CHAIRMAN: I now declare the Fifth Plenary Session of the Council open.
The first item, as indicated on the agenda, is Item 5, Report of the Fifteenth Session of the Committee on World Food Security. The session was held in Rome last March and the document is CL 93/10.
Because we are behind on the timetable I do not want any further delay. I give the floor to Mr Dutia, the Assistant Director-General of the Economic and Social Policy Department, who will introduce the document.
B.P. DUTIA (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department): Mr Chairman, distinguished Members and Observers, it gives me great pleasure to present to the Council the Report of the Fifteenth Session of the Committee on World Food Security which is before the Council in the form of document CL 98/10.
The Committee on World Food Security at this session, which was held in Rome between 26 and 30 March 1990, considered a number of important food security policy issues. First, in accordance with its terms of reference, the Committee reviewed the current world food security situation and outlook. Second, in continuation of the Committee's series of reviews of food security policies and programmes of selected countries, a practice was endorsed by the Council, and the Committee considered in detail the experience of Ghana in its food security policies and programmes. Third, as requested by the Council in Resolution 1/94, the Committee considered problems of food security for women in the rural environment in developing countries. Lastly, the Committee reviewed the activities of the Food Security Assistance Scheme.
The Committee has invited the attention of the Council to its assessment of the world food security situation, which is contained in paragraphs 7 to 24 of its report; the consideration of the role of women in food security and, in particular, its recommendations to enhance the economic and social status of women, which appears in paragraphs 42 and 43 of the report; and lastly its review of the activities of the Food Security Assistance Scheme in paragraphs 44 to 51 of the report.
The members of the Council may wish to comment on the conclusions of the Committee as contained in its report for endorsement and make recommendations as appropriate for the work of the Committee in the future.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you, Mr Dutia. You may now present your ideas on this report.
Alberto DE CATERINA (Italy): I wish to refer to Item 5 of the agenda.
In its capacity as President of the European Community for this semester I have the honour to request that the floor be given to the representative of the Commission who will speak on behalf of the European Community.
Gian Paolo PAPA (Observateur de la Communauté économique européenne): Le document CL 98/10 donne un aperçu utile et intéressant de la situation de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale. L'idée d'ensemble est que si des améliorations significatives sont notées pour certains aspects et domaines particuliers, la sécurité alimentaire reste fragile dans de nombreux pays en voie de développement. L'augmentation estimée de 7 pour cent de la production céréalière mondiale entre 1988 et 1989 et la perspective d'une nouvelle récolte favorable cette année peuvent renverser la baisse des stocks alimentaires mondiaux et ramener ainsi la consommation alimentaire globale au niveau des tendances à long terme.
Néanmoins, cette amélioration au niveau global n'empêche pas que la consommation alimentaire et la situation nutritionnelle se soient détériorées dans beaucoup de pays en développement, particulièrement en Afrique. Dans plusieurs pays, il y a famine ou risque de famine. C'est le cas par exemple pour l'Ethiopie, le Soudan, l'Angola, le Mozambique, le Rwanda, le Libéria. La situation reste également très difficile au Malawi-situation due, dans ce dernier cas, pour une large part à la présence d'environ 800 000 réfugiés du Mozambique, c'est-à-dire 10 pour cent de la population. La Communauté européenne et ses Etats Membres ont participé depuis novembre 1989 aux vastes efforts en vue de remédier à la situation alimentaire au nord de l'Ethiopie (Erythrée, Tigre, Wollo). D'importantes aides alimentaires d'urgence ont été fournies de façon continue en utilisant tous les moyens possible pour atteindre la population touchée. Néanmoins, les projections de récolte sont défavorables et peuvent nécessiter encore une augmentation de ces efforts.
En même temps, les opérations d'urgence continuent au sud du Soudan, malgré le fait qu'elles sont sérieusement limitées par la situation de conflit.
De plus, la situation alimentaire est en train de se dégrader rapidement dans d'autres régions du Soudan (Darfur, Kordofan). Actuellement, les agences et organisations d'aide d'urgence se coordonnent pour mettre en oeuvre la réponse la plus appropriée.
Récemment, les systèmes d'alerte précoce indiquent une détérioration des perspectives alimentaires et nutritionnelles dans quelques pays sahéliens, en particulier au Tchad, au Niger et au Burkina Faso. La situation est suivie de près afin de pouvoir intervenir au moment opportun.
En décembre 1989, la CE et le groupe des pays ACP ont achevé leurs négociations en vue du renouvellement de la Convention de Lomé. Avec l'adhésion de la République dominicaine et de Haïti, le groupe ACP compte désormais 68 pays auxquels s'ajoutera bientôt la Namibie. La Communauté européenne, pour sa part, a été en mesure d'accroitre considérablement ses engagements envers les pays ACP. Le volume d'aide prévue pour les cinq prochaines années a été porté de 8,5 milliards à 12 milliards d'écus (ce qui correspond à environ 16 milliards de dollars).
Les opérations traditionnelles à long terme en faveur du développement restent le trait dominant de l'aide communautaire, mais elles seront complétées par une facilité d'appui à l'ajustement structurel. Les principes régissant l'utilisation de cette facilité visent l'équité et la lutte contre la pauvreté. Ainsi, le nouvel instrument contribuera à prévenir l'aggravation de l'insécurité alimentaire résultant de la mise en oeuvre des programmes d'ajustement structurel.
Pour ce qui concerne la coopération au développpement à long terme, Lomé IV continue à donner la priorité au développement agricole et rural en vue d'améliorer la sécurité alimentaire. Dans ce vaste domaine, une attention accrue sera accordée à la compatibilité avec l'environnement, à une gestion rationnelle des ressources naturelles, à la participation du secteur privé et d'autres agents non gouvernementaux, à la diversification de l'emploi, au renforcement des économies rurales et des systèmes de crédit. Enfin, pour la première fois, référence est faite à la politique démographique.
Il est clair que la croissance de la population est parmi les plus importants facteurs déterminant la sécurité alimentaire future de beaucoup de pays en développement.
La Communauté accorde également des aides en faveur d'autres régions sous-développées. Des programmes élargis de coopération avec l'Amérique latine et l'Asie sont actuellement discutés. La Communauté prépare également des programmes élargis pour la région méditerranéenne.
Un thème particulièrement important pour la Communauté est la promotion de la sécurité alimentaire au niveau régional. La Communauté a depuis longtemps appuyé des organisations régionales telles que le CILSS (Comité Inter-Etats pour la lutte contre la sécheresse au Sahel) et la SADCC (Southern African Development Coordination Conference). Dans ce contexte il est utile de mentionner la Résolution récente sur une stratégie de sécurité alimentaire au niveau régional adoptée par les pays de l'IGADD (Intergovernmental Agency on Drought and Development): le Soudan, l'Ethiopie, Djibouti, le Kenya, la Somalie et l'Ouganda. Les principes avancés dans cette Résolution peuvent être résumés comme suit: ciblage sur la population pauvre en situation d'insécurité alimentaire; promotion de la croissance agricole; préservation et réhabilitation de l'environnement; partenariat entre secteur et état; coopération régionale en favorisant les complémentarités et l'échange d'expérience.
Ces principes sont très proches de l'approche de la Communauté en matière de sécurité alimentaire et de celles de la Convention de Lomé.
Même s'il est essentiel que les pays en voie de développement augmentent leur production alimentaire, leurs importations resteront élevées et leurs capacités d'importer à des conditions commerciales resteront limitées. En conséquence, l'aide alimentaire continuera à jouer un rôle important. Sauf en cas d'urgence, l'aide alimentaire de la CE est utilisée surtout de trois façons: par la vente des produits destinés à l'aide alimentaire, la contre-valeur devant être utilisée prioritairement pour des activités de développement rural. Deuxièmement, par la fourniture d'une aide alimentaire directe aux groupes de populations vulnérables. Et troisièmement, par l'utilisation de cette aide alimentaire à titre de rémunération dans le cadre des projets de développement.
Malgré la hausse des coûts mondiaux des denrées alimentaires, la Communauté européenne a maintenu l'aide alimentaire à un niveau réel inchangé. Dans le cas justifié, la Communauté a effectué des opérations triangulaires, ou a fourni une assistance financière et technique au lieu d'une aide alimentaire directe.
En outre, la Communauté a augmenté l'efficacité de ses opérations d'aide alimentaire en soutenant des programmes visant à améliorer le stockage des denrées alimentaires et des systèmes d'alerte précoce.
Dato Wan Jaafar ABDULLAH (Malaysia): On behalf of the Malaysian delegation may I first of all congratulate you, Mr Chairman, on your election as one of the Vice-Chairmen of this 98th Session of the FAO Council. I would also like to commend the Committee on World Food Security for their valuable report, document CL 98/10. As described in the document, despite generally favourable weather in most growing areas global production of staple foods fell short of consumption in 1989 for the third successive year. It is alarming to note that global cereal stocks had to be drawn down further by more than one-third over a two-year period to the lowest level since 1981. This level is considered by the Secretariat as the minimum necessary to safeguard world food security.
My delegation regrets the fact that despite acknowledging certain positive developments in 1989, foreign exchange constraints stem from the huge burden of external debt, and declining terms of trade continue to restrict the commercial food imports of most developing countries. My delegation believes that agricultural protectionism by developed countries has had a significant negative impact on the development efforts of the food sectors of many developing countries. Therefore, it is our hope that the Uruguay Round of Multinational Trade Negotiations will be able to formulate a more realistic and forebearing framework for agricultural trade rules between the developed and the developing countries in years to come. In this connection there is no doubt that the need to achieve a positive outcome of the negotiations taking place in GATT is an opportune one. We support the need for the expansion of market access opportunities for developing countries and for the liberalization of agricultural trade accompanied by effective special and differential treatment for these countries.
My delegation would also like to support the recommendation in paragraph 42 of the report to improve household security and to enhance the economic and social status of women. In our many interventions in this Council we have talked about the position of women in Malaysia. They have enjoyed equal rights, status and opportunities with access to productive resources and economic and social advantages.
With regard to the last sentence of paragraph 48 of the report concerning the study of the ASEAN Food Security Reserve, my delegation hopes that FAO will reconsider the proposal and give its support to the study.
Sra. Olga Clemencia FERNANDEZ (Colombia): Señor Presidente, nos complace intervenir sobre este tema bajo su presidencia. Queremos agradecer al señor Dutia por la clara y completa exposición sobre este documento CL 98/10. En relación con este informe, los representantes de Colombia limitaremos nuestras observaciones a los asuntos que requieren la atención del Consejo.
Este Consejo debe lamentar que la situación de la seguridad alimentaria siga siendo precaria, según dice el párrafo 8, a pesar de que las condiciones atmosféricas fueron, en general, favorables. La producción total de alimentos básicos ha sido inferior al consumo, por tercer año consecutivo. El párrafo 10 representa un enésimo grito de alarma, al cual ya estamos acostumbrados, porque la seguridad alimentaria nunca ha existido para el Tercer Mundo. La seguridad alimentaria es motivo de preocupación y se debe vigilar permanentemente. La malnutrición y el hambre se han extendido en los países en desarrollo. Esta situación insufrible, como se califica en el párrafo 10, se agrava porque la asistencia de la FAO se ha limitado bajo el tremendo impacto de una crisis financiera, la más grave y preocupante de la historia de esta Organización. Los representantes de Colombia esperamos que este Consejo hará suyo el llamado de que los Estados que tienen grandes atrasos paguen sus contribuciones a la mayor brevedad posible.
En cuanto al párrafo 22, algunos representantes de países en desarrollo, entre ellos Colombia, habían expresado su preocupación por que la asistencia a Europa oriental pudiera afectar negativamente la corriente de asistencia exterior hacia los países en desarrollo. Varios delegados de países desarrollados aseguraron que eso no ocurriría. El párrafo 17 podría ser la confirmación de todo ello, pues se dice que en 1989/90 se preveía un aumento que pasaría de los 10 millones del año anterior a los 11,6 millones. Pero como la reunión del CSA tuvo lugar en mayo pasado y después han sucedido muchas cosas que nos inquietan, quisiéramos preguntar si en realidad esa ayuda alimentaria ha aumentado o disminuido.
De todos modos, este Consejo debe apoyar la primera parte del párrafo 22, sobre la necesidad de que los esfuerzos que vienen haciendo los países en desarrollo por mejorar su seguridad alimentaria se concreten y refuercen mediante asistencia técnica y financiera de toda la comunidad internacional para que nuestros países puedan aumentar su propia producción y avanzar así hacia el logro de la seguridad alimentaria.
A los representantes de Colombia nos complace que en las actividades de la seguridad alimentaria se estén teniendo en cuenta las directivas del Plan de Acción de la FAO para la integración progresiva de la mujer en el desarrollo agrícola y rural. Este Consejo debe ratificar los aspectos principales contenidos en el párrafo 42, principios que contribuirán a mejorar la seguridad alimentaria en los hogares y a elevar el nivel económico y social del mundo.
Estamos de acuerdo con el párrafo 43, al afirmar que todo esto varía de un país a otro. En Colombia hemos avanzado mucho en cuanto al acceso de la mujer a la tierra, a los servicios agrícolas y al crédito en particular. Reiteramos el pleno apoyo de Colombia al Plan de Asistencia para la Seguridad Alimentaria (PASA). Esperamos que la Secretaría habrá puesto en práctica las recomendaciones del párrafo 49, en el sentido de que PASA se extienda de manera eficaz a algunos países de América Latina y el Caribe, cuyas necesidades han venido aumentando considerablemente, sobre todo víctimas de una inmensa deuda externa y del alto costo de la deuda.
José Eduardo MENDES FERRAO (Portugal): Monsieur le Président, mon pays a pris part à la quinzième session du Comité de sécurité alimentaire mondiale, et à ce moment-là, il a approuvé le rapport concerné, lequel constitue le document CL 98/10.
La Délégation portugaise voudrait seulement faire des petits commentaires sur ce document.
En premier lieu, nous voulons nous associer à la préoccupation manifestée par le Comité au paragraphe 8, en ce qui concerne la situation de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale, qui reste faible et surtout en ce qui concerne la production mondiale des produits de base, laquelle est placée au-dessous de la consommation dans sa troisième année consécutive, malgré les conditions météorologiques généralement favorables dans la plupart des zones agricoles du monde.
Nous souhaitons que cette situation soit surpassée à court terme et que les stocks de sécurité soient recomposés.
Cependant, nous devons continuer à faire attention aux risques qui peuvent advenir si des excédents importants se forment, tel qu'il est référé au Rapport du 95ème Conseil de la FAO, lesquels peuvent troubler le commerce international.
En second lieu, nous voulons faire référence à l'expérience du Ghana, concernant les politiques et les programmes de sécurité alimentaire, d'après les paragraphes 25 à 33 et ses résultats positifs achevés.
Nous souhaitons que des travaux identiques puissent être réalisés dans d'autres pays ou régions en s'appuyant sur les expériences obtenues.
En troisième lieu, la délégation portugaise voudrait bien se référer, par les paragraphes 34 à 43, aux femmes et à la sécurité alimentaire. Nous soutenons les interventions, qui souvent ont été proférées en cette salle,
sur le rôle important que les femmes jouent dans la société rurale, non seulement dans le secteur de la sécurité alimentaire, mais aussi dans tout le développement agricole et dans la promotion des sociétés rurales.
L'intégration des femmes au développement rural a mérité une grande attention de la part de la FAO, soit comme des co-entrepreneuses ou entrepreneuses, soit à tout ce qui se lie à sa formation professionnelle, souvent indispensable à sa promotion sociale.
Une place très importante est donnée à la femme dans l'économie domestique et dans la gestion, et par la femme devront passer presque tous les programmes liés à l'amélioration des conditions de l'alimentation et de la nutrition.
Monsieur le Président, l'existence de famines et de graves carences alimentaires au niveau de grandes régions du monde en développement est pour la délégation portugaise une énorme préoccupation. Nous pensons que nous devons continuer à faire un grand effort de coopération afin de résoudre ce problème qui implique un grand nombre de personnes, les soumettant à des conditions si difficiles qu'elles mettent en cause leurs services de surveillance, leur capacité de travail et leur progrès économique.
Victoriano Β. LEVISTE (Philippines): The Philippine delegation wishes to thank the Secretariat for producing document CL 98/10 which we consider excellent. We agree that the world food security situation remains precarious with reserve food stocks at a very low level.
The Philippine delegation recognizes the problems caused by the external debt, inflation, economic and foreign exchange complexities, and lack of access in international markets to food supplies by our hungry. Access to food means that our people must be able to purchase their food after it has been produced and made available. This means that gainful employment for all must be provided, and this can only be achieved with the general economic development of a country.
Recent events in the Gulf have made prospects uncertain for the general economic development of our country. We are now faced with massive repatriation of workers from the Middle East. Decreasing prospects of trade with industrialized countries, now suffering a slowdown in economic activity due to the depressing effects of higher petroleum prices, may lead to further tightening of financial and monetary policies which we expect to exacerbate the problems of debt.
We also note the implications of a failed Uruguay Round and a possible consequence of the deterioration of the conditions of access of our agricultural exports, but we are hopeful that negotiations will end successfully.
Although the prospects of a deteriorating economic environment may undermine our capacity to pursue efforts towards structural and stabilization reforms, we have not relaxed our vigilance of this important
issue of food security. We welcome assistance from capable countries to help us in our resolve. We are in support of the enactment of realistic measures that will ensure the achievement of food security objectives.
It is in this light that we agree with the distinguished delegate of Malaysia. The Philippines also endorse the study of ASEAN's Food Security Reserve as this could serve as an alternative model of a practical food security scheme on a regional level. We urge the support of the FAO Secretariat on this point.
Vanich VARIKUL (Thailand): My delegation has carefully reviewed document CL 98/10. It is a very informative and constructive report. However, I would like to make some comments, firstly on the current world food security situation and outlook. My delegation is not pleased with the global production of staple foods in 1989 which has fallen short of consumption for the third successive year despite generally favourable weather in most growing areas. My delegation thinks that the government of low-income, food-deficit countries should be encouraged to put more effort into producing more staple foods.
On paragraph 23, my delegation welcomes the moves by some developing countries towards liberalization of their trades in cereal, and the developed countries should also follow that direction.
Secondly, my delegation would like also to share the previous speaker's support for the recommendation to enhance the economic and social status of women which appears in paragraphs 42 and 43 of the document.
Finally, on the Food Security Assistance Scheme, my delegation strongly supports the activities carried out by the FAO through the Food Security Assistance Scheme. We hope that the donor countries continue to provide all necessary support.
In paragraph 48, as has already been mentioned by the Malaysian representative, my delegation would also like FAO to make an effort to find ways and means to meet the request to study ASEAN's Food Security Reserves in the very near future.
ZHANG ZHONGJUN (China) (Original language Chinese): The Chinese delegation would like to thank the Secretariat for document CL 98/10 which is a detailed and, we find, extremely interesting one. We are in agreement with the evaluation analysis of the present situation of food security throughout the world. Since the Fifteenth Session of the Committee, the world food situation has improved significantly. This is due to the fact that countries throughout the world have attached greater importance to food production and have passed a number of political measures to encourage this. We feel that world food production will grow by about 4 percent this year, and that food stocks will be replenished as a result. This constitutes a very encouraging turn of events. Nevertheless, no way should we relax our vigilance with respect to food problems in the world, because,
first of all, food production is conditioned by a number of factors. In actual fact, food production last year and this year is only recovering after two years of lower than usual harvests in 1987 and 1988. It is undeniably a success, but nevertheless world food stocks are only just adequate to meet the minimum requirements of world food security. Food security, therefore, remains precarious.
Next, at the present time world food security is always affected by the fact that people suffer from hunger although there is surplus production in other parts of the world. There has not been the improvement that we would have liked in developing countries, especially in low-income food-deficit countries. We feel that the problem could be solved by allowing a greater access in developed countries to the production of developing countries. Developing countries must increase their efforts and developed countries must do all in their power to create an environment which will in every sense of the word be favourable towards developing countries.
We have also noted that at the 15th Session of the Committee on World Food Security the role of women in food security was the center of a number of debates. Indeed, women represent half the world's population, naturally, and are playing an increasingly important role in agricultural food development. The improvment of women's status and the full integration of women in food production is, as a consequence, very important; the achievement of food security objectives needs them. That is why we associate ourselves with the Committee's recommendations on strengthening the role of women in food security.
Art WRIGHT (Canada): We share the views of those speakers who have expressed concern over the global food security situation. However, we note that recent reports indicate there is some hope that food stocks will be increased to some degree as a result of good harvests in some producing countries.
We welcome the report of the 15th Session of the Committee on World Food Security. Our delegation believes that the debate held at the 15th Session was very fruitful and reflected an increased attention of member states to a more widely encompassed view of the concept of world security, which went beyond the traditional concerns that have largely focussed on food stocks.
The report underlines the need for close collaboration on the appropriate institutions and structural adjustment programmes and their impact on vulnerable groups. Thus the Canadian delegation would like to express its thanks to the Government of Ghana for agreeing to review the case of their national food security policies, as well as our thanks to the FAO Secretariat for their support to the paper submitted to the CFS on this topic. The paper and ensuing debate were, in our view, most useful in considering the effects of economic adjustment policies on food security. They highlight the need for explicit measures to protect the food security concerns of vulnerable groups in the initial design of structural adjustment programmes.
The Canadian delegation would also like to reiterate its appreciation to the FAO Secretariat for the attention given to the role of women both in terms of agricultural production and also in terms of the impact of food security measures on women. This, of course, is linked to the need for targeted measures for poverty alleviation.
The review of the role of women in rural development at the level of the FAO technical committees, as required by FAO Council Resolution 1/94, is an essential part of the reimplementation of the Plan of Action for the Integration of Women in Development, and the Canadian delegation is encouraged that the process of incorporating women in development at the FAO is off to a very good start. We believe that action in this regard must, of course, be sustained.
The Canadian delegation is gratified to note that this report was adopted en bloc and we fully support its contents.
Nusyirwan ZEN (Indonesia): Let me start my intervention by expressing my appreciation to Dr Dutia for his informative explanation and introduction. Food is the main issue of many developing countries. Therefore, my Government has always followed with full attention the works of the Committee on World Food Security.
We note with a great concern the Committee's statement that malnutrition and hunger were widespread in the developing countries. We support the views of many delegations of the 15th Committee meeting that this state of affairs was due to imbalances in world incomes, agricultural production and trade problems due to the deterioration of the terms of trade, protectionism, and debt problem. In this regard, I wish to reiterate the call for close collaboration, good will and serious cooperative efforts of the entire international community in order to remedy this situation in the earliest possible time. As I have stated in my earlier intervention, my delegation fully recognized that the main responsibility for improving the national food security rested with the countries themselves. However, it needs the cooperation of the international community in improving the external economic situation and additional support to help developing countries raise their food production, improve the access to food and minimize the adverse effects of structural adjustment programmes on the poor. With regard to the proposed studies as submitted to the Committee, my delegation supports the request that FAO undertakes report of the 15th study to re-examine the indicator of 17-18 percent as the minimum safe level for the cereal stocks to consumption ratio, and study of the factors accounting for changes in prices of the main products of developing and developed countries.
The Report of the 15th Committee meeting also stated that donors had reported to the Secretariat their planned food aid allocations of 11.6 million tons of cereals against 10 million tons in the previous year, and in this connection I wish to express my delegation's appreciation to the donors.
My delegation's attention also goes to the other important parts of the Report regarding the Role of Women in Food Security. My delegation is very supportive of the views of the Committee that efforts to alleviate poverty and to improve food security at household level could not be attained without full participation of women. As an expression of a strong political will and total commitment of the Indonesian people towards the improvement of the condition of the Indonesian women a clause on the important role of women in development was included in the Indonesian Guidelines of State Policy. We are of the views that women, as citizens and potential human resources in development, have the same rights, responsibilities and opportunities as men in all aspects of the nation's life and development activities. Therefore, their status in the community and their role in development activities should continuously be accelerated and directed towards facilitating their maximum contribution to nation building in accordance with their nature, self esteem and dignity as women. My delegation is of the view that the integration of rural women in development is basically a kind of development wherein women as human resources are fully involved in activities for better mastering of various advanced agricultural technologies by improving their knowledge, skill and attitudes to new tasks in development activities. The need for appropriate technologies to reduce the drudgery for family farm women who are overworked due to their dual productive and reproductive roles should be more widely recognized.
My delegation notes with pleasure the endorsement of the 15th Session of the Committee on various recommendations with regard to the programme to improve household food security and to enhance the economic and social status of women. I wish to once again reiterate our support towards the successful implementation of the Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies, the WCARRD Programme of Action, and FAO's Plan of Action for the Integration of Women in Development.
Finally, I wish to draw the attention of the Council with regard to the request of ASEAN countries for FAO's possible assistance to implement a study on ASEAN Food Security Reserve Scheme.
As mentioned in paragraph 48 of the 15th Session of the Committee, ASEAN felt that the study is very important as this could also serve as an alternative model of a practical food security scheme on a regional level.
S.K. MISHRA (India): The report of the 15th Session of the Committee on World Food Security held in March this year focusses attention on the world food security situation, the role of women in food security and review of activities of the Food Security Assistance Scheme.
The Committee has found that the world food security situation remains precarious in 1989, despite good weather conditions and some increase in production, the global production of staple food had fallen short of consumption and the world stocks were being drawn down rapidly. It is of particular concern that wheat stocks of the main exporting countries are expected to fall to their lowest level for the past fifteen years. The global cereal stocks, especially that of wheat, have reached their lowest
level since 1981 and are around 17-18 percent of the consumption considered to be the minimum necessary to safeguard world food security. It is, however, heartening to note that the world production is expected to be higher than the year's consumption for the first time in years.
Our delegation feels that stability in food supplies is an important aspect of food security. It can be ensured by increasing production, maintenance of food grain stocks for bridging any possible gap between production and consumption and providing access to food to the people through a public distribution system. In India we have been following these cardinal principles of food security from the very beginning and its effectiveness was proved in the drought of 1987 when, in spite of a shortfall in production, we were able to maintain a stable supply of food grains through a public distribution system, with the help of buffer stocks. A well developed network of 350 000 fair priced shops in the country which aims primarily at supplying food grains to vulnerable sections of population at relatively stable prices coupled with extensive employment generation programmes such as the Nehru Employment Scheme which had an outlay of rupees 23 billion in 1989-90 has considerably helped the weaker sections in having economic access to food.
We agree with the Committee's emphasis upon the need for additional support from the international community in the form of technical and financial assistance to help the developing countries to raise their production of food and improve the access of food to the poor. We also commend the Committee for making a number of constructive suggestions for studies to be undertaken and for making improvements in preparation of documents on the assessment of the world food situation. These suggestions are very useful and should be favourably considered by the FAO Secretariat in its future work programme.
Our delegation recognizes the need for increasing the participation of women in the agricultural and other productive programmes and their crucial role in improving the household food security. We fully support the recommendations of the Committee in this regard.
Mme. Evelyne SENGSUWAN (France): A l'occasion de la réunion du Comité de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale en mars dernier, la France s'était exprimée sur l'ensemble des questions qui figuraient à l'ordre du jour. Par conséquent, il ne s'agit pas, au cours de cette session, de reprendre les travaux du Comité; je me contenterai de revenir brièvement sur quelques points auxquels nous attachons un intérêt particulier.
Comme de nombreuses délégations l'ont déjà dit au cours de l'examen de la situation mondiale de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation, les écarts entre pays développés et pays en développement mais également entre pays en développement se sont considérablement creusés. Il en va ainsi de l'Afrique et plus particulièrement de l'Afrique au sud du Sahara dont la situation s'est aggravée au cours des dernières années. La sécurité alimentaire reste fragile dans de nombreux pays de cette région, même si, comme l'indique le rapport, certains résultats en matière de production de denrées alimentaires sont plutôt encourageants.
Un objectif majeur pour ces pays dans les prochaines années est donc d'assurer la sécurité alimentaire. A cet égard, nous souhaiterions formuler deux observations sur les conclusions du rapport concernant l'évolution de la situation des perspectives de la sécurité alimentaire.
Il s'agit, en premier lieu, du problème de l'écoulement des excédents des productions céréalières de certains pays africains. Il est en effet paradoxal de constater que des populations en Afrique souffrent de la faim alors que les productions sont excédentaires à l'intérieur même d'un pays ou d'une sous-région.
Ce constat me conduit à la conclusion suivante: l'approche régionale et sub-régionale doit être davantage privilégiée. Il convient, en effet, de prendre les mesures nécessaires pour promouvoir les échanges céréaliers entre pays à excédent et pays à déficit à travers, notamment, le développement des opérations triangulaires et la stimulation du commerce régional des céréales.
A cet égard, notre politique consiste à soutenir le développement des échanges interrégionaux entre pays en développement; nous pensons en effet que la constitution d'espaces régionaux peut contribuer grandement à l'obtention de la sécurité alimentaire.
Une deuxième observation se réfère au paragraphe 17 du document, où l'on souligne l'intérêt qu'il y aurait à établir des plans pluriannuels des contributions en matière d'aide alimentaire.
Nous admettons que l'établissement d'une programmation pluriannuelle présente des avantages pour les pays bénéficiaires dans la mesure où elle peut favoriser une intégration de l'aide alimentaire dans leurs politiques de développement agricole et rural. En outre, une planification dans ce domaine se justifie, éventuellement, pour les pays dont la situation alimentaire est structurellement déficitaire. Mais il convient ici d'être très prudent, car il s'agit d'une notion difficile et, de plus, évolutive. A notre avis, la programmation pluriannuelle de l'aide alimentaire impose une évaluation précise de la situation alimentaire des pays qui en bénéficient. Comme la France l'a déclaré lors de précédentes sessions du CPA du PAM, l'aide alimentaire ne doit pas constituer un obstacle à l'amélioration de la sécurité alimentaire en décourageant le développement des productions locales.
Venons-en, à présent, au programme d'assistance pour la sécurité alimentaire. La délégation française félicite la FAO pour le travail accompli. Nous approuvons tout particulièrement l'approche pragmatique adoptée. Elle présente, notamment, l'avantage d'associer, dès l'origine des travaux, les partenaires africains. Les actions entreprises doivent être largement discutées avec les représentants des pays concernés, mais aussi avec les agences de coopération bilatérales et multilatérales.
La méthode des scénarios constitue, en outre, un outil pédagogique fort utile pour renforcer la cohérence des choix nationaux en matière de sécurité alimentaire. Bien évidemment, la méthodologie suivie devra être adaptée, au fur et à mesure de son utilisation.
Enfin, je souhaiterais mentionner un dernier point concernant le PASA. Le développement de cet exercice auquel nous sommes attachés devrait permettre de mieux intégrer la dimension régionale des flux d'échanges céréaliers entre les pays africains. Il s'agit, comme je l'ai dit précédemment, d'un problème majeur. A travers le PASA, la FAO peut aider les PED à définir des politiques nationales agricoles, cohérentes, intégrant les mécanismes régionaux des échanges alimentaires. A cet égard, nous nous félicitons tout particulièrement de l'association d'une institution régionale comme le Comité inter-Etats de lutte contre la sécheresse au Sahel (CILSS) avec la FAO, qui peut apporter une contribution utile à la définition des politiques de sécurité alimentaire. Avant de terminer, Monsieur le Président, je souhaiterais rappeler notre suggestion à propos des études qui pourraient être engagées par la FAO sur les effets des programmes d'ajustement structurel mis en oeuvre dans certains PED. Nous avions apprécié l'étude qui nous avait été présentée sur le Ghana, au cours du précédent Comité sur la Sécurité alimentaire mondiale. Nous souhaitons que de semblables études, d'un grand intérêt pour le pays en cause et pour la communauté internationale, puissent être menées par le Secrétariat sur d'autres cas précis.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you for that intervention and for your suggestion. I hope that the Drafting Committee will pay attention to this suggestion.
C.M. ATHAYDE (United Kingdom): The United Kingdom delegation welcomes this Report of the 15th Session of the Committee on World Food Security circulated as paper CL 98/10, which in our view makes a useful contribution to the food security discussion.
It is encouraging to note the improvement in the global food situation since the Committee met, since harvests in most cereal growing areas have been good this year. We would urge increased support for triangular transactions, swap arrangements and local purchases to assist those developing countries with surpluses to utilise them.
Nevertheless, we recognise that in particular countries the food security situation remains grave. Although useful, too much emphasis can be placed on global food stock figures or global supply estimates as indicators of food security. We consider it is much more important to look at food security issues at the national level and at groups within countries. It is important to remember that food insecurity is caused not by a shortage of food per se but by a lack of access to food, in particular due to a lack of resources among poor people to obtain food. We therefore strongly support an increased emphasis on the preparation of the type of studies referred to in paragraph 24 of CL 98/10. We feel that such studies would markedly improve the quality of the Committee's deliberations and the usefulness of future reports.
In addition to more data at the national and household level, there is a need for gender disaggregated data. As many delegations have already reaffirmed, women play an important role in food security and often face
particularly acute problems in obtaining access to resources, as the Report recognises. My delegation appreciated the concern shown by FAO in promoting the concerns of women in development and is pleased to be able to reiterate our support for the Committee's endorsement of the recommendations set out in paragraph 66 of document CFS 90/4 and referred to in paragraph 42 of CL 98/10. We are particularly pleased to see the emphasis on consultation of women in the formulation of projects and on their participation in project execution.
At this point I would like to take up one issue that is not addressed in this paper. In paragraph 41 of the Report, the need to change the attitudes of both men and women is stressed and the difficulty in changing cultural attitudes is pointed out. Nowhere is this more true than in the field of population control. Yet this issue has a major bearing on food security and on the sustainability of measures taken to achieve it. If I might quote from the statement by our Minister, Mrs Chalker, at the 25th Session of the Conference in November 1989:
"The first threat to sustainability comes from the rate at which the world's population is growing. It has doubled since 1950. Our numbers will not stabilise till the second half of the next century and then at over 10 billion-twice today's population… Even though action here is not for FAO, practically none of the Organization's technical work in any country can be carried out effectively without a clear understanding of the local social and cultural tradition, and how this affects both the pattern of agricultural work-in its broadest sense-and attitudes towards family growth, and the consequences for the natural resource base."
The United Kingdom feels that structural adjustment programmes are necessary, for the reason so eloquently put forward by the delegate of Lesotho during his intervention on Item 4 yesterday.
We feel that progress made by Ghana since undertaking its Economic Recovery Programme has demonstrated that the process is both salutary and achievable. Morover, ultimately, if economic performance improves, food security will follow. However, there is no disagreement on the need to design measures to protect the poor and we are in full agreement with the sentiments expressed in paragraph 28 of the Report. We also support the Committee's view set out in paragraph 31 that greater collaboration between the World Bank, the IMF and FAO is required to safeguard food security concerns in the context of structural adjustment.
It is the view of my delegation that there is a need for formulation of coherent national food security policies to enable food security concerns to be integrated into national development strategies. Integration is important if food security is not to become marginalised.
However, in the current financial climate, we do not feel that development by FAO of procedures along the lines of the Tropical Forestry Action Plan is appropriate within the FSAS.
Finally, in the opinion of this delegation, the Committee on Food Security should meet once every biennium, not annually as at present. This would allow more time for FAO to respond to its suggestions. Also, and more
importantly, it would provide more time for the studies called for by the Committee to be undertaken. It was notable that some of the information presented to the 15th Session of the Committee, particularly on the Ghana case study, was quite old. These studies are complex, particularly when looking at the microeconomic level. By spacing out sessions of the CFS we feel the value of these studies, and so the impact of the work of the Committee, would be much enhanced.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you. I think Mr Dutia in replying to the question will explain about this.
Michel MOMBOULI (Congo): Monsieur le Président, nous voudrions pour commencer remercier M. Dutia de la présentation qu'il a faite du rapport à l'examen.
Bien que nous l'ayons déjà fait hier matin, lors de notre première intervention, par le canal du Président de notre Conseil, permettez-nous tout de même de vous réitérer nos félicitations pour votre élection au sein du bureau de cette session du Conseil et de vous dire combien nous sommes heureux de vous voir présider la suite de la présente séance.
La présente question ayant été plus ou moins abordée par nous dans notre intervention d'hier matin, en raison de son lien étroit avec le thème précédent, nous aurons à vrai dire très peu de choses à ajouter, et cela d'autant plus que, comme l'indique la liste placée en Annexe C4 au présent rapport à l'examen, notre pays le Congo, en sa qualité de membre à part entière, a participé à la 15ème session du Comité de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale qui s'est tenue du 26 au 30 mars 1990, ici à Rome.
Monsieur le Président, compte tenu des considérations que je viens de faire, au stade actuel où se trouve ce 15ème rapport du Comité de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale, ce que nous pouvons dire, c'est tout simplement que notre délégation est solidaire avec toutes les autres délégations qui ont participé à ladite session et qui ont adopté avec nous le présent rapport dont nous endossons par conséquent, pour notre part, les principales recommandations, en particulier celles contenues dans les sections II, IV et V.
Ceci étant dit, notre délégation aimerait toutefois profiter du temps de parole qui lui est actuellement accordé pour attirer l'attention de tout le Conseil sur les quelques considérations générales suivantes:
Ainsi qu'il ressort du concept élargi de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale-concept auquel nous sommes très attachés-la sécurité alimentaire suppose une disponibilité alimentaire suffisante, à même d'assurer en tout lieu, en tout temps, les approvisionnements réguliers en denrées alimentaires; elle suppose aussi l'existence pour les consommateurs d'un pouvoir d'achat réel et substantiel.
Or, comme l'ont souligné tous les orateurs qui sont intervenus avant-hier, et à commencer par le Directeur général de la FAO, ainsi que tous les orateurs qui sont intervenus hier matin, à l'échelle mondiale, bien que les
niveaux des stocks soient encore jugés suffisants, il n'en reste pas moins vrai que, vue par zones géographiques spécifiques, cette satisfaction, que l'on peut tirer de la situation globale, cache des inégalités inhérentes au fait que seuls quelques pays en nombre limité sont nantis, tandis qu'à côté de ceux-ci régnent ici et là la pauvreté, la faim et la malnutrition, et ce, surtout en Afrique et en Amérique latine et aux Caraïbes; ce qui constitue une situation contrastée où coexistent l'abondance dans l'hémisphère nord et, dans les pays du sud, la misère, la désolation et la mort.
Monsieur le Président, bien que la situation dans les pays du Golfe reste préoccupante, il convient tout de même de souligner qu'alors qu'un peu plus d'une trentaine de Chefs d'Etats et de Gouvernements enterraient avant-hier à Paris, capitale de la France, la hache de la guerre froide, il y a lieu selon nous, que, par tous les moyens à sa portée, l'humanité tout entière s'efforce et s'attelle à mettre fin aux inégalités actuelles que nous continuons de constater à travers le monde.
Pour parvenir à ce monde plus juste que nous appelons de tous nos voeux, nous pensons qu'il est temps que soit instauré un nouvel ordre économique mondial plus juste.
En effet, tant que les prix des produits d'exportation des pays du Sud continueront à être fixés uniquement par les acheteurs du Nord, pour être revendus, une fois transformés, quatre à cinq fois plus chers, et toujours à des prix fixés par les pays du Nord, il serait illusoire d'espérer voir assurer pour tous les pays de notre planète la sécurité alimentaire, ce noble objectif que nous nous sommes tous assignés voici quelques années.
C'est parce que nous tenons à ce que tous nous parvenions à cette sécurité alimentaire que nous accordons un intérêt tout particulier aux négociations globales actuellement en cours en Uruguay au sein du GATT. Nous nous félicitons de constater que notre Organisation, la FAO, prend une part active à ces négociations du GATT. Nous y plaçons beaucoup d'espoir et souhaitons vivement que ce forum ne nous déçoive pas.
Nous le savons tous, des prix justes et incitatifs peuvent contribuer à une augmentation de la production et à la constitution d'un réel pouvoir d'achat et ce n'est que quand il y a disponibilité des denrées alimentaires et un pouvoir d'achat substantiel que tous les espoirs pour la sécurité alimentaire peuvent être permis.
Monsieur le Président, ainsi que nous l'avons indiqué tout au début de ce propos, le thème, ici à l'examen, a un lien étroit avec le thème précédent à propos duquel beaucoup a déjà été dit. C'est pourquoi, pour terminer, nous souhaitons souligner que Son Excellence le Ministre du Lesotho, qui est intervenu avec brio lors de l'examen du thème précédent, a su dire avec les mots qu'il fallait la situation qui prévaut en Afrique, notre continent. Nous tenons à soutenir le tableau exhaustif qu'il a fait de la situation alimentaire précaire qui sévit en Afrique, et engageons toute la communauté internationale à nous venir en aide par une assistance financière et technique substantielle.
Antoine Saintraint Independent Chairman of the Council, took the chair
Antoine Saintraint Président indépendant du Conseil, assume la présidence
Ocupa la presidencia Antoine Saintraint. Presidente independiente del Consejo
LE PRESIDENT: Je voudrais remercier l'honorable Vice-Ministre de la République islamique d'Iran, M. Rasoolof, d'avoir assumé la présidence jusqu'à présent. Je crois que nous avons un nombre respectable d'orateurs inscrits. Nous venons d'entendre le Congo.
George REEVES (Australia): We have noted with interest the report of the Fifteenth Session of the Committee on World Food Security and thank the Secretariat for their documentation. We note the pessimism expressed in that report and, as the Director-General pointed out on Monday, the situation is now somewhat better than that portrayed in the report.
There has been a substantial increase in cereals production this year and, as a result, some replenishment of cereals stocks.
This brings me to one of the things that I wish to concentrate on in my intervention, the conclusion that a concentration on the single figure of the level of global stocks as a ratio to consumption may not be very meaningful.
The report indicates that a serious situation exists if world stocks are 17-18 percent of consumption or less and, by implication, that the higher the level of stocks on a global basis the better the food security situation. That is, if global stocks are high, we should not worry about food security. I question this logic.
A return to the mid-1980s where there were massive stock levels of just about everything was not, in our view, in the best interests of food security. It contributed to very low world prices and a fall in production in subsequent years in a number of countries. What is important in food security is not so much the absolute level of global stocks but where those stocks are situated and what incentives there are to farmers in needy areas to produce and to hold stocks in those areas.
What is the use of large stocks in the EC or the US if all those stocks do is to drive down world prices, take away the incentives for farmers in developing countries to produce and, when developing countries as a consequence do import, the result is further debt problems and a lessening of the ability to import more in terms of crisis. Excessive protection levels can quickly drive up stock levels. It may well be we are heading in that direction now but this has a perverse effect on world food security in needy areas.
The stock levels themselves, combined with export subsidies, as I have said, drive down world prices and take away the incentives to produce in countries where the grain is needed most.
Apart from governments holding genuine food aid and emergency working stocks, the best approach to food security is for the major developed countries to get out of the business of distorting markets by subsidizing and holding massive stock levels.
Trade liberalization would not be a return to the law of the jungle. Proposals by the Cairns Group, the USA and the framework by De Zeeuw, the Chairman of the negotiating group on agriculture in the Uruguay Round, make specific provision for food security policies, food aid policies and other related policies, including the non-trade concerns which are related, by exempting from reduction commitments, so that such policies would be exempt from reduction commitments, provided they meet specific criteria, a so-called green category.
What trade liberalization would do is to prevent the massive build-up of wasteful stocks which in the mid-1980s were built up not for food security reasons but as a consequence of trying to maintain the incomes of farmers in rich countries. A successful Uruguay Round will be a big bonus to food security by providing much improved incentives to farmers in developing countries to produce the food where it is needed most.
There is another aspect of this issue. Food security is as much a function of overall macro-economic development as it is of grain stocks or even agricultural development alone. In this context a successful Uruguay Round in achieving general trade liberalization will significantly add to overall economic growth, and particularly in developing countries, in a way that will enhance food security.
This bring me finally to a comment I would like to make on the distinction between food security and self-sufficiency. Every government has a right to be concerned about food security and to pursue policies with that goal as an objective but this does not mean pursuing policies of self-sufficiency by distorted price support mechanisms which corrupt world markets. The pursuit of self-sufficiency in one country by such policies has the effect of frustrating the endeavours of another to achieve its food security goals.
Let me make three points. Food security in a way is a façade if, as is sometimes the case, heavy subsidies are acquired which result in inefficiencies and heavy reliance on imported inputs, such as fertilizers, feed grains in the case of livestock production, etc.
Secondly, there are better ways to achieve food security by diversity of supplies; efficiency and working in emergency stocks in the countries concerned; long-term supply contracts; overseas investment, and there are numerous other examples of that in the case of my own country; rural development programmes and, above all, the overall economic development in the countries concerned.
Market liberalization will provide incentives to farmers in developing countries to produce more and hence further to develop their own economies, providing more capacity to pay for the imports they need.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie l'honorable Représentant d'Australie de ses sages réflexions. De fait, il faut trouver un juste milieu et je crois que ce qu'il nous a déclaré était empreint de beaucoup de bon sens.
Luis MALDONADO VENEGAS (México): La Delegación de mi país ha revisado con especial atención el informe del 150 período de sesiones del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria Mundial, que se presenta a la consideración de este Consejo.
México considera que el informe incluye los aspectos centrales de la preocupante y precaria situación que prevalece en el ámbito mundial para hacer posible los propósitos de la seguridad alimentaria. Frente a las inveteradas restricciones de producción y disponibilidad de los alimentos, llama la atención el hecho de que el eslabón más frágil de la seguridad alimentaria continúa siendo el acceso efectivo de los grupos sociales más vulnerables y empobrecidos a los niveles mínimos del bienestar alimentario y la nutrición. Esta condición afecta a muy amplios sectores rurales y urbanos, principalmente de los países en desarrollo, ya sea por las secuelas de la crisis económica, ya sea por el efecto inmediato de los programas de ajuste estructural sobre los grupos sociales más débiles.
Este hecho insoslayable debe, en lo posible, motivar a nuestra Organización a intensificar el diseño y ejecución de medidas dirigidas a fortalecer los programas de acceso alimentario de los hogares y pequeñas comunidades más empobrecidas y, dentro de ellas, en un orden efectivo de prioridad, a los niños y a las mujeres gestantes y en período de lactancia.
Apreciamos que éste es un problema que incide principalmente en los niveles de ingreso-gasto alimentario, pero consideramos también que un intensivo proceso de educación, orientación y de fomento a la producción para autoconsumo son, entre otras alternativas viables, las que podrían favorecer la economía doméstica y los niveles nutricionales de estos grupos.
En este orden, consideramos de especial interés las propuestas de estudio que se presentaron en el Comité para introducir mejoras en el futuro de los documentos sobre la evaluación de la situación alimentaria mundial, dentro de las que se comprenden la elaboración de un indicador objetivo del acceso económico a los alimentos, una cobertura más amplia de los productos pecuarios y pesqueros, proyecciones a más largo plazo de los productos alimenticios básicos, desglosados por región o grupos de países. No obstante las limitaciones presupuestarias que agobian a nuestra Organización, sería altamente apreciable que estas iniciativas sean consideradas en lo posible al formularse el futuro programa de trabajo del Comité.
Congratula a la Delegación de mi país expresar también que las recomendaciones contenidas en el informe del 150 período de sesiones del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria son ampliamente coincidentes con la política alimentaria puesta en ejecución por México a través del Programa Nacional de Alimentación y de los programas sectoriales de modernización del campo, la pesca y el abasto para el período 1990-1994. Por lo que
corresponde al Programa Nacional de Alimentación, bajo un enfoque multisectorial, considera como su objetivo central precisamente a la seguridad alimentaria en los términos de suficiencia, disponibilidad y acceso a los alimentos, y comprende la puesta en operación de dos sistemas básicos: el sistema nacional de seguridad alimentaria y el sistema de vigilancia alimentaria y nutricional, así como la articulación de una red de circuitos regionales y locales de producción/consumo alimentario, que permitirán un reordenamiento gradual e integrado de los procesos alimentarios atendiendo a la vocación productiva, a las características geoecológicas, económicas y culturales que se manifiestan en las distintas zonas de mi país.
México desea, finalmente, reiterar su reconocimiento de apoyo decidido al Plan de Acción de la FAO para la integración de la mujer, señalando que en el caso de mi país, como en el de otros países de América Latina y el Caribe, la realidad del trabajo campesino de la mujer ha rebasado la legislación, las tradiciones y el entorno económico, así como la caracterización social.
En el agro mexicano se vive actualmente una situación especial, originada por el abandono pasivo de la fuerza de trabajo masculina, en busca de mayores ingresos, siendo la mujer campesina quien ocupa espacios más importantes en la actividad agrícola como sostén de su familia.
Por lo que se refiere al Plan de Asistencia para la Seguridad Alimentaria (PASA), reiteramos nuestro más amplio apoyo al mismo y solicitamos a la Secretaría de la FAO que promueva las acciones necesarias para contar con una presencia más efectiva del PASA en América Latina y el Caribe.
EL PRESIDENTE: Muchísimas gracias al distinguido representante de México por sus reflexiones tan operativas. Subrayó la función de la mujer dentro del marco de la seguridad alimentaria y creo que es un elemento de lo más importante.
E. Wayne DENNEY (United States of America): The 15th Session of the Committee on World Food Security addressed a number of issues relating to global food security. We support its conclusions and see no particular value in re-debating these issues here. A successful conclusion to the GATT round will contribute to enhancing global food security. The delegate of Australia made some excellent points in this regard which have our full support.
For a small portion of the Agenda (particularly the items addressing the world food security situation) having a timely discussion was important. Member countries need to know how cereal production and stocks are doing, how food aid shipments are progressing, the state of the world economic environment, and progress in the GATT negotiations. But for most other agenda items, timing was less important.
During the 15th Session many delegates made suggestions regarding additional information which would have been useful for the Ghana case study. Perhaps more time should be made available to prepare feature case studies. The 15th Session presented a very interesting case study on Ghana and in our view demonstrated the positive effects of implementing and following through with a carefully planned structural adjustment programme. As has been pointed out several times today, there is no doubt that the question of the social consequences of structural adjustment must be addressed more fully prior to implementing such a plan. We note from the report that no time was fixed for the next CFS. Some delegations, including my own, have periodically raised the possibility of convening the CFS less frequently, allowing the Chairman, in consultation with the Director-General, to convene a special session whenever the need should arise. In our view, this matter should be carefully addressed before finally deciding when the next CFS meeting will be convened. Would it be possible to discuss some of the items at COAG or Council? We know during Council that the current agricultural situation, for example, will be reviewed and will closely parallel a similar item on the CFS Agenda.
We are making no specific proposals in this regard, but merely want to reaffirm our previously stated concern on this matter. A biennal meeting as proposed by the delegation of the United Kingdom is an appealing idea, which we could support.
KWANG WOOK AN (Korea, Republic of ): I would like to start by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to the Committee on World Food Security for its efforts to solve world food problems. Since my delegation has scrutinized the subject during the sessions of that Committee, and as we took part in the debate, my comments today will be brief.
First, with respect to the assessment of the current world food security situation and outlook, I fully support the opinions mentioned in paragraphs 10 and 22 of document CL 98/10. In this connection, I would like to emphasize that due consideration should be given to the specific conditions of recipient countries in order to enhance the effects of developmnent assistance.
Secondly, concerning the role of women in food security, my delegation would like to associate with other delegations who have spoken before me in emphasizing the necessity for local group approaches in rural development with special reference to the role of women. In this regard, effective measures including expansion of credit, the provision of training, the establishment of organizations and others should be achieved in a balanced manner.
Finally, I would like to point out that since the food and agricultural problems cannot be solved by the efforts of FAO alone, it is necessary for FAO to have close cooperation with other international organizations in implementing these projects.
LE PRESIDENT: Je vous remercie de votre intervention. Vous avez du reste vu qu'au paragraphe 37 on faisait allusion à cette réunion interinstitutions qui aura lieu en 1991, sous l'égide de la FAO, pour recueillir les données sur les activités féminines.
Shahid NAJAM (Pakistan): First of all, my delegation would like to commend both the FAO Secretariat and the Committee on World Food Security for producing a useful, informative and analytical document, CL 98/10, which inter alia encompasses issues of vital importance like the assessment of the world food security situation, the role of women in food security, and a review of the Food Security Assistance Scheme. Pakistan had the privilege of actively taking part in the deliberations of this Committee during March 1990.
Despite the fact that some recovery in world production of staple food in 1989 was registered primarily due to the good harvests in North America, the USSR and even in Asia, unfortunately the overall scenario regarding world food security remains bleak and precarious. Malnutrition, hunger, poverty and a lack of accessibility to food, particularly of the poor and deprived sections of the developing countries, continue to cause daunting challenges to the international community. The optimism for 1990/91 based on favourable weather and harvest also seems to be fragile. The ever-expanding population, the growing indebtedness, the yawning gap in balance of payments, the high volatility of the commodity market and the non-accessibility of products to the international market are cumulatively compounding problems for these countries and their poverty-stricken people. This state of affairs certainly entails collective and concerted efforts with FAO and the developing countries playing their due role.
In its report the Committee made very valuable observations and invited the attention of member countries to matters of great concern as reflected in paragraphs 10, 12, 13-19, 23 and 24. While we fully support and endorse the points highlighted by the Committee, in particular we would like to reiterate the following: first the distortions and imperfections in the international market which almost instantaneously stifle initiative and the efforts of the developing countries to reform and restructure their rural agrarian economies need to be removed if the developing countries are to take the shackles of food shortages and hunger off. For this purpose the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations has to come up with positive and promising assurances and plans which, inter alia, accord differential and preferential treatment to the developing countries, besides expanding market access and opportunities for their agricultural products.
Secondly, the developing countries engaged in the structural adjustment and stabilization programme to remedy the inconsistencies of the internal market and resource inefficiencies and misallocation did manage to reach a certain threshold of development. However, external shocks to the economies and the recent Gulf crisis have tended to vitiate and nullify their achievements, and in fact have put insurmountable strains on already weak economies. The developed countries and international donors must make available necessary assistance in terms of an improved external economic
environment and substantial additional support, both technical and financial, to resuscitate economic growth, production and productivity in these countries.
Although the factors that my delegation has just listed are ominously squeezing over economy, yet in Pakistan, despite these adversities, we have managed to make significant achievements in the agricultural sector which during 1988-89 grew by 7.2% and during 1989-90 by 4%. The country harvested 14.3 million tons of wheat in 1989-90 and a target of 15.8 million tons has been fixed for 1990-91. This year we harvested rice crop of 3.22 million. The country is now producing 14.53 million tons of milk, an increase of 6.06% over last year, 1.5 million tons of meat, an increase of 7.14% over the last year. Similarly fisheries and fruits and vegetables have also registered substantial increases. Per capita availability of food in our country has increased over time and reached level of 2 517 calories intake which represents 99% of the recommended dietary allowance. The Government is faithfully pursuing a three pronged food policy: (i) adequate production of food; (ii) stability of food prices and (iii) access to food by the common/poor.
As regards the role of women in food security, again we generally endorse the observations and recommendations of the Committee in Section IV of document CL 98/10. We would stress that without fuller integration of women in the economic development in general, and in rural and agricultural development in particular, it will be extremely difficult, well nigh impossible, for the developing countries to realize the ultimate goals of food security, food stability and food accessibility with viable and equitable distribution.
Cognizant of the role of women in the context of our own rural and agricultural sector, which employs 40.2 percent of rural women-25 percent part-time and 70 percent full-time-the Government of Pakistan has already embarked upon a comprehensive plan including the actions identified in the document under reference, and in the light of a plan of action for the integration of women in development. Through various constitutional, legal, financial and administrative devices and instruments, rights of women and their participation in national life have been secured. Women in Pakistan can own, transact and manage agricultural land. They have equal access to credit and technical advice. The Ministry of Women's Affairs has launched specific projects and programmes for the uplift and betterment of rural women which include training in agriculture, sericulture, poultry development and dairy development. Women's cooperatives have been established and expanded to create employment opportunities and to establish cottage and agro-industry to generate income. Federal and provincial bureaux of statistics are actively engaged in collecting and analyzing data on a gender basis. A comprehensive statistical report entitled "Women in Pakistan: A Statistical Profile" has already been published which provides a useful data base for the analysts, policy makers and planners to devise suitable policy choices and interventions for stimulating women's participation in economic development. This is by no means a situation of satisfaction and complacency. A lot has yet to be done within the prevalent socio-cultural milieu. Nevertheless, these measures are a palpable manifestation of the resolve and determination of the Government to eradicate economic discrimination and disparities between men
and women, and to maximize efficiency and evolve functionally effective and efficacious roles for women in the mainstream economic, rural and agricultural development, which need has precisely been reflected and articulated by the Committee in this report.
To conclude, we reiterate our endorsement of the Committee's report.
Gerhard LIEBER (Germany): The last session of the CFS took place in March this year. The crucial data for the evaluation of the world food security situation as regard developments in grain production, market prices and stocks have changed, or are now facts instead of forecasts. FAO supplied us with up-to-date basic data in the State of Food and Agriculture which we discussed yesterday and the day before under Item 4 of our Agenda.
It is on the whole gratifying that all these new basic data show a positive trend. World cereal production is now forecast to reach 1 951 million tonnes or 4 percent above last year's level. This constitutes a record. Wheat production alone is expected to increase by 11 percent to 559 million tonnes. There will also be a modest increase in coarse grain production of just about 1 percent to 834 million tonnes, and there will be an increase of 2 percent to a record 519 million tonnes rice harvest.
Consequently, world cereal stocks will increase by 8 percent. This will take place, however, mostly in major wheat producer countries. Coarse grain stocks, however, are expected to decline further. As far as the export markets are concerned, reduced import demand in several major importing countries will cause a fall of 7 percent to 193 million tonnes of total world cereal trade. However, it remains to be seen what will be the impact of the sharp increase in oil prices as a consequence of the Gulf crisis, in particular on developing countries' economies.
Those are the global data. They are on the whole positive, as I have stated already. As the representative of the EEC, amongst others, has already pointed out, extremely precarious food situations remain, especially in African countries where more recently the Sahelian countries seem again to be threatened. We are very concerned about this and stand ready to help within our capabilities so as to avoid more hunger and misery.
World food security problems are rightly assuming a global dimension. We are of the opinion that agricultural production, population developments and the environment will more and more develop as basic elements of any sensible policy-making process in whatever country or continent. Political decisions and developments in these fields are, however, determining the level of sustainable food security that we can expect to be achieved worldwide, within a region and within countries. No further proof is needed of the importance of FAO's work in this field.
Let me now come to some details of the report before us. The results of the Economic Recovery Programme for Ghana have on the whole, in our judgment, as well as that in the report, been positive. We thank the Government of Ghana for having made this interesting case study possible. FAO could indeed in that sector play an even greater role in planning and
implementing stabilization and structural adjustment programmes if requested by the governments concerned. In this connection, very close cooperation between the World Bank and the IMF should ensure that food security aspects are taken sufficiently into account.
As has been pointed out quite frequently, and very often by us also, there is a need to integrate women in developing countries into the development process as productive participants rather than treating them as a separate benficiary group. In this respect, the implementation of the recommendations of the CFS could make a valuable contribution for the whole development process.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie très vivement le Représentant de l'Allemagne de cette substantielle intervention. Je crois réellement que le rôle des femmes doit être intégré dans une vision globale.
Noboru SAITO (Japan): We have no difficulty in endorsing the report of the Fifteenth Session of the Committee on World Food Security. We recognize that the world food problem is still a big issue to overcome, needing the utmost efforts by individual members of the international community and their cooperation. From this standpoint, my country basically supports FAO's World Food Security compact which consists of three fundamental concepts. We believe that national food security is compatible with world food security. Moreover, world food security calls for national food security. This leads us to the conclusion that every country, regardless of whether it is developed or developing, should make every effort to accomplish national food security. This is why Japan has been making every effort to increase its domestic food production capacities and stresses the necessity of maintaining domestic production level for basic foodstuffs in GATT negotiations.
My country appreciates FAO's efforts for giving priority to the Food Security Assistance Scheme and for having promoted relevant activities. We feel that further collaboration between FAO and other international organizations should be accomplished as FSAS's mandate is expanded. In this connection, my country deems it necessary that the results of the projects under the expanded mandate should be reviewed in an appropriate forum, such as an FSAS donor meeting, for further improvement and effective execution of this Scheme.
Although CFS is a very important committee in FAO, as everyone has admitted, there seems to be some duplication with other FAO fora. Indeed, analysis of the crop production situation and its forecast is always dealt with in other important fora, including here in Council.
Based on these concerns, we urge the Secretariat to give some thought to how to deal with these matters more efficiently in the future.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie le Représentant du Japon de son approche réflexive. Je crois également qu'il faut éviter les doubles emplois et réfléchir à une meilleure intégration des activités d'ensemble de la FAO tout en étant conscients que les problèmes de la sécurité alimentaire sont des problèmes importants, aux multiples facettes, et qu'ils recoupent le rôle de l'aide alimentaire et d'un certain nombre d'autres éléments. Je crois que l'intervention du Japon a été utile et mérite plus ample réflexion.
Sra. Monica DEREGIBUS (Argentina): Mi delegación participó en la reunión del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria, de que da cuenta el informe que hoy analizamos y, al respecto, quisiera señalar sólo unas pocas anotaciones.
En primer lugar, permítanos endosar, en todas sus partes, la declaración efectuada hace un momento por el señor delegado de Australia que compartimos completamente. Estimamos que ella pone en su justo lugar las preocupaciones referidas a la seguridad alimentaria y ubica exactamente en su real dimensión los conceptos de autosuficiencia que muchas veces se manejan con criterios a ultranza que no tienen en cuenta una producción eficiente y una utilización racional de los recursos. Apoyamos también a Malasia, a Filipinas y a Indonesia en cuanto manifestaran sobre el negativo impacto de las políticas proteccionistas de los países industrializados sobre la producción de alimentos en los países en desarrollo.
Señor Presidente, el Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria propone, en el párrafo 24 de su informe, una serie de interesantes estudios que debería analizar en sus próximas reuniones. Nosotros creemos que es una agenda rica y que merece que los miembros puedan intercambiar ideas acerca de los diferentes temas a que se refiere el párrafo 24 del informe. Sobre el particular mi delegación estima que debe evaluarse con mayor precisión la incidencia global de factores tales como la deuda externa, la inflación y la escasez de divisas sobre la capacidad de los países en desarrollo de asegurar, mediante la producción y/o la importación, los suministros alimentarios necesarios para su población y la de ésta de acceder efectivamente a tales suministros. De modo que esperamos que la Secretaría encare, a la brevedad, un estudio de este tipo analizando dichas causas en el comportamiento tendencial de la demanda, incluyendo en el estudio las derivadas de la caída de los ingresos por exportaciones agrícolas de los países en desarrollo por prácticas proteccionistas y por el deterioro de la relación de intercambio.
Nosotros creemos, Señor Presidente, que el estudio de esta temática y de las otras mencionadas en el párrafo 24 mantendrán ocupado al Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria durante varias sesiones. Creemos que es muy útil que el Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria efectúe estos estudios, ya que no hay ningún otro Comité principal de nuestra Organización que lo pueda realizar. Por eso tenemos ciertas dudas en relación con las propuestas que se han hecho para que el Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria se reúna sólo bienalmente. Consideramos que, en todo caso, es el propio Comité que tiene un plenario más importante de miembros-el que debería analizar esta propuesta, ya que el Consejo, como es un órgano reducido, no puede a nuestro juicio dar una indicación sobre el particular.
El Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria ocupó gran parte de su sesión dé este año a estudiar el caso de Ghana en lo que se refiere al Programa de Ajuste Estructural que encara este país. Nosotros estimamos que una conclusión importante del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria es dejar en claro que una buena ejecución de los programas de ajuste sólo es posible con una ingente inyección de recursos desde el exterior. Ello significa que, a nuestro juicio, no tienen porvenir estos programas de ajuste que estamos encarando muchos países en desarrollo si no se mejora el ambiente internacional y, particularmente, no se da solución al problema de la deuda y acceso a los mercados de países desarrollados de las exportaciones de los países en desarrollo, no se mejoran los términos en la relación de intercambio actual en los países en desarrollo y no se liberaliza el comercio internacional de productos básicos. En tanto no se cumplan esas condiciones y no se asista mediante estas soluciones que buscamos y también mediante transferencias de recursos financieros del norte hacia el sur, la desfavorable situación económica externa continuará teniendo una negativa influencia en las posibilidades de crecimiento económico a las cuales daría alguna viabilidad el ajuste que todos estamos encarando.
El Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria también trató extensamente la cuestión de la participación de la mujer en la seguridad alimentaria. Nosotros creemos que el esfuerzo de la Secretaría de la FAO para presentar los datos para el análisis de las delegaciones fue muy útil y motivó un debate serio y profundo, y que el esfuerzo debe ser como dijo la delegación de Canadá-mantenido en el futuro. Coincidimos plenamente con el examen realizado por el Comité y, en particular, con las recomendaciones propuestas en los párrafos 42 y 43. Estimamos que éstas deben ser impartidas en el marco general de la capacitación y de la adecuación de las estrategias tanto destinadas a la mujer en el área rural, como a aquellas que viven en asentamientos periurbanos, considerando también su incorporación en el mercado y en el proceso de comercialización.
EL PRESIDENTE: De su intervención extraigo un párrafo muy importante en el sentido de que seria interesante estudiar los efectos de la deuda externa y de la coyuntura internacional en el marco de la seguridad alimentaria. Gracias por su intervención tan concreta.
Adel EL SARKY (Egypt) (Original language Arabic): My delegation fells that the assessment of world food security on a continuing basis is a very important activity indeed and we are therefore happy to note the efforts made by the CFS in this connection and we feel that the Committee must be always involved in these matters, and we will certainly cooperate on a continuing basis and we will also take good note of the efforts to study specific cases, such as Ghana; this was a very interesting case history.
Now this document before us also deals with a very important issue, namely the question of the role of women in food security. My country is fully aware of the role of women and the importance of this role, especially in rural areas, and we are making efforts to integrate women as fully as possible in the development process and this through appropriate
legislation to give women better scope to do things, to obtain employment, to have higher earnings, to have food security and also to have full access to training and to information. Now, this policy has already borne fruit in our country but of course there is still a lot to be done. Now, my country has agreed to welcome an FAO mission next year, in 1991 to give us advice and proposals as regards to what needs still to be done to improve the position of women.
Paragraphs 44-51 review the Food Security Assistance Scheme, FSAS, and my delegation is happy to note the progress made by FSAS and in particular we feel the early warning system that is now being established will be very useful.
Sra. Maria Susana LANDAVERI (Perú): Para abreviar mi intervención, dado que otras delegaciones, particularmente Colombia, Filipinas y México han expresado muy claramente la situación de la seguridad alimentaria en los países en desarrollo, me permito referirme a los párrafos 20, 22 y 42 del documento CL 98/10. Cito del párrafo 20: "El Comité deploró la prevista disminución de las disponibilidades por habitante de alimentos básicos para 1989/90 en algunos países en desarrollo, sobre todo de Africa y América Latina y el Caribe". En el caso de mi país, esta disponibilidad es marcadamente deteriorada por problemas de sequía y otros mayores, y sobre todo por limitaciones económicas originadas por el peso de la deuda externa y por efecto de programas de ajuste estructural. Sobre la actividad de la mujer en la seguridad alimentaria y su participación en el desarrollo, apoyamos las recomendaciones incluidas en el citado párrafo 42, así como que se resalte que en el Perú es efectivamente un papel importante y básico el que cumple la mujer, especialmente en zonas urbanas marginales tanto como rurales, donde los problemas son claramente manifiestos. Un ejemplo es la participación de la mujer y su plena conducción de los llamados comedores populares que actualmente proporcionan alimentos, mayormente obtenidos por ayuda alimentaria de donantes, a un gran porcentaje de los grupos más vulnerables en zonas marginales urbanas. He citado este ejemplo porque para mi país, como para otros de la región, la migración del campo a la ciudad ocasiona un fenómeno particular en el que la población rural-tanto de campesinos como de agricultores pasa a formar parte de las filas de habitantes de estas zonas tan marginadas de las grandes ciudades. Es aquí donde se hace más aparente, aunque a pequeña escala, el problema de la inseguridad alimentaria de un país que describió ya el delegado del Reino Unido.
Por último, quiero referirme al Plan de Asistencia para la Seguridad Alimentaria (PASA), al cual prestamos pleno apoyo y esperamos se tenga en cuenta la consideración del párrafo 49 sobre actividades en otras regiones, como la de América Latina, que sufre un empeoramiento de su seguridad alimentaria en los últimos años.
Sra. Mercedes FERMIN GOMEZ (Venezuela): Nosotros vamos a ser consecuentes con la posición de nuestro Presidente, que pide brevedad y comprensión en nuestras intervenciones, y habiendo hecho planteamientos muy concretos e
interesantes diversas delegaciones antes que nosotros, no trataremos de repetir lo que ellos han planteado y que, en general, apoyamos. Pero queremos destacar especialmente los planteamientos hechos por la delegación de Australia que, en relación con una especial estrategia respecto a la seguridad alimentaria, nos parecen dignos de ser muy tomados en cuenta, sobre todo viniendo de un país productor de tantos excedentes en materia de ayuda alimentaria, como es Australia, pero que manifiesta una sensatez en la consideración de estos problemas, tal como lo ha hecho el delegado aquí presente.
Seguidamente nos concretaremos a un punto muy importante que ha sido planteado y respaldado por algunas delegaciones, frente al cual manifestaremos nuestra diferencia, y es en relación con la proposición o la sugerencia de que las reuniones del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria de la FAO puedan celebrarse no anual sino bianualmente. Nos oponemos a esta sugerencia por muchas razones de orden práctico especialmente porque si la dinámica de los procesos sociales en el actual momento es tan violenta, tan acelerada, que de un momento a otro un país… Voy a poner un ejemplo rogando no me lo tome a mal la delegada de Argentina. Un país rico como era la Argentina, que daba envidia a muchos otros países por su posición de riqueza, sobre todo en este carácter de producción de alimentos, ha llegado al estado en que se encuentra, el que podemos presenciar por televisión, escenas que hubieran sido increíbles pensarlas de la ciudad de Buenos Aires. Esta es una demostración de la rapidez con que se deterioran las situaciones económicas en los países en vías de desarrollo, y en este caso concreto de los de América Latina, donde no es sólo Argentina, sino también Venezuela, Colombia, Perú, Chile, Ecuador, etc. Nosotros estamos sufriendo una situación de deterioro acelerado de la situación económica, especialmente en nuestras condiciones alimentarias. Es por esto por lo que nosotros no podemos considerar que el Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria de la FAO se vaya a reunir cada dos años ¿Qué puede haber pasado durante dos años en nuestros países si el Comité, reuniéndose cada año, sabe cuáles son los acontecimientos que nos trae en cuanto a la realidad? Por esta razón, nos manifestamos en contra de quienes piensan que es demasiado reunirse todos los años y que debe hacerse bianualmente, porque pensamos que la urgencia de la seguridad alimentaria, la aceleración de los procesos con que esta situación se deteriora en los países en vías de desarrollo reclaman más bien que estemos pendientes y atentos a la evolución de estas situaciones con una premura mayor que la de dos años.
Luego nos vamos a referir al excelente documento presentado por la Secretaría, que realmente recoge muy en detalle toda la situación, al cual nos adherimos plenamente. Queremos destacar nuestra posición con relación a los criterios que realmente se deberían hacer más efectivos en cuanto a la seguridad alimentaria. No olvido yo personalmente-si me perdonan que hable en primera persona-la tesis expuesta por un anterior presidente de este Consejo, el Dr. Swaminathan, de grato recuerdo, con relación a lo que él piensa: que esta seguridad alimentaria, tal como se concibe hoy científica y socialmente, debería ir retinándose, haciéndose más racional en el sentido científico, para llegar a lo que él denomina "seguridad nutricional", considerando y analizando como tal la verdadera situación de satisfacción no del hambre simplemente sino de la nutrición del individuo.
La FAO está propiciando ahora una Conferencia a nivel mundial sobre nutrición y probablemente en ese caso deberíamos llegar a refinar este criterio de seguridad alimentaria para conseguir esa seguridad nutricional en donde ya se pone de relieve-como lo explicaba el Dr. Swaminathan-que hay mucha gente que come, que ingiere cualquier cosa en su sistema digestivo, pero que su organismo no recibe verdaderamente alimentos nutritivos. Naturalmente allí, en el otro lado, algunos comen tan bien que, por exceso, también están pasando por otra situación. Eso no lo considera la FAO porque no se estimarían beneficiarios.
Pero en cuanto a esta política de seguridad alimentaria, a mi manera de ver, habría que educar a la gente que está sufriendo precisamente de disminución de la posibilidad de su dieta, por ignorancia, y muchas veces dejan de consumir alimentos que son verdaderamente útiles para su nutrición porque los consideran ordinarios. Eso es muy generalizado en la clase media y, naturalmente, en las clases pobres de nuestros países.
Por esa razón, un papel muy especial que debería cumplir la FAO en este Plan de Seguridad Alimentaria-en relación, sobre todo, con las clases pobres, con la gente campesina-es esta tarea educativa, más que informativa o más que de entrenamiento. Es una tarea de persuasión con relación a lo que deben consumir. En este sentido, es la mujer, probablemente, la que debe recibir la mayor atención, por lo cual consideramos que la FAO, que ya tiene un Plan de Acción para la mujer, podría refinarlo o podría ratificarlo.
Estos serían los puntos que me parecen claves en cuanto a lo que podríamos llamar el refinamiento del Programa de Seguridad Alimentaria. No es ya la ayuda alimentaria-de lo cual estamos convencidos y los donantes están a la orden del día para enviar los donativos-, sino que es esta otra fase, referida ya propiamente-que es lo que ha pedido el delegado del Japón-a la eficiencia de esta alimentación: que vaya a cumplir la función, no ya de supervivencia, que es la que por ahora tiene, sino de una verdadera existencia propia de seres humanos. La verdad-y eso no voy a descubrirlo yo aquí, lo saben ustedes mejor que yo-es que hay muchos niños que en sus primeros cinco años de vida no reciben la debida atención alimenticia, y por eso su capacidad intelectual llega a veces a lo subnormal. Esa es la atención que debería prestar la FAO, desde el punto de vista educativo, en las mujeres, especialmente en las mujeres campesinas y en las mujeres de la clase trabajadora, que puedan atender a este problema, porque muchas veces ellas se contentan con dar alimentos a sus hijos simplemente, sin pensarlo dos veces.
Perdonen que yo siempre traiga aquí anécdotas de mi propia vida, de la experiencia mía. En una oportunidad en que yo trabajaba como voluntaria de una comunidad, conocimos el caso de una muchacha que tenía una niña, un bebé a quien alimentar. Ella quería que le alcanzara por más tiempo la leche de que disponía, que era muy poca, y, en vez de poner las cucharadas que le señalaban para un litro de leche, ella ponía la cuarta parte. De esa manera le duraba más el litro de leche, pero la pobre niña no se alimentaba. Cuando esta niña llegó a la edad de querer estar de pie, los piececitos no tenían huesos firmes, porque les faltaba el calcio que les debía haber proporcionado la leche que la madre asignaba a la niña. El remedio fue sencillamente que se enseñara que los biberones de la niña no
se debían hacer con cuatro cucharadas, sino con las doce cucharadas que mandaba la receta formal.
Casos como éste, que son extremos, ocurren todos los días en aquellas comunidades que, por falta del elemento primario para la alimentación de los hijos, engañan sus estómagos y los someten a una vida latente que en realidad no es la que necesita un niño hasta sus cinco años.
Si cito este caso-y ustedes me excusan por el anecdotario-, es porque lo mismo que ocurría con esta joven y su niña lactante puede ocurrir con las comunidades cuando creen que están consumiendo en tan pobre cantidad, ya sea trigo, arroz, maíz o cualquier alimento de grano, que lo que hacen es engañar sus estómagos, pero no alimentar realmente sus organismos.
Es ahí donde pienso yo que la FAO tiene que cumplir un papel educativo; no simplemente de entrenamiento o de aplicación de nuevas tecnologías, sino educativo. Y eso mismo puede llevarse al caso de que estas familias pueden cultivar ellas, en pequeños casos, algunos productos que pueden serles útiles para su alimentación, sin esperar a que llegue la ayuda alimentaria que mandan los países donantes para poder ir a recibir en una cola lo que les van a dar.
Pienso, pues, que la educación debe ir más directamente a la persuasión o la creación de una conciencia en las gentes pobres, en las gentes necesitadas, con relación a posibilidad de subvenir ellas mismas a tales necesidades. En eso estamos de acuerdo con el delegado del Japón. El problema de la seguridad alimentaria tiene que ser un programa nacional y tiene que ser una cuestión a nivel nacional; yo diría que a nivel de comunidades, que es donde se alcanza el verdadero contacto con las gentes en su propios medios.
No quiero tomar la palabra mucho tiempo más, porque creo que todo lo demás-lo que se ha dicho aquí con relación a las esperanzas que nos da la Ronda Uruguay en los reajustes de precios, etcétera-lo han repetido ya otros delegados. Solamente que yo siempre pienso en el golpe y el contragolpe. Si la Ronda Uruguay va a pensar en los reajustes de precios, por otro lado ¿qué vamos a hacer con el proteccionismo agrícola? ¿Será posible que la Ronda Uruguay también pueda hacer frente a un frenar el proteccionismo agrícola de los grandes países, que en el momento en que lo ponen en acción se les olvidan la seguridad alimentaria, la caridad cristiana y todo aquello que significa ayuda a los pobres?
Por esta razón, pues, pienso que no podríamos dejar de prestar atención a este fenómeno económico, que tiene acogotados a la mayoría de los países en vías de desarrollo, como es el proteccionismo agrícola.
Creo que me resta simplemente apoyar lo relativo al PASA y a todos los otros puntos que se relacionan con las posibilidades de ayudar a la mujer especialmente a tomar parte en estos programas de ayuda alimentaria.
EL PRESIDENTE: Muchísimas gracias, señora Embajadora, por su intervención. Creo que todo lo que usted ha dicho es muy importante.
F.C. PRILLEVITZ (Netherlands): The CFS was held at the beginning of this year in its 15th Session and the draft report was accepted unanimously without any further discussion.
We have a fairly busy programme so I will not dwell too long on an agenda item which was discussed earlier in harmony, but some points may deserve attention.
The Economic Recovery Programme of Ghana revealed clearly once again the various aspects of structural adjustment programmes, its advantages and disadvantages, and the important role of FAO in the adjustment process. Although the Economic Recovery Programme had positive impacts in reviving the economy and achieved considerable gains in food production, food security for some segments of the population has been worsened. Adjustment measures require concern for food security from the beginning and here I think food aid has to play a role. Since these country studies provide useful lessons, we are looking forward to the case of Ecuador.
A discussion on the role of women in food security resulted in some important conclusions which we recommend to be indicated in FAO's activities in the field of women in development.
From the documentation available before this Council session it is clear that still many people do not have access to food. This illustrates the importance of the concept of food security and of FAO's FSAS. Our interest in this subject may be derived from our active participation in the development of the expanded mandate of this Scheme. We are very much interested in the further development of the Scheme and suggestions to the effect of changing its set-up, for instance along the lines of TFAP, we consider to be premature, the more so because TFAP itself is presently under discussion.
May I make a final remark in this discussion? Whilst we recognise the prime responsibility and competence of FAO in the area of food security, we strongly welcome the closer cooperation between this Organization and the World Bank. This, in our view, is a good example of how international organizations should work together, as recommended in the review Resolution.
Finally, as far as the working methods of the CFS are concerned, my delegation can imagine biennal sessions as long as it is guaranteed that a committee can meet whenever there is a pressing need for it. We look forward to a full discussion on this issue, taking into account also the mandate of the other Rome-based organizations dealing with food.
My delegation concurs with the report.
Edward Olajide AYO (Nigeria): I congratulate the FAO on the report of the Fifteenth Session of the Committee on World Food Security. Undoubtedly the demand for food far outstrips supply, particularly in the developing countries, and the gap continues to widen daily. There is, therefore, the need for a new economic order to effect a stable food security situation.
There is the need to revolutionise agricultural production in the developing countries. This can be achieved through the restructuring of the agrarian economy with a well defined, integrated approach to rural development.
Provision of storage facilities is a major constraint in many of the developing countries. Reports have shown that as high as 40 percent of the food that is produced in these countries is wasted as a result of inadequate storage facilities. There is the need to encourage the establishment of a three-tier storage system, namely, at the farm level, at the state level and at the national level.
The provision of storage facilities has a linkage with the stability of food prices. The storage at the farm level is meant to minimise post-harvest losses and to enable farmers take advantage of any price changes. The storage at the state level makes provision for a buffer-stock scheme for inter-seasonal price fluctuations. The national programme is to take care of cases of emergency or natural disaster.
With the projected increase in the production of cereals in the developed countries in 1991, one would like to be cautious about the issue of food aid. In the Sahelian countries where there is an emergency situation, food aid can be a solution in the short run. The long-term solution is the control of drought and desertification in these countries. In non-Sahelian countries one would like to see a balance between inter-regional trade and a deliberate effort to encourage an increase in the production of food.
My delegation supports the Committee's recommendations on the role of women in food security. In summary, there is the need to evolve programmes for better life for rural women whereby the women on individual basis, household basis, community or cooperative basis can be involved in some small-scale enterprises. This can be enhanced through better access to good management training and credit facilities. My country has embarked on a similar programme and is yielding good results.
Daniel D.C. Don NANJIRA (Kenya): This time I promise to be shorter than I was yesterday.
We are very happy with the manner in which you are guiding the work of this Council.
I will talk specifically about the information contained in document CL 98/10 which is on the report of the Fifteenth Session of the Committee on World Food Security which took place in this very room in March of this year. We appreciate the efforts of the FAO Secretariat and the excellent documentation which has been provided.
We do note, however, with concern that some parts of the world continue to enjoy excessive cereal stocks whilst others, especially the third world, continue to suffer from acute shortages necessitating urgent measures to assist them. Malnutrition and hunger continue to be major problems in these developing countries whilst some people in the industrialized countries are
suffering from obesity owing to over-feeding. This is an unfortunate situation.
We cannot view the problems of developing countries in isolation from the present unjust world economic situation. The debt burden on the part of the developing countries, coupled with the deterioration in the terms of trade and protectionism in some countries, should be given due attention if the world food security situation is to be appropriately addressed.
Let me also briefly refer to the unusual food surpluses that have for the past few years been occurring in some African countries. We do appreciate the role food aid donors have played in assisting these countries in disposing of surpluses. We hope that this spirit of goodwill will continue. We are further encouraged by the cooperative efforts of the World Food Programme and these donors in encouraging triangular transactions in this area.
As for the case study of Ghana, allow me to thank the Government of Ghana for facilitating a comprehensive study on the effects of the economic recovery programmes that were initiated in this particular sister African country. We appreciate the efforts the FAO Secretariat took in undertaking this study on behalf of the Fourteenth Session.
Although the economic recovery programme could have succeeded in some areas of the Ghanaian economy, it is our view and observation that the most vulnerable groups of the population could not have benefited under the circumstances and that their food security situation did not improve as a result of implementing these programmes. We believe that for programmes of this nature to succeed, especially in Africa, the country's social factors must be taken into account.
As for the role of women in food security, it is our view that this issue cannot be treated in isolation from the entire family unit. Nevertheless, we urge equal opportunities for all, whether in land ownership, financial credit or other areas for women. It is our hope that governments will continue implementing the Nairobi forward-looking strategy for women.
FAO's plan of action for the integration of women in development should continue to receive adequate attention. For us in Kenya we have done a lot for women. Nobody in the world can blame us for having done little for women. They are completely integrated into the development efforts of our Government, both at local and national levels. We are very happy that the contribution of women to food security and the economic development of Kenya is very good.
As for the food security assistance schemes, we in this delegation continue to appreciate the work of these schemes, especially in developing countries. We are pleased with the assistance we have continued to receive under this scheme. It is our hope that more will be done to implement the suggestions contained in paragraph 46 of document CL 98/10.
CHAIRMAN: The Assistant Director-General, Mr Dutia, will give some answers to the questions.
B.P. DUTIA (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department): A few questions have been raised and some explanations are required; some observations have also been made to which, with your permission, Mr Chairman, I shall respond.
With reference to paragraph 48 of the Report of the Committee on World Food Security, the delegates of Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia, requested that FAO consider undertaking a study of ASEAN's food security reserve. In this connection, I would like to assure them that FAO is ready to provide the necessary technical assistance as soon as agreement is reached on the terms of reference and mode of financing this study. In order to advance discussions on these matters, the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific-of course in cooperation with colleagues from Headquarters-has already approached the appropriate ASEAN authorities with a view to meeting at the beginning of 1991 in order to define the specific interests, scope and coverage of such a study.
The delegate of Colombia raised a question concerning the latest information on food aid. Here, I would like to inform him that the latest statistics on food aid for the year 1989/90 indicate that the food aid shipments in that year amounted to some 11.55 million tons against the earlier Secretariat forecast of 11.6 million tons which is contained in document CL 98/10. In that year the shipments to the low-income food-deficit countries remained virtually unchanged from the previous year level of about 8.4 million tons. During 1989/90 about 2.5 million tons of food aid were shipped to the countries of Eastern Europe. In several cases these shipments were financed by donors from funds which are outside the regular food aid budgets.
As far as 1990/91 is concerned the current preliminary forecast for food aid remains at 9.8 million tons. However, as was discussed yesterday under Agenda Item 4, actual shipments of food aid in 1991 could rise above this level as a result of the current low prices of cereals on international markets. I should also add that there are indications that some donors may be considering further food aid shipments to Eastern Europe and the USSR during the year 1990/91. If these were to materialize food aid in the current year could well be higher than our current preliminary estimate of 9.8 million tons.
The delegate of Colombia also expressed the desirability of expanding the geographic coverage of the Food Security Assistance Scheme to the Latin American and Caribbean region. In this connection, I would like to mention that the Food Security Assistance Scheme has been providing support to Honduras and Nicaragua in the areas of food security policy planning and establishment of food information systems. A pipeline project is also under development for Costa Rica at the request of that country. We are having discussions with the ECE about a possible collaborative effort in the area of food security in the Central American sub-region.
In the Latin American and Caribbean region as a whole, the FAO global information and early warning system will convene a workshop on national food information and early warning systems which we plan to hold in Santiago next month. Of course, the FSAS stands ready to provide technical assistance to other countries of the region who request it in the area of early warning-of course, within the resources available to us.
As regards the comment made by the delegate of the United Kingdom about the data used in the case study on Ghana, I would like to mention that the Secretariat based its analysis on the data that were available and could be compiled from all sources including of course, the data provided by the Government of Ghana. It should be remembered that the study had to be completed at about this time last year, that is the autumn of 1989. I would like to point out in this context that the data on food production referred to the year 1989, the data on terms of trade between sectors of the economy referred to the year 1987 and data on food trade and its relation to total trade also included data on 1988. On these standards we feel that the data were not so much out of date, especially when the need to cross-check and reconcile data before they are published is taken into account. After all, the Secretariat has to depend on the data available at the time of the preparation of the document.
The delegate of Australia commented that food security should not be assessed with reference to levels of food stocks only. We fully agree with him on this point. In fact, in our analysis of the food security situation we do take into account a number of variables in addition to the level of global cereal stocks alone. These variables include geographic distribution of stocks, commodity composition of stocks, the level of world prices, emergency situations affecting specific countries and/or several sub-regions, balance of payments and debt problems faced with a number of countries, and so on. Moreover, as members of this Council are aware, in the enlarged concept of food security which was unanimously adopted by the member governments of this Organization, access to food both at national and household levels is a very basic component. This is particularly so for ensuring household food security. Access to food crucially depends on the purchasing power of the household and the employment opportunities which in turn, depend on economic growth with equity as was pointed out by the delegate of Australia.
In short, I would like to dispel the impression that the Secretariat is using only one figure, that is, the world cereal stock level, as the determinant of the state of food security. Nonetheless, it should be added that our past experience, which we have changed again and again, has indicated that the levels and the geographic distribution of food stocks constitute one of the important sets of facts influencing food security at global level.
The delegates of the United Kingdom and the United States of America have reiterated that the CFS should not necessarily hold its meeting every year, but once in a biennium. On this matter the delegates of Argentina and Venezuela have also commented. Of course, as members of the Council are aware, this issue has been discussed in the past by the Committee on several occasions. At the 15th Session the Committee has requested, as stated in paragraph 52 of its Report, that the Director-General shall fix
the exact dates of the 16th Session in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee in accordance with the General Rules of the Organization. In this connection I inform members of the Council that the Director-General in pursuance of this request is at present consulting the Chairman of the Committee on the dates of the next Session.
I would like to refer to the observations made by the delegate of Venezuela regarding the need for refining the concept of food security in order to ensure sympathy with this particular idea and we do hope that in the course of the preparations for the International Conference on Nutrition which the Council will consider under Agenda Item 7, we will be moving towards this particular objective. In fact, the co-sponsors of this nutrition conference, FAO and WHO, have jointly prepared a framework paper called "Meeting the Nutrition Challenge" in which these ideas are developed in a somewhat preliminary fashion, including concerns about household food security, consumer education and the various recurring aspects of nutrition assurance to the members of the household.
Lastly, I wish to inform members of the Council that the Committee on Agriculture at its session next year in April will have the opportunity to consider this subject further.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie M. Dutia de son exposé et de ses réponses si complètes à toutes les questions qui ont été posées. Je crois qu'il a fait un survol de l'ensemble de la discussion, survol tellement complet que je n'ai que très peu de choses à ajouter.
Je voudrais noter que le Conseil a accueilli très favorablement le rapport de la quinzième session du Comité de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale et a exprimé sa satisfaction quant au contenu de ce rapport. Le Conseil a également noté avec beaucoup de satisfaction-et cela a été souligné par la grande majorité de ses membres-que, suivant la Résolution 1/89 de la Conférence, on a souligné l'importance du rôle de la femme dans le domaine de la sécurité alimentaire et la nécessité de situer ce rôle dans tous les secteurs en développement et pas seulement dans le domaine de la sécurité alimentaire.
Le Conseil a également souligné que l'étude d'un cas spécifique, celui du Ghana, était particulièrement intéressant et il a exprimé le voeu de continuer à faire l'analyse d'expériences de ce type.
Le Conseil a noté que, depuis la quinzième session du Comité de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale, la situation s'est améliorée mais qu'elle reste très préoccupante pour un certain nombre de pays en développement. Je crois également que ce qui a été dit en matière de définition du concept de sécurité alimentaire n'affecte pas tous les aspects et toutes les facettes de cette sécurité. Cela ne touche pas seulement les aspects de l'aide alimentaire mais aussi tous les aspects qui devront être étudiés dans la perspective de la prochaine Conférence sur la nutrition: les éléments de mauvaise nutrition, de malnutrition, de nutrition déficiente doivent être pris en ligne de compte. Quand on songe aux sommes considérables qui sont consacrées aux cures d'amaigrissement dans un certain nombre de pays, on
peut quand même se poser un certain nombre de questions sur l'équilibre du monde et sur la judicieuse répartition des efforts dans ce domaine.
Je crois que sous les auspices de la FAO et de l'Organisation mondiale de la santé, cette Conférence sur la nutrition est appelée à avoir un grand retentissement. Je pense que certains points spécifiques qui ont été soulignés à juste titre, notamment par l'Argentine et le Venezuela, concernant certains états de malnutrition dans des pays traditionnellement excédentaires de produits agricoles, nous interpellent fortement et que le problème de la dette externe est un problème qui mérite d'être étudié dans ses relations avec les questions de sécurité alimentaire.
Le débat qui a eu lieu ce matin est un débat incontestablement intéressant et utile, auquel tous les membres du Conseil ont apporté leur contribution. Je les en remercie.
Je voudrais maintenant signaler que nous reprendrons à 14 h 30 nos travaux avec le point 6: Stratégies à long terme pour le secteur alimentaire et agricole.
Je voudrais également faire une communication à propos de l'annonce faite par la délégation de la République française concernant une résolution sur les Pays les moins avancés. Nous examinerons ce point lors de la reprise de notre session, cet après-midi.
Je vous remercie tous de la contribution que vous avez apportée à la discussion du point 5 que je déclare clos.
The meeting rose at 12.30 hours
La séance est levée à 12 h 30
Se levanta la sesión a las 12.30 horas
