Duck Soo AHN (Korea): Mr Chairman, at the outset, I would like to join the other distinguished delegates in welcoming you to the Chair again.
My congratulations also go to your three Vice-Chairmen from Mexico, India and Morocco on their unanimous election. I wish you every success to produce more fruitful results than ever.
Coming to the topic of our deliberations, let me first express my compliments to the FAO Secretariat for the preparation of the comprehensive document before us. As in the past, document CL 102/2 and its supplement provide us with a useful overview of the main trends in production, consumption and trade of food and other agricultural products.
As we are all aware, agriculture has been, and continues to be, an important source of economic growth in developing countries and, therefore, it is impossible to imagine economic and social development in these countries without improvements in the agricultural sector.
In addition, there is close relationship between agriculture and the environment, especially in densely populated and economically weak developing countries. I strongly support the opinion that hungry people cannot be expected to protect the natural resources and the environment and concern themselves with the well-being of future generations when their immediate survival is at stake. In other words, vulnerable groups in many parts of the developing countries have no choice but to deplete the natural resources for their survival.
In this connection, the Korean delegation notes with anxiety that the recent performance of the global food and agricultural sector has been uneven, and the future prospects also remain somewhat uncertain.
According to the document, in spite of the minor increase in world food and cereal production in 1992 after the setback of the previous year, the cereal utilization requirement is calculated to exceed production level so that world carryover cereal stocks for crop year ending 1992 are estimated to be 6 percent fall from their opening level.
Furthermore, food aid commitments were not expanding to match the high level of food aid requirement over the world.
As a result, there are still regions in some African, Asian and Latin American countries that are combatting hunger and malnutrition as before.
At the current count, one out of five persons in the population of nearly 100 developing countries is undernourished. Also, we can be neither oblivious nor indifferent to the fate of millions of people who would be threatened with starvation caused by insufficient rainfall for a season or any other natural or man-made events.
Whatever the value of the ongoing efforts to help developing countries to reduce their economic imbalance, no viable solution can be obtained in the absence of an international economic environment that provides adequate opportunities to accelerate sustainable agricultural and rural developments. At this juncture, when the globalization of interests is becoming more widely appreciated, the need for enhanced partnership between North and South, rich and poor, is greater than before.
In this connection, I should like to stress that the early conclusion of the Uruguay Round negotiations is very desirable for the promotion of the welfare of the whole world community. For the Uruguay Round to be successfully concluded, the negotiations must reflect the different interests of each country in a balanced manner. As we know well, agriculture is one of the most sensitive sectors in the developing countries. Therefore, special considerations have to be given to the individual food importing developing countries in terms of active aspects of Uruguay Round negotiations in order to allow them to implement the agricultural adjustment programmes.
In closing, I hope that FAO will more actively cooperate with the member countries as well as with other technical agencies of the UN system, by providing the benefit of FAO's expertise and experience in the food and agricultural field, to ensure and to protect the welfare needs of the most vulnerable groups of the world.
Christodoulos CHRISTODOULOU (Cyprus): Mr Chairman, allow me to begin by expressing the appreciation of my delegation to the authors of documents CL 102/2 and Sup.1. The information presented in these documents, for both the global level and the regional level, with brief reference to selected countries in each region or economic zone, is really very useful for our deliberations. It reminds us of facts and figures, according to which, despite the slight improvements in the overall food supplies during the last 20 years, almost one-fifth of the world population is still suffering from malnutrition or hunger. As shown in Table 4 of the main document under review, the percentage rate of change in the per capita food production was negative for the 91 countries out of the 148 countries listed in this table.
It is important to note that 67 of the countries with negative rate of change are developing countries, most of which are food importers, by definition a low-income group facing great financial difficulties and, therefore, not in the position to finance food imports. As rightly stated in paragraph 40 for these countries, "strong and/or protracted increase in food import would pose the dilemma between food shortages and economic havoc unless food aid, or other forms of assistance, come to their rescue".
Likewise, many of the countries listed in Annex 2, as highly dependent on agricultural exports, may face the same dilemma in case of protracted decrease of prices for their agricultural exports, as in the case of coffee and cocoa shown in figure 10 of page 30, where we can notice a linear decrease of export prices of these products during the last seven years.
At this point I wish to express the full agreement of my delegation with the conclusions, referring to the aforementioned groups of countries in paragraph 41 of the document, namely, for promoting structural changes to reduce external dependence, for strengthening the purchasing capacity through export-oriented strategies and for import substitution. We also support the efforts for a successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, which we believe will improve the conditions of international trade for the benefit of all.
In view of the deteriorating economic and financial situation in many of the low-income and food deficit countries, and taking into account the current uncertainties in international economic affairs, we can state that at least the short-term prospects for improving the world food situation are not very promising. Surely, the overall problem concerned with these issues is a complex one requiring a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach, adequate funds and, above all, the will for cooperation.
We appreciate the fact that the international community is not indifferent to this huge problem of poverty and malnutrition. But we also believe that more assistance can and should be provided to the needy countries by those countries which are in the position to do so. The figures in Tables 8 and 9 indicate that both the total commitments and total disbursements or external assistance to agriculture, at constant prices, have decreased during 1988-90.
We, the delegation of the Republic of Cyprus, wish to emphasize the need for increased external assistance to agriculture, especially for food production, food self-reliance and better access to food.
Finally, we express our appreciation and support to the efforts waged by FAO since its establishment, in promoting cooperation and multi-disciplinary activities aiming at improving world agricultural production and nutrition. There is no doubt that a lot has been achieved so far. But, we are still facing the challenge for a further improvement of the overall situation in the world regarding food availability and access to it by all. Even closer international cooperation and solidarity in practical terms is required if the world welfare community of our dreams and aspirations is going to become a reality in the years to come.
A.N.M. EUSUF (Bangladesh): Mr Chairman, thank you for giving me the floor for an intervention on Agenda Item 4, document CL 102/2, The State of Food and Agriculture 1992. Since I am taking the floor for the first time, I should like to congratulate the delegates of Mexico, India and Morocco on their election as Vice-Chairmen.
The document on this agenda item is elaborate, comprehensive, informative and educative, I commend the Secretariat for producing such an excellent document. The document contains critical analysis of the global economic scenario, agricultural production, external debts of developing countries, commodity
prices, the food security situation, regional shortages, agricultural trade, external assistance, food aid, and a host of other relevant information.
The global food scenario is not very inspiring. At the best, the situation has not worsened. On the other hand, the food situation in many countries, especially in Africa, is very critical.
In his speech yesterday, the Director-General depicted a vivid picture of the economy in developing countries. He talked about the collapse of the economy of developing countries. He talked about the tragic loss of life and human tragedies in Africa and also in Europe. He made a number of specific suggestions. These included: increased resources of the international emergency food reserve; pre-position of security stock in strategic locations so as to be able to move swiftly in case of emergencies; more investment for the development of agriculture; remunerative prices of agricultural commodities, etc.
My delegation strongly supports the new initiatives indicated in the speech of the Director-General. Bangladesh is a food deficit agricultural economy. Its dependence on agriculture is very pronounced. The share of agriculture in the GDP is 38.4 percent. Crop production accounts for about 78 percent of agriculture value added. Livestock and poultry raising account for 7.6 percent of agricultural incomes, while fisheries and forestry account for 7.5 and 6.6 percent respectively.
Due to its high density of population Bangladesh has the lowest per capita arable land which is less than 0.1 hectare. About 9 percent of the rural households lack any cultivable land while 2 percent are without homesteads. In 1991-92 the growth rate was 2.3 percent compared to 2.7 percent in 1990-91.
Bangladesh is vulnerable to natural calamities such as flood and cyclone which cause devastation and death. Crops in millions of acres are destroyed. Fortunately for us, we have had three successive good rice crops and we are on the threshold of self-sufficiency in rice production. But this has created a problem of a different nature. The internal rice market has almost collapsed. The farmers are unlikely to get back their investment, which may have adverse repercussions in the future.
The farmers have problems of storage. In many cases they do not have access to markets, and most importantly they do not have the capacity to hold on to stock for sale at a later date.
These are the realities of agriculture in Bangladesh. However, efforts have been made to overcome many of the problems confronting the farmers. Emphasis has been given to the construction of a network of rural roads to facilitate marketing. The rural markets are also being developed. Import of irrigation equipment and fertilizer has been liberalized. This has given impetus to productivity. The government has plans to develop infrastructure for agrobusiness including export of high-value horticultural products and vegetables. The government has given high priority to crop diversification also.
As elsewhere in the developing world, we need investment for increasing agricultural productivity. In Bangladesh irrigation is the key to future agricultural growth, for which massive investment is required. We also need to have an equitable share of the commodity market. In the long run trade will be more important than aid.
Before concluding, I would like to say that FAO has played its due role in promoting agricultural development all over the world, particularly in the developing countries. I would like to mention one programme which has been a great success in Bangladesh. This is the IPM - Integrated Pest Management. The success of this programme has, on the one hand, considerably reduced the consumption of chemical pesticides and, on the other hand, environmental hazards.
The new agenda is a great challenge for FAO and for all of us. Sustainable agriculture is to us a question of life and death. With no scope for expansion of acreage, we have to preserve the properties of land for our future generations. We are equally interested in the follow-up of the Earth Summit. The ICN is also of interest to us as nutrition is a major problem in my country. I would like to say that my country will play its due role in all these activities.
John MIRANDA (United States of America): It is indeed a pleasure for me to be here to discuss Agenda Item 4. I should like to commend FAO and the Secretariat for their excellent work in assessing the state of food and agriculture in the world.
The United States agrees with FAO's overall assessment of the world food situation in its tone of cautious optimism. We believe the document before us is well-balanced and a useful summary of current developments. The extensive regional analyses appearing in this year's report are valuable to economic analysts and policy makers. While we welcome this addition to the report, we note that it comprises about two-thirds of the total report, and we would recommend that this component be streamlined in future reports.
The United States' own assessment of the world cereals supply situation roughly matches FAO's, although there are some differences. Some of the divergence in our estimates is a result of somewhat differing crop and trade year definitions. In its most recent estimates (8 October), the United States found a slightly larger decline in cereal crops during 1991-92, and thus a smaller carry-over into FAO's 1992 crop year.
As for 1993, we see a somewhat greater prospect for a very modest rebuilding of world cereal stocks than FAO does. The reason for our differing views may lie in the fact that FAO sees a recent deterioration in prospects for global production. We do not share this opinion. We recently raised our projections of global wheat and coarse grain prospects. We expect these increases will overcome a slight decline in global rice output.
US estimates are very tentative, but we estimate that by the end of 1992-93 world grain stocks will be closer to 19 percent of trend utilization compared with FAO Secretariat's estimate of about 18 percent. It is important to note that both our estimates are above the minimum level that the FAO Secretariat considers necessary to safeguard world food security.
The US crop production in 1992-93 rebounded significantly from 1991-92 levels. This was due largely to favourable growing conditions and lower acreage reduction programmes. We are forecasting production of wheat, coarse grains and milled rice together for 1992-93 at 335 million tonnes - a strong 21 percent increase over the 1991-92 harvest.
Total US supplies of grain, including stocks carried in from the previous marketing year, are expected to rise 10 percent to 386 million tons. Grain stocks at the end of the 1992/93 marketing year are expected to be 71 million tons, almost 50 percent higher than the ending stocks for 1991/92.
Mr Chairman, the change of administration in the United States raises the question of whether there will be major alterations in the US farm policies. There is no reason to believe that this change will prompt major revisions to US agricultural programmes or policies in the near future. The Farm Bill, which sets US agricultural policy, was rewritten in 1990. We do not expect that it will be reviewed again by the United States Congress until 1995.
In 1992 the international community has been confronted with serious food emergencies in Southern Africa, Somalia, the Horn of Africa and Bosnia Herzegovina. Millions have been the victims of drought and civil strife. Efforts to reach a number of these people have been frustrated by random violence. Despite this, the United States has worked hard, along with the World Food Programme and other donor nations, to move food to those who desperately need it.
We are particularly proud of the United States' massive and timely response to the drought in southern Africa. Thus far we have pledged more than two-thirds of the assistance being sent there. As of the end of September, US food aid under PL. 480 Food for Peace and Section 416 Authorities to Southern Africa total roughly 1.7 million tons. USDA will provide an additional 380 000 tons to the region in our 1993 fiscal year which began October 1st.
We have been pleased by the effective work that FAO's Global Early Warning System programme did in predicting the intensity of the crisis in Southern Africa. We are equally pleased with the fine job that the World Food Programme has done in delivering food aid to the region and preventing what could have been a major catastrophe. In contrast to the overall success in addressing the drought in southern Africa, the international community has not been able to deliver food effectively in the midst of the civil war in Somalia. The United States hopes to be able to move 210 000 tons of commodities into Somalia this fiscal year to help relieve efforts aimed at bringing an end to the terrible suffering caused by the political violence and social chaos there.
The United States also appreciates the tremendous difficulties facing Russia this year. In addition to earlier food assistance, the Department of Agriculture announced in September another US$250 million in food aid to Russia for the fiscal year 1993. This USDA food aid is additional, that is, it is being provided over and above the levels of food aid normally provided to other parts of the world and not to the PL 480 Food for Peace programme.
The transition from centrally planned economies to market economies in the newly independent States of Eastern Europe, and in other nations across the globe, is among the greatest challenges we face in the world today. It is essential that transition be successful especially in agriculture. Donor nations must continue to look for the best ways they can help to ensure a positive outcome. At the same time, if FAO is to be relevant and effective in the future, it must become an agent for change in agriculture. It must actively promote the growth of market economies in all parts of the world. There is little hope for strong and equitable growth in the world economy
without trade liberalization in agriculture. We have yet to end the gross distortions that damage agricultural trade and ignore the legitimate aspirations of developing nations to become full partners in the prosperity that expanded world trade could bring to us all.
In conclusion, Mr Chairman, I would like to briefly comment on three items which the Director-General emphasized during his address to us yesterday morning. The first is to reiterate the utmost importance we all accord to the successful conclusions of the GATT negotiations. The second is our concurrence with the importance of setting up a Secretariat to the International Plant Protection Convention in order to harmonize phytosanitary standards and enhance agricultural trade. Finally regarding the proposal to modify the terms of reference of the International Emergency Food Reserve we believe further discussion is necessary before a decision is reached. In the past the United States has not been convinced that pre-positioning of stocks or the establishment of regional food reserves are effective mechanisms to facilitate a more timely response to global food emergencies. Perhaps this issue should be discussed more fully by the Committee on Food Security before any definitive action is taken. Thank you, Mr Chairman.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you, Mr Miranda, for your substantive intervention. I think we are going to discuss about the International Reserve later.
Rolf AKESSON (Sweden): Mr Chairman, we will refrain from commenting extensively on what is actually in the report on this item since generally we agree - along with most other - on the information and judgements made in the report. We also find most of it professional and very useful. That includes the exercise early on page 10 and page 11 which very nicely illustrates the rather large dependence of developing countries on changes in the external environment. Perhaps, Mr Chairman, since this report is an important part of FAO's face to the outside world, as it were, updating would seem to be called for in relation to, for example, the general economic outlook for 1992 and 1993 which now appears a little bit obsolete.
That, Mr Chairman, does not mean that we are entirely pleased with this report in all respects. Information is lacking in some respects and the balance and emphasis perhaps is not always optimal. Yes, it is rather lengthy, as has been pointed out in Mr Hjort's introduction yesterday. Indeed, we would not mind an opportunity to review in a more systematic way the scope and content of this report which, by and large, has followed the same track for quite some time. There are some small contributions already now. We find, for example, there is too much emphasis and data on external debt and very little on the interest amortization on that stock of debt. Further, we find in that same section there is a lack of data on employment, especially in the agricultural sector, and some other main macro-economic variables. Concerning the section on food and agricultural supply situations, I think we would prefer to delete the word "supply" and consequently also deal with the demand side and prices, and consider all aspects of the market.
Much information especially regarding production could perhaps be supplied in an annex in order to keep the main body of the report within reasonable limits.
On external assistance to the agricultural sector and food aid, Mr Chairman, we find a lot of very detailed information, a little bit too much perhaps, and at the same time little, if anything, on its proper context, that is, the total flow of official capital and other flows to developing countries.
The section on fisheries, Mr Chairman, is now mainly a few pages on catch and trade statistics where you, for example, cannot distinguish production from acquaculture from the rest. At least a more complete market analysis would seem to be required here. While on fisheries, Mr Chairman, I too would like to draw your attention to the very disturbing information - I think it is on page 44 - about the difference of no less that US$22 billion between costs and revenues for global marine fisheries, and that without even taking into account capital costs.
That raises a lot of questions which we would very much like to have clarified, all assumptions and data clearly stated, and all loose ends tied. In order to sort out all the methodological and analytical issues involved here perhaps more than one part of the Secretariat could be involved in such clarification.
Coming to the forestry section, we would also welcome some more market information but I am anxious to state that we note that this year's edition contains a very interesting and useful section on the latest global assessment by the Organization which is quite helpful as well on the RIOH forest principles. We clearly appreciate that and, of course, we also appreciate the whole section on UNCED although we certainly think that Agenda 21, endorsed by practically all Environmental Ministers around the world and a large proportion of Prime Ministers around the world, deserves a little bit more than three lines. In addition, there is the implication for agriculture from the results which should be a little bit more detailed than it is right now.
As to the regional reviews in the report, we find them much broader in scope and less production-oriented which we clearly approve of. We also find it logical and necessary, unfortunately I might add, that Africa takes up the main portion both quantitatively and qualitatively.
The country studies we find quite useful since they are dealing with policy problems at a level familiar to policy-makers but the number to be included in each report could, of course, be discussed.
Those, Mr Chairman, were a few thoughts for consideration in relation to future exercises and reports on this item. Perhaps it would also be worthwhile considering the general design and presentation of the report to make it a little easier to digest, and perhaps also to see whether the topical approach, which is used by some other international organizations, may be applied here as well along with the greater use of annexes to keep the main body of the report within reasonable limits. That is what I have to say, Mr Chairman. Thank you very much for your attention.
LE PRESIDENT: Je crois que différentes questions, notamment en ce qui concerne les pêches, les forêts, l'environnement, seront examinées ultérieurement par le Conseil à l'occasion de la discussion des autres points de l'ordre du jour.
Adel El-SARKI (Egypt) (Original language Arabic): In the name of God the Merciful and the Compassionate, Mr Chairman, having carefully studied the document under consideration my delegation would like to express its appreciation to the Secretariat for the realistic data contained therein on the State of Food and Agriculture.
We agree with the view that there are many problems with which both developing and developed countries face in the rounds of food and agriculture. We are, however, hopeful that all the efforts made for finding a solution to these problems will be successful and that the support extended to developing countries will be increased to enable them to raise their food and agricultural production.
My delegation is aware of the significant role played by FAO in this respect, a role which we hope will be further enhanced within the available resources. My delegation welcomes also the Director-General's proposal in his opening address, namely the need for supporting the International Emergency Food Reserve. Mr Chairman, in addition to the references in the document to the efforts made by the Near East countries to introduce reforms in the agricultural policies, my delegation, as a member of this group, would like to state that my country has liberalized the prices of most agricultural commodities and is currently pursuing measures such as the following: raising cotton prices to bring them closer to world market prices, replacing sugar cane by sugar beet, privatizing all small agricultural projects, as well as undertaking economic feasibility studies for major products, together with augmenting the capital of agricultural credit institutions so as to enhance their effectiveness.
This policy resulted in increasing the productivity of most agricultural crops such as wheat and rice.
In conclusion, my delegation would like to congratulate the three Vice-Chairmen and will be happy to cooperate with them.
Geoffrey Lee MILLER (Australia): Congratulations to the three Vice-Chairmen and appreciation to the Secretariat for its useful information provided to us; my strong applause to the Director-General for his forthright address; my thanks also, Mr Chairman, to my fellow members of the Council.
I sat and listened to a long afternoon yesterday; I listened and learnt. It is always a humbling experience to listen and learn at major FAO meetings such as this one.
We learnt of the natural calamities such as drought, flood, volcanic eruptions and cyclones. This year I have visited one country, the Philippines, that has suffered all four of these calamities in a short space of history. I have also visited a continent, Africa, where record drought - something I am not unfamiliar with in my own country - has wreaked havoc on a human condition already precariously poised on the brink of disaster.
Whilst little can be done to militate against these natural phenomena, once they are upon us much can and is being done to mitigate their effects. Much can and is being done to restore the human condition and to resurrect the environment. Yet we must acknowledge here in this great international institution that, while much is being done,too little is being done. We
leave far too much to the survival instinct of the poorest people, to the resilience of the human spirit. The rest of humanity does too little - too little to demonstrate its humanity.
The great virtue of FAO is that it is a sanctuary; it is a sanctuary within which we can search for the truth. We can search for the truth at least a little removed from the political pressures, the political pressures that outside the FAO will bend even the straightest of truths. Our job is to buttress the truth. We are here to discover the facts, to analyse the forces and to project the trends. Our job inside FAO is to make it a little easier for leaders outside the FAO to choose the path that will genuinely lift the human condition. It is not sufficient for us to bring the facts to light. If we want to influence political events, then we must also bring the facts to life. We must analyse and project them. We must present them in a way that captures people's imagination, that inspires leadership, that stimulates action.
We have already spoken of natural disasters. I have stated as a fact that we do too little genuinely to assist those afflicted by them. Our failings actually precede the disasters. Our greatest failure is our failure to transplant resilience, to transplant the capacity to withstand natural disasters. Transplanting resilience is a goal at the heart of the work of FAO, transplanting resilience and transplanting sustainability.
On that note let me endorse the words of my colleague from India, Dr Gill, who said yesterday, and I quote: "the global challenge lies in recognizing the fact that alleviating poverty is a moral imperative and a prerequisite for environmental sustainability".
Let me also refer you to the data he summarized yesterday and to the excellent summary in the State of Food and Agriculture on the magnitude of the resource transfers from developed to developing countries. The picture is not reassuring. Yet it must be said that our progress in tackling world food and agricultural problems cannot be measured only in terms of the quantity of resources transferred. Probably of greatest importance is the quality of the transfer of these resources.
I am currently examining a series of case studies on the experience of some African countries with rural development assistance over the past two decades. It must be said that the resource transfers were large, often amounting to more than fifty percent of national budgets for sustained periods, but it must also be said that the benefits are often small. The rural development that followed was as resilient as a message written in sand.
The reasons for this are now well understood. I summarized some of them under the theme of the transformation of rural development in my address earlier this year to the World Food Council.
High quality transfers of resources, technology and human capacity are becoming more prevalent. The rural development that follows is as resilient as a message carved in granite. Some of the success stories are documented in The State of Food and Agriculture.
Yesterday we heard modest accounts of outstanding achievements in China, India, Indonesia and Iran, amongst others. We could add Chile and Malaysia. In all these cases the quantity of resource transfers has played a modest role
relative to the quality of those transfers. However, of much greater significance was the quality of the economic and agricultural policy environment into which those resources were transferred.
Let me firmly endorse the concept of new partnerships in development, especially rural development. The Director-General was right yesterday to emphasize the potential for FAO to work with countries to develop their rural policy capacities. Well orchestrated south-south cooperation is one excellent way to achieve this. The Director-General was also right to emphasize the enormous agricultural policy and rural development challenge facing the former centrally-planned economies.
In my paper to a conference in Sweden last month on the development of agricultural policies in these countries I urged them to look beyond the agricultural policies of the industrial countries. In some cases developing countries provide a better model.
On the question of sustainability of our agriculture, forestry and fisheries, I will simply observe that the problems are enormous. Yet as I see what developing and developed countries are doing - and I know what we are doing in my own country - I must also say that the tide has turned. The big question is whether the ebb tide will retreat fast enough. Certainly it is sobering to contemplate one projection, that by the year 2000 there will be 32 percent less soil per person in the world than there was in the early 1980s.
Many of the developing island nations are well short of sustainability. The forests debate later in the week will highlight our deep concern in that area.
Yesterday the Mexican Secretary for Fisheries gave us an excellent catalogue of many of the challenges ahead of us to achieve economic and ecological sustainability in the oceans of the world.
The current situation on African agricultural development is well summarized for us in the splendid document produced by the Secretariat. I endorse the call yesterday from Germany for the reactivation of the Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development but I have too much respect for the challenge we face in Africa to attempt to unveil any simple truths.
All the good work that we as individuals, we as nations or we as members of FAO might do to alleviate hunger and malnutrition will amount to little unless a crucial missing ingredient is added. That ingredient is high quality economic and agricultural policy leadership by the advanced industrial nations.
Those of us who felt we were part of the golden decade of food and agricultural progress during the 1970s tend to look at the 1980s as a lost decade. Here in the sanctuary of FAO let me state the simple truth that the 1980s was lost because of the quality of the economic and agricultural policies of the advanced nations.
The slow economic recovery that Howard Hjort documented yesterday is directly related to the failure during the 1980s and beyond of economic leadership in some advanced countries. They themselves have sometimes not followed the prescriptions that they would have their multilateral financial institutions insist that others follow.
In agriculture we have witnessed good progress in farm policy reform, yet today we have the spectacle of the entire world trading system being held to ransom for less than two million tonnes of wheat and oil seeds. The fear among some negotiators is that just a little bit of extra discipline might be required in domestic policies, than has already been agreed at home.
As one who has been active - my wife would say hyperactive - in the Uruguay Round, I will not call for an FAO declaration on this subject. An accelerating avalanche of countries led, I am proud to say, by that partnership of nations known as the Cairns Group, is already descending upon the G-7 industrial nations. May that avalanche continue to gather momentum today in Geneva at the GATT meeting in emergency session.
We do understand the domestic, political equation within which leaders of the industrial countries must work. I have considerable sympathy for their predicament, yet we must also be honest about the international political equation. Wealthy countries in which agriculture accounts for less than 5 percent of production and employment are toying with the livelihoods of people in other countries. In many of those other countries agriculture represents more than 50 percent of employment and production. The votes of a few hundred thousand are being valued above the livelihoods of a few hundred millions.
I would like to conclude, Mr Chairman and fellow members of the Council, on a strongly positive note. At this point the failure of the Uruguay Round is too absurd to seriously contemplate. It will be brought to a successful conclusion, though not without protracted difficulty.
The prospective outcome is modest, but the benefits will become clear by the middle of the decade, and the developing countries will be the principal beneficiaries. Economic growth will also accelerate slowly but by the middle of the decade economic development will be sustainably strong. It is salutary to remind ourselves that less than half of the prospective economic growth through the decade will come from the OECD countries. Some 25 percent of world growth will come from Southeast Asia and China. The remainder will come largely from Latin America, India and the Middle East. By the end of the decade much of the South/South cooperation will be between North/North countries. Serious economic and agricultural problems will continue in much of Africa amongst many, but not all, of the former centrally planned economies and for individual countries in other continents. The long-awaited second revolution in agricultural technology will progress slowly but will also gather momentum. It will increasingly provide us with higher productivity and sustainability.
The likelihood of this positive scenario for the state of food and agriculture unfolding within the decade will depend on the leadership of organizations like FAO. The lost decade of the 1980s has left its legacy. We have experienced underinvestment in agricultural technology and in farming itself for a complete decade. Rural people will be distrustful of markets for a long time to come because they have been badly burned by them in the past. Capacity to respond to new incentives may be limited. Consequently food shortages could again emerge during the post-Uruguay Round decade. The policies of the advanced nations will need to be considerably more flexible than those which have recently been adopted. There will be a need for a continuing special focus in Africa on the economies in transition, on the developing island countries, on some other countries in Latin America, Asia and the Middle East,
and on forestry, fisheries and sustainability of new technology, and, of course, we must further strengthen our capacity to provide expeditious emergency and humanitarian relief. Whatever the state of food and agriculture, we know that we must expect the unexpected. We must have the versatility to cope with whatever emerges in this constantly challenging world of food and agriculture. More importantly, we must commit ourselves to the search for lasting solutions, solutions which increase the resilience and self-reliance of our fellow human beings, solutions which are sensitive to the legitimate social and environmental aspirations of people.
Ms Katalin BAKK (Hungary): Mr Chairman, my delegation is pleased to have you as Chairman. I should also like to congratulate the Vice-Chairpersons on their election.
First of all, I should like to commend the Secretariat for having submitted to the Council a realistic and clear assessment of the current world food situation. I am afraid this agenda item will not lose its timeliness for many years to come. We feel that the cautious optimism referred to in the document before us is justified, though at the same time we would like to voice our views that the bulk of today's problems stem from constraint in access to food rather than supply. The overall growth in agricultural and food production has shown some signs of recovery and in this context the continuous decline in per capita food production in some sub-regions is more than regrettable.
The Hungarian delegation welcomes all references made in the document pointing at some promising developments likely to occur in the near future, for example the slight recovery expected in agricultural commodities' prices and so forth and the greater emphasis to be put on sustainable development and environmental protection.
This delegation never fails to note the great impact world agricultural trade development bears on production. At this juncture we voice our disappointment that the GATT Uruguay talks faltered and we welcome the renewed hope for a successful outcome. The four-track work plan seems to us an initiative which might yield some result provided all negotiating parties approach the subject-matters with good-will and flexibility. The reduction of support measures distorting both production and trade are of common interest to all countries.
Taking the attention attached to former centrally planned countries into consideration, please allow me to make some brief comments on Hungarian agriculture.
Without going into details as far as the data and figures mentioned in relevant chapters go, I would only mention that the trends pointed out therein have been continued in 1992 and neither in production nor in consumption has a reversing of main trends been experienced.
To start with, I would like to state that the basic element of the agricultural policy of the Hungarian Government is the quick restructuring of land ownership. The objectives in this field are still unequivocal and clear: that is, Hungarian agriculture, land included, will have to be reorganized, putting it on the basis of private ownership.
Some uncertainties have begun to prevail in Hungarian agricultural policies on the issue of farm-structure. That is to say, in the meantime it became evident that it was impossible to turn our agriculture in a short time into a farmer-type agriculture with an efficient scale of economy.
During the two years which have elapsed since the change of regime, such a transformation in production structure has turned out to be more time-consuming than originally supposed to be. The development of family farms in Hungary has been made more difficult by the disastrous agricultural market situation and by the lack of a peasant population capable of showing an affinity to enterprise-type farming. This situation was responsible for the unsettled problems of agricultural structure, while the Government stuck to its basic values, giving priority to family farms. Solution to agro-structural problems would thus be left to market competition as soon as suitable frameworks for market economy were established.
Simultaneously with the settlement of land property, the other basic element of Hungarian agricultural policy is the establishment of modern market conditions in agriculture. Resulting from the natural and social features of agriculture, Hungary, similarly to developed Western countries, sees fit to regulate agro-markets. Contrary to most OECD countries, however, we would indeed like to regulate and not subsidize our agriculture.
As a matter of fact, my economically-exhausted country cannot afford to use up resources outside agriculture in order to keep internal prices artificially high. The basic objective of Hungarian agricultural regulations can therefore only be to balance and even out agricultural cyclical fluctuations.
Taking into consideration the actual economic situation of the country and the traditional role Hungarian agriculture has ever played in the economy, we cannot allow our agriculture to become totally dependent on other economic branches. On the other hand, Hungarian agriculture will have to contribute to the development of the national economy. The country's reserves have been drained. However, in this situation the role played by the Hungarian agro-system in the national economy significantly exceeds that played in other countries at a similar development level.
It is worth mentioning that Hungarian agricultural trade would like to achieve expansion chiefly in European markets. After the collapse of the Soviet empire, more than 90 percent of Hungarian agricultural export has been directed toward European countries, because of the extremely high cost of the access to overseas - mainly Japanese and North-American - markets which would be involved for a land-locked country.
As a result of former quantity-oriented agricultural policies, the productive structure lost touch with economic realities as well as productive traditions. This deformed structure conformed to the one-sided large-scale production and to the market conditions of the former COMECON.
Adverse processes within the change of regime gained momentum for two reasons. Firstly, simultaneously with the shift to market economy consumers, price subsidy had to be discontinued and the price system liberalized, engineering a substantial decline of domestic markets and food consumption. Secondly, subsidies formerly serving agricultural investment and operations had also partially been terminated.
Our policy objective is the development of an internationally competitive agriculture. Consequently, the export-oriented development of agricultural production and an adequately changed marketing policy has to be reckoned with. New market conditions comprise the expansion of access opportunities to foreign markets and an adjustment of production structures to market requirements. The collapse of COMECON and the dwindling of East-European markets call for exports expansion of our foreign trade with developed market countries.
Intensive talks on foreign-trade expansion have also been had with the European Free Trade Association and its member states. These talks regrettably dragged on and have not so far produced tangible results.
From mid-1991 on, our efforts to broaden Eastern market opportunities for our agricultural products have grown ever stronger. Negotiations have been conducted with member states and other republics of the former Soviet Union to raise the volume of Hungarian exports, backed up by official guarantees.
All these efforts have led to a better than expected agricultural export situation. In 1991 our total export reached US$2.7 billion and the net balance was plus 1.7 billion. In the first half of 1992 the export grew further to US$1.3 billion, i.e. 200 million over the respective figure of the previous year.
No further shoring up of our agricultural exports will be possible unless Hungarian export commodities comply with both strict EC quality regulations and market requirements. The association agreement with EC and the intended expansion of trade with the European Free Trade Association emphasize qualitative requirements on agro-products and result in a keener competition in the markets.
I should fail in my duties if I left the assistance we received from international organizations, FAO included, without proper acknowledgement. At the same time, however, it should be emphatically stated that this assistance has been rather modest in financial terms and has focused on low-cost and high-know-how missions of well-reputed and highly knowledgeable experts. This remark seems to be relevant to my delegation to reiterate our belief that any anxiety about the alleged re-channelling by FAO and other agencies to former Eastern-Bloc states is misplaced.
At the same time my delegation very much welcomes the statement by the Director-General yesterday concerning the expansion of the Regional Office of Europe. Staff and resources of this office are at a bare minimum.
In conclusion, allow me, Mr Chairman, to make a final remark. Changes in Hungarian agricultural and food management do not adversely affect food security in my country. Luckily the Latin saying nomen est omen does not refer to Table 16 on page 129 of the document before us and I am only happy to report that people in Hungary are not necessarily hungry.
Michel MOMBOULI (Congo) : Je voudrais réagir en quelques mots à la déclaration australienne. Nous apprécions à leur juste valeur la franchise, la clarté et les bonnes intentions dont était empreinte l'intervention de cette délégation.
Prenant la parole pour la première fois d'une manière formelle, permettez à la délégation congolaise, qui participe ici à la 102ème session du Conseil de la FAO, de vous dire tout son plaisir de vous voir présider aux travaux de cet important organe de la FAO.
Notre délégation saisit cette même première occasion pour adresser aux trois vice-présidents élus au cours de cette session et qui, elle en est sûre, ne manqueront pas d'apporter leurs concours, ses vives et chaleureuses félicitations; pour sa part notre délégation se déclare prête à collaborer avec tout le bureau afin de contribuer tant soit peu au succès de cette session du Conseil.
A travers vous, nous aimerions remercier le Directeur général de la FAO pour son importante allocution inaugurale d'hier matin et dont les échos résonnent encore à nos oreilles en raison de sa pertinence.
Au titre du point 4 de notre ordre du jour, le Directeur général adjoint de la FAO, M. Hjort nous a présenté hier avec brio les différents documents préparés par le Secrétariat pour nous aider à examiner la situation mondiale de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture 1992. Nous le remercions pour cet exposé introductif et tenons sans démagogie à féliciter sincèrement les auteurs de ces différents documents pour la haute qualité et la profondeur de leur teneur.
Le document principal CL 102/2, ses suppléments, additifs et corrigendum traitent et embrassent plusieurs sujets sur lesquels nous aurions bien voulu nous appesantir mais pour tenir la promesse de brièveté que nous avons faite mais sans toutefois sacrifier l'essentiel de notre message, nous limiterons volontiers notre intervention à quelques aspects du sujet à l'examen.
Ainsi pour l'avoir analysé, nous sommes d'avis avec le contenu du tableau d'ensemble qui ressort du constat fait sur le panorama économique mondial et cela en particulier avec les tendances signalées dans la première partie, paragraphe 1 à 42 du document principal et faisant état de l'insuffisance des niveaux de la reprise escomptée pour l'année en cours à travers les différentes régions du monde après le conflit armé du Golfe notamment en ce qui concerne la consommation, les investissements, l'emploi pour ne pas dire le chômage, les ventes, la dette, les taux d'intérêts élevés de certains pays développés.
Pour en venir à la seconde section du document principal traitant de la production agricole et alimentaire, nous nous contenterons également de faire quelques brèves observations. Bien que la plupart des paramètres pour apprécier la situation de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture dans le monde reposent sur les indices liés aux céréales, constatant que les céréales ont, au sein de cette assemblée, plus d'un défenseur, nous souhaiterions consacrer nos propos aux autres cultures vivrières de base et aux produits agricoles tropicaux. A ce titre, comme nous l’indiquions tantôt, l'insuffisance de croissance de la production des plantes -racines, légumineuses et plantes oléagineuses n'a pas été sans effet négatif sur la situation alimentaire de nos pays tributaires desdites cultures pour leur alimentation de base.
Quant aux principales cultures agricoles non vivrières, tels le café, le cacao, le thé et autres, nous aimerions les traiter dans le cadre du commerce agricole international.
Après la décennie des années quatre-vingt dont tout le monde s'est enfin accordé à reconnaître qu'elle a été une décennie perdue pour les pays en développement, ainsi que nous l'avons déjà dit en d'autres occasions, nous avions quelques espoirs pour la décennie quatre-vingt-dix, à commencer par l'espoir de paix, du reste conforté par les espérances engendrées par le vent de démocratisation de la vie politique qui s'est levé et souffle tant au Nord qu'au Sud. Mais en toute honnêteté, devant la réalité qui prévaut, force nous est de constater que les choses n'ont en fait fondamentalement pas changé. En effet, comme hier encore, le climat de paix demeure fragile et, dans certains pays du Nord comme d'autres du Sud, de nombreux conflits internes continuent à menacer dangereusement l'intégrité d'Etats où le risque d'implosion n'est plus à écarter.
Malgré la baisse de la tension internationale et l'instauration du nouveau climat de paix, nous n'avons pas pour autant enregistré le transfert vers le secteur productif des ressources naguère consacrées aux budgets militaires. Comme hier, l'objectif de 0,7 pour cent du PNB que les pays industrialisés devraient affecter à l'aide publique au développement des pays du Tiers Monde reste encore inférieur à 0,5 pour cent.
Tout comme notre collègue et ami de la Côte d'Ivoire qui est intervenu hier après-midi, nous pensons que l'échec momentané des négociations globales du GATT est préoccupant à plus d'un titre pour tous les hommes épris de paix et de justice.
Ainsi que tout un chacun le sait, confrontés aux puissants blocages que sont la dette extérieure et son service, la chute des cours mondiaux des matières premières, la dépréciation des termes de l'échange, nos pays en développement pauvres ont perdu leur éligibilité aux crédits commerciaux et aux crédits d'aide proprement dite à des conditions de faveur; et dans le même temps, la mise en oeuvre des programmes d'ajustement structurel, loin de représenter la panacée, la solution idéale, a plutôt contribué à raviver les tensions sociales, sources d'instabilité politique dans nos pays. Devant ce sinistre tableau, vous comprendrez tous dans toute sa plénitude l'intérêt avec lequel nous attendons la poursuite rapide et surtout l'aboutissement heureux des négociations du GATT.
Par ailleurs, ainsi que cela ressort des documents à l'examen, tout comme la situation économique désastreuse dont nous venons de parler plus haut, la situation alimentaire et nutritionnelle de l'Afrique, notre continent, n'est guère plus brillante aujourd'hui qu'elle ne l'était l'an dernier et, dans de nombreuses zones de notre région, les perspectives alimentaires restent préoccupantes. Pour s'en convaincre, il suffit de citer comme exemple la situation qui prévaut dans les pays de la corne de l'Afrique et de l'Afrique australe.
Devant cette précarité de la situation alimentaire et nutritionnelle de notre région, nous reconnaissons en toute honnêteté et modestie que les efforts entrepris ces dernières années par nos pays dans le cadre de la mise en oeuvre de la politique d'ajustement structurel pour combattre la faim, la malnutrition et la pauvreté n'ont apparemment pas eu le succès que nous en attendions.
Par son ampleur, la malnutrition qui prévaut dans le monde en développement rappelle que, même en période d'abondance d'aliments, l'accroissement des disponibilités alimentaires n'est utile que s'il s'accompagne d'un accès
économique équitable aux approvisionnements qui, seuls, contribuent à garantir la sécurité alimentaire et à réduire la sous-alimentation; ce qui suppose l'existence d'un certain pouvoir d'achat réel pour chaque citoyen en âge de produire et cela nous ramène, une fois de plus, à la nécessité d'instaurer un nouvel ordre économique plus juste. C'est convaincu de cette nécessité de l'avènement d'un nouvel ordre économique plus juste que le Congo, notre pays, déçu par l'insuffisance des performances du secteur étatique des exploitations industrielles, s'est tourné depuis quelque temps vers son agriculture paysanne. Malgré les échecs constatés, nous engageons tous les pays de notre région et ceux en développement des autres régions à persévérer dans l'effort en vue de la promotion de l'agriculture, du développement de la pêche, de l'exploitation et de la conservation des forêts ainsi que de la transformation, la conservation et la commercialisation de leurs produits.
En parallèle avec les efforts propres à déployer par les pays en développement, nous exhortons la FAO à jouer le rôle régulateur qui lui revient dans la mise au point des programmes d'ajustement structurel afin que l'on tienne compte, lors de leur élaboration, de l'élément sécurité alimentaire.
La FAO doit continuer à jouer un rôle auprès du monde industrialisé et des institutions financières internationales pour les amener à réserver à nos politiques de modernisation de l'agriculture un soutien plus actif et privilégié.
A ce titre, nous aimerions épingler le plaidoyer fait par le Directeur général de la FAO le 20 juillet 1992 à Accra, capitale du Ghana, devant la plénière de la 17ème Conférence régionale de la FAO pour l'Afrique dans son allocution inaugurale. Par ailleurs, les ayant appuyées avec force dès qu'elles avaient été avancées par le Secrétariat, c'est naturellement avec satisfaction que nous avons enregistré l'intention du Directeur général de la FAO de reconduire en vue de leur mise en oeuvre toute la série de mesures visant à renforcer l'efficacité de la RAIU. Nous nous félicitons en particulier de voir reconduite l'idée du prépositionnement des stocks d'aliments soit dans les pays à risque soit dans les ports des pays donateurs, afin d'accélérer les livraisons.
Monsieur le Président, tout au long de ces dernières années, avec tous les autres Etats Membres de notre Organisation, nous avons exhorté tous ceux qui avaient des arriérés de contributions à s'en acquitter pour permettre à la FAO de remplir comme il se doit son mandat; notre appel s'adressait en particulier au plus grand bailleur de l'Organisation. Aujourd'hui, ayant appris que ce dernier a commencé à régler ses arriérés, il n'est que justice pour nous de nous en féliciter et de l'inciter, ainsi que tous les autres retardataires dont d'ailleurs notre propre pays, à faire tout ce qui leur est possible pour mettre leur situation financière à jour vis-à-vis de la FAO.
C'est sur ces quelques mots d'encouragement à aller de l'avant que nous aimerions ici mettre fin à notre intervention tout en vous remerciant de votre attention.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie le représentant du Congo de son intervention très précise et concrète, notamment en ce qui concerne les réserves alimentaires internationales d'urgence.
Carlos BASCO (Argentina): La delegación de Argentina agradece a la Secretaria por la preparación del documento CL 102/2 y expresa su conformidad con los párrafos dedicados a la Argentina en dicho documento. Aprovecha también para recordar los cambios en la política económica puestos en práctica por el Gobierno argentino.
Las medidas adoptadas se basan, Sr. Presidente, en una mayor apertura y en la desregulación de la economía para aumentar la competitividad. Para el sector agrícola la desregulación significó el final de la intervención del Estado en actividades comerciales y productivas y la desaparición de organismos oficiales dedicados a regular la producción y prestar determinados servicios. Se está privatizando la infraestructura de almacenamiento de granos y se eliminaron impuestos a la exportación. El programa económico implica un cambio radical de las condiciones generales de la producción agropecuaria. Sin embargo, los resultados positivos de dichos cambios dependen crucialmente de la evolución del comercio mundial de productos agrícolas. Todos los esfuerzos y sacrificios realizados por el Programa de Ajuste Estructural serán inútiles si no cambian "las políticas" de subsidios a las exportaciones y de apoyo interno a la producción agrícola de algunos países desarrollados.
La falta de acuerdo entre la Comunidad Económica y los Estados Unidos en la Ronda Uruguay del GATT constituye un escollo insalvable para que esos empeños redunden en resultados positivos para los productores agropecuarios eficientes, como los son los de Argentina.
Asimismo, nuestra delegación expresa su inquietud ante la defensa de las medidas de apoyo a la producción agrícola en algunos países desarrollados, que dicen fundamentarse en políticas de defensa de los productores agropecuarios, pero que parecen más bien enmascarar políticas de defensa de productores de agroquímicos y de maquinaria agrícola.
Nuestra delegación aprovecha para recordar las gestiones efectuadas tanto en el marco del Grupo de Cairns como del Grupo Latino de dicho Grupo, dirigida a los principales países desarrollados para la finalización exitosa de la Ronda Uruguay que se dará a través de la aprobación del documento Dunkel.
La delegación argentina, por otra parte, desea expresar algunos comentarios con relación a los párrafos del documento referidos al MERCOSUR y solicita que estos comentarios sean registrados en el marco de esta deliberación.
En la página 117 del documento CL 102/2 se presenta un recuadro sobre MERCOSUR donde se presentan los avances del MERCOSUR. El Mercado Común del Sur conformado por Argentina, Brasil, Paraguay y Uruguay.
La organización del MERCOSUR tiene un subgrupo de trabajo para los temas de política agrícola y agroindustrial que está analizando los temas correspondientes, que son: reconversión; política tecnológica; armonización de política agrícola; competitividad; pequeños y medianos productores; sostenibilidad y barreras al comercio.
Si bien la Constitución de MERCOSUR constituye un importante desafío para los cuatro países miembros, el espíritu que predomina en las negociaciones es el de colaboración y complementación y no el de competencia como podría surgir del documento preparado por la FAO.
Lös cuatro países son productores y exportadores de productos agrícolas. Hoy en día ser exportador de productos agrícolas de clima templado y tropical, sin subsidios a la producción y a la exportación en un mundo plagado por la política de subsidios de algunos países desarrollados significa ser muy competitivos al nivel mundial. Por lo tanto, los esfuerzos de MERCOSUR están más dirigidos a la complementación y a mejorar la competitividad internacional de los cuatro países y a competir entre ellos.
Ello no significa descuidar la situación de algunos productores en algunas zonas de cada uno de los cuatro países que pueden requerir algún tipo de reconversión, pero esta necesidad de reconversión no sólo está vinculada con el MERCOSUR, sino también con las políticas de apertura general de las economías que han comenzado a practicar los cuatro países del MERCOSUR. Por un lado, se están estudiando las políticas de reconversión y, por otro, se está en el proceso de identificación de los productores aceptados en los cuatro países.
MERCOSUR representa una gran oportunidad para el desarrollo de la agricultura de los cuatro países, pero dicho desarrollo se producirá en el marco de la inserción plena de MERCOSUR en la economía mundial, donde quiere competir con una producción sin subsidios en el marco del comercio mundial agropecuario, libre también de subsidios.
EL PRESIDENTE: Muchas gracias, señor delegado, por su intervención y por las informaciones a propósito del MERCOSUR.
Murray CARDIFF (Canada): Thank you, Mr Chairman, for this opportunity to address the Council. Canada views the Report on The State of Food and Agriculture as a valuable monitoring device on world agricultural output identifying not only important trends but priorities. Thus, Canada considers it to be a very important activity of the FAO and is very supportive of its work. Canada would like to compliment the Secretariat on an informative and balanced report.
World economic prospects appear mixed, but Canada, in line with North American forecasts, hopes for an economic recovery in 1993. If this should occur there should be a positive spill-over for developing countries.
The first decline in world food production in almost a decade raises serious concerns despite the progress observed in recent years. As has been mentioned, the impact of conditions of drought and civil strife is of particular concern for African countries. This is compounded by the fact that several large countries such as India and China had declining food production per capita. As well, ending stocks of cereals in 1991-92 are projected to be down substantially from last year. Yet some countries continue to export cereals using large export subsidies despite these low stock levels. In these circumstances any production shortfall in a major producing region in 1993 could seriously affect prices and food availability in developing countries.
The weakness in agricultural trade observed in 1991 is symptomatic of many of the difficulties of this market with widespread restrictions on trade. There is also serious concern for declining commodity prices, which are intensified by the increasing domestic and export subsidies for agriculture. World prices fell in 1991 for many agricultural commodities (especially cocoa, sugar and
coffee). As a major exporter of farm products, Canada is well aware that these subsidies and unfair trade practices continue to hurt export earnings, particularly for the agriculture sector in developing countries. Canada considers that, especially under present circumstances, an agreement at the GATT is imperative to improve world prices and ensure incomes in the agricultural sector come from the marketplace, not government treasuries, and to guarantee that production and trade is based on market-driven factors.
Canada shares the concern about the drop in the commitments and disbursements of external lending to agriculture in 1990 versus 1989. While there is pressure to restrain government budget deficits in most developed countries, the problems faced by developing countries have not diminished.
Canada has been a notable victim of the low catch rates for high seas fisheries described in this report. This highlights the need for international cooperation to establish rules to which all fishing nations will adhere. Consequently, we favour FAO activities in this regard which we will be considering later in this session.
The inclusion in the report of a reference to UNCED and the non-legally-binding authoritative statement of principles for a global consensus on the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests is particularly welcome. The forest principles represent the first international acknowledgement of the need to act together to ensure multiple values of the forests and a balance between environmental and developmental considerations. Canada urges all nations to implement these principles according to their own sovereign contexts. Canada is presently engaged in implementing the UNCED forest principles, primarily through its new national forestry strategy, which unites federal, provincial and territorial governments with a wide range of forestry stakeholders.
Canada believes that it is equally important that the world community strengthen the international dialogue on forests. FAO has an important, supportive role to play in promoting and strengthening the forests dialogue post-UNCED.
Like earlier speakers, Canada is deeply disturbed about the continued weakness in the African economy resulting in a decline in per capita incomes in 1991, the fifth consecutive year. The growth in food production in 1990-91 registers further reduction in per capita production. In 1992, there has been a severe drought in Southern African countries and the growth in 1991-92 production is unlikely to make much of an impact on the high proportion of the population already suffering from undernourishment. The African situation provides a challenge to all member countries of the FAO. Canada has taken leadership in providing debt relief for many of the poorer African countries. Notwithstanding external pressures upon developing countries, it should be recalled, as other speakers have done, that countries must persist in their efforts to overcome domestic structural impediments.
Canada is very encouraged by the improvement in the economies of many countries in Latin American and the Caribbean, with the first increase in per capita GNP growth in four years. The very small increase in per capita food production in 1991 with only a small increase for the entire decade is worrisome given the large land and natural resource bases in many countries in this region.
Canada is encouraged by the introduction of economic reforms in the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors in a number of the countries in this region, which bodes well for future improvements in the agricultural sector.
Canada recognizes the difficult economic situation in many countries in the Near East and North Africa Region. Despite the excellent crops in North Africa and good crops in several other countries, there were drought problems in Yemen and Jordan and a severe decline in Iraq.
Nevertheless we are encouraged by the adoption of more market-oriented policies in several of the North African countries which should provide better opportunity for future development.
The complex task of transforming the economies in Eastern Europe and the former USSR to a more market-oriented approach is not easy, as the report notes. Furthermore, the sharp decline in food and non-food production in 1991 has severely strained the commitment to reform. Canada is encouraged by the expectation of increased cereal production in 1992, and will continue to provide assistance through loans and credit guarantees.
With respect to the Director-General's remarks on the IEFR yesterday, we note that the Director-General himself has acknowledged the absence of consensus on his proposal which dates back to 1983. Clearly, this continued existence of divergent views needs to be reconciled in the appropriate forum before we can give further consideration to this issue.
In summary, this report provides us with a number of important reminders.
First, it is critical to the improvement of the agricultural sectors, particularly in developing countries, that there be a rapid and successful completion to the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations. This will strengthen and stabilize world commodity prices. More importantly, it will complement the structural adjustment reforms now ongoing in many countries. In this way, countries would be making investment decisions based on international market process that are determined by market forces, and not by national treasuries.
Second, while progress has been made in recent years in some countries to increase the availability and distribution of basic food supplies, there are serious problems remaining in many others. Thus, there is an urgent requirement for the continuation of the types of programmes sponsored by the FAO.
Third, despite the period of restraint in government spending in many developed countries, the report emphasizes the need for all countries to continue to provide assistance and develop more innovative and creative means to increase food production in the world's most undernourished countries.
In meeting this challenge, Canada attaches considerable importance to the FAO's work in relation to the environment and sustainable development. In particular, Canada supports concerted action following up on the biodiversity convention, climate change and relevant UNCED Agenda 21 Chapters.
Canada is working in a number of areas to focus support for dealing with problems of agriculture and the environment.
Minister McKnight, our Minister of Agriculture, was the keynote speaker at the World Food Day celebrations in the United Nations held in October 1991. The theme, "Trees for Life", stressed the linkages and interdependence between environment, climate change, forest and tree cover, farming practices and sustainable development. Just recently, Canada was honoured in hosting the 1992 World Food Day in the historic setting of the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City in the same location where the FAO was founded nearly 50 years ago in 1945. The theme, food and nutrition, stressed the important linkages between food production, healthy food practices and standards, and nutrition.
This successful event underlined the basic issues of food security, nutrition and the need for international cooperation; it demonstrated the close international cooperation between levels of government and non-governmental organizations; and it promoted the International Conference on Nutrition to be held in Rome this December. A proposal to hold a 50th anniversary FAO event in Quebec City in 1995 was made on the occasion of World Food Day. We are now giving consideration on how best to advance this matter.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie le représentant du Canada de son intervention et j'en profite pour le remercier également de l'invitation adressée au Directeur général et à moi-même, en qualité de Président indépendant du Conseil, à participer à la cérémonie et à la très intéressante réunion qui s'est tenue à Québec au Château de Frontenac à l'occasion de la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation, dans la perspective d'organiser en 1995 à l'occasion du 50ème anniversaire de la FAO, une cérémonie toute spéciale à l'endroit où fut signé l'acte de naissance de notre organisation. La journée au Château de Frontenac a été très utile et les contacts que nous avons eus ont été particulièrement fructueux. Encore merci à. la Représentation du Canada pour l'organisation de cette journée à Québec.
D. Paul VAN RAPPARD (Netherlands): Mr Chairman, after the EEC statement I will restrict myself to focusing on a few points of interest in the documents. Firstly, the situation on capital flows to the agricultural sector, which is shown in the table in the document, in causing concern. From the tables we learn that for the past four years private investment in agriculture has been negative, meaning a kind of disinvestment. Furthermore, official flows have a tendency to drop, both bilaterally and multilaterally. This, Mr Chairman, must be seen as a very negative development since investing in the agriculture of developing countries is more necessary than ever. Problems of land degradation, wasteful use of resources, slow recovery of exports, all these problems need capital investments if they are to be solved. This must be done if developing countries want to keep up their food production and if they want to compete in a world trading system that is going to be liberated in the near future. Urgent attention to this problem is necessary and we urge that this issue of agricultural investment be made a priority in the coming years.
Secondly we would like to express our appreciation for the attention FAO is giving to policy matters. Especially, setting up a vision which course export-oriented and food-importing countries should take, deserves our full support. We agree, we should stress the need for developing countries to make structural adjustments so as to strengthen their diversified export base, their processing capabilities and their institutional base supporting food production.
Thirdly, when assessing the developments in the diverse regions of the world, we must conclude that growth of agricultural production per capita in Africa is negative for the majority of the countries although a number of positive examples can be mentioned. In addition, the situation for a considerable number of countries in Asia and the Pacific does not show any substantial progress. We think this constitutes a serious matter which should be analysed in depth. However, in the analyses given in this document we have trouble in finding any substantial clues as to the cause of the stagnant developments in many developing countries. Therefore, we ask the Secretariat to focus more on in-depth analyses of longer term developments in the world's agriculture so that we can better assess the data supplied in the document.
Fourthly, the regional reviews which are, in our view, most valuable provide us with a clear picture of what the main changes are in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Near East and North Africa. The Netherlands delegation is pleased to note that in sub-Saharan Africa, although the overall situation is clearly feeble, a number of countries have taken steps to prepare documents on agricultural development policies or to set up guidelines for rural development. This development is very much supported by my delegation and we would like to see the agricultural strategies set up by many more countries. We would also like to stress that multilateral organizations should encourage this approach to developing countries.
Finally, the last part of the document is dedicated to regional assessments and national case studies. We endorse the fact that the Secretariat is continuing the development of policy analysis and policy advice. We would certainly like to see more of that. However, compared to the wealth of data and insights into production, trade and policy data, analyses of environmental issues get too little attention. With regard to FAO's valuable advisory and analytical capacity in the field of sustainable development we would like to see more environmental analyses and advice in the document, The State of Food and Agriculture.
In conclusion, Mr Chairman, the document touches upon a couple of highly important issues which give additional value to the documents. In particular, we see the results of them reflected in next year's Programme of Work and Budget and Medium-Term Plan.
Sra. Mercedes FERMIN GOMEZ (Venezuela): Señor Presidente, comenzaremos por manifestar aquí nuestro total apoyo al señor Director General de nuestra Organización, Dr. Edouard Saouma, por las ideas y conceptos contenidos en su declaración ante este Consejo.
Estamos conscientes de que la actuación de la FAO, bajo su esclarecida dirección, en el campo de la cooperación técnica a nivel internacional, ha sido fundamental para el logro de los objetivos que en este momento reclama la solidaridad humana frente a aquellos pueblos hermanos, dominados por la pobreza, impotentes por sí solos para superar el atraso y la miseria y su incapacidad para producir aún lo indispensable para su supervivencia.
Y es que, es la FAO la única Organización que tiene claro el concepto de que es a través de la autosuficiencia como puede superarse el subdesarrollo.
Es por ello por lo que es precisamente su Programa de Cooperación Técnica aunado al Programa de Campo los que mayores beneficios rinde a los países del Tercer Mundo, así como a los países en vías de desarrollo.
Queremos, no sólo manifestar nuestro pleno respaldo a estos programas, sino además solicitar de este Consejo una declaración expresa al respecto.
Aplicados sistemáticamente estos programas con los principios de la agricultura sostenible será posible llevar a la realidad, la superación del estado de miseria de muchas comunidades a las cuales no les esperaría de otra manera que el destino de la inanición.
Deseamos expresar también nuestro apoyo a lo expuesto por la delegación de México en relación a la extensión del Programa Pesquero en sus nuevas dimensiones dentro del marco normativo internacional de los mares y el avance de la tecnología en el campo de la actividad pesquera. Sobre todo por cuanto ello redunda en la satisfacción de las necesidades alimentarias mediante un mayor aprovechamiento de los recursos del mar. Debemos, sin embargo, repetir aquí lo que ya anotáramos en la reunión de Consulta respecto a la práctica abusiva del sistema de la llamada Pesca de Arrastre, la que aún persiste en algunos países, Venezuela entre ellos, y cuyo perjuicio es por demás conocido.
De la misma manera hemos de denunciar la persistencia del proteccionismo que se traduce en medidas obstaculizadoras, las cuales limitan el racional aprovechamiento de los recursos marinos y constituye barreras ficticias, amparadas en razones de aparente conservacionismo.
Queremos dar una vez más nuestro apoyo a la proposición sobre la elaboración de un código de conducta para la práctica de la pesca responsable.
Señor Presidente, así mismo queremos apoyar la exposición del distinguido Embajador de Cuba al rechazar la aplicación de la Ley Torricelli por considerar una extensión abusiva que atenta contra la soberanía de los países al amenazar con represalias a quienes tengan relaciones comerciales con Cuba.
Nuestro gobierno por medio del Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores, ha expresado ya su protesta frente a esta Ley Torricelli que consideramos violatoria de la Carta de las Naciones Unidas, así como, de la Carta de la Organización de Estados Americanos, la cual en su artículo 16 proscribe el uso de la coerción económica salvo en casos de legítima defensa, y prohibe la adopción de restricciones de medidas discriminatorias que obstaculicen el comercio internacional.
Por lo demás, señor Presidente, en relación con los asuntos que nos conciernen en este Consejo, nosotros esperamos que en el inmediato futuro sea realidad la práctica y el desarrollo de la agricultura sostenible que consideramos será la única manera de poder salir del atraso y del subdesarrollo aquellos países cuya necesidad no puede ser lograda sino a través de la ayuda que se le preste en vías de la cooperación de los países que pueden hacerlo.
LE PRESIDENT: Je vais demander à tous les délégués qui ont un texte écrit, en tout ou en partie, de bien vouloir faire parvenir une copie aux interprètes par l'intermédiaire de nos charmantes messagères, de façon à faciliter le travail des interprètes et leur permettre une traduction plus soignée des interventions. Jevousremercieàl'avancedevotrecollaboration qui
permettra de faciliter une tâche toujours extrêmement délicate et difficile de traduction de la pensée des intervenants.
M. Gualbert RAZANAJATOVO (Madagascar): Je vous remercie, Monsieur Le Président, de nous avoir accordé la parole. La délégation malgache est heureuse de vous voir à la Présidence de cette importante session du Conseil. Elle vous assure de son soutien et adresse par la même occasion ses compliments aux trois Vice-Présidents. Nous avons écouté avec beaucoup d'attention le discours d'ouverture du Directeur général et nous en avons tenu compte dans nos différentes interventions.
La délégation malgache félicite le Secrétariat pour la qualité du document CL 102/2 et son supplément 1. Compte tenu de la pertinence de l'approche qui est faite du sujet, nous allons formuler nos commentaires en nous conformant à l’agencement des chapitres tels qu'ils figurent dans le document de référence.
Le panorama économique mondial n'est pas très encourageant, mais ne semble pas désespéré, car l'on prévoit que la croissance économique devrait marquer une légère reprise en 1993, aussi bien dans les pays en voie de développement que dans les pays industrialisés. Or, le Secrétariat nous indique que, d'après la Banque mondiale, une croissance d'un point de pourcentage dans les pays de l'OCDE soutenu sur 3 ans, entraînerait une augmentation des exportations des pays en voie de développement de 60 milliards de dollars par an, et il est établi que dans des nombreux pays en voie de développement, la croissance économique est étroitement liée à la croissance des exportations. Pour les pays non exportateurs de pétrole, la croissance en volume des exportations devrait être appréciable en 1993 et le pouvoir d'achat en connaîtra une amélioration sensible.
Malheureusement, ces prévisions ne concernent pas la plupart des pays africains exportateurs de produits tels que le café et le cacao dont les prix sont en constante diminution.
Dans ces mêmes pays, l'accroissement de l'encours de la dette épuise les disponibilités en devises, et hypothèque gravement leur capacité d'importation des denrées de première nécessité.
Dans le chapitre Production agricole et alimentaire, on relève au paragraphe 4 du document Supplément 1, qu'en Afrique, la situation est particulièrement alarmante, car l'on a enregistré une baisse de 3 pour cent de la production agricole, et ce, après deux mauvaises années consécutives, et une campagne agricole 1991 médiocre. Au paragraphe 198 du document principal, il est indiqué que la production par habitant, de l'Afrique subsaharienne, a diminué de 1,8 pour cent en 1991 pour la cinquième année consécutive.
La sécheresse a frappé sévèrement plusieurs pays, surtout ceux de l'Afrique australe; et certains pays dont Madagascar, ont dû affronter l'attaque des criquets dans les zones sinistrées.
La situation désastreuse dans laquelle se trouve ces pays est d'autant plus à déplorer, que tous sinon la plupart ont décidé de donner à l'agriculture la priorité absolue. Ils ont consenti les sacrifices les plus amers pour mettre en oeuvre des mesures de redressement économique rigoureux.
Au paragraphe 204 du document principal, on mentionne la voie prise par beaucoup de ces pays pour un plus grand libéralisme dans les domaines politique et économique. Les réformes sont en cours avec les difficultés que l'on connaît. La plupart du temps, on constate un ralentissement de la croissance et une détérioration de la sécurité alimentaire. Aussi, un soutien plus accru de la communauté internationale s'avère-t-il absolument indispensable.
Traitant du chapitre commerce agricole, la délégation malgache, à l'instar de nombreuses délégations regrette les difficultés rencontrées par les négociations commerciales multilatérales de l'Uruguay Round, et souhaite que les parties en présence trouvent rapidement les solutions aux problèmes rencontrés.
Ma délégation regrette également la baisse constante de la part de l'Afrique dans le commerce mondial et la chute vertigineuse des prix des produits d'exportation. Les termes de l'échange pour cette région ont baissé, dit-on, en moyenne de 6 pour cent entre 1990 et 1991, hypothéquant gravement le volume des recettes d'exportation.
Enfin, Monsieur le Président, je parlerai du chapitre assistance extérieure et aide alimentaire.
En matière d'assistance extérieure, je souhaiterais tout simplement réitérer ce que j'ai dit auparavant, à savoir l'impérieux besoin pour nos pays, d'un soutien accru de la part de la communauté internationale, au moment où de profonds changements bouleversant l'ordre établi sont en train de s'accomplir.
L'aide alimentaire qui contribue aussi au développement, fait bel et bien partie de l'assistance extérieure et ma délégation ne peut que se féliciter des conclusions et des résolutions prises par le CPA à sa dernière session qui vient de s'achever.
Les membres du CPA ont abandonné les positions de principes peu favorables à l'efficacité de l'aide alimentaire, par exemple, le rejet de la monétisation. Actuellement, de nombreux donateurs encouragent ce système dans beaucoup de cas à condition bien entendu que les bénéficiaires soient les groupes-cibles et que le système contribue vraiment à améliorer la situation alimentaire du pays.
Ma délégation se félicite également de l'intérêt que le CPA attribue au programme spécial sur l'Afrique en ce sens qu'à terme, un programme bien défini sera élaboré.
Puisque je parle d'aide alimentaire je ne saurai taire le geste, oh combien noble, qu'a accompli la communauté internationale en venant au secours de la population du Sud malgache durement éprouvée, et par une sécheresse sans précédent ainsi que par une famine redoutable.
C'est donc grâce à cet élan de générosité et de solidarité tant de l'intérieur que de l'extérieur, que nous avons pu mettre en place 3 phases bien distinctes:
la première phase étant la phase d'intervention ponctuelle, où il s'agit exclusivement de venir en aide aux plus démunis, en leur donnant de quoi manger, et de quoi se soigner, pour éviter les décès en cascade;
la deuxième phase étant la restructuration familiale, qui consiste à faire revenir dans leurs villages d'origine, ceux qui les ont abandonnés pour pouvoir trouver de quoi se nourrir dans les agglomérations plus importantes. Point n'est besoin de signaler que pour ce faire, des dotations en semences, en petits matériels agricoles, en matériaux essentiels de construction et en ustensiles indispensables de cuisine, sont effectuées, pour justement inciter les gens à s'implanter définitivement dans leurs villages d'origine, au lieu de succomber à la tentation de venir dans les gros bourgs;
la troisième phase est le corollaire de la précédente, étant donné que lorsque les bras restent aux villages, ils constituent à contribuer à leur développement durable. Et j'aimerai à ce titre porter à votre connaissance que récemment, le Gouvernement malgache vient de nommer un délégué général au Haut Commissariat chargé du développement intégré du Sud de Madagascar.
C'est ainsi, Monsieur le Président, qu'au nom du Gouvernement malgache, ma délégation sent le devoir d'adresser ses remerciements les plus sincères et ses voeux de profonde reconnaissance à tous les pays qui sont venus en aide à cette population sinistrée du Sud malgache. Au risque de blesser leur modestie, que la FAO et le PAM soient publiquement gratifiés ici, pour la mobilisation d'envergure qu'ils ont entamée auprès de la communauté internationale. Ils n'ont ménagé aucun effort pour intervenir sur place avec la célérité et l'efficacité les caractérisant.
Ivan MARULANDA GOMEZ (Colombia) : Saludo a las delegaciones y me sumo a las felicitaciones y a los agradecimientos que se han expresado aquí en forma reiterada.
Quisiéramos que nuestras reflexiones fueran constructivas en esta reunión y contribuir a darle un alcance positivo al trabajo que realizamos. Por eso vamos a darle un acento crítico a nuestras palabras. Nos parecería equivocado que después de dos semanas de trabajo nos fuéramos de aquí con la sensación de que no ha pasado nada.
En efecto, es común que nos levantemos de nuestras mesas de trabajo en la FAO con la sensación de que ha pasado una jornada más entre muchas, repetida y reiterativa en sus formulaciones, sin que lo que hacemos tenga consecuencias importantes para nadie.
Debemos encontrar el camino para darle un sentido eficaz y convincente a nuestro trabajo. Es indispensable que lo que hacemos aquí sea interesante también para quienes están por fuera de este recinto, y esto sólo ocurrirá si las ideas que traemos y las acciones que adelantamos ayudan a cambiar en forma visible y notoria el rumbo preocupante y doloroso de la humanidad.
Cuando se leen en el documento que discutimos algunas menciones acerca de la comprometida situación económica y social en la que están envueltos los países de Europa del Este, que decidieron romper con su organización comunista, parece como si fuéramos unos simples espectadores de esos acontecimientos. Esa es en general la actitud de la comunidad internacional.
Nadie en el mundo se imaginó que el comunismo en Europa iba a tener el fin que tuvo, en el momento y en la forma en que ocurrieron los desenlaces de estos últimos años. Por eso mismo, nadie estaba preparado, no había un manual de procedimientos para la cantidad de frentes de actividad que se abrieron, ni respuestas para la infinidad de preguntas que surgieron sobre qué hacer y cómo hacer las cosas.
Esa profunda y transcendental transición de decenas de pueblos, con centenares de millones de personas hacia la democracia y la libertad de mercados ha sido una cadena de improvisaciones que ha dejado enormes sufrimientos que no terminan.
La FAO, señores Miembros del Consejo, debe estar presente allá en forma masiva, con sus expertos, con sus libros, con sus manuales, con ayudas audiovisuales para poner al servicio de los dirigentes de esos países y sobre todo de los agricultores, la historia y las experiencias de la humanidad sobre la manera de organizarse dentro de los conceptos del capitalismo. Para poner en contacto a esos agricultores con tecnologías que puedan serles útiles, con sistemas de administración que les ayuden a organizarse y para conectarlos con las fuentes de crédito, de suministros y con los mercados.
Proponemos, entonces, que se estudie un plan de cooperación de emergencia de la FAO a Europa del Este, que pueda tener repercusiones tangibles en esa área del mundo y que incluya las formas posibles de financiarlo y ponerlo en práctica, dentro de las limitaciones presupuestarias en las que nos movemos. Esa es una prioridad en este tiempo, que nos exige austeridad, superación, esfuerzos, entusiasmo, y como es obvio, hay que aprovechar sin desperdicios los recursos de que disponemos. Es un reto que tenemos al frente y que nos invita a sacudirnos del marasmo de declaraciones estériles para pasar a la acción.
Hay un viejo tema de esta Sede de la FAO que se ha hecho familiar y por lo mismo ha perdido su real dramatismo, es decir, no crea los compromisos ni desata las energías de acción que debieran movilizarse desde aquí. Me refiero al Africa. El peor de los componentes del drama del Africa es que se ha generalizado en el mundo el sentimiento de que se trata de un caso perdido, de una situación sin remedio. 170 millones de personas padecen de hambre en ese continente, y esa es una realidad que nos tiene aplastados a todos. Además, porque viene acompañada, como es natural, de barbarie y caos.
Nosotros invitamos a este Consejo y a los funcionarios de FAO a que busquemos entre todos una nueva actitud frente a este problema. A que reavivemos un interés verdadero, que despierte esperanzas. Que superemos la rutina de las cifras macabras, y pasemos a los hechos.
En este sentido, nos parece indispensable reunir en un solo recinto y en una sola discusión a la FAO, al PMA y al FIDA. Esos son nuestros instrumentos de trabajo en Roma. Con todo y sus escasos recursos, tienen mucho que hacer en favor del Africa. Pero necesitan coordinación. No podemos seguir actuando en forma aislada y descoordinada, porque la repercusión de los esfuerzos así es mínima.
Proponemos, en consecuencia, que se prepare una reunión exclusiva sobre Africa en la que revisemos lo que estamos haciendo allá, estudiemos otras alternativas y definamos un programa que nos permita salir de aquí al campo, a trabajar. También a buscar ayuda y cooperación en otros sitios. Que nos
permita dejar atrás las palabras y pasar a la acción, y todos podamos colaborar, no sólo unos pocos, en la certeza de que no se van a desperdiciar las energías en actividades dispersas e incoherentes.
Quiero llamar la atención también, señores Miembros del Consejo, en América Latina. La mayor parte de esta región del mundo no está progresando, sino lo contrario, se deteriora en sus signos sociales y económicos. Sobre esto debe haber una conciencia aquí.
Noventa millones de latinoamericanos viven en condiciones de pobreza crítica, y en tales circunstancias, padecen hambre. Además, esta cifra en vez de disminuir aumenta año tras año. Allá también tenemos un reto los miembros de esta Organización y de este Consejo.
Estuvimos presentes hace pocas semanas en la última Conferencia Regional de la FAO para América Latina y el Caribe, y nos llamó la atención la poca mística e interés que despertó la reunión entre los gobiernos, entre los asistentes, y en general entre la opinión pública. Nos parece, entonces, que es hora de revisar nuestros sistemas de trabajo. No es posible que unos países en crisis no vean a la FAO como una oportunidad que se debe aprovechar, y como una esperanza.
Quisiéramos sugerir algunas iniciativas hacia el futuro.
En primer término, se debe convencer a los Ministros de Agricultura de América Latina y el Caribe para que se reúnan cuanto antes bajo los auspicios de la FAO. Ha habido cambios en el mundo y en la región, que deben analizar juntos para capitalizar experiencias y coordinar acciones.
Es hora, por ejemplo, de que los gobiernos latinoamericanos intercambien experiencias y evalúen las políticas de ajuste económico e institucional que han puesto en marcha durante los últimos años y que han tenido repercusiones en la agricultura y en la estructura social del campo.
Resulta urgente, también, actualizar las estrategias sobre investigación y adopción de tecnologías, y su divulgación intensiva entre los agricultores.
De igual manera, América Latina debe acercar su mirada de conjunto a la evolución económica del mundo, de los mercados internacionales, de los capitales, de la ciencia y la tecnología, a la evolución general de las diversas regiones del planeta.
Pero es importante hacer una aproximación nueva, diferente por parte de la FAO a esos gobiernos. Que reviva las convicciones de nuestro hemisferio en la capacidad de acción y en la calidad de nuestra Organización. La verdad es que nuestro potencial de cooperación se ha marchitado en la apreciación de muchos gobiernos latinoamericanos, que no tienen ya mayores expectativas en nuestro trabajo.
Por esto, considero que una reunión de ministros como la que proponemos, debe ser preparada por un grupo seleccionado entre los más calificados funcionarios de la FAO y de las demás agencias de Naciones Unidas en Roma, previa la visita a cada uno de los ministros para consultarles la agenda, el programa de trabajo que desean y los demás detalles del encuentro. Que sean ellos los que tomen las decisiones y adquieran los compromisos, mientras la Organización les da su apoyo técnico y logístico. Esto sería interesante porque en América
Latina, a pesar de las afinidades y los intereses en común, las políticas agropecuarias están desconectadas de un país a otro, se repiten experiencias negativas vividas en el pasado por algunos, se tienen abandonados algunos frentes críticos y hay un aislamiento que no favorece a nadie desde el punto de vista político, técnico y comercial.
Deseo hacer ahora especial mención a un tema que tiene particular importancia para más de medio centenar de países en vía de desarrollo de Africa, Asia y América Latina. Me refiero al café. Decenas de millones de personas viven del café en el mundo. Sobre todo, agricultores modestos que no tienen otra fuente de ingresos. Además, es fuente de divisas fundamental para esos países.
El café ha tenido un colapso en el mundo en los tres últimos años. En 1989 se suspendieron las cláusulas económicas del Pacto Internacional que ordenaba el comercio internacional de este producto, y sus precios cayeron a una tercera parte.
Es indispensable que la FAO se ocupe de este asunto, más allá de las menciones vagas y superficiales que al respecto se hacen en los estudios que analizamos.
Señores miembros del Consejo: los países exportadores de café no hacemos esfuerzos para "reforzar" los acuerdos internacionales sobre este producto, tal como lo afirma el documento que nos ocupa. La cuestión es más profunda. El Pacto Cafetero está suspendido desde 1989, y hay un mercado libre y ofrecido que aprovechan los intermediarios y los torrefactores de los países ricos, para hacer utilidades extraordinarias a expensas de los campesinos pobres del Tercer Mundo.
Lo que ocurre, señores delegados, es aberrante: menos de diez compañías multinacionales están acaparando las dos terceras partes del precio que ha perdido el café durante estos años, y que era un margen que antes recibían los caficultores. Los hogares consumidores de café de los países desarrollados no se han beneficiado de esta caída de los precios. Sólo poderosos intermediarios, industriales y comercializadores han hecho estas utilidades extraordinarias que suman decenas de miles de millones de dólares en estos tres años, y que dejaron de percibir campesinos pobres.
Repito, señores delegados, la suspensión del Pacto de Cuotas Cafetero que dejó expuesto el mercado al libre juego de la oferta y la demanda, sólo ha lucrado a poderosos intermediarios e industriales que se cuentan en los dedos de la mano. Esa es una afrenta al sentido de la justicia y de la ética que debe existir en el funcionamiento de la economía del mundo, para que el sistema que gobierna las relaciones internacionales sea sostenible por el respeto y el prestigio de que goce entre todos los pueblos.
Por esa razón es necesario que desde aquí contribuyamos a que las negociaciones que se realizan en Londres, dirigidas a restablecer las cláusulas económicas de dicho Pacto, se adelanten con un ánimo constructivo y solidario entre las partes, teniendo en cuenta las trágicas realidades de la pobreza en el mundo, que aquí analizamos.
Pero no sólo debemos registrar la injusticia, como hecho objetivo y concreto, sino también manifestar una preocupación adicional. El Pacto Cafetero, que había demostrado ser durante más de treinta años un mecanismo efectivo para racionalizar el mercadeo de una materia prima básica, ya no es una referencia que estimule avanzar en un mismo sentido con otros productos.
El panorama de los acuerdos de comercio en el que se pusieron tantas ilusiones cuando se crearon las Naciones Unidas hace cerca de cincuenta años, ha quedado más desolado que antes. Y lo paradójico es que esto ocurre cuando el capitalismo ha quedado como único ejemplo de organización económica en el planeta. Un capitalismo grosero y desaforado, señores Delegados, en el que no tengan opciones sino las minorías más fuertes, terminaría cayendo en el desprestigio y generando incredulidad e inconformidad incontenibles en muchas zonas del mundo. Los demócratas debemos encender una alerta sobre esto.
En consecuencia, desde ahora solicitamos que en el próximo período de sesiones de este Consejo se incluya el tema del Café, se invite para las deliberaciones a la Organización Internacional del Café, y se le motive para que presente entre nosotros su propia información y sus puntos de vista sobre el tema.
Voy a referirme finalmente a otro tema, señor Presidente, que trata el documento CL 102/2 que estamos analizando.
En cuanto a los asuntos ambientales nos cabría decir que hemos recibido por años, desde distintas fuentes, señales preocupantes como las que leemos allí. Consideramos que debe haber más respuesta. Más acción. Utilizar con mayor provecho la información que se tiene para detener las catástrofes que se anuncian, y que son reales y nos afectarán a todos, cualesquiera sean los lugares que habitemos.
Quiero decirles que en Colombia, por ejemplo, nos vimos enfrentados en forma sorpresiva este año a una sequía de nefastas consecuencias, para la que no estábamos preparados. Hemos tenido durante casi todo el año racionamientos permanentes de energía hasta de nueve horas diarias, y en varias de nuestras grandes ciudades ha escaseado el agua potable durante largas jornadas. Hemos encontrado con asombro, que la deforestación sostenida a lo largo de años ha tenido consecuencias desastrosas y que se han secado miles de pequeños cauces de agua, que ha dejado en forma peligrosa el caudal de nuestros ríos, y que en muchos casos se trata de situaciones irreparables.
No dudamos de que a nosotros mismos nos cabe responsabilidad fundamental en este proceso de degradación del ambiente. Pero tengan la seguridad de que la ayuda de la FAO en crear una conciencia sobre el problema entre nuestros dirigentes políticos, sociales, económicos y entre la población en general, puede ser de vital importancia si se intensifica y sí se lleva a cabo en forma directa entre los principales estamentos, incluyendo el Congreso, que juega un papel crucial en este campo. La FAO puede llegarle a esos sectores de manera muy convincente, y generar conductas nuevas. Consideramos que es algo válido para muchos países de nuestro continente.
En general, señores miembros del Consejo, queremos invitar hoy a todos los Estados Miembros de FAO y a nuestra Organización, a que superemos la etapa de informar, y pasemos a la etapa de actuar. Y a que nuestras intervenciones y nuestros documentos de trabajo sean consignas de acción. No sólo discursos que se lleva el viento.
EL PRESIDENTE: Muchas gracias distinguido representante de Colombia por su intervención. Usted sabe muy bien que la FAO quiere una buena coordinación entre los diferentes organismos que están trabajando en Roma y, como he tenido la oportunidad de decir en Montevideo, creo que la responsabilidad política
y la voluntad dependen de los Estados Miembros de la FAO. Esos Estados deben dar a la Organización la posibilidad de trabajar con recursos suficientes.
Oscar SALES PETINGA (Portugal): Monsieur le Président, je tiens à vous féliciter et à vous dire la joie de la délégation portugaise de vous voir une fois de plus présider nos travaux. J'en profite pour féliciter également les trois vice-présidents de leur élection.
Je voudrais aussi féliciter le Secrétariat de son travail de synthèse dans les documents 102/2 et 102/2 Sup.1 relatifs à la Situation mondiale de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture dans la perspective plus élargie du développement. Il s'agit d'un document très important, qui suffira à garantir une discussion vive et stimulante pendant toute la durée de cette session du Conseil.
Malgré les limites de temps, la délégation portugaise voudrait faire des commentaires sur certaines questions relevées dans ces documents. Au paragraphe 6, il est fait une synthèse de la vue économique d'ensemble des pays industrialisés et des pays en développement. A titre d'information, je voudrais indiquer qu'en raison des mesures politiques approuvées par son gouvernement et de son taux de croissance économique, mon pays est dans le groupe des pays de la Communauté économique européenne dont le taux de chômage est le plus faible, bien qu'au Portugal travaillent des dizaines de milliers d'immigrants provenant surtout des pays d'expression portugaise, qui cherchent de meilleures conditions de vie. Cependant, mon pays est conscient du fait qu'il lui est nécessaire d'atteindre un taux de croissance économique plus élevé qui lui permettra de se rapprocher des partenaires communautaires qui jouissent d'économies plus favorables.
Des liens de plusieurs siècles avec les territoires en développement nous rendent particulièrement sensibles à leurs problèmes. Nous nous réjouissons de la croissance moyenne déjà atteinte par ces pays et nous appelons votre attention sur les taux de 6,7 pour cent et de 5,4 pour cent qu'ils devraient atteindre respectivement en 1992 et en 1993.
Nous voulons aussi appeler votre attention sur la situation économique de l'Afrique subsaharienne, laquelle est devenue très inquiétante. Les pays les plus avancés devront donc les aider.
Ce qui nous semble aussi consolateur, c'est le fait que la dette extérieure et son service sont en train de s'améliorer, ce qui nous mène à penser que ces pays sont en train d'augmenter leur production alimentaire, réduisant ainsi leurs dettes dues à l'importation d'aliments. C'est là la voie la plus correcte. Renégocier ou pardonner les dettes est une solution momentanée: il importe surtout d'éliminer les causes de la dette extérieure.
La délégation portugaise estime que la discussion sur l'analyse détaillée de la situation dans certains pays sera très utile. Nous avons déjà fait état de notre position à ce sujet lors des sessions antérieures du Conseil. Nous pensons qu'il faut continuer à faire ce type d'analyse. Cependant, il sera difficile de suivre un critère de décision dans les pays où cette situation doit être analysée. Nous aimerions que, dans les prochains documents, soit analysée la situation de quelques pays qui subissent de graves carences alimentaires, tels que la Somalie, l'Angola, le Mozambique et bien d'autres.
Dans le cadre de la conservation des ressources et des stratégies de développement, la forêt nous a toujours intéressés et préoccupés en raison de sa grande importance économique et sociale parce que nous avons de grandes étendues de terrain qui pourraient être boisées.
Les dangers auxquels la forêt des zones tempérées est soumise nous préoccupent car le déboisement y a atteint de très grandes proportions. Nous pensons que la conservation de cette ressource est fondamentale tant pour le paysage que comme source de ressources directes et indirectes.
La question des effets de la pluie acide dans certains pays industrialisés nous inquiète, de même que les incendies forestiers qui provoquent le déboisement de grandes superficies dans les pays méditerranéens et qui constituent l'élément le plus néfaste du dessèchement de la forêt tropicale.
Au paragraphe 189, il est fait une synthèse de l'évolution de la superficie forestière dans les zones tropicales. Les chiffres concernant sa destruction sont frappants bien qu'ils soient connus. Si l'intensité de ce déboisement persiste, le patrimoine forestier ne résistera pas plus d'un siècle à ces ravages. Ce problème est particulièrement préoccupant pour l'avenir de nos fils. Dans ce même paragraphe, il est relevé que 1,7 milliard d'hectares des terres tropicales sont boisés. Ce pourcentage de boisement est très bon et la délégation portugaise aimerait savoir, de la part du Secrétariat, s'il s'agit là de forêts normales ou de forêts à croissance rapide pour l'usage industriel. L'analyse détaillée de la situation ainsi que les prévisions futures exigent que nous en ayons connaissance.
Le tableau 4 de la page 19 du document 102/2 nous donne les pourcentages très intéressants de la production per capita dans les divers pays. Ces dernières années, ces pourcentages étaient mis à jour dans le Supplément 1, ce qui ne se produit pas cette année.
Je voudrais encore parler de la situation au Portugal, qui va empirer en 1992 étant donné les baisses accentuées de la production agricole. Les cultures d'hiver et de printemps ont subi les effets directs du manque de pluie et les cultures d'été ont subi une réduction en raison également de l'absence d'eau des barrages.
La figure 10 de la page 32 du document 102/2 a également retenu notre attention et nous préoccupe. On y vérifie une tendance à la dépréciation de quelques produits tropicaux des cultures de rapport. Cette situation est bien illustrée dans les paragraphes 40 à 51 du document CL 102/2 Sup.1. Le Directeur général a attiré notre attention sur ce sujet dans son discours d'hier.
De tels faits peuvent provoquer des changements très sensibles dans les politiques agricoles qui se répercuteront dans les pays en développement et deviendront une sérieuse menace pour les pays à monoculture. Les prix du cacao et du café sont à l'origine de très graves problèmes dans certains pays parce que ces cultures, qui occupent les terres pendant plusieurs années successives, ne peuvent pas être facilement modifiées à court terme sans donner lieu à de graves conflits sociaux et économiques.
L'adoption de stratégies d'appui aux prix qui sont déjà en vigueur pour le cacao, par exemple, doit être accompagnée de changements structurels importants. Les pays producteurs ne peuvent pas continuer à penser que ces
stratégies sont éternelles et en profiter comme si elles étaient des encouragements à la reconversion. Le cas du café en est un exemple, tel que référé au paragraphe 48 du document CL 102/2 Sup.1, et des situations analogues peuvent survenir dans le cas de nombreux produits excédentaires sur le marché international.
D'après l'analyse globale du document à l'examen, nous pouvons conclure que les pays en développement ont fait un effort considérable pour augmenter leur production agricole et que cet effort doit se poursuivre.
En ce qui concerne la sélection des cultures auxquelles ils auront donné la priorité, ils devront toujours tenir compte de la situation des marchés mondiaux étant donné la compétitivité des prix dans un marché libre, et ils devront accorder une plus grande attention aux cultures pluriannuelles dont la production devra se maintenir pendant plusieurs années.
Shahid RASHID (Pakistan): We have been presented with 144 pages, plus another 19 supplementary pages and a corrigendum, of a detailed review of the State of Food and Agriculture in the World. Were it not for the silver lining of the cautious optimism and tidings of a minor recovery, this rather voluminous document would have made depressing reading. However, apart from the commendable effort of the Secretariat in putting together a very comprehensive and useful document, which we greatly appreciate, there is little cause for satisfaction. As the Director-General in his touching address yesterday lamented, "instead of victory over hunger and malnutrition... we are losing thousands of lives every day to famine."
The sordid human tragedies that are daily being enacted on the different stages of the world from Somalia to Bosnia-Herzegovina, from Mozambique to Afghanistan, are not merely natural disasters. We must pause to ponder whether the widespread food shortages could have been avoided, whether the millions of hungry could have been saved from famine and death, and whether we now have the will and resolve to prevent a repetition of such calamities in the future.
Global recession, increasing unemployment, a huge debt burden of the developing countries and their increasing vulnerability to the external economic environment are only some of the unsavoury features of the current world economic situation. Added to these are factors such as rampant under-nutrition and an alarming growth in population that outpaces any economic growth.
Furthermore, an inequitable system of distribution of economic benefits, an unfair regime of tariffs and trade practices, coupled with pressures of structural adjustments, have compounded the problems. Such are the critical times we face, and it is for us collectively not only to think deeply, but also to search our hearts to find out ways and means to cope with and to remove the stigma of hunger, malnutrition and death from famine.
The Food and Agriculture Organization, with its accumulated wealth of expertise and knowledge, is uniquely placed to influence and to guide the policies of food and agriculture so as to attain its cherished objectives. In a changed and changing world our expectations from FAO are even greater. We would like FAO to play an increasingly active role in fulfilling its mandate. More specifically, we expect FAO will exert itself to ensure that agriculture producers should be provided with a favourable economic environment, and
negative effects of policy interventions which distort markets are mitigated. The importance of the successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round of Multinational Trade Negotiations also needs to be further stressed so as to safeguard the interest of developing countries and provide them with, among other things, a fair access to markets. The wave of protectionism and the formation of trade blocks is also a cause of some concern to us which should also be addressed.
A spate of emergencies and disasters has been increasingly engaging the attention and resources of FAO and WFP. We appreciate the efforts made in this regard and would like to see a strengthening of this role, particularly as envisaged by the International Emergency Food Reserve and the Immediate Response Account.
At the same time, we should like to emphasize that FAO and WFP should not be overwhelmed by emergencies and should retain its focus on development as well in a balanced manner.
We also welcome, and strongly support, the initiatives FAO is taking in the environmental sector and its active pursuit of Agenda 21 following UNCED. The forthcoming International Conference on Nutrition is also a most encouraging move and we look forward to its deliberations with keen interest.
With regard to Pakistan, it has been a source of some satisfaction for us that our agricultural growth was the highest in the region. As also indicated in the document under review at paragraph 329, the agricultural GDP growth rate of Pakistan was 5.1 percent, the strongest in Asia, with increased production of cotton, sugar cane and rice. However, unfortunately there has been some setback, particularly on account of the devastating floods which engulfed the country last September.
The Government of Pakistan remains committed and is making every possible effort to maximize production. Subsidized inputs and bank loans at concessionary rates are provided to farmers. Support prices as an incentive to produce more grain are announced well before the sowing time. Information on improved farming techniques is disseminated through the mass media and extension services. Although Pakistan had attained self-sufficiency in wheat in certain years, it had occasionally to face a deficit on account of the rapidly expanding wheat requirement and a fast rate of population growth. The deficit is being met through imports from various sources.
I would add the food management and stock policies of the Government ensure that there is a smooth flow and continuous availability of food grains both in urban and rural areas.
In conclusion, let me once again voice our support for initiatives that FAO has undertaken, and is undertaking, to strive for a world free from want and hunger. We are encouraged by these efforts and hope that all of us shall collectively work to overcome these obstacles and accomplish our objectives.
Benson C. MBOGOH (Kenya): Permit me, Mr Chairman, to say how pleased my delegation is to see you presiding over this session of the Council.
I should also like to commend the Secretariat for its excellent review of the 1992 World Food and Agriculture Situation. We find the regional reviews in
document CL 102/2 particularly informative, not only in describing more vividly the regional and country-specific problems and opportunities but in clearly illustrating the vulnerability of many developing countries to the forces of natural and man-made calamities, as well as the virtually unlimited capacity and resilience of the major industrial and oil economies to cushion -indeed, to recover from - the effects of the same forces.
We are also in general agreement with the broad review of Kenya's economic and agricultural performance carried as a case study at pages 54 to 59 of the document. It generally portrays a fair picture of the situation that has prevailed to date.
A conducive macro-economic and politically stable environment is essential for agricultural growth. Unfortunately, continuing turbulence in the economic and social world order, snowballing from the Gulf War and exacerbated by natural disasters around the world, has not assured this enabling environment. The result is what faces us now: a protracted slowdown in world economic activity and unprecedented suffering and death of millions of people.
The effect of this decline on recent and prospective economic performance in non-OECD countries, while clearly varied, has been most severe in countries in sub-Sanaran Africa. Let me take a few minutes to illustrate that with the domestic situation of my own country.
Kenya has experienced a steady decline in the level of its real gross domestic product for the third consecutive year. Real GDP expanded by a mere 2.2 percent in 1991, the lowest since 1984. Agriculture, the mainstay of the country's economy, actually recorded a negative growth rate of minus 1.1 percent for the first time in several years following a substantial drop in the output of most of the agricultural commodities: for example, aggregate cereals output by 14 percent; coffee deliveries by 22 percent; sugar by 2 percent; milk by 8 percent; and horticultural exports by 10 percent. The same can be said of a score of other poor developing countries like Kenya.
Much of that steady drop can be blamed not only on the current recessional pressures and drought but it is by and large attributable to the cumulative effects of more basic factors: continued distortions in international trade, aggregate resource outflows from the poor developing countries, grouped with external debts, inadequate development assistance to the agricultural sector of the developing countries, and prescribed reform policies that have yet to prove their effectiveness. In this connection I feel deeply appreciative of the statement by the delegate of Australia.
As a result of the sharp slowdown in world trade, the trading prospects of the non-oil developing countries have continued to suffer. This has been a direct consequence of a sharp drop in demand for exports from these countries and the resultant fall in their commodity prices. In a number of cases whole markets for some products have simply collapsed.
In Kenya, for example, virtually all major export commodities have suffered major drops in export levels. The net result has invariably been a severe drop in export earnings and farm revenues.
Since the collapse of the International Coffee Agreement in 1989, coffee producing countries have lost over US$10 billion, enough to service a large proportion of their external debit.
The immediate causal factor for this dismaying situation is the world economic slowdown. However, it must be admitted that recessional pressure has only accelerated the trend. Basic underlying factors which are all too familiar have to be addressed. I mean, all manner of distortions such as international trade, competition from synthetics, continued instability in primary commodity prices, to name but a few. It is a matter of regret that these distortions continue to reduce marketing opportunities for exports from developing countries. The Uruguay Round of negotiations must have some of the answers, and we hope that greater political will shall prevail to reach a final successful end to these negotiations.
The flow of international development assistance to developing countries, both official and commercial assistance, has continued to decline in the aggregate at a time when it is most needed. The stimulation of growth in agriculture requires increased and sustained inflows of investment resources into the sector.
While in the short run the world economic slump may give cause for some rich industrialized countries to curtail additional development assistance to developing countries, industrial countries must feel even more challenged to raise their development assistance to reach at least the target of 0.7 percent of their domestic national product in official development assistance in agreement with the international development strategy of the United Nations.
In that regard, I have to say that conditionalities imposed on developing countries by a number of donors always become counter-productive, and donors should re-examine their policies in a spirit of mutual cooperation and eliminate these preconditions.
The fact is that the food and agricultural situation in developing countries is not influenced solely by the external economic environment but also by internal factors, not the least of which are domestic policies.
Several countries, including Kenya, have over the last few years pursued pragmatic reforms in policies and strategies. These reforms have been aimed primarily at sustained expansion in agricultural production and an increase in farm incomes from the small-scale farm and pastoral sectors.
In the Kenyan context, the strategies to achieve this have included: intensification in food production as a national policy; food intervention programmes to improve the nutritional status of vulnerable groups; the maintenance of broad self-sufficiency in basic foodstuffs; and the expansion of agricultural export earnings.
The implementation of these reforms has necessitated a substantial increase in the proportion of government resources to agriculture. As an illustration, the share of total expenditure to agricultural development in Kenya has steadily increased from a little below 20 percent in the 1970s to over 35 percent in the 1980s. But the challenging task of sustaining an adequate level of economic growth to keep up with the country's increasing needs requires frequent review and readjustment of policies and strategies. Lack of effective policy analysis and development capacity at the national level can be a serious constraint in this regard. Therefore, the FAO must intensify efforts to provide the technical assistance to developing countries in this particular area.
The Kenyan Government has endeavoured to maintain the tempo of structural reforms. Most recently these have been extended further to include liberalization of the marketing of food grains and livestock products which in the past have been marketed through the government marketing boards. This has been coupled with the de-control of consumer prices to improve efficiency in production and encourage healthy competition.
Experience in structural reforms increasingly show that it is one thing to apply an ideal reform package but another to achieve the desired results, particularly when there is a host of external factors working in the opposite direction.
It is increasingly evident that there is a need for greater international cooperation in ensuring that policy reforms prescribed for poor developing countries to restructure their agricultural sectors are supported and even reinforced by policies in developing importing countries, especially those that impact on international trade.
Finally, scores of countries, including my own, are facing an unprecedented food supply crisis due to drought compounded by continuous civil strife and massive displacement of people. Allow me, Mr Chairman, to convey my Government's most sincere gratitude to the international community of donors of food aid for the generous response to my Government's special appeal for emergency food aid to Somali refugees in Kenya. As a neighbour to Somalia, Kenya has had to bear the full impact - and it does so without any regret -of the Somali refugees, now totalling well over half a million people, at a crucial time when the country is facing drought and economic hardships of its own. Kenya is still ready to provide the necessary facilities to the UN agencies, NGOs, and inter-governmental organizations to assist our neighbours and Somalia in particular.
Supote DECHATES (Thailand): Mr Chairman, once again my delegation is very pleased to see you in the chair of this important meeting. My delegation would also like to express our congratulations to your Vice-Chairmen upon their election. Document CL 102/2 and its supplement have provided us with a very comprehensive review of the state of food and agriculture in 1992 of every region, as well as the global situation as a whole. Therefore, my delegation wishes to thank the Secretariat sincerely.
As stated in paragraph 7, economic growth in developing countries as a whole was estimated at 3.3 percent in 1991, and it is expected to accelerate to 6.7 percent in 1992 and to 5.4 percent in 1993. Regionally, growth is expected to remain high in the Far East in 1992/93.
As a country from the Far East, Thailand's economic growth in 1992 is expected to achieve at the rate of 7.5 percent, as forecast earlier. The seventh National Economic and Social Development Plan (1992 to 1996) attempts to maintain a sustaining growth in general, with the aim of agricultural growth at 3.4 percent per annum through new agricultural development policies.
The objectives of the new phase of agricultural development focus on three major areas, namely: to maintain the sector rate at an economically appropriate rate; to continue to raise farm families' income through fair trade practices in farm production and marketing; and lastly to restore and develop the degrading natural resources, and protect them.
Mr Chairman, referring to document CL 102/2 Sup.1, under the section Agriculture Production, paragraph 6 reports that at about 2.4 percent food, agricultural production growth in the Far East in 1992 is expected to fall below trend for the second consecutive year. Although the climate is lately in 1992 partially favourable, we would like to point out that the first part of the year saw Thailand facing a drought-stricken agricultural economy, and the encounter of insufficient rainwater and lower water reserves greatly reduced the areas planted of major economic crops and also their productivity. However, with regard to growth of the farm sector in 1992, the first year when the National Economic and Social Development Plan is being phased in, its forecast is 3.18 percent lower than the average annual target of 3.40 percent, while the crop sector would gain a modest growth of 1.68 percent. We do not expect the major paddy crop for 1992 crop year beginning this November to be more than 16.9 million tons. This would be a drop of 0.6 million tons or 3.4 percent over the previous year. Though the output is going to drop, next year rice prices would not be raised as the global output is also expected to rise. In somewhat similar downward trends, cassava output is expected to be 19.8 million tons, a drop by 0.2 million tons; maize output is predicted to be 3.5 million tons, a fall by 0.3 million tons and the expected soybean 1992 production of 0.4 million tons would be a decline of 0.02 million tons.
With the predicted growth of the fisheries subsector of 2.5 percent for 1992, while the 1989 to 1990 growth was 2.9 percent a year, the decline in the growth rate is contributed by the over-physical and economic capacity of the fisheries, resulting obviously in the degradation of the fishery resources. To make it worse, the commercial logging ban imposed since 1988 has also continued to decrease the forest products. As a result of this, the growth of the forestry subsector is expected to decline further 19.21 percent while it fell 17.7 percent in the year earlier.
Mr Chairman, it has been well known for a long time that Thailand is one of the world's leading fishery producer exporters successfully carried out by the achievement of technical researches which has been conducted by the Fisheries Department accompanied by the private sector's enthusiasm. Though fishing as well as aquaculture business have been heavily affected by the depletion causing continuous decline of natural resources, Thailand's fishery output still remains at a rising but diminishing rate.
The Thai Government has seen the need to improve fishing practices and fisheries management to avoid over-exploitation and for the sustainable utilization of fisheries resources in harmony with the environment; the use of capture and aquaculture practices, which are not harmful to ecosystems and resources, and the incorporation of added-values to such products through transformation processes.
Some vigorous measures as previously reported by the Thai delegation in the State of Food and Agriculture 1990 are being adopted to achieve better relationships among the fishing activities, such as the conservation of the environment and the recommendations issued by FAO.
Mr Chairman, the performance of the forestry sector has been found to be unsatisfactory, and a new forest policy framework and master plan is being developed on the basis that Thai forests should be managed with the benefit priority given to the rural poor, among the benefit of all sections in the society, and the forest policy should give clear priorities where conflicts might arise. The remaining natural forests are aimed to be conserved not only
primarily for their hydrological functions, but also for biodiversity protection and for the increase in rural living standards. Where protection was socially unlikely, then the existing occupants will be encouraged to manage the land for forestry purposes.
In the section of Food Availability and Undernutrition under the heading Food and Agricultural Supply Situation, we share with the FAO's discussion in paragraph 64 and Table 7, that the Far East experienced the largest decline in the proportion of the undernourished: from 40 percent in 1969-71 to 19 percent in 1988-90.
In Thailand, the mid-1970 malnutrition was seen as one of the major health problems facing the population, despite the nation's overall abundant food availability. In responding to it, a predominantly curative approach was adopted, and prevention was seen as only a secondary measure. Throughout the decade of 1980s, however, malnutrition decreased dramatically and could not be accounted for by the economic growth. It was also clear then that malnutrition was not a problem of specific nutrient deficiency. The underlying causes must be perceived as relating to a much broader perspective from micro to macro levels. In most situations, poverty is identified as the basic cause of malnutrition. The pitfall in tackling poverty was the belief that macro-economic development policies would have a trickle-down effect on the poor, and lead to improvement in the nutritional status of children and adults alike. Unfortunately this perception is not always correct due to unequal distribution of services and economic opportunities. Moreover, economic development without appropriate social policies will not bring about the expected nutritional achievements, as can be witnessed in Thailand before the 1970s. Despite these realizations, the difficult question facing planners and development sectors was how to implement programmes that fulfil the needs, and improve the nutritional situation, of rural population. At this crucial point, important research and implementation trials have been conducted in Thailand using a community-based approach and self-sustaining programmes in rural villages such as an integrated population, health, agriculture, nutrition and manpower for rural development and school lunches.
Malnutrition now needs to be addressed from different perspectives. Health professionals may see only the clinical and public health aspect of it; social welfare sees it as an equity problem in the distribution of services; agriculturists from food production, economists from equity of distribution of wealth; and nutritionists from a multifaceted nature. Pooling together, although rather difficult, is necessary. The difficulty facing most nations has been the translation of the holistic view in light of their socio-cultural, economic and political environment of practical programme.
As a result of the programmes, the conceptual framework consisting of four crucial components, namely, food supply, food consumption, health care and income generation were defined and have been used for nation-wide implementation.
From Thailand's experiences it is emphasized that efforts should not only be given to increasing food availability but to the communication of proper information which is also important for its success. Most of all, community participation obviously is the key element for sustainability.
May I now turn to the agricultural trade issue. Yesterday we listened very attentively to the Director-General's statement. He particularly mentioned
tropical commodity prices. My delegation fully shares the view expressed by the Director-General. As you know, the Multilateral Trade Negotiations are very important to Thailand which depends greatly on its ability to export for its sustained growth and development. Agriculture remains a key sector of Thailand's economy, as stated in paragraph 31. Thailand, along with 46 other countries, has an economy highly dependent on agricultural exports. It is the hope of my Government that all those industrialized countries and groups of countries, which have so far not shown their readiness to address the principal causes of agricultural trade problems, will join in world-wide efforts to bring about a successful conclusion to the Uruguay Round as soon as possible. In addition, my delegation once again joins the previous speaker in encouraging FAO to continue its role of supporting the conclusion of the Uruguay Round.
Regarding sustainable agriculture and the environment, we would like to share with you our intention of coping with this issue. The Thai Government recognizes the problem and has placed emphasis on the consistency of both sustainability and conservation objectives. These policy objectives have been clearly underlined and implemented in the current Seventh National Economic and Social Development Plan. Moreover, in responding further to the conclusion of UNCED on the sustainable agriculture and the environment issue at a conference held in Brazil this year, my Government, through the Ministry of Science and Technology, has recently issued a note on the environment which requires all development project proposals, regardless of whether in the public or private sector, to include a report on the expected impact on the proposed project. It will be required to study the subjects of plants, animals, soil, water, the atmosphere and human hygiene.
My final comment is on the regional review on Asia and the Pacific. It is true that poverty alleviation has been one of the four elements of the national development effort of many developing Asian countries. It is also true that Thailand achieved remarkable rates of economic growth but the proportion of the population living in absolute poverty did not decline. My Government has realized this fact and has tried to stimulate economic growth in the rural areas in various ways.
The meeting rose at 12.45 hours.
La séance est levée à 12 h 45.
Se levanta la sesión a las 12.45 horas.
