7- Prevention of food losses
7- Prevention des pertes alimentaires
7- Prevención de pérdidas en alimentos
EL PRESIDENTE: Buenos días señores delegados. Continuamos con el Tema 7 de nuestra agenda.
A. HAMAAMBA (Zambia): The problem of prevention of food losses is paramount to increased food availability in developing countries. It is important in our view therefore that measures for the prevention of post-harvest food losses should be an integral part of national agricultural production programmes. The efforts put into the prevention of pre-harvést losses should be matched with those for prevention of post-harvest losses.
The document under consideration has mentioned the causes of post-harvest losses. We would like here to emphasize the need for developing proper harvest and processing technology as well as on-farm storage structures at small scale farmer level. We agree in this regard with the point made by the delegate of Nigeria.
We are in agreement with the constraints mentioned on the prevention of food losses. However, in countries which have basic information on the problem, lack of infrastructure, especially the lack of trained personnel to carry out their national programmes, and the lack of investment are the major constraints.
The suggested strategy for the reduction of post-harvest food losses in developing countries would meet the requirements of many national programmes. However, as lack or shortage of trained manpower is likely to be a serious constraint in the implementation of national programmes, we wish to suggest that the Project on National In-Service Training Programmes in post-harvest technology should be expanded so as to have the effect of building up national capability for carrying out a continuous training programme.
My delegation has already given support to the setting up of the Special Fund for Prevention of Food Losses and on the use of the Suspense Account. We agree broadly that the first aim of the fund should be to reduce post-harvest losses of staple foods, as this is vital to governments' efforts to reduce food shortages as well as to raise the standard of nutrition of the people.
As regards the criteria proposed for the approval of projects, we are in general agreement with these. However, we hope that there will be flexibility.For example, we think that as prevention of post-harvest food losses is part of the efforts to improve the world food situation as a whole, some consideration should be given to accord priority in assisting developing countries with the greatest potential for increasing food production in order to enable these countries to embark on some of the suggested projects. Lastly, I wish to echo the point mentioned by the delegate of Kenya on the importance of regional seminars on food losses. We believe that such seminars can be an important forum for the exchange of information and experience in this vital field. My country hopes to be honoured by hosting the first regional seminar for Eastern, Central and Southern Africa for the Commonwealth countries early next year.
R. SARAN (India):Let me first of all take this opportunity to congratulate you on your appointment as Chairman of this Commission. A number of important subjects and also complex issues are coming up for the consideration of this Commission.I am sure that under your able leadership we will arrive at satisfactory solutions to the various issues.
The subject of prevention of post-harvest food losses has been discussed in a number of important fora i in the recent past. We are particularly grateful to the Director-General for having brought into short focus the urgency of developing and implementing an Action Programme for reducing such losses.
The Action Programme outlined in document C 77/19 is expected to help in avoiding undue waste of precious staple foods, augmenting their availability in the world and improving the self-sufficiency ration of importing countries. This programme therefore will be a potential response to the Resolutions adopted at the WorldFood Conference, the last FAO Conference and also the 7th Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly, which have recommended a target of a fifty percent reduction of post-harvest food losses by 1985.
Before I deal with the financial aspect of the programme, let me reflect briefly on the strategy and some of the components of the programme.
My delegation agrees that the strategy for the reduction of post-harvest losses should deal with the three major constraints on loss prevention:(i)lack of information;(ii) lack of infrastructure, including trained personnel, extension of research facilities, pesticides availability, and legislation; (iii) lack of investment. The FAO has an important role to play in helping the countries to overcome these constraints and develop the relevant national programmes.
We consider that a proper methodology needs to be developed for making an assessment of food losses and monitoring the reduction of losses as the programmes for such a purpose make headway. While there is little difficulty in making an assessment of the extent of losses in procurement, distribution, storage and transportation by the government or by public sector undertakings, there are several problems in making such an assessment when the stocks are handled by farmers and the private trade.
We therefore look forward to the production by the FAO of a manual on crop loss assessment. The proposed manual should take into account both quantitative and qualitative losses that occur at different stages, and particularly deal with the problems relating to the handling of private stocks.
Apart from the lack of information on the magnitude of losses, there are also other information gaps. These gaps relate to pesticide residue, distribution of insect and rodent species, assessment of losses due to micro-organisms and contamination of foodstuffs with mycotoxins etc. These aspects need to be studied in their proper perspective.
We fully support the components of the proposed action programme relating to research, training and extension in storage practices.
In my country the post-harvest losses are sought to be brought down through a programme of building storage godowns for the maintenance of stocks held by the government in good quality, and also through a ''save grain''. campaign which was launched by the government in 1965/66. The ''save grain'' campaign aims at motivating, persuading and educating the farmers so that they adopt scientific storage practices for reducing the losses in both quantity and quality. We also have an Indian grain storage institute which carries out applied research, designs and develops improved types of storage structures, co ordinates all-India research on foodgrain storage problems and undertakes apex level training for the trainers and others engaged in the handling and storage of grains.The creation of an infrastructure, particularly by way of provision of trained manpower and undertaking research in storage will, in our view, go a long way in reducing losses in storage.
Another infrastructural change required is legislation.Food quality control based on legislation has to play an important part in preventing food losses and protecting consumers'interests. At the same time,.to achieve a greater effect,developmental and extension facilities may be undertaken to supplement the legislative action. In this connection, I should like to draw the attention Of the Commission to the recommendations made at the recent joint FAO/WHO/UNDP Conference on Mycotoxins which recognized that any effective action on control of environmental contaminents must be based on sound systems of food/feed control.Other recommendations of the Conference on post-harvest processing, drying, etc. also deserve attention.
In our view, post-harvest losses can be reduced significantly if the produce is processed properly. Much greater emphasis needs to be given to such processing activities as modernization of rice mills, . parboiling of rice, extraction of rice bran and cotton seed, technology for oilseed extraction and preservation of fruit and vegetables.
Apart from the transfer of technology from advanced countries, there is a need for cooperation among developing countries and building institutions within the developing countries which can adapt and modify the technologies and also develop their own.
India has cooperated with the FAO in building an international food technology training centre at the Central Food Technological Institute, Bengal, India. We should like to assure you of our continued support in this regard.
Let me finally touch on the issue of financing of the action programme as formulated by the Director-General. As far as we know, nobody around this table questions the utility of the programme, but some procedural issues on the methodology of finding resources still remain to be resolved. The amount involved is small. We have supported the Director-General's proposal for the establishment of a Special Fund as contained in the resolution before us. We feel that to enable the Director-General to make a beginning with the programme in accordance with the United Nations' resolution for reducing losses to the extent of 50 percent by 1985, an amount of at least $20 million, including $10 million by way of transfer from the suspense account, needs to be placed at his disposal. We would also urge that larger allocations be made out of the regular budget for financing the scheme for prevention of food losses.
M. NAJEM BEN (Maroc) (interprétation de l'arabe): Je voudrais tout d'abord, Monsieur le Président, vous féliciter à l'occasion de votre élection à la présidence de cette Commission et je suis certain que les délibérations de cette Commission aboutiront à des résultats très positifs grâce à" votre sagesse.
Ma délégation est convaincue de l'importance du problème de la prévention des pertes alimentaires. Il est grand temps, en effet, de mettre sur pied un programme pour lutter contre ce fléau. Nous sommes également d'accord avec les délégués de la Jordanie, de l'Egypte et de l'Irak, qui ont demandé que ce programme soit étendu à la prévention des pertes avant récolte pour ce qui est non seulement des pro duits alimentaires mais également des produits agricoles non alimentaires. De notre point de vue, nous pensons que les raisons de ces pertes alimentaires sont connues de nous tous et il faudrait donc trouver les moyens adéquats pour lutter contre ces pertes alimentaires. Ce qui nous manque dans la plupart des cas, ce sont les moyens financiers et c'est pour cela que ma délégation est d'accord avec les proposi tions du Directeur général, comme cela a été dit clairement dans le débat général en plénière par ma délégation; mais celle-ci se pose la question concernant le financement de ce Fonds spécial de façon permanente et â long terme et, à ce stade des délibérations, nous pouvons dire que nous sommes d'accord en principe avec les propositions contenues dans le document C 77/19.
A. DEBOUVERIE CBelgique): Tout d'abord, notre délégation se joint à toutes les autres dans les félici tations qui vous ont été adressées.
Le rapporteur de notre Commission a cité hier ma délégation parmi celles qui, en séance plénière, ont donné leur appui à la création d'un fonds pour aider à effacer les pertes alimentaires avant et après récolte. Certaines délégations y ont ajouté hier les pertes pendant les récoltes et aussi les pertes relatives à la production de produits non alimentaires. En effet, tout cela se tient, si l'on consi dère que le manque de machines, de récoltes ou de main-doeuvre peut être indirectement une cause de pertes et qu'un manque à gagner sur une récolte non alimentaire peut entraîner par pertes de recettes une diminution du pouvoir d'achat alimentaire.
A cet égard, si ma délégation a marqué son accord en plénière sur le principe d'un tel fonds, et indé pendamment de la discussion sur les modalités de financement d'un tel fonds, je voudrais néanmoins soumettre à notre Commission les observations suivantes qui devraient, je pense, orienter nos réflexions.
D'abord, le problème des pertes alimentaires n'est pas nouveau, mais dans une vue intégrée de la sécurité alimentaire il a été mis en évidence en 1974 et 1975 par la 7ème Assemblée spéciale des Nations Unies, par la Conférence alimentaire, et par notre 18ème session parce qu'on avait pu mesurer l'étendue du problème par rapport à la sécurité alimentaire globale, et parce que, parallèlement aux efforts à entre prendre sur le plan de la production, de la vulgarisation et de l'investissement, il n'était plus admis sible de continuer â enregistrer simplement les pourcentages de déperditions.
Mais nous sommes tout de même un peu effrayés à 1'enumeration des problèmes qui nous est présentée et de l'inventaire, qu'on demande également d'établir et de vérifier selon des critères et une méthodologie nécessitant la création au préalable d'un organisme qui suivrait ou devrait suivre l'évolution des cho ses et devrait évaluer les progrès accomplis.
D'abord, nous pensons que l'action de la FAO sur le terrain et la décentralisation engagée depuis la 18ème session doivent déjà aider à une bonne localisation des problèmes. Mais comme une importante délégation l'a rappelé hier, nous pensons aussi que chacun de ces problèmes doit être apprécié dans sa
juste perspective et traité par des mesures appropriées car il est évident que le Fonds des pertes ali mentaires aura un caractère supplétif et ponctuel et ne peut remplacer ni les autres efforts relatifs à l'investissement rural proprement dit, ni la responsabilité et l'action des pays directement concer nés, faute de quoi les ressources seraient rapidement insuffisantes.
Il y a donc un double objectif à poursuivre dans cet effort, à savoir d'abord la complémentarité des actions des différents fonds à tous les niveaux possibles de coopération, et ensuite une utilisation rationnelle, optimale et coordonnée des ressources rendues disponibles.
Toute autre conception mènerait, nous le pensons, à la création d'un Fonds qui finalement ne répondrait pas au but réel pour lequel il a été conçu.
A. WININGA (Haute.Volta); La Delegation de la Haute-Volta voudrait s'associer tout d'abord à tous les orateurs qui l'ont déjà précédée pour vous féliciter pour votre élection comme Président de cette Commis sion, et féliciter également tous ceux qui ont été élus au poste de Vice-président.
Notre Délégation voudrait ensuite apporter son appui aux propositions qui ont été faites par le Directeur général dans la mesure où le problème de pertes alimentaires nous apparaît comme très impor tant. En Haute-Volta ces pertes atteignent 10 à 15 pour cent, parfois 20 pour cent, et cette année nous avons estimé que les pertes après récoltes atteindront le chiffre de 100 à 110 mille tonnes. Ceci est trop pour un pays comme la Haute-Volta dont on sait qu'il subit les effets d'une sécheresse qui tend à devenir permanente.
L'effort du gouvernement pour renforcer les structures de stockage s'est traduit par la construction de silos et la mise en état de fonctionnement correct des silos qui existaient déjà, soit qu'ils aient été construits avant la période de l'indépendance, soit qu'ils aient été construits après.
En matière de conservation des ignames également, la Haute-Volta est en train d'expérimenter un système dont les premiers résultats peuvent être considérés comme satisfaisants, dans la mesure où nous avons enregistré des résultats atteignant 80 à 90 pour cent du succès.
Ceci pour dire que la Haute-Volta saisit l'importance du problème qui nous est soumis et qu'elle soutient donc les propositions comme je l'ai dit. Ceci ne m'empêchera pas tout de même de faire quelques obser vations et je voudrais me limiter à des observations d'ordre général.
Notre première observation est qu'il serait bon que la FAO s'intéresse à certains systèmes de stockage traditionnels en raison de leur efficacité. Les structures de stockage les plus sophistiquées ne sont pas toujours celles qui sont les plus efficaces et elles ne sont valables généralement qu'au niveau de l'Etat.Il y a dans certaines régions de l'Afrique des greniers qui peuvent conserver des céréales pen dant 5 ans, parfois plus, sans que ces céréales subissent des dégâts considérables.
Ma deuxième observation est. qu'il serait souhaitable que les Etats membres puissent être informés aussi largement que possible sur les systèmes de préventions des pertes des céréales qui auront été expéri mentés avec succès dans tel ou tel pays.
Ma troisième observation est qu'à certains stades de la prévention contre les pertes de céréales, il peut être créé des structures à caractère régional pour la lutte contre ces pertes.
Ces structures régionales viennent et viendront en renforcement ou en allégement des efforts nationaux. Je vois par exemple ce qui se passe au niveau de la Région à laquelle mon pays appartient où nous avons des structures de lutte anti-aviaire et anti-acridiens à travers des organismes comme l'Oicma, organisation de lutte contre le criquet migrateur ou, L'OCLALAV, organisation commune de lutte anti-aviaire et anti-acridiens.
S'agissant maintenant de la création d'un Fonds spécial et des modalités de son alimentation, ma Délé gation se réserve d'intervenir plus tard sur ce problème. Ce qui je puis dire tout de suite c'est que sans une certitude sur l'alimentation de ce Fonds, sur le niveau de l'alimentation, aucune programma tion ne pourra être faite ni à court terme ni à moyen terme; ma Délégation souhaite que les annonces de contributions volontaires qui ont été portées à la connaissance de la Conférence jusqu'à maintenant, puissent continuer. Nous appuyons donc la création d'un tel Fonds et je pense que mon pays fera égale ment l'effort nécessaire pour y apporter sa contribution.
IN HEE KANG (Korea, Republic of): My delegation would like to join with the previous speakers in congratulating you, Mr. Chairman, on your election to the Chairmanship of Commission I of this FAO Conference.
To be brief, my delegation wishes to make a few observations concerning item 7 of document C 77/19, First, my Government is well aware of the urgent need for international cooperation in order to achieve the target of 50 percent reduction in global post-harvest losses by 1985 called for by the Resolution of the 7th Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Secondly, in the light of our recent experiences the strategies recommended by FAO in developing national programmes for the reduction of post-harvest food losses in developing countries contains a number of excellent suggestions for us in planning a future course of action. We support the proposals for the FAO Action Programme and the Special Fund for reduced food losses.
Assesment of losses and the provision of trained manpower therefore should be a first priority task in developing and implementing national programmes and we would like to emphasise the assistance of activities of FAO in loss assessment and manpower development.
Finally, my delegation would like to emphasize that the FAO Action Programme should involve fish item as indicated by the delegate of Kenya and also supported by the delegate of Egypt. It is our belief that a concrete programme of action in this field will represent another important step towards the solution of the world's food problem.
F.M. KANGAUDE (Malawi): My delegation would like to join those who have spoken before us in congratulating you, Mr. Chairman, for being elected to chair the deliberations of this Commission. We have no doubt that you and your able team will steer the debates of this Commission to a successful conclusion.
The Malawi Government considers the problem of post-harvest losses as a very serious one, and has taken the necessary steps to reduce these losses, especially in food grain, particularly in maize and grain legumes which constitute the country's staple food. As more improved varieties of maize are being grown, there is even more need to ensure that the necessary precautions in storage are taken, as the majority of these varieties are highly susceptible to damage by pests and adverse conditions such as high humidity and moisture content in the grain.
A comprehensive research programme of losses of grain in storage and how these losses can be minimized has been undertaken in the past decade in the country and continues to be part of the main research and development programme along with research of storage of fish and dried kassava. Along with this programme, training of extension personnel and farmers in recommended methods of storage, including use of pesticides, is held on a regular basis. Despite these measures, however, the problem is still far from being under control, especially on the part of smallholder farmers. My delegation therefore supports the action that FAO proposes to take on this matter. We share the concern expressed by the Director-General for the unsatisfactory food production situation, especially in the developing countries. It is not encouraging to note that food production is far less than the growth of our population, for this means we have more mouths to feed with less food. In such a situation, therefore, urgent action must be taken to ensure that whatever little food is produced the necessary methods are taken to prevent it being lost due to pests and other factors that are not beyond our means to control.
My delegation has examined document C 77/19 on Prevention of Food Losses and has found both the FAO's strategy for the reduction of post-harvest losses in developing countries and the Programme of Action, as well as the proposal to set up a Special Fund for such a programme, to be necessary.
As was pointed out by the delegate from Kenya and others, we wish to indicate that we would like to see a good amount of coordination in carrying out the programmes with those of other organizations like the Tropical Stored Products Centre UK, UNICEF and others working with us in this field. This will avoid unnecessary duplication of work and confusion.
We would also be pleased to see the prevention of fish losses included in the programme. Fish is one of the main sources of protein in Malawi and although work is already in progress on ways and means of storing and handling fish, especially in dried form, we would be pleased to exchange ideas so that we may benefit from the best technology.
Β. de AZEVEDO BRITO (Brazil): I should like first to congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, on your election. We are quite sure with your experience in the work of the Organization and in the work of this particular Commission I we are in very good hands and we are quite sure the Commission will produce good work.
The question of food losses has already been debated rather extensively, as some speakers have pointed out, at the last Session of the Commission of Agriculture and the FAO Council June Session. Therefore perhaps I can be brief at this stage, as my delegation intervened on both occasions commenting on this particular issue.
We feel the action of FAO in helping to reduce food losses and harvest losses is a direct response to the call of the last Conference and the Special Session of the General Assembly of the UN, a call to bring a very important contribution to the new international economic order into main agriculture and food production.
The magnitude of the problem is quite important, as many speakers before me have indicated, in terms, for instance, of what will be the actual gain by 1985 in the case of a 50 percent reduction of loss being achieved.
As far as the general orientation of FAO activities in relation to food losses and harvest losses is concerned, we agree a certain priority should be given to staple foods, tubers and roots. We also feel there should not be exclusion of other crops, which should be considered also in the FAO programmes.
We also agree with the speakers before us who indicated that fish products should come in the purview of FAO's proposals to reduce losses.
We feel also as far as the orientation of FAO's activités is concerned, attention should be given to special research on tropical products and crops. If knowledge is already quite developed as far as conditions in temperate zones are concerned, for equatorial and tropical zones this is not exactly the case. We need to develop the procedures and pursue knowledge so that developing countries, mostly situated in these areas, can fully develop effective programmes. We feel, therefore, that there is a need to develop adequate technology for our particular conditions. We also agree with the comment made at the FAO Council in June about the need of utilizing fully the actual knowledge of the farmer and I think that particular point was made in the session of the June Council of FAO by the representative of China. We fully agree with that comment and we feel it is quite important. As far as the beneficiaries of programmes of FAO in this field, we agree that food deficit countries have a certain priority, but we also feel that every developing country has something to gain there and, in fact, every developing country therefore has certain priorities and should receive the support of FAO programmes in the field. We attach importance to this particular point.
As far as the way to develop a strategy to combat food losses and harvest losses goes, we Brazilians feel that it is important to keep an integrated approach where one considers how better to utilize harvesting equipment, for instance; how to improve rodent and pest control, how to improve storage facilities, how to provide for economies in transportation, for instance by elimination of excessive water, by better use of transport equipment or better spacing and timing of transport operations. Finally, we also feel that in this integrated approach we have to take care of safeguards in processing and in the marketing processes.
Therefore, the approach to the harvest losses must be an integrated one having regard to all the stages of the process. We also feel that strategies to combat harvest losses must be conceived together with the credit for production, for it is very difficult to separate one thing from another. There is a cost element there so that when devising the strategy for reduction of harvest losses we also take account of the cost production and the credits for production so that policies are planned in a comprehensive manner.
As the Group of 77, we have already given full support to this programme and as the Group of 77 we give full support to the establishment of a Special Fund on the basis of the transfer of up to $10 million from the present Suspense Account for the current biennium into the Special Fund. We Brazilians fully support our group position on this. We believe that it is a very important initiative of FAO and this Special Fund has a very important role to play. While saying that, we also feel that the regular budget should have a substantive section of Prevention of Food Losses so that the monies earmarked in the regular budget for harvest losses are complemented by the resources within the Special Fund which has, let us say, a field orientation. One thing should not exclude the other. Both are important.
There are two points in the report which I would like to comment on. One is in Paragraph 51 of the report which says that contributions to the Fund may be either 'unrestricted' i.e. for general use in furthering the purpose of the Fund, or 'restricted', i.e. to be used only in certain countries or
for specific projects. I must say that my delegation does not agree with this observation. We feel that contributions to the Special Fund should not be earmarked. It would be very detrimental to the conduct of a Special Fund and the operation of the Special Fund if contributions were to be earmarked. It would be a very limiting factor to the efficiency of the operations of the Fund. We attach importance to that and if my recollections are correct, the Director-General made precisely that point in his statement that resources should not be earmarked and that was a very important point.
Commenting on Paragraph 57, there is a reference to agreed criteria for project approval. We very well understand that whenever you have a fund there is a trend to develop rather complex criteria. Maybe that is necessary but we would like to put in a warning not to bureaucratize the Special Fund and its operations from the beginning by very complex bureaucratic project criteria which nobody really understands andpeople are sometimes very doubtful about how they are operating. We feel that the Special Fund should operate in a very flexible manner and in a very speedy manner with a minimum bureaucracy and this reference to criteria I must say scared me a little that perhaps we are not starting with the best elements.
I must say that I would like to place particular emphasis on my comments on Paragraph 51 about earmarking because I really feel that it is the wrong approach to this fund to start with earmarking right from the beginning.
R.A. THOMAS (Gambia): May I, like other delegations, extend my congratulations to you on your election to the chairmaship of this meeting.
Gambia is a small country and until recently plant protection service existed only in the form of a small unit within the Department of Agriculture. All the efforts by way of plant protection were geared to the prevention of pre-harvest losses. In fact it is only very recently that with the help of the FAO, the U.S.A. and the U.K. Governments, we have been able to reorganize, strengthen and decentralize up to the district level, our plant protection services. More help is required to extend this service, up to the village level. Work on post-harvest losses previously involved our main cash crop,groundnuts. The need for prevention of post-harvest losses was realized only a few years ago after a countrywide outbreak of rodent infestation. It was realized that rodents alone accounted for a loss of about 40 percent of the total grain stored in the villages of our country. Lack of information, insufficient trained staff, lack of funds to set up proper store product units, were among the limiting factors that we in our small country have overcome in our drive to achieve self-sufficiency in food. Over the years we have received technical advice from the Tropical Store Product Centre in the U.K. on the handling, distribution and storage of cereals. The Tropical Store Product Centre have even gone to the extent of recruiting specialist advisors f ori the Department of Agriculture to work in the field of food crop storage, and have given help with the programme of training of staff. In spite of this, there is still a lot of work to be done if we are to reduce post-harvest losses to the lowest level. It is for this reason, therefore, that the Gambian delegation endorses the proposal contained in the document under discussion.
With British loan funds over the years and, more recently, with funds from the West German Government through the FFFC, we have been building all-purpose stores at the village level. In fact, I can safely say here that the programme has now covered about one-third of the villages in the whole country.
The initial cost of building these stores is high and the maintenance of these stores is expensive because we supply free bags, etc. to farmers. Farmers, even though these stores are at the village level, look to them as government properties and not as being owned by them. After all, the farmers are not going to spend their meagre sums of money to build concrete food stores when they continue to live in mud huts. I therefore support the views expressed by the Chinese delegation that we must use simple materials that are inexpensive that would be within the range of farmers so that these stores would be truly owned by individual farmers or farm families.
I share the views expressed by other delegations that provision should be made in the Prevention of Food Loss programme to include other root crops apart from yam such as cassava and potatoes. With effective village storage control I am sure that a country like Gambia can within a short time stop the importation of perishable vegetables like onions and tomatoes.
I am also of the opinion that our programme should Include fish. A recent survey has indicated that 30 'to 50 percent of the dry and salted fish stored for human consumption back home is infested with insect pests. Surely this should not be overlooked. The Gambian delegation therefore supports the FAO action programme and also the creation of the Special Fund for food loss reduction.
In conclusion, I wish to say that my country is a small one. We have an area of 4 000 square miles. The population is only about 500,000 people. In our current five-year development plan one of the two imain aims is to increase agricultural production, especially production of food crops so that we can be self-sufficient in food production. I am quite sure, therefore, that with the continued support of the FAO this Organization would be helping Gambia to achieve its goal within the shortest possible time.
C KELLER SARMIENTO (Argentina): Yo no sé bien, señor Presidente, si protocolarmente corresponde que le felicite en nombre de la delegación de Argentina por su nombramiento como Presidente de esta Comisión. De todas maneras son muchos los años que lo conozco y he compartido sus preocupaciones y su permanente vocación por los problemas de la FAO desde hace mucho tiempo; por lo tanto me adhiero en forma personal a la expresión de buenos deseos que hemos escuchado en esta Conferencia. Felicito, asimismo, a los cuatro Vicepresidentes de Irak, Marruecos, Australia y Nepal, que estoy seguro lo reemplazarán con toda dignidad.
El Gobierno argentino había preparado algunas observaciones con respecto a este documento sobre la pre vención de pérdidas de alimentos, que tan bien ha sido presentado y redactado por la Secretaría. La mayor parte de esas observaciones han sido ya abundantemente expuestas en el curso del debate mantenido hasta ahora y la unica cosa que me queda por destacar es la importancia de este tema.
Cuando se ha efectuado una inversión, cuando hay una misma cantidad de trabajo invertida en esa inversión, cuando tenemos las mismas disponibilidades de tierra, cualquier elemento que coadyuve a una productivi dad mayor es ganancia neta; y si esa ganancia neta, como dice el documento, se extiende al 40 y 50 por ciento, veremos que sería una de las rentabilidades más grandes que se pueden "dar en el curso de una inversión determinada. Y si esta inversión tiene carácter humanitario, y previene e impide problemas serios derivados del hambre y la malnutrición, mucho mejor.
En este documento yo tendría alguna observación que efectuar y quisiera sentir de la Secretaría sus co-mentarlos sobre los mismos en algún momento. En el apartado IV, párrafo 38, estas prioridades que apa-rentemente han sido analizadas por la Secretaría se expresan al decir: "en su fase inicial el Programa se concentrará en la reducción de las pérdidas posteriores a la recolección de alimentos de primera necesidad, es decir, cereales alimenticios, raíces y tubérculos". Luego se habla de la acción directa a través de programas nacionales, es decir, que habría una acción a través de peticiones específicas en base a proyectos determinados. La pregunta es, si sería posible prever o si se ha previsto la posi" bilidad de que estos programas que estarán a disposición de los Estados que lo soliciten, no sea la única manera con la cual la FAO enfrente este tema. Si cabría la posibilidad de que en forma directa, con la confección de un folleto, de algún elemento de difusión, que podría ser indicado a dos niveles se pueda llegar al productor y a la autoridad nacional encargada de su distribución. Teniendo en cuenta la gran bibliografía que seguramente existirá en la FAO sobre este tema, tal vez sea posible enfocar de una manera constructiva los problemas básicos de algunas regiones derivados de la pérdida de alimentos y tratar de confeccionar algún texto sencillo que pudiera llegar al agricultor, a la autoridad nacional para su distribución. Esto se haría en forma directa y tendría la ventaja de ser un paliativo que podría llegar a muy corto plazo a otorgar beneficios importantes antes de tener que analizar los proyectos na cionales o planes nacionales de ayuda.
Los Gobiernos deberían disponer de una bibliografía básica precisa y que según las necesidades de cada país puedan servir como recurso para lograr un efecto paliativo inmediato y preventivo, pero sobre todo preventivo. Estoy seguro que éste podría ser un método eficaz e independiente de los proyectos descritos en el documento. No sé si sería posible también que este folleto en lugar de ser imputado al Fondo que se va a destinar a los Programas de Pérdidas de Alimentos, pudiera estar incluido en el de Publicaciones de la FAO, pero de todas maneras tendría que ser sólidamente fundado desde el punto de vista técnico.
Tendríamos que exponer también mas bien una reflexión que otra observación. Se ha debatido sobre la modalidad de financiar el Fondo Especial y éste tal vez es el único punto en el que no todas las delegaciones se han mostrado unánimes. El Grupo de los 77 se ha reunido para tratar este tema y todos han reconocido la urgencia, la necesidad, la imperiosidad y el acierto de este Programa. Subsisten divergencias en torno a la financiación, pero lo importante es que no existen con respecto a la nece sidad de la financiación, ya que las divergencias se conoretan en los métodos que resulten más indicados para esta financiación.
La delegación de Argentina cree que no es posible supeditar o condicionar la posibilidad de la realiza-ción o acreditación de este Fondo a detalles o a problemas de presupuesto, sino que debe verse cuál es el fin último de esta propuesta del señor Director General, y el fin último creemos, es dotar a la FAO de un instrumento idóneo para combatir este problema de pérdida de alimentos.
Nosotros noe vanos a asociar y vamos a apoyar las decisiones tomadas, ya sean del Consejo o de otras reuniones anteriores.
J. TANCHANCO (Philippines): Mr Chairman, on behalf of the Philippine delegation allow me to extend to you our congratulations on being elected Chairman of this Commission. Likewise our congratulations go to the Director-General and his staff on the excellent preparation of the working documents of the Conference and the Programme of Action on the Reduction of Food Losses, Before expressing its position on this important question now being discussed the Philippine delegation would like to share with others the Philippine experience in its efforts to reduce post-harvest losses.
According to our research findings, post-harvest losses of grains in the Philippines range 10 to 37 percent from harvesting to milling. The high volume of grains lost from inadequate as well as inefficient post-harvest technology could very well spell the difference in our country's struggle for self-sufficiency in staple cereals. It is estimated that our Government's efforts in the span of three years have trimmed down post-harvest losses by from 5 to 10 percent. Part of our present sufficiency in food has been due to the prevention of lood losses. There are three elements in our Government's programme to reduce post-harvest losses.
The first element was the construction of modern grain warehouses in strategic areas of the entire Philippines, which replaced all existing obsolete and delapidated grain storage facilities. These modern grain warehouses are so designed that attacks by birds and rodents on grains are minimized if not totally eliminated. The warehousing programme, coupled with intensive infestation and pest control, have resulted in the reduction of storage losses from 6 percent down to about 1 percent per actual survey.Included in the warehousing programme was the establishment of grain centres in strategic production and consumption areas to service and educate the farmers, rice millers and warehousemen on the latest developments in post-harvest technology.
The second element is in the area of drying, where there is a high volume of grain loss caused by fermentation and germination. Our Government has acquired and installed a substantial number of mechanical driers in areas where these are readily available to farmers. As a measure for increased supply and reduced grain loss our Government has launched a programme of the phasing out of rice mills with less than 60 percent milling recovery and has instituted the undermilling of rice to have a more nutritional value and a higher recovery of milling, which is estimated to be 3 - 4 percent more. The requirement for milling 60 percent recovery will be gradually increased as the country's mills are improved and developed. It is the objective of the programme to have a minimum of 65 percent and a maximum of 72 percent recovery in rice milling.
Our Government has also paved the way in the use o£ rubber rollers for rice millers. A survey on the actual requirements and quality specification for rubber rollers, which are much more efficient and help to reduce losses in the milling process, has been completed.
The third element is the research and extension programme on the various aspects of post-harvest technology. A post-production technology training programme is also being conducted for the benefit of farmers and otherindividuals and groups engaged- in the grains industry. In order to integrate the activities of all agencies towards reducing post-harvest losses a national Post-Harvest Coordinating Committee was created.The Committee implements a well-coordinated programme consisting of research extension services, credit assistance, manpower development and regulation and enforcement, all aimed at the development of post-harvest technology. This Committee reports directly to the President of the Philippines.
It may also be worth while to inform, this body that the Philippines, as mentioned also by the representative of Indonesia yesterday, is a participant in the Policy Advisory Committee of the Post-Harvest Programme of South-East Asia, which is supported by the Governments of Canada, the United States and the Netherlands. The Programme aims to institutionalize regional cooperation in post-production research and development by way of facilitating the exchange of technology within the region. The Committee's work programme for 1978 tackles the post-harvest problem through vigorous on-farm demonstrations and research projects on drying, transport, marketing, threshing and milling. Likewise, the Philippines is an active member of the ASEAN Food Handling Group which is supported by the Australian Government,
In a spirit of international cooperation, whatever modest successes have been gained in post-harvest technology and the reduction of grain losses the Philippines has shared with other member countries of this Organization, particularly developing countries. The Philippines has already indicated its support for the Director-General's proposals in two previous sessions of the Council. On this occasion, however, we would like to re-emphasize the need to set up the Post-Harvest Losses Fund and the need to get this programme off the ground immediately. For this purpose we think that the transfer of savings that have accrued due to favourable currency exchange rates in the amount of $ 10 million, would be a very expedient way of getting the programme moving. This transfer would be a good start, but certainly it would just be the beginning. We would need another $ 10 million to reach the $ 20 million which
the minimum amount required, but even that would be a drop in the bucket, as the delegate of China indicated. A much bigger fund would be required to make a dent in the great problem of food losses.
We support the establishment of the Fund, in the hope that it will produce a snowball effect. We would like to think that the Fund would attract other investments from both the developed countries and also the developing countries themselves.
As indicated earlier in the course of this intervention, the Philippines has given priority and has already appropriated sizeable amounts of funds towards the elimination of post-harvest losses. We believe with the impetus given by the FAO Post-Harvest Losses Fund that other developing countries will also give priority to the matter in their budget and development programmes. We would like to support the regional approach suggested by the delegate of Kenya and to put investments where they would produce the highest returns. We would like to think that the scarce resources of the Fund would not be used in the hiring of expensive experts. Local and regional expertise should be used where they exist.The fund should complement the government funding efforts for the needed mechanism and infrastructure of the national programme for food losses.
In conclusion, and in the context of the experiences, projects and programmes spelt out by the various delegations, on behalf of my delegation I would like to propose the holding of a post-harvest workshop meeting at which experts of each country may thoroughly discuss and identify priority in combatting food losses. In this regard the Philippines is ready to offer its facilities.
P. HALIMI (France): Je veux avant toute chose vous féliciter de votre élection à la présidence de notre Commission. Vous avez été dans le passé un excellent président du Comité des produits et nous sommes persuadés que sous votre direction compétente nos travaux seront couronnés de succès. Mes félicita tions s'adressent également aux quatre vice-présidents.
Ma délégation est consciente de l'importance de la prévention des pertes alimentaires et c'est donc avec attention-qu'elle a étudié le document C 77/19. Il nous est apparu que ce texte était très proche du document présenté lors du dernier COAG, Qu'il me soit permis d'insister sur les points les plus importants de l'analyse des systèmes post-culturaux, â savoir le caractère global de toute intervention visant à réduire les pertes après récolte; la nécessité d'une formation de personnel qualifié de tous niveaux en matière d'entreposage, y compris les actions de vulgarisation auprès des agriculteurs et des commerçants; l'importance durecueil d'informations précises sur la nature et l'ampleur des pertes, en particulier la connaissance de la faune des denrées stockées, essentiellement en vue de réaliser des traitements phytosanitaires adéquats qui ne devront pas être excessifs et qui devront être appliqués au moment voulu sans risquer les échecs dus à l'apparition de formes de résistance chez les insectes traités par les pesticides, ou la présence de résidus de ces mêmes pesticides; la prise en compte du caractère biologique des denrées stockées pour la construction des locaux de stockage en vue de permettre une surveillance de l'état sanitaire des aliments et des interventions phytosanitaires commodes et peu coûteuses; le développement d'une plus grande collaboration entre les instituts et organismes interna tionaux concernés. A ce titre, le rôle joué par le GASGA, dont la Grande-Bretagne et la France assurent le secrétariat et dont la FAO est membre est très important.
Toutefois, il apparaît dans le document des modifications par rapport au document proposé au COAG, notam ment a'été prise en compte la prévention des pertes avant récolte. Le lien qui doit exister entre l'état sanitaire des cultures et la protection des produits récoltés, est en effet nécessaire, bien que les actions à entreprendre soient de nature différente.
A cet égard, en France, le service de la protection des végétaux, chargé de la surveillance phytosani-taire des cultures assurée par la diffusion auprès des agriculteurs d'avertissements agricoles rappor tant l'évolution des insectes et maladies, joue ce rôle en matière de prévention. Ce même service de la protection des végétaux a mis en oeuvre, en collaboration avec la recherche agronomique, une enquête sur la faune des denrées stockées et joue un r 81e dans les modalités d'application des traitements de ces denrées. Il a aussi pour fonction l'organisation de stages de formation pour l'application des techniques de fumigation qui. sont essentielles dans la protection des stocks.
De plus, nous constatons dans le document que la définition du rôle de l'unité de coordination a été mieux précisée que dans le document présenté au COAG. Cependant, la nécessité de la collaboration avec d'autres organisations ou à l'échelon régional n'apparaît pas clairement dans ce document, comme l'ont souligné certaines délégations qui se sont exprimées avant moi, notamment celles du Nicaragua et de l'Indonésie.
En ce qui concerne le programme d'action, ma délégation note avec satisfaction que le secrétariat de la FAO a tenu compte d'un certain nombre de remarques émises lors du dernier COAG, mais nous remarquons que la liste des projets présentés au COAG n'a, semble-t-il, pas été modifiée et nous le regrettons, car, comme l'ont souligné plusieurs délégués, il ne faut pas se cantonner dans ces dix modèles de projets. Il est indispensable que ce programme débute rapidement, mais pas selon n'importe quelle priorité. A cet égard, toutes les actions de formation doivent être mises en avant, La structure la plus sophistiquée ne sert à rien si l'on ne sait pas s'en servir, et j'appuie sur ce point ce qui a été dit par le délégué de la Haute-Volta, Inversement, d'excellents traitements peuvent être réali sés dans des installations sommaires par des personnes compétentes. Aussi, il ne servira à rien de débuter par exemple par la construction de magasins de stockage sans étude préalable des circuits commerciaux, sans moyens de maîtriser les infestations de ravageurs ou sans personnel motivé et quali fié.
Dans le domaine de la formation, mon pays peut très concrètement aider la FAO, Nous signalons la créa tion récente à Montpellier de deux instituts spécialisés dans la formation tropicale: l'IDIARC, spécia lisé dans le domaine de la technologie alimentaire dans les pays chauds, et l'IFARC, spécialisé dans la formation de chercheurs des pays en voie de développement, notamment dans le domaine des systèmes post-culturaux.
Nous désirons souligner que le COAG a demandé -et ceci est indiqué au paragraphe 122 du rapport- que le Directeur général soumette au prochain COAG des rapports intermédiaires pour le déroulement des projets exécutés au titre du Programme. Nous estimons cet avis du COAG très important. Il est néces saire que l'unité de coordination informe très rapidement les membres du COAG des priorités qui seront retenues.
Il nous apparaît donc que le succès du programme dépendra beaucoup du fonctionnement de cette unité, dont nous voudrions demander ici si elle sera bien composée de trois fonctionnaires, un P-5, un P-4 et un G-6, tels que les créations de postes apparaissent au document "Programme de travail et budget" et fonctionnant sur un budget de 375 000 dollars pour 1978-79. Nous aimerions avoir une confirmation de notre examen de ce document. Si nous ne nous sommes pas trompés, nous pensons que cette unité, effecti vement petite, sera efficace puisqu'elle disposera d'un budget important. Nous notons avec satisfaction que l'unité aura pouvoir de coordination entre les différentes divisions de la FAO et nous souhaitons qu'elle parvienne à obtenir que les projets des différentes divisions de la FAO soient complémentaires.
Enfin, ma délégation souhaiterait que l'unité centrale de coordination se préoccupe au premier chef de la coordination avec toutes les organisations internationales - j'appuie sur ce point ce qui a été dit avant moi par la délégation de la Belgique et celle du Malawi - et que cette unité profite au maximum des organisations de coordination qui existent déjà et parmi celles-ci j'ai déjà cité le GASCA.
Nous rappelons que le GASCA assure de façon informelle à l'échelle mondiale la coordination des opérations post-culturales. La FAO en étant membre, je penseque cette collaboration sera aisée. Nous éviterons ainsi les doubles emplois et combien de délégations n'ont-elles pas exprimé de craintes à ce sujet...
Nous voudrions terminer en renouvelant notre sentiment que la lutte contre les pertes après récoltes ne sera efficace que si nous la faisons ensemble. Nous proposons très immédiatement de vous aider en accueillant des stagiaires boursiers de la FAO, en organisant des stages ou séminaires en France ou dans les pays en voie de développement par le biais d'équipes mobiles de formation.
Pour ce qui concerne le financement de ce Programme d'action, des discussions se poursuivent dans d'autres enceintes et nous espérons, comme notre Ministre de l'agriculture l'a dit en plénière, qu'un consensus pourra intervenir.
M.A. ALI (Sudan) (interpretation from Arabie): my delegation congratulates you, Mr. Chairman, on your election to the Chairmanship of this Commission. Furthermore, we have listened with great in terest to the extremely interesting statements made by the various delegations who have spoken. We have benefited from listening to those statements.
The question of food losses, particularly post-harvest losses, is a highly relevant matter to all the authorities involved in my own country. Over the last four years we have made major efforts, the important part in which has been played by the National Research Council in Sudan.
Under the guidance of this Organization, we have set up research teams so as to reduce the size of the problem and so as to define it in our country. The result of this basic research has been ex tremely useful and therefore we have been able to establish a plan. Without scientific research as
a basis, it will never be possible to attain the desired results; nor will it be possible to work out a proper plan compatible with the realities of our own ecological system.
Further, following experiments carried out in Canada, we have defined an integrated plan to store cereals in our country, but because this required a lot of funding we were driven to stagger the implementation of such facilities.This operation has enabled us to carry out our plan in a'way ' which I believe is of interest. We have used the results obtained in other countries, and we should like to appeal to the Organization to enable us to carry out our plans in the best possible way and in the least costly way.
We listened to the statements made by China.with great interest, and we are sure that the Chinese experience is of great interest to us.I believe we all have similar problems in the developing countries.
The programme proposed by the Director-General is worthy of our full support, and during this im portant meeting we would hope that the Director-General's Special Fund will enjoy the support of all the delegations gathered together within these walls. We hope that this Fund will be set up as rapidly as possible, so that it can be put into effect as quickly as possible.
E.F. WHELAN (Canada): I should like first of all to congratulate you on your election as Chairman of this Committee.
The prevention of food losses is a very important issue which is of as much concern to Canada as it is to any other country in this body. We are aware of its complexity; -we are aware of its cost; and we are aware of its urgency. For those reasons we can support the priority attached by the earlier Session of the FAO Council and by the 1974 World Food Conference to the elaboration of an action pro gramme directed at the preservation of food losses.
FAO is the international body eminently qualified by its mandate and by its experience for this task, and the Director-General is to be commended for the attention and enthusiasm he has brought to it.
In Canada, crop production and post-harvest losses are essential components of the agriculture programme at the federal and provincial levels. In fact, one quarter of my Ministry's research branch manpower is devoted to these objectives. Our experience has shown that even where the techniques are well known the degree of success will depend upon the trained manpower available.The pests responsible for crop losses must be thoroughly understood and the scientific leaders must be able to communicate objectives and technical knowhow to their subordinates. I would go so far as to say that'the success or failure of a crop losses programme probably hinges mainly on this point.
The emphasis that the FAO Action Programme places on training in the area of farm machinery, storage and structures should also consider the need to develop local technologies using readily available materials. In this way, development, utilization and service can grow simultaneously, rather than importing sophisticated technology from the developed countries.
It is evident that an undertaking so vast, so complex and so significant is going to place tremendous demands on the resources of both bilateral and multilateral institutions, and most of all on the re sources of developing countries themselves.
Through its international development assistance programme, Canada is already heavily involved in pro jects directed at the prevention of food losses in agriculture and fisheries.It is evident to me that as involvement in this area grows so will the need for close coordination with FAO, the World Bank and the regional banks, the International Fund for Agricultural Development once it gets under way, the World Food Programme, and UNDP. The UNDP, as the central institution for technical assistance in the UN development system, has a particularly important role to play in reflecting this priority •in its country programme and guidelines.
In considering the Action Programme, it would be useful if the Director-General could outline for us the criteria and the mechanisms he envisages for carrying it out. This would give us a better idea of what kinds of resources will be needed.
Canada wholeheartedly supports the objectives laid out in the FAO Action Programme. We also recognise that we need resources to implement this programme. The Director-General has proposed our procedure for receiving these funds. There have been other suggestions submitted at the Council. Frankly, we would prefer the central funding approach to an institution like the UNDP. If this is not acceptable, we are prepared to seek some other approach which will reflect the prinicples of coordinated action and voluntary funding. Like many other countries, we have a well established policy, for
technical, assistance projects in the UN system should be financed on a voluntary basis. Canada would prefer that accumulated funds in the suspense account be returned to member governments, according to the provisions of the financial regulations agreed at the last Conference.In this way, we would leave it up to each country to decide how it can best contribute to an international campaign directed at the prevention of food losses.
In closing, I should like to mention that food conservation is not just a question of agriculture and marketing practices.In our industrialized society, it is very closely liked to nutritional fac tors and consumption patterns and what we waste in junk foods and what we throw out in farmer garbage. As I said yesterday in plenary session, we have taken surveys in some of our large urban cities in North America, both in the United States arid in Canada, and the average waste in food thrown out in farmer garbage in some cities is as high as three hundred pounds a year for every man, woman and child. When one thinks of this horrible waste, one thinks of all the energies used to produce the machinery, to produce the fertilizers, to till the soil. Many people in our developed countries think that it is their right, because they bought the food, to throw it out if they do not like it, if they have bought too much or if it has deteriorated while in the refrigerator or in the kitchen. They throw it out in farmer garbage, which again uses tremendous amounts of energy. There are the huge garbage packer trucks, huge bulldozers, huge draglines, huge incinerators which use a tremendous amount of natural gas or some other kind of energy to burn these products which have taken all those resources to produce them in the first place. So it is not only in the developing countries where we must worry about waste; waste should be our concern in the developed countries; we should be much more concerned about how we are wasting food that has gone through all these various programmes that we have.In our country there are many incentives for producers and for industry to provide storage not only for grains but for the horticulture crops, etc., so that we do not waste those products in the harvest programme or in the post-harvest storage programme.
But when we think of what our people do who purchased it you wonder was it all worth while. I have friends who have spent their entire productive life on aid programmes in other parts of the world who tell me from their experience they have seen as much as 50 per cent of food lost because of no processing or storage facilities, because of rats and other vermin getting in grain and getting lost; with no processing facilities for horticultural crops, fruit and vegetables, over 50 per cent not even harvested in many cases because no place to put them. We know these things exist but we are conscious of the fact as societies develop the same as ours, in some developed parts of the world, waste is still going to take place, and the waste in many ways, as I said, is in the energy area, and we are all concerned about that. I know I am repeating myself, but we developed countries should bear this in mind while we discuss action programmes aimed at developing countries, and should think a bit about cleaning up in our own area.
K. BEDESTENCI (Turkey): On this the first time I have taken the floor I will congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, on your election and also the Vice-Chairman of this Commission.
My delegation has carefully examined the document C 77/19 before us. We are aware of the problems faced in production and particularly in prevention of loss of resources. During the World Food Conference in 1974 my delegation supported that the subject of food loss processes be brought to the notice and interest of the Conference. My Government was personally interested that action be taken by FAO on prevention of food losses.
I came here from a developing country. Although I do not wish to go into detail on this subject, I would like to point out that Turkey, being a country with a large population which consumes a great amount of cereals, considers it very important to control storage and to provide enough food for the population. We have long experience in this particular activity. By means of considerable invest ment we have created storage facilities for 2 million tons of cereals, to prevent food losses in store houses, and thus to ensure supplies to the consumer. We are still working on this subject. We would like to support the proposals of the Action Programme and the establishment of the Special Fund re commended in document C 77/19. Turkey is ready to collaborate with FAO with all her resources and experience in the successful implementation and prevention of cereal losses in the storehouse, and in regional cooperation.
Fruit and vegetables have received some interest in the FAO future programme. As you know, horti cultural products are cash crops to the farmer. Turkey is ready to collaborate with the preservation of fruit and vegetables with all her resources and experience.
Finally, international cooperation is essential for the prevention of losses. Bearing this in mind, my Government , will be a supporter of action taken by FAO or other UN bodies and of new systems for balanced cooperation on this subject.
G. SOTO CARRERO (Cuba): Ante todo quisiera señor Presidente, en nombre de mi delegación y en el mío propio felicitar a usted por su designación para presidir nuestros debates y por la eficacia con que está dirigiendo nuestros trabajos en esta importante Comisión.También quisiéramos felicitar a los distinguidos Vicepresidentes y a los demás componentes de la Mesa.
Asimismo quisiera expresar nuevamente nuestro regocijo con los nuevos miembros que nos acompañan en estos trabajos a los cuales reiteramos nuestra disposición de cooperación y de transmitirles la expe riencia que pueda ayudarles a desempeñar sus nuevas tareas.
Nuestra delegación aprecia positivamente el interés demostrado por la FAO al abordar con profundidad el tema de las Pérdidas de Alimentos, en los distintos procesos de producción, cosecha y distribución de los productos de origen agrícola.
En Cuba también ha sido objeto de preocupación este importante problema. En la actualidad, la plani ficación centralizada de nuestra economía, encaminada a satisfacer la demanda creciente de la pobla ción y al mismo tiempo a garantizar la mayor efectividad económica de las empresas productoras y dis tribuidoras, y también, como consecuencia del perfeccionamiento del proceso de institucionalización, se han eliminado los dos aspectos más significativos que atentaban contra la conservación de los alimentos de origen agrícola, es decir, eliminó los intermediarios innecesarios y ha estabilizado la producción acorde con las posibilidades que brinda el propio desarrollo déla economía en función del sistema económico-social que hemos adoptado.
Actualmente la producción de las empresas estatales o cooperativas o los campesinos, es vendida a empresas estatales de acopio que se encargan de la distribución a la red minorista de establecimien tos comerciales o a la industria o a la exportación.
A partir de esta situación organizativamente ventajosa, es posible ahora observar y detectar con ma yor nitidez las otras causas que contribuyen a las pérdidas de alimentos, ya sea antes o después de las cosechas, estando de acuerdo nuestra delegación en que los tres obstáculos principales con los cuales tropieza la prevención de las pérdidas de alimentos son los expuestos en el documento C 77/19 presentado por la Secretaría, es decir: la falta de información, la carencia de una infraestructura adecuada y la falta de inversiones. Consideramos necesario añadir un aspecto adicional, ya menciona do por otras delegaciones, y que es la necesidad de capacitar a los trabajadores y funcionarios que intervienen en todos los procesos, sin lo cual los tres anteriores no podrían por sí mismos, resolver la problemática existente.
Nuestro país dispone de modestas instituciones cientficas necesarias para realizar, como ya lo han comenzado a efectuar, los estudios que brindan, la información relativa a las causales de las pérdidas, la cuantificación de las mismas y proponer las opciones técnicas más eficaces para reducirlas o evitar las. Ello es posible por el desarrollo educacional alcanzado en las ramas agropecuarias, lo que ha per mitido que nuestra agricultura esté en posibilidades de enfrentar técnicamente la tarea de evitar cada vez más la pérdida de alimentos.
Con relación a la creación de la infraestructura, ya nuestro país ha perfilado y constituido sus Empre sas Estatales Agropecuarias especializadas y, además, dispone de una red de talleres de reparaciones de equipos agrícolas , de regadío y de transporte que permite la explotación del parque existente de combi nadas, cosechadoras especializadas, etc. Se han construido el doble de las carreteras y el triple de los caminos que existían antes de 1959, lo cual contribuye a evitar la pérdida de productos que de otra forma no pudieran ser transportados a su lugar de consumo, como era usual en Cuba en la época pre-re volucionaria, principalmente en los períodos de intensa lluvia, conllevando irremediablemente a pér didas por estos conceptos; la electrificación, fundamentalmente en las zonas rurales es hoy 2,5 veces mayor que la existente en 1958, con lo cual es posible explotar en las zonas agrícolas productoras, instalaciones o establecimientos que requieren de la electricidad.
Pero a pesar de este gran esfuerzo por desarrollar nuestra infraestructura, aun la misma resulta insu ficiente y consideramos que en uno de los aspectos en que nuestro país deberá hacer un esfuerzo, es en la creación de almacenes o establecimientos para la conservación transitoria de los productos agríco las cosechados.
En los países subdesarrollados, prácticamente no existe ni siquiera en las grandes ciudades, capacida des suficientes para el almacenamiento de las materias primas y los productos industriales y alimenti-cios con destino al consumo de la población y por tal motivo, nuestra delegación considera muy apropia do el propósito del Director General de destinar una parte substancial del Fondo Especial para la reduc ción de pérdidas de alimentos, a la creación de distintos tipos de almacenes.
Pudiera ser de interés de los asistentes a este evento, conocer algunos datos referentes a nuestra experiencia en cuanto a las afectaciones o pérdidas en la producción agrícola en algunos de los esla bones del proceso de producción y venta de los productos.
A través de un sistema estadístico, que se inicia desde el mismo lugar de siembra, para llegar en for ma consolidada hasta el nivel central de la nación, nuestro país dispone de la estadística de pérdidas en áreas sembradas en cada uno de los cultivosy es un indicador que se planifica sobre bases técni cas y su ejecución se controla y supervisa.
En cultivos tan sensibles a las plagas y enfermedades como el arroz, nuestro país puede mostrar un saldo positivo, en la disminución de las pérdidas observado desde 1972 hasta la fecha, habiendo contri buido a esta favorable situación el disponer del equipamiento necesario para todas las labores, la atención fitosanitaria y la exigencia de utilizar con preferencia semillas certificadas, aspecto este último en que para 1978 se podrá llegar sin ninguna dificultad al 95 por ciento del total del área a sembrar.
En ,Tubérculos y Raíces, las pérdidas en áreas sembradas, tomando como promedio tres años, es de un 12 por ciento, mientras que en Hortalizas, en el tomate, por ejemplo, principal renglón de producción en este rubro, las pérdidas en áreas representan el 6 por ciento de las siembras realizadas.
Nuestro país utiliza para el control de las plagas en las hortalizas, productos plaguicidas de recono cida eficiencia y se encuentra en estos momentos desarrollando una red de establecimientos técnicos que eviten la propagación de plagas que habitualmente afectan las producciones.
En otros cultivos no mencionados específicamente, las pérdidas en siembras tienen el siguiente orden: caña. 13 por ciento; tabaco, 6,6 por ciento; cítricos, 10 por ciento; pastos y forrajes, 9 por ciento.
El sistema estadístico vigente permite además conocer por cada empresa, provincia y por tipo de cultivo, las mermas que se producen a partir del momento en que se acopia la producción y que llega a la red de establecimientos minoristas. De esta forma, tomando como base un año dado el comportamiento fue el siguiente: tubérculos y raíces, 5,5 por ciento; hortalizas, 6,0 por ciento; frutas cítricas, 3,3 por ciento; otros frutales, 7,1 por ciento. Como bien se puede apreciar, a pesar de los esfuerzos realizados para contrarrestar las pérdidas antes y después de las cosechas, éstas son todavía considerables y además, las mencionadas no son las únicas.
Pudiera ser también de interés dar a conocer algunos interesantes trabajos de investigación llevados a cabo en nuestro país, para lograr la conservación de productos agrícolas con lo cual lograría de poderse extender en forma generalizada, reducir las pérdidas y/o lograr ahorros en relación a otras técnicas más costosas. Dada la estacionalidad de la cosecha de algunos productos agrícolas fundamentales, es decir, tubérculos y raíces y hortalizas, se producen, entre los meses de febrero y marzo, altas praducciones no asimilables en igual período de tiempo por la industria o el consumo de la población y exce- diendo las posibilidades de almacenaje en establecimientos adecuadamente climatizados. Para la conser vación de la papa, los métodos en nuestro país, han sido fundamentalmente dos: el utilizado por los pequeños y aislados productores, consistente en mantener la papa, en forma de granel, en lugares con cierta ventilación procedente del medio ambiente, y produciendo una rotación del producto cada cierto tiempo. La utilización de este método se hace inadecuado cuando la producción aumenta significativa mente; el otro método es el de almacenar la papa en instalaciones frigoríficas que garantizan una baja temperatura, lo cual requiere inversiones y tecnologías generalmente costosas y que a pesar de los grandes esfuerzos realizados por nuestro país en aumentar este tipo do. instalaciones, aún resultan insuficientes, debido a la competencia que se produce en un mismo período entre distintos productos. Ante esta situación, se han desarrollado experiencias en distintas zonas del país, encaminadas a demostrar que es posible lograr con resultados satisfactorios la conservación de la papa a temperatura ambiente en determinadas condiciones de almacenaje, entongamiento adecuado de los envases, selección apropiada del lugar del almacén, de la forma en que circula el aire y tomando en cuenta otros factores.Como resultado de la experiencia realizada se concluyó que el método aplicado posibilita la conservación de la papa por más de cien días sin riesgos, aunque cumplimentando determinadas orientaciones de trabajo. Desde el punto de vista económico, la experiencia arrojó como resultado que el precio de conservación de la papa en un período de 90 días, a temperatura ambiente, es de aproximadamente un 40 por ciento inferior en relación a la conservación en cámaras refrigeradas.
Por la importancia de todos estos aspectos y de acuerdo a las posibilidades existentes, nuestro país podrá continuar en el desarrollo y creación de nuevas condiciones para evitar las pérdidas de alimentos,habilitando laboratorios, puntos de 4 tance est unanimement reconnue de tous.
Reiteramos que nuestra delegación considera en forma muy positiva el propósito de la Secretaría de so" meter el tema de las pérdidas de alimentos al riguroso examen del 19° período de sesiones de la Conferencia General y nuestras modestas experiencias, producto ellas, en lo fundamental, del sistema económico vigente desde hace sólo dieciocho años en nuestro país, están a disposición de los demás países en desarrollo y al mismo tiempo planteamos que estamos también en la disposición de asimilar y aceptar la colaboración que en este sentido pueda prestar esta Organización.
Por ultimo, nuestra delegación desea reiterar, una vez más, nuestro apoyo al Director General en su propósito de crear este fondo, así como también la propuesta de iniciar las actividades del mismo transfiriendo recursos monetarios de la cuenta transitoria por un monto de diez millones de dólares.
J. ROWINSKI (Poland): First of all, I would like to congratulate you on being elected Chairman of our Commission and would like also to congratulate all four Vice-Chairmen of our Commission.
The problems of post-harvest losses and the establishment of the Special Fund for the Prevention of Food Losses were already discussed this year. The Polish delegation had the opportunity to express its opinion during the fourth session of the Committee on Agriculture. The problem is really very important and we think that the proposed programme of action is only the beginning. One of the reasons for this opinion is that the programme is now restricted mainly to grains. Only the projects in Β and Η and two training projects are fully or partly connected with crops other than grains, and we all know that similar or even higher post-harvest losses occur in the case of roots and tubers. There is also no reason to exclude many other very important plants such as fruits and vegetables.
It is, however, obvious that it is difficult to begin with a broadly formulated programme. The Polish delegation is of the opinion that in the case of success the programme should be extended first of all on roots and tubers and afterwards on the other crops mentioned. In connexion with this, we are wondering whether it would be possible to introduce in the project more universal dryers that could handle not only grain but also other crops.
As regards financing of the programme, we would prefer as a matter of principle to confine it to voluntary contributions. However, as it is a very important matter for many developing countries, we shall not object to using the resources located in the Suspense Account for this purpose.
A. LERE WAPI (Tchad): Avant tout permettez-moi de vous féliciter pour votre élection à la présidence de notre commission ainsi que les quatre vice-présidents.
Nous abordons le document C 77/19 qui traite de la prévention des pertes alimentaires, que l'on peut considérer comme l'un des points les plus importants inscrits à l'ordre du jour de notre commission. Pour la délégation tchadienne il s'agit même du point le plus important car à quoi bon mettre en place tout un dispositif, tout un mécanisme en vue d'accroître la production si l'on ne pense pas à protéger ce que l'on produit.
La nécessité de cette protection se fait d'autant plus sentir que les conditions de production sont difficiles et aléatoires.En effet, mon pays qui n'avait pas trop de problèmes alimentaires jusque vers les années 72, n'avait cure de la prévention des pertes alimentaires. A partir de 1973, l'action conjuguée des déprédateurs des cultures et de la série des périodes sèches qui frappe les peuples du bas Sahel, a fait prendre conscience à mon pays de l'absolue nécessité de sauvegarder ce qui est épargné par la sécheresse.
Depuis lors, et avec l'aide des organisations régionales ou internationales mon pays essaie de faire face à la situation.
Un fonds de roulement est mis en place depuis un an avec l'aide de l'USAID, mais son bon fonctionnement nécessite une action de sensibilisation des agriculteurs à la lutte contre les ravageurs. Les pertes alimentaires au Tchad sont considérables bien qu'on ne puisse les chiffrer avec exactitude faute d'études approfondies des dégâts. Elles se situent entre 30 et 60 pour cent.
En ce qui concerne les pertes avant récolte, elles sont essentiellement causées par les ciseaux granivores, les insectes et par une plante parasite contre laquelle il n'exite, à l'heure actuelle, à notre connaissance, qu'une méthode efficace et peu coûteuse de lutte: il s'agit du striga. Où cette plante se développe, on peut estimer que d'ici à dix ans elle occasionnera à elle seule 50 pour cent des pertes en céréales, bases du pays, si d'ici là aucun moyen de lutte efficace n'était trouvé
Les pertes après récolte ne sont pas non plus négligeables mais leur ampleur est encore bien moins connue. Une politique nationale de prévention de ces pertes semble difficilement applicable du fait de la diversité et de l'inadéquation des infrastructures de stockage. Seul le programme des magasins actuellement en cours permettra de tirer des éléments de cette politique.
A l'instar des autres délégations, nous apportons notre appui au programme de la FAO tendant à la réduction des pertes alimentaires, mais il me semble qu'il y manque un élément de base. Il s'agit de la sensibilisation des petits exploitants à tous les aspects du problème des pertes avant, pendant et après la récolte. A cette fin, un modèle de projet, basé sur l'utilisation des techniques audiovisuelles aurait sans doute complété avantageusement le programme qui nous est présenté.
En ce qui concerne le Fonds spécial, son utilisation doit être rationnelle en faisant autant que faire se peut, appel aux compétences nationales.
A.Y. BOUKHARI (Saudi Arabia) (interpretation from Arabic): I also would like to congratulate you on your election to the Chair of this Commission which you are controlling with great wisdom. My country, like other developing countries, is extremely conscious of the importance of this problem as it is conscious of the importance of finding solutions to this question of food losses which cost the Third World millions of dollars and millions of tons of food every year, which makes our world food situation even more precarious than it would be otherwise. We know that this has a great effect on food production throughout the world.
Our policy is designed to support, morally and materially, all projects which can be of benefit to humanity. Hence we support the creation of a special programme to enable food losses to be reduced, with particular emphasis on grain crops and other staple food crops.
We agree with the means of financing this programme as given in the document or by any other means which would enjoy the consensus of the house on condition that, of course, the objective may be achieved. My delegation considers that the programme could be financed by one of the funds which have been created and not necessarily by an independent fund, so as to avoid the usual administrative sloth which has a tendency to intervene.
We would like an objective study to be made before a rapid decision is taken on the subject, which study should take into account the experience of our various member countries and should take into account the fact that self-sufficiency is a prime target in the Third World.
E.T. OROUNLA (Bénin): Qu'il me soit permis à mon tour, Monsieur le Président, de vous féliciter pour votre élection à la présidence de cette importante Commission de notre Conférence.
L'objectif principal de la FAO demeure incontestablement l'augmentation des disponibilités alimentaires, que ce soit au niveau de nos pays respectifs ou au niveau mondial. Toute politique qui a pour mobile la réalisation rapide de cet objectif principal a été toujours favorablement accueillie par la République populaire du Bénin, qui met déjà, à son propre niveau et par ses propres moyens, tout en oeuvre pour assurer l'autosuffisance alimentaire de sa, population et, dans la mesure du possible, dégager des surplus exportables dans le cadre des échanges économiques entre les nations. Nos efforts, comme dans la plupart des pays en développement, ont besoin d'être soutenus; au plan international. Les pertes de produits alimentaires dans leur ensemble, et notamment les pertes après récolte dues à des circonstances et à des facteurs directs: action des ravageurs, mauvaise conservation, insuffisance des capacités de stockage, ces pertes constituent un grand goulot d'étranglement qu'il conviendrait d'éliminer ou de réduire au plus tôt.
C'est la raison fondamentale qui motive le soutien total de la République populaire du Bénin au programme de prévention des pertes alimentaires, programme présenté par le Directeur général de la FAO et recommandé à notre Conférence par la soixante-douzième session du Conseil. Un programme a besoin de moyens pour son application conséquente. Nous souscrivons donc pleinement à la création d'un Fonds spécial destiné au Programme de prévention des pertes alimentaires ainsi qu'à l'ordonnancement des actions concrètes proposées dans le document C 77/19. Les produits d'approvisionnement de ce Fonds devront se faire sans grande difficulté sur la base des propositions concrètes présentées par le Directeur général de la FAO, à savoir le prélèvement de 10 millions de dollars sur le compte d'attente 1976-77 de notre Organisation et, par la suite, des souscriptions volontaires des Etats Membres.
Tel est en tout cas le souhait que la délégation béninoise forme, s'agissant de ce sujet dont l'importance est unanimement reconnue de tous.
M. ISHAQUE (Bangladesh):I want you to know that the Bangladesh delegation is very happy at your being elected Chairman of this Commission. Please accept our heartiest congratulations. Our congratulations go also to the Vice-Chairmen.
We are deliberating here today the item on prevention of food losses. This is rather a belated deliberation at this level, although previous discussions have been held - but better late than never. We owe a great deal to the Director-General, Mr. Saouma, who has taken steps for getting action on this programme. I am quite sure that my fellow delegates agree with me when I say that action on this programme cannot wait any longer, and we salute the Director-General for his bold steps, with emphasis. Therefore we should not find it difficult to sort out the procedure for operation and for funding. The proposal for starting a Special Fund with the transfer of $US 10 million from the Suspense Account will no doubt allow immediate action without denying other contributions.
The reason why I and my delegation express anxiety, and want the programme to be implemented without any further delay, is that a pound of food prevented from being lost means that a human being is saved from hunger to the extent of that pound of food; and in the world today millions of pounds of food are being lost, when millions of human beings are hungry and under-nourished. Looking at it from this angle we may be regarded as a group of policy makers guilty of being oblivious to the situation around us if we do not start the programme at once.
FAO has been involved so very fully in getting food produced to grant human beings freedom from hunger and malnutrition. The investment, the efforts, the energy and the toil that have gone into obtaining production cannot be allowed to be lost; therefore action on the programme is an immediate must.
Developing countries are more in need of the programme and of support under the programme, so that their countries' programmes may not be handicapped on account of resource constraints - resources of many kinds, and the more prominent ones are investment and know-how which are very well highlighted in the programme. Loss in storage is substantial in developing countries, yet proper storage is not developed, due to inadequate investment capital. Know-how is also inadequate.
Bangladesh, being a food-deficient country, is already taking steps to prevent loss. The available studies indicate that production loss was in thè range of 13.7 percent on the lower side to 30 percent on the higher side. This means that the total post-harvest loss of food grains runs from a minimum of 1.5 million tons to 3.45 million tons. Against this loss, the quantum of our food grain imports has been 2.1 million tons on an average during the past five years. Satisfactory achievements in the prevention of post-harvest loss gives us more food for the hungry millions with a total or partial cut-down on food grain imports. Bangladesh is therefore very eager to be involved in the Action Programme for the Reduction of Food Losses, and so are all the others, I am quite sure.
Allow me to mention a few points of concern. Perishables, such as fruit, vegetables and fish, are being produced in increasing quantities in our countries to provide balanced food for the people. As you know, Sir, such perishables need to reach the consumers in non-producing areas quickly in order that effective and qualitative use may be made of -the production. In this section again, the developing countries, of which mine is one, feel the pinch as the infrastructure for transportation and marketing is not yet developed due to inadequate investment resources. FAO's programme may therefore give due consideration to this aspect. Perishable foods, such as fruits and vegetables, that are strictly season-oriented and available during only a short period of the year, more often than not create a market glut. The result is not only a loss in quality and quantity but also unremunerative prices for the hard toiling producer-farmer . Such a situation prevails in many places. This kind of loss can be prevented by developing processing industries of different scales. The Director-General's proposed programme envisages the provision of resources for developing processing facilities, and that is gratifying to note.
One more point of concern is that unemployment exists in many countries - certainly it exists in my country. Food loss prevention establishments that throw people out of employment must not therefore be developed. Appropriate technology has to be developed, through research, studies, demonstrations 'and training, so that the small farmers in the villages can also participate.
Having made those observations, on behalf of my delegation I fully support the Action Programme for the Prevention of Food Losses of the FAO and its implementation forthwith, with the Special Fund created by the transfer of $10 million from the Suspense Account, to which Special Fund further contributions should come in due course, as the Programme aims at prevention of loss of food which is so very painstakingly produced for keeping humanity free from hunger and malnutrition.
H.S. BAR-SHAI (Israel): First of all, I should like to congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, and to wish you success in directing these discussions towards good results. I should like also to congratulate the staff on their clear statement of the problems in document C 77/19. Prevention of food losses is indeed a tremendous problem, especially in a world where population growth demands every effort to increase supply, both by enlarging crops and by lowering losses. Every effort should indeed be dedicated towards this end and we wholeheartedly support this drive.
Nearly all the problems in this field can be found in our country, in which variable climatic conditions and scarcity of land and water resources demand many efforts in the field of the prevention of food losses. Food losses are caused not only by pests and droughts but also by a variety of causes which are no less important. We apply many and various systems to overcome the problems involved, starting with a broad research system designed to find ways and means to prevent damage by pests and other damage, through chemical or biological means and through ensuring proper growth conditions which will neutralize as much as possible climatic hazards.
On the post-harvest level we are applying careful mechanical systems and proper storage, including cold storage, especially for crops which can last a little longer, proper packaging and marketing systems, including exports of fresh produce, and industrial processing, drying, canning or freezing surpluses or even growing special crops for these purposes.
All this is serving crops in the order of several millions of tons, locally grown or imported, required to feed the population.
Many of these systems were developed in Israel, using locally made materials as well as foreign know-how. For example, we have created an extensive system of potato storage, based on very useful know-how and systems from the Netherlands, through which potatoes are stored in bulk in 20-25 thousand ton units instead of in jute bags. The damage during the long periods of storage is negligible and the product is even better than fresh potatoes. This was a good lesson from The Netherlands, for which we are grateful.
Successful action in this field depends not only on the means of creating it but also, and mainly, on the right approach to its application. In Israel, most of these activities are carried out on a ; regional basis, through organizations of the villages or settlements grouped in a given area and owned by them. These organizations concentrate all the putchases of the farming units in their area and provide harvest treatment facilities like storage, manufacturing and so on, thus saving much time and money to the individual farmer and ensuring the best and most efficient in every field.
Israel is willing to lend a hand in this Programme of FAO, utilizing its wide knowledge, and experience and industrial basis, assisting agriculture in every field of crop preservation. We arrange special courses in this field, both on a bilateral nation-to-nation basis in interested countries and through the good services of the FAO system. We fe'el that the plan presented in document C 77/19 should be a beginning, leading towards wider-scale programmes which will create an infrastructure leading towards broader systems of harvest preservation, thus relieving the world food shortage.
WONG SOON KAI (Malaysia): First of all allow me on behalf of the delegation of Malaysia to join others in congratulating you on your election to the Chair. 1 likewise extend my congratulations to all the Vice-Chairmen.
I thank you for this opportunity to express my contry's support for document C 77/19 on Prevention of Food Losses. In this connexion I wish to pay my compliments to the Director-General and his Secretariat for bringing out this important and comprehensive document which embodies the overall strategies and immediate programme of action.
The importance and the desirability of the prevention of food losses either before, during or after harvest are obvious to all, and yet it is a fact that until now this has been one of the most neglected areas in our effort to increase food supplies for the needy. I fully concur with the delegate of Bangladesh that it is better late than never.
The Action Programme before us which is meant to serve as a catalystic function in the entire field of prevention of food losses, in therefore heartily welcomed by my delegation. It is hoped that all countries which are in a better position to assist the developing nations will actively support this FAO programme, so that a positive impact will be made in our fight against hunger and malnutrition throughout the world by reducing food losses. The causes of food losses are many and varied.
We have just heard the Minister of Agriculture of Canada talking about the tremendous food waste in developed countries such as Canada, which are, however, in the happy position of not being adversely affected, nutritionally at least, by this wastage.
Besides the common causes there are different factors which might play an important role in different countries due to their peculiar physical, cultural and social conditions, the type of crops, the method of handling, processing, distribution, and so on.
Malaysia, while having a fairly strong agricultural base in the production of primary export commodities such as rubber, palm oil and pepper, is nevertheless vigorously pursuing the policy of increased food production.
We have also given high priority to the practical aspects of the reduction of food losses. It has been estimated that Malaysia's post-harvest losses amount to 11.7 percent of its rice production, 11 percent of its meat, 10 percent of its poultry and 10 to 15 percent of its fish supply, not counting the large percentage of fresh fish discarded at sea. These figures, although far from accurate, can indicate the magnitude of this problem.
It is obvious that if my country can save 50 percent of these losses by satisfactory and practical means at a reasonable cost, it would augment our farmers' income significantly, in addition to bringing Malaysia one step nearer to the goal of food self-sufficiency. It is in this context that my delegation fully supports the statement made by the delegate of Australia in the Plenary meeting on the 14 November that the Food Losses Prevention Programme be accorded top priority by FAO.
Furthermore, we concur with the several delegates who have stated that the Action Programme before us must give emphasis at the village and small farms level, and that local conditions and local resources of individual countries and regions must always be taken into consideration in formulating its plans, strategies and products.
While my delegation agrees with the priority being given to the prevention of post-harvest losses of staple foods at this juncture, we are of the opinion that losses both before and during harvest, not only of food grains but also of all foodstuffs, such as vegetables, fruits, meat and fish, must eventually be given their equal importance in this programme.
In Malaysia, for example, over 50 000 acres of rice crops were destroyed by insect pests early this year. If a better system of prevention of this sort of pre-harvest loss were available and effectively implemented, it would go a long way to help a large section of our farming poor and to sustain our nation's effort to higher food production.
Malaysia accepts the action strategies formulated in document C 77/19. We feel that the crux of the problem is how to meet effectively the urgent need of the developing countries and their poor small farmers. However, we are of the opinion that the prevention of food losses can only be successfully tackled by an integrated approach to agricultural and rural development.
My delegation recognizes that the establishment of a Special Fund for the Reduction of Food Losses deserves urgent attention if we envisage a worthwhile outcome in the near future. We are of the opinion that since at this initial stage the programme serves as a catalyst to more future actions, the Fund should be carefully and wisely invested in countries and regions that have the conditions and pre-requisites to ensure positive and worthwhile results. We would also like to see the . distribution of the Fund take into consideration efforts made by other agencies so as not to perpetuate duplication and unnecessary wastage.
My delegation noted with satisfaction the proposal to set up a unit at the FAO Regional Office especially orientated to handle the post-harvest programme. It is our hope that this unit will be properly manned by competent and relevant personnel so as to ensure its success as a planning, implementation, coordination, evaluation and information monitoring centre.
Finally, my delegation would like to take this opportunity to express our country's gratitude to FAO and those governments and inter-governmental groups which have given us their technical assistance in the implementation of our national programmes for the reduction of food losses. I wish to mention that FAO has assisted us in the organization of an action-oriented field workshop for the prevention of post-harvest rice loss in Ala Ston in 1976. In this field we happily offer to share our experience with any interested countries.
D. VASILIU (Roumanie): Le problème de la croissance de la production agricole préoccupe à présent tous les pays du monde, surtout les pays en développement, domaine dans lequel, ces dernières années, on a obtenu des résultats satisfaisants.
Suivant les estimations du mois de septembre de l'année courante, la production mondiale des céréales a augmenté de 1.365 millions de tonnes en 1975 et de 1.475 millions de tonnes en 1977.
Il est pourtant regrettable qu'une partie importante de ces récoltes diminue,cela étant dû à des causes d'ordre biologique et mécanique, qui avec des mesures opérationnelles pourraient être prévenues.
Dans les sessions précédentes, le Conseil de la FAO a discuté et adopté certaines recommandations concernant les actions de prévention des pertes de récoltes, surtout dans les pays en développement où, même de nos jours, selon ce qu'on a révélé à l'occasion de la dernière session générale de l'ONU, environ 600 millions de personnes souffrent de la faim.
La délégation roumaine appuie les actions initiées par le Directeur général,à savoir le Programme d'action et l'institution d'un Fonds spécial, qui une fois conjuguées, pourront contribuer à l'élimi nation des difficultés mentionnées dans le document C 77/19, notamment:
- l'insuffisante information concernant la dimension réelle des pertes de récolte et leurs causes,
- l'insuffisante préparation scientifique du personnel chargé de lutter contre ces pertes,
- le volume insuffisant des investissements qui sont utilisés pour des actions concrètes.
En appuyant les propositions du Directeur général telles qu'elles sont présentées dans le document C 77/19, nous sommes en même temps d'avis au'elles ne devraient être considérées que comme un début prometteur; ces actions devraient être suivies par d'autres. L'une d'elles qui serait de nature à aider les pays dans leur effort dans ce domaine, serait, de l'avis de notre délégation, l'élaboration par la FAO d'une étude contenant des recommandations et orientations qui puissent servir aux pays dans les directions suivantes:
- organiser les systèmes nationaux de prévention et d'avertissement de l'apparition de différents facteurs qui mènent à la diminution des récoltes;
- surveiller la résistance aux pesticides des différentes populations de ravageurs, des phytopathogènes et des mauvaises herbes;
- obtenir de nouvelles variétés de plantes qui parviennent graduellement à l'immunité vis-à-vis de différents ravageurs;
- vulgariser l'utilisation de techniques culturales propres à maintenir les cultures en bon état.
De même, nous sommes d'accord avec la remarque du délégué du Kenya, à savoir la nécessité de ne pas se limiter à des actions uniquement dans le domaine végétal. En effet, il faut en même temps s'occuper des pertes alimentaires dans le domaine animal, car là aussi il y a des diminutions importantes de production. La FAO devrait, à notre avis, dans ses actions futures sur les pertes alimentaires, aborder également ce problème.
A.A. AL-AGBARY (Yemen Arab Republic) (Interpretation from Arabic): I would like to congratulate the Chairman and the Vice-Chairmen on their election. I would also like to express our delegation's support for the statement made by the delegate of Kenya.
We are happy to welcome the new members to this Organization.
My delegation supports the point of view of the Swedish delegation that pre-harvest and post-harvest losses are part of the same process. It is not just because of the quality of seed but various other causes such as distribution, which lead to the loss of these foodstuffs.
We must also bear in mind the level of education of the farmers, hygienic standards and all the other elements which influence these food losses. We think that the project concerning food losses must be part of the current development programme, and if it is necessary to set up a special fund to finance this work with, on the one hand, $ 10 million from the suspense account and, on the other hand, with $ 10 million from country contributions, it is important for us that this fund should not be a new administrative drain on the Organization. It is important to have planned administration costs as far as possible so that the major part of this budget is used for combatting harvest losses.
We also think we should find a clear way of working out "this programme because there are other agricultural products which are also concerned with food losses. In our country we have a number of different agricultural projects, and in 1974 food was a special problem. We wonder if the fund will deal with such matters because they are of major importance in developing countries. We have a great responsibility to ensure that people get good food.
The budget for the Special Fund must give priority to limiting losses not after the harvest, because that does not help the developing countries, especially those who do not have enough food production. It would help the more industrialized countries who already have the means of coping with post-harvest losses.
For all these reasons, we think that the role for the special Fund should concentrate on increasing production of food grains and cereals, and disencourage certain traditional harvesting, methods which are very harmful to food production.
We should also like this to cover matters other than food losses. We should like it to cover fisheries, forestry and non-food products, so as to gain the maximum advantage from it. My delegation believes that this would benefit the developing countries, especially before the harvest.
A. MAJID (Afghanistan): The Afghanistan delegation would like to congratulate you on your election as Chairman of this Commission. We should also like to extend our congratulations to the Director-General and the Secretariat for presenting a very concise and comprehensive document, C 77/19.
My delegation fully agrees that in order to tackle food shortages we need to emphasise how to avoid food losses no less than to increase food production. If we are able to reduce 50 percent of post-harvest losses by 1985 much of the food shortage would be avoided. It should be noted that not only at the post-harvest level but also at the pre-harvest level we have to strive to avert losses. These losses are quite substantial, especially in the developing and least developed countries.
Losses caused by insects and pests and by improper harvesting constitute causes at the pre-harvest level. Similarly, spoilage, damage, decomposition caused by pests, insects and rodents, and also drying, storage, marketing and processing constitute food losses at the post-harvest level.
In Afghanistan major losses in the pre-harvest period are sometimes caused by locust attacks. Our main limitations in preventing the pre-and post-harvest losses are insufficient infrastructures and inability to provide for requisite investments for these purposes. The Afghanistan delegation fully supports the establishment of a Special Fund for the reduction of food losses. This appears to be an area in which the return on the time and money invested may be unusually high.
My delegation supports the criteria for the approval of projects but we put strong emphasis on the following four criteria: (1) priority should be given to the needs of the least developed and the most severely affected countries; (ii) the main project action should be completed in one and a half to two years;(iii) training programmes should be of short duration, conducted within the country, and directed towards the farmers, shopkeepers and operating staff; (iv) facilities to be provided should be simple to construct and operate, and be of appropriate design and materials for the country concerned.
Lastly, in our view the concept of pre-harvest and post-harvest losses should be extended to include other items such as fresh and dried fruits and vegetables and also non-food items such as cotton.
B. SΑΜΑΝΕΖ CONCHA (Peru): En primer lugar complace a la delegación de Peru que sea un latinoamericano quien presida esta importante Comisión donde vemos se están discutiendo temas de vital importancia. Estamos seguros que bajo su presidencia se logrará consenso en los diferentes temas que debemos tartar durante este período de sesiones.
En segundo termino debo dar la bienvenida a FAO a los Estados que acaban de incorporarse como miembros de esta importante Organización.
Pasando, señor Presidente, al tema que nos ocupa, debo manifestar y recordar que la agricultura es, como todos sabemos, una actividad totalmente aleatoria que se desarrolla en grandes espacios y en áreas sumamente dispersas, la producción obtenida en el resultado de un proceso biológico que una vez iniciado no se puede parar. Las mayores inversiones se realizan en la primera fase, me refiero a la siembra, concluido el proceso vegetativo, las cosechas obtenidas corren el riesgo de perderse y una vez recolectadas estas debe, a fin de poder regular el abastecimiento a los centros de consumo conservarse por períodos'más o menos prolongados. Y si la recolección y conservación no se efectúa en forma efi ciente, gran parte de los esfuerzos productivos se habrán perdido.
El proyecto para evitar las pérdidas de alimentos, estamos seguros dará resultados a muy corto plazo y con inversiones relativamente bajas en comparación con los otros esfuerzos que se vienen haciendo para ampliar las áreas de cultivo, introduciendo tecnologías nuevas etc. y todo ello con el fin de aumentar la disponibilidad de alimentos para combatir el hambre y la malnutricion. Esfuerzos estos últimos que deben ser reforzados y continuados, pero dándose la debida prioridad al proyecto presentado para evitar pérdidas de las cosechas después de la recolección.
La importancia del proyecto hace imperativo que se inicie lo más pronto posible, ya que el hambre en el mundo no puede continuar esperando. Hemos escuchado atentamente que hay un consenso y apoyo unánime al programa y mi país no puede dejar de hacer conocer que también apoya el Programa y por ello expresamos nuestra conformidad con el proyecto presentado por la Dirección General. Además, evitando la pérdida de las cosechas, los agricultores percibirán un mayor ingreso por su esfuerzo y los consumidores pueden tener a su alcance no sólo una mayor cantidad de productos, sino posiblemente éstos lleguen a sus manos a precios más bajos.
En; cuanto a Financiamiento se refiere, esperamos que éste sea aprobado tal como fue presentado por el Director General en el proyecto de resolución y que el Fondo sea incrementado con aportes voluntarios a fin de que pueda ampliarse el cuadro de acción del Programa, y es de esperar que se lleven adelante proyectos para evitar la pérdida de las cosechas en la región de latinoamérica, especialmente en cul tivos de la papa que tiene períodos críticos de siembra y de cosecha y debe almacenarse en gran volumen para el abastecimiento a unas zonas muy importantes de nuestra región.
El proyecto de resolución propuesto en su último parágrafo pide que el Director General presente al Consejo, a través de los Comités del Programa y de Finanzas, un informe anual sobre el funcionamiento. Considero, señor Presidente, que sería conveniente que al próximo período de sesiones del Comité de Agricultura se le presente una evaluación sobre la marcha del proyecto a fin de que puedan ser analiza dos los resultados técnicos obtenidos y, en base a ello, puedan formularse al Consejo las recomendacio nes del caso.
The meeting rose at 12.45 hours
La séance est levée à 12 h 45
Se levanta la sesión a las 12.45 horas
