CHAIRMAN: We continue with our discussion on the Programme of Work and Budget, Chapters 1 and 2, and you may also comment on the Resolution that was introduced yesterday on the activities of the European Region, document C 77/LIM/5. If we have the time we will go on to discuss Chapter 3 and possibly Chapter 4, but since we have to adjourn our meeting at 11 o'clock, there will hardly be time for that, I think.
G. P. TIGGELMAN (Netherlands): A few remarks first about paragraph 2. 1. 2, Crops. We welcome the increased attention given to food crops and particularly the proposed activities to increase and improve the production of good seed and planting materials. I hope it will be possible in the near future to cooperate on a larger scale with FAO in this field.
With reference to what has been mentioned in paragraph 1. 4. 1, Crop and Post-Harvest Protection Needs, we may suggest that particular attention will be given to the FAO Council Recommendation to examine thoroughly the entire subject of pesticides and plant protection with emphasis on supply and demand as affecting developing countries. We hope that the necessary funds for this work will be made available to the relevant departments and bodies of FAO; particularly the productivity of the bodies seems to be hampered by the lack of adequate manpower for the work.
Regarding the Livestock Programme, we would like to underline the importance of training. and appreciate that also in the coming biennium training will get much attention.
In the Food and Agriculture Policy Programme it is mentioned that the Food Security Assistance Scheme will give greater priority to preparing projects which strengthen the production capacity of developing countries. If possible, we would like to receive some more information about this shift of emphasis in the Scheme.
In conclusion, my delegation would like to draw your attention to the European Cooperative Network on Pesticides as undertaken by the FAO Regional Office in Europe. It seems to us that some overlapping exists with the World-wide Programme on International Standardization of Pesticides Registration Requirements, with the activities of the FAO/WHO CODEX Committee on Pesticide Residues and with the Government Consultation with respect to the environmental impact of pesticides. We believe that available resources for these important purposes should be used for a global approach, also covering the needs of the developing countries, and that the ongoing programme in Europe should be re-adjusted accordingly.
D. BASSIOUNI (Sudan): The intervention of my delegation will start with Project 2. 1. 1 on Natural Resources, We think the outline of the Project is good, and we are particularly interested in the proposal for making logal asessment of agriecological zones, but we think in order to guard against competition between plant and animal it is necessary that FAO should encourage Member Governments to undertake master land use plans. This we think is necessary, because it will guarantee that our development programme on a national and regional basis will not in any way conflict with the resources which are available.
On crops, we are particularly encouraged by the attention being given to the cropping pattern farming system, the small-holder system of farming. We think these are very important elements, and the modernization of traditional agriculture cannot be effectively undertaken without really doing further work on cropping patterns and farming systems.
On livestock, we are interested in the programme on the control of African animal trypanosomiasis. It is true, as has been mentioned clearly in the report, that quite a sizeable tract of land in Africa cannot be used for raising live-stock simply because of the prevalence of trypanosomiasis in these particular areas. Whereas we support the establishment of the sub-regional centres to serve as centres
for tick control and also for trypanosomiasis, we would propose that countries which have not in the past received any attention as far as the control of trypanosomiasis is concerned should be given higher priority in this particular programme.
The programme on livestock, too, does not touch on marketing. We think live-stock marketing is a very important element because it is only through marketing that we can increase the uptake and the future of the livestock economy depends much on marketing if we are to move the pastoral people into a cash economy, so we think marketing should be part of the programme.
Speaking of range management, I think less attention has been given to water development, which I think are tied up, water development and range management are inseparable, because without water, development of range lands especially in areas where water is still a problem could still continue to be a problem.
On research support, as said in the beginning we would like to see action-oriented applied research because we think this will accomplish quicker results, especially for the farmers, and particular attention to research on the farming system and cropping patterns should be given due importance.
On rural development, we agree that marketing and credit are very important components of our services, especially to the rural poor, but it is now a fact that a number of lending institutions in the countries because of the system of lending which they have been practicing over the years are no longer relevant to the needs of the small-holder farmer. We think there is a need for reorganization of national credit institutions with the help, of course, of FAO to institute favourable and liberal lending policies, and I think work should be done in this regard. The budgets on credits and marketing we note have received lesser importance, or lesser allocations than the rest of the other components. We think since these are important elements in the service of the rural population they should have been given some higher importance.
On Forestry we think there are two important lines of action which should receive our attention. The Forestry inventory is most important because without knowing our resources and their location it may be difficult for. us to really take these resources meaningfully. Secondly, training to us in forestry is an important element and should receive every attention.
Mr. Chairman, with your permission my colleague will supplement what I have said.
Y. I. MEDANI (Sudan) (interpretation from Arabic): Mr. Chairman, I have a few comments to make on Chapter 2. 2, Fisheries, Recent events in this area are reflected in territorial jurisdiction decisions which were taken recently. These extensions make it necessary for the developing countries to step up their efforts regarding the exploitation of territorial waters. International organizationś should help the Member Nations in attaining this objective. This is why we should like to stress a number of strategies and policies which are designed to develop the efforts made by the developing countries with a view to exploiting their fishery resources. These points may be listed as follows: first of all it is necessary for the existing regional bodies dealing with fisheries to become more competitive and competent, and for them to carry out the new activities required by the extension of territorial waters. The Pacific Commission covers vast expanse of waters, this is why its activities in the Red Sea are virtually non-existent. We believe, therefore, it is necessary to establish a new committee which would deal with the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. This is also applicable to the other committees. Furthermore, it is necessary for us to develop training activities with respect to the management of this sector. It is also necessary for us to make a new inventory to see which areas are well-stocked with fish, and it is necessary for us to adopt a policy which is appropriate to deal with the situation. Fourthly, it would be necessary for the countries that work or exploit the same areas to undertake a joint effort and to cooperate one with the other.
As regards 2. 2. 1 Information on Fisheries we believe that it is necessary to provide the requisite information to the developing countries, more particularly to those countries that do not have financial or staff resources required to obtain such information, and we would like to repeat a point which was made by the distinguished representative of Indonesia, and other delegates as well, in referring to the need for stressing fisheries' production in the inland seas, so as to enable us to provide the proteins we require.
M. TRKULJA (Yugoslavia): At the end of your list I will be reasonably brief and, of course, being aware of the time limit of 27 minutes. I do not think, Chairman, I have anything special to say on Chapter 1 except perhaps to say that the real term increases in resources seems reasonable.
On 2. 1. 1 Natural Resources, though my country has no direct experience the arguments presented by a previous speaker on problems of rainfed agriculture merit our support.
In our first intervention we have already defined our position on two basic components of 2. 1. 2, that is seed harvest and post-harvest losses. With regard to 2. 1. 3 Livestock, two brief comments only: first, we highly value the work done on foot-and-mouth disease control in Europe, and since it represents, if I may say so, a rare FAO activity of direct immediate benefit to my country, we certanly wish to see this work continued and, if possible, slightly strengthened.
Coming now to 2. 1. 4 Research Support, let me first indicate our accord with the priorities (a), (b) and (c) under action proposed. I am referring to paragraph 18. In our view (d) is not a priority by other organizational measure, to which we certainly agree. However, we have some doubts about the usefulness of (e).
May I turn your attention now to the issue that seems to us very serious indeed. I am referring to the concern voiced in the report of the Programme Committee in paragraph 2. 45 to 2. 48 of the CL 72/4. My delegation fully shares the views expressed there. We strongly feel that an initiative, unfortunately now well under way and institutionalized by the constructive group on international agricultural research, and that establishment of an international service for culture research means, in our view, nothing but duplication of services FAO is fully capable of providing. Consequently, it could only lead, we feel, at least, to further prolification of national institutions, and hence to waste of money. One should, however, admit that the total resources of FAO for 1978/79, both regular programme and extra-budgetary resources are far from being adequate compared to the real need of 3 000 research institutions with somewhere around 15 researchers in developing countries, as shown in paragraph 4, and also possibilities of those countries to strengthen their own efforts in that field, but if additional extra-budgetary resources are available FAO is no doubt the only institution qualified to get the job done. I can say my delegation suggests the Conference voice very clearly its concern, in a sense, proposed by the Programme Committee.
Mr. Chairman, I failed in my first intervention to underline an issue to which Yugoslavia has always attached the utmost importance. Most likely it happened just because I tried my best not to overlook it. I mean our inescapable need for progressive reliance on FAO national and regional institutions, in developing countries. I am very glad my negligence was fully compensated by a number of speakers, especially by the excellent intervention of my Indian colleague yesterday afternoon. I have nothing to add, but to subscribe myself fully, 100 percent, to what he said. My delegation lends its unreserved support to the intention of the Director General, shown throughout the narratives of the Programme of Work and Budget, to take decisive steps to end that in the next biennium, thus implanting a really new avenue in the FAO work. We want him only to persist.
I hope that I have clearly defined our position vis-à-vis 2. 1. 7 and 2. 1. 8 in my first intervention and what I have already said. I would now only add we highly appreciate work done by FAO in the commodity field. May I mention also that we are very directly interested in the commodity work, especaially as far as meat is concerned, so we would like that active part of commodity activities to be at least slightly strengthened, in view of the continued crisis in meat markets all around the world.
Finally, may I say a few words on Europe. Were I not a European, I might have quite easily got the impression that the European problems were over-stressed in debate, but I think we Europeans are fully aware of the fact that Europe has not been, and moreover should not be the prime concern of the Organization, yet, Mr. Chairman, on the basis of our own experience my delegation can testify to the useful job done in Europe, especially through established research networks - foot-and-mouth disease control, etc. We particularly appreciate the close and fruitful cooperation between FAO and ECE. We also think that European activities could be of substantial value to developing countries, and that these countries ought to be further encouraged to participate actively in European programmes. So we Europeans are not brought in this - I am absolutely sure - our intention is merely to underline what we have been doing in Europe and we want to do to the benefit of not only European but of perhaps many developing countries in bordering regions. With this in mind, my delegation wants to indicate its support to the draft resolution introduced by Spain.
B. de AZEVEDO BRITO (Brazil): Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank you in particular for giving me the floor at this late stage still to make some general comments which unfortunately I was not in a position to do yesterday, due to the arrangement in the Conference.
Perhaps before making some specific comments, it would be appropriate for me to remind our colleagues in the Commission that as a Group of 77 we have taken a clear stand on the overall aspects of the budget for the coming biennium. As is well known, we made a common joint statement at the time of the 72nd
Session of FAO Council, when we had the opportunity to repeat our position of support of the budget and programme proposals. Specifically, at the time of the 72nd Session of the FAO Council, we gave support to the figure of $211 350 000 for the coming biennium. We feel, in the Group of 77 that this figure is, in fact, the very minimum to carry on a programme which we attach particular importance to, a programme which we feel to be the minimum response on the part of FAO to a renewed priority to agricultural development and a renewed concern to the questions of food and nutrition. We feel that it is in fact a conservative approach if we take into account the actual requirements of developing countries. We feel also that the adjustment from the figure presented at the June Council to the figure which we have now before the Conference is a necessity, a necessity which requires adjustment for the Conference on Agrarian and Rural Development, an adjustment consequential to enlarge the scope of the Conference, and also an inevitable adjustment in the light of the fluctuation of the currency, the dollar-lira relationship, between June and November.
We would like also in the name of the Group of Seventy Seven to remind the Commission that we fully support the general trends reflected in the programme proposals in terms of de-bureaucratization, decentralization and transfer of activities to the country level, and to technical cooperation activity with emphasis therefore on field programmes. Those are trends which we feel to be absolutely appropriate and correct.
We have also given our support, as is well known, to the proposal for the establishment of a special fund and the manner in which the initial contribution to that special fund will be made out of the Suspense Account, but that is a problem we have to discuss in Commission I and I do not need to dwell on it here.
That being said Mr. Chairman, I would like to make now some additional comments as the Brazilian delegate. My first comment on the overall distribution of resources is made in the light of the table which one sees on page 187 of the English text, the general allocation and distribution of funds between regions. I must say that by the figure of total resources allocated to our region, Latin America, the figure corresponding both to the regular programme and to extra-budgetary resources is very low. In percentage terms it does not give more than twelve percent, and in fact we are therefore, after Europe, the region with less benefits received from the allocation of the resources.
This figure of course is an average figure and is reflected in the different chapters. If one sees the figure on research, the situation becomes even worse because we have not more than four percent which is incredibly low. One can see for instance on page 79 of the programme of work, in the English text, that Latin America has not more than four percent if we take into account budgetary and extra-budgetary resources. I would say that it is indeed a very low percentage allocation, especially if one takes into account the efforts of Latin America to develop and promote agricultural research. Therefore, we feel there is not a counterpart from FAO to our own regional efforts, and we would very much appreciate, if it is possible, to have a larger allocation on this particular chapter on research, and I insist that in this particular case there is a tremendous effort in Latin American countries, including my own, to promote agricultural research and we feel therefore that there should be an adequate counterpart.
His excellency, the Minister of Agriculture of Brazil for instance in the general debate in the Plenary referred precisely to the actual amount provided by Brazil for research which is in fact over one hundred million dollars per year by now, and we do not feel there is any adequate counterpart on FAO's side here, and we feel constrained to make this observation.
Now on Chapter 2 which I understand is the exact point of our discussion right now, we have some specific remarks but also general observations. If one sees under page 53 of the English text, Major Programmes on Agriculture and the distribution of programmes, we see that both take into account separately purely regular budget programme, and considering the total funds in both accounts we see a very low emphasis on nutrition. If my accounting is right, nutrition is the seventh in priority if taking into account the regular programme, and sixth in priority if we take into account the total resources. We would estimate there are around seven hundred an fifty million undernourished people in the world. We feel that it is hardly an adequate response to a situation which has to be improved if we want to help those most in need. That is the overall comment on the Programme for Agriculture.
Also we feel that the emphasis on research again is very low. It is eighth on the Regular Budget, and the seventh taking into account total funds. We feel that research is very important for all our developing regions if we want to increase production productivity and therefore we are inclined to believe that it would be appropriate for greater emphasis to be on research. So nutrition and research in our opinion should have been moved up on the scale of priorities within the major programme on agriculture.
Now a couple of observations within the Chapter on agriculture still. We feel that the Organization will have to take care to have a kind of balance. At the same time we are happy to see the emphasis on
the reduction of losses. We cannot detract from the work of the Organization directly orientated for increased production. We have to follow as kind of between approach; production on the one side and reduction of losses on the other side. Both are valid and both are necessary.
We feel that there must be a special emphasis on investment at this stage. We in the developing countries feel, and we feel as Brazilians, that in a number of cases we have the knowledge and we have sometimes the natural resources. We require the financial resources and support to develop our own potential. So investment is necessary. Also what is necessary, and this relates to my previous comments, is a special emphasis on research. In this regard I must say that my delegation is very happy to see the references in support of the work of the United Nations Conference on Science and Technology, and in fact we feel that this Conference should suggest ideas for consideration at the Conference. We understand the preparations for the Conference are already underway, and their initial work at governmental level is starting as far as I know by the beginning of next year, so it is important that we give our ideas on how FAO can contribute and what we expect from the Conference as far as agriculture and food production are concerned.
We also feel Mr. Chairman in the chapter on agriculture the emphasis on training is very important, including training at grassroots, and here we fully agree with the proposals of the Director-General.
On harvest losses we have already in Commission I given some ideas. Our feeling there is very clear in the sense that the work of the Organization should cover all kinds of crops and the emphasis should be on staple foods, roots and tubers; but not only those kinds of crops but all crops require attention and support from the Organization. We also feel that harvest losses problems have to be tackled in an integrated manner from the production to transportation and marketing, and not in isolation on Just one aspect of the programme.
We also feel as we indicated in Commission I that all developing countries require support for their own efforts. Of course the priorities in food deficit countries surely deserve a special priority, but in fact each developing country requires and deserves support for its own efforts.
Now still on comments on this chapter on agriculture, if you will allow me Sir, on rural development we are reasonably competent in the light of the comments presented to us in the document, the Programme of Work, that the issues on rural development will be taken care of in a comprehensive manner, taking into account that a number of the policies are relevant. We have to see the contribution of the cooperatives, the contribution of rural credit, contribution on training, contribution on marketing, health, education, agrarian reform which does not have only one instrument but has many, and we are competent that the proposals before us seem to indicate that FAO is taking this kind of integrated approach which we feel is necessary.
Relating to rural developments, we would still like to make a comment on rural women. I would slightly depart from the observations of the document before us, the Programme of Work, as we still feel there is too much emphasis on home economics. In the Organization, in FAO, for a long time we are speaking about how to integrate women in rural development but we are all the time bogged down on how to go beyond home economics. We very much hope that programmes will allow us to see how to better integrate women into the whole production process in a general manner, and not only in home economics.
We also feel that it is quite important to work on fertilizers, and we are very happy to see the Commission on Fertilizers addressing itself to the specific point of price stabilization and removing the differential of prices paid for fertilizers by farmers in the developing countries to the developed countries. Here, we have a rather abnormal situation in which the farmer in the developing countries, the real bull farmer, has to pay for fertilizers a much higher price than in the developed countries in most cases. It is an extraordinary situation and we are happy to see the Commission on Fertilizers has made a start in looking to this programme.
On nutrition, we feel that the most important aspect of the work should be at this stage - or one of the most important should be - to give developing countries the capacity to plan and implement comprehensive policies with a clear knowledge of the data. We feel it is very important from our own experience, and it is very important for the food consumption service, very important to have data in order to be able to develop a comprehensive approach, a comprehensive national policy on nutrition. At the same time we agree with the proposal before us, that the basic aim is to improve nutrition conditions of the poor in urban areas and in rural areas.
By the same token, we feel a certain anxiety at the level of resources provided for food standards. We are more and more inclined to the view that food standards should be shifted to voluntary contributions. As we have already commented, we cannot be more and more geared to solving the basic problems of the poor in rural and urban areas and the work of food standards, important as it is, as long as we do not have enough resources coming from voluntary contributtions.
For all these different activities which I have just referred to -more resources to work, for instance, on rural development, nutrition-we very much hope that FAO will develop it with much greater emphasis on decentralization to national institutions. We also feel that for instance in research, FAO has a very significant contribution to make in permitting cooperation in developing countries. We have research institutions in developing countries, and the work will be much benefited if it is better coordinated if these countries can support each other. FAO can have a kind of catalytic role in this kind of cooperation of research among developing countries.
I would not like to conclude without mentioning the importance we attach to the policy. We feel for instance that the very important work in preparation for the DD3 - the third United Nations development decade-will be greatly benefited if there is a real priority for improving development throughout the world. We must try to plan how to develop the strategy for agricultural development, how to define international cooperation in the future, how to develop new aspects which may prove more useful, and therefore there is a kind of conceptual work which FAO needs to do and is the Organization to do, in support of the United Nations system, in looking for development strategies for the next decade.
Linked with those observations, I would say that the support of FAO is very important in training for agricultural planning in developing countries. It is our experience in Brazil that we have benefited very much from this.
We attach very great importance to the work on commodities, especially at this stage when the international organizations in the context of the new international economic order are trying within the framework of UNCTAD to move into other agreements on commodities. FAO has a complementary role there, and a supportive role there, basically with analysis of market forecasts and demand, forecasts of production, and basic identification of programmes, We Brazilians attach very much importance to the work of FAO in commodities, and we believe we should have adequate support during the next biennium. We also feel that FAO has quite an important role in helping developing countries in promoting their own commodity policies.
There is support also in the current biennium for the definition of commodity policies in our own countries, and we feel that this kind of action should continue to have support in the coming biennium.
These are the general observations on the overall programme for agriculture which my delegation would like to make at this stage.
M. A. K. EL MOKHTAR (Mauritanie) (interpretation de l'arabe): Puisque c'est la première fois que je prends la parole, je voudrais, Monsieur le Président, vous féliciter de votre élection à la présidence de cette commission. Nous tenons à féliciter également le Directeur général et ses collaborateurs pour les efforts qu'ils ont déployés en vue de décentraliser la FAO pour lui permettre de s'occuper de sa tâche première, à savoir: fournir l'alimentation aux pauvres. C'est là un objectif humanitaire, et si nous voulons nous en acquitter au mieux, il faudra que nos efforts soient déployés en commun tels les efforts faits par la même famille qui veut subvenir aux besoins de tous ses membres.
Aussi, notre délégation appuie-t-elle pleinement le contenu du programme de travail et budget pour le prochain biennium 1978–79.
Nous voulons joindre notre voix à celle de l'Indonésie qui demande que les programmes visent plus particulièrement les pays en développement, et ce par équité et par esprit de justice vis-à-vis de tous. Je voudrais ici rappeler à tous le danger qui menace la zone du Sahel, à savoir la sécheresse qui nous a frappés depuis 1969 et qui a encore sévi au cours de la saison 1977. La situation ne fait qu'empirer car la pluviométrie a été très faible et les pluies sont tombées très tard.
Je souhaiterais également mettre l'accent sur les différents prédateurs et les effets néfastes du criquet pèlerin, des oiseaux et des rats qui menacent nos cultures. Il nous faudra pallier ces difficultés en mettant l'accent sur les programmes de formation et de développement de notre agriculture. Nous allons nous contenter de ces informations en nous réservant le droit de revenir plus tard sur les différents points de l'ordre du jour,
J. P. LEVISTE Jr. (Philippines): The Philippine delegation wishes to congratulate you, Sir, on your election as Chairman of this Commission. We believe that with your leadership the Commission will be able to arrive at the crucial decisions needed within the limited time allotted to us.
In the interest of time let me come straight to the point.
The Philippine delegation supports the priorities of the Programme of Work, and Budget approved by the 71st Session of the FAO Council here in Rome in July 1976. The departure from the proliferation of meetings, publications, and documentation, would result in more action-oriented programmes, such as the creation of agricultural systems.
The Technical Advisory Commission has identified the crying need for agricultural systems suited to the particular conditions of individual countries and the attempts to establish agricultural research systems, together with an international research system. There is indeed a void in this area. Likewise we are pleased to see the emphasis on decentralization. We would like to believe that decentralization would not result only in offices of FAO Resident Representatives, but that through these offices there would result a greater sensitivity to the need of the countries and the use of national and regional institutions where they now exist. Decentralization at the country level would result in the delineation of the countries' needs in priority, and also of the regions, to the appropriate decision-making centres, so that they would be reflected in the overall plan of action of this Organization.
We welcome the emphasis on investment. According to the President of the World Food Council in his report yesterday to the Plenary session, the international and regional funding institutions connected with the resources for agricultural development could and would -automatically assist developing nations if well organized food plans were presented to them. With the many organizations concerned in this field, the scope of the FAO investment Centre has become doubly important. We would like to commend the Director-General for bolstering this unit of FAO. This would inevitably result in a greater availability of resources needed to increase food production in developing countries.
We would also like to commend the Technical Cooperation Programme. This will assist the Organization's flexibility in action, in response to urgent short-term needs of Member Nations, particularly in maximising their developmental efforts. We have had occasion in the Philippines to witness the speed with which the Technical Cooperation Programme can respond to emergencies, when a killer tidal wave had devastated the coastal areas at Mindanao, off the coast of the Southern Philippines. The Programme, in response to a request from the Philippine Government, was able to provide boats and fishing nets to the villages affected by the tidal wave, and more important than the amount of assistance was the speed of the response. For this, the Philippine delegation would like to express its sincerest appreciation - and we wish to place that appreciation on record.
The Philippine delegation lends its support to the proposal to raise the level of budget to $5 million, as has already been clearly expressed by various delegations in the course of our discussions. The reason for increasing the dollar in the level of the budget is the difference in the exchange rate between the US Dollar and the Italian Lire. As it has risen from the 900 lire level at which it stood during the session here in Rome las June, we now have $1. 6 million difference - the difference of the prevailing rate from the 900 lire level on which the Programme was based in the calculations las June. While we are not approving any increase in the Programme of Work that was approved in June in the last Council meeting, we feel that the necessary adjustments must be taken into account due to the prevailing rate of the Italian Lire.
The other item which needs some adjustment is the contribution for the Conference on agrarian reform and rural development. We in the Philippines - indeed, President Ferdinand Marcos, no less - place great emphasis on agrarian reform and rural development. We would like to give this Conference on agrarian reform and rural development our fullest support for all its financial requirements. We shall discuss further our thoughts on this matter in a later intervention.
I would now like to comment on the Industry Cooperative Programme. Some delegations yesterday made certain remarks on this matter, and the Philippine Delegation would today like to express its views on this issue.
We are not unaware of the many sins of numerous transnational companies. Many of us have a valid fear of the awesome power of the industrial corporations or conglomerates, if you will, “zaibatsus“ as we call them in Asia. The budgets of these groups, companies, conglomerates, corporations, in some cases surpass the budgets of the governments of many developing countries.
Nevertheless, in the present reality of the modern world, we realize the high degree of interdependence between industry and governments' agricultural programmes. Agriculture depends on industry in more ways than one; industry provides agriculture with farm machinery and other inputs such as fertilizer and pesticides. It is also connected with the efficient and economic processing, marketing and distribution of agricultural products.
On the other hand, we feel that we would be putting an unnecessary road block in the path of rapid agricultural development and its steady advancement if we tried to isolate this sector of our economy from what industry has to offer.
For this reason, the 7th Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly has recommended that the developed countries should encourage corporations to participate in investment projects within the framework of the development plans and programmes of the developing countries who so desire.
However, the corporations of the developed countries must look beyond the myopia of profitability criteria towards the vision of social criteria, not simply evaluating these on the basis of the return on their investments, but the development of their neighbours. If we, in the developing countries, fail, then their own corporate organizations, their own conglomerates, and even their own nations, will also fail.
This view, expressed by the United Nations Assembly, was supported in the 18th Session of the FAO Conference, which suggested that the Industry Cooperative Programme efforts to harness resources for development of the new agro-allied industries in the developing countries should be intensified. As a result of this, the ICP has been established.
We feel that at some stage the time will come to review this programme. Many can say - and perhaps rightly so - that the present arrangement is not entirely satisfactory and leaves much to be desired. Perhaps cooperation on a sectoral basis would be more acceptable. The Philippine delegation thinks that there is room, however, for cooperation between FAO and industry, and we feel that there is room for cooperation with industry within the UN system.
K. ITANO (Japan): In relation to Chapter 2 of the Programme of Work and Budget, the basic task of solving the food problem, especially in the developing countries, is to increase production.
To this end, in FAO activities, emphasis should be given to the improvement of infrastructure such as irrigation and drainage systems, the strengthening of agricultural research and extension work based on the results of the research, promotion of integrated rural development and also the promotion of industry.
Furthermore, in implementing the various projects, full consideration should be given to. the harmonization of those projects and also the actual conditions of each region should be reflected in formulating and implementing those projects. In this respect, we find it very valuable that in the document the priorities are indicated region by region.
Our Government, as one of the countries in the Asian region, has recognized the importance of the development of the small farmers who are dominant in our region. We are willing to extend support to the Centre for Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Far East which is scheduled to be established in Bangladesh, and we hope that FAO will support the centre positively.
Finally, we also expect that FAO will play a vital role in the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. With regard to the funding for the preparation of the Conference, we are very grateful to Mr. West for his explanation on this matter yesterday. However, we still feel that the expenditure needed should be absorbed by cutting other activity priority projects.
V. BALINGA (Cameroon): My intervention will be mainly on Chapter 2 and will deal with three to four points.
It would appear to me that the developing countries now have no choice in determining what fertilizers and pesticides should be sent to them. Like most nations, we want to be developed and to produce enough food for our people.
Pesticides and fertilizers are products which help increase agricultural production and must not perforce be made of inorganic materials only, they should be made of organic and natural compounds.
I listened with interest to the United States Delegation and support their point that FAO should spend less on pesticides and fertilizers and increase expenditure on the training of nationals who will be able to cope with monitoring and controlling pollution. People of this calibre will delve into research which will abate pollution and find ways of introducing natural fertilizers and biological methods of combatting insect pests.
FAO should be able to establish reserves of the biospheres or give a hand to Unesco in this regard so that we can use them to monitor the effects of pollution on our environment. I do not subscribe to the theory of the Israeli Delegation that pesticides and fertilizers are like alcohol and tobacco. The USA used these chemicals considerably and produced them in very large quantities, but due to the aftermath of their use they banned them in 1970. The USA is not foolish and developing countries should not be the dumping grounds for these unwanted products.
We do not intend to get involved in the academics of the effects of pesticides and fertilizers. Let the FAO assign to itself the duty of finding alternative ways of growing more food without polluting our planet.
As the Indonesian Delegation said, shifting cultivation, when considered thoughtfully, has many natural advantages over what he called “creeping agriculture “. This type of agriculture leads more to monoculture which also gives high incidences of crop diseases.
The mixed cultures embodied in shifting cultivation are natural and resist crop diseases. For the moment, we may have no choice but to wallow in monocultures with the help of pesticides and fertilizers, but I put it to FAO that this is an area where we should do something to replace the monoculture and introduce mixed culture on a large scale.
Other delegations have also touched on the question of fisheries. In my country fishery is developing very fast with regard to marine and pond fishery, thanks to international organizations like FAO and the American Peace Corps.
We would like to see FAO also take up the challenge of developing Continental fisheries in all the numerous and lovely natural water basins in my country, and elsewhere. Much fish can be produced from these waters.
FAO has done a good job in the Ivory Coast in this respect and should expand and include it in the budget at a higher level.
In the north of my country, during the lastldroufcht, people suffered much because the livestock died off. We think that if fishery around the continent is developed, it will be a very adequate source for feeding the northern people of my country, particularly the protein from fish.
Wildlife inventory has not been given much attention in the Cameroons and we cannot enunciate policies as a result of the lack of statistics. FAO should give more attention to this question.
Finally, we would like to see FAO use its position in agricultural production to marry forestry projects and agricultural projects so that the two can be more useful to nations.
L. DEMPSEY (Ireland): My compliments, Mr. Chairman, on your election. I should like to comment on only one of the programmes, 2. 1. 2 on crops, particularly on paragraph 5 namely pesticides. This is at page 64 of the English text. Reference is made to the fact that 30 percent of agricultural production is lost due to pest control. I do not know from where this figure was derived, but certainly our own experience in recent times would suggest that we completely underestimated the effects of pests and diseases on crop production. We thought we had reached a plateau in the output of grain, particularly wheat. Then we found that by different cultural practices we were able to increase this yield by 50 percent by proper attention to pest control, not so much the obvious pest but the pest we did not see so easily. Obviously, there are further breakthroughs to be made in the control of soil borne pests.
Consequently, we would like to see great attention continuing to be paid to this emphasis on pest control.
I agree entirely with the effort to be made on the post-harvest losses. There is still a very wide opportunity for increasing yields by greater attention to pest and disease control in the crops. Recently at the Consultation on International Standardization of Pesticides Registration Requirements, held here in Rome, I believe, considerable progress was made. Many areas of agreement were identified as were other aspects needing further study. The Consultation called on FAO to strengthen the resources available to the Group of Experts on Pesticide Specifications Registration Requirements and Application of Standards and also the CODEX Committee on Pesticide Residues so that they could undertake further work. Standardization of pesticide registration requirements is very desirable, we think, particularly in developed countries, because it would reduce the cost of pesticide products, but also in the developing countries it is essential, we feel, since in the absence of standardization, pesticides are often unacceptably expensive, and inadequate or inappropriate precautions in their distribution and use may quite often lead to many fatal accidents.
In calling for a transfer of resources of FAO to the groups already mentioned, it is suggested that the funds and manpower required be made available by discontinuing the FAO European Network on Pesticides, since the work proposed for the Network duplicates that done in other bodies such as FAO, CODEX, EPPO, The Council of Europe and IUPAC. We would like to say we were very pleased with the emphasis in the programme on training.
Sra. Dona I. DI GIOVAN DE SUAREZ (Argentina): La delegación argentina desea formular algunos comentarios con relación al Capítulo 2 del documento C 77/3 que se refiere a “Programas Técnicos y Económicos “.
a) Programa General
2. 1 Agricultura
Permítaseme señalar que los objetivos a plazo medio de este programa han sido, a juicio de mi delegación, acertadamente formulados.
El énfasis puesto en el aumento de la producción agrícola en los países en desarrollo a través de la inversion y la tecnología apropiada apunta al nucleo central del problema, sin perjuicio de las reformas institucionales y actitudinales complementarias que se proponen a continuación en el Programa.
Con respecto al Programa 2. 1. 3 (Ganadería), las pautas definidas en el documento son ambiciosaś y de largo alcance. La gama de programas en este ámbito incluye desde el mejoramiento de pastizales hasta las actividades de desarrollo genético, lucha contra enfermedades bovinas y porcinas, etc.
Sin perjuicio de ello, mi delegación desea destacar la necesidad de que la FAO despliegue, simultáneamente una acción vigorosa tendiente a mejorar y facilitar las políticas de exportación y apoyar el acceso a los mercados de estos productos. En efecto, es de esperar que una consecuencia logica de ese aumento de producción sea no solo el incremento del consumo en los países en desarrollo sino también un saldo exportable cada vez mayor, cuyas posibilidades de colocación en los mercados externos deben ser cuidadosamente previstas a fin de evitar los efectos negativos de los excedentes no deseados y los ciclos ganaderos que afectan gravemente a la situación economica de los Estados productores y desalientan y empobrecen a sus poblaciones rurales.
Por ello nos permitimos indicar la necesidad de coordinar los programas en este aspecto con los emprendidos en el marco de la Política Alimentaria y Agrícola (Apartado 2. 1. 8) por el alcance integrador que estos últimos tienen y al que me referiré más adelante.
Con relación al Programa 2. 1. 5 (Desarrollo Rural) mi delegación desea llamar la atención sobre una cuestión. Convenimos que el desarrollo rural es un concepto complejo y que participan en él una pluralidad de factores. Sin embargo, deseamos advertir que ello no debe llevarnos a acumular bajo este item una serie de pautas que no están precisadas o no son pertinentes, como algunos de los mencionados en el párrafo 31 de este programa bajo el título “mercadeo “.
Finalmente voy a referirme, Sr. Presidente, al Programa sobre Política Alimentaria y Agrícola.
Ya he mencionado la importancia que mi país asigna a estas actividades tendientes a la formulación de políticas integradas, articuladas y equilibradas en materia de producción alimentaria y agrícola.
Apoyamos las tareas de coordinación con la UNCTAD las labores tendientes a analizar mecanismos viables para la estabilización de productos básicos pero, sobre todo, las actividades de asistencia para la formulación de políticas nacionales en esta materia. 1/
The meeting rose at 11. 00 hours
La séance est levée à 11 heures
Se levanta la sesión a las 11. 00 horas
1/ Texto incluido en las actas a petición expresa.
