view of the Community with regard to agricultural policy in the twelve Member States.
Ghulan Farouq KOBAKIWAL (Afghanistan): I am honored to present my delegation's best wishes for your success and that of the FAO and its Member Nations in developing the enhancement of food production and the elimination of malnutrition and poverty in the world.
I would like to present the opinion of the Afghan delegation regarding the report of the 12th Session of the Committee on World Food Security.
Regarding paragraph 11, the Afghan mission believes that food security can be implemented if a new economic order is established among countries to organize the export and import of food for those developing countries where there are economic problems. Developed countries should provide facilities for food exports to the developing countries.
With regard to paragraph 12, certainly food security is a problem in developing communities. Therefore, international organizations and industrialized countries should devote their assistance to financing the projects of developing countries for producing primary food such as cereals, vegetables and other agricultural commodities. In this way the economy of the developing countries is upgraded.
In paragraphs 14 and 15, Afganistan highly appreciated the proposals of the Committee in regard to FAO contributions in studying the situation in food-deficit countries for the formulation of price policies on food. The Afghanistan delegation consider the recommendation of the Committee on the stabilizing of food prices to be useful.
Turning to paragraphs 16 and 17, the Afghanistan delegation, like the Food Security Committee, believe that the transport, storage of food stocks and the management of food marketing are the real problems in developing countries. Indeed, the removal of such problems needs large funds. Therefore, the assistance of international agencies and industrialized countries to developing countries is very necessary.
Turning to paragraph 20, the Afghan delegation recognize the fact that women have a big share in world food production. However, they do not benefit from social and economic services and aids. As women have an important role in food production and agricultural development, they should therefore have access to the social and economic advantages.
The Afghan,mission appreciates the comments of the Committee Secretariat that the role of FAO in solving women's problems through studying and making recommendations is of great importance. Earlier this year a big seminar on the subject of women and development was held at Kabul. At the end of this seminar, at which several women from rural areas participated, very valuable recommendations were made. Governmental organizations were advised by the seminar to bear in mind the participation of women in the design of new development projects.
Going now to paragraph 24, the Afghan mission believes that limitations and other trade barriers imposed by industrialized countries in the food trade and the agricultural commodities of developing countries have adverse effects on world food security. In fact, the economy of those developing countries relies on trade in food and agricultural commodities. The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan wishes to see the removal of such trade barriers.
Referring to paragraph 27, the Afghan delegation, like other member nations, believes that the surplus food stuffs of developed countries should be sent to needy developing countries, but not as a political tool. In this connection, we should mention that we in Afghanistan have experience in our country that where such food aid is distributed to food deficit regions as a working wage for implementing rural development projects the aid is utilized effectively. It should also be mentioned that the food aid of donor countries should be organized and distributed by United Nations agencies such as the WFP and others.
I turn now to paragraphs 34 and 35. Afghanistan agrees with other member nations that developing countries cannot compete with developed countries in the international food market. To solve this problem, a new economic order should be formulated and the developed countries should review their policies from time to time.
Going to paragraph 69, the Afghanistan delegation-like other representatives of member nations-would request FAO to cooperate with developing countries in formulating investment policies for agriculture. Additionally, the FAO as a neutral Organization is urged to improve its assistance to developing countries in the economic evaluation of agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry and projects of an investment type.
Paragraphs 75, 76 and 77: global information and early warning systems are a valuable step and we request FAO to assist those countries which have not yet established an early warning system. The FAO has an important role in establishing such a system at regional level to prevent loss from disasters such as desert locusts, drought, pest outbreak, epidemic animal disease and other natural disasters. Cooperation between the countries of the regions is necessary in order to establish such a system.
In this connection we have requested UNDP to finance our project, Crop Forecasting.
Lyle Everett WILLIAMS (Trinidad and Tobago): Let me in the first place express our thanks and appreciation to Mr. Guillermo Gonzalez for his lucid introduction of this agenda item. Trinidad and Tobago shares the Committee's concern that despite abundant supplies at the global level and the substantial increase in food production in some developing countries, millions of people still remain underfed and undernourished. This lack of access to food by the hungry and malnourished, at the same time as mountains of grain surpluses are growing, is in itself a sad and telling commentary on twentieth-century man, his methods and his times.
Trinidad and Tobago can very easily empathize with the views expressed in paragraph 10 of the report. We are convinced that lasting solutions to the issue of food security in developing countries must primarily stem from the implementation of suitable long-term national policies even though it is appreciated that external boosters will be necessary from to time.
We share the hope expressed in paragraph 37 of the report for the success of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations. Without in any way wishing to inject a negative note into the sweetness and light scenario reflected therein, we believe it necessary to warn against any smug optimism with regard to these negotiations. I wish to reiterate the view expressed in the report that all countries will need to demonstrate the necessary political will if the goals set by our ministers at the Punta del Este meeting in September 1986 are to be achieved. Trinidad and Tobago strongly commends any initiatives taken by the Director-General to provide FAO assistance at the negotiations and would welcome and support, at the appropriate time, FAO's application for observer status at the relevant negotiations.
We also support the view that roots, tubers and plantains could make an important contribution to food security in Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
We believe that the report is quite accurate in identifying the importation of cereals and other foreign foods as being primarily responsible for the decline in consumption of these traditional staples. As a result of promotional advertising, these imported cereals have now attained a glamour in our society, out of all proportion in some cases to their vitamin content and overall food value, and now form an accepted and desired part of the daily diet of many of our citizens. Attempts to have the locally grown roots, tubers and plantains regain widescale popularity and use are now being made locally. Whilst remaining hopeful of positive results, we are conscious of the fact that the answer may lie in long-term dietary reorientation, but perhaps more so in the processing of these foods and in the use of the root, the tuber and the plantain in the production of the types of imported glamour packaged foods which we now so voraciously consume.
The role of the transnational corporations in Third World countries has been one of the highlights of the report. Trinidad and Tobago fully understand the negative influences which certain transnational corporations can have on the development goals and aspirations of Third World countries. Trinidad and Tobago also appreciate the fact that the main concern of these enterprises is the maximising of profits. We are of the view, however, that these corporations, when subjected to proper controls and operational guidelines, could make a valuable contribution to the development of Third World countries.
Trinidad and Tobago therefore wish to support the recommendation contained in the report requesting FAO to provide support to developing countries in the evaluation of transnational corporation projects and in the strengthening of their monitoring and follow-up systems applicable to transnational corporations in the food and agricultural sector.
Ngoy Toka MUEMA (Zaïre): Je voudrais joindre ma voix â celle des orateurs qui ont pris la parole avant moi pour féliciter le Secrétariat et Monsieur Gonzalez pour la qualité et la présentation du document que nous examinons depuis hier et que ma délégation appuie dans son ensemble. Pour gagner du temps, je ne pourrai commenter que quelques paragraphes.
Le rapport qui nous est soumis sur la sécurité alimentaire mondiale est un nouveau constat de la difficulté pour tous les hommes de notre planète â accéder à la nourriture. A ce sujet, ma délégation pense aussi que des actions concrètes en matière de sécurité alimentaire sont à renforcer aux niveaux national, régional et international, ainsi que cela est précisé dans le paragraphe 12 du rapport.
Nous appuyons les paragraphes 17, 18 et 19.
Ma délégation souscrit pleinement à ce qui est dit au paragraphe 20 concernant le rôle des femmes dans la sécurité alimentaire et la nécessité d'améliorer leur situation comme productrices d'aliments.
Le Zaïre fait siens les propos tenus hier par les honorables délégués concernant la nécessité pour la communauté internationale d'accorder un appui sans réserve aux pays africains de la ligne de front et nous appuyons à cet effet le paragraphe 10.
Comme l'ont dit d'autres délégués, ma délégation pense également qu'il faut insister sans cesse sur la nécessité pour la communauté internationale d'aider les pays en développement pour la construction et la réhabilitation des infrastructures de stockage et de transport des produits vivriers afin de faciliter la distribution des vivres aux populations nécessiteuses qui, très souvent, ont difficilement accès à ces vivres. A ce propos, ma délégation tient â appuyer ce qui est dit au paragraphe 50.
Nous voulons apporter notre plein appui également au paragraphe 34, concernant la nécessité d'un nouvel ordre économique international.
D'autres délégués qui ont parlé avant nous ont rappelé le cas des pays en développement qui se trouvent alternativement en situations de pénuries alimentaires et d'excédents alimentaires; nous pensons qu'en pareil cas, il serait indiqué d'explorer à fond la situation pour voir s'il n'y a pas lieu d'encourager un échange de produits vivriers entre ces pays, favorisant ainsi la coopération sud-sud.
Dans l'hypothèse favorable aux aménagements des infrastructures de stockage dans les pays en développement, une étude appropriée pourrait déterminer les conditions les plus propices de transfert des vivres d'un pays à potentiel suffisant de stockage vers un autre pays nécessiteux, en un laps de temps plus court, pour atteindre rapidement les zones sinistrées.
Nous appuyons la recommandation faite au paragraphe 78 du rapport et demandant que la FAO puisse aider davantage les pays en développement pour la mise en place et le renforcement de leurs systèmes nationaux d'information et d'alerte rapide.
Etant donné l'importance que nous accordons au Comité de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale, ma délégation estime que les sessions de ce Comité doivent continuer à se tenir comme par le passé.
Pour terminer, ma délégation voudrait rappeler et souligner le fait que, compte tenu de son rôle d'organisation pilote et de chef de file dans le système des Nations Unies, en ce qui concerne les questions mondiales touchant l'alimentation et l'agriculture, la FAO doit tout mettre en oeuvre pour jouer pleinement ce rôle.
Mrs Roberta VAN HAEFTEN (United States of America): The United States delegation would like to thank the Chairman of the Committee on Food Security for his excellent and detailed introduction to the material covered during the twelfth session of the Committee on Food Security.
The US delegation participated in the CFS, joining in the discussion on each of the items covered on the agenda. We therefore only have three points that we would like to discuss here at the Council.
Our first point: the United States agrees to accept the report of the Committee on Food Security but maintains its reservation on the statement, "Food should not be used as a political weapon". The United States believes that efforts towards greater world food security should also encompass more open and stable trade flows and assurances of food supplies. The United States also believes that governments should endeavour to guarantee their people adequate food, and in this context subscribes to the general principle that food should not be used as an instrument for political pressure. The United States believes that including language like this in the report of the Council will provide a much clearer statement of the concept which the Committee on Food Security was trying to express in its April 1987 deliberations.
Second, the United States delegation is also concerned with the possible duplication of efforts between the Committee on Food Security and other FAO fora. We therefore support the United Kingdom suggestion which was also supported yesterday by the delegation from the Cameroon, that this issue be included on the agenda of the High Level Group which is to be established by Conference in November to review the functions and work of FAO.
I would like to stress that our concern is that FAO use what are scarce resources in the most effective way possible in dealing with the food security problems of the world. Our question is one of cost effectiveness. Can the resources saved by holding CFS meetings once every two years, for example, be put to more productive use elsewhere? As an example, in assisting countries to improve their capacity for collecting information on the status of food and agriculture in their own countries.
As our final point, the United States delegation would also like members of the Council to note that at the conclusion of the Committee on Food Security meeting, several delegations expressed their dissatisfaction with the inefficient, time-consuming and costly process through which the final report was developed. Notwithstanding the importance of the issue of food security, the US believes that it is time to take a serious look at the continued acceptability of an essentially business-as-usual approach to the report drafting process.
Humberto CARRION M. (Nicaragua): Felicitamos también nosotros, Sr. Presidente, al representante de la República Argentina ante la FAO Sr. Guillermo E. González, por la clara y competente introducción del tema que ahora nos ocupa. El Sr. Gonzalez ha presidido la sesión del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria Mundial con mucha capacidad, honestidad e imparcialidad.
El informe del 12° período de sesiones del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria Mundial recoge muy bien las inquietudes de los gobiernos de los países en desarrollo sobre la situación negativa de la seguridad alimentaria que se derivan de las también negativas relaciones económicas internacionales.
En nuestra intervención de antes de ayer, en el tema de la "Situación actual de la alimentación en el mundo", tuvimos la oportunidad de hacer observaciones, que también están contenidas en el documento CL 91/10, y aparecen como expresiones de preocupación del Comité relativas a la situación de la alimentación mundial.
Ya en el párrafo 8 del documento, el Comité expresó profunda preocupación por el hecho de que a pesar de la abundancia de suministros alimenticios a nivel mundial, millones de personas siguen todavía en estado de desnutrición y de hambre.
El Comité estuvo de acuerdo en que la inseguridad alimentaria no se debe a la falta de existencias de alimentos, sino a la falta de acceso a ellos por parte de.esos millones de personas hambrientas y desnutridas. Es más, en muchos países en desarrollo la disminución del consumo de alimentos ha sido una tendencia constante, debido a la prolongada recesión económica mundial generada en los países desarrollados con economías de mercado.
El párrafo 10 expresa que muchos países en desarrollo con déficit de alimentos no están en condiciones de financiar las importaciones alimentarias que necesitan, debido a los problemas de balanza de pagos. La disminución en los ingresos debido al proteccionismo comercial, aplicado por países industrializados; el empeoramiento de las relaciones de intercambio y la pesada carga de la deuda extena, no sólo ha obligado a esos países a restringir las importaciones de alimentos, sino que también ha impedido la obtención del capital y de los insumos indispensables para incrementar su propia producción agrícola alimentaria.
Apoyamos el contenido del párrafo 11 sobre la necesidad de que en todas las partes contratantes del GATT adopten posiciones constructivas en la actual Ronda de Uruguay, de negociaciones comerciales multilaterales de los productos agrícolas, ya que la situación del comercio internacional necesita ser reformada como una contribución al nuevo orden económico internacional, al cual aspiramos.
Felicitamos al Director General de la FAO por el apoyo ofrecido a la Ronda de Uruguay, lo que demuestra una vez más la firme intención del Dr. Edouard Saouma, de colaborar en la erradicación del hambre y la desnutrición en el mundo.
Notamos también con satisfacción que el CSA acogió con agrado el estudio de viabilidad de la FAO sobre la ampliación de la ayuda en especies al Africa, así como el estudio sobre los problemas y perspectivas del desarrollo agrícola en la región de América Latina y el Caribe, para ser presentada en la 20° Conferencia de la FAO para esa región, en 1988.
Estamos totalmente de acuerdo con el párrafo 12 sobre las recomendaciones que podrían implementarse a nivel nacional, regional e internacional para favorecer la seguridad alimentaria mundial, que están detallados en los documentos CFS 87/2 y CFS 87/2, suplemento 1.
Apoyamos particularmente las recomendaciones en el plano nacional sobre las medidas que se deben tomar para reducir la pobreza, aumentando el empleo y distribuyendo mejor los ingresos, especialmente entre las poblaciones más pobres, y solicitamos que aumente la corriente de asistencia técnica y financiera hacia los países en desarrollo, para impulsar los planes nacionales de desarrollo.
Por prepotentes razones ideológicas y geopolíticas, Nicaragua ha venido siendo víctima de una brutal agresión política, económica y militar externa desde más de 5 años. Se desea doblegar por hambre al pueblo nicaragüense imponiéndonos una economía de sobrevivencia, minando puertos, embargando el comercio, destruyendo objetivos económicos y sociales, minando vías rurales de acceso a zonas
productoras de alimentos y obligándonos también a destinar el 40 por ciento del producto interno bruto, el 50 por ciento del Presupuesto Nacional y el 20 por ciento de la población económicamente activa a las tareas de la defensa de nuestra soberanía, nuestra dignidad y nuestra independencia.
Como demuestra el llamado escándalo Contra-Gate, y como dijo un gran presidente de un igualmente gran país desarrollado, refiriéndose a sus connacionales: se puede engañar a todo el pueblo por cierto tiempo, se puede engañar a una parte del pueblo todo el tiempo, pero no se puede engañar a todo el pueblo todo el tiempo.
Nuestra delegación considera que la seguridad alimentaria nacional sólo puede ser lograda en un clima de paz, respeto, estabilidad y cooperación internacional. Apoyamos especialmente la parte final del párrafo 10 del documento en referencia, sobre el grave deterioro de la seguridad alimentaria de los Estados de la línea del frente del Africa Austral por la desestabilización causada por el oprobioso Gobierno racista de Sudáfrica y nos unimos al llamado del Comité para que se apoye a estos Estados en sus esfuerzos por alcanzar la Seguridad Alimentaria. Apoyamos también firmemente el párrafo 30 que reafirma que los alimentos no deben utilizarse como arma política y lamentamos profundamente la reserva de un país a este párrafo.
Sobre las empresas transnacionales en los sectores alimentario, agrícola, forestal y pesquero de los países en desarrollo, estamos de acuerdo con los párrafos 58, 59, 60 y 62 sobre los efectos negativos de dichas empresas, y con el párrafo 69, en el que se solicita al Director General de la FAO que siguiera analizando este tema.
Para finalizar, consideramos que el Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria Mundial cumple un papel muy importante como foro de información, discusión y formulación de sugerencias para tratar de hacer que el mundo sea más seguro desde el punto de vista alimentario. Apoyamos sus actividades, el modo en que está constituido y su periodicidad de reuniones.
Michael J. RYAN (Australia): At the last session of the Committee on Food Security I gave a fairly long and detailed statement of Australia's views of the current state of world agricultural trade as it effects world food security, and our thoughts on how to resolve the critical situation facing agricultural commodity traders, particularly efficient non subsidizing exporters of these commodities.
Today I would like to pick up once again some of those ideas and develop them a little further, and in this context Australia welcomes the comments made in the document before us, that is paragraphs 23 to 38 and thanks Mr González for his clear and precise introduction to this item.
Australia realizes that while the causes of the present problems in world agricultural trade are very complex, there are five fundamental imbalances in national and international economic, agricultural and trade policies. These imbalances are: (a) large domestic budget deficits; (b) big imbalances in trade flows; (c) rising domestic protectionism; (d) massive domestic agricultural subsidies; and (e) unbalanced policies within the developing countries themselves.
We recognize that in focusing on agricultural trade and agricultural policy, we are dealing with only one part of a complex and inter-related, international and humanitarian problem.
We have now reached a situation where countries must be prepared to impose some political discipline in seeking solutions. Several strategies need to be deployed to bolster and reinforce this discipline, especially in leading Western industrial nations. I refer to Japan, the United States and the EEC, not because these nations are the only ones which have contributed to this problem, and who must indeed resolve it, because they do in fact account for over 80 percent of OECD agricultural protectionism-but also recognizing that we all have a part to play in the process of world agricultural reform.
Australia focuses on these countries because they are the nations which purport to lead the Western industrial world. The problem of world food policy failure in the 1980s is very largely, although not entirely, a creature of the economic, agricultural and trade policies of the Western industrialized world.
The Australian Government believes that four steps are necessary to strengthen the political discipline needed to address this critical world problem. Firstly, the problem itself must be dramatized and the costs to key political constituencies must be publicized. Second, we must show that there is indeed a logical, effective and politically palatable way out of our difficulties. Thirdly, we must multi-lateralize the solution, so that the adjustment costs to individual nations will be substantially offset by the benefits of international reform. And, fourthly, we must re-inforce the positive developments that, as I shall indicate in a moment, are indeed taking place in a number of the countries involved.
Let us look firstly at the dramatization of the problem. There are a number of steps that must be taken. Firstly, it is necessary to demonstrate that there is indeed a crisis, a crisis looming, a burgeoning crisis in the international economic order, particularly in the distorted and chaotic international commodity markets. I do not need to remind the delegates here of the dramatic falls across the board in commodity and agricultural commodity prices.
Looking at the costs of the farm programmes, the costs that, have taken place in recent years, we notice a dramatic escalation. In the united States something like 30 billion dollars is being spent at the present time. The direct costs in the European Community is somewhere around 23 billion dollars, and the costs of the common agricultural policy have doubled in five years. In Japan and in other countries the cost of farm programmes is rising quite dramatically, it is not sufficient simply to point out the nature of the problem to demonstrate that there is indeed a crisis and to show that the costs of the crisis are rising dramatically, it is not even enough to point to the Thai rice farmers or the Philippines sugar producers who have been deprived of any means of earning income. Nor the African country that has worked hard to generate a small exportable maize surplus, only to find that there is no market left for its products. It is not sufficient to emphasize the loss of export income in debt-ridden Latin American economies. And of course, it is not sufficient to talk of the damage being done to Australia.
It is also important to point out to domestic constituencies, the kinds of problems and costs that they are facing. It is a lamentable fact that political discipline on this question will come primarily in the end from domestic concerns and not international concerns.
I want to turn to a much more positive element and indicate that there are indeed ways out of the problems currently facing us. In doing so I refer to the initiative launched by the Australian Prime Minister in Davos in January. I won't go through those points to save time, but I am sure delegates are well aware of the points that we put forward. The first point that we did put forward, and the most important one, relates to a commitment to halt subsidy escalation, and freeze progressively and reduce administrative prices. We believe this was achieved in Punta del Este in Uruguay, and the launching of the multilateral trade negotiations. Since that launch that commitment has been reinforced most noticeably in the communique from the OECD ministerial council meeting last month in Paris. A number of countries individually have committed themselves to working very hard to achieve that objective.
On the question of internal administered producer prices we are seeing signs of modest progress, at least some turning points. It is probably in the United States that we see less optimistic signs of change than in any other country. Certainly the mood of Congress at the present time is not conducive to further moderation of the international agricultural price war. But even in the case of the United States we have to acknowledge that the existing Farm Bill provides for reductions in internal administered prices, in 1988 and 1989 in the order of five percent. This is not a dramatic improvement but nevertheless, if the existing Farm Bill remains in place it will contribute to some improvement in the international agricultural situation.
If we look at Japan, we have seen from the Japanese Government a constructive report by the Japan Agricultural Policy Council, which contains a firm commitment to reducing internal prices in order to move them in the direction of international market prices. We have seen some signs of that in practice, in the decision last year to freeze the rice prices and the recent decision to marginally reduce internal support prices for beef.
In the EEC we have seen constructive proposals advanced by the EEC Commission. In the case of cereals, changes in intervention rules and in internal price levels, if implemented, would lead to reductions in internal administered prices of up to 10 percent.
So we see significant early progress in the first of Australia's proposals on the road to reform. We have also seen from a number of countries, the EEC, the United States and Japan, statements in principle of their intention to separate, at least partially, producer income support from prices for products.
We have also seen an agreement amongst the OECD countries on a set of principles to liberalize world agricultural trade through the reform of domestic agricultural policies by member countries. Those important principles are a set of principles with which few of us would quibble. Australia has twin goals to pursue in this matter. They are the reform of domestic agricultural policies and the cementing of the process of reform into international agreements under the Uruguay round of GATT negotiations. We believe these twin objectives must be pursued together. They are very, very closely related. We cannot abrogate one from the other. We cannot defer domestic reform using the Uruguay round as an excuse or domestic action and progress in Geneva will be very, very difficult. Similarly, without having a Uruguay round which we are determined to make successful, reform may turn out to be ephemeral.
We have seen a turning point, and it is most important to reinforce the direction of change and to encourage to the utmost its acceleration. This process will not benefit just Australian farmers, nor those of developed and developing countries, but ultimately will be of benefit to all Member Nations of FAO.
Just one other matter I would like to comment on before I close-that is, the question raised yesterday by the delegate of the United Kingdom with reference to the meetings of the Committee on World Food Security. Australia has also detected some duplication and overlap in the agenda of the CFS vis a vis other committees of FAO. In fact, on the very issue about which I have just spoken, trade, we realize that that particular topic could be accommodated under the work of other committees. It also seems to us that there is a real problem in drawing up a substantive agenda for future CFS meetings, at least an agenda which justifies a 6-day meeting every year. Perhaps the answer lies in holding the meetings of CFS less frequently, as suggested by the delegate of the United Kingdom, or some variation on his proposal which will ensure a meeting which focusses directly on the main issues affecting world food security and guarantees concentrated discussion on the issues. Thus, we would support a proposal that a review be undertaken by the proposed independent high-level group to assess whether the resources of the Organization are best deployed, as they are at present, in servicing CFS. As the delegate of Cameroon said, such a review is particularly appropriate in the context of the financial crisis currently facing this Organization.
Finally, I would emphasize that Australia, in saying the foregoing, does not wish to downgrade the importance of the issue of world food security. The issue is terribly important. But the question as we see it is to deal with it in the most effective and efficient way possible given the existence and the modus operandi of other FAO committees.
José Ramón LOPEZ-PORTILLO ROMANO (México): La delegación de México expresa su mas amplio agradecimiento y reconocimiento al Presidente del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria, Guillermo González, por la equilibrada y exacta presentación de ese tema y por la forma imparcial y eficaz con que ha conducido los trabajos de ese Comité.
El informe que nos ocupa, documento CL 91/10, lo aprobamos, ya que refleja las discusiones que se produjeron en la pasada reunión del CSA.
México reitera a este Consejo la prioridad e importancia que concede al Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria y a sus funciones. Es el órgano idóneo para discutir ampliamente toda la gama de factores y de problemas que permitan diseñar las políticas y estrategias de seguridad alimentaria a nivel mundial, regional y nacional y encauzar la acción de la FAO.
Por eso impugnamos las propuestas para debilitar las atribuciones de ese órgano y disminuir su periodicidad. Están fuera de contexto y son incogruentes.
También refutamos la propuesta de que se constituya un grupo o comité de alto nivel independiente para vigilar la operación y estructura de la FAO.
Ello sí que duplicaría los esfuerzos que el Grupo de los 18 ya realizó para el Sistema de Naciones Unidas y cuyas conclusiones se están aplicando en las diversas agencias, conforme a su propio ámbito de responsabilidad y la decisión de sus órganos rectores.
Es la Conferencia, el órgano de más alto nivel, en donde están representados todos los Estados Miembros de FAO, que son soberanos e independientes, es la Conferencia, repito, la que tiene la función de vigilar y decidir sobre la operación y estructura de FAO. Esta facultad no puede ser delegada.
Del informe del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria destacamos lo siguiente: la situación alimentaria mundial continúa deteriorándose en los países en desarrollo, debido principalmente a problemas financieros y económicos, a saber: deuda externa, proteccionismo y prácticas desleales afines.
Las contiendas civiles y el incremento en el número de refugiados, los conflictos bélicos exacerban las condiciones de la inseguridad alimentaria. Destaca, en particular, la política de apartheid y agresiones que aplica el genocida Estado de Sudáfrica. Respondemos al llamamiento de expresar condena.
Continúan usándose los alimentos como instrumentos de presión política y económica, lo que rechazamos enfáticamente, y nos unimos a la reciente declaración de Nicaragua en ese sentido.
La solución de los problemas del hambre debe ser global y conllevar la corresponsabilidad de países industrializados y en desarrollo.
Reiteramos la necesidad de implantar un nuevo orden económico internacional como única solución estructural de largo plazo al deterioro del nivel de vida y las condiciones alimentarias y capacidad adquisitiva de la mayor parte de la población humana.
La FAO debería contribuir a recapitular y perfilar las transformaciones necesarias para alcanzar tal orden en el contexto de la seguridad alimentaria.
El proteccionismo ha permitido a muchos países desarrollados competir, aun cuando su producción agrícola no es eficiente; sin embargo, esa política termina por reducir las ventajas y beneficios esperados y por dañar a todos.
La falta de divisas en los países en desarrollo importadores de alimentos no les ha permitido aprovechar las ventajas de los precios bajos.
Para alcanzar una solución integral a estos problemas apoyamos los esfuerzos internacionales orientados en ese sentido, y en particular las negociaciones multilaterales sobre el comercio agrícola de la Ronda de Uruguay, donde instamos a la FAO a que participe lo más activamente posible. Esperamos se consigan resultados firmes y no promesas y declaraciones efímeras.
Es indispensable, por otro lado, vincular la situación agrícola y alimentaria al diseño de las políticas macroeconómicas a nivel nacional.
En otro sentido, para evitar los efectos negativos de la ayuda alimentaria tanto para fines de desarrollo como humanitarios, ésta debe integrarse plenamente a los programas nacionales de desarrollo y formar parte de una estrategia global de seguridad alimentaria. FAO debe dar seguimiento a este objetivo.
Apoyamos igualmente la promoción de los intercambios triangulares. FAO debe profundizar en el estudio de las implicaciones de los cambios tecnológicos en la producción y comercialización agrícola y de productos básicos. En particular la biotecnología y la ingeniería genética deben recibir mayor atención, así como el hecho de que los productos básicos de exportación de los países en desarrollo encuentren crecientes sustitutos o medios de ser producidos en cualquier latitud; de esa manera la exportación de productos agrícolas, inclusive de aquéllos con mayor valor agregado, por parte de los países en desarrollo se ve cada vez más castigada, independientemente de medidas proteccionistas o de otro tipo.
Contar con los insumos agrícolas y la transferencia tecnológica apropiada constituye la condición de la autosuficiencia alimentaria; los países en desarrollo son cada vez más dependientes de tales insumos. Por eso reiteramos que en el concepto ampliado de seguridad alimentaria se incluyan referencias explícitas al papel de los insumos agrícolas y que en las estrategias respectivas se reduzca la mayor dependencia externa de esos insumos, principalmente en los países en desarrollo.
Apoyamos también la propuesta del Director General de la FAO de que se estudie en todas las regiones y eventualmente se promueva el otorgamiento de ayuda en especie.
Apoyamos plenamente el estudio sobre la función de los cultivos de raíces, tubérculos y plátanos en el logro de la seguridad alimentaria.
Reiteramos nuestra solicitud de que ese tema se trate sistemáticamente en el CSA a nivel de políticas.
En el informe se constata la presencia determinante de las empresas transnacionales en el sector agrícola y alimentario y en las condiciones de vida de la población de los países en desarrollo y se describen algunos de sus multiples efectos, tanto negativos como positivos.
Por lo mismo, lo que se demuestra en el informe es que tales empresas son trascendentales por su impacto definitivo en la seguridad alimentaria.
Se implica también la importancia de apoyar a los países en desarrollo para que mejor aprovechen la presencia y características de tales empresas a fin de concertar un beneficio mutuo y evitar los efectos negativos.
Por eso no buscamos ponerles calificativos a tales empresas y sus funciones, sino de constatar aquí que no puede obviarse el hacer referencia a sus funciones en los países, y, por lo tanto, constituir, en lo que toca a su impacto en la alimentación y en la agricultura, parte integral de los estudios y los documentos futuros del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria. La razón principal estriba en que pocas de esas empresas dominan la casi totalidad del comercio de casi todos los
productos básicos, de las investigaciones y la transferencia tecnologica relativa, de las inversiones respectivas en los países en desarrollo, de la mercadotecnia y del hecho de que son causa principal de la transformación de los hábitos alimenticios.
Pretender, como se ha sugerido por ciertas delegaciones, que el tema no se vuelva a tratar en FAO, es tan absurdo como pedir que se hable de precios pero no de volúmenes de exportación y de importación, o que se hable de la concentración de existencias de alimentos, pero que no se diga en dónde se ubican. Las empresas transnacionales son parte integral e inseparable de la evolución de la seguridad alimentaria.
El prurito de que estas cuestiones se tratan ya en otros foros, nos llevaría igualmente a decir que en FAO no se volverá a hacer mención del comercio agrícola porque eso lo lleva el GATT.
En fin, instamos al Director General a que continúe profundizando en estos temas, sin que por esto duplique los trabajos de otros organismos, y que asista a los países en desarrollo en la conformación de sus políticas de inversiones extranjeras relativas.
Los estudios posteriores que solicitamos deberían concentrarse en los casos de productos básicos específicos, de insumos agrícolas y de los efectos generales de su acción sobre el consumo y la seguridad alimentaria a nivel regional e inclusive nacional. Ello permitirá manejar problemáticas e intereses relativamente homogéneos y facilitar así la asesoría de la FAO. Apoyamos por eso plenamente el párrafo 69.
Masahiko YASUMURO (Japan): I would like to comment on Chapter VI of the report CL 91/10. Japan regards the recent activities of FAO relating to improved and intensified effectiveness of the Global Information and Early Warning System as one of the most critically important areas of FAO activity. We highly commend the timely and accurate information available in various forms such as the FAO "Food Outlook" and other special reports based on the GIEWS.
As we will all remember, the importance and usefulness of GIEWS was most evident during the critical situation in Africa. We are also highly appreciative of the FAO Secretariat's various efforts that have been made in implementing measures to improve and expand the FAO system. I am pleased to note that substantial efforts have been made with regard to measures to improve and expand the means of collecting data and monitoring in the field on a country basis in order to strengthen the cooperation and coordination with WFP, to expand the working level of contacts with donors and energy sources, to increase the areas for use of remote sensing data and computerization in data collection processing and analysis to improve the dissemination of the results of GIEWS assessments to governments and other users.
Japan considers it extremely important for developing countries, which include a number of food-deficit countries, to intensify their efforts to establish improved national early warning systems in order to improve their capacity to collect and monitor agricultural data, etc. In this regard we praise the efforts of FAO in maintaining and promoting technical assistance to projects relating to national and regional early warning systems.
From the national food security point of view further action to improve and intensify early warning systems should be carried out and FAO should continue its technical assistance.
Before closing my statement I would like briefly to touch on the proposal concerning the frequency of meetings of the Committee on World Food Security made by the distinguished delegate from the United Kingdom and supported by Cameroon, Canada, Australia and others. My delegation has the same view and supports the proposal in order to avoid a duplication and overlap of the agenda that has been discussed in more appropiate fora in the United Nations family.
Horacio CARANDANG (Philippines): The Philippine delegation fully participated in the deliberations of the meeting on food security and fully endorses the report as well as the recommendations contained therein. There are only two brief points that I should like to make.
I believe that the point made by the delegate of Australia regarding the relationship between food security and international agricultural trade should be highlighted in our report. The Philippine delegation is of the belief that a favourable international climate in agricultural trade has a large role to play in achieving food security in developing countries. The profitability of our efficient farmers, and hence their own productivity and their own access to food, is being adversely affected by the practices of some countries that protect their own internal high production costs
through valuable levies, quotas and other protective mechanisms. Then they produce structural surpluses that are then exported to world markets at subsidized prices. That practice has affected and caused hunger among hundreds of thousands of the sugar producers in my country, for example.
We believe that a fair international trade climate has an essential relationship with the food security of our farmers in our countries.
The other point I would like to make concerns the fact that some reference has been made again to the high level committee to consider the future role of the workings of the FAO. I should like to recall that the view expressed previously by most delegates regarding that issue when it was taken up in other committees, as can be seen in the report of those committees, was not in favour of the establishment of a high level committee. First of all, no need was perceived for yet another committee to review the long-term goals and strategies developed by consensus. Furthermore, we do not believe that a decision of the Conference, if and when a proposal is made regarding the establishment as well as the terms of reference of such a committee, should be prejudged by us now.
V.K. SIBAL (India): I should like to express our appreciation for the quality of the document before us and the excellent presentation of this report by the Chairman of the Committee on World Food Security.
It is a matter of great concern that despite abundant supplies at global level and a more or less substantial increase in food production in some developing countries, the stark reality is that millions of people still remain undernourished. The fact that per capita food consumption in 1986-87, as brought out in the document, is likely to decline in a large number of developing countries would worsen the problem of hunger and malnutrition. There is thus an imperative need to make a realistic assessment of policies for the farming sector against the backdrop of the increasing threat to food security.
The Indian delegation would like to express a sense of satisfaction at the accelerated pace of production levels of foodgrains. At the same time we would wish to urge that urgent initiatives and measures be considered for food access to large sections of the population who live below the poverty line. The Government of India has taken concrete steps in this direction. Vulnerable sections of the population have been identified for issues of rice and wheat at special subsidized rates so as to improve their access to those vital food commodities. Thus, such supplies are being given to the population living in integrated tribal project areas that are largely inhabited by the tribal people who are placed quite low in the economic scale.
At the time increased coverage is being given under the nutrition programmes for particularly vulnerable sections of the population, such as young children, pregnant women and nursing mothers.
Additionally, steps have been taken to expand the coverage of the rural landless employment guarantee programme and the national rural employment programme. These programmes are meant mainly to provide employment to those who otherwise would be unemployed and thus to improve their access to food.
The Indian delegation would like to underscore the importance of employment creation and income generation programmes in any scheme of food security. We await with interest the results of the commissioning of the feasibility study on aid-in-kind. We are of the view that the precise areas in which the aid could be used would need to be specifically identified in the study. However. we are also of the view that the desirability of allocating resources for production rather than for input assistance would need to be kept in mind all the time.
The developing countries by and large are agricultural societies because large sections of their populations are involved in agriculture. These countries have a continuing interest and indeed a commitment, to improve the welfare of the agricultural producers. The overall economic growth and the prospects of these countries would, therefore, to a considerable degree be dependent on the performance of the export sector, which would be related to the economic growth prospects. The industrialized countries are also the main importers of the agricultural exports of developing countries and are also the main suppliers of agricultural imports of developing countries both in their role as exporters and importers. Therefore, the agricultural policies followed by the industrialized countries would have a very serious bearing on the economic development of developed countries and food security. It is accepted that a certain level of self-sufficiency in the production of food is considered a political and strategic necessity. Price supports and other measures have been adopted to ensure remuneration to the farmers, but all this does not justify the excessive production and other trade distorting measures that have been resorted to by most developed countries. Such agricultural policies have led to the creation of vast surpluses and subsidization of exports. The policies of the developed countries have created surpluses that depress international prices and have led to competitive export subsidization. We support the
initiative in the Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations to encourage liberalization of agricultural trade, particularly for stronger discipline in the matter of export subsidies. We would also like to express the need in this context of special and differential treatment for developing countries in undertaking obligations in view of their special position.
In so far as administrative procedures and timely response of donors to food emergencies is concerned, the Indian delegation wishes to state that in 1985 India gave 100 000 tons of wheat to African countries and 57 000 tons of wheat is now being shipped to various African countries as India's contribution to the Special Emergency Assistance Fund of the OAU. In our experience the problems in giving food aid relates to difficulties in arranging shipments of small quantities of food, high freight rates, and delays in unloading at the discharge ports. It is felt that in some cases it might be very much better to provide a proportion of the aid in the form of cash instead of food aid reaching the recipients belatedly and at a time when it is not of use to them.
We do not have an unmanageably large presence of TNCs in India. Our policies are very clear. Since independence we have not allowed foreign investment in the agriculture sector. Historically, some foreign capital exists in the tea and jute processing industries, but no fresh infusion of foreign capital is allowed in these sectors. TNCs have been allowed to continue in the plantation sector because of their contribution to exports. We have well developed, comprehensive, elaborate legal and administrative frameworks to deal with entry into and activities of the TNCs. Our policy is thus quite pragmatic and TNCs are allowed to operate in areas, and they are welcome in areas, where there is a need either for modem technology or expertise in management marketing or distribution.
The question of improving the timeliness of emergency food aid has been considered by the CFA in the past and when the subject of world food security was assessed in the Committee on World Food Security which had recommended that the Council may request the CFA to consider the subject, taking into account the Committee's conclusions on this issue. We fully support this recommendation. At the same time, we are not in favour of the suggestion which has been made during the discussion of this subject regarding the reduction in the frequency of meetings of the Committee on World Food Security. We feel that agriculture is an integrated subject and looked at very simplistically, it would be possible to accommodate everything under the one committee. However, it is because of the importance of certain aspects, and the sharpness of the focus required for those aspects, that separate committees are constituted to consider such aspects in depth. We have heard from all sections of this house the problems of food security for the developing countries and of the difficulties of access. Although production is growing, there are still a lot of poor people who do not have the money to pay for the food. It is because of the primacy of this interest in access to food that a separate committee of this nature is required. We think that if the frequency of the meetings of this committee were reduced the signal would be that we were giving less importance to this subject. This subject was discussed at length in the Committee on World Food Security where it was decided that the next session should be held in the spring of 1988. That decision should be maintained.
The Indian delegation would like to express our general support for the report under discussion. In particular we would like to stress the need for initiatives for enabling the weaker sections living below the poverty line to gain access to food already available, otherwise abundant food supplies are a bit of an ironical joke and perhaps meaningless.
We would like to express our general support for the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations which has been initiated with the objective of securing the liberalization of agriculture trade. At the same time, we would like to reiterate the principle of special and differential treatment for the developing countries in these negotiations.
Kéoulé BOUNDI (Observateur du Mali): Prenant la parole pour la première fois, je voudrais joindre ma voix à toutes celles qui m'ont précédé pour vous saluer et vous féliciter. Je voudrais par la même occasion féliciter les Vice-Présidents et rendre un hommage au Directeur général pour sa déclaration combien concise et riche. Enfin, je voudrais féliciter Monsieur Gonzalez pour l'excellente présentation du rapport de la 12ème session du Comité de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale que nous approuvons globalement.
Tout le monde s'accorde à reconnaître que la réalisation de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale est une nécessité de notre temps. L'examen de la situation mondiale caractérisée par une abondance de stocks vivriers et un accroissement de la production dans certains pays en voie de développement tend à montrer que nous vivons dans un monde où la sécurité alimentaire est garantie. Hélas, ce n'est que façade car la réalité est tout autre puisque malgré cette situation favorable, des millions d'hommes sont en proie à la famine et à la malnutrition. C'est dire que l'accumulation des stocks vivriers dans un petit nombre de pays producteurs ne suffit pas pour garantir la sécurité alimentaire mondiale.
Aussi, tout en souscrivant à l'idée de redynamiser le pacte alimentaire mondial, ma délégation estime qu'une meilleure sécurité alimentaire sera obtenue si les pays en voie de développement à déficit vivrier font des efforts pour augmenter leur production, tout en bénéficiant de l'aide de la communauté internationale, pour assurer leur sécurité alimentaire nationale.
C'est dans ce cadre que le Mali, depuis 1982, a adopté une stratégie alimentaire visant â atteindre, à l'horizon 2000, la sécurité et l'autosuffisance alimentaires au plan quantitatif comme au plan qualitatif. Dans la phase actuelle d'exécution de cette stratégie, le Mali a mis l'accent sur l’autosuffisance alimentaire, la lutte contre la sécheresse et la désertification, l'élévation du niveau de vie des producteurs, la garantie de l'emploi, et un revenu équitable au niveau des zones rurales.
Dans cette action de grande envergure, le Mali demande une aide substantielle en nature sous forrme d'intrants agricoles; il insiste par ailleurs sur la nécessité d'un démarrage rapide des mesures préconisées dans l'étude intitulée: "L'agriculture africaine: les 25 prochaines années".
Comme cela a déjà été signalé par bon nombre de délégués, la sécurité alimentaire ne saurait être obtenue en dehors de la paix. Aussi, ma délégation s'associe à tous ceux qui ont demandé qu'une aide conséquente soit fournie aux pays de la ligne de front en Afrique. C'est pourquoi nous appuyons la proposition de l'honorable délégué de l'Algérie.
Ma délégation reconnaît avec l'honorable délégué de la France que les opérations triangulaires et les accords de troc sont délicats et complexes dans leur mise en oeuvre, mais elle estime qu'il faut les encourager, voire les intensifier en n'oubliant pas la nécessaire coordination entre les éléments en jeu. Cela raccourcirait énormément les délais.
Nous nous rallions â l'idée du renforcement d'un système mondial d'information et d'alerte rapide, gage d'une efficacité toujours accrue.
Nous sommes par ailleurs pleinement d'accord pour que les aliments ne soient pas utilisés comme arme politique.
En définitive, nous sommes convaincus que la problématique de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale ne sera résolue globalement que si la communauté internationale adopte une approche des problèmes du système économique mondial qui prenne en compte des solutions plus justes et plus efficaces.
Je voudrais enfin terminer en exprimant la gratitude de mon Gouvernement envers tous les pays qui, d'une manière ou d'une autre, ont, dans un élan de solidarité exemplaire, lancé avec succès en 1986 une campagne d'urgence contre les sauteriaux et les criquets dans les pays du Sahel, et plus particulièrement au Mali. La FAO, il faut le noter, avait coordonné efficacement cette campagne. Qu'elle en soit remerciée. Mais le succès de la campagne de 1986 ne doit pas faire oublier le danger qui plane sur celle de 1987. Le délégué du Sénégal a souligné en effet que de nombreux oeufs sont restés sous terre et constituent ainsi un danger latent. Aussi nous nous associons à l'appel lancé à la communauté internationale, par le Sénégal et le Niger, en vue d'une mobilisation adéquate des moyens susceptibles d'enrayer la menace des sauteriaux et des criquets.
Leopoldo ARIZA HIDALGO (Cuba): Queremos en primer lugar, excusarnos por hacer esta intervención en el punto del Comité, cuando ya nuestra delegación en el día de ayer hizo su intervención sobre el informe del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria, que es el punto del orden del día que tenemos para aprobar en este Consejo. En ese sentido nosotros nos referiremos estrictamente al Comité; sin embargo, no queremos dejar de expresar nuestro criterio preocupante por algunas formulaciones que consideramos que pueden alterar la forma de discusión del Consejo, puesto que se salen del contexto de discusión.
En el informe del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria no hay absolutamente nada que nos haga pensar, ni discutir sobre unas reformas; si nos dedicáramos a adivinos quizá podríamos adivinar que en la Conferencia se puede crear, no ese grupo, sino otros muchos grupos más, o se pueden tomar miles de acuerdos que se van a tomar en la Conferencia, pero no creo que podamos subvertir el orden de discusión con precisiones de grupos de altos niveles independientes que no sabemos a qué se refieren, y nosotros para entrar a discutir una materia de esa naturaleza que entraña la reforma de los organismos en los cuales estamos, necesitamos totalmente mandato e instrucciones de nuestros Gobiernos, y como eso no está en la agenda no creo que podamos aceptar que se nos quieran imponer discusiones que no están en el Orden del Día.
En ese sentido apoyamos totalmente lo expresado por la Delegación de Venezuela. La Delegación de México ha sido muy clara en ese contexto y creo que podemos exhortar en forma cortés a todos los
países que por algún mecanismo, diríamos, de precipitación o de deseos, quieren adelantar situaciones que no son atendibles en estos momentos y nos atengamos al Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria que es el que estamos atendiendo.
LE PRESIDENT: Effectivement, je pense que l'ordre du jour n'aborde pas les réformes de structure de la FAO. Notre Conseil n'est composé que de 49 membres et il ne peut pas se substituer à la Conférence qui en comprend 158. Les observations qui ont été présentées seront enregistrées au procès-verbal du Conseil et on pourra y faire référence le cas échéant.
Washington ZUĊIGA TRELLES (Observador de Perú): Mi delegación se une a las felicitaciones que todos los grupos han hecho tanto al Presidente, Vicepresidentes, Comité de Redacción y al Dr. González, a éste último por la forma magnífica como condujo el Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria.
En primer lugar, mi delegación está de acuerdo con todo lo aprobado en el Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria, pero considera necesario repetir algunos conceptos que no se tomaron en cuenta y para esto, en primer lugar, debemos manifestar que no habrá seguridad alimentaria en el mundo mientras no se resuelvan los problemas estructurales de la que tanto se han ocupado todos los delegados.
Mi delegación, en cuanto a lo que se refiere a la alimentación, ve el panorama en la siguiente forma. Los países desarrollados, ricos, etc., como quiera llamárseles, tienen el privilegio de haber sido ubicados o haber nacido, teniendo vastos recursos naturales propicios para el desarrollo agropecuario. Son países que disponen de abundantes tierras de alta calidad y, por consiguiente, eso ha facilitado su desarrollo. Muchas veces se dice que un país desarrollado ha sido desarrollado por las condiciones de sus hombres; eso es posible, pero, fundamentalmente, todos aquellos que conocen de economía agrícola y de economía en general saben que el desarrollo general ha surgido esencialmente del desarrollo agrícola. Por consiguiente, en primer lugar, hay que anotar que estos países desarrollados han tenido ese privilegio de estar ubicados en zonas ricas. Por esta razón, estos países producen una agricultura excedentaria que, unido a la alta tecnología que han desarrollado, producen, pues, alimentos en exceso que deterioran los precios. Pero, por otra parte, ellos necesitan proteger a sus agricultores porque si no les dan subsidios a sus agricultores, estos agricultores tendrán que emigrar, abandonar el campo y poner en peligro la propia alimentación de sus naciones, o tendrán que engrosar las filas de los desocupados y aumentar los índices de desocupación. Por consiguiente, estos países se ven obligados a subsidiar a sus agricultores.
Para salir de los excedentes agrícolas de alimentos, estos países han utilizado muchas medidas. Al comienzo, hace muchos años, destruían las cosechas y a veces hasta aniquilaban con ametralladora el ganado para poder hacer que la oferta disminuyera y los precios no bajaran tanto. Felizmente, estas medidas han sido condenadas oportunamente y ya no se practican.
Otra forma es la de las ventas. Como tienen excedentes, tienen que tomar a veces medidas de dumping que van en contra de aquellos países en vías de desarrollo que también tienen una producción agrícola exportable y que para ellos significa, prácticamente, un enorme volumen en sus exportaciones. Entonces, estas medidas de dumping, que han sido siempre condenadas, no son las más convenientes.
Otra forma ha sido la de las donaciones, de las que siempre se ha ocupado la Seguridad Alimentaria. Lo que hay que dejar claro es que dentro del PIB de estos países ricos, los sectores agrícolas tienen pues un significado, un componente sumamente pequeño, que viene a ser tan pequeño que llega hasta el 5 por ciento, lo cual dentro de esta economía no significa mucho. Si nosotros, países pobres, lo traducimos en dólares, indudablemente el significado es enorme, pero dentro de la economía de ellos no tienen un significado muy grande. Por consiguiente, las políticas de reducción de cultivos, como voy a señalar más adelante, no serían convenientes para el mundo.
Los países en desarrollo o los países subdesarrollados podemos dividirlos en dos sectores: unos países que producen excedentes agrícolas y que también tienen la necesidad de exportar sus productos, que, con frecuencia se enfrentan en una competencia enorme con los países desarrollados, a quienes, como dije, no les interesa sino vender a cualquier precio con tal de salir de sus excedentes y, por consiguiente, chocan los intereses entre países exportadores, con la diferencia de que para los países en vías de desarrollo que tienen excedentes, su exportación agrícola es muy significativa. Si no exportan, no tienen divisas, si no tienen divisas, su balanza comercial se viene abajo y por esta razón, tampoco pueden pagar la famosa deuda externa. Por consiguiente, éste es un problema que nosotros tenemos que solucionar, pero que todavía hasta ahora permanece insoluble y que nosotros, a través de todos los períodos de la FAO,-me di el trabajo de revisar los resultados de los años anteriores-y vamos repitiendo año tras año la situación igual. Hacemos recomendaciones como todos los años, pero la situación permanece igual.
Y hay otros países, entre los países subdesarrollados, los países muy pobres, aquellos países que, desgraciadamente, han sido dotados de tierras agrícolas, en pequeña extensión de tierras de cultivo con grandes dificultades, tierras montañosas, tierras áridas desertificadas. El otro día un delegado de un país africano señalaba que el desierto prácticamente estaba cercando a su país para convertirlo en un desierto. Entonces, estos países que no tienen el privilegio de los países ricos jamás podrán tener excedentes agrícolas porque también su población crece, salvo que todos nosotros estuviéramos decididos a hacer un cambio fabuloso, llevando irrigaciones, o cualquier otro sistema tecnológico, para producir alimentos. Estos países tendrán que recibir por muchos años, porque tampoco tienen otros recursos económicos, donaciones de alimentos, lo cual es una obligación para aquellos países-que deben agradecer a Dios de haber sido donados con recursos naturales: tener que seguir ayudando a estos países pobres. Yo creo que es una cosa que hay que señalar claramente.
Además, estos países-se ha repetido aquí hasta la saciedad-están sujetos a las condiciones meteorológicas. Si no hay lluvias, no hay producción agrícola y, por consiguiente, viene el hambre porque no tienen minerales o no tienen industrias, no tienen otros recursos para vivir, para comprar alimentos porque, repito, no tienen otros recursos, no tienen divisas y, a veces, su deuda externa pesa enormemente.
A propósito de la deuda externa, algunos delegados decían que no debíamos tratar este tema porque éste no era un foro apropiado. Al contrario Sr. Presidente, nosotros si bien no vamos a resolver el problema de la deuda externa o de las relaciones de intercambio, creo que es una obligación de la FAO hacer llegar nuestra voz a los otros foros para que vean cómo estas cuestiones estructurales perjudican al desarrollo agrícola y no hacen posible que nosotros cumplamos debidamente con el deber que nosotros tenemos de solucionar el hambre en el mundo.
Los pueblos pobres que tienen una deuda grande jamás podrán comprar alimento y no podrán pagar. La deuda externa lo vuelvo a repetir como ya dije en intervenciones anteriores-es impagable. Si nosotros hacemos un análisis de la deuda externa, veremos que ésta va creciendo cada vez más y que el servicio solamente de la deuda cada vez-aquí lo han repetido los señores delegados-significa porcentajes enormes de sus exportaciones. Hay países que no podrían pagar el servicio a la deuda externa de un año ni siquiera triplicando sus exportaciones de todos sus productos durante ese año. La deuda, señores, es impagable.
Muchos países no comprenden, los bancos multimillonarios no comprenden esta situación porque nunca han comprendido a estos países.
Esta situación me recuerda a un cuento que se cuenta en los cóckteles y que voy a permitir contarlo aquí en la FAO. Dicen que un Santa Claus de un país desarrollado se compadeció de un pueblo hambriento donde los niños no comían. Y este Santa Claus dijo: " Voy a llevarles regalos a estos niños." Se fue y los niños le aclamaron: "!Viva Santa Claus!", y Santa Claus les dijo: "Aquí les traigo juguetes por Navidad, pero con la condición niños de que ustedes hayan tomado su sopita y su desayuno." "¿Tomaron su sopita?" preguntó Santa Claus a esos niños hambrientos. Los niños le respondieron: "No, Papá Noel, no Santa Claus. Y Santa Claus les dijo: "Entonces, no hay regalos." Igual pasa con los bancos que no entienden la situación de los países pobres y les exigen pagar sus deudas cuando no tienen con qué hacerlo. Esta solución tiene que darse en otros forums. Mientras tanto, no podremos desarrollar y estaremos sentados horas y horas, repitiendo cada año los mismos temas que nosotros estamos tratando ahora.
En síntesis es deber de la FAO-y en esto debemos ser machacones-tratar los problemas estructurales como la deuda externa, etc., aquí para que llegue a los otros foros la inquietud de nuestro organismo. Como ya han señalado otros países también desarrollados, entre ellos creo recordar la delegación de Suiza, yo lo secundé, en el sentido de que no debe tenderse a reducir las áreas de cultivos o a reducirse la producción alimentaria cuando hay hambre en el mundo. Si hay mala distribución de alimentos, aquí lo hemos tratado en el Comité, una de las soluciones que se señaló es que se construyan almacenes en puntos estratégicos del mundo para acumular allí los alimentos y ayudar en el momento oportuno a estos países que lo necesitan.
Ya no quiero continuar más porque sé que la hora es avanzada. Mi país, mi delegación, apoya a la Ronda de Uruguay. Creemos que la FAO si bien no puede participar directamente allí, los países que quieran pedir el asesoramiento de la FAO pueden hacerlo y la FAO tendría la obligación de ayudar porque el GATT no solamente debe tratar del comercio de otros productos, sino, principalmente, también del comercio de los productos agrícolas, y si la FAO es el Ministerio de Agricultura del mundo como se dice, la FAO tiene la obligación de asesorar a los países que participan en esta Ronda para que puedan verse estos problemas de comercialización agrícola y la agricultura, que tienen prioridad, como ustedes saben, por su naturaleza social fundamentalmente.
Mi país también se une a aquellas palabras de protesta contra el apartheid y contra el uso de los alimentos como un arma política. Mi país señala que es inusitada la solicitud de que se nombre una Comisión para revisar los organismos de las Naciones Unidas. Sobre este asunto no necesito recalcar nada porque los delegados que me han precedido en el uso de la palabra han sido claros y explícitos.
Rev. Aluysius FONSECA (Holy See): Mr Chairman, I must thank you very much for your kindness in giving me this opportunity to speak, although at such short notice. I have not a very long intervention to make, but I would like to concentrate the attention of this House on Section 3 of document CL 91/10, which refers to the impact on the world food security of agricultural policies in industrialized countries and presents a summary of the discussions by the Committee on Food Security on document CFS 87/3, in reference specifically to paragraphs 23 to 38 in the document before us for our consideration. One conclusion to which the Committee made emphatic reference in paragraph 24 was a deep concern about the severe constraints on such efforts, namely of developing countries to improve food security through raising food production and improving access to food that were caused by the heavy burden of external debt, inadequate flows of capital, widespread protectionism and depressed terms of trade. Reference was also made to this matter in paragraph 10 of the same document. It must be noted that although FAO is concerned with food and agriculture, the problem of external debt and inadequate inflows of capital now appear to this observer to be the main constraints to the increase in production of food and agricultural commodities.
All the diverse technical arrangements in paragraphs 23 to 38 are certainly valid and useful. But the problem of international debt that burdens the developing countries of Latin America and Africa cannot be wished away as if they did not exist.
It is for this reason that quite recently the Holy See, through its Justice and Peace Commission, put out the document on the ethical approach to the international debt question. Unless this problem is tackled with a certain amount of urgency, understanding and goodwill by both creditor and debtor countries, such remedies as food aid and the liberalization of the economy, especially of the agricultural economy, will always be hampered by the underlying obstacles of debt service repayments and the absence of liquidity.
On the other hand, the Vatican document does not pretend to provide a technical solution to the problem of international indebtedness, but rather to insist on the basic human approaches and attitudes that should inform all such efforts to reduce the burden and provide the human beings involved in the struggle for a more humane existence, commencing with a sufficient intake of food. For this reason the document calls for solidarity and co-responsibility and a sharing of efforts and sacrifices. In this context, food aid becomes not just a liberal or a generous sharing out of one's abundance, but the outcome of a deeper sense of stewardship for the goods and the resources of the earth that are meant for the satisfaction of the needs of all men.
Similarly, in a world of growing inter-dependence, one can hardly separate too sharply the effects of a country's protectionist efforts in favour of its own citizens from its commitments to the citizens of other countries abroad. Certain adjustments are necessary from both sides. A case by case study is recommended in discovering the possible areas for such adjustment and in this respect it seems to us that the Uruguay round of GATT and the Cairns agreement spells out useful lines of development for the future. In this whole process, transparency and truthfulness will make it easier to establish individual responsibilities, to avoid unjustified suspicions, and to propose suitable and necessary reforms for institutions as well as personal behaviour, so runs the document.
Adopting measures to relaunch growth, reducing protectionism, lowering interest rates, and I repeat, lowering interest rates, and assigning a just value to raw materials which would lead to a development in solidarity of mankind is demanded by the document. Implicit in this demand is the appeal to debtor countries to analyze the domestic causes behind the increase in their overall indebtedness. Document CL 91/2 speaks of the falling rate of official assistance to agriculture in the last few years at concessional terms. Much more so is this the case with private commercial banks. Perhaps these matters do not fall directly within the scope of the FAO objectives. But they do need to be discussed and be brought to the notice of all governments and international agencies and organizations in any way concerned with these functions, since they deeply affect world food security.
It is therefore suggested that paragraph 24 in document CL 91/10 be appropriately and suitably enlarged to draw the attention of the delegates who will be participating in the forthcoming conference to the human and moral aspects of this dismal situation. Even if FAO cannot deal directly with the problem, it is undoubtedly true that in the economic world of today, all the variables within the economy are bound together in an inter-dependent relationship, so that one can hardly speak of raising productivity or creating self-sufficiency without at the same time implicitly posing the need for capital assistance and the transfer of technical know-how. Basic, however, to all such interchange of assistance and aid is the development of new attitudes of service so as to transcend the boundaries of. national demand and interest for the erection of the new international economic order often mentioned during our discussions.
Jean-Jacques RATEAU (Observateur de la Communauté économique européenne): Monsieur le Président, puisque j'interviens pour la première fois au Conseil, permettez-moi de vous adresser toutes les félicitations de la Commission des Communautés européennes pour votre Présidence ainsi que pour la qualité des documents remis par le Secrétariat de la.FAO â l'occasion de cette 91ème session du Conseil.
Pour un grand nombre d'entre eux, ces documents sont les rapports des comités de la FAO qui se sont réunis au cours des mois précédents.
La Commission des Communautés européennes n'a pas l'intention d'intervenir sur ces rapports. En effet, la Commission a eu alors la possibilité de faire connaître sa position sur les sujets abordés, soit en son nom propre, soit au nom de la Communauté, lorsque les sujets débattus étaient de compétence communautaire.
Avec votre permission, je n'interviendrai au cours de ce Conseil, lorsque cela apparaîtra vraiment nécessaire, que pour préciser, expliquer ou éventuellement actualiser la position communautaire.
Mon intervention de ce matin ne concerne donc pas la teneur du rapport CL 91/10, qui correspond tout à fait aux conclusions du Comité de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale retenues en avril dernier. Elle concernera la proposition qui a été faite hier après-midi, â savoir que l'on tienne particulièrement compte de la déclaration faite par le représentant de la Communauté lors de la 13ème session ministérielle du Conseil mondial de l'alimentation à Pékin, la semaine dernière.
Tout en me félicitant de l'intérêt qu'a suscité la déclaration du représentant de la Communauté â Pékin, je me permettrai de rappeler que, s'il a été reconnu dans cette déclaration que la politique agricole commune, comme toute politique agricole, comporte des imperfections auxquelles nous nous efforçons de porter remède, il a été démontré clairement que, premièrement, comparée aux autres pays industrialisés, la Communauté n'est pas, loin de là, particulièrement protectionniste, et, deuxièmement, la Communauté a entrepris depuis plusieurs années déjà des réformes en vue d'améliorer son fonctionnement vis-à-vis des pays tiers, notamment.
Il a également été rappelé qu'à la réunion ministérielle de l'OCDE de mai dernier, il avait été reconnu, notamment au paragraphe 20 de la déclaration de l'OCDE, que tous les pays avaient des responsabilités dans la situation actuelle, qui est caractérisée par un excédent global de la capacité de production agricole.
Le fait que la Communauté ait reconnu les imperfections de la politique agricole commune et sa volonté d'y remédier ne doivent pas se retourner contre elle. En d'autres termes, s'il convenait que le rapport actuellement examiné soit éventuellement actualisé en tenant compte de ce qui s'est produit depuis avril dernier, cela devrait se faire en maintenant l'équilibre entre toutes les parties concernées. Or, comme cela s'est fait au CSA en avril, à l'OCDE en mai et au Conseil mondial de l'alimentation en juin, nous souhaiterions que le Conseil de la FAO évite de mettre l'accent sur des problèmes qui ne concerneraient que la seule Communauté ou tel pays membre.
LE PRESIDENT: Les délégués de l'Egypte et de Zimbabwe ont remis les textes de leurs interventions pour être insérés dans le procès-verbal de notre séance.
Adel Helmi EL SARKY (Egypt) (Original language Arabic): We would like, in the beginning, to express our thanks to Mr González for the excellent manner in which he conducted the work of the committee and the clear presentation of its report. My delegation, after a careful study of document CL 91/10 containing the report of the 12th session of the Committee on World Food Security, is happy to note that it expresses faithfully and comprehensively the various view points and discussions of the session, and we fully welcome its decisions and recommendations. We should also like to commend the Secretariat for their excellent work in preparing this document in a clear style according to the general wish of the member countries, and in drawing attention to particular matters as indicated in the first page of the document. Our delegation also supports fully the proposal made in para 7 which facilitates a more precise assessment of food security situation, while-on the other hand-expressing concern over the decline in the per caput food consumption (para 8) and the adverse effects of stagnant economic growth leading to hunger and malnutrition despite significant increases in agricultural production (para 9). We strongly believe in the contribution of self-reliance and the formulation of flexible and proper policies in achieving the desired increase in production. As to the destabilizing impact of the racist policies, we would welcome a study to be made on the effect of these policies in undermining agricultural development, particularly in the African continent. We are well aware of the adverse effect of an unfavourable external environment, and the heavy burden of debts and their high servicing cost which hamper the aspirations and efforts of
developing countries in achieving a suitable living standard for their people. It is in this context that my country had, at the ILO Conference held in Geneva at the beginning of this month, supported the call for convening a high-level meeting to find the suitable solutions to the problem of debt burdens and their alleviation. We thank the friendly nations that cancelled their debts to my country.
We also support the call in para 12 for countries to participate in regional, as well as international, programmes aiming at achieving food security, and benefiting from the experiences of countries which managed to overcome this problem in formulating their own national prorammes. We should, furthermore, appeal to the international community for collaboration in finding a solution to the debt problem, amounting to nearly $ 162 billion, faced by the African countries.
My delegation pays great attention to FAO role and assistance in formulating agricultural prices policies for the benefit of developing countries generally, and food-deficit countries in particular, to help them formulate their own policies for achieving food security. We should not forget to thank FAO for its contribution in organizing the national symposium on pricing policies and agricultural marketing in my country during April 1987, and attended by a large number of representatives from the concerned agencies in Egypt. Its recommendations have been well received by the participants.
The positive content of para 16 is well revealed in the call for extending assistance to the countries with agricultural surpluses to develop storage facilities and finding ways to avoid the difficulties created by these surpluses and putting them to better use.
It is greatly gratifying to note that para 25 refers to the emphasis that FAO places on the review, investigation and assessment of obstacles that hinder women from playing their constructive role in attaining food security. Para 21 of the document is in agreement with our attitude towards and continued support for, regional and sub-regional cooperation in the area of food security.
My delegation endorses the food security compact and its clear objectives, and supports the preparation of a programme of action for the compact provided that it is reviewed occasionally.
My delegation, having studied para 24 would like to note with satisfaction the development of agricultural policies in most developing countries and the emphasis they place on achieving such national objectives as increasing farmers' income; production, productivity; and on maintaining adequate supplies of foodstuffs for domestic consumption. The delegation takes note of para 26 which refers to giving market access by some developed countries to the imports of developing countries on preferential basis. We share the views expressed in paragraph 28 that protectionist policies imposed by some countries had adverse effects. However; it is really gratifying to hear most developed and developing countries declare their full commitment to the liberalization of agricultural trade. Meantime having studied paras 30-33, we commend FAO's efforts in conducting studies on the impact of trade and food security upon the developing economies in general and the food-deficit countries in particular. We express, too, our full satisfaction for the call for a new economic order, and to introduce fundamental changes in the economic relations between developing and developed countries.
The delegation of Egypt commends the contents of paras 39-46 about the role of root and tuber crops in achieving food security-and maintains that such crops should receive adequate emphasis due to their importance as food sources.
As for administrative procedures and the timing of the Donors response to Food Emergencies, we agree with the contents of para 48 about the required concerted action, and close cooperation between donor and recipient countries as well as international organizations to overcome constraints of procedures and timing. We stress the importance of providing clear and adequate information, and that recipient countries improve their infra-structure and relevant facilities so as to make the utmost use of food aid. Regarding the content of para 54 on the prepositioning of food stocks, we support the view that such aid must be prepositioned in such a way as to secure their accelerated delivery and distribution in a short time to avoid the adverse effects of delays and long delivery time on humain lives during emergencies. Consequently we fully agree that the WFP experience in this area should be made use of.
Paras 57-79 have highlighted the pros and cons of the transnational corporations in food and agriculture, forestry and fishery sectors in developing countries. We approve the content of para 69 which urges FAO to extend assistance to developing countries in the evaluation of the projects carried out by such corporations. Concluding this intervention by the Egyptian delegation, we would like to commend the achievements of the GIEWS and the modifications thereof which had rendered its services to member countries more effective. 1/
1/ Statement inserted in the verbatim records on request.
Boniface Ν. NDIMANDE (Zimbabwe): The Zimbabwe delegation wishes to congratulate the Committee on World Food Security for producing this document which comprises most of the key issues pertaining to World Food Security.
The delegation shares the deep concern of the Committee, that despite abundant supplies at the global level, millions of people remain undernourished.
There is an urgent need for an action plan designed to reduce human suffering through lack of food.
Food Security should be treated as an indispensable long-term plan at national, regional and international level.
The Committee has already cited the importance of regional and sub-regional cooperation among developing countries to strengthen their food security. At regional level, SADCC, as a region is endeavouring to effect food security in the region through various projects designed to increase agricultural production, in the first instance-food crops.
To mention a few of these projects:
1. the establishment of national and regional early warning systems;
2. collecting data on the inventory of agricultural resource base;
3. reduction of post-harvest crop losses (as you know, as much as 30 percent can be lost after harvest).
Zimbabwe would like to appeal to the aide organizations to continue supporting these projects which are a strong indication that we are trying to help ourselves.
Currently SADCC is on the verge of establishing a Regional Food Reserve Fund, to combat natural calamities which strike now and again.
Zimbabwe is appealing to the international communities like FAO to continue assisting SADCC in its efforts to stop human suffering. 1/
Nurul ISLAM (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department): I have no particular comment to make on the debate except on just one point, on the reference to the World Food Security Compact and its follow up.
The Council is aware, the Compact was adopted by the Conference in November 1985. Subsequently, FAO has been taking action to bring the Compact to the attention of governments and nongovernmental organizations. The objectives and the principles of the Compact are, of course, taken into account in the programmes and activities of FAO as well.
As regards sensitizing the governments and nongovernmental organizations, FAO has publicized the World Food Security Compact. Some 18 000 copies in all official languages of the Organization have been distributed to governments, intergovernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations, other United Nations organizations, as well as UN information offices and FAO's depository libraries. Concerning the nongovernmental organizations, the Compact was discussed in meetings with the NGOs as well as during the World Food Day activities with a view to enlisting their support and interest. It will be recalled that the Compact places greater stress on the roles which individuals play in working for food security. The validity of this idea has been demonstrated in the most striking possible manner during the African food crisis through the initiative of Mr Bob Geldorf and many other prominent persons.
As most of the recommendations are addressed to the member governments, action to implement these recommendations vitally depends on their initiative and policies and programmes. FAO, through its food security assistance schemes and other action programmes is engaged in cooperating with interested member countries in devising follow-up action to the Compact, particularly in the formulation and implementation of food security policies and programmes, including early warning systems, national preparedness plans for meeting food shortages as called for in the Compact.
Also in line with the Compact objectives, special attention is being given to the issue of access to food by the poor.
1/ Statement inserted in the verbatim records on request.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie Nurul Islam de sa contribution. Je me dois de remercier les délégués, au nombre de 34, qui ont participé à ce débat. Ils ont parlé d'éléments précis et importants de la réflexion générale de la FAO sur ce problème fascinant de la sécurité alimentaire.
Si je puis me permettre une contribution personnelle, je dirai que la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle est sans doute la principale responsabilité de tout pays avec la collaboration appropriée de la Communauté internationale, tant il est vrai qu'il existe une interdépendance économique évidente entre les pays, qu'ils soient développés ou en développement. D'ailleurs, de nombreux délégués ont souligné la nécessité d'établir un nouvel ordre commercial international pour les produits agricoles de nature à faciliter la solution de ce problème de la sécurité alimentaire, parallèlement à l'utilisation judicieuse des surplus alimentaires dans le cadre des programmes d'aide au développement agricole plutôt que dans le cadre strictement humanitaire.
Certains délégués ont insisté sur la nécessité de renforcer les mesures déjà envisagées dans le cadre de la sécurité alimentaire dans d'autres instances, telles que le CSA. D'aucuns ont demandé que l'on relance le Programme de la sécurité alimentaire. M. Islam vient de faire le point de la situation. Mais une question très importante qui a été soulignée par de nombreux délégués est celle du renforcement du système d'information et d'alerte rapide qui devrait être généralisé pour intéresser le maximum de pays de manière à atteindre une efficacité significative dans l'exécution du Programme de sécurité alimentaire.
En ce qui concerne la sécurité alimentaire, de nombreux délégués ont insisté sur le fait que les pays en développement eux-mêmes doivent faire un effort, notamment pour promouvoir la production des plantes-tubercules. Personnellement, j'ai été très impressionné par ce qu'a dit la délégué du Venezuela, hier, sur ce point qui, selon moi, mérite toute l'attention du Conseil.
Une autre question soulevée aujourd'hui est celle de l'intégration de la femme dans le processus de développement économique et de sécurité alimentaire. D'autres réunions régionales de la FAO ont pu étudier cette question qui mérite également l'attention du Conseil et qui devrait figurer dans notre réflexion globale.
Un autre point qui a été soulevé par un certain nombre de délégués, c'est, outre la disponibilité des produits, la facilité d'accès des couches les plus vulnérables à ces produits, sur le plan national, régional et international: national, par rééquilibrage des marchés intérieurs, comme l'a dit hier le délégué de la France; régional, par des opérations triangulaires que de nombreux délégués ont appelées de leurs voeux; et international, par la mise en place anticipée de stocks de produits ou, le cas échéant, par la limitation des délais de réponse des pays donateurs en renforçant l'infrastructure des transports et du stockage dans les pays récipiendaires. Je pense qu'à cet égard, le PAM peut nous être d'une grande utilité puisque, il y a deux ans, il a acheminé 10 millions de tonnes de produits, ce qui est très important. Je suis persuadé qu'il a ainsi acquis une expérience qui peut être mise à profit pour minimiser les coûts d'acheminement des produits alimentaires vers les couches de population vulnérables.
Je me permettrai d'ajouter un mot au sujet d'une recommandation qui figure dans le rapport, et qui a été reprise par quelques délégués, concernant la participation aussi large que possible des Etats Membres des Nations Unies aux travaux du Comité de la sécurité alimentaire, qui reste l'un des comités importants de la famille des Nations Unies.
Voilà la contribution que, pour ma part, je me permettrai d'apporter aux travaux du Conseil, en vous remerciant d'avoir enrichi ce débat par votre contribution sérieuse et précieuse.
Leopoldo ARIZA HIDALGO (Cuba): Hemos oído con bastante atención, Señor Presidente, su informe resumen y el informe del Señor Islam y quisiéramos, y pido disculpas, pero quisiéramos una respuesta sencilla: ¿ el informe presentado para aprobación del 12° período de sesiones del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria ha quedado aprobado en todas sus partes? ¿Podemos pensar así?
LE PRESIDENT: Je pense que si le Conseil est d'accord, le Rapport est approuvé dans toutes ses parties. Je n'ai entendu aucune objection à l'approbation de ce rapport.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL: It gives me great pleasure to introduce agenda item 6, the Report of the Ninth Session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG), document CL 91/9.
The Committee on Agriculture met in Rome from 23 March to 1 April under the chairmanship of Dr. Dieter Bommer of the Federal Republic of Germany. Dr. Bommer is well known to many participants in this Council, I am sure, from his long and distinguished service with FAO. The subjects tackled by COAG naturally fall into three groups. One group consisted of selected development issues dealing with different aspects of agriculture. Secondly there was an item on nutrition, as at every session of COAG. And in third place there was a series of items relating to the work of FAO. Perhaps I may start with a very brief rundown of the findings of COAG on the issues relating to agricultural development.
The discussions and debate on "Improving the Productivity of Dryland Areas" highlighted the urgent need to develop more effective technologies, both to improve productivity and to arrest the current widespread environmental degradation. The Committee also emphasized the urgency of adjusting the size of human and livestock populations in particular areas to the levels which can be sustained by the physical conditions and technology levels available.
The Committee recommended strengthening FAO's integrated interdisciplinary approach by evolving a flexible agro-sylvo-pastoral concept. It recognized that while it is not easy to advocate standardized programmes, it would be extremely beneficial if FAO could develop criteria for evolving sets of priorities for specific situations.
Another developmental subject discussed by the Committee was "The Effects of Land Tenure and Fragmentation of Farm Holdings on Agricultural Development". In this connection the Committee recognized the importance of institutional issues in agricultural development and the wide range of effects of land tenure on growth and income distribution. The Committee agreed that a wider distribution of land would ultimately result not only in improved employment and income of the rural poor but also higher output, provided that supporting services, structures, delivery systems and technologies are tailored to the small farmers' needs, capabilities and resources.
The Committee underlined the importance of appropriate agrarian reform programmes and commended FAO for the work carried out so far. It encouraged FAO to orient its future work increasingly towards specific needs of individual member countries.
The last developmental subject discussed was "Strategies and Requirements for Improved Production of Roots, Tubers and Plantains". The Committee stressed the need to develop national policies to encourage increased production of these crops on a priority basis and to reduce reliance on imported cereals. The Committee recommended that research and development programmes should be multidisciplinary and coordinated with national research institutions, with the International Agricultural Research Centres and other specialized institutions. It recognized further that there was a need to investigate current and future demand patterns of roots, tubers and plantains, and the economic returns to farmers associated with different cropping systems, improved agronomic practices, marketing, storage, and processing.
Turning to the standing item on nutrition, the Committee has examined the "Role of Food Quality and Standards in Food Security, Trade and Health". It expressed unanimous support for the work of FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, and commended the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The Committee stressed that food control programmes were necessary for facilitating national and international trade and for protecting the health and economic interests of the consumer. The importance of removing non-tariff trade barriers was particularly emphasized.
The Committee has formulated numerous recommendations in various technical areas. It further called on governments to strengthen food control systems and to implement Codex work at national level. The Committee requested FAO to continue promoting food quality and standards at large and, in particular, to continue to provide food control assistance to the developing countries, to coordinate food quality and standards work with other international organizations, to promote increased acceptance of Codex standards, and to develop appropriate extension, education and training programmes for advancing food quality control and standards.
I would like now to say something about the items relating to the work of FAO. The papers before COAG dealt, very roughly, with work underway or recently completed; with the medium-and longer-term framework for the activities of the Organization, and with the major programme Agriculture as included in the Summary Programme of Work and Budget for 1988-89.
The Committee appreciated the quality and concise nature of the report on the "Implementation of the Programme of Work 1984-86". It was satisfied that the orientation and activities had been in line with the guidance given by the governing bodies, as set forth in the Programme of Work and Budget.
The Committee's comments on the activities under each programme are clearly reflected in its report. I therefore do not need to repeat or summarize them.
As the Council was reminded at its last session in November last year, an important task for the Committee on Agriculture was to review the "Medium-and Long-Term Outlook for Food and Agricultural Development" prior to its review of the proposals for the Summary Programme of Work and Budget 1988-89.
The Committee considered that while further improvements could be made, significant progress had been achieved in establishing a process through which the evaluation of previous experience, the consideration of long-term trends, the elaboration of long-term goals and strategies and the choice of medium-term objectives led to the setting of priorities for biennial programmes of work, as evidenced by the documents before the Committee. It felt that the proposals constituted a basis for enhancing the dialogue among members about FAO's work.
The Committee agreed with the assessment of long-term trends and endorsed the eight principal goals identified for world agriculture. While the relative importance of the eight goals varied both nationally and regionally, they had sufficient universality to provide the basic framework for FAO's medium-term objectives and programme of work. On the other hand, some members felt that these goals did not in themselves adequately point to the necessary selection of priority objectives for the Programme of Work and Budget. The Committee agreed that the goals of the reduction of hunger and malnutrition, and of attaining world food security, were interrelated and required simultaneous action on many fronts.
The Committee, according to its practice, thereafter reviewed the extract from the "Summary Programmine of Work and Budget 1988-89" dealing with Major Programme 2.1-Agriculture.
It may be helpful if I recall at this stage that the Major Programme-Agriculture covers the work of both the Agriculture Department and the Economic and Social Policy Department. It thereby accounts for by far the largest chunk of FAO's technical programme.
In the course of the last day or two, we have heard a number of references to duplication and if I may, I would like to bring to the attention of the Council the risk of duplication in considering this particular matter, because COAG considered an extract from the Summary Programme of Work and Budget dealing with the Major Programme-Agriculture. The Major Programme-Agriculture itself will be before the Council under agenda item 15, the Summary Programme of Work and Budget. The Council will be looking at this later in the week. I would therefore like to take the liberty of reminding delegations that under this agenda item the Council will be considering the comments of COAG, while under agenda item 15 there will be an opportunity to look at the details of the Summary Programme of Work and Budget itself.
While I am on this matter, I might just point out that since two Departments are involved, any questions at the end of the debate will be answered either by Dr. Islam for the Economic and Social Policy Department or by Mr. Bonte Friedheim for the Agriculture Department, according to the nature of the questions raised.
COAG expressed its support of and general agreement on the scope and direction of the programme and the shifts proposed. Without commitment of individual Member Nations on the budgetary implications of the proposals, the Committee agreed that they constituted an appropriate basis for the elaboration of the full Programme of Work and Budget.
The Committee in general endorsed the overall programme priorities, which centered on promotion of food production and increase in food security with emphasis on meeting the requirements of
small-scale producers and disadvantaged rural groups, particularly women, and had been determined by the need to ensure both continuity and innovation. During the debate various opinions were expressed about individual programme priorities which are reflected in the Committee's report, as are the Committee's comments on specific medium-term objectives.
The Committee in general also endorsed the Organization's priorities in means of action. It supported training as an essential contribution to human resources development, and the focus on economic and technical cooperation among developing countries. It considered that the improvement of information systems and the enhancement of data bases were essential to enable the Organization to respond to the needs of Member Nations for policy analysis and advice, and also for the implementation of development programmes. In this connection FAO's action in the field should be seen as the logical extension of, and complement to, the policy advice provided to countries.
The views of the COAG on the Summary Programme of Work and Budget will be carefully taken into consideration in the formulation of the full Programme of Work and Budget, in conjunction with the Council's reaction to them.
I hope this brief introduction, Mr Chairman, will help to launch the Council's deliberations on this agenda item.
Igor KIPMAN (Brazil): As can be seen from the report of its 9th Session, this year's meeting of the Committee on Agriculture was a very productive one. There are some recommendations my delegation would like to reiterate, so that this Council can take due note of the interest COAG expressed in the following matters.
Firstly, it was requested in paragraph 14 of the report that the study for Latin America and the Caribbean should propose practical solutions for the region's agricultural problems, including their effects on and the prevention of migration to urban areas.
Secondly, during discussions of the Role of Food Quality and Standards in Food Security, Trade and Health, the COAG, while stressing the quality and importance of the work of the Codex Alimentarius urged Member countries to increase their formal acceptance of recommended Codex Standards and contaminant limits, which was considered of great importance to improve consumer health protection, as well as to enhance the reduction of non-tariff barriers for international trade.
Thirdly, the discussion under the title "Improving Productivity of Dryland Areas" was of particular interest for Brazil, as was mentioned, since the northeastern region of our country consists basically of vast arid and semi-arid land where about 25% of the Brazilian population face periodical and intense periods of drought. Part and parcel of the overall effort being undertaken by the nation for the recovery and upgrading of the agriculture in the region is the participation of the Brazilian Enterprise of Agricultural Research. This institution has already established a series of specific technologies for the better usage of the Natural and Economic Resources of the Semi-Arid Tropics, which has the primary target of the improvement of the productivity of the main crops produced in the region with special attention dedicated to staple foods such as manioc, sorghum, maize and beans. In one of the research centres located in Petrolina work is under way to develop irrigation systems and new varieties, as well as cattle breeding.
Of great importance for developing countries was the recommendation for FAO to take the initiative in coordinating TCDC activities for drylands development, at the same time stressing the role of South-South cooperation and regional coordination, as stated in paragraph 178.
Fourthly, regarding paragraph 213, my delegation wishes to support the proposal of undertaking studies on the Economic Significance of Tobacco and its Prospects, since the number of people involved in this particular crop in Brazil is of great importance, therefore having a socio-economic impact for the rural population.
Furthermore, during discussion of Strategies and Requirements for Improved Production of Roots, Tubers and Plantains it was requested that bananas be included in the scope of these studies so as to cover a wider variety of products than simply plantains. My delegation wishes to echo and endorse that request made during the 9th Session of the COAG.
Those are only some of the most important issues put forward during that Session. I abide by your recommendation for brevity and conciseness, Mr Chairman, by thanking you and conveying the support of my delegation to the other suggestions made in the report.
Jean Fidèle NGUEMA-NZE (Gabon): Permettez-moi d'abord de faire une brève observation sur ce qui a été dit lors des débats relatifs au point précédent. Il me souvient que lorsque nous avons examiné les documents de la dernière session du COAG, une proposition avait été faite tendant à créér un Comité de haut niveau. C'est pourquoi ma délégation a attendu justement que le rapport relatif aux conclusions des travaux du COAG soit examiné pour pouvoir rappeler ici, comme l'ont fait les délégués des Philippines, de Cuba et d'autres, qu'à la majorité le Comité du COAG avait rejeté la proposition tendant à créér un Comité de haut niveau. En notre temps, nous avions donné les raisons de ce rejet. Néanmoins, le Conseil n'a peut-être pas en la matière pouvoir de décision, c'est pourquoi ma délégation préfère que cette proposition soit examinée lors de la Conférence.
Cela étant dit, je voudrais revenir au point de l'ordre du jour qui est soumis à notre examen. Lors des travaux de la dernière session du COAG, nous avons noté avec préoccupation la dégradation de l'aide publique à l'agriculture tant au plan national qu'international. Nous avons également souligné avec regret le caractère sélectif des investisseurs dans les opérations de développement agricole, le gros des investissements allant aux opérations de culture, d'exportation, au détriment des cultures vivrières.
Nous avons passé en revue tous les obstacles à un développement soutenu de l'agriculture dans les pays en voie de développement au premier rang desquels nous placerons la dette et son service d'une part, la détérioration des termes de l'échange d'autre part, avec malheureusement leurs effets multiplicateurs négatifs. En matière d'échange, mon pays préfère recommander que soient appliquées les résolutions prises lors du Kennedy Round et du Tokyo round relatif aux échanges préférentiels, plutôt que de condamner systématiquement le protectionnisme car mon pays considère, à moins que le contraire ne soit prouvé par un examen attentif de ses effets dans leur globalité, que le protectionnisme peut avoir des effets positifs pour nombre de pays en voie de développement.
Dans ma jeunesse, on m'avait appris que des théories économiques comparaient le développement international à un train avec une locomotive et des wagons; ce n'est que bien plus tard que je me suis rendu compte que, pour qu'un train puisse rouler à une vitesse donnée, la locomotive devait nécessairement rouler à la même vitesse que les wagons, fussent-ils les wagons de queue. C'est pourquoi nous sommes convaincus que l'économie internationale ne peut être améliorée que si l'on développe des rapports de coopération avec les pays en voie de développement et dans l'intérêt bien compris de ces derniers.
Il est inconcevable, il n'est pas objectif de penser que les pays développés puissent pendant longtemps maintenir un taux de développement élevé alors que, parallèlement les pays en développement voient leur taux de développement décroître d'année en année. C'est la raison pour laquelle ma délégation insiste pour que l'aide publique internationale, qu'elle soit bilatérale ou multilatérale, soit accrue afin de permettre aux pays en voie de développement de pouvoir assurer non seulement la progression de leur économie, mais je dirai même leur survie car je crois que dans les décennies à venir, on parlera plutôt de survie de ces pays, et ceci nous amène à poser le problème de la dette comme une question primordiale dans le financement du développement de l'agriculture.
Je passerai maintenant à un autre point que ma délégation considère comme important, celui du contrôle de la qualité des aliments. Le contrôle doit concerner non seulement les produits à la sortie, mais également à l'entrée des pays. Ce contrôle ne doit pas se baser seulement sur le perfectionnement d'un ensemble de mesures législatives et réglementaires; lorsque nous avions abordé ce problème, ma délégation avait souligné l'intérêt et l'importance que l'on devait attacher également à la mise en place dans les pays en voie de développement des infrastructures permettant de faire des analyses convenables pour assurer un contrôle parfait des aliments, tant au niveau des importations que de l'exportation.
Mon pays a également reconnu que ce genre d'infrastructure coûtait cher. Pour cette raison il s'était permis de faire une proposition au Secrétariat tendant, dans la mesure du possible, avec l'accord des Etats intéressés, à envisager la mise en place d'un système de contrôle à étage au niveau régional. Au niveau national, on ferait des analyses de première nécessité, tandis que des analyses plus fines seraient faites dans des laboratoires à caractère communautaire au niveau sous-régional.
Nous avons également débattu du problème de l'amélioration de la productivité dans les zones arides. Les objectifs retenus par ma délégation à cette époque concernaient la sédentarisation des éleveurs nomades et des agriculteurs semi-transhumans. Nous avions proposé, pour parvenir à ces objectifs, de mettre de l'eau à la disposition des agriculteurs et des éleveurs par la création et la mise en place de puits et la réalisation d'ouvrages d'irrigation.
Il importait à notre avis de mettre l'accent sur la recherche et sur la vulgarisation de l'utilisation des engrais verts, du compost, la culture des plantes ayant un fort pouvoir de fixation de l'azote pour donner à la terre sa capacité productive perdue.
Il importe également de créer progressivement un nouveau type de producteurs. Ma délégation entend par là la création des agriculteurs-éleveurs et des éleveurs-agriculteurs pour faire bénéficier les sols des effets d'enrichissement combinés de l'agriculture et de l'élevage.
Nous pensons aussi que, dans ces sols sensibles, le recours excessif au gros labour et aux engrais chimiques devrait se faire avec prudence, en tout cas de façon très contrôlée.
Il importe à notre avis d'assurer également l'aménagement de voies de communication entre les centres de commercialisation et les zones aménagées pour faciliter l'acheminement des intrants dans un sens et des produits commercialisés dans l'autre.
Le rapport soumis à notre appréciation traite également des propositions relatives à l'élaboration future du budget du programme d'action de notre organisation dans le biennium à venir. Le COAG avait fait des propositions concrètes et constructives dans ce domaine, pour cette raison ma délégation apporte son soutien à ce qui a été proposé par le COAG pour permettre au Secrétariat d'élaborer de façon saine le projet de budget qui sera présenté à la prochaine session de la Conférence.
The meeting rose at 12.30 hours
La séance est levée à 12 h 30
Se levanta la sesión a las 12.30 horas
