CHAIRMAN: The Minister of Agriculture of the Maldives will not be able to make his speech in the debate, and has asked for it to be included in the verbatim record and agreed to by the Conference.
I. SHIHAB (Maldives): It is a great honour for me to address this important conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, At the outset I would like, on behalf of the Maldives Government and in my own name, to express our great appreciation and gratitude to the Director-General and to you for inviting us to attend this Conference.
I consider it a great pride for me to have the opportunity to participate in this Conference attended by the Ministers of Agriculture who are aware of the problems of Agriculture in all parts of the World and of the urgency of finding a solution for them and for promoting agriculture within the framework of international understanding.
It might be necessary, on this occasion, to give you a brief idea of the situation in my country.
The Maldive islands are situated in the Indian Ocean, to the South of Sri Lanka. It consists of several small islands with few inhabitants. However, we can proudly state that the Maldive Islands enjoy full independence, that we are now proceeding with wide steps towards prosperity and progress and that we deeply cherish our nationalism and independence.
Due to the fact that some of our islands are very small in area they can be considered poor in so far as the inhabitants rely on fishing which is the main occupation in our country.
Though consisting of small sparsely populated islands, the geographical location of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean has a certain significance at present, consequently our country became a centre of world attention.
In so far as agriculture is concerned, coconut palm trees are predominant and have a special importance for the inhabitants of the Maldive Islands who use them for many purposes, including nutrition, boatbuilding, the construction of houses and several uses in their daily life. In addition, some other wood trees grow in the Maldives, though to a minor extent. Other plants include the cassava, colocasia tuber, potato, banana, papaya and mango and citrus trees. Some vegetables are also grown.
The inhabitants of the Maldives do not consider agriculture their main activity and the only type of agricultural activity is the rain-fed agriculture. And we have no other way due to the lack of agricultural inputs.
The Maldives Islands import all commodities including food-stuffs from abroad. The well-known Maldives dish constitudes the most important commodity exported by the Maldives. On this occasion, it pleases me to say that the Maldives enjoy peace and stability, in all sectors of life.
Since His Royal Highness, our present president, took office, our country is proceeding towards progress and prosperity. We have now our own shipping line and our own airport which will soon be ready for serving the biggest and most sophisticated planes with the generous help of our friends to whom our great gratitude is due.
Tourist activities in the Maldives have progressed greatly. Should you see the beautiful coral coasts of our islands, you will, no doubt, wish to see them several times.
Several attempts have been made in the past by FAO for sending agricultural experts for improving coconut in our country. However, these attempts were neither successful nor encouraging. We have high hopes that the FAO, its Director-General and its administration will give greater attention to the problems of food and nutrition in the Maldives, On our part, we are fully ready to assist you in all your endeavours in spite of the fact that we are a small country.
Before concluding my statement, I would like to remind you that world stability and security will never be ensured without securing food and other necessary inputs. I am sure this is not new for you.
Mr, Chairman, Your Excellency the Director-General, Distinshed Delegates, I wish to thank you once more. I wish also to thank the Government and people of Italy where this Conference is being held, I hope our endeavours will he crowned by success and that the world we are living in will be a happier place for everybody. 1/
S. KOMALABHUTI (Thailand): The Thai Delegation wishes to extend to you Mr, Chairman, and to the Deputy Chairman, their warmest congratulations on your elections to these offices. My Delegation also welcomesthe new members of FAO: -Angola, Comoros, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Mozambique, Namibia, Sao Tomé and Principe, and the Republic of Seychelles.
Mr, Chairman, Thailand was honoured to be elected last year to the World Food Council as a food exporting country. We participated in both the Second and the Third Ministerial Meeting of the World Food Council, accordingly. My Delegation wishes to express once again our full support for the decisions emanating from both WFC meetings aimed primarily at increasing world food production to help alleviate the problems of food shortages, ensuring world food security, and improving human nutrition throughout the world.
It is a matter of great satisfaction that the pledging target of one billion dollars has been achieved for the establishment of the International Fund for Agricultural Development. We wish to place on record our appreciation to the Executive Director of the World Food Council for his invaluable efforts in bringing the Fund into being. We have a strong belief that IFAD operations will be in the right direction providing benefit for all nations in the developing world.
With regard to food aid policies and programmes, Thailand wishes to express our concern that care must be taken to avoid disincentive effects, not only on production in recipient countries, but also on food-exporting developing countries. We fully endorse the principle of the triangular transaction in any programme of food aid and urge that such a principle be applied to the maximum extent possible by the donor countries and agencies.
There is in fact a general consensus that the question of world food security is of vital and continuing importance to all countries and that there is now a good opportunity to build reserves so as to ensure against a repetition of the food crisis experienced in 1972-74. Many developing countries, as well as my country, are not, however, in a position to take advantage of good crops in building national food reserves due to lack of resources including the expansion of storage and transport facilities.
We are also concerned that tariff and non-tariff measures restricting access to markets in developed countries are increasingly acting as disincentives to agricultural development in the developing world.
The world is becoming inextricably interdependent. No country, big or small, can stand alone and remain prosperous. If international co-operation is required to make the world a more orderly and better place to live for all mankind, the principle of equitable sharing of burden and benefit must be more extensively realized.
My Delegation wishes to present a summary of Thailand's agricultural policy and development highights of the past two years. The Fourth National Social and Economic Development Plan begins this year and extends for a period of five years until 1981, Thailand's goal is to increase total agricultural production by 5 percent per year while at the same time limiting the growth of rice and cassava to 3 percent. The three main points of the policy for agriculture are: firstly, the diversification of agriculture with a view to improving land utilization and bringing about maximum productivity from our labour force and land throughout the year, secondly, the addition of new and increased production of economic crops such as cotton, silk, fruit, vegetables, oil seeds, livestock and poultry with a view to reducing further the risks caused by vagaries of climate and the unpredictable fluctuation of world prices which affect the income of our farmers thirdly, to improve the relative income of our farmers and other rural residents.
Despite diversification it is clear now that Thailand will take over the number one position this year as the largest rice exporter in the world. As of the end of October 1977 Thailand had exported 2. 5 million metric tons of rice; the final figure is expected to reach 2. 8 million metric tons.
Major programmes under the Fourth National Economic and Social Plan are briefly described as follows:
1/ Statement inserted in the verbatim record on request.
Land reform: at present there is still a small but unacceptable number of farmers who suffer from the problem of land tenure by having lost their land to creditors. Some of our tenant farmers have had to pay unduly high rental rates. Land reform is being implemented simultaneously with development of cooperatives as a means to provide additional security for our farmers receiving land. The land included in the reform programme for the next four years includes personal holdings donated by His Majesty the King as well as government and private land. The total area involves 1 264 000 hectares. It is expected that no less than 400 000 families will benefit from the Land Reform programme. To date about 160 000 hectares has been settled.
Agricultural Cooperatives have also been given high priority in our programme. The government has set up a national committee for the promotion of agricultural cooperatives. The objectives are to remove obstacles and solve existing problems on a step-by-step basis using a policy of continuous implementation. To achieve the objectives, an integrated plan has been designed for inclusion of cooperatives in all projects involving agricultural institutions. Guidelines have been promulgated for cooperative institutions to take over all projects connected with land reform, consolidation, land settlement as well as other development activities with a view to increasing the income of cooperatives' farmer members. Moreover, the government has also provided assistance for farmers to form cooperatives as a basis for rural development. So far in 1977 eighty-four new cooperatives in 56 districts have been organized, bringing the total number of cooperatives in Thailand to 635 with approximately 535 000 member families. The aim of the government also is to promote new membership in existing cooperatives as well as to provide necessary farming equipment and commodities for farmers at reasonable prices. The government Bank for Agriculture and Cooperatives and commercial banks are providing more production loans to farmers than in the past.
Regarding irrigation, emphasis is currently being placed on small projects which can be completed in a year or two. The government is investing a large proportion of our national budget in this way to help raise the productivity of small farmers. One hundred and forty-five small irrigation projects have been completed during the past year. There are 1 700 additional projects underway or on the drawing board.
Land consolidation has been catching up with the expansion of the irrigated area. The Central Land Consolidation Office began operations in the Upper Chao Phya Basin in 1975 on an area of 20 000 hectares by improving and constructing on-farm water distribution systems, feeder roads, levelling land, agricultural extension services and marketing. The Land Consolidation Project for the Upper Chao Phya is funded by loans without interest from the International Development Association. We are now expanding this project on an area of 70 000 hectares. Also, the Asian Development Bank provided the Royal Thai Government with US$ 5 million from their Special Fund to implement another land consolidation project within the North eastern irrigated area in Khon Kaen province. The overall target set by the Government for land consolidation is 20 000 hectares per year.
An accomplishment in fisheries has been the transfer of technology resulting from research to the grass roots level by the aquaculture project. In the field of fresh-water fisheries, fingerlings have been distributed to villagers after natural swamps and ponds have been prepared. April 13, the traditional Thai New Year, has been named National Fisheries Day. It is expected that 13 000 fish farmers and villagers throughout the Kingdom through the cooperation of agricultural institutions will release as many as 250 million fingerlings per annum.
Thailand is currently expanding marine fisheries production, hand. ling, storage and marketing through a large loan from the ADB for boat engines and cold storage equipment. This project will result in much increased availability of marine fish as a source of protein in rural Thailand.
During the past monsoon season, a re-forestation project to rehabilitate over-exploited forests for the first time was launched by the government over and above the regular programme of the Forestry Department. a total of 16 000 hectares of plantation will be added to the National Forests each year under this programme,
Mindful of the acute and chronic shortage of cash among our farming population group, despite growing efforts of commercial and government financial institutions, the government initiated the Farmers' Welfare Fund in 1974, The Fund, consisting of the export duties on exported rice and sugar, is used to subsidize farm inputs, to advance specific government programmes expected to be of benefit to farmers and as emergency relief in areas of dire need.
My delegation wishes to refer to the FAO Programme of Work and Budget for 1978/79, prepared by the Director-General. May I take this opportunity to congratulate the Director-General and his staff for this commendable document. Thailand has watched with great interest and satisfaction the activities of the Director-General since he assumed office two years ago. It is most gratifying to see new programmes and changes made to fit new requirements of the present. May I emphasize the support Thailand gives particularly to the Technical Cooperation Programme from which my country has greatly benefited. We wish also to support the programmes for small farmers which are so ideally suited to the resources and needs of developing countries.
May I also use this occasion to express to the Director-General the appreciation of my Government for the prompt response extended by FAO to the call made by the five Member Countries of the Association of South-east Asian Nations or ASEAN at their Summit Meeting in Bali, Indonesia in 1975 for assistance in coping with the problem of too rapid population growth rates mainly in the rural areas.
Since then, the ASEAN countries, with support from FAO and UNFPA, haye developed five intercountry projects These are in the field of community incentiyes, migration, information-education-communication, modular training and research utilization.
The final project documents are now being completed and, likely, will be submitted as a package to the joint UNDP/ASEAN meeting which is scheduled for 13 December 1977. Thailand is honoured to speak for all ASEAN countries about this achievement.
Significantly, these projects were developed by ASEAN experts in collaboration with one another, with FAO providing assistance. This is a sophisticated example of FAO encouraging the technical-cooperation-between-developing countries orTCDC approach. Such an approach is more valid because it allows the full play of local initiative and tape indigenous resources.
Also, Mr, Chairman, we support the appointment of an FAO Country Representative to Thailand. Thailand is fortunate to host the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Far East. But the role played by an FAO Country Representative is unique and complementary to that of the Regional Office. Thailand looks to the day when an FAO Country Representative will be working with us in cooperation with the staff of the Regional Office.
In his brilliant opening address, the Chairman of our Conference, the distinguished Minister of Agriculture from Indonesia, correctly stressed the need for us to adopt a policy of deliberately providing an equal opportunity for the weak.
We have enough evidence now that, under current equal opportunity approaches used by developing agencies, only the better-off farmers benefit. The poorest are to a large extent cut off from development. This certainly aborts effective mobilization of the rural sector.
We need to build into all activities of FAO a corrective bias to favour the rural poor. Our traditional programmes have, at best assisted those who could help themselves. This is no longer enough. If we are to mobilize the rural poor, the new policies should reach out, further and deeper, to the helpless and the apparently "unreachable".
Some elements required in such an approach are already fore-shadowed in the earlier policies laid down by the Director-General: stress on grass roots training, priority for action-oriented field activities, excising of paternalism, etc. But we must design new mechanisms to draw in the popular participation. These would include support for organizational efforts of small farmers and fishermen, people's involvement in planning; building up of peasants' capacity to receive and utilize services and technology, within the context of specific area development.
The Thai Delegation could not possibly end our Country Statement without mentioning the international assistance provided to us for the care of Indo-Chinese displaced persons since the spring of 1975. Temporary shelters, food, clothing and medical supplies have poured into Thailand from the World Food Prográmale, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the Inter-Governmental Committee on European Migration as well as from the International Committee of the Red Cross and others. My delegation does hope that Thailand's request for increased assistance from the World Food Programme will be given positive consideration so as to help relieve a tremendous burden Thailand has been bearing, with firm belief in humanitarian value. Thailand appreciates and will always remember the prompt benevolent assistance and continued support.
Ν. DJOUDI (Observateur pour l'organisation de l'Unité Africaine): La participation, que nous voulons concrète et effocace, de l'OUA à vos travaux intervient dans une conjoncture particulièrement difficile pour le continent africain.
A peine sortie d'une grave période de sécheresse, affaiblie par les contraintes d'un ordre international en mutation mais oà l'apreté des riches n'a d'égale que leur volonté de maintenir leurs privilèges, l'Afrique aborde une période de son histoire où ne lui sera épargné ni une autre ère de sécheresse, ni une production et une productivité alimentaire bien en deçà de ses besoins réels.
Aussi est-ce avec sérieux, mais avec espoir aussi, que nous nous proposons, dans le bref temps qui nous est imparti, d'aborder, de manière nécessairement succincte, quelques-uns des problèmes que nous souhaitons voir résolus au niveau de cette Conférence.
Je voudrais d'abord exprimer ma profonde satisfaction et adresser mes plus vives félicitations aux huit nouveaux Etats Membres de la FAO, dont 6 se trouvent déjà être membres de l'OUA et des Nations Unies. Je suis convaincu que leur présence ici non seulement renforcera les rangs du Tiers Monde mais que, certainement, ils apporteront une contribution de qualité pour faire de la FAO une organisation sans cesse plus dynamique et sans cesse plus adaptée à la solution des problèmes que rencontre notre humanité en matière d'alimentation.
C'est là l'occasion pour moi d'exprimer ma conviction que des pays qui, comme l'Angola ou le Mozambique, ayant accédé à l'indépendance au prix d'incroyables souffrances d'une guerre coloniale souffrent encore d'agressions constantes, d'occupations illégales provoquant mort, misère et faim, que ces pays méritent toute votre compréhension, votre sollicitude et certainement une attention particulière de la FAO.
Je suis également convaincu que ces jeunes Etats qui ont hérité d'une structure coloniale anachronique, tels Djibouti et les Comores, et qui, comme c'est le cas des Comores, voient une partie de leur territoire maintenu arbitrairement sous domination coloniale française, au mépris des principes de la Charte des Nations Unies et en violationdesiprincipes les plus élémentaires du droit international, verront la FAO déployer des efforts soutenus et conséquents pour les aider à surmonter la grave situation dans laquelle l'ancienne puissance coloniale les a laissés.
Enfin, je tiens, au nom de l'OUA, à exprimer mes remerciements et ma gratitude à tous les pays qui, démontrant leur haut degré de responsabilité et leur sens aigu de la justice en ce cas précis, ont voté à la quasi-unanimité pour l'admission à la FAO, en tant que membre de plein droit, du Conseil des Nations Unies pour la Namibie.
Ce faisant vous avez fait oeuvre de pionniers au sein de la famille des Nations Unies et donné un contenu concret à l'affirmation par l'Assemblée générale des Nations Unies de l'indépendance ''de jure'' de la Namibie quand bien même ce pays reste encore et ''de facto'' occupé, illégalement par le régime raciste de Pretoria. Vous avez également ainsi confirmé dans les faits l'arrêt rendu par la Cour Internationale de Justice de la Haye qui veut qu'en substance le Conseil pour la Namibie soit l'autorité administrante jusqu'au jour tant attendu où la SWAPO victorieuse prendra en mains les destinées de la nation et du peuple namibien.
J'aurais souhaité pouvoir répondre aux voeux de votre Assemblée en centrant mon intervention sur un sujet sectoriel précis, à savoir "l'investissement dans le secteur agricole". Toutefois, les interventions spécifiques des délégations africaines m'obligent, afin d'éviter d'unitiles redondances, à traiter de problèmes généraux qui affectent l'Afrique de manière globale en tant que continent soudé par des préoccupations communes, par une unité et une solidarité tangible, transcendant les particularismes et les spécificités nationales.
La conjoncture économique en Afrique à l'heure actuelle, notamment en matière d'agriculture et d'alimentation, est un grave sujet de préoccupation pour les Etats Membres de l'OUA, individuellement et collectivement.
Des années de sécheresse aux effets sans précédent dans l'histoire de notre continent, tant sur l'histoire de notre continent, tant sur l'homme que sur le cheptel, la persistance, voire l'aggravation de l'action des rongeurs et des déprédateurs de toute sorte, l'action brutale et répétée de calamités naturelles tels les cyclones et les inondations, ont considérablement affaibli le potentiel économique et humain de l'Afrique et mené ses gouvernants à faire face à des problèmes qui, s'ils trouvent leur solution à long terme dans notre propre capacité à les surmonter, n'en exigent pas moins, dans l'immédiat, un effort soutenu et une assistance substantielle de l'ensemble de la communauté internationale et de ses institutions, telle la FAO.
A cet égard, la situation dans le Sahel est d'une gravité exceptionnelle. Après de nombreuses années de sécheresse, l'apparition des premières pluies a fait naître l'espoir intense de voir les zones arides refleurir.
Hélas, force nous est de constater que ces pluies tardives et mal réparties ont aggravé le déficit pluviométrique existant.
Les chiffres, dans leur froide rigueur, sont la claire démonstration de ce qui pourrait demain être une autre tragédie: 30 millions d'êtres humains sont menacés dans leur existence si la communauté internationale n'intervenait pour leur fournir une aide alimentaire estimée provisoirement à' 500 000 tonnes. Sur ce volume d'aide, 150 000 tonnes de céréales devront être trouvées d'ici janvier 1978 au plus tard.
Qu'il nous suffise de comparer ce chiffre et de rappeler que, pour les, seuls Etats-Unis d'Amérique, les pertes alimentaires annuelles suffiraient à nourrir 50 millions d'êtres humains. Il y a certainement là matière à réflexion.
Sans vouloir, en aucune manière, minimiser la gravité du sort de tous les pays du Sahel, il est de mon devoir de souligner le cas particulièrement angoissant des Iles du Cap-Vert. La République du Cap-Vert, née d'une lutte armée de libération nationale où elle a sacrifié les meilleurs de ses fils, se voit confrontée à une crise agricole et alimentaire sans aucune mesure avec ses faibles moyens. S'il faut saluer l'effort gigantesque d'organisation et de self-reliance, parallèle d'ailleurs à celui de la République soeur de la Guinée-Bissau, il nous faut reconnaître que les sacrifices. et le militantisme de son peuple et de ses dirigeants se heurtent à une situation de fait qui exige un effort solidaire de l'ensemble de la communauté internationale. Au demeurant, les Chefs d'Etat et de Gouvernement de l'Afrique ont pris des mesures d'urgence, avec les moyens aussi faibles soient-ils dont nous disposons, pour aider ce pays frère.
Aussi est-il de mon devoir d'en appeler, d'en appeler avec toute la solennité voulue, à la communauté internationale pour intensifier son assistance à cette jeune république, et à la FAO pour accroître encore l'effort qu'elle a consenti pour ce pays.
La partie Nord de l'Afrique n'a pas non plus été épargnée. L'année 1977 s'est traduite pour elle par une pluviométrie faible et inadéquate et en conséquence par la perte de la quasi-totalité de sa récolte de blé.
Au moment où je m'adresse à vous, l'absence des pluies d'automne, dans cette partie de l'Afrique, augure peut-être d'une autre année sans céréales.
M. Le Président, pour le Sahel, pour l'Afrique du Nord, pour la bande Soudano-Sahélienne et pour d'autres régions d'Afrique encore, l'analyse des derniers relevés par satellites laisse présager le début d'une autre longue période de sécheresse pour l'Afrique.
Notre espoir insensé, notre voeu le plus cher, est que, quelle que soit l'extrême sophistication des observations par satellite, que cette infime marge d'erreur, toujours présente dans la technologie moderne, devienne l'erreur absolue, et que nous soient épargnés les affres de la sécheresse et de ses compagnons de toujours: la faim, la malnutrition, la mort et son corollaire inévitable, la déstabilisation des nations.
Certes, de nombreux orateurs ont souligné le fait que ces deux dernières années ont été exceptionnellement bonnes et que la situation alimentaire mondiale s'en est trouvée nettement améliorée. Il n'en demeure pas moins que l'Afrique, et singulièrement le Sahel, constituent l'exception.
S'ajoutant à la sécheresse, le phénomène de désertification constitue une menace supplémentaire pour le continent africain. Il y a à cet égard lieu de souligner que, sur décision de l'Assemblée nationale. des Nations Unies, une Conférence des Nations Unies sur la désertification s'est récemment tenue à Nairobi au Kenya. Le plan d'action qui a été élaboré donne des responsabilités particulières à la FAO qui, par un usage judicieux'de fonds existants, notamment le FIDA, pourrait jouer un rôle de premier plan tant sur le plan de la récupération des terres propres à l'élevage et à l'agriculture qu'au plan de l'édification des barrages verts au Nord et au Sud du Sahara, sur garantie de l'arrêt de l'avance du désert.
Cette situation qui prévaut en Afrique peut être l'occasion pour les pays riches de faire la preuve de leur bonne volonté et pour la FAO de faire la démonstration de son efficacité.
Je voudrais à ce stade saluer la décision de la Suède qui s'est engagée à faire un don annuel de 40 000 tonnes au titre de la réserve alimentaire internationale et qui, par ailleurs, a annulé la dette contractée auprès d'elle par un certain nombre de pays du Tiers Monde. Ces décisions de la Suède pourraient être un exemple édifiant pour les pays nantis dans leur ensemble si leurs actes devaient correspondre à leurs paroles.
Monsieur le Président, si j'ai salué l'admission de nouveaux états et par delà mes sentiments de profonde satisfaction, c'est pour mieux souligner la place de plus en plus importante que prend l'Afrique au sein de votre Organisation, il ne peut y avoir de véritable ordre économique international nouveau si nous n'introduisons au sein de toutes les instances internationales, la règle de l'équité et de la démocratie sans lesquelles toute entreprise humaine ne peut être régie que par la règle des rapports de force entre les forts qui dictent leur loi et les faibles qui la subissent.
L'Afrique constitue aujourd'hui le tiers des membres de votre Organisation et pourtant elle demeure largement sous-représentée. Nous pensons que la simple justice exige que l'Afrique soit équitablement représentée par une augmentation substantielle des sièges qu'elle occupe au sein de votre Organisation. C'est là une exigence du principe de l'universalité et une conception meilleure du jeu de la démocratie entre nations qui se veulent toutes égales.
Cela implique aussi qu'une représentation plus adéquate de l'Afrique au niveau des rouages de l'institution serait le moyen le plus sûr de mieux nous connaître et de donner à notre continent la chance d'apporter sa contribution de qualité à l'oeuvre commune qui est la nôtre.
A cet égard, je voudrais et je me dois de rendre hommage à M. Edouard SAOUMA, Directeur général de la FAO, dont les initiatives audacieuses laissent présager que la FAO deviendra un instrument plus dynamique que par le passé.
Nous sommes convaincus qu'en tant qu'homme du Tiers Monde, il saura répondre aux voeux de l'Afrique de voir un plus grand nombre de ses fils oeuvrer comme cadres de cette Organisation.
Au nombre des initiatives heureuses préconisées par le Directeur général, je voudrais apporter mon plein appui à ses réflexions sur la coopération en matière d'agriculture et d'alimentation entre les pays en développement.
Il me plaît de rappeler que la cinquième Conférence au sommet des pays non alignés a exprimé sa volonté de voir la coopération technique déjà existante entre pays non alignés s'étendre et se renforcer. En matière d'alimentation elle en a défini les buts et les lignes d'action. Notre souhait est que cette Conférence accorde son plein appui au Directeur général pour que l'expérience et la compétence de la FAO deviennent le complément indispensable à une plus grande coopération entre les pays non alignés et la FAO.
L'enfer, dit-on, est pavé de bonnes intentions. Au fil des Conférences internationales nous avons entendu des déclarations d'intention, des promesses et des serments, mille fois réitérés, qui nous ont un instant fait miroiter l'espoir d'un monde où la coopération universelle, la compréhension du riche pour son frère affamé, en un mot la fraternité humaine, transcendant les intérêts égoïstes, reculeraient sans cesse les frontières de la misère et de l'inégalité entre les hommes et les nations.
A l'heure du bilan, force nous est de constater que l'établissement d'un nouvel ordre économique international continue à être remis en cause par les appétits et les exigences bassement mercantiles des uns pendant que la situation économique des pays en développement ne cesse de se détériorer.
Qu'en est-il du souhait de voir se conclure un accord international valable sur les céréales, qui pourrait mettre les pays en développement à l'abri des mouvements de spéculations d'autant plus odieux qu'ils mènent à une richesse accrue, au prix de la faim et de la misère de l'homme?
Combien faibles sont les progrès accomplis dans la mise en application des décisions et des reconftnanda-tions de la Conférence mondiale sur l'alimentation!
La permanence des phénomènes négatifs du passé, l'aggravation de la condition alimentaire de plus de la moitié du genre humain, l'effroyable mortalité infantile et la malnutrition dans le Tiers Monde, à côté d'un autre monde repu et parfois indifférent augmente les risques d'une nouvelle crise alimentaire mondiale.
La réduction de la production alimentaire dans les pays nantis aux fins de maintien des prix, les pressions multiples et multiformes sur les prix des produits en provenance du Tiers Monde, le refus de réviser les structures du commerce mondial, autant sur les denrées alimentaires que sur les engrais,
tout cela exige une prise de conscience des réalités et de leur projection sur l'avenir. Tout cela aussi requiert de votre Assemblée un effort commun où les concessions nécessaires doivent être faites pour parvenir à une authentique sécurité alimentaire mondiale.
Il est de bon ton aujourd'hui de parler de droits humanitaires et les mass media ne se privent pas d'en parler quotidiennement sur une base soigneusement sélective. Le droit humanitaire ne passe-t-il pas d'abord par le droit pour tout homme d'être à l'abri de la faim et de la malnutrition?
En tout état de cause, le droit humanitaire ne pourrait et ne saurait être le droit du riche à l'indifférence à l'égard des souffrances de son prochain.
Je ne saurais conclure sans exprimer ma conviction que, face aux grands problèmes de la faim et de la malnutrition, la FAO reste le cadre le plus authentiquement valable pour l'élaboration de solutions à long terme et durables pour peu que ceux pour lesquels la nature s'est montrée particulièrement généreuse fassent preuve de leur volonté de coopérer avec les moins nantis d'entre nous.
C'est à ce prix, et à ce prix seulement, que nous pourrons voir s'ouvrir pour tous les hommes sans exclusive aucune, cette ère de prospérité, de justice et de solidarité humaine sans laquelle nous ne saurions valablement accomplir notre destin.
C. L. BOLDEN (Barbados): Chairman, Director-General, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen:
First of all, on behalf of the Government of Barbados, I should like to join the former speakers in congratulating you on your well deserved election to the Chairmanship of this Conference.
Secondly, I should like to take the opportunity of welcoming all those nations who have recently become members of the Food and Agriculture Organization. May I express the hope that their membership of this Organization will result in great benefits accruing to the people of their countries, as well as to this Organization.
May I also express the wish that at the end of this 19th meeting of the FAO, the foundation would have been laid for solving some of the most fundamental problems confronting member nations of this Organization. The energy crisis of 1973 had severe effects on the balance-of-payments position of many countries. It increased the cost of producing and of importing food. The lesser developed countries of the world which find it necessary to import most of their food, fertilizer and oil requirements have been faced with the heaviest burdens of this crisis. In recent times, therefore, food - the basic human need - has been one of the greatest political concerns of most Governments at the national and the international levels. We know that FAO has adopted strategies to tackle the world food problem. For instance, the World Food Council in 1975 made a call for global action to ensure food security. In addition, the International Fund for Agricultural Development has been instituted to provide capital for poverty-oriented countries requiring assistance in agricultural development. Improved weather conditions in many major food producing areas have resulted in the recent records of food production increases in both developed and developing countries and the granaries of developed countries are full.
Nevertheless, a great challenge still lies ahead for some members of the FAO since present food production trends have not kept pace with population growth, especially in the under-developed countries. The 2. 5 percent per annum growth rate in food production is far below the 4 percent minimum conceived by the World Food Conference. There is therefore no room for complacency because of the moderate increases in food reserves. It is estimated that one-eighth of the world population is still malnourished. To deprive a man of a basic necessity such as food, is to deprive him of his very existence.
The challenge therefore still remains as how to reduce the current food deficits and mainourishment in many under-developed countries.
There are a number of measures and strategies additional to those already established by the FAO which can be adopted to solve the world food crisis. Policies oriented towards increasing the direct aid to developing countries, both in the short-term and medium-term, , particularly in project areas where there has been some success, should be vigorously pursued. Increasing capital investments in agriculture should be integrated with a strengthened research capability and improved harvesting techniques.
For the 1975 to 1980 period, it is estimated that $10 billion in capital will be required. In the area of capital investments, it is noted that some progress is being made along these lines through the subscriptions to the International Fund for Agricultural Development. It is not too early to enquire what financing mechanisms are being considered for further replenishment of this fund after the initial capital funds are disbursed.
All the efforts to increase food production through capital inputs alone will be wasted if some consideration is not given to the development of export markets and favourable trade concessions to developing countries. May I add also, that it is my view that without the existence of export market potential for many of the crops produced in the developing world, any economic development derived, while achieving food self-sufficiency, will be limited and non self-sustaining. In fact, I doubt whether the economy of many developing countries will, in the long run, show any real growth in the absence of commodity arrangements and increased export markets for their agricultural produce.
I believe the considered aim of every developing nation is to achieve self-sufficiency. This is the step which seems to logically precede production for external markets. This goal cannot be attained without organizational, technical, and social transformation.
Even though technical and financial aid might be available through an international organization, such as FAO, or from friendly developed countries, for sustained growth to become a reality, the initiative must come from the developing nation itself. For instance, the transplant of technology from one nation to another without the appropriate adjustments to accommodate the local situation must result in the wastage of investments. This is a precaution that must be taken by the donor as well as the recipient of technical aid.
For the most part, developing nations are lacking in technology and expertise, resources which are vital to the successful transformation of an economy. The Programme of Work and Budget 1978-79, as outlined in the Conference document C 77/3, seems to make adequate provision for the various problems of food production confronting the under-developed nations. We must, however, try desperately to ensure that there is not too great a discrepancy between the expected and the actual result of these programmes.
Enough time will be spent at this Conference elaborating on the World Food situation and the possible measures that could be adopted to divert a crisis in the future and there is no need for me to further elaborate.
For your benefit therefore, Mr. Chairman, and that of distinguished delegates, I will now divert some attention to the economy of Barbados.
Like most developing countries, Barbados is dependent to a large extent on imports of capital goods, raw materials and foodstuffs. In 1975, expenditure on import of goods and services was 68. 4 percent of Gross Domestic Product and increased to 73. 0 percent in 1976. Food constitutes the largest category of imports. The average rate of inflation, as measured by the index of retail prices between 1974 and 1976 was around 21 percent.
Agriculture plays an important role in the economy. For the period 1969 to 1973, its contribution represented 15 percent of Gross Domestic Product. This activity is both a major source of employment and of foreign exchange. At the end of 1976, approximately 9 percent of the working population was engaged in agriculture.
Despite a persistent attempt to diversify the agricultural sector beginning about ten years ago, sugar remains the predominant agricultural economic activity. Tourism and manufacturing, in that order of priority, complete the main economic activities.
In recent years, tourism has tended to dominate sugar in its contribution to economic activity. Several factors contributed to this, in particular the declining sugar cane yields, the reduced average acreage planted and poor rainfall. However, since 1975, we have had increases in the output of all agricultural products and we expect that this increase will continue into the 1980's. My Government is now devising policies backed by legislation which will encourage the further expansion of the agricultural sector. We are in need of capital to expand our fisheries programme and we consider that the exploitation of the fish resources of our region is one of the most important aspects of the development of our agricultural resources.
Despite these modest increases, however, gross revenue from sugar in 1976 and 1977 has not exceeded the $114. 9 million Barbados dollars, which was earned in 1975. The reduction in gross revenue resulted from the lower price per ton of raw sugar exported. Unfortunately, the present world market price is now below the cost of production of sugar in my country.
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We see the need therefore to intensify our efforts to diversify agricultural production, in order to create flexibility in the agricultural sector in which sugar production is the primary enterprise.
The achievement of this objective should lessen our dependence on foreign supplies of food and reduce a growing balance of payments deficit. In 1973, the balance of payments deficit was $31. 3 million Barbados dollars -$20 million more than in 1972. To some extent, the oil crisis had exerted pressure on the cost of production and has influenced domestic prices. In addition, a diversified agricultural sector will also reduce the reliance on International Sugar Agreements to ensure a viable economy.
A number of problems have been encountered in the process of attemting agricultural diversification - these include pre-harvest crop losses through pests and diseases, In spite of the present need to recognize the importance of post-harvest losses of crops, we must not fail to recognize that the pre-harvest losses are often considerably greater, particularly among small producers who are financially and technically incapable of taking the appropriate control measures. The non-sugar agricultural produce is plagued with inadequate marketing systems and facilities. The inadequacy of our post-harvest facilities implies that we cannot accommodate glut situations, usually experienced during the months December to June. We hope therefore to benefit from the new programme on "The Prevention of Food Losses", which is now being discussed at this meeting.
My delegation recognizes that it is pointless to increase food production at the national level or farm level productivity, if this is not accompanied by higher farm incomes and improved standards of living for the rural producers. We are therefore devising appropriate measures to ensure an equitable distribution of income which is derived through increased farm output.
The major aim of the Government for the development of a modern agricultural structure is to achieve a more intensive diversification of production based on improved technology and increased mechanisation. In addition to well-trained technical and administrative staff, other support services and resources are required. Services such as readily available credit, research facilities, market intelligence and information systems, and expanded marketing facilities. The resources required include cheaper sources of farm inputs, such as fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, improved seeds and plants, efficient irrigation systems, effective water and soil conservation measures and the improvement of on-shore facilities for fishing boats.
To achieve our objectives, finance from external sources will be necessary to complement local sources which are at present very limited and we look forward to the early functioning of IFAD. We would hope that the criteria for lending from this Fund will not faithfully follow all the restrictive conditions of some of our more established lending institutions and we will continue to look for assistance from such established institutions as the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme. We are grateful for the assistance we have received from friendly countries and we have no doubt that we can look forward to greater assistance from these countries in the future.
The following, Mr. Chairman, is a synopsis of the specific areas to which the Government of Barbados is giving priority in the quest for technical and financial assistance -
(i) increased agricultural diversification in the production of non-sugar crops;
(ii) reorganization of the marketing system in so far as non-sugar agricultural crops are concerned to achieve a more even distribution of vegetables and fruit throughout the year, and to reduce. wastage and post-harvest losses resulting from glut situations;
(iii) closely related to the above is the development of agro-industries to facilitate expansion in food production;
(iv) improved credit facilities to accommodate the purchase of fertilizers, improved seeds, mechanical equipment, fishing boats and fishing equipment;
(v) the development of a comprehensive livestock programme, making provision for the importation of exotic breeds to upgrade present stock;
(vi) the improvement of onshore fishing facilities.
In conclusion, it must be re-stated that whatever aid is given to developing nations, such as ours, that unless accompanied by favourable trade concessions and a liberalization of trade agreements in the developed countries, the expansion of agricultural production will be aborted.
An appeal on behalf of the Government of Barbados and other Third World Countries is now being made through this medium of the Food and Agriculture Organization to give some consideration to these practical problems related not only to food production, but also to increase food production as a means of inducing economic growth.
In pursuance of the Director-General's effort to decentralize the activities of FAO, the Government of Barbados has made an application for the siting of an FAO Country Office in Barbados, I trust that an agreement will be speedily concluded. It is hoped that the modifications made in the 1978-79 Programme of Work and Budget will expedite technical assistance requests, as was conceived at the 1975 FAO Conference and I note that the revised programme is in keeping with the objectives of the Director-General.
I thank you very much for the very patient hearing you have given me and trust that the deliberations of this 19th FAO Conference will result in conspicuous success.
DATUK ALI Hj. AHMAD (Malaysia): On behalf of the Malaysian delegation, allow me first of all to congratulate you most warmly, Mr. Chairman, on your election to the high office of Chairman of this Nineteenth Session of the FAO Conference. With your vast experience and profound knowledge in food and agricultural matters, I am confident that you will be able to steer the Conference towards achieving concrete and fruitful results.
To the Director-General, Dr. Edouard Saouma, I would like to offer our congratulations for his commendable efforts in streamlining the administrative set-up of the Organization and in revitalising the entire machinery to one that is action-oriented. This is most welcome and is indeed a remarkable achievement considering the short period that he has been in office.
I would also like on behalf of my delegation to offer our heartiest congratulations to the eight new members of the Organization namely Angola, Comoros, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Mozambique, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe and Seychelles. I have no doubt that their participation in the affairs of this Organization will further enrich and strengthen the Organization.
Before touching briefly on our attempts at improving our food and agricultural situation, I would like, with your permission, Mr. Chairman, to make general remarks on some of the issues contained in the various documents prepared for the benefit of this Conference.
Malaysia supports the decentralization proposal of the Director-General and hopes to see closer and more frequent contacts with the Regional Office at Bangkok. Malaysia also supports the pruning down of the number of seminars, meetings and documentation. In our efforts to increase world food and agricultural production, action-oriented programmes capable of producing quick results are imperative. To developing countries, this is vital because improvement in food and agriculture is inextricably linked with eradication of poverty among our farmers and with our earnest endeavours to give them a better quality of life.
Malaysia also supports the priority given to programmes for reducing post-harvest losses. It is indeed heartening that a subject area which at one time was comparatively neglected is being given serious attention. Again, Malaysia's support of these programmes is not merely because they would cut down losses and thereby increase food supply but also because they would lead to increased income to the farmers.
However, I note that lower priority is being given to food losses before and during harvest which are equally important. It is hoped that these areas could be looked into just as seriously and urgently.
Malaysia subscribes to the view that the responsibility for ensuring food and agricultural production lies principally with the national government. To this extent, agricultural development takes first place in the order of strategies contained in our Third Malaysia Plan. Under the Plan, agricultural production is targetted to grow by 7, 3 percent per annum compared to 5. 6 percent per annum during the Second Malaysia Plan period, and agriculture's share in new employment is targetted at 26. 5 percent. The allocation for agriculture, which is the biggest for any development sector, amounts to $4. 7 billion or 25 percent of the total Third Malaysia Plan development budget, an absolute increase of 95. 8 percent over the allocation of the Second Malaysia Plan.
In our pursuit to produce more food there is the need for intensive research. However, in our efforts to spearhead agricultural research, Malaysia, like many other developing countries, is facing a shortage of trained agricultural research personnel. In order to overcome this gap, the Government has actively pursued a post-graduate training programme, but the creation of a corps of trained agricultural research personnel fully equipped to undertake research in such diversified fields as innovative farm technology suitable to local agriculture, plant and soil research, etc. must necessarily take time. In the inter-regnum, Malaysia requires assistance from developed countries in the FAO fraternity to undertake ongoing research programmes. In this regard, I invite member countries to make available agricultural research personnel to Malaysia to tide over our present difficulties.
While we address ourselves to the problem of increasing food and agricultural production, let us not forget the problem of spiralling increases in the costs of agricultural production. The rising costs of inputs such as oil, fertilizers, insecticides, seeds of high yielding varieties and machinery have tended to nullify whatever margins of profits accruing to our farmers. They also adversely affect other low income groups by aggravating the inflationary trend. Therefore, I urge the FAO to give serious consideration to this pressing problem with the hope that our farmers would reap the full rewards of their labour. If the trend of increasing costs of agricultural production is not checked in time, our farmers and other low income groups of our population will continue to suffer despite modernization, mechanization and increases in productivity.
In the context of increasing our food and agricultural production, we need to ensure that our national economy is healthy. As a; producer of raw materials like rubber, palm oil, cocoa and pepper, etc. Malaysia is very concerned about the instability of the prices of these materials in the world market. Fluctuations in the prices of these materials adversely affect our efforts to improve the standard of living of our people. The need for a price stabilization programme is very much felt by developing countries like Malaysia. We would like to work towards the establishment of international commodity agreement in which buffer-stocking should play the major role wherever possible. Malaysia supports the UNCTAD integrated programme for commodities which broadly encompasses most of our needs for remedial actions in the commodity sector. In this regard Malaysia and many other countries have also called for the improvement of earning stabilization measures as additional and supplementary to price stabilization arrangements. We would also like to stress the fundamental role of common fund in the overall efforts to implement the UNCTAD integrated programme for commodities, and hope that the current rounds of negotiations on the issue will be successfully concluded.
Before concluding my statement, I would like to place on record my Government's appreciation of the service rendered by FAO at all levels. My Government and I have no doubt that under the dynamic leadership of the Director-General, Dr. Edouard Saouma, Malaysia could look forward to more successful cooperative endeavours.
D. M. CREMONA (Malta): I would like first of all to convey to you all greetings from the Government of the Republic of Malta whom I have the honour to represent at this Assembly. I also wish to join previous speakers in congratulating both you Mr. Chairman, and the Vice-Chairman on your election to this high office. My sincere congratulations go also to the newly admitted Member Nations. As a representative of a developing country, I am particularly pleased, Mr. Chairman, that this Assembly will be working under your able leadership. I am sure that coming from another developing country you have a deep knowledge and undertanding of the emerging Third World, whose problems and needs this Assembly cannot afford to overlook.
Although I am a new-comer to FAO Meetings, I am fully acquainted with its noble aims and fruitful activities. This is obvious as not only does the Socialist Government of the Republic of Malta attach great importance to FAO's role in the world but is also a strong believer in the Organization and its future.
We are pleased to note a change for the better in the handling of FAO matters and a more realistic approach in the execution of its task. We note with particular interest the tireless efforts of the energetic Director-General to see that FAO serves its purpose well for the benefit of humanity On behalf of my colleagues I would like to congratulate him for his achievements and pray that he may continue to lead this Organization for many years to come and thus be able to put fully into practice the innovations he has just started to implement.
We fully realize the difficulties facing the Director General when he assumed office two years ago and in this context we cannot but admire the surprisingly short time it took him to draw up and submit the revised Programme which the Council then approved and which gave a completely new look to the 'Organization.
My delegation is pleased to note that the new version of the Two-Year General Programme on which FAO's Programme of Work for 1978/79 is based, incorporates many ideas which Malta had expressed and propagated during past years.
In view of the importance of this matter, allow me, Mr. Chairman, to make a few comments of a general nature on the main document before this Session, i. e. The Director-General's Programme of Work for the ensuing Biennium 1978/79. We are particularly grateful that FAO's future activities include the New Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP), which enables the Organization to give direct help to its Member Countries. This essential innovation was since long overdue, not only because it was included
in the Organization's founding Charter, but also because, in fact, FAO gave direct assistance to individual countries in its early life. Later, unfortunately, this type of work was nearly completely abandoned. It became indeed an anomaly that unlike many sister agencies of the United Nations Organization, FAO had no provisions and no funds to assist its Member Nations. My delegation notes with pleasure the provisions and rules the Director General and the Council established for the granting of such help as well as with the relative changes proposed in the Financial Regulations. We only regret that the amount indicated in the Programme of Work for this chapter is very small and hope that regulations for the TCP, could be loosened. We also feel that the firm establishment of the TCP was also necessary to make FAO more independent from external financing sources. We noted with great satisfaction the understanding reached by our Director-General with the Administrator of the UNDP in this respect, since we are convinced that the two programmes are complementary, as it was, by the way, also stresssed during the summer session of the Council.
As a member of the Group of 77 acting in harmony and solidarity with the fellow nations of this Group, Malta is a keen partisan of the New Economic Order. We cannot therefore but support the Director General's proposals contributing towards the implementation of the relative decision of the Sixth and the Seventh Special Sessions of the United Nations Organization as well as his intention to work in close harmony with the United Nations Conference on Trade-and Development.
We agree that the problems of developing countries should be accorded first priority in FAO's programmes. We do not, however - and for obvious reasons - support the idea that their geographical position and classification as well as their Gross National Product should be the hard-and-fast criteria determining the extent of financial and/or technical assistance they should be given.
This brings me to Malta's needs at this crucial step of its development. The Socialist Government's 1973-80 Development Plan, only too recently updated, sets as its basic objective the task of leading the Maltese Islands to a situation of full economic viability whereby the expenditure by British military forces stationed on the Island - on which Malta's economy was traditionally dependent - will be phased out completely by the end of March 1979 when the British military base on the Island will be closed down.
Notwithstanding the turbulence of external economic upheavals of 1974 and 1975 from which Malta could not and did not escape unscathed, the Island's political commitment remains solid and unshaken. By the set date - 31st March 1979-Malta will discard completely its traditional fortress role and fashion a new way of life unlinked in any way to war, a role in which the Maltese people will earn their livelihood through honest endeavour and initiative in the fields of manufacturing, ship repairing, shipbuilding, agriculture, tourism, commerce and other services.
This new role will come about primarily through self-help, because this is the basic philosophy of the Maltese Labour Government. The people of Malta voted for this philosophy in June 1971 and renewed their mandate in September 1976.
The Maltese people are facing this new historic task with courage and determination. The country has embarked with enthusiasm along the path which it has unequivocally chosen, and which has been clearly mapped out in the Development Plan, towards a life of friendly collaboration and harmony with all other countries particularly those nearby, a life of hard work, of moral rejuvenation, of true freedom on this road of humane democratic socialism, the Maltese people will move forward in peace and prosperity.
In the task ahead of us as a people we take solace in the knowledge that there are Organizations such as FAO who can lend us a helping hand.
As Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture I am, of course, immediately responsible for the preparation and execution of plans aimed at the further development of the agricultural and fishing industries two very important sectors of our national economy. We are humble enough to realize and admit that during this crucial transitional period our own efforts will not suffice to solve all the complex problems that lie ahead of us at once. It is for this purpose that we are concluding a series of bilateral agreements with friendly nations on technical and economic cooperation and we feel, entitled to expect considerable help from such other international sources as the World Food Programme, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the European Economic Community, the Council of Europe and last but not least, the United Nations Development Programme.
It is gratifying to note that as a first tangible result of the World Food Conference and the efforts of the World Food Council, the International Fund for Agricultural Development is about to come into being and that it will shortly start its operations. I do not hide our feeling that we expect generous help from this new Agency of the United Nations.
With regard to our requests for assistance, our policy aims at providing the means to increase employment opportunities, training facilities - especially at Management level - and know-how. We are in complete agreement with the statement of our Director-General that one of the pre-requisities for progress of development is investment. For this reason we welcome wholeheartedly his view that greater emphasis be made on assisting Member Nations in their efforts to tap potential sources of investment. It is within this concept that developing countries like ours should welcome, as we do, the launching of the Technical Cooperation Programme through which - I dare say - we hope to get a flexible, spontaneous response to our needs without any red tape.
Time at my disposal does not permit me to comment on each of the Director-General's proposals outlined in the Programme of Work. I would however like to take this opportunity to express my Government's sincere thanks for the assistance forthcoming from the FAO on our fishery as well as on animal health and nutrition problems. In the Committee on Agriculture we explained our ambitious project for land reclamation through the setting up of the ''Izra u Rabbi' which means "Sow and Rear". We hope to have the opportunity to expound the project in more detail àt the forthcoming World Conference on Land Reform and Rural Development in an effort to gain moral and material international support for its realization.
We are grateful for the assistance provided by the International Fertilizer Supply Scheme and strongly hope that it will continue in the future.
Malta is very interested in the FAO's training and research programmes. On several occasions my Government has offered the Island's hospitality to regional and world-wide gatherings on these subjects. In our efforts to promote regional cooperation we have made several offers extending our hospitality to permanent countries and/or sub-offices pertaining to FAO. This is in accordance with our policy to foster inter-country cooperation particularly in the Mediterranean zone. Regrettably enough, FAO has yet failed to avail itself of this opportunity. One U. N. Agency (the United Nations Environment Programme) has established subsidiary branch offices in Malta and we hope shortly to be able also to welcome on our shores the establishment of the United Nations Sea Bed Authority.
Mr. Chairman, we commend the progress and development our Organization registered during the last two years. We note with satisfaction that the number of meetings decreased, that the amount of working papers and documents diminished, that some progress has been achieved to decrease the staff at Headquarters and increase it in the field. But unfortunately I have to remark that there is one sector where these changes caused considerable disappointment to us. I refer to the reorganization of the Council on which Malta will be only too pleased and honoured to serve if given the opportunity.
When on the suggestion of the Malta Delegation at both the 16th and the 17th Sessions of the Conference it was agreed to re-examine the constitution, status and the role of the Council, it was hoped that such a review would lead to make of the Council a truly democratic organ. The proposal now before the Conference does not meet this expectation in that it limits the decision making in the Council to only about one third of the FAO Member Countries.
While my delegation welcomes any action designed to make the Council more representative, the present proposal certainly does not go far enough, particularly when it is realized that FAO was established to foster cooperation and collaboration among all its Member Nations. This objective cannot be realized by two-thirds of the members just meeting only once every two years. I wish therefore to reiterate Malta's former proposal, shared by a great number of other small Member Nations, to throw open the Council to all Member Nations, at least on a trial basis or, as a transitory minimum, to give full right to observers present at Council Sessions to intervene in the debates. I wish to recall, Mr Chairman that at the time when the composition of some of the Council's Commissions was modified for open membership, it was feared that these Commissions would be thus hampered. The efficient performance of these Comissions in recent years proves that this is not the case.
May I, Mr. Chairman, in conclusion, while wishing the FAO every success in its noble mission, assure you and my fellow delegates here, of my Government's continued wholehearted support to the Organization. This is in conformity with my Government's declared policy to work together with other peace-loving nations to ensure world peace and brotherly love.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for having given me the opportunity to address this distinguished Assembly.
O. VASCONEZ (Ecuador): Al iniciar mi intervención deseo, en nombre de mi pais, Ecuador, expresar a usted, señor Presidente, nuestra complacencia por la merecida designación para que presida esta importante Conferencia. Su reconocida experiencia y capacidad constituyen una garantía de que los objetivos de esta Conferencia serán alcanzados en los mejores términos.
Deseo también sumarme a los distinguidos Jefes de Delegación que me han precedido en el uso de la palabra para manifestar nuestra felicitación y cordial bienvenida a los países que se han incorporado recientemente a este organismo.
El Ecuador, país de paz y trabajo, sostiene que la lucha contra el hambre en el mundo, a la cual la FAO dedica sus mejores esfuerzos, no puede realizarse a cabalidad e inclusive no tiene sentido, mientras ingentes recursos humanos y económicos sigan dedicados a una carrera armamentista, cuyo previsible fin no es otro que la destrucción de la humanidad.
El Ecuador, por mi intermedio, pregunta a los representantes de los países miembros de la FAO que asisten a esta Conferencia: ¿Cómo podemos ejecutar vastos programas y proyectos de producción alimentaria mundial si cada día se gasta sobre los 900 millones de dólares en un desenfrenado armamentismo y las superpotencias se empeñan en preparar a gran parte de sus juventudes para que se conviertan en científicos y técnicos de la guerra nuclear? ¿Cuál es la razón para planificar el futuro si continuamos haciendo todo lo posible para no tenerlo? ¿Cómo podemos establecer un nuevo orden económico internacional sobre las dudas y temores, las imposiciones e injusticias, esto es, sobre el desequilibrio económico-social del cual surge y al cual conduce el armamentismo?
Estas preguntas las hago a nombre de mi país, en razón de los principios de paz y concordia que sustenta y como un deber de conciencia para evitar que el mundo siga en el engaño de considerar natural y hasta encomiable construir para la humanidad y preparar, al mismo tiempo, el camino de su destrucción.
Dicho ésto, que ubica con exactitud a mi país en el concierto internacional, me permito señalar a la atención de los señores representantes los siguientes asuntos de carácter básico que forman parte de la tesis que he venido a sustentar:
El Ecuador es un pequeño y hermoso país que ciertamente ha entrado en una etapa inicial de desarrollo, pero que hoy más que nunca, necesita apoyo técnico-económico, especialmente de los organismos mundiales, entre los cuales ocupa lugar preferente la FAO, para superar problemas como el del hambre y la desnu-trición, la marginación del campesinado, mediante programas de reforma agraria y de desarrollo rural integrados; de colonización de la región amazónica, precisamente donde se encuentran sus grandes recursos agropecuarios, forestales y del subsuelo; y, los relacionados con las pérdidas de las cosechas, analfabetismo, vivienda, etc. En definitiva, para consolidar posiciones, impedir errores, retrocesos o caídas y poder continuar desarrollando sus importantes recursos en forma planificada y responsable.
Como las relaciones internacionales no sólo se desenvuelven directamente, sino también a través de grupos regionales y subregionales, me permito mencionar lo siguiente:
El Grupo Andino constituido por Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru y Venezuela, es un gran esfuerzo de integración en América Latina, no sólo por los lazos históricos y socioeconómicosj de los países que lo conforman sino porque su vinculación responde a la doctrina bolivariana que está en el corazón de nuestros pueblos como algo consubstancial y eterno. Por lo mismo, el Ecuador que deposita sus mejores esperanzas en el Grupo Andino, solicita, que la FAO preste especial atención a los programas de integración agropecuaria de este grupo de países.
Esta asistencia es necesaria y muy importante ya que es el sector agropecuario el que paradójicamente no se ha integrado como es debido pese a ser el principal en todos los países del Grupo.
Para facilitar la asistencia que solicito, aspiro a que se establezca una oficina regional de la FAO en Quito, para que se atienda exclusivamente al Grupo Andino, permitiendo el adelanto de sus programas de integración agropecuaria y de colonización amazónica.
Enunciada de esta manera la posición del Ecuador para el cumplimiento de las finalidades de la FAO, me permito relevar algunos aspectos de desarrollo agropecuario de mi país:
El sector agropecuario juega un papel preponderante en el desenvolvimiento social y económico del Ecuador, no sólo por tener vinculado a sus actividades un porcentaje mayoritario de la población, sino también por su contribución a la generación de ingresos reflejada a través de su participación en el producto interno, en el comercio exterior y en la provisión de la mayor parte de los alimentos; así como de las materias primas para los procesos agro-industriales.
El Gobierno Nacional de las Fuerzas Armadas, al asumir el poder estructuró el Plan Integral de Transformación y Desarrollo para el período 1973-77, como norma para racionalizar la estrategia política y las inversiones de los sectores de la economía nacional. En este instrumento, al sector agropecuario se le asignó una importante contribución a la solución de los problemas económicos y sociales que durante décadas han incidido desfavorablemente en el desarrollo de la sociedad ecuatoriana.
En este período, los esfuerzos realizados por los sectores público y privado, han permitido enfrentar con éxito una parte de los innumerables problemas que aquejan la actividad agropecuaria. La asignación de mayores recursos económicos para el sector reflejados en una participación del 13 por ciento en el presupuesto estatal de 1976, en comparación con el 8 por ciento en 1973 y el incremento en el volumen de crédito agropecuario desde 63. 5 millones de dolares en 1970 hasta 208. 0 millones en 1977, al igual que el mejoramiento de su infraestructura física e institucional y el esfuerzo desplegado por los propios agricultores, han dado como resultado que, después de un largo período caracterizado por un lento crecimiento del producto agropecuario, se haya logrado elevar el 6. 8 por ciento su tasa promedio de crecimiento para el período 1972-1976, en contraste con un ritmo promedio del 11. 4 por ciento para el total de la economía.
Sin embargo, esta evolución todavía es insuficiente para el rol que este sector debe desempeñar como factor dinámico del desarrollo nacional. Problemas como la inadecuada distribución del ingreso, el desempleo y subempleo, la baja productividad, el uso inadecuado del espacio económico y el reto de mantener elástica la oferta de alimentos, permanecen latentes y obligan a redoblar esfuerzos en el futuro para su superación.
Si bien en los últimos años la incidencia del sector petrolero ha modificado la estructura de nuestras exportaciones, aún subsiste la influencia marcada de los productos del sector agropecuario en el crecimiento del comercio exterior, ya que su valor ha aumentado en forma continua y su composición ha experimentado una tendencia de cambio en favor de renglones no tradicionales.
Las importaciones para el sector han tenido en los últimos cinco años un crecimiento moderado, especialmente en lo referente a bienes de consumo no duraderos, en contraste con las materias primas y bienes de capital que experimentaron un mayor ritmo de crecimiento. Bajo estas circunstancias, nuestra balanza comercial agropecuaria demuestra una evolución positiva.
Otros hechos que se pueden destacar para presentar una vision de nuestra actividad agropecuaria en los últimos años, se refiere al incremento paulatino de la superficie utilizada para fines agropecuarios y simultáneamente el mejoramiento de la tecnología productiva como consecuencia del mayor empleo de semillas certificadas, agroquímicos y fertilizantes, lo que ha incidido favorablemente en los niveles de la productividad agropecuaria y en la recuperación del volumen de producción de algunos renglones de importancia para la alimentación.
La situación anterior, descrita a grandes rasgos, se ha logrado en gran parte gracias a la firme decisión de mi Gobierno de otorgar al sector agropecuario una mayor prioridad en términos de la solución de su problemática dentro del contexto nacional. En este sentido, la política para el sector ha estado enfocada principalmente al desarrollo de acciones en los siguientes campos:
Reforma Agraria cuya implementación durante los 13 últimos años ha sido motivo de una sistemática evaluación por parte de una comisión interinstitucional. Los resultados de dicha evaluación se hallan listos y después de pocos días serán conocidos por el Consejo Agrario Superior y el Consejo de Gabinete, para corregir errores en los cuales se haya incurrido y tomar decisiones básicas que permitan la adecuada ejecución de un programa tan importante como éste que tiende a acelerar la eliminación de la pobreza en la sociedad ecuatoriana, transformando las defectuosas formas de tenencia de la tierra, denamizando la incorporación de los campesinos al proceso productivo y propiciando una mejor distribución de la riqueza a nivel nacional.
Colonización de la Región Amazónica declarada por mi Gobierno como programa de máxima prioridad con el objeto de incorporar a la economía nacional casi la mitad de su territorio, descongestionando las pobladas urbes de la Costa y Sierra y dando paso a la explotación de ingentes recursos naturales, A este respecto, me es grato anunciar que el Ecuador se apresta a la realización de un vasto programa de colonización dirigido, debidamente planificado y financiado, que significará el verdadero encauzamiento de su economía por los caminos del progreso. Para esto necesita la asistencia técnica y financiera de los organismos internacionales y la adecuada cooperación de los países desarrollados. Naturalmente con la colonización amazónica, el Ecuador se hallará en mejor posición para cumplir con sus compromisos internacionales, especialmente los relacionados con el incremento de la producción alimentaria para atender las necesidades futuras del mundo.
Regionalización del país, con el objeto de hacer uso adecuado del recurso suelo y poder definitivamente encauzar la producción en forma técnica para suplir la demanda interna y externa de alimentos. Este programa, en su primera etapa, se halla terminado en un 80 por ciento y constituirá el indispensable fundamento para el futuro desarrollo de la agricultura ecuatoriana.
Riego, para incorporar nuevas zonas a la producción agropecuaria, alcanzar el máximo aprovechamiento de las ya productivas y sobre todo para preservar y ordenar el recurso agua. En el Plan de Recursos Hidro-
lógicos y Obras de Infraestructura de Riego se han habilitado hasta el presente 68 000 hectáreas, beneficiando directamente a 20 000 familias y mejorando los rendimientos de los suelos. El Plan en su totalidad contempla la ejecución de aproximadamente 45 proyectos, a través de los cuales se habilitarían alrededor de 150 000 hectáreas.
La comercialización agropecuaria, para asegurar flujos adecuados y continuos de abastecimiento para consumidores y precios remunerativos para los productores, mediante la participación de las entidades publicas en la administración de servicios de almacenamiento y distribución de productos que son base dé la alimentación, así como a través de la constitución y fortalecimiento de empresas mixtas en áreas de interés especial para el mercadeo de productos e insumos agropecuarios.
Para cumplir con este programa, mi Gobierno ha resuelto la construcción de silos y bodegas de almacenamiento en gran escala, así como redes de frigoríficos y mercados de mayoristas, reglamentando la intervención de los intermediarios y garantizando por todos los medios que los productores alcancen justa remuneración a sus esfuerzos. A este respecto, tengo el honor de anunciar la próxima expedición de un Código de Mercadeo Agropecuario que será único en su clase a nivel regional.
Aumento de la producción y productividad a través de la ejecución de proyectos integrados de desarrollo agropecuario, dirigidos preferentemente al pequeño y mediano productor y a formas asociativas de producción, con actividades diversificadas de asistencia técnica y servicios de apoyo a nivel de área de manera especial en las zonas de reforma agraria, de colonización, de riego y de aquellas caracterizadas por depresivas situaciones socioeconómicas, pero con condiciones favorables para la producción.
Con este objeto, el Gobierno durante el presente año decidió realizar una reorganización institucional del sector público agropecuario que persigue la descentralización de las actividades administrativas, financieras y de programación, buscando una mayor rentabilidad de la inversión pública y finalmente la reorientación de los servicios hacia el pequeño y mediano productor.
El fomento de la actividad pesquera en el país, que se ha convertido en uno de los rubros más importantes de la economía nacional con una inversión actual que sobrepasa los doscientos millones de dólares. El Estado ofrece las facilidades necesarias para la formación de empresas de economía mixta con la par-: ticipación de capitales extranjeros. Gran parte del éxito alcanzado se debe al esfuerzo desplegado por la Subsecretaría de Pesca y que se manifiesta en las diversas obras realizadas, y sobre todo, en haber sobrepasado la meta establecida por el Plan Quinquenal al alcanzar una producción de 300 000 toneladas en 1976 superior a la de 216 400 toneladas establecidas para 1977, año final del indicado Plan.
Realizada esta breve exposición sobre la marcha del sector, antes de finalizar mi exposición, a nombre de mi país, cumplo con el deber de puntualizar lo siguiente:
El Ecuador ha reiterado su decisión firme por la plena vigencia del Nuevo Orden Económico Internacional, cuyos objetivos no son otros que los de corregir las grandes desigualdades existentes entre los países desarrollados y en vías de desarrollo, reparar las tremendas injusticias actuales, eliminar las disparidades crecientes en el concierto mundial, con el fin de asegurar a las generaciones presentes y del futuro, un mundo con mejores niveles de vida y en un ambiente de paz y justicia. Lamentamos que la falta de entendimiento en el primer quinquenio de la década, haya puesto al mundo ante peligrosas confrontaciones que pueden afectar a toda la población mundial si los países desarrollados no aplican las medidas previstas para alcanzar, en la presente década, los objetivos específicos de la estrategia.
Mi país mira con preocupación el desenvolvimiento de las negociaciones sobre el programa integrado de productos básicos efectuadas en el seno de la UNCTAD. La lentitud de las negociaciones de los productos que conforman el Programa Integrado demuestra la falta de decisión política de los países desarrollados, los cuales a pesar de sus declaraciones de buena voluntad, no han dado pasos significativos para solucionar, aunque sea en parte, la actual crisis del comercio internacional. El Ecuador aspira a que se concluya favorablemente la negociación del Fondo Común del Programa Integrado y se lleguen a consolidar los mecanismos que permitan poner en marcha el mencionado programa.
Mi país recaba el apoyo político de la Comunidad Internacional para que la negociación del Convenio Mundial del Banano pueda concluirse lo antes posible. Asimismo, solicita igual apoyo para que los países que aprobaron el convenio del Azúcar lo ratifiquen. Nos inquieta profundamente la corriente de opinión que propugna la reducción de recursos para los países que, como el nuestro, están iniciando el camino en el proceso de desarrollo, sin que ello signifique restar fuentes de apoyo a los más retrasados de la escala. El Ecuador, se opondrá con toda energía a cualquier acción de esta naturaleza, al tratar de restar recursos a la región Latinoamericana, bajo el pretexto de concentrarlos en los países más deprimidos o por razones relacionadas con la legítima defensa que hacen los países de sus recursos naturales.
El compromiso del aporte de los grandes países del uno por ciento de su producto nacional bruto para transferir recursos al mundo en desarrollo, sigue sin cumplirse, salvo dos o tres honrosas excepciones. Los países industrializados continúan sordos ante este clamor de justicia que tiene que lograr tal transferencia para garantizar un mundo de paz, dentro del nuevo orden económico internacional.
Así por ejemplo, en los últimos diez años el Comercio Internacional ha representado ingresos por un trillon de dólares. El 94 por ciento de esta cifra ha beneficiado a 23 países industrializados y tan sólo el 6 por ciento a los 110 países "en desarrollo", que tienen una población superior a los 2 500 millones de habitantes.
Los países "en desarrollo" exportan anualmente a los países industrializados 30 000 millones de dólares en materias primas, que se venden a los consumidores de esos países ricos en 200 000 millones de dólares. Estos datos nos revelan la tremenda injusticia y distribución anárquica de la riqueza.
Debe recordarse que América Latina ha empezado a trasladar a otros países, en especial a los de más reciente autonomía, los resultados de su experiencia de siglo y medio de vida independiente y de 32 años de acción perseverante del sistema.
Señor Presidente y Señores Delegados:
He venido expresamente a Roma con el objeto de expresar en primer lugar el agradecimiento a la FAO por haber prestado invalorables servicios a mi país durante 25 años. En realidad me place manifestar que es difícil encontrar una actividad de importancia relacionada con el desarrollo agropecuario del Ecuador en la cual no haya participado directa o indirectamente la Organización Mundial.
En segundo lugar, he venido a dejar constancia de mi felicitación al Director General de la FAO por la posición realista y práctica generalmente adoptada en su programa de labores 1978-1979, con la cordial sugerencia de que se busque, no sólo atender directamente a los países, sino también, poner énfasis en los programas encaminados al cumplimiento de los objetivos mundiales de la FAO a través de las organizaciones regionales y subregionales de países, ya formados o en formación, por ser éstos los mejores canales para la expresión de esfuerzos unificados con miras a obtener resultados positivos en el menor tiempo posible.
Por último, con el objeto de relevar el aspecto enunciado anteriormente, considero que sería muy beneficiosa la presencia del señor Saouma en la III Reunión de Ministros de Agricultura del Grupo Andino, a realizarse en Bogotá del 5 al 9 de diciembre de este año, y su participación en el estudio de proyectos conjuntos, como el que presentará el Ecuador, relacionado con el establecimiento de un Centro de Información Computarizado en los campos de la investigación, producción, comercialización e industrialización agropecuaria, en tal forma que los Ministerios de Agricultura de la Subregión provean y reciban diariamente vía télex información estandarizada al respecto. Lo importante de la intervención de la FAO es que ella logre relacionar a este Centro con todos los países miembros de la Organización a través de AGRIS y del Sistema de Información y Alerta.
Señor Presidente y señores Delegados: Simón Bolívar, el libertador de nuestros países, hace aproximadamente 150 años dijo: ''Yo deseo más que otro alguno ver formarse en América la más grande nación del mundo, menos por su extensión y riqueza, que por su libertad y gloria".
Los ecuatorianos con todo respecto repetimos ese concepto, pero en vez de referirnos a un continente, expresamos nuestra fe porque la humanidad forme un solo pueblo en el planeta Tierra como expresión de su fraternidad frente al Universo.
The meeting rose at 11. 20 hrs
La seance est levée à 11 h 20
Se levanta la sesión a las 11. 20 horas
