Item 6 concerns the state of world food and agriculture. As delegates well know, this issue has been split up into three sub-items: 6. 1 State of Food and Agriculture including commodity and Trade Problems; 6. 2 Fertilizers-Action Arising out of the Fifth Session of the Commission on Fertilizers; and 6. 3 Forestry-The "Jakarta Declaration" (8th World Forestry Congress, October 1978). In view of the importance of these sub-items, and aiming to share out the work for members of delegations, I suggest that we deal with the sub-items separately. If it is agreeable I suggest we start discussing sub-item 6. 1. The basic working document for this issue is C 79/2 and there is a further document which completes it, C 79/2-Sup. l. The two documents should be considered as one since they are totally intertwined. There is a further document to which I would draw the attention of delegates which relates to the same problem, C 79/LIM/19. That covers certain items which arose from the Council which closed last week. The Council, after having considered the problem of commodity and trade, wished to draw the attention of the Conference to these items for your decision and your scrutiny of the problems related to trade and protectionism. We therefore have in C 79/LIM/19 a draft resolution which is related to item 6. 1. There is a further document, C 79/LIM/29, which contains the first report of the Resolutions Committee and which is also related to the draft resolution I have just referred to. I would draw to the attention of French speaking delegates that there is a document C 79/LIM/19 Rev. l, which concerns the French speaking delegates only.
I shall now call upon Dr. N. Islam, Assistant Director-General, to introduce this first item.
N. ISLAM (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department): I need take very little time to introduce this first item on the Commission's agenda. Delegates have before them two comprehensive documents, the main report on the state of food and agriculture 1979 (C 79/2) which was prepared in early July and circulated in advance and also the supplementary report (C 79/2-SuD. l), up-dating that, which was prepared in late September and tabled at the beginning of this Session. In addition, the Director-General has already referred in his opening statement to some of the principal features of the world food and agricultural situation.
The main report concentrates particularly on longer-term trends and problems. Much of it constitutes -a review and appraisal of the first eight years of the Second United Nations Development Decade. These longer-term trends and problems change little and are generally familiar. Thus in spite of their great importance there is no need for me to re-state them,
I should, however, draw attention to two features of the main report. First, it contains more up-to-date information on food supplies and nutrition than has been possible in the past. The new estimates revise and up-date those in the Fourth World Food Survey. They bring out the sombre fact that the numbers of undernourished have not yet begun to fall and still hover around the huge total of about four hundred million people in the developing market economies alone. A second feature of the main report consists of some further information on agricultural investments in developing countries, a matter in which the Conference and other bodies have expressed particular interest in recent years. The data for 1974-76 give a more encouraging picture than those for earlier years on which we reported before, and show increases in agricultural investment at constant prices in most of the countries for which there is information. In addition, I can now report briefly on some of the preliminary results of the new FAO statistical questionnaire on public expenditure on agriculture that was sent out at the beginning of this year. This response has been somewhat disappointing, but this is not unexpected in view of the complexity of the subject. Of the 144 questionnaires sent out, only 40 have so far been completed and returned to us, and of these only 32, of which 25 are from developing countries, provide data that is suitable for analysis.
Of these, only thirty-two, of which twenty-five are from developing countries, provide data which is suitable for analysis. They indicate that in the ten developing countries for which there are fairly complete data on total public expenditure, both capital and current expenditure, there is decline only in one country between 1973 and 1974, and a rise of an average of 60 percent in the other nine countries. This information will be analysed in more detail in the final version of the State of Food and Agriculture 1979. While we are trying to improve the questionnaire, much will depend on the support we receive from the member governments in providing the necessary information.
In the rest of these remarks, I shall mostly be concerned with more immediate aspects of the world food and agriculture situation presented in the supplementary document. I shall also draw attention to some new data which have become available in the few weeks since the document was prepared.
FAO’s first preliminary estimates of total food and agriculture production in 1979 led to the disquieting conclusion that if there is any increase in world production this year, it will almost certainly be the smallest since 1972, when food production actually decreased. Production is estimated to have
declined in the developed countries in 1979. Although results appear generally to have been better in the developing countries, the increase in production is likely to be less than their population growth. A slight fall in production is estimated in 1979 in the crucial densely populated regions of developing market economies of the Far East, mainly because of the poor monsoon in India and some other countries. World cereal production in 1979 is now estimated at about 1, 405 million tons, which is slightly more than estimated in the supplementary document, and about 4 percent below the 1978 record. Wheat production is expected to fall by 7 percent, coarse grain production by 3 percent and rice production by 2 percent. Cereal consumption will exceed production in 1979/80. Import demand has risen substantially, but the rise in prices appears to have been checked in October.
An important new feature of the supplementary report of the State of Food and Agriculture is that the figures of carryover stocks of cereals for the first time include FAO estimates for China and the U. S. S. R. , and thus cover the whole world. The latest forecasts indicate that world stocks will fall by 19 million tons, or 7 percent, by the close of the current 1979/80 seasons. They would then be equivalent to only 17 percent of annual consumption, as compared with the much more comfortable figure of 19 percent last year, and down to the bare minimum required for world food security. Most of the decline in stocks will be in the U. S. S. R. and the developed exporting countries. However, the small stocks held in the developing market economies are also expected to be reduced, thus worsening an already unsatisfactory situation.
The heavy concentration of exportable stocks in a few countries could still create serious problems in the rest of 1979/80. If there were transport bottlenecks (for example, because of severe winter weather, fuel shortages or labour unrest), or if import demand were still larger than is expected at present, supplies could become tight and prices rise further. This would add greatly to the difficulties of the poorest developing countries in obtaining their import requirements.
Although most of the rise in cereal import requirements in 1979/80 is expected to be in the U. S. S. R. and other developed countries, those of the developing countries are also estimated to rise still further over their already very burdensome levels. The requirements of the most seriously affected (M. S. A. ) countries are expected to increase by 10 percent to 18. 6 million tons in 1979/80. It is therefore a serious matter that food aid in cereals will not only once again not reach the World Food Conference's rather modest minimum target, but will also be lower in 1979/80 than was anticipated earlier, since those allocations that are made in financial rather than physical terms will buy less cereals at the higher prices now ruling. The need for higher levels of food aid was emphasized last month by the Eighth Session of the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes, which concluded that food aid needs are likely to increase substantially in the 1980s, and that the FAO estimate of 17 to 18. 5 million tons of cereals provided a useful indicator of the requirements by 1985.
Since it will be necessary to draw heavily on cereal stocks to meet demand in 1979/80, next season will begin in a much less secure position. Although it is impossible to make a meaningful forecast of the 1980 cereal crops at this early stage, some major considerations are already clear. The tightening of the supply situation and higher prices are likely to lead to increased efforts to produce more cereals in many countries. The United States Government has decided not to require any acreage set aside for wheat or maize grains in 1980, and larger crops are likely, barring adverse weather. If market conditions remain favourable in the first half of 1980, larger plantings are also to be expected in the other major exporting countries. IN the U. S. S. R. plantings of winter grains are about 10 percent more than last year. In India, on the other hand, the outlook for the wheat crop is uncertain, because of the effect of the inadequate monsoon on soil moisture, difficulties in fertilizer distribution, and a shortage of good quality seed. A second successive poor monsoon in 1980 could bring India back as a major importer for the first time since 1976/77.
Mr. Chairman, since this agenda item also covers commodity and trade problems I should sav a few words on this important topic as well. The supplementary document contains information on agricultural export earnings in 1978, and on the market situation and prospects for the main commodities. The main document covered longer-term trade problems and policies.
The value of world exports of agricultural, fishery and forestry products rose much less in 1978 than the year before and than the average for the 1970s so far. Most of the increase was in the developed countries, so that the share of the developing countries in world export earnings from these products, which had risen in 1977, fell back again to 30 percent in 1978. The Seventy-Sixth Session of the Council has just now expressed its concern at this development. Moreover the improvement in the terms of trade of the agricultural exports of the developing countries that took place in 1976 and 1977 was already reversed in 1978, and for food exports their terms of trade were still lower in the first half of 1979.
Against a background of serious unemployment, inflation, balance of payments difficulties, fluctuating currency exchange rates, and the spread of new protectionist pressures, the prices of most commodities have been unstable. Most prices are higher than a year ago in nominal terms, but those of sugar and dairy products, in spite of some recent recovery, have continued to be affected by structural surpluses. Many commodity prices have fallen sharply in real terms since 1960.
The short-term prospects point to decreased supplies of several major commodities. Import demand remains strong for a number of food products, but the demand outlook for agricultural raw materials is uncertain in view of the unfavourable prospects for economic growth in the industrialized countries. Prices in world markets for agricultural products are likely to continue to show a high degree of instability.
As delegates will be aware, last month the Committee on Commodity Problems discussed commodity and trade problems in some detail. The technical team of this Committee discussed the serious effects of these problems, particularly on developing countries, especially the problem of protectionist pressures. The Council urged all countries, and especially developing countries, to resist protectionist pressures. It agreed that FAO should analyses the effects of multilateral trade negotiations on agricultural trade, and of developments in protectionism affecting individual agricultural commodities. The Committee on Commodity Problems forwarded to the Council a draft resolution on Commodity Trade Protectionism, and Agricultural Adjustment. The Council agreed to recommend the draft resolution to the Conference itself for consideration and decision.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic): On behalf of the Commission, I would like to thank Professor Islam for his very clear summary of this item of agenda.
I would now like to open the discussion on this item, but before giving the floor to those who requested it, I would like to record that the speakers should discuss the State of Food and Agriculture in 1979, and the Commodity and Trade Problems.
On the basis of the discussions which took place on trade, both in the Council and in the CCP, I think it would be best if our discussions today were a complement to the discussion which have already taken place, rather than a repetition of what has already been said in these previous meetings which I have just mentioned. It is of course up to you to decide what subjects you wish to discuss. Now I would like to open the floor on this item please.
R. B. RYANGA (Kenya): I would like first of all to congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, on your election and also to congratulate the Secretariat for producing document C 79/2 and the addenda on the State of Food and Agriculture for the year 1979. This document and the addenda are full of very interesting data, which will help us to discuss the issue today. The message which comes out very clearly in this document is that while there was an overall increase in food production, this increase was greater in the developed countries which do not need the additional food at all than in those countries which are in fact already short of food.
Among the developing countries the African Region did worse than the other regions, not only in overall increase in food and agriculture production, but also in per caput food production in meeting the needs of the population, and the expansion of the cropping area and the contribution of yields to total production.
The forecast for 1979 is not a happy one and with reduced harvests everywhere and particularly in Africa, food prices are going to rise because of the long distances from the producers, inflated freight rates, competition for a few tonnes of available surpluses and because of bottlenecks in the exporting countries. And it is the poorest countries which are going to suffer most simply because they will come last in the commercial delivery schedules. This subdued level of food and agricultural production in the developing countries and particularly in Africa is not entirely surprising in view of the low levels of fertilizer, pesticide, improved seed and farm machinery use, and until the situation is rectified production will remain low as fatigued and eroded soils continue to be punished. Shortfalls in production are still being attributed to unfavourable growing conditions, but there is a vital statement in paragraph 23 on page 5 of document C 79/2: "In spite of serious and prolonged drought, there was a substantial increase" - (in food and agricultural production)-"in China, particularly reflecting irrigation improvements, larger fertilizer supply and the spread of high-yielding varieties. " I suspect that there were other reasons of a similar nature. Anyway, concurrently with and perhaps because of this, there is an imbalance in the holding of cereal stocks in the world today. The bulk of these stocks is held in exactly those countries which not only need them least but are also not in any serious danger of famine. Also, owing to the imbalance in overall trade (including agricultural trade) the countries needing food imports are not in a suitable financial position to do so.
The life history of food-aid between the years 1970-71 and 1978--79 shows that when supplies are tight food aid is not readily available in actual practice in spite of pledges that may have been made earlier and perhaps at happier times of more abundant harvests.
Actually this subdued production has not been confined to crops and livestock alone. Fishery; production has been low but this was to be expected in view of the indiscriminate and quite wasteful and often irresponsible fishing that has been going on in the past. It is hoped that with countries increasingly claiming exclusive economic zones fishing will be more disciplined, stocks will increase and, with careful cropping, the fisheries will become more productive again.
Quite apart from their value as cash earners, forests are also good for the environment and today have become very important as a source of fuel, and in this regard there is need for smallholder free planting schemes to provide both the wood and fuel on a continuing and renewable basis. Concurrent with this is the need to develop more efficient charcoal burners and wood stoves in order to utilize more efficiently a resource which is now becoming a crop.
My delegation has outlined the message which comes out clearly in document C 79/2 and would now like to reiterate and underline what should be done. We reiterate because none of this is new. We underline because the need for increased action is becoming more and more urgent with every passing day. My delegation therefore feels justified, indeed under an obligation, to say these things again, perhaps a little louder this time.
First of all there is an urgent need to help developing countries to produce as much of their own food requirements as possible and in this regard the efforts of the FAO are to be commended. It is vital therefore first, to follow up the Regional Food Plan for Africa (and, or course, any other region) and countries should be assisted to draw up food security programmes. The emphasis on Africa here is not only deliberate but even the reasons should be obvious.
Secondly, we should strengthen and expand the FAO International Fertilizer Supply Scheme.
Thirdly, we should implement the UNIDO/Lima Declaration to increase the overall production of fertilizers in the developing countries.
Fourthly, we should strengthen and expand the FAO Seed Improvement and Development Programme. And we should improve pest control measures and techniques, stop the indiscriminate use of chemicals and strengthen biological control where this is possible.
We should also increase the use of farm machinery for increased production.
There is also urgent need to strengthen and expand the FAO Action Programme for Prevention of Food Losses.
There is also a need to assist developing countries to increase their purchasing power in order to enable them to buy those food commodities they cannot produce themselves. At the moment there is an imbalance in the trade between the developed and developing countries and the figures quoted in document C 79/LIM/19, paragraph 9, are really rather shocking. The thing is that developed countries market finished products or products needing very little further elaboration, or assemble the products in developing countries to save costs to themselves or to escape from stringent pollution measures and then earn maximum returns for their endeavours. The developing countries, on the other hand, export raw products which are further elaborated in the developed countries and this enriches the wrong people at the expense of the producers who therefore remain poor. The market chain both ways is manned largely, and in any case jealously, by people from the developed world who therefore make sure that a sizeable portion of the profits will accrue to them. This tendency, though natural and human enough, is nevertheless detrimental to the developing countries. Of course, transport is in the hands also of the developed countries. The developed countries largely import luxury beverages and exotic food while developing countries import basic foodstuffs that they simply must have.
Document C 79/2 therefore is rather misleading when it begins to talk about a favourable trade situation in respect of developing countries even in reference to coffee, tea and all those commodities which earned so much (and some foreign exchange) particularly in the years 1976 and 1977. The point is that the developing countries deserve to be paid more for their produce and protectionist practices and policies should be eliminated forthwith. This delegation therefore fully and wholeheartedly supports the draft resolution contained in document C 79/LIM/19 which roundly condemns protectionist policies and practices and recommends, among other things, action to monitor and contain these phenomena.
There is also a need to assist developing countries who carry stocks. This means that international commodity agreements must include in them provisions for stockholding and financing which are either funded by the contractiong members or the common fund under the Integrated Programme for Commodities.
This delegation is disappointed at the failure of the UNCTAD Wheat Negotiating Conference to reach an agreement in February 1979, particularly because among the issues upon which agreement could not be reached, were, other than prices, the size and distribution of the stocks and special assistance to developing countries to enable them to hold these stocks. In the inevitable vacuum created by the failure of the UNCTAD Wheat Conference to produce a covenant, this delegation wholeheartedly and fully supports the Director-General's Five-Point Plan of Action which was proposed in March 1979 and which was subsequently adopted by the FAO Committee on World Food Security and the Seventy-Fifth Session of the FAO Council. This plan should be implemented without further delay. It is also noted that among the guidelines and criteria for food aid adopted by the Seventh Session of the UN/FAO Committee on Food Aid Programmes and Policies is included the use of food aid for building stocks.
Efforts should also be made to reach the minimum target of 10 million tonnes per annum food aid set by the World Food Conference. Efforts should also be made to reach the 500, 000 tonnes target for the International Emergency Food Reserve recommended by the Seventh Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly and which is not likely to be met in 1979.
We should also fulfil and increase the pledges to the UN/FAO World Food Programme beyond the 8 per cent so far reached of the target of $950 million for 1979-80 and also fulfill the target of $1, 000 million set for 1981-82. This delegation therefore supports the draft resolution contained in document C 79/LIM/4 on the Target for World Food Programme Pledges for the period 1981-82.
Also those countries which are still opposed to the conclusion of a Food Aid Convention separate from the Wheat Convention should in view of the delay in reaching an agreement in respect of wheat trade, and also in view of the fact that more and more countries are withdrawing their objections to the idea, also drop their objections so that a separate Food Aid Convention may be signed. Moreover, donor countries should honour the pledges they made at Geneva.
One quite often hears statements to the effect that targets are meaningless and what matters is what can be achieved practically. This is surprising because the task at hand is to eradicate hunger and that is the only long-term practical target. But for day-to-day purposes we need these targets to prod us and prick our consciences.
Obviously the developing countries cannot expect the developed countries to develop their economies for them, and this, in fact, is not the intention. But while the developing countries themselves must plan and invest in agricultural development and also cooperate among themselves in these endeavours, over and above their efforts, and concurrently with them, a great deal of assistance will have to come from the developed countries which, first, control the markets, secondly have the technology which they are reluctant to share, as we all know, thirdly have the inputs, whose prices are rising every day and, fourthly control transportation; and they also have the money, even if we would like to think they got a lot of it from us in the first place. All this seems rather simple, and in fact it is, but what sometimes is lacking is a little bit of will.
J. R. COOPER Jr. (Liberia): My delegation extends congratulations to you, Mr. Chairman, and your co-workers on your election. We are confident that under your able leadership the deliberations of this Commission will be successful.
The Liberian delegation is concerned about a series of factors relating to food production which have an effect on the world food security situation, namely the shortfall in world production of wheat and coarse grains in 1979. the likelihood that overstocks which are concentrated in a few major exporting countries will be drawn, down in 1979-80 due especially to large increases in grain requirments of major consuming countries, and the main restraints to meeting import demands due to transportation and handling bottlenecks in two major exporting countries. All these factors have adverse implications for world food security in terms of availability of grains in a timely manner and at prices which the least developed countries can afford. We shall address ourselves to recommendations on this issue in the appropriate forum, which is the discussion on the plan of action to strengthen world food security. Suffice to say that I agree with the delegate of Kenya in his very elaborate and lengthy delineation fo action plans that have to be taken.
One of the causes of rising food import bills in developing countries is that cereals are rapidly replacing traditional staples in the diets of urban consumers in particular, due to their ease of preparation and palatability. This trend is closely associated with the rise in income of consumers in developd countries. Therefore the Liberian delegation recommends that more attention be accorded to improving the traditional staples to enhance their attractiveness and to reduce the strain of increased cereal production which are more difficult to produce than traditional staples.
Rubber is a very important industrial crop to both producer and consumer countries. The Liberian delegation urges that rubber be included in the section on crops production.
On consumer food prices we would like to know to what extent consumer food price rises have elements of subsidy and the extent of the subsidy. This enquiry is made with due regard to the subsidisation made by a number of countries including Liberia to contain food price rises.
A. FERNANDEZ Y GONZALEZ (España): Mi delegación quiere, en esta primera intervención, felicitar a usted, señor Presidente, por su merecida elección, así como a los restantes miembros de la Mesa y les aseguro mi sincero espíritu de colaboración en las tareas de esta primera Comisión.
Celebramos las mejoras introducidas por la Secretaría en la presentación de los documentos que tenemos y hemos examinado, y en particular, el hecho de que se hayan incluido por primera vez estimaciones de la Secretaría de la FAO sobre los datos correspondientes a las reservas de la República Popular China y la Unión Soviética, en cuanto a los productos de cereales se refiere. Las más recientes informaciones del Suplemento número 1 al documento C 79/2, presentan una situación mundial de la agricultura y la alimentación con un tinte ligeramente menos pesimista que la primera versión, puesto que el aumento global previsto para 1979 sería del orden del 2 por ciento. Pero si es cierto que tal aumento es inferior al de la tasa demográfica, y queda lejos desde luego del objetivo del 4 por ciento anual, con la agravante de que se ha registrado un descenso en términos reales de la producción de cereales, incluyendo el arroz.
Mi delegación, señor Presidente, considera que un elemento esencial para conseguir una adecuada segu-ridad alimentaria mundial, sigue siendo la existencia de reservas suficientes de cereales básicos, cuyo nivel actual, en descenso, parece rozar ya los mínimos del 17 por ciento del consumo. La mejora coyuntural a que hemos asistido en las dos campanas anteriores, no debería inducirnos a un optimismo inconsciente, ni siquiera a corto plazo, porque está muy reciente aún la grave experiencia padecida durante el bienio 73/74 y los niveles de reservas de 1972, conviene recordar, que eran aná-logos a los que disponemos actualmente. Por otra parte, son muy e s cásaselas razones para pensar que el mundo se encuentra hoy en una posición más ventajosa que hace siete años para hacer frente a las inclemencias atmosféricas.
Es evidente también, y conviene tenerlo en cuenta cuando se habla de reservas, que las cifras que se acostumbran a manejar sobre esta existencia de cereales, fundamentalmente se basa en niveles agregados de existencias nacionales cuando se produce la terminación de las diversas campanas agrícolas, lo cual no coincide en el tiempo a nivel mundial y, por lo tanto, sería erróneo y peligroso interpretarlas como si fuesen niveles reales de existencias en un determinado momento, por ejemplo, en el actual. De ahí, entre otras cosas, la conveniencia de que todos los países de la comunidad mundial brinden sin reservas su apoyo a la FAO en orden a disponer información estadística conveniente y necesaria para poder mejorar los estudios y conocimientos de la oferta, demanda y disponibilidades de productos alimentarios y corregir así los efectos indeseables de las variaciones inevitables del mercado.
Considera también mi delegación, señor Presidente, que puesto que el consumo de alimentos se halla estrechamente ligado a los niveles de renta per cápita cuando hablamos de política alimentaria en nuestros países, es evidente que estamos condicionados por la estrategia que se adoptó para nuestro desarrollo económico, en la cual debe incluirse los elementos pertinentes para una más justa redistribución de las rentas nacionales. Este tema mi delegación considera que tiene enorme importancia, si recordamos que el 22 por ciento de la población de las regiones en desarrollo, es decir, más de 400 millones de personas, no alcanzan esa alimentación, no alcanza la tasa estimada como mínima para el metabolismo basal.
Creemos también, que merece una atención particular todo lo que se refiere a la política de suministros de agua potable, porque aunque no se identifique necesariamente con el tema de la alimentación o, mejor dicho, con objetivos nutricionales, es, evidentemente, de la mayor significación para el desarrollo.
Todo parece indicar, señor Presidente, que la ccoperación internacional en el dominio de los intercambios comerciales, estará marcada en el próximo bienio por una serie de dificultades resultantes de la coyuntura económica estancada, precisamente, cuando hemos de proceder al desarrollo del marco normativo para un nuevo orden económico internacional. Ante la posible persistencia, al menos acorto plazo, de tendencias proteccionistas, sería preciso reforzar unas concert aciones para defender un sistema más transparente y abierto en el comercio mundial de productos agrarios y sus derivados, Las negociaciones comerciales multilaterales de la rondaTOKIO han aportado sin duda una contribución positiva, pero es preciso ahora un nuevo esfuerzo para concretar en aspectos tangibles los resultados de esta larga negociación.
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Parece claro con todo que en 1930 se abre una nueva fase en las relaciones comerciales entre países industrializados y países en desarrollo, cuyo balance aún, a juicio de mi delegación, es prematuro anticipar. En la esfera del comercio es donde quizá las consecuencias de las medidas adoptadas por un país, o por un grupo de países, se dejan sentir más rápida y directamente sobre las demás; es decir, que puede fácilmente transferirse la inestabilidad interna hacia el mercado internacional y éste puede resultar seriamente alterado si el país, o el grupo de países en cuestión absorbe inesperadamente una parte significativa de los intercambios globales
Su importancia queda resaltada si recordamos que es muy pequeño comparativamente el porcentaje que representan los volúmenes de intercambios agrarios en general con respecto a los volúmenes mundiales de población, de producción y consumo. Así, pues, el desarrollo de un sistema comercial más satisfactorio por más equitativo y estable de los productos agrarios es un aspecto esencial para el reajuste internacional porque está claro que las políticas comerciales tienen una relación directa y recíproca con la política de producción, pudiendo acelerar o retardar ésta en diversos países.
Como bien señala el Director General en su Informe, una característica inquietante de la tendencia a largo plazo del comercio mundial es la creciente dependencia de los países en desarrollo para abastecerse de alimentos.
Está próxima a sobrepasarse la cifra de los 80 millones de toneladas de cereales al año porque aunque es cierto que el grado de autosuficiencia en cereales era ya casi del 96 por ciento en 1978 para los países en desarrollo, su mayor ritmo demográfico explica el acento de su dependencia exterior, así como también el hecho de que la tasa de incremento del volumen agrario exportado por los países en desarrollo venga siendo muy inferior, sobre todo en el actual decenio, a la tasa correspondiente a los países desarrollados, lo que determina una disminución progresiva de la parte absorbida por los primeros en la corriente de exportaciones agrícolas mundiales.
Por otra parte la mayoría de los países en desarrollo siguen estando interesados en exportar una parte de sus producciones agrarias como elemento importante para equilibrar su balanza de pagos, lo que puede traducirse en una cierta dificultad para atender su demanda alimentaria interior, tanto cuantitativa como cualitativa y nutricionalmente. Pero es que, además, pudiera ocurrir en el futuro, y esto lo considera mi delegación importante reflejar aquí, que no se produjese un paralelismo en las variaciones al alza de los precios de exportación de los productos agrícolas no alimentarios con los alimentarios, lo que agravaría la situación de pago de estos países en desarrollo al tener que seguir forzosamente adquiriendo alimentos a precios crecientes.
Como conclusión lógica de lo anterior, es preciso evitar la progresiva consolidación de un sistema agro-alimentario mundial que se base fundamentalmente en importantes transferencias de alimentos desde los países industrializados a los países en desarrollo, porque mi delegación entiende que se estimularía así, o se continuaría estimulando, un tipo de producción de alto costo por unidad obtenida con evidente perjuicio para una buena distribución de recursos a escala internacional.
Este es el espíritu con que mi delegación ha de participar en las tareas de esta I Comisión.
A. BEN-RAMADAN (Libya) (interpretation from Arabic): I wish first of all to congratulate you, together with the other members of the Bureau, for your having been elected to guide this very important Commission which will consider policies and strategies in agriculture and in food. My delegation is very proud to see you and we hope, thanks to your experience and your wisdom you will be able to guide the debate of this Commission towards fruitful results. Now Distinguished Delegates, Dr. Zehni, our Chairman, is known both inside his country and outside his country. He, for instance, participated at the creation of the first Agricultural Study Centre and sits at many regional and international conferences. He therefore has all the skill to fulfil this high and elevated function which you have elected him to.
The document describing the study of food and agriculture in 1979-part of this document calls for some reactions on our part as an all-exporting country. We found that there are references, and many references indeed, to the problem of oil and oil prices as there are also references to oil- producing countries. And although we think that oil is one of the main sources of energy in the world and we also feel that this product has an important impact on the world economy, we do not agree at all with this trend of thought where the blame is put on oil and oil prices for all the economic problems that prevail today. Also we feel that such conclusions in this area are not supported by related figures and statistics.
Also Mr. Chairman, Sir, we feel that any conclusion in this area, if such conclusions are not supported by rival figures and statistics are conclusions which are not conclusions. And also we feel that conclusions of this kind and such trends of thought are an attempt to try to distort the attitude of
a number of developing countries. Those are the countries who have tried to put straight what was an abnormal situation when it was a matter of exploiting their natural resources· This situation made it possible to exploit these natural resources in the very worst way either by over-exploitation of such resources or by very low prices or of dictating price levels.
And now, Mr. Chairman, Sir, if I may we would like to give a few examples of this reference which we find sprinkled through Document C 79/LIM/19. In paragraph 9 of this document it is said that forestry products were affected by the development level of developing countries but in the sentence after that it is also stated that the sharp increase in the price of oil has affected the supplies of wood, etc. In paragraph 62 let me go on to page 15, reference is made to the increase of consumer food prices, a very rapid rise it states here up to the year 1975 - in the seventies and the reasons here are mooted as being the tight food situation and the energy crisis. The speaker didn't say oil crisis he says energy crisis. And we ask if the increase of prices of food stuffs directly follows from the increase in oil prices. In paragraph 106 of the same document I note yet once again that subsequent to the doubling of oil prices since 1970 there is a trend for rural communities to replace with charcoal and coal and this tendency is now being reversed. This, Sir, again is without figures. There are no supporting figures to bear this out and I wish to recall that the Arabic text is not at all the same as the English text.
In paragraph 113 it says at the beginning, for instance, "while rapidly growing food imports do not involve any payments difficulties for the oil exporting countries, the problem of growing dependence on external food supplies is a critical issue for many of the other developing countries, which to -gether account for two-thirds of the food imports of the developing world, "up to the end of paragraph 113·
I would not like here to highlight the fundamental error that governs this whole piece of literature. Why always turn an accusing finger at oil exporting countries and compare them to other developing countries. Why say these countries are not having difficulty where other countries are having great difficulties. Let us turn our attention to paragraph 117 Page 31 it says that oil crisis led to an important increase of production factors and we would like to know what the share is of this increase which is due to oil price increases. There are a lumber of surveys, Mr. Chairman, which clearly state that there is no causal effect linked between oil prices and an increase in the price of certain commodities. Of course some of these commodities have multiplied in price three or four times more than oil.
In paragraph 118 it says, "Most non-oil developing countries were severely hit by the crisis. " And we can always read by crisis, perhaps, "this refers to the world crisis". But the fact that you keep on having it that the crisis is due to the increase in oil prices. This makes us protest strongly to this distinction that is Hade between developing countries on the one hand and non-oil developing countries on the other. I have already said that oil is only one natural resource and should, of course, play an important role in the world economy. But we do not agree at all with giving this much more importance to the role of oil than it is in actual fact, and I oppose such repeated exaggerated reference to the role of oil. And, Sir, we cannot accept this distinction between developing countries and oil producing countries, because oil producing countries are developing countries. And their attitude vis-a-vis of the exploitation of natural resources which I feel is a rational one, is one of the problems and part of the overall stance of developing countries, in the exploitation and utilisation of their natural resources, that is why we pushed for a new international economic order. And also oil producing countries always stretch the open hand to other developing countries, and give aid and assistance to such countries. We can here recall for instance what the Director-General said in his speech when he declared that the measures which were taken by oil producing countries to help Third World countries will help the finding of a solution to the present delicate difficult situation and to confirm this I would like to state here that Libya, which is a developing country and also an oil producing country at the same time gives its help to over 20 countries, African and Asian countries which are developing countries to help these countries to up their food production. And we are sure that these references which I mentioned throughout the report should be somewhat amended. I am sorry for being somewhat lengthy, Sir, and with regard to the final Arabic text I will point out these matters to the Secretariat because in certain paragraphs of the Arabic text it is certainly not in line with the original English text.
Now, Sir, referring to the draft resolution which is before us, and before the Conference the draft resolution concerning Commodity Trade, Protectionism and Agricultural Adjustment. Although this draft resolution does not cover all the hopes and expectations of the developing countries nevertheless we will not find it difficult to accept it in its present wording.
N. ΗΙNTIKΚΑ (Finland): First of all I should like to join those delegations who already have expressed congratulations for your election of Chairman for this important Commission I.
Unfortunately it seems now clear that the target set by the United Nations system for an annual growth of 4 percent in the agriculture production of the developing countries during the second development decade will not be reached. It seems that the annual average growth will remain slightly below 3 percent The per capita food production in oil developing countries increased from 1970 to 1978 only by a very modest amount of 6 percent per year. However, the development of food production in the poorest countries, or in the so-called most seriously affected countries, is especially alarming. The per capita food production of MSA countries declined by 0. 2 percent annually in other period 1970-1978. It seems that the gap between USA countries and other developing countries is widening. Grain imports of the poorest countries are increasing year by year.
I believe, Mr. Chairman, that this Organization should in its future work pay special attention to the needs and requirements of the poorest developing countries. The MSA countries or least developed countries, I think that these two United Nations classifications are more or less identical. These countries are in almost all cases primarily agricultural countries where FAO can play an extremely important role in economic and social development. In this connection I would also like to refer to the results of the Fifth Session of UNCTAD in Manila this year. Agricultural and rural development was emphatically mentioned, also the contribution which FAO is going to make within the UN System for the preparation of the strategy of the third development decade of the agricultural problems of the least developed countries should have an important place. I thank you Mr. Chairman.
S. M. CHOUDHURY (Bangladesh): Mr. Chairman, may I join with other delegations in extending to you the congratulations of my delegation on your election as Chairman of this very important Commission. I am confident that you will be able to guide the proceedings of the Commission to a satisfactory end.
I should like also to thank Dr. Islam for his excellent presentation of the item under discussion.
Coming from a developing country myself, I should first like to touch upon the food production, agricultural production, in the developed countries, which is estimated to increase by about two percent in 1979. This is a slightly better performance than the developing world, but this increase is offset by average increase of population by 2. 4 percent.
On the issue of production of commodities, I would limit myself to the production of jute, which is the main product of my country. The production of jute and kenaf and allied fibres increased by 11 percent last year. It is likely to fall by 20 percent to an amount of about 3·8 million tons in 1979. This drop will be caused by drought in the main producing countries in our region.
I should like to say a word about food aid as well. The contribution to the International Emergency Food Reserve for 1979 amounted, as of September, to 311, 342 tons, which is short of the 500, 000 tons annual target. Of this amount, 130, 908 tons have been utilized and the rest remains in the reserve.
I shall not touch upon the issue of commodity trade. We have been following the discussions that have been going on in this Commission on this important issue. I come from a country which is in a position to export primary products mainly and therefore the pressait trends in international trade are of grave concern to us. The total value of world exports of all agricultural, fishery and forestry products was $ 214, 000 million in the calendar year 1978, which was to percent above the previous year's value. However, nine-tenths of the increase in agricultural export earnings for that year had accrued to the developed countries. Such trends are not in line with the efforts to achieve the much desired New International Economic Order-far from it.
Protectionist policies pose a major problem for agricultural trade, in addition to having adverse effects on production in exporting countries. Jute is our principal export product. The price of this product remained within the indicative price range for the entire 1978-79 season while there was a substantial increase in the prices of competing synthetics.
The decline in share of developing countries in world agricultural trade in 1978 alone, cost us $ 4 billion. At UNCTAD V some agreements were reached which could possibly be called satisfactory. However, there could be no agreement on specific actions by the developed countries to remove restrictions on imports from developing countries. We support and encourage strong collaboration between FAO and UNCTAD in the hope of achieving some break-through in the tariff and non-tariff barriers set up by the developed countries to items of export of vital interest to the developing ones.
The multilateral trade negotiations of GATT, concluded after six years of work, also do not paint a very encouraging picture for the developing countries, in that while tariff concessions were made on nearly 60 percent of dutiable industrial imports, in contrast concessions were made on only 30 percent of dutiable agricultural products. Protectionism therefore affects not only the developing countries but also those developed countries which depend heavily on the export of agricultural products. The picture is still very gloomy.
My delegation calls, as it did at the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Hural Development in July of this year, for the implementation of existing commitments to liberalize trade and also for a move towards the progressive reduction and elimination of tariffs and non-tariff barriers to the entry of agricultural products of particular interest to developing countries. In July we talked of agrarian reform and rural development. Implying that this would generate production. How can there be production when there is no access to the market?
Protectionist policies are adverse to the urgent need for developing countries to accelerate their foreign exchange earnings, particularly in order to overcome the rapidly increasing burden of external debts.
The recently concluded meeting of the CCP agreed to a draft resolution on commodity trade, protectionism and agricultural adjustments which was submitted to the Council for its approval and the Council in turn has now placed it before the Conference for its approval. My delegation calls for approval by the Conference of the draft resolution and its early implementation in order to achieve some equity in international trade.
B. TARDIMCI (Turkey): First of all we wish to express our congratulations to you, Mr. Chairman, and the other officers of the Commission on your election. We believe that our work will reach success through your leadership.
Taking a close look at the socio-economic situation of the countries in the world at this time when we are. nearing the end of 1979, is rather difficult to see that there have been developments giving any hope about a peaceful and happy world atmosphere.
In fact, the world production of agricultural crops has decreased while the consumption of the increasing population has gone up. With this new development, food prices in world markets and transportation costs have reached unusually high levels. The population of the world that suffers from malnutrition has grown to over 400 million; thus there have been many new problems confronting all countries, especially the developing countries of the world, in providing for food requirements. On the other hand, the agricultural production of the developing countries has shown a decrease, with a consequent drop of their share in world markets to 30 percent, which inevitably has resulted in a larger gap in their balance of payments.
In line with rising food prices on world markets there has been a parallel increase in food prices of the developing countries while their foreign exchange required for importing inputs and materials for the food industry, and also for purchasing foodstuffs, has been growing quite rapidly.
The increasing number of problems at the domestic and international levels have also increased in variety, which inevitably leads to the heavier dependence of the developing countries on the developed economies of the world.
Due to inadequate rates of export, limited foreign crediting and requirements to import other industrial consumption goods, these countries are in a position neither to establish their own facilities to produce such farm inputs nor to produce them from foreign sources.
It is quite clear that such problems have become more evident by the end of 1979 and will still be increasing towards a peak in the near future. Solutions to them, as well as providing a more radical, happy, peaceful and secure world, can only be possible with an effort towards good coordination to be developed between the nations of the world, with an understanding of sincerity, sacrifice and joint responsibility. There are many national and international responsibilities falling on the shoulders of each nation to solve such food problems, especially those of developing countries, provide better and more balanced nutrition for the over 400 million of the world's population suffering from malnutrition, and assure a happy living for the people of the world as a whole.
International coordination should be improved and the larger share of the responsibility should be assigned to those developed countries in order to solve the food and agriculture problems confronting the world.
Extensive, multi-purpose and a large amount of assistance should be provided to developing countries in order to eliminate the heavy dependence of their agricultural production on weather conditions. Since developed countries quite soon reach a stagnation level in their yields and land use, those countries should move towards serious and multi-purpose efforts to support the improvements of agricultural potential in developing countries to similar levels. Special measures should be
provided to those countries with a larger national percentage among the developing countries towards improving their level of potential and assuring benefits on an international basis. On the other hand, those specific countries should be entrusted with some international responsibilities against such special efforts.
International policies should be developed to create a new world economic system and establish food industries and their required inputs, spreading facilities in the developed countries so that those food industries can fulfill the demands of the consumers created by the changing and developing socio-economic conditions in the world.
Promises long made by various loan funds should be forced to be active in answering the urgent food requirements of those countries with low income levels and extreme shortages of foodstuffs. The dimensions and context of the "action plan for preventing food losses" should also be enlarged.
Miss E. HELSING (Norway): Let me first of all congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, on your election to the important position of Chairman of this Commission.
My delegation would like to draw attention to a subject that we feel is not sufficiently covered in the document before us (C 79/2) and its supplements. The subject is that of the world production of human milk, its regrettable decline and measures needed for its future protection. This problem was brought up in this very forum as early as 1975. This year, 1979, having been designated by the United Nations as "The International Year of the Child" seems to my delegation to offer a good opportunity for re-examining the issue.
The rise of the production of human milk on a global soale is comparable to that of many of the food items that are conscientiously being monitored and reported on. Its invisibility has, however, so far kept human milk out of the world statistics.
For the sake of the consumer who is dependent on this very special food for the first vulnerable months of life, it is vital that this food resource should not be squandered; hence the need for an infant nutrition policy as a part of the more general food and nutrition policy. Infant nutrition policy is a new concept which has up till now not been very much discussed. Explicit infant nutrition policies are rarely formulated. All countries, however, have implicit infant nutrition policies-implicit in recommendations and guidelines from Health Ministers and Ministries of the Population, implicit in the education of future parents, implicit in the import and export policies of each country, making processed infant food of various kinds available to parents. For reasons which are intimately bound to economic and social changes of society, one consequence of thoughtless infant nutrition policies has been that the global production of human milk is on the decline. This is often to the detriment to the health of the infants and young children in vulnerable socio-economic conditions as has repeatedly been pointed out by concerned health professionals in the international field.
The problem has grown to such alarming proportions that WHO and UNICEF recently convened a meeting in Geneva where all concerned parties were invited to discuss the problems of the feeding of infants and young children. Present at the meeting were the United Nations family, experts in infant nutrition from all over the world, delegates from selected countries and from citizens groups, as well as representatives from the baby food industry whose aggressive marketing of breast milk substitutes have repeatedly been accused of contributing to the recent rapid decline of breast feeding. For three days, the discussions went on in five working groups, all aspects of young children and feeding were discussed, not only those related to the activities of the baby food industry. Constructive approaches were formulated for the encouragement and support of breast feeding and the related need for training and information, especially of health workers. Supplementary feeding of growing babies was discussed. The problems of modem women in a changing society and the need for protective legislation for pregnant and nursing mothers in order to secure women’s right to work, were highlighted. Some principles concerning conduct with regard to marketing and distribution of Infant formula and weaning foods were formulated. In short, the outcome of the meeting was a kind of platform to which all parties concerned could agree.
WHO and UNICEF have to be commended for taking it upon them to tackle this rather complex issue, and for preparing the meeting extremely well so that it was indeed possible to carry it through as constructively as was the case. What we now are left with, in the final statement and recommendations from that meeting, is a valuable starting point for infant nutrition policies. These should form part of food and nutrition policies in general. National infant nutrition policies have to be explicitly expressed, in a coherent fashion, rather than being implicit and often contradictory. The Norwegian delegation would suggest that FAO, being the lead agency in the area of food and
nutrition policies, take up this important subject. To this end, FAO should cooperate closely with WHO and UNICEF when it comes to the implementation of the statements and recommendations of their recent Geneva meeting.
FAO should, on its own, include the concept in their policy, to be reflected in the practical work as well as the projects undertaken by the organization. When assisting member nations in the formulation of food and nutrition policies, FAO should give conscious attention to the formulation of coherent infant nutrition policies. Assistance in the elaboration of the concept can certainly be given by many FAO divisions, specifically Food policy and nutrition division and Human Resources division.
The need for a Code of Marketing Ethics for the sales of breast milk substitutes was mentioned several times during the Geneva meeting. FAO/WHO's Codex Alimentarius Commission certainly has a role to play here.
This year being the International Year of the Child, we feel that FAO has a special obligation to take up the very basic problems of young child feeding, and that this be done on a very high level, so that coherent, conscious and sound infant nutrition policies can be formulated, to the benefit of future generations.
S. A. PARYEZ (Pakistan): The Pakistan delegation warmly congratulates you Mr. Chairman on your election to this important position, and feels certain that with your ability and experience you will guide out deliberations on this important Commission very successfully. We would also like to compliment the Secretarial: on preparing such good and useful documentation, as well as Professor Nurul Islam for his able introduction to this item.
It is apparent that the world food situation is rapidly becoming a matter of acute concern to all countries particularly the developing countries. The documents under consideration highlight some of problem areas such as the slowing down of world food production. It is now estimated that there will be a small overall increase in world food and agriculture production in 1979. On the other hand, the export prices of wheat and coarse grains have risen sharply. Maritime freight rates have also gone up the great deal. Carryover stocks will have to be drawn down in 1979-80 for the first time in five years, since the 1979 production will be insufficient for current consumption needs. This would create a tight world market for cereals. In the long term again we have reason to feel disturbed. Very little progress has been made towards attaining the objectives of the International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade or of the New International Economic Order. The 4 per cent annual growth rate target accepted by the DD-2 Strategy had not been attained. In fact, there has been some deterioration in certain regions of the world. Commitments of official development assistance remain little more than half of the requirements estimated by the World Food Conference and embodied in the guidelines for International Agricultural Adjustment adopted by the 18th Session. In the field of nutrition again there is little room for satisfaction. The number of malnourished in the world continues to increase and the figure was estimated to be more than 400 million in 1974-76. Some 70 per cent of the under-nourished in 1974-76 were in the MSA countries where they constituted 28 per cent of the total population. In the field of food aid and food security we are again faced with disillusionment and disappointment.
Food aid in cereals has not attained the minimum target of 10 million tons a year. In fact, the volume of food aid remained less in the 1970's as compared to the 1960's. The indefinite adjournment of the International Grains Negotiations has left the developing countries at the mercy of a violently fluctuating international market. This is all the more important for developing countries as their import needs continue to rise r according to the document under consideration they are estimated to have risen from 52 million in 1971-73 to 78 million in 1978-79. We would take this opportunity of strongly urging that the negotiations be resumed as soon as possible. In the meantime, the Director General's Five Point Plan of Action on World Food Security should be implemented without delay. Food stocks remain concentrated in one particular region of the world. Although this point has been stressed time and again, we believe that it still remains valid even more so today when there is information to the effect that the regions in which these stocks are located is facing acute transport problems. According to the US Agriculture Department's Chief Economist the handling system-storage transport and port facilities may be severely taxed at times to meet needs.
Another important aspect to which we would like to draw the Commission's attention is the opportunity that the world has lost in not establishing an internationally coordinated system to national reserve stocks envisaged in the International Undertaking on World Food Security even when cereals were available in abundance. Given the existing projections of food supply it is unlikely that we will again have such a good opportunity to secure the world against hunger and want. The agricultural export earnings of developing countries remain highly unstable. Major problems continue to be the
protectionist measures in developing countries that restrict market access of agricultural exports, especially those of processed products of developing countries. In this connection, I would like to quote from a statement by Mr. McNamara, President of the World Bank. I quote:"Consider the United States. Exports provide one out of every eight jobs in United States manufacturing, and they take the output of one out of every three acres of United States farmland. Indeed, the United States now exports more to the developing countries than it does to Western Europe, Eastern Europe, China, and the Soviet Union combined. Further, the United States now gets increasing quantities of its raw materials from the developing world-more than 50 per cent of its tin, natural rubber and manganese, plus very substantial amounts of tungsten and cobalt, to say nothing of oil.
The same kind of mutual interdependence exists between the other industrialized countries - the Common Market and Japan-and the developing world. But if the developing nations are to import even more goods and services from the developed nations, which they both need and want to do, then they must be allowed in return to export more to those same nations in order to earn the necessary foreign exchange. In the end, excessive trade protectionism is self-defeating for everyone.
It is no good deceiving ourselves. In the 1980s, the developed and developing countries alike must face up to such immense and complicated problems as population growth, food production, creating more jobs, energy urbanization, reducing absolute poverty and expanding international trade and financial flow. The options are closing”.
In the field of inputs the recent escalation in the price of fertilizer is a matter which deserves immediate attention. The price of nitrogenous fertilizers has risen by 20 per cent and continues to rise. DAP fertilizer prices have gone up even more dramatically. Under these circumstances, we would urge a reactivation of the International Fertilizer Supply Scheme and the commissioning of the options system. While on the subject of inputs we would like to express our support for the FAO's Seed Improvement and Development Programme. While the threat posed by desert locust has been temporarily averted we cannot afford to let down our guard and must remain vigilant. We take this opportunity of thanking the Director-General of FAO for the assistance he provided to my country in fighting this menace. The World Food Programme continues to maintain its well deserved reputation.
The pledging target for the next biennium has been fixed at one thousand million in US dollars but in view of the recent increase in prices of both cereals and maritime freight we think that this target needs to be revised upwards.
Lastly, prevention of food losses continues to be a matter of paramount interest to my delegation. The need for avoiding losses cannot be over-emphasized.
A word about the situation in Pakistan. Despite last year’s adverse circumstances and poor crop we did not slacken our efforts and continued to strive towards the goal of self-sufficiency in wheat. Various incentives were offered to the farmers: water charges on additional areas brought under wheat cultivation were remitted; the procurement price was raised from Rs. 99. 12 per quintal to Rs. 120. 60 per quintal; fertilizer prices were reduced and its availability ensured; water availability was ensured; and varieties susceptible to rust attack which had caused unprecented damage last year were withdrawn and new varieties introduced. As a result we have harvested a good wheat crop of about 10 million tons-an increase of 24 percent over last year.
At the same time efforts are being made to increase the production of rice, which is not the staple food in my country but which is in great demand in certain parts of the world. By 1982-83 we shall, God willing, be in a position to spare one million tons of rice each year to ease the world food situation.
In conclusion, we would suggest that apart from apprising us of the world food situation which document C 79/2 appreciably does, some solutions and proposal should also be forthcoming. FAO has the expertize and experience of making really practicable recommendations in this regard and we feel that such an exercise would be very useful.
W. WOLDEYER (Ethiopia): Mr. Chairman, first of all, I would like to congratulate you upon your election as Chairman of Commission I of the Twentieth Conference. At the same time my delegation wishes to thank the FAO Secretariat for the successful preparation of the vital document, C 79/2, The State of Food and Agriculture 1979.
My delegation would like to comment generally on the three important topics in this document, the world food and agriculture situation, food aid and world food security and commodity and trade problems.
The Director-General's report on the State of Food and Agriculture, 1979 indicates unfavourable food and agricultural production prospects. FAO's latest forecast, as of early July, is that world production of wheat and coarse grains in 1979 is likely to be about 6 percent below the 1978 record level and 5 percent below the longer term trend (1970-78). Mainly because of a very large cereal harvest, world food and agricultural production increased substantially in 1978. The expansion was greater, however, in the developed than in the developing countries. In the developing countries the long term rate of increase in agricultural production during the eight years of Development Decade 2 that have elapsed so far is still more than one quarter below the target of 4 percent a year. The present prospects are for only a small increase in world food and agricultural production in 1979. Cereal production is expected to be considerably below the record level of 1978.
In the area of International Agricultural Adjustment, some limited progress has been made although agreed targets have still not been achieved. The Eighteenth Session of FAO accepted transfers to developing countries' resources to an estimated equivalent of at least US$ 8. 3 billion annually during the period 1975-80 for investment in agricultural production. While the Ethiopian delegation appreciates the Director-General's continuous efforts to monitor progress towards international agricultural adjustment, attaining the target magnitude of transfer of resources has proved elusive.
Though not always the ideal form of assistance, Food Aid is nevertheless indispensable in bridging the gap between the present and the time when the receiving countries will have raised this production and purchasing power to the level of self-sufficiency. Relatively poor performance also prevailed in the food aid programme, the emergency reserve stock of cereals and in the terms of development assistance. Food aid in cereals recovered further in 1978/79, but still fell short of the World Food Conference minimum target of 10 million tons.
As long ago as 1973-74, which were the times of physical shortages of grain supplies, very definite pronouncements were made and a large number of countries even committed to action in the form of undertakings. The need for an internationally coordinated system of national reserve stocks was agreed on in the International Undertaking on World Food Security which has subsequently been endorsed by 75 individual governments as well as by the EEC. Since that time the agreed system of reserve stocks has not been formally embodied in a new international grains arrangement. As a result, the Director-General of FAO in March 1979 proposed a Five Point Plan of Action on World Food Security. In the document it is pointed out that the expected reduction in cereal production in 1979 reminds us of the bad situation in 1973-74. Therefore the Ethiopian Government calls urgently for the immediate implementation of the Five Point Plan of Action. It fully supports the five points of the plan and Director-General's proposals for any further measures required to achieve the objectives of World Food Security.
A point of fundamental interest to all developing countries is the assessment of progress towards the new international economic order. The Ethiopian delegation believes that unless far-reaching measures are taken to restructure the economic relationship between the third world nations and the developed countries, in particular in the area of trade relations, the plans and programmes for development of the developing countries may indeed prove to be illusory.
The efforts to realize the world's full agricultural potential, however, must be looked upon as an issue of international concern, calling for effective structural changes in the world economic system and also for increased international cooperation, financial and technical assistance. It was in fact agreed two years ago, at the Nineteenth Session of FAO, that the maximization of food production would be possible without increased technical and financial assistance from the most developed towards the least developed countries. Nor, would it of course be possible with the rapidly escalating costs in the basic agricultural inputs, viewed against a background of unstable export markets and trade barriers against primary products for the obvious reason that the declining export earnings of developing countries, in relation to their increasing import bills, deprive them from incentives and resources so badly needed in their developmental effort.
It is therefore the view of my delegation that FAO, in accordance with Article 1, paragraphs 2 (e) and 2 (g), should energetically work towards increasing the flow of capital into agriculture and to attain fair and equitable agricultural commodity arrangements.
A. M. S. AL-NAKIB (Kuwait) (interpretation from Arabic): On behalf of the delegation of Kuwait, I would first like to congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, on your election to the Chairmanship of this Commission. This election is a recognition of your own extreme competence.
Some of the comments which I wanted to make have already been made by the delegates of Kenya and Libya. To go along with your suggestion that we do not repeat what has already been said by previous speakers, I will therefore, not repeat them. But I would like to express here an opinion which is of concern
to all delegations and that is the decrease in cereal production and the large increase in demand is a point which is of concern to us all. Hunger and malnutrition exist in a larger and larger areas of the world and tens of millions of persons suffer from hunger and malnutrition throughout the world. This certainly is a cause of concern to us all. Those who suffer from hunger and malnutrition can be counted in the hundreds of millions and primarily in the developing world, where there is a lack of resources, a lack of investment and a lack of modern technology. This means that they cannot adjust to those means of cultivation. This is why the developed countries should give them their assistance and participate effectively in their struggle against hunger in the world. We wholeheartedly support the Five-Point Plan of the Director-General on this issue and we hope that this plan of action will receive the full support of all Member Nations.
I. OZORAI (Hungary): My delegation is very pleased indeed to have you in the chair, Mr. Chairman, and we pledge our full support to you. We listened with great interest to the clear and concise introduction of Professor Islam, which we consider is an excellent help to our debate.
Speaking on the world food situation, in his statement the Director-General said: "I had hoped that today I would be able to present some indications of progress. It is, however, my sad duty to underline the fact that on the basis of most criteria, the situation has deteriorated further. "
We can only agree with Mr. Saouma. The increased crops of recent years whilst welcome facts in themselves cannot comfort us because there is no assurance that such levels of production will be sustained in future. My delegation is particularly concerned to know that in most seriously affected countries the rate of increase in food production is not only behind the rate of propulation growth but is actually falling.
Another source of concern is that the late 1970s have seen chronic food problems further aggravated by unfavourable trends in the world economy. The 1979 crop harvest in Hungary was well below the previous year's level. The high priority my Government has granted to agriculture in the last two decades and the significant investments into large-scale agricultural technology were responsible for mitigating the adverse effects of this year's poor climate and weather conditions.
The report on the State of Food and Agriculture is comprehensive, well-balanced and my delegation approves of it. There are only two points I would like to make on some issues in the document.
The first is on the prevention of food losses. We appreciate the efforts made by the Programme concentrating mainly on the farm and village.
It is our feeling that the expansion of the project under the BFL Programme for the time being should be concentrated on cereals and other staple food crops and the Programme proceed to animal products only at a later stage. The second point I should like to raise is on agricultural investments. Our ideas on the subject seem to concur with those of Prof. Islam who elaborated on this in his presentation and we do appreciate his remarks. My delegation has rather strong views on the importance of investments into agriculture in all imports with special emphasis on those who are planning a major promotion of their agricultural and food production. We have repeatedly voiced our ideas alongside these lines at the last Session of the Conference and at various sessions of the FAO Council as well.
The Hungarian delegation note with satisfaction the encouraging evidence that a number of developing countries have recently increased their agricultural investments. At the same time though, we are worried to learn about the insufficient investments in agriculture in relation to agricultural GDP in some MSA countries with a higher proportion of GDP generated by agriculture. It is hoped that all countries concerned will keep on doing their best to generate the necessary funds into agriculture. We are convinced that increasing the support to their own agriculture through well-conceived projects is a pre-requisite of further development.
I conclude by requesting the Secretariat, as they have in the past, to try even harder to give a wide coverage to agricultural investment in the Conference report.
LIN GAN. (China) (interpretation from Chinese): We note in document C 79/2 that accelerating food production in developing countries and improving terms of trade for their agricultural products remain two priorities that call for speedy action in the international food and agricultural sphere. These questions have been discussed at many international conferences. Now is the time for adopting concrete measures for their solution in accordance with the rational proposals put forward by developing countries.
In his address to the plenary session Mr. Xing Chong-Zhi.
Head of the Chinese delegation, already stated our basic views on food production. Therefore I shall confine myself to offering a few comments on the question of international trade in agricultural products. We are of the opinion that the crux of the question for international trade and agricultural products is not the price fluctuations of one or the other product. Nor is it access to markets at a certain time, the solution of which would require only a partial improvement in the terms of trade. The crux of the matter lies in the existing international economic and trade codes which hamper the development of rural economies in many developing countries. Without a restructuring of such codes the establishment of a new international economic order is out of the question.
The integrated programme for commodities has been initiated and advocated by developing countries out of the conviction that international trade should be conducted on the basis of equality and mutual benefit to all nations. It may be regarded as an attempt at restructuring the old trade patterns. We are pleased to note that as a result of the solidarity, cooperation and persistent struggle on the part of many third world countries, agreement has been reached in principle on the Programme and its funding. It is our hope that efforts will be continued on this basis and negotiations on commodity agreements and the Common Fund will be completed in the shortest possible time, thus contributing to further improved terms of trade of agricultural products. In this connexion we would like to voice our active support to the developing countries’ legitimate demand that developed countries abandon their protectionist policies. It is to be hoped that developed countries pursuing such policies will recognize the realities of life and adopt a positive attitude by taking effective measures to ensure that exports of developing countries have equal access to markets and gradually obtain relatively stable export earnings. The current Session of the Conference has drafted relevant resolutions which we consider as necessary.
May I now give a brief account of China's agricultural production this year by way of supplementing and updating the information on China contained in document C 79/2. This year China's agricultural development has been stepped up in accordance with the policy of readjustment, restructuring, consolidation and improvement for the national economy. The further implementation of rural economic policies throughout the country, considerably increased purchasing prices for agricultural and sideline products, reduction or remitment of rural taxes, increased investment in agriculture, greater industrial support to agriculture and continued implementation of technical measures aimed at promoting agricultural production - all this has resulted in increased agricultural production as compared to 1973, which was a good year for all major crops. Statistics show that total summer output exceeded 64. 9 million ton (ne) s or 5. 5 million ton (ne) s more than last year. There is conclusive evidence of increased production for early rice and middle season rice. Autumn crops are also expected to register an increase, with the final figures being worked out. It appears that the food production quotas for 1979 can be overfulfilled. Production of oil-bearing crops has shown a marked increase over last year. All agricultural and livestock production procured by the State topped last year's figures by wide margins. Although some progress has been made in China's agricultural production the situation varies from place to place. At present our agricultural development still falls short of the requirements of the development of the national economy and the people's improved livelihood. We will have to make still greater efforts so as to ensure that our agricultural development meets the requirements of our population growth and industrial development.
S. DE MARE (Sweden): Thank you Mr. Chairman. Firstly I would like to congratulate you on your election as Chairman of this important Commission. Secondly I would like to support the ideas and conclusions just presented by the delegate of Norway concerning the infant food policy. Thirdly I would like to compliment the Secretariat for the excellent and comprehensive document C 79/2 and its supplement. The fall in total world carry-over stocks of cereals by 19 million tons or 7 percent indicated in the document is really a disquieting feature in the present agricultural situation. It is a small comfort that stocks will remain at 17 percent of world consumption or the minimum level required for world food security and that production has increased more in developed than in developing countries. The short-fall in cereal production in the USSR and the effects thereof on, inter alia, world market prices once again demonstrates the desirability of timely and accurate forecast concerning the production in that country. In this connexion we are very satisfied with the information which is presented by the delegate of China concerning the production in that country. As will be said today by the Swedish Minister of Agriculture in the Plenary, the world food situation must be considered as precarious owing, inter alia, to serious malnutrition in many developing countries, the fast rise in grain imports, at increasing prices of these countries and the absence of a coordinated reserve system. The growing dependence of developing countries on external food supplies is particularly disquieting.
According to the document in front of us, food imports of developing countries rose by almost 7 percent a year or much faster than the food imports of developed countries. The cereal imports of developing countries increased from an average of 50 million ton(ne)s at the beginning of this decade to about 78 million ton(ne)s in 1978/79. Although some of this increase could be attributed to rising demands of oil-exporting developing countries, other categories of developing countries, including least-developed countries, still account for two-thirds of the food imports of the developing world.
A more equal distribution of currently available food supply both within and between countries would undoubtedly bring about a considerable alleviation of hunger, but also as a consequence give rise to another increase of food consumption of developing countries.
The present food situation does demonstrate the urgent need for sustained efforts to increase the production of food crops in the developing countries including the production of traditional non-cereal crops. To achieve this objective both the external assitance to and the importance attributed to the agricultural sector in development plans must be substantially increased.
The present development also shows the need for the continuation and subsequent increase of food aid to developing countries during an indefinite period of time. It emphasizes moreover the need for the early implementation of the guidelines for food aid agreed by the committee on Food Aid Programmes and Policies during its May session, in particular those concerning the forward planning of food aid in physical terms so as to avoid the danger that price rises will lead to a lower volume of shipments, and the expansion of multilateral channeling. It is also urgently necessary to meet the target for the International Emergency Food Reserve and to insure its replenishment on a regular basis.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, the present world food situation also shows that we shall have to keep the agricultural production potential, especially for grain production in industrialized countries.
R. IBARGUREN (Argentina): Quiero unirme a la congratulación que han expresado el resto de las delegaciones por su elección, y a su vez la hacemos extensiva a los demás miembros de la Mesa.
En primer término mi delegación desea destacar los méritos del Sr. Director General de la FAO al presentar el informe contenido en el documento C 79/2. En general constituye una interesante contribución y una valiosa evaluación de la situación agroalimentaria mundial. En segundo lugar, quiero informar sobre el progreso logrado en la producción agrícola argentina, precisando que el volumen total de la campaña 1978/1979 totalizo 31 970 000 de toneladas, alcanzándose así un nuevo récord histórico de producción.
Ese volumen de producción agrícola supera en un 9. 8 por ciento el correspondiente a la campaña anterior 1977/1978 y en un 1, 3 por ciento a lo obtenido durante el período 1976/1977.
De tal manera la producción agrícola promedio del ultimo trienio es de 30 876 000 de toneladas anuales.
Es de interés señalar la importancia de la producción de granos oleaginosos que llega a la cosecha 1978/1979 a 6 230 000 de toneladas superando sustancialmente un 20, 5 y 86, 6 por ciento, respectivamente, a la cifra de las dos campañas anteriores. Merece una cita especial el progreso logrado por la producción de soja que alcanza en este año a 3 700 000 de toneladas superando en un 48 por ciento la del año anterior, con un rendimiento medio por hectárea de 2 346 kg, cifra superior en un 7, 9 por ciento de la campaña previa.
Los aumentos registrados en la producción son un claro resultado del aumento de los rendimientos unitarios, ya que mientras el área sembrada no sufre, prácticamente, una expansión durante el último decenio, la producción agrícola total se ha incrementado en una tasa de más del 3 por ciento anual acumulativo.
La elevación en los niveles de rendimiento refleja la incorporación de nuevas tecnologías agrícolas, derivadas de un exitoso trabajo genético de criadores y semilleros con el logro de variedades e híbridos de mayor productividad, sumado al avance registrado en la eficiencia de la maquinaria agrícola y en la correcta utilización de los agroquímicos.
Ha sido un proceso favorecido por la preocupación de los productores agrícolas, quienes demostraron una actitud receptiva para los cambios propuestos por las actividades de extensión y experimentación de técnicas agrícolas argentinas.
Por otra parte, también cabe señalar que esos rendimientos unitarios crecientes se han obtenido con un uso de fertilizantes y de riego muy inferior al de la mayoría de los países con producciones agrícolas similares a la nuestra.
En virtud de la información expuesta precedentemente, mi delegación solicita la enmienda del párrafo 41 del mencionado documento, por no ajustarse a la realidad en cuanto concierne a la real evaluación de la producción cerealera argentina.
En lo que atañe al comercio internacional de productos agrícolas, nuestro país, tradicional productor y exportador de alimentos a los mercados mundiales, al otorgar mayor capacidad economica al sector agropecuario, podrá mantener dentro del contexto del comercio internacional una corriente fluida de exportación de tales productos.
En cuanto a la exportación de grano pasó de un promedio anual de 8, 5 millones de toneladas en el período comprendido entre las cosechas 1969/1970 y 1975/1976 a 13 millones de toneladas para el período ubicado entre las cosechas 1976/1977 y 1978/1979 lo que implicó un incremento real del 60 por ciento.
Efectivamente los aumentos de producción comentados se han traducido en una mayor presencia argentina en los mercados mundiales. Esa participación en el comercio mundial de cereales que llegó a ser de un 5 por ciento en 1974/1975 se estima para la presente campaña en un 9 por ciento habiéndose elevado en un 6 por ciento promedio de las campañas 1973/1974-1975/1976 a un 9, 4 por ciento, promedio de las campañas 1976/1977-1978/1979.
Desde nuestro punto de vista es necesario que los países en desarrollo participen activa y mancomunadamente, a fin de lograr que los países desarrollados eliminen los obstáculos arancelarios y no arancelarios que afectan a sus exportaciones agrícolas.
En tal sentido es importante que los países en desarrollo hagan uso de sus ventajas comparativas, a los efectos de que cada producto coadyuve al aprovisionamiento agrimundiai en términos económicamente rentables. Es necesario que se estimulen los mecanismos productivos de esos países para que se aprovechen plenamente las ventajas aludidas, que contribuyan de este modo a intercambios más dinámicos en los comercios mundiales de productos agrícolas con mayor participación de los países en desarrollo.
D. RICHTER (Germany, Fed. Rep. of) (interpretation from German): First of all I wish to congratulate you, Sir, on behalf of my delegation on your election. I think you will be an excellent Chairman of this important Commission I.
The secretariat, as always, has done a very good job in preparing our discussion on the state of food and agriculture, and I wish to thank you, for this very much indeed.
The following developments in production and supply seem to me of particular importance. The year 1978 gave good crops. In developing countries there were considerable increases in production in general. A gratifying fact was the increase in food production in Africa of 4. 3 percent. This year the world grain crop will be a little less as compared to 1978, particularly due to substantial production deficits in the Soviet Union. But by and large also 1980 does not seem to give rise to fears for supplies. The grain reserve stocks will decline a bit because of the higher trade volume, but not below the level of 1978 and with at least 18 percent of annual consumption it will still maintain a very reassuring extent. What is remarkable is that particularly grain production in developing countries will also show an increase in 1979. For rice the crop for 1979 is expected to reach the same level as in the previous year. After a bumper crop of soya beans and other important oil seeds in 1978/1979 a further increase of production in 1979/1980 has to be expected so that the supply of protein feed will considerably exceed the demand.
Despite the overall favourable development in food production in developing countries in recent years the target of this decade for an annual increase of 4 percent will presumably not be achieved. Therefore my Government supports the World Food Council's recommendation towards the devising of national strategies in developing countries for food production and for nutrition as a framework for the identification and preparation of projects, and also making available the appropriate investment funds. The promotion of agriculture and the improvement of nutrition should be included in overall planning and dovetailed more with other developments.
What is necessary is greater investment in the food sector. Appropriate efforts of developing countries themselves should be further supplemented by increased external investments. My Government strongly increased its public assistance. In the next few years these funds will be increased twice as much as the overall budget expenditure of the Federal Republic of Germany. In line with the outcome of the UNCTAD V the least developed countries, require very special attention. In paragraph 127 of the document the significance of these UNCTAD V decisions are highlighted. The Federal Government has between 1972 and 1978 more than doubled its aid to these countries and in the future will continue to increase it over proportionally. Since the beginning of 1978, capital aid to these countries has been given on a grant basis; repayments are no longer required. Moreover, to date 15 countries have had their debts cancelled.
Rural development and the increase in food production are areas of concentration in the cooperation between my country and the developing countries. Roughly 50 percent of the grants made available for technical cooperation flow into the agricultural sector. The Federal Government is willing to further increase the share of rural development projects in the total volume of financial cooperation.
With respect to the statements on the development of trade and the outcome of trade negotiations, I should like to express brief views. Important progress has been achieved in the negotiations of the competent international bodies. This is something that we will no doubt discuss to a greater extent when we come to the progress report on international adjustment in agriculture.
In paragraphs 111/114 of the document the disquieting trend is stressed of an increase in food imports of developing countries. In many of those countries this increase, together with the increase in the energy cost, is leading to greater balance-of-payments problems. The increasing importation of vegetable oils, milk products and meat on the other hand also shows that the supply for the population has improved under nutritional aspects. This has certainly contributed to the improvement of the food situation as described in paragraph 58. On the other hand, we see an expansion of trade between developing countries because these products to a very great extent stem from developing countries. Trade between developing countries is also important because of the tact that in many industrialized countries the limit of absorption for certain agricultural products has really been reached.
Quite favourable developments in this decade for developing countries showed the earnings from agricultural exports and trade conditions. Certain fluctuations are unavoidable.
Praiseworthy developments should be stressed in regard to processed products. In 1977 the share of processed products in total agricultural exports of these countries was 40 percent higher than in the period 1969 to 1971. The continuous improvement and expansion of the generalized system of preferences should have contributed markedly to this development and also to the building up of adequate processing capacities in developing countries.
The attitude of the European Community and its Member States with respect to the draft resolution on commodity trade, protectionism and agricultural adjustment will be discussed further by the representative of the EEC
S. PADMANAGARA (Indonesia ): Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the Indonesian delegation I should like to join other delegations in congratulating you on your election.
My delegation expresses the gravest concern that the increase of agricultural production in the developing countries during the eight years of the Second United Nations Development Decade is still more than one quarter below the target of 4 percent per year. It is reported to be slowest in Africa and in the poorest developing countries in general. The number of undernourished people in the developing market economies has continued to rise, from about 360 million in 1969-71 to 410 million in 1974-76. In the latter period they represented about 22 percent of the total population of these countries.
This calls for a more serious attention to the grave problem of food and agricultural affairs. Concerted action among all of us, the developing as well as the developed countries, will have to be undertaken in agricultural investments. We have observed with concern that bilateral commitments for development assistance for agriculture fell by 10 percent in current prices in 1978. Multilateral commitments, however, increased by a further 27 percent. We welcome the timely contribution of the International Fund for Agricultural Development which, despite its young age, has successfully contributed $59 million in commitments to develop agriculture in the poorest members of the developing countries.
Under the "narrow" definition of agriculture of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, official commitments of external assistance are estimated to have risen in current prices from $4, 900 million in 1977 to about $5, 700 million in 1978. In 1975 prices, this is equivalent to about $4, 600 million, not much more than half of the requirements of $8, 300 million estimated by the World Food Council and contained in the Guidelines for International Agricultural Adjustment adopted by the 18th Session of the FAO Conference. We appeal strongly to bilateral and multilateral donors to increase their commitments of external assistance towards reaching the estimated requirements of $8, 300 million.
Concerning trade problems, I should like to repeat a statement made by our Minister of Agriculture in the Plenary Meeting:
"A very limited progress has been made so far towards solving the long-standing problem of international trade in agricultural products, particularly those exported by the developing countries. Trade protection as practised by advanced countries is still existing and even expanding, which jeopardizes economic development of the developing world.
If the strong find it necessary to protect themselves against the weak, would not the weak have the same right to protect themselves against the strong as it seems that the ancient Rule of the Jungle still dominates the international scene? But unfortunately, the weak are in an unfavourable position. And if they get together in order to strengthen their position, voices have been heard accusing them of "tyranny of the majority".
However, mankind has made one important step in the right direction with the Declaration of Human Rights. But human nature is still too strong to be regimented by this Declaration. It would seem to us that this Declaration of Human Rights should be balanced by a Declaration of Human Responsibilities which should be fully adhered to if the principles of human dignity are to be truly realized.
Nobody can deny that agriculture in its widest sense, is basic to human life. And yet, the producers of these commodities, particularly food, are always getting the worst end of the stick in economic life. They belong to the poorest among professions, unless they are supported by their governments through special policies and measures, such as price support and input subsidies.
In regard to the human society as a whole, if advanced nations are willing to help more adequately the developing countries which are generally agricultural producers, I am confident that the welfare of the human race as a whole will be more stimulated. Please do not misunderstand us. We are not begging for charity, but what we want is just a fair deal. "
Consequently, we support the draft resolution on commodity trade, protectionism and agricultural adjustment and urge all members to do so.
M. P. KANGA (Angola): Ma délégation s'associe aux orateurs précédents pour vous présenter nos vives félicitations et remercie aussi le Directeur adjoint de son exposé concis et concret.
La délégation appuie le distingué délégué de la Libye pour son intervention. En réalité, tel que le problème est posé dans les documents de base, le véritable problème de la crise et de l'augmentation est escamoté car nous savons tous qui sont ceux qui gagnent effectivement avec la montée du prix du pétrole. Dans d’ autres organismes internat ion aux, le problème a été analysé en profondeur et nous aimerions bien que dans le rapport final de la Commission ce point soit pris en considération.
Nous avons lu avec attention le document émanant du Directeur général intitulé "La situation mondiale de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation en 1979" et son document de réajustement.
Notre analyse s'est basée en particulier sur ce dernier document. Nous considérons que les termes a déButtre sont très importants pour la vie de notre peuple et que cette assemblée est l'endroit le mieux indiqué pour intervenir d'une façon critique toutes les fois que nous constatons que les documents de base qui nous sont présentés ne coïncident pao avec les points de vue que nous considérons comme corrects.
En principe, nous sommes tous d'accord sur les orientations approuvées lors de la dix-huitième session, et également quant á la méthodologie suivie par le Directeur général pour analyser jusqu'à quel point les objectifs quantifiés prévus ont été atteints.
Sur ce dernier point, permettez-moi d'émettre beaucoup de réserves quant à la validité de certaines données présentées, car les réponses aux questionnaires ont été données par un petit nombre de pays. Mais si l'on fait abstraction de ce détail de caractère méthodologique, nous aimerions évoquer certains aspects concrets. Concernant la première orientation qui a trait á l'objeotif de la croissance annuelle de 4 pour cent de la production alimentaire, nous ne sommes pas seulement préoccupés du fait que la totalité des pays en voie de développement ne présente qu'une taxe de 2, 9 pour cent pour la période 1970/1978 avec une tendance légèrement récessive au cours des trois dernières années de la période considérée, mais surtout du fait que le continent africain n'a enregistré au cours de la mime période qu'une croissance de 1, 5 peur cent à peine, ceci aggravé par le fait qu'entre 1976 et 1978 cette croissanoe a été à peine de 1, 5 pour cent.
Ainsi si l'on accepte que le niveau général de la croissance nationale dans le continent se maintienne à environ 2 pour cent l'an, c'est que le Cadre 1 démontre de manière dramatique qu'en Afrique, si l'on n'arrivait pas è améliorer le niveau relatif de l'alimentation, étant donné que ce niveau a baissé en terme moyen de quantité d'aliments disponibles pour chaque habitant, il serait nécessaire de trouver une explication puisqu'il est très facile, mais sussi bien simpliste de l'attribuer á des raisons d'ordre naturel.
Peut-être pouvons-nous trouver une partie de la solution quand dans le texte on affirme que "l'on peut apprécier que dans les années en question les investissements dans l'agriculture ne paraissaient pas avoir une priorité tres élevée dans les pays en voie de développement"·
En réalité, la simple lecture du Cadre 4, bien qu'il ne fasse référence qu'à 35 pays, ce qui lui retire une grande partie de sa validité, montre qu'en termes d'investissement général, les pays en voie de développement avaient dévié leurs ressources générales de l'investissement dans l'agriculture, puisque seulement le secteur public, et dans ce dernier certains pays seulement avaient donné la priorité à l'agriculture. Ce qui vient démontrer l'importance du rôle de l'Etat dans le développement de l'agriculture et nécessairement le faible niveau de la taxe de remboursement des investissements. Il semble que ce point retienne notre attention.
S'il était possible, sur le travail que nous analysons, de distinguer les investissements par origine, on conclurait facilement que la grande partie de ceux-ci sont d'origine étrangère. On pourrait ainsi en déduire le peu d'intérêt qu'ils apportent dans le secteur de l'agriculture et ipso facto aux autres secteurs, en particulier ceux qui, par le truchement d'une substitution des importations théoriques, sont proportionnée par l'imposition de royalties et le droit d'utilisation des fonds par le transfert des bénéfices et par la surfacturation dans l'approvisionnement des produits semi-finis. Ainsi est géré le plus grand volume des bénéfices qui seront par la suite réinvestis, consolidant de ce fait l'accumulation et augnentant la dépendance. Si, sans investissements, la croissance est minime, comment peuvent-ilsles pays sous-développés en général et africains en particulier-stimuler le développement agricole dans oe secteur ?
La grande partie de leurs ressources disponibles doit être déviée de la formation du capital fixe pour le paiement des subsides, pour l'acquisition des moyens de production qui ne pouvaient être acquis différemment du fait que leur utilisation au prix du marché dégrade la rémunération du travailleur agricole au lieu de l'augmenter.
Enfin, le, rapport présenté analyse d'une manière très peu favorable mais d'une façon tout à fait raisonnable les progrès effectuée dans le domaine du ocamerce international, principalement aux barrières, boycot age s et expédients techniques plus ou moins déguisés, normalement soulevés d'une manière permanente par les pays développés par rapport aux pays sous-développés. Nous devons toujours rappeler que le développement du capitalisme s'est fait, ou s'est accéléré, en raison du coût è bas prix des matières premières résultant de l'exploitation du travail des colonies et disposant obligatoirement de marchés toujours ouverte, provoquant la désarticulation des forces productives internes. Comment est-il possible que, maintenant quand on annonoe une aide au sous-développement, plusieurs pays soulèvent des barrières ou créent des systèmes de préférence bien établis dans un paternalisme complètement dépassé ? Mon pays revendique le droit de revenir sur ce sujet. Noue pourrions conclure que si certains problèmes que nous considérons très importants n'étaient pas débattus convenablement, nous vous demanderions, dans ce cas, Monsieur le Président, le droit d'intervenir è nouveau.
Pour terminer, La République populaire de l'Angola donne son accord de principe aux conclusions du Conseil sur le commerce et les produits et appuie le projet de résolution présenté è cette Commission.
M. DIB (Syria): Allow me first of all to congratulate you on your election as Chairman of this important Commission. We know your long experience, your wisdom, your many qualities, will help very much, and help us in making the work of the Commission successful.
I would like to say, following the example of previous speakers, that the world situation of food and agriculture for 1979 is one of the most important matters that we have to think about, as has already been pointed out. Also, may I say, subsequent to a study of document C 79/2 and other relevant documents, that the Director-General's Five-Point Plan is a plan of action which has our full support and approval, and I would also like to refer to Resolutions which were passed by the World Food Council in 1974 that coped with the crisis years, and also décisions regarding worldwide systems, and the devising of a food security system and national policies, in connection with buffer stocks to be able to cope with crises as they emerge.
I would like to say that the results obtained to date in consultations on economy and technical cooperation between the developing countries are very positive. These assessments will help enhance world food security and increase investment in the agricultural scheme, and enable an increase of trade between developing countries themselves. We must also recall the conclusions of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, and the very positive outcome of that Conference. The efforts m mads by this Organization will help all countries, particularly developing countries, to cope with the difficulties which they are facing. I wish to support all Draft Resolutions and conclusions contained
in this document, and we also request that negotiations with respect to the unfinished Wheat Agreement be resumed as soon as possible and that the greater grain and wheat producers make concessions order to enable countries which have shortages of agricultural production to be able to supply themselves on the international world market. At the same time we ask the developed countries to grant greater financial aid in order to step up investments in the agricultural sector. We would also want trade conditions to improve, taking into account the interests of developing and developed countries at the same time. We hope that our Commission will find appropriate resolutions in this area.
CHAIRMAN: (interpretation from Arabic): We shall now adjourn for lunch.
The meeting arose at 12. 40 hours
La séance est levée a 12 h. 40
Se levanta la sesión a las 12. 45 horas
