EL PRESIDENTE:Según la Agenda y el Calendario que fue propuesto por el Comité General y aprobado por la Conferencia, el primer tema que pondremos a consideración es el tema 7, cuyo documento es el C 77/19, que se refiere a la Prevención de Pérdidas de Alimentos.
Antes de dar la palabra al Profesor Bommer, que va a introducir este tema en esta Sala, quisiera decir que el tema 7 tiene particular importancia, a mi juicio, porque precisamente se vincula con algo que las delegaciones han insistido en los últimos dos años, y es la necesidad de dar a la FAO aptitud sufi ciente para que esté en condiciones de dar respuesta inmediata a los requerimientos de asistencia por parte de los países. Un ejemplo ha sido el Programa de Cooperación Técnica, que creo que funciona bien, y otro ejemplo podría ser esta nueva propuesta que ahora nos presenta el Director General.
Analizando el documento, quizás ustedes habrán visto que las cifras que se pierden, tanto antes de las cosechas como durante o como luego de las cosechas, son altísimas y que quizás el conocimiento de esas cifras aconseje tomar una decisión al respecto, es decir, aconsejando que esta acción que nos propone se implemente con la mayor urgencia y sobre todo que aconseje que tratemos también de llegar a un con-oenso sobre esta iniciativa.
D.F.R. BOMMER (Assistant Director-General, Agriculture Department): The proposed Action Programme for the reduction of pre-harvest and post-harvest losses in the first issue is of major importance and is to be considered by this Commission which deals with major trends in policies in food and agriculture. As emphasized by the Director-General, a strong and determined attack on avoidable losses will be one corner-stone of FAO's priorities in the years to come. As mentioned by the Director-General in his introduction, the subject of food losses has been on the agenda of many meetings of FAO and other bodies since the World Food Conference in 1974 drew attention to it and to the possibility of increasing food availability by drastically reducing losses.
The FAO Council at its 70th Session in November-December 1976 recalled the Resolution passed by these bodies, in particular that of the 7th Special Session of the UN General Assembly, calling for a 50 percent reduction of post-harvest losses by 1985. The Council requested the Director-General to prepare an Action Programme to reduce pre - and post-harvest losses and to present a proposal for a $20 million fund for this purpose.
The Action Programme was discussed at length by the 4th Session of the Committee on Agriculture, which made valuable suggestions to improve it. The FAO Council at its 71st Session unanimously approved the Action Programme, as endorsed by COAG, and a large majority of the Council also agreed with the proposal for an FAO Special Fund for the reduction of food losses. A resolution to establish the fund, presented by the Finance Committee, was discussed by the Council, which deferred a final decision to its 72nd Session. At that Session last week the Council considered the revised draft, resolution which was transmitted to the Conference with some amendments.
The present discussion therefore represents a combination of a series of discussions of food losses. These series of reviews have been valuable in defining ideas and in defining more clearly the point of emphasis, the point of importance on which Member Countries, FAO and other agencies should focus in their future activities. I will not at this stage repeat these points. They are to be found in the Reports of COAG and the relevant Council Sessions and are embodied in document C 77/19 before you.
'The present discussion provides an opportunity in a wider forum for Member Countries to review their present activities in preventing food losses; to consider the broad strategy to be adopted in increasing these activities; to discuss further the FAO Action Programme, its priorities and emphasis in the perspective of the total strategy, and to consider the Resolution to establish a special fund for the reduction of food losses.
It must, of course, be recognised that projects financed from the fund would form only an initial stage of the total efforts to be undertaken. This requires a full commitment of respective governments to amend their national programmes and for mobilization of additional assistance from the international community. It is our concern to begin the Action Programme as soon as possible and wherever possible to spearhead large-scale action by all concerned. It is imperative that we go forward quickly and courageously with this Programme. It must be carried out by each individual country with the largest possible international cooperation and assistance, as only the combination of individual and cooperative effort can ensure lasting success in our fight against preventable food losses.
EL PRESIDENTE: Quizá el Sr. Relator desea ahora informarnos sobre lo acontecido en el Plenario para poder así contar con nuevos elementos para analizar en nuestras discusiones sobre este tema 7.
L. RITTERSHAUS (Rapporteur, from Plenary to Commission I)t This afternoon I will report on the first se ssion of the General Discussion in the Plenary Meeting. I will restrict my report to statements relevant to Item 7 of the Agenda, the prevention of food losses.
The prevention of food losses was at the centre of the first and second days of the Plenary. The Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Narasimhan, stressed the importance of the prevention of food losses in general and said that they have already aroused considerable interest in the United Hâtions General Assembly. He welcomed international cooperation in this field and the fact that areas of future collaboration towards a reduction of these losses were already being explored.
The delegate of Switzerland, who opened a number of country statements, fully supported FAO's policies on food losses but questioned the need for a separate fund, and in this context criticized what he called the präsent tendency towards dispersal of resources. While Switzerland was ready to collaborate in FAO,. activities Uniting food losses, he believed that a special fund would set a regrettable precedent. The Swiss Government would prefer voluntary contributions to the Regular Programme over and above the level of ordinary contributions.
The delegate of Saudi Arabia expressed the view that the proposed financial fund for the reduction of post-harvest food losses was a good case illustrating the danger of unnecessary dispersal of efforts and human resources.. Rather than having new programmes, existing programmes should assume this and ether tasks.
The delegate of Belgium supported the examination of the proposal to establish a fund for the rednotion of food losses during this Conference, and so did the delegate of Tunisia.
The delegate of Nigeria likewise welcomed the programme aimed at the reduotion of food losses,while the delegate of Japan mentioned that Japan has for many years given économie assistance in the field of better food processing. He recommended that developing countries should also carry out basic research on food preservation and that FAO should provide teohnical assistance which could be coordinated with national efforts.
In the sane vein Morocco welcomed the Director-General's programme concerning the reduction of food losses; and so did the Turkish delegation.
The delegation of Morocco estimated that grain importing countries could save some 871/2 million a year on imports only.
The Danish delegation went one step further and suggested that the proposed programme for the reduction of post-harvest losses should receive top priority as it could reduce losses of precious foodstuffs of an order of $5.8 billion a year, roughly the amount the developing world is at present lacking in resources to attain the objective of the Second Development Decade.
The delegation of the United Kingdom supported the programme for the reduction of food losses and ex pressed the view that a post-harvest loss effort was aooeptable with a reservation concerning the rai sing of the necessary contributions. The principles of voluntariness should be maintained. A similar view was voiced by the Austrian delegate.
The French Minister of Agriculture added that in his view crop losses and their reduction were a most crucial problem. Losses up to 40 percent of harvest volume in some countries were unacceptable, but as for the financing of the operations aimed at reducing food losses, a suitable formula still had to be found.
The debate continued this morning and will he reported in the next Session.
EL PRESIDENTE: Pongo a consideración de ustedee el tema 7·
E. SAENZ (Colombia): Gracias por darnos la oportunidad de hablar de primeros en este tema. Trataremos de ser breves, lo más breves posible, siguiendo aquel refrán pugilistico que dice que quien golpea pri mero, golpea dos veces. Entonces, esperamos que esta intervención nuestra tenga una doble repercusión en beneficio del tema que abordamos.
Permítame, Sr. Presidente, igualmente felicitarlo a usted por la posición que ocupa; es como usted lo dice, la representación de América Latina en la Mesa directiva, y nos honramos de tenerlo a usted como Presidente de esta Comisión.
Agradecemos y felicitamos también a la Secretaría por el documento tan bien elaborado que nos presenta, elC 77/19, y antes de iniciar nuestro tema central queremos darle un saludo a nuestros colegas, dán doles la bienvenida a esta Casa como países miembros de FAO, a quienes ofrecemos la colaboración total de nuestra delegación. En diversas reuniones anteriores la representación de Colombia ha venido parti cipando en la discusión de este Tema 7: "Prevención de pérdidas en Alimentos" en el seno de esta Comisión I. La delegación de mi país desea reiterar su más pleno apoyo a este asunto y la forma en que el Director General ha propuesto flexiblemente que se inicie el Fondo Especial para llevar a cabo esta iniciativa.
Consideramos que el dinero proviene del resultado de la diferencia de cambio utilizado para este Pondo, que representa grandes beneficios para los países en desarrollo. Si no logramos la totalidad de los 10 millonee de dólares, tantas veces repetidos, para este Pondo de pérdidas durante y después de las cosechas, debemos intensificar nuestros esfuerzos para buscar una fórmula y los términos aceptados por los países interesados, que faciliten un acuerdo en plena oooperación y sin inútiles confrontaciones.
Eh esta oportunidad nos limitaremos a decir para terminar ya, que ese Pondo dará la posibilidad de au mentar la productividad agrícola al evitar sus pérdidas en las cosechas luchando enérgicamente con el interés común de la lucha contra el hambre y la malmit rición.
A. ANDERSON (Sweden): Food losses can occur at many points between the initiation of production and the delivery of food to the consumer. This applies more or less in all countries, and it is a very big problem in the developing countries, as shown in the document we have before us, C 77/19·
We all agree that the crop losses profiled are, from a technical point of view, well illustrated in that document. We can learn a lot from the picture on page 2 which clearly illustrates that crop losses are a regular part of the normal production process. We really do appreciate that the FAO Secretariat have put harvest losses as a natural occurrence. With this background, my delegation wishes to stress, as we did at the Fourth Session of COAG, that a strategy for the reduction of food losses in general ought to be similar to a strategy for raising the results of production. It means that the activities in food loss prevention must last for a long time; it affects all producers, large and small, and all those who collect, transport, store and deliver food. In other words, FAO's activities in food loss prevention will be an integral part of the regular programme as well as the field programme. Here I would mention advisor training, applied research, etc
We also believe that the post-harvest losses programme and the scheme for food security have a great deal to do with each other.
Having said that, my delegation would like to underline that we have two problems to tackle in connec tion with the prevention of food losses. The first is to get a springboard in line with a campaign to grow more food and save food. We could call this campaign, for instance, .reduced losses'. Sweden said earlier, and it says today during this Conference, that with this background we can accept the Director-General's action programme earlier approved by the FAO Council at its 71st Session.
The second problem is to prevent food losses in the production process in the long run. We must not forget this detail when we now discuss the actual proposal for a good start. We must also find a cure for the second and, as we see it, bigger problem. My delegation feels that food losses should be given a higher priority and more resources in the fatare, both in the regular programme and the field programme.
What we say today when we start this action programme is. of ocurse, very important, hut what we do in the future will he still more important.
I· A. IMTIAZI (Pakistan): We welcome the increased attention being given to this problem because prevention of food losses is a relatively quick and inexpensive way of increasing total availability of food supplies. If such losses between production and consumption could be reduced or prevented, the food picture would be infinitely brighter.
This subject is receiving due recognition in my country. Realizing the gravity, the enormity and the complexity of the problem, the government of Pakistan has already commissioned a number of studies to formulate a feasible action plan. Our agricultural university is currently undertaking a major study on post-harvest losses in primary food grains in response to a suggestion from FAO, and that study is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
The government of Pakistan has also established a Vertebrate Pest Control Centre with FAO/UNDP assistance, and with the participation of WHO. It has been estimated that in my country crop losses from vertebrate pests alone are about 40 to 60 percent in extreme oases and are valued at about $10,000,000 per year The Centre is paying particular attention to rodent control techniques, both in the field and in food storage. The Centre, which is probably the first of its kind to be developed and supported by FAO, apart from research, undertakes training of agricultural extension workers and farmers-it also undertakes demonstrations, field trials and investigations, and provides advice to various agencies including the Food Department. The Centre is now in a position to provide the foundation of trained staff and knowledge as a basis for a comprehensive and cohesive national- strategy for minimizing food losses and health hazards. The government of Pakistan would be happy if these results and facilities at this Centre could be provided to other developing countries, and we invite the FAO to use this national institution for promoting its activities in this field.
The lack of adequate storage accommodation for food grains is one of the primary factors responsible for food losses in Pakistan. We have under way a master plan for the storage of agricultural produce, particularly with reference to food grains. We are doing this in collaboration with the government of Canada. The comprehensive terms of reference prepared for the Canadian mission include a study of storage losses and the extent to which they could be reduced through the development of proper storage. Improved storage at the farm level is also engaging our attention, particularly low cost structures using indigenous material. Towards this end, Chinese-type clay silos are being experimented with and, if found suitable, would be duplicated on a large scale.
Turning now to the contents and the proposals in the document, which my delegation has read with great interest and which it fully supports, we have a few points to make. We believe that FAO must assume leadership is this campaign and play a pivotal role in the development and implementation of national programmes based upon its experience in professionally operating and coordinating the ISCEED, IPS, etc. Major inputs will have to be through investment in manpower, investment in finances and investment in physical resources.
While endorsing the proposed FAO action programme, we would suggest that this "be kept as simple as pos sible Ho that it remains economical and flexible. My delegation also supports the mechanism for the implementation of the FAO Programme and the oriteria proposed by the Director-General for approval of projects. As regards the financing of the team, my delegation fully supports the Director-General' s proposal for the establishment of a special fund and the mode of its financing. We do recognize that the programme proposed by the Director-General is intended to be catalystic and is meant to serve only as a model. to stimulate further assistance and investment. We would hope that such assistance would be forthcoming in adequate measure from multilateral and bilateral sources. We would further hope that the International Fund for Agricultural Development will, as soon as it has become operational, also pay attention to assisting the developing countries to reduce and prevent their food losses as much as possible.
A.R. SIAFFA (Sierra Leone): First of all I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for giving me the floor and also to congratulate you on your appointment as Chairman of this Commission.
My intervention at this stage is of a general nature. I wish to commend the Director-General and his assistants for the preparation of the excellent document which is the basis of our discussions in this Commission
I must also congratulate the initiative of FAO for concentrating special attention on this all-important matter of measures that can he taken to reduce crop losses and measures that can reduce food losses.
The subject of the report, self-sufficienty in food, is very dear to the heart of my delegation as we have been doing all we can to attain the goal of self-sufficienty in rice. Sierra Leone is the biggest consumer of rice in the West Afrioan region, and we have been plagued by the problems of post-harvest crop losses, especially in grain. We do hope that this Commission, after its deliberations, will come up with worthwhile recommendations leading to the reduction of food losses.
We cannot afford to be complacent on the issue of food losses either pre- or post-harvest losses. It would give the small farmer considerable incentive for further production if he could reduce his crop losses both in the field and after harvest. The marketable surpluses of food produced are deter mined to a considerable extent not only by the yield per unit area in the field, but also by what the farmer can harvest and process either for home consumption or for the market.
On investment, in most developing countries like Si era Leone, for example, a substantial investment is made in crop production through the use of improved seeds, fertilizers etc. In some of our countries these inputs are expensive and heavily subsidized if the small farmer should be in a position to bene fit from their use. All these exercises and investment will come to nougfrt if the high yield in the field is depleted or nullified by loss of the harvest, because of the lack of adequate processing and storage facilities.
As to multiple cropping - quite often improvement in one area brings a number of new problems. Where suitable soil and water combination exists it has sometimes been possible for the farmer to take more than one crop from the same piece of land per year. While the purpose of this multiple cropping is to get the most out of the land, sometimes some of the crops come to harvest at a critical time of the year, for example rice in the rainy season where the farmer has not got the drying facilities to dry the crops during this time of the year which is very wet and humid. Losses are bound to be heavy under these circumstances.
Now the location of stores at stragetic points in suitable areas either to be used on a cooperative or an individual basis is highly recommended. The siting of stores should be determined or dictated by effeotive needs, not merely by political considerations.
Even where pests or crop detection chemicals are available and within the purchasing power of the small farmer, he is quite often not in a position to obtain effective results from their use due to the lack of trained extension workers to guide him in their application.
We should also ensure that every package deal agricultural project should provide for inputs such as supervised credit to enable the purchase and application of crop protection chemicals, stores ,etc.
G. DEL MONTE (Italie): La délégation italienne désire avant tout exprimer son appréciation pour la mise au point de la part de la FAO dans le document soumis à l'examen C 77/19, dans lequel sont exposés de façon synthétique tous les principaux éléments concernant les problèmes des pertes alimentaires après la récolte, particulièrement dans les pays de la zone tropicale, ainsi que les moyens à mettre en oeuvre pour réduire ces pertes dans tous les sens possibles.
Tout le monde reconnaît qu'aux fins de la disponibilité des produits tout ce que l'on fait pour ré duire les pertes irréversibles vérifiées dans les aliments de base entre la récolte et l'introduction dans la consommation est également méritoire vis-à-vis de l'accroissement de la production. Meme vis-à-vis des coûts, parce que sur le plan de chaque économie, en particulier de l'économie générale,il est intéressant de réduire, plus que le coût proportionnel aux quantités produites, le coût relatif aux quantités effectivement disponibles pour la consommation. C'est pour cela que la Délégation italienne donne toute son adhésion, en lui reconnaissant son caractère de haute priorité, au programme d'action visant à réduire les pertes d'aliments de base après la récolte.
Cela d'autant plus que le programmesusnommépeut être inséré de façon valide et spécifique dans les plus vastes plans de l'assistance pour la sécurité alimentaire mondiale et la stabilisation des prix et du Programme alimentaire mondial.
En ce qui concerne ce dernier, qu'il me soit permis de mentionner que l'Italie, qui a une expérience scientifique et technique remarquables en matière de prévention des pertes alimentaires, a eu l'oc casion de donner de façon concrète sa collaboration dans le domaine de la défense des denrées alteen-taires en offrant son hospitalité au moie d'avril 1975 auprès du laboratoire spécialisé du Ministère
de l'agriculture à Rome, aux pays désirant des cours de formation consacrés à ce problème pour le per sonnel du PAM. L'Italie sera heureuse de renouveler sa collaboration. Enfin, la délégation italienne se permet d'attirer l'attention sur un point mentionné au point 10 du document C 77/19 dans lequel il est possible de vérifier les pertes après la récolte: celui de l'emballage.
Des récentes études exécutées en Italie et ailleurs dans le monde ont montré comment on peut atteindre des résultats concrets de défense de l'attaque des insectes en utilisant des matériaux convenables pour stocker, conserver et commercialiser les denrées alimentaires.
LI YUNG-ΚΑΙ (China) (interpretation from Chinese) : The main problem of the third world countries as regards food is the insufficiency of their food production. The fundamental solution therefore lies in actively removing the various constraints affecting food production and bringing about a rapid increase in production. Production is the basis. While giving priority to the development of production it is of course necessary to take effective measures to reduce post-harvest losses so as to increase the total amount of food for consumption.
For this purpose FAO has submitted an experimental work programme and proposes to establish a special fund to finance model projects in the coming biennium. That is all right, but one must keep a sense of priority and view this programme in its proper perspective.
We made some comments on the subject at the last two sessions of the Council. Now we should like to add a few remarks in connection with these specific conditions of our country.
We have all along attached importance to the reduction of food losses from grain cultivation, harvest, storage, up to transportation and processing, proper measures are taken at every stage to reduce food losses. These measures are economical, effective and easy to popularize, as they are suited to the different circumstances prevailing in the locality to the various kinds of grain that are handled, and to the different traditions in processing and consumption.
To cut pre-harvest losses to a minimum we abide by the principle of putting prevention before treatment. We have established and improved, early warning systems to forecast disease and insect pests, and make great efforts to reduce the incidence of insect infestation, and birds and animal attacks at an early stage.
To minimize food losses during the harvest we take care to make rational use of manpower during harvest, improve harvesting equipment and technique, and lose no time in harvesting, transportation and storage. Besides, we advocate the principle that every ear of grain should be brought home, and we carry out intensive harvesting and careful threshing. To reduce loss in storage and transportation we pursue the policy of storing grain among the people.
We encourage communes and production brigades to use local materials to build simple warehouses, that are small, inexpensive and practical, so that grain can be stored where' it is produced.
As to marketable grain and grain reserves for cities and industrial or mining areas the state sees to it that warehouses are rationally located and that grain is transported in a planned way and properly stored. Quite a lot of state warehouses are free from pests, rodents, birds, moulds and accidents. Much attention is paid to improving food processing technology and making small simple processing equipment suited to various local conditions particularly to the needs of communes and brigades. While ensuring the quality of processed food we try to increase the rate of food output from grain and use the by-products as animal feed or industrial raw material so as to make the beet use of grain. At present we are strengthening scientific research on food loss production and frequently organize exchanges of experience in order to further reduce food losses. From our own experience we feel that the reduction of food losses is not just a matter of technology and management but also involves a number of social and economic problems. Each country has its own crops and climate, moreover, .cultivation, harvesting storage, transportation, processing and distribution vary in scale and method from country to country. Therefore, the strategy and methodology used to reduce food losses in different places cannot be exactly the same. In our view with regard to plans and projects for reducing food losses each country should be encouraged to rely on its own efforts. At the same time when aid is to be offered in this respect account should be taken of the actual conditions and specific requirements of the recipient countries. FAO's model projects in regard to their scale, technology and cost should be such that recipient countries will find them simple and effective, easy to learn and inexpensive to operate so that they will be able" to extend them by their own efforts. "What merits special attention is how to really benefit the small farmers through a reduction of food losses, as they constitute the majority of the rural population in most Third World countries.
In sum we think that in tackling such a complicated problem, all these aspects should be taken into consideration and frequently provided for. It certainly would not be appropriate to impose a uniform solution.
M. LIMAN (Nigeria): My delegation would like to start by congratulating the Secretariat for producing a thought-provoking comprehensive paper C 77/19 on a subject which we regard as of considerable importance to my country and indeed to all developing countries. I share the paper's concern that while a great deal has been said and done about pre-harvest losses relatively little has been done to save whatever it has been possible to produce. In Nigeria assuming a conservative 10 percent post-harvest losses the quantity of grain lost every year runs into well over 1 million tons.
No doubt, Mr, Chairman, a programme in which the international community makes a massive financial and technical input is long overdue. My delegation therefore supports in. general the proposals put forward in this paper.
We agree, for example, that there are three major constraints in this area; lack of information; lack of of the necessary infrastructure; and lack of capital for investment. It is amazing how very little is known about the magnitude of losses which actually occur after harvest and the most critical areas in this long chain of losses. In some cases therefore we think a study which identifies the points where the major losses are occurring and prepares an inventory of available storage, processing and transport facilities, will be necessary. This study quickly conducted, will provide a sound basis for an action programme.
I should also add that the model projects cited in the document appear to us well conceived.
I should like to stress however, that at least in the experience of my country, Nigeria, it would certainly be more economical and indeed more practical to introduce improvements in the village level storage system rather than impose on the rural community and alien system which is new and most likely expensive. Done in this way the programme will not only be cheaper but more easily adopted by the family. This point has already been made by the delegate of the People's Republic of China.
The document also suggests that the main emphasis of the programme should be on food crops. This my delegation supports whole-heartedly.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, with regard to the establishment of the fund, judging by the enormous scope of the problem of post-harvest losses; the $20 million suggested by the Director-General would appear to be the minimum funds required immediately if a valuable impact is to be made in this vital long-neglected area. My delegation therefore supports the establishment of the fund unreservedly. The only issue of concern is the procedure being suggested. While the need to support the programme is undoubtedly urgent we think it is necessary for this Commission to work towards a generally acceptable means of making available to the fund the $10 million recommended by the Director-General which will guarantee the support and cooperation of all member countries of the FAO. Whatever we do, however, Mr. Chairman, my delegation would like to implore this Commission not to allow bureaucratic red tape to prevent the early establishment of the fund.
B.E. MATAMOROS HUECK (Nicaragua): Deseo, Sr. Presidente, felicitarlo a usted y a los otros miembros da esta Comisión que han sido elegidos a la Presidencia y Vicepresidencia respectivamente. También, Sr. Presidente, tratare de atender sus sugerimientos a fin de facilitar la tarea a los interpretes y a las otras delegaciones.
El tema que estamos tratando reviste para mi delegación particular importancia, pues consideramos que el primario objetivo de los países en desarrollo no es solamente el incremento de la producción agrícola, sino también evitar las pérdidas derivadas durante la cosecha y posteriormente a la cosecha, pues influyen directamente en la disponibilidad alimentaria que existe en nuestros países.
En un documento que fue sometido al estudio del Comité de Agricultura se indicaba que para 1985 la demanda de los países en desarrollo en producciones cerealícolasiba a ser aproximadamente de 979 millones de toneladas. Sin embargo, en ese mismo documento se ponía en evidencia que la capacidad de producción de nuestros países iba a alcanzar solamente 853 millones de toneladas, de lo cual se derivaba una déficit neto de nuestra demanda alimenticia de cereales de aproximadamente 76 millones de dolares. Se calculaba a este efecto, Sr. Presidente, que las pérdidas netas de producciones de cereales eran aproximadamentede un 10 por ciento, lo que implicabaaproximadamente una pérdida de 85 millones de toneladas en cereales. Solo en nuestras producciones, en términos globales, y dándole un precio ponderado de 176 dolares por tonelada, implicaban la cifra grandísima de 7 500 millones de dolares.
Por lo tanto, Sr. Presidente, si consideramos que solamente nos refiremos a los productos cerealícolos, esto da la magnitud del problema que nosotros estamos aquí enfrentando.
El Gobierno de mi país ha tenido particularpreocupación de este problema y ha tratado de emplear las infraestructuras de almacenamiento que puedan cubrir en parte nuestras necesidades, y actualmente hemos logrado alcanzar una capacidad de almacenamiento en el orden de 3.4 millones de quintales de granos básicos. Sin embargo, consideramos que estas actividades y las metas que hemos alcanzado aun no son suficientes y en muchos aspectos se asemejan mucho a los problemas que tenemos todos los países en desarrollo.
Específicamente en relación al documentoC 77/19, mi delegación considera que hay tres aspectos fundamentales que se refieren a la producción, el aprovechamiento y el almacenamiento de estos productos, así como a su comercialización. Creemos que la FAO en este sentido puede desarrollar una actividad muy importante en el reforzamiento de los planes nacionales ya existentes, así como también en lograr integrar la coordinación de las actividades de los órganos regionales que en este sentido ya se están operando. Concretamente también, creo que en estas actividades ya la FAO participa a nivel multilateral y en cooperación con otros países que donan asistencia bilateralmente. Podrían ampliarse también a nuestras regiones, pues en los documentos que mi delegación ha tomado no se hace mención de América Latina, si bien ya existen programas de actividades a este respecto en los países en desarrollo.
También deseo referirme a la observación hecha por la delegación de Nigeria y de China en cuanto al nivel de capacitación y la creación de infraestructuras. Consideramos que es muy importante que sea dada a nivel de pequeño productor agrícola y mediano productor también porque todos sabemos que los procesos de elaboración y de consumo de los alimentos vienen en su mayoría en forma directa, y yo creo que las actividades de capacitación influirían en una forma muy grande a reducir las pérdidas mismas.
Concluyendo, Sr. Presidente, mi delegaccién desea dar su apoyo a la creación del Fondo Especial propuesto por el Director General con la disponibilidad de una cifra de 20 millones de dolares de los Eptados Unidos. Sin embargo, si bien apoyamos el principio de la creación de los Estados Unidos. Sin embargo, si bien apoyamos el principio de la creación de este Fondo, también consideramos que debido a la magnitud de las necesidades de los países en desarrollo, es solamente para cubrir las necesidades iniciales. Para poner en marcha este programa, también consideramos que se debe constituir un mecanismo regular para continuar la seguridad de las actividades, que a ese respecto van a constituir el programa, que esperamos, que logremos un resultado satisfactorio al respecto durante el curso de nuestras deliberaciones."
Z. OWIRI (Kenya): Mr. Chairman, first of all I would like to offer our keenest congratulations to you on being elected Chairman of this Commission. Kenya welcomes this opportunity to express her support for the broad objectives and principles of the strategy for the prevention of food losses as outlined in Conference Paper C 77/19. We would like to congratulate the Director-General on producing such a paper, which in our view contains the most important factors to be considered in the prevention of the food losses, especially post-harvest losses.
Having expressed my delegation's support for the document, there are a few observations that my delegation would like to make. Those observations may on the surface appear as matters of detail but in our view they are of sufficient importance to deserve due consideration by this Conference, as they also directly relate to the provision of food and basic needs for a large portion of the low income groups of our population in general and of the rural poor in particular.
The document we are discussing has directed itself mainly to the prevention of post-harvest losses in food grains. This is perfectly understandable as the majority of the human population depend on grains as the source of their basic food. However, there is a substantial part of the rural population which depends solely on livestock and livestock products as their basic and only source of food. In this case I am referring to the rural population in large parts of the marginal and dry lands of the developing countries, of which Kenya is one, which depend solely on meat and milk from various forms of livestock, such as cattle, sheep, goats and camels, for their food. My delegation would like to see this fact recognized and given sufficient attention by FAO by its inclusion in the programme for prevention of food losses. We have in mind such ways and means of preserving meat and milk at the village farm level for use by the farm family during periods of scarcity.
Similarly, my delegation would like to see the problems expanded to include a wide spectrum of root food crops, especially potatoes, in addition to yams, which are already included in the document. In our situation, vegetables and other easily perishable horticultural crops, form an important source of food for the farm family.
My delegation would like to propose some degree of flexibility in the document so that if the need is recognized and specific projects are identified they also can be included in the programme.
Fish has been completely omitted from the document. The majority of the population inhabiting our coastal waters and along the lakes and rivers eat mainly fish. The programmes should therefore cpver these people as well.
My delegation fully welcomes the establishment of the Special Fund for the Reduction of Food Losses. We also welcome the proposal for the establishment of national committees, to be charged with the primary responsibility of assessing the magnitude of food losses and initiating the necessary measures for the prevention of such losses. In this context, however, it is our view that where they exist due recognition should be given to the existing national institutions, which can also carry out the additional responsibility of the prevention of food losses.In our situation there are already in existence various agricultural committees, beginning from the farmer-village level up to the national level.Such institutions can under our conditions very well handle this added responsibility.
My delegation would like to make one observation of caution when it comes to the preparation of specific projects for implementation and investment. There have been instances where investment in personnel, in the form of experts and consultants, has taken up more than a fair share of the investment in the project. We trust that this will be avoided in the future, to ensure that the bulk of the investment in this regard reaches the rural poor.
In conclusion, my delegation notes with profound appreciation the efforts already being made by the Commonwealth Secretariat in organizing regional workshops on post-harvest losses. The first such . workshop was held in Accra, Ghana, in April 1977 and I understand that another similar workshop is scheduled for the East African countries early next year. It is our hope that such regional conferences will help us adopt a regional approach to post-harvest losses and identify specific problems for investment in areas which will yield the highest returns and benefit the greatest number of our people.
We have also benefited from the work being carried out by the Tropical Products Institute of the United Kingdom. We hope that this cooperative programme will continue and will be expanded to include all the factors concerning the production of food losses.
With those remarks, Kenya would like to re-state her support for the proposals contained in the document.
F. WILA (Gabon): Je tiens tout d'abord à féliciter le délégué de l'Argentine pour son élection à la présidence de cette Commission. Je suis sûr que sa contribution sera d'une grande importance pour la réussite de nos travaux.
Les causes et l'ampleur des pertes d'aliments de base tant avant qu'après la récolte sont bien connues de tous. Une stratégie adéquate s'impose pour nous, Etats Membres de la FAO, pour prévenir les pertes après récoltes qui contrecarrent tous les efforts réalisés par une augmentation appréciable de la production. La délégation gabonaise depuis le début des discussions cautionne le programme du Directeur général sur la prévention des pertes alimentaires ; elle appuie tous les critères mis en oeuvre dans la création du Fonds spécial qui doit jouer le role de catalyseur dans lesdits programmes.Comme l'a si bien déclaré notre chef de délégation à la présente conférence, le Gouvernement gabonais souhaite vive ment que la Conférence entérine les positions du Directeur général et plus spécialement la disponibilité du Fonds spécial résultant des gains réalisés par le Fonds d'après les taux de change, soit 10 millions de dollars.
J. CHAMI (Liban) (interprétation de l'arabe): Je voudrais me joindre à mes collègues qui vous ont félicité pour votre élection à la tête de cette commission.
Je suis certain que les travaux de cette commission seront couronnés de succès compte tenu de votre compétence et de votre expérience.
Notre délégation a pris connaissance du Programme d'action et du document particulier qui s'y réfère. Nous sommes heureux d'exprimer notre approbation à M. le Directeur général ainsi qu'au Secrétariat car rils ont considéré la question de la prévention des pertes alimentaires comme une priorité essentielle de leur travail, et cela conformément aux résolutions du PAM des Nations Unies.
Nous avons pris connaissance du rapport de la Commission de l'agriculture au travers duquel nous est apparue toute l'ampleur de ces pertes. Je ne rentrerai pas dans le détail de ces pertes qui sont estimées globalement à plus de 7 millions de dollars par an. Nous avons discuté de cette question au cours des réunions du Conseil de juin dernier.
A l'issue de ces débats,le Conseil a décidé à l'unanimité le Programme de travail que le Directeur général a proposé pour la prévention des pertes alimentaires par l'entremise de l'établissement de projets au niveau des différents pays, grâce à l'aide extérieure, toutes les fois que cela est nécessaire. Le Conseil a décidé de soumettre cette question à notre conférence afin que nous adoptions la résolution définitive et adéquate à l'égard de ce sujet.
En vue de pouvoir appliquer ce programme au plus tot, notre délégation appuie complètement et totale ment la création d'un Fonds spécial pour la réalisation de cet objectif. Ce Fonds sera alimenté par le transfert de 10 millions de dollars du compte en suspens des années 1976 et 1977 comme un premier pas, sans parler des donations volontaires qui seront présentées par les Etats Membres.
M. le Président, nous estimons et nous croyons qu'il est nécessaire que les débats concernant cette question soient empreints d'un esprit positif car nous veillons tous ici à appliquer un noble objectif, à savoir assurer l'alimentation nécessaire aux pays du tiers monde.
Ce Fonds est de nature à contribuer de façon efficace au règlement du problème de la lutte contre la famine et la malnutrition.
F.C. COLOTAS (Cyprus): Mr. Chairman, may I also in my turn congratulate you on being elected to the Chair.
Let me say straight away that the delegation of Cyprus feels that the current discussion on this subject is of considerable importance and it is certainly a step forward, however small it might seem at this stage, towards increasing and maintaining world food production. This is, in our opinion, of particular significance.since, in the last years at least, not enough attention has been placed internationally on this aspect, and we are very grateful to FAO and to other organizations for bringing this up for discussion and action. Nevertheless, my delegation wishes to highlight a number of points that could conceivably enhance the value of the proposed programme.
In the first instance, and whilst certainly we do not wish at the very least to detract from the significance of the well prepared document we have before us (C 77/19), and feel that the Director-General and the Secretariat should be congratulated, we nevertheless feel that the magnitude of the biological post-harvest losses, at least for the food grains, are considerably under-estimated. This is undoubtedly the result of inadequate information on this subject, which is well highlighted in the Report.
In this connection I think we should not forget that we are dealing here basically with two kinds of losses. We have the quantitative losses which are to a certain extent easy to asses, to establish and to quantify. We also have the qualitative losses which are - at least with the developing countries - much more difficult to quantify. Taking these two factors into consideration, we are of the opinion that such losses combined are nearer to 20 percent than to 10 percent, which of course emphasizes the necessity for initiating such a programme as soon as possible.
Under the circumstances my delegation strongly recommends that in view of the current unavailability of reliable data on post-harvest losses, a priority project within the overall programme should also be set up by FAO aimed at establishing the extent of such losses in a number of representative developing countries' staple food crops.Such a project in our view should also evolve or better still adopt and standardize the necessary methodology for such studies which subsequently could be applied by other countries and, secondly, used for monitoring the results of the proposed programme.
Secondly, I would like to draw this Commission's attention to the target date set by the UN General Assembly, which is indicated in paragraph 1 of the document before us, that is the year 1985, by when it is proposed that crop losses - storage losses should be reduced by 50 percent. This target appears to my delegation to be rather unrealistic, perhaps over-ambitious, with perhaps again a small chance of fulfilment, bearing in mind of course the present and past experience and the long preparation and execution periods often associated with investment projects. We merely list these lest this programme prove disappointing at some time in the future in view of possible over or underestimates of difficulties, delays, etc.
Perhaps certainshortcutsto speed up investment in this field are in order and I will try and touch upon these in a moment.
My delegation is also to a certain extent apprehensive about the multi-disciplinary committees for food and food loss prevention advocated in paragraph 21 of the document before us. It is our experience in Cyprue that such committees tend to be cumbersome, slow and bureaucratic, to say the least. In our
judgement, and bearing in mind that personally we know the problems associated with post-harvest losses, consequently we know the priorities in the field, or we can easily establish them. Thirdly, the technology for the prevention of such losses is already available.
We believe that what we need is an Action Programme to commence straight away covering such aspects as extension, demonstrations and large-scale investment in the field aimed at the gradual reduction of current losses, perhaps commencing with the examples set out in paragraphs 59-67 of the document before us.
Having made this point, I would like now to say that my delegation fully supports and endorses the programme proposed in the document, and we are in full agreement in that the projects proposed there in are, at this stage, at least merely models which are to be applied, expanded, modified and repeated as the case may be.For such models, to have any significant impact on post-harvest losses, however, they need to be viewed merely as the catalyst for subsequent and significant investments in the field of food storage and extension, if the full benefit of the programme under discussion is to be realized. To achieve this thé following prerequisitions are, in our opinion, indispensable: (a) at the appropriate time, and in most cases this is now rather than tomorrow, there should be available, nationally and internationally, the capacity for the preparation of suitable investment projects as well as the financing needed for their-implementation; (b) the present programme, as proposed in paragraph 43 of the document under discussion, recommends that all inputs supplied through the project should be charged at cost. It is my delegation's view that in the initial stages of the programme at least, inputs to all participants should be provided at subsidized prices thus facilitating the early take off and hence the benefits from such a programme. Of course, in parallel with this, special emphasis needs to be given to the aspects of training.
I should also add that I am in agreement with the comment made by my Swedish colleague in that certain aspects of the ongoing Food Security Scheme could very well be tied in with the proposed programme.
The issue before us is an important one. It is also one involving a basic and fundamental principle. For instance, should we encourage increasing production through large and expensive projects for land reclamation, etc, or should we at least take steps, in parallel, to safeguard - certainly at lower cost - today's production? My delegation has no doubt whatsoever that under certain conditions the socio-economic benefits to be derived from the latter approach will prove significant, and hence this proposal merits very careful consideration.
I have dwelt on these issues at some length, and I do apologize for having taken so much of the Commission's time, but my delegation feels that the programme under discussion is of utmost importance to world agriculture and to our fight against malnutrition and starvation. As a result, we fully support the concept for the number of issues which, in our opinion, need further discussion, and which could make the programme more attractive with a higher degree of success.
K. ANDERSEN (Denmark):The Danish delegation has studied the report entitled Prevention of Food Losses with great interest, and we support the initiative taken by FAO in this important area. We fully support the statement made by Sweden, and we should just like to add a few supplementary observations.
First of all, we would like to emphasize, as we did in the last meeting of the Agriculture Committee, the importance of action at the farm and village level, that is investment in Projects A, B, and C mentioned on page 10 because, according to the information given, approximately 60 percent of the total production of grain is stored and consumed at the village level, and the scope for improvement is there fore very great.
Correspondingly, we would like to put less emphasis on investments in grain warehouses of the type mentioned in Project D.To the extent that such warehouses are established, we would underline the need for a proper food control system in order to avoid unnecessary losses in these warehouses.
One aspect which is not underlined in the report is the contribution that cooperative structures could provide to the implementation of projects to reduce food losses at the village level and in a wider context. We should like to stress the importance of this element when the programme and the projects are prepared and implemented.
Finally, we should like to draw attention to the food losses that occur at the household level. We therefore recommend that sufficient and suitable information and advisory services are included in the budgets to reduce losses also at this household level.
H. ABDALLAH (Egypt) (interpretation from Arabic): My delegation would like to congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, on being elected Chairman of this Commission, and we should also like to congratulate the Vice-Chairmen on their election. We are sure that this Commission will achieve fruitful results thanks to your enlightened chairmanship.
Those who have spoken before me have already stressed the important aspects of our subject and the part to be played by the Special Fund in the project proposed by the Director-General. The question of food losses is a very important one, and it has a direct result on food supplies to developing countries, and consequently on the status of nutrition.
We should also like to mention the problem that wé have with certain non-food projects such as cotton, which is subject to insects, before and after harvesting. In Egypt, we have the problem of the bollworm which attacks cotton, and we have organized a national campaign to combat that insect. I give this example in order to show the importance of dealing with products other than foodstuffs within the framework of the Special Fund.
Post-harvest losses are due not only to insects but to other causes as well. We think the Chinese experience in this field might be extremely useful to all of us, and we have listened with great attention to the information given by the delegate of the People's Republic of China in that respect.
We should also like to say that climatology plays an important part in causing food losses at various stages, be it during transport or during storage, and we think there could be cooperation between FAO and the World Meterological Organization in this respect.
The delegate of Kenya referred to the fact that the programme suggested to us does not concern itself with the problem of fish and fisheries. We entirely agree with him. We think that in spite of the enormous possibilities for productivity of fish resources, in Lake Nasser one of the essential problems we have to solve in Egypt is not the increased productivity of fishing, but the preservation of fish and delivering it to consumers in a marketable state.
The decision of the FAO Council on the setting up of the Special Fund gains our full support. We hope that it will be set up as soon as possible so that it can start work as soon as possible.
SOEGENG AMAT (Indonesia): It is a great pleasure for my delegation and for me personally to congratu late you, Mr. Chairman, an old and distinguished friend from the Argentine, on having been elected to chair this very important Commission.I should also like to extend my congratulations to the Vice Chairmen of this Commission.
My delegation welcomes the great emphasis being given by this 19th Session of the FAO Conference to the subject of the Prevention of Food Losses. While it is not easy to determine and hence also to agree on the exact management of food losses, there is-no doubt that the prevention of food losses, both pre-harvest and post-harvest, is of crucial importance to the achievement of the objectives of food security at the national as well as the world level.
A successful reduction of such losses by half - and here I limit myself to basic foodstuffs like food-grains - would mean for many countries the difference between hunger and malnutrition and the achieve ment of self-sufficiency in food.
Pre-harvest losses have been recognized in Indonesia as a major cause in the curtailment of crops, especially of foodgains. As the Indonesian delegation stated in Plenary Session yesteday. the incidence of pests and diseases on a wide scale has contributed to the slackening in the ι production process of foodgrains in our country.In 1976 about 1.2 million hectares of rice were affected by pests and diseases, that is about 14 percent of the total area of harvested rice, of about 8.9 million hectares.
To 'combat these pests and diseases, crop protection branches have been established and we now have 56 such branches operating in the country assisted by more than 15,000 teams spread over the whole archir pelago.
As far as management of losses is concerned, a survey undertaken in 1976 suggested that rice crops treated with pesticides could yield on average 0.6 tons of paddy per hectare, or 18 percent more than untreated paddy.Increased use of pesticides, however, would not automatically cause a reduction of losses. This has been demonstrated by the fact that, in spite of the manifold increase in the use of pesticides - more than a five-fold increase, as a matter of fact - in the use of pesticides, since 1973 the incidence of pests, and likewise the loss incurred because of these, has remained at a very high level and even tended to increase. This suggests that other factors besides the use of pesticides are
of importance. I might mention, for instance, the resistance of various varieties to different diseases. This also suggests the crucial importance of closer cooperation in crop protection measures among countries concerned, especially at the regional level. In the region of ASEAN, that is the association of countries in Southeast Asia consisting of Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, an inventory has been initiated of all the available facilities in the region: for the effective protection of crops. This inventory, which will shortly be completed, will provide a strong and adequate basis for an effective programme in the near future.
Such a course would most likely also indicate the possibility of assistance from organizations like FAO and others.
In the case of post-harvest losses - and we agree that the greatest emphasis at this stage should be put on these post-harvest food losses - we recognize it is not only of equal importance but it is of greater urgency to be tackled by all the countries concerned, and in particular also by FAO.
In Indonesia, again as an example, in the field of rice a number of case studies suggested that the magnitude of postiharvest losses could be of the order of 25 percent. If we take the national crop of rice per year, of improved rice, one can imagine the loss the country incurs every year in the post-harvest system. In addition to this quantitative loss there is also the qualitative loss due to the processing, handlingiand storing. This qualitative loss includes also nutritional losses. Efforts to reduce losses in the post-harvest system are hampered by lack of accurate data. While it is agreed a so-called systems approach may be more satisfying than a systematic approach, it is recognized that a systems approach is often quite difficult to undertake. This is because the post-harvest system covers a multi-disciplinary field of activities and touches on the competence or failures of government insti tutions and departments.
If you take for instance storage, bulk storage or storage on a large scale usually belongs to the responsibility of government agencies or government commodity corporations.Such storage is likely to be given more prompt attention than other kinds of storage.
Again take an example in Indonesia within the framework of the undertaking on national food security, the government has started on a storage programme by setting up 3,100 units of storage facilities of 3,500 tons capacity each, totalling 1.1 million tons since 1974/5. This programme is now almost completed and with the completion of the storage programme it can be envisaged that with bulk storage or storage on a large scale, losses at this stage could be reduced bv at least 50 percent. However, we have to recognize and bear in mind that storage at farm level or in villages is not less important but may be even more important because 75 percent of harvested products actually remains on the farm or in the villages. Then the spread of the so-called high-yielding varieties of rice has in many cases increased the complexity of problems faced by countries like Indonesia, for instance, problems of harvesting, drying of the product, etc.
In our efforts to improve and to bring about a more efficient technology in a post-harvest system, Indonesia has been fortunate to receive external assistance from various sources, notably IDLC Canada, Canadian CIDA, the US AID and the Profitable Products Institute of the UK. The UNDP have also assisted in a number of projects. More recently, in December 1976, Indonesia has entered into a cooperativa programme for determining post-harvest systems in South-East Asia the headquarters of which is at Los Baños, in the Philippines. A number of coordinating agencies cooperated in this programme. We have also a comprehensive ASEAN food handling project in collaboration with Australia which is not limited to food grains products but other commodities such as, fish etc.
As I said earlier, the lack of adequate data is an important constraint in our efforts to reduce losses We therefore feel the urgent need for a national survey to assess the losses at the various stages of the system.Such a survey would not only be helpful to us in determining which of the stages incurs the highest loss but also in locating the regions or policies in which such high losses occur. This would enable us to direct our priorities to the most vulnerable and at the same time the most promising stocks systemwise as well as geographically. The emphasis of such a survey, which for the time being may be limited to food grains, could best be undertaken with the help of FAO.
Such a project and similar projects could possibly be carried out in other developing countries and would well serve the need for FAO and all of us to develop guidelines for the most suitable methodology to assess losses at various stages of the post-harvest system.It would enable us to use the same terminology and language in the measurements of qualitative and quantitative losses.Such adopted method ology and terminology would greatly facilitate FAO and all of us in evaluating the progress we are making towards achievement of the goal and objectives as recommended by the UN General Assembly, specifically a reduction of the loss of 50 percent by the year 1985.
In conclusion, my delegation would like to reiterate and emphasize the following points, first, that Indonesia strongly supports the proposed setting up of an FAO action programme to help developing countries in strengthening post-harvesting systems with respect to stable foodstuffs, particularly food grains, and so increase the national food supply. Such a programme should be conceived from the very outset as a long-term activity endeavouring to achieve the objective as recommended by the UN General Assembly to reduce such losses by 50 percent by the year 1985.
We also would like to support the setting up of a Special Fund and the other criteria that are being proposed here for the approval of projects. It is the understanding of my delegation that a more opecific proposal will be tabled shortly on the proposed financing of this programme and we would like to make comments later on when this detailed proposal is presented.
S. JUMA'A (Jordan) (interpretation from Arabic): May I first congratulate you, Sir, on your being elected to chair this Commission. Also I would like to congratulate our four colleagues appointed by the Plenary Session as Vice-Chairmen.
I would say at the outset I do not have a written prepared text because this subject matter was scrutinized at great length during the past week, which made it possible for us to learn the whole subject inside out and by heart, and in view of the fact that we are repeating these discussions again and again and again I think it is really quite unnecessary to go into all the details of this topic, particularly as it is getting rather late.
I think there is a general consensus here between the developed and developing countries, to say that this is one of the most vital and important subjects for discussion before this Conference this time. There is also agreement as to the prevention of food losses being something that is of great concern, particularly to developing countries. I think all delegations agree when we say that the Organization can play a very essential role in this whole area. I think there is also true harmony between all members here with respect to the Special Fund proposed by the Director-General, a special fund financed by voluntary contributions. Consequently, this fund should not be a matter of compulsory contributions. We are sure all countries, developed and developing, will all participate whole heartedly and contribute to this Special Fund if the Conference were to adopt the principle of its setting up. Although we are a delegation representing a developing country, we support the Director-General's proposal aiming at the setting up of a special fund and we would reconsider our further position if all countries were to arrive at a compromise solution, which should be a flexibile one, enabling the Director-General to start as soon as possible with the implementation of this programme, and if possible at the beginning of next year.
My last point refers to the comments by the delegate of Egypt. He pointed out that the prevention of food losses should also cover other food products because in some developing countries which are above all agricultural whose economy depends to a large extent on agriculture, they only produce certain commodities of foodstuffs, such as Egypt, for instance. It would be useful to extend the coverage of this special fund to other agricultural projects, enabling thus the Director-General to be totally flexible so as to help certain countries such as Egypt in their efforts towards prevention of non-foodstuff item productions.
T.M.NARAIN (Mauritius): First of all let me congratulate you on behalf of the delegation of Mauritius on your election as Chairman of this Commission.
My delegation has carefully studied the very interesting paper regarding the prevention of food losses which is contained in document C 77/19. We have also listened with attention to the Di ree tor-Gene ral's opening statement this afternoon. The Rapporteur has also informed us that at the Plenary, reduction of food losses was very much a matter of concern for many countries. We fully recognise the importance of preventing food losses. I would like to say that my delegation supports fully the action pro gramme of the Director-General. That such a programme which aims at reducing losses by 50 percent by 1985 should be set up as early as possible is no doubt something which is to be highly recommended. It is true that many countries are already engaged in prevention of food losses either with or without the help of Other specialized agencies such as the TPI of the United Kingdom for dealing with such problems. But it is also true that some form of international action such as that being proposed by the Director-General will confirm our determination in reducing food losses. Individual countries can best be helped technically and financially towards the commendable objective.
A majority of countries have supported the Director-General in the special manner of creating the fund for implementing the action programme. Voluntary contributions towards the fund would no doubt be forthcoming as all countries are in agreement with the action programme but we must be realistic.
It takes time for governments to contribute voluntarily and time is crucial. We therefore support the proposal of the Director-General to transfer from the Suspense Account a sum of $10 million towards the creation of a special fund so that the implementation of the action programme can be undertaken as early as possible.
A.W.M. AL-DAHIRI (Iraq) (interpretation from Arabic) : The works mentioned in the document, "storage'', and "marketing" in connexion with the losses suffered in developing countries at the post-harvest stage are much greater than those suffered in the course of harvesting. In Iraq we have carried out many experiments and checks with losses, particularly with barley, and we notice that losses during harvesting operations range from 20 to 30 percent and this is due to the fact that there is not the necessary equipment and machinery and we noted that the losses were very great and were greater than post-harvest losses. Therefore, this programme is not so useful for small countries particularly countries that cannot feed themselves. This programme is useful for countries that have surplus produc tion of foodstuffs and who would like to store them. That is what this whole operation is mainly geared to. For instance, storage in poor countries is very difficult indeed. In Iraq we fully support the document but we would nevertheless wish to have the operation cover a wider scope and with respect to the fund in question we feel that there are other means and possibilities which could fulfil the finding of such money rather than having it in other additional funds.
S. DARANYI (Hungary): I would like to express my best wishes and appreciation upon you having been elected to the Chairmanship of Commission I. I am convinced that this Commission will perform an efficient and successful work under your able chairmanship.
The document C 77/19 is comprehensive and well founded. I should like, however, to offer some comments on it. The food losses in developing countries only as far as cereals are concerned were estimated by previous documents to be as high as nearly 100 million tons per year. Should this estimate be correct one can only agree with the argument included in paragraph 19 of the document i.e. a fifty percent reduction in food losses in developing countries would result in a very significant additional food supply, opening up new possibilities for import reductions and savings in foreign exchange expenditures. In this context the importance of reduction of losses is equivalent to that of production increases.
From the professional point of view one can argue whether the dichotomy of pre- and post-harvest losses is right or not. According to our views it would be useful to discuss losses that occur before, during and after harvest. Taking this grouping we feel the losses might be more easily identified and specified. The different forms of losses are tackled uniformly by the document. As far as plant protection goes it would not be fully justified to talk about the reduction of losses since some of the more recent FAO documents such as the "Registration and Unification of Pesticide Requirements" have pointed out the role that plant protection played in increasing production. Taking the process of agricultural production, pesticides are as important as, for example, fertilizers. My delegation would like to suggest that losses occuring during the harvest be given greater attention. These losses actually might be rather important both in quantity and in quality. Both mechanical and bio-chemical losses may be recorded during the harvest.
The relative weight of wheat for instance decreases by an average of 1 percent every day after the full ripeness. Resulting from this a loss of about 15 percent may easily be suffered. We feel the technical suggestions put forward in the document before us in order to prevent and reduce food losses are acceptable. The general principles, however, should be adapted to regional and national levels, taking into full account all local conditions. We attach very high importance to the adequate storage of high-value commodities such as seeds. We feel therefore the project proposals listed in the document may be supplemented with the following protection of cereals in store against micro-organisms. We think these ideas might be utilized in finalizing the programme.
EL PRESIDENTE: Quisiera darle la palabra a la representante de une organización no gubernamental, la Señora Monica Tupay, que es la Presidente de la Federación Internacional de la Economia del Hogar, quien desea referirse a este tema.
Ms. M. TUPAY (Observer, International Federation for Home Economics): Distinguished delegates, the International Federation of Home Economics is pleased to see the priority that FAO is placing in this Conference on the problem of food losses, in particular post-harvest food losses, and gives its full-hearted support to the establishment of special funds for this purpose. We are convinced that the high
percentage of food loss and waste occur at the household level and that home economists can make a great contribution to this programme because knowledge of what can be done to reduce these food losses has not reached the family level and in particular the women who in many countries play a critical role in food production, food storage, food processing and food utilization in the family.
Home Economists can make an important contribution to these food problems through research, training and action programmes, and could help to develop new and improved practices. Furthermore, home economists can assist in the development of appropriate technologies relevant to the rural home, the supply of water and fuel, improved transport on the farms and all of the agricultural food productive activities in which the farm families are employed. The International Federation of Home Economists is ready and willing, through its association and membership, to collaborate with FAO in this Programme and trusts that opportunities can be provided to develop joint projects that could be of benefit to developing countries.
The meeting rose at 17.30 hours
La séance est levee à 17 h 30
Se levanta la sesión a las 17.30 horas
