CHAIRMAN: (interpretation from Arabic): Ladies and Gentlemen, I call this meeting, the Sixth Session of Commission I, to order. Delegates will remember that at the end of this morning's meeting I had announced that the discussion on item 7 on the report of the Director-General on the implementation of the Plan of Action to Strengthem World Food Security would start this afternoon and I would remind you that the documents relating to this item on the agenda are the following: C 79/23, C 79/23-Sup. 1, which only concerns the Arabic version. Then we have document C 79/23-Sup. 2 and C 79/23-Corr. 1 for Arabic and English only, and the document relating to the draft report which is C 79/LIM/34.
There is nothing that can better illustrate the importance of the subject with which we are dealing than the presence of the Director-General, Mr. Edouard Saouman himself, who in person will present an introductory statement to this session. All delegates know how much work the Director-General has had to do at this session with his multiple responsibilities. It had been agreed that the Director-General should speak to the Commission this morning but since the discussion on the previous item, Forestry, was extended, he will speak this afternoon. For all these reasons the Director-General will perhaps find it difficult to be present here for some time after having finished his introductory statement. Of course we give him a warm welcome and we are waiting for his introductory statement on this important matter with great attention and patience. Of course, we would have liked him to have stayed as long as possible but, if necessary, I am sure we can trust the Director-General to come later on and join the Commission again. Otherwise, I have no particular points to make and since the Director-General is present I would like to ask him to take the floor immediately.
DIRECTOR-GENERAL: Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Delegates, we have come to the most important single subject on the agenda of this Conference. The subject is Food Security. Food security is the responsibility of individual men and women at the family level. But it is the duty of governments at the national level. And the world food crisis taught us, once and for all, that it is fundamentally a global responsibility.
In 1974 this concept was enshrined in the International Undertaking on World Food Security, to which over 80 nations and the EEC have since subscribed.
Why, then, has there been such limited progress since 1974? Some countries learned the lessons of the world food crisis. They took inilateral action to strengthen their own food security. But others, including a number of major producing and consuming nations, postponed decisions while their negotiators grappled with the complex problems of a new international grains arrangement. These negotiations have failed to reach an agreement. As a result, the international undertaking on world food security remained virtually a dead letter.
Mr. Chairman, I am sure that all delegates will agree that, however desirable a new world grains arrangement my be, future negotiations must not slow down progress towards food security. The FAO cannot sit idle while the world, and in particular the food-deficit developing countries, remain without protection against serious crop failure. This is why, earlier this year, I proposed a five-point plan of action to implement the undertaking without further delay.
My initiative was supported by the UN Committee of the Whole. After careful examination by the Committee on World Food Security, the plan was adopted in June by the Council of FAO. It has since been endorsed by the World Food Council. It is now the task of this Conference to determine how the plan should be implemented.
In doing so, the Conference will no doubt want to bear in mind that, following the adoption of the FAO plan, food security has become a major issue of concern at several high-level meetings this very year. I refer, for example, to the seven-nation economic summit in Tokyo, the Commonwealth Meeting of Heads of
Government at Lusaka-the Commonwealth Ministers have met here in Rome a few days ago and have discussed this very problem-and the Havana Meeting of Non-Aligned Countries which I attended. More recently, there have been renewed discussions on food aid at the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes, and at the Food Aid Committee in London.
Following this renewed interest in food security at the international level, - a number of governments and the EEC have informed me of the various measures they intend to take in order to implement the plan. The summary of these replies has been circulated to delegates. FAO however has not yet received replies from several major producing and consuming countries. I hope, Mr. Chairman, that, in view of all the consultations at the highest level, those governments which reserved their position at the Council can announce today their full support for the plan. No one has ever said to be against the plan, in fact nobody could declare to be against the plan on food security, what was said was:"we reserve our position, it is too early" or, "we shall see next June-next November"-now we are in November and we hope that those countries will be in a position to give their support to the plan.
This is all the more essential because the immediate food security situation today is as precarious as it was before the world food crisis. Owing to the sharp fall in world cereals production, import requirements have leapt to 184 million ton(ne)s, reflecting the heavy requirements of developed countries, particularly the Soviet Union. How has the world coped with this situation? Fortunately, there are sufficient supplies available to meet the deficit. But the sheer magnitude of the requirements-which are 36 million ton(ne)s more than only 3 years ago-is straining transportation and handling systems to their limits. In fact some exporters have had to defer millions of tons(ne)s of shipments because of their logistic problems. For grains one must use relatively small ships-15, 20 or 30 thousand ton(ne)s; it is not like oil, for which there are tankers of half a million ton(ne)s of 300. 000 ton(ne)s each. As a result, transport is a very important matter for grains and, of course, is very costly. Today I received the visit of a Minister, who told me that his Government had been able to secure credit to import 100. 000 ton(ne)s of maize. The cost of the grains was 12 million dollars, but he told me that the cost of freight was 13. 5 million dollars, more than that of the maize! As a result, they were trying to secure an additional loan from another country, since the same country was not ready to provide credit for both the grains and the freight.
During the various meetings which I have had the privilege to hold with many ministers-on Friday alone, I had the honour to meet 23-most of them referred to the problems which their governments encountered in paying their bills for grain imports. This is becoming a very acute problem and I was therefore glad when, during the discussion he had with me, the Vice Chairman of the EEC, agreed that there was now room for many countries who have the possibility to produce more grain to do so, in order to meet the needs of developing countries. In the coming years, supply of food grains to developing countries is going to be the major problem. I have been informed that a meeting between the main suppliers, the USA, Canada, Argentina and Australia, is taking place now in Argentina, to discuss this problem, and I hope that it will come up with some positive results.
The upsurge in demand in developed countries has, moreover, caused a sharp rise in wheat prices which is hitting the developing countries twice over!It has raised the cost of their commercial imports, and it will reduce the availability of food aid whenever this is allocated in value terms. The heavy demand will also deplete reserve stocks.
Let me raise now two simple questions. Should not those developed countries which face periodic crop failures follow the example of developing countries like India, which had the foresight to set aside a national reserve of 20, 000, 000 ton(ne)s of grains? But here I must add that India is now suffering from drought. Should drought continue as at present, the whole reserve of India would be wiped out-only this year, the 20, 000, 000 ton(ne)s of grain could be used. This illustrates how much the situation is precarious. If India had to face once more the same situation next year, they would not have again the same 20 million ton(ne)s reserve. Their population is 660 million! And what may happen to world grain markets and supply next year when reserves will be low if the crops fail once again in a number of major producing areas?
Mr. Chairman, I have been following this volatile situation closely, through our early warning system, and I shall continue to do so. If the situation deteriorates I can assure the Conference that I will not hesitate to invoke the consultative provisions of the Plan of Action.
In the meantime, I believe that the grain exporting countries have three major responsibilities. First, they have a responsibility to ensure that their logistic problems do not prevent the developing countries from satisfying their import needs on reasonable terms, and without adversely affecting their economic development. Secondly, all possible steps should be taken to increase the availability of food aid, bearing in mind that the CFA has recently concluded that food aid needs are likely to grow substantially
in the 1980s. In concrete terms, I hope that all food aid donors can now announce their readiness to join in the efforts to bring into effect a new and enlarged food aid convention by 1980. Thirdly, looking ahead to 1980, exporting countries should encourage their farmers to maximize their production next season. I welcome, therefore, the action of the United States Government in lifting restrictions on the acreage planted with grains.
A further point: action is needed to offset the rise in world grain prices this year which has added about $2 billion to the import bills of developing countries, many of which face, as I said, serious foreign exchange difficulties already. This illustrates the strong need for special balance of payments support, as provided in point 3 of the Plan of Action. I have been in contact on this question with the Managing Director of the IMF, M. Jacques de Laròsière, who has agreed to place the FAO proposal before the Fund's Board later this year.
At the same time, Mr. Chairman, it is clearly necessary for developing countries to redouble their moves towards national and collective self-reliance. I welcome the recent regional initiatives taken by the ASEAN countries, by a number of the CILSS in West Africa, and also in other regions. I hope that the FAO Regional Conference next year can help to promote practical regional food security origrammes of this kind.
Finally I would like to refer to FAO's role. The Organization stands ready to provide all possible assistance to developing countries, within our limited résources, both through the regular programme and through the Special Action Programmes. It has now been agreed that the World Food Programme should. in future, give higher consideration to requests for assistance for national food reserves. Other international agencies, including the World Bank, are also showing increasing interest. I would, therefore, urge donor countries to renew their support to the FAO Food Security Assistance Scheme. Here, I have to pay tribute to the Netherlands, who have been generous in making on a continuing basis contributions to this Scheme. Without the grant from the Netherlands, the Scheme would have almost collapsed. I want also to add the name of Switzerland. Both of them have been supporting this Scheme and I want to take this opportunity to thank them. The Federal Republic of Germany is also doing a lot bilaterally in this field, and we have the same purposes.
We believe that this Scheme has served as a focal point for technical expertise, as well as for mobilizing assistance from bilateral and other sources for the high priority projects of developing of developing countries.
Mr. Chairman the time for delay and discussion is past. The time for action is now. I am only too well aware that there have been in the past many well-meaning resolutions approved and pledges made in the UN bodies which have not been effectively implemented, but have often remained pious declarations. I am sure that this Plan of Action cannot be allowed to meet the same fate. The provision of food security is too vital an issue for the millions of hungry masses in the poorer regions of the world Who are held in a precarious balance between survival and starvation.
It would be Mr. Chairman a grave failure of political will and of international cooperation if progress in world food security is hampered because some countries have not found it possible or are unwilling to play their full part in its implementation. The Plan of Action lists five vital steps towards food security. So I urge the Conference to endorse it But this endorsement must be based on a wholehearted willingness of governments to put it into action now, step by step, according to individual circumstances and responsibilities. And all developed countries must be ready to accept the special responsibility which falls on their shoulders.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic) : Thank you Mr. Director-General. I am fully confident that I am speaking on behalf of everyone in expressing our most profound gratitude and admiration to you for your brilliant introduction to the subject. This statement is an excellent starting point for our discussions and I am convinced that several of you, Ladies and Gentlemen, will certainly take into consideration what we have just heard from the Director-General in this afternoon's discussions and the following sessions. If I may make á personal remark here, I would like to single out what the Director-General told us in the latter part of his report when he said that the time for hesitation, discussion and negotiation is over and that it is high time to take action. Once again, on behalf of all of you I would like to thank the Director-General.
I now open the discussion on the item, recalling that your comments should relate to the principal document which is the Director-General's Report on the Implementation of the Plan of Action to Strengthen World Food Security. And you should also express your views on the draft resolution and on the contents of document C 70/LIM/34. I give the floor to the delegate of Colombia.
G. BULA HOYOS (Colombia): En junio pasado, cuando se presento este tema a la consideración del Consejo, la delegación de Colombia reconoció que se trataba de un esfuerzo notable de buene voluntad, dirigido este esfuerzo a contrarrestar los efectos negativos que estaban entorpeciendo el avance hacia la seguridad alimentaria mundial. Sin embargo, dijimos también, inspirados en realismo a nuestro modo de ver en ese momento, que luego resultó limitado en el tiempo, dijimos, que abrigábamos ciertas dudas acerca de la posibilidad que esta acción unilateral de la FAO pudiera superar la carencia de voluntad política que había conducido a la ruptura indeterminada de las negociaciones para lograr un acuerdo internacional sobre cereales y para elaborar un nuevo programa de ayuda alimentaria. Esto lo dijimos con la franqueza y la claridad habituales en nuestras actitudes. Pero de junio hasta hoy, han transcurrido ya casi seis meses, y los hechos demuestran que este Plan de Acción de Cinco Puntos representan en realidad un aporte constructivo y eficaz de la FAO en pos de la seguridad alimentaria mundial.
En efecto, la situación no ha cambiado, nada nuevo se ha producido en relación con el acuerdo sobre cereales ni con el Programa de Ayuda Alimentaria. Entonces, ante esos hechos ¿cual debe ser la actitud de todos los Estados Miembros de la FAO? ¿Cruzamos de brazos en actitud pasiva a esperar tranquilamente a que se regrese a una nueva crisis como la que padecimos a principios de la década presente? Dije todos los Estados Miembros de la FAO, porque si bien la falta de seguridad alimentaria mundial afecta particularmente a los países en desarrollo, no obstante los hechos que vienen acaeciendo, el Gobierno de Colombia todavía confía en el espíritu de solidaridad y en el ánimo de mutua cooperación que deben existir entre todos los Estados Miembros de la FAO sin distinción. Y cuando me refiero en particular a los países en desarrollo, en estos problemas relacionados con la agricultura y la alimentación, parece obvio que haga referencia directa a la FAO, a nuestra Organización, a la Agencia de las Naciones Unidas especializada justamente en los campos de la agricultura y la alimentación. Y nos parece aún más adecuado que los países en desarrollo al padecer esas inquietudes y al expresar esas esperanzas y esos deseos, confien en la FAO porque esta Organización, a través de un plan como éste, estádemostrando que se encuentra en condiciones de ofrecer al Tercer Mundo apoyo positivo y asistencia eficaz para lograr la seguridad alimentaria mundial.
El primer documento básico sobre este tema, el C 79/23, tiene fecha de agosto de este año, y por ello sólo queremos hacer una breve referencia a este documento para concentrarnos más bien en el Suplemento 2 que es posterior. Bastaría citar de este documento el párrafo 30, en el cual se indica la Reunión que tuvo lugar en Bangladesh con apoyo técnico de la FAO dentro de la aplicación de uno de estos cinco Puntos, Reunión que condujo a la aprobación de varios proyectos por cerca de 30 millones de dólares.
El Suplemento 2 que tiene fecha de noviembre de este año, o sea, que está completamente actualizado, demuestra que bajo la guía de estos cinco Puntos acogidos a esos principios, el grupo de países nórdicos, acompañado siempre por los Países Bajos, han confirmado su actitud constructiva en los países de América Latina se cita El Salvador, Perú y Guatemala, entre otros que, como en el nuestro, Colombia, se adelantan políticas semejantes con precios de sustentación para garantizar existencias reguladoras que aseguren rendimiento a los productores y precios razonables a los consumidores.
Se hace también alusión en este Suplemento 2 a la actitud de la Comunidad Económica Europea y nos complace que esa importante fuerza económica asista tan eficazmente a la ACP en el acuerdo renovado de la Convención de LOME y también a los países en desarrollo no asociados a esa Convención, que nos asista en estos campos tan importantes para la subsistencia de nuestras poblaciones.
Se habla también de la actitud de Hungría y de los países árabes, Arabia Saudita y los Emiratos Arabes Unidos, países árabes que con su actitud positiva en la cooperación internacional, no sólo contribuyen a la seguridad alimentaria en su propia área, sino también producen beneficios en otros sectores del mundo. En Africa se cita el caso de Tanzania, en Asia los de Tailandia y de India; Estados Unidos y Canadá igualmente marchan en buena dirección, y en Europa, la República Federal de Alemania, Austria y también Suiza. Pero nosotros quisiéramos hacer una observación particular, y por ello hemos dejado a Suiza como última referencia porque si se observa el texto de este Suplemento 2, las acciones benéficas de los países que citamos están dirigidas casi todas a suministrar mayor ayuda alimentaria mientras que en el caso de Suiza se especifica claramente que según el Gobierno de ese país, para asegurar las posibilidades de seguridad alimentaria en los países en desarrollo, es necesario aumentar las posibilidades nacionales de producción.
La delegación de Colombia desea reiterar ese concepto que ya fue expresado por el jefe de nuestra delegación en la declaración que hizo durante el debate general.
El Gobierno de Colombia considera que la seguridad alimentaria mundial no podrá seguir dependiendo del buen o del mal tiempo, de la mayor o menor ayuda alimentaria, sino de la necesidad de queen los países en desarrollo se establezcan bases estables y sólidas sobre las cuales se logre un crecimiento continuo y permanente de la producción agrícola. Por eso celebramos el carácter pragmático de las actividades de la FAO dirigido justamente a la asistencia directa y eficaz a los países en desarrollo.
Tal como aparece en el LIM/34, señor Presidente, la delegación de Colombia en asociación con los colegas de Guinea, India, Túnez, Uruguay, Zaire y Yugoslavia, hemos presentado un proyecto de Resolución que ya sufrió su curso reglamentario en el Comité de Resoluciones. En el LIM/34 podrán ver su texto, que después de haberlo redactado con nuestros colegas pensamos que era aún muy débil y que continua el mínimo en este campo; pero procedimos así con la esperanza de que este proyecto de Resoluciónpueda recibir apoyo unánime de esta Comisión y que las reservas que aún se suscitan sobre este plan puedan desaparecer.
Como podrá verse en este texto, solo nos proponemos hacer recomendaciones a los países exportadores de cereales, a los Gobiernos en general, al Comité de Políticas y Programas de Ayuda Alimentaria y, como es esencial, al Director General de la FAO para que él reciba un apoyo necesario y sustantivo de los Estados Miembros que le permitan continuar implementando los cinco Puntos de su Plan de Acción.
Sabemos que el texto no es perfecto, apenas va a iniciarse la discusión de este proyecto de Resolución, y estamos dispuestos a oir las opiniones de los demás miembros de esta Comisión y sobre el éxito definitivo que pueda tener este proyecto, confiamos que bajo su inteligente dirección, señor Presidente, esta Comisión producirá una Resolución que signifique un instrumento útil para que el Director General pueda seguir activando el cumplimiento de los cinco Puntos de este Plan de Acción y para que en realidad todas estas actividades redunden en beneficio, ρarticularmente, de los países en desarrollo Miembros de la FAO.
LE DIRECTEUR GENERAL (interprétation de l'arabe): Je me vois obligé de quitter cette salle pour revenir à mon bureau où un Ministre, chef de délégation, m’attend. Mes collègues, et en particulier le Dr. Islam, suivront vos travaux et me feront rapport de leur bonne marche. Je vous souhaite une pleine réussite, Monsieur le Président, dans la ligne de l'excellent travail que vous avez déjà effectué.
A. RENAUD (Canada): Je vous remercie de me donner l'occasion de présenter les vues du Canada sur le Plan d'Action pour la Sécurité alimentaire mondiale proposé par le Directeur général de l'OAA et adopté par le Conseil en sa 75ème session. Et je suis heureux de pouvoir le faire car, on s'en souvient sans doute, lors de ladite réunion en juin dernier, le Canada avait expliqué qu'il n'était pas encore en mesure de donner son appui au Plan d'Action.
Notre gouvernement a maintenant terminé une étude plus approfondie du projet et il me fait plaisir de vous informer que mon pays est en accord dans l'ensemble avec le Plan d'Action même s'il nous reste quelques réserves dont je vous fais part à l'instant. Le Canada reconnaît d'abord, comme vient de le dire le distingué délégué de la Colombie, que le Plan représente véritablement un pas en avant vers les objectifs de l'Engagement international de 1974 auquel il a donné son adhésion. De plus, ce Plan nous apparaît une démarche positive vers une plus grande sécurité alimentaire mondiale en l'absence d'un nouvel arrangement international sur les céréales dont les clauses économiques comporteraient des engagements formels de stockage de réserves.
Nous sommes donc en accord avec le Plan sur de nombreux points, lesquels d'ailleurs sont déjà pratique courante au Canada ou reflètent nos politiques nationales. Quelques éléments du Plan par ailleurs ne sont pas sans nous donner des inquiétudes. J'aimerais énumérer les premiers ainsi que les seconds, lesquels d'ailleurs, malgré notre désaccord, n'infirment pas notre appui donné au Plan dans son ensemble.
D'abord le Canada est bien d'avis lui aussi que tous les pays, tant importateurs qu'exportateurs, doivent prendre les mesures nécessaires pour maintenir des stocks céréaliers suffisants à leurs besoins respectifs. En tant que grand exportateur de céréales, le Canada a développé des politiques de production et de mise en marché dont le but est de satisfaire tant à nos besoins internes et d'exportation qu'à nos engagements d'aide alimentaire. Tout en acceptant de continuer à exporter des céréales à l'échelon mondial, nous nous demandons s'il n'y aurait pas lieu de partager plus équitablement le fardeau des frais de stockage à long terme. Si les pays importateurs ne prennent pas l'initiative d'assumer une plus grande responsabilité dans ce domaine, l'avenir continuera d'être menacé par le niveau instable et des stocks et des prix.
Pour ce qui est des critères applicables à la gestion et au déblocage des stocks nationaux, nous attachons beaucoup d'importance à la note au bas de la page qui indique clairement que, je cite, "les critères spécifiques peuvent varier d'un pays à l'autre, selon les règles ou principes déjà établis" et, j'ajoute, dans chaque pays. Pour nous, ceci signifie qu'en l'absence d'un accord international qui coordonnerait plus efficacement les stocks nationaux, le Canada continuera de gérer à sa façon son système afin d'assurer dans la mesure du possible un flot constant de céréales vivrières.
Sur la question des mesures spéciales destinées à aider les pays à faible revenu et à déficit alimentaire, point nfest besoin de rappeler ici les gestes posés par le Canada vis-à-vis de ces pays. Ils sont, nous le croyons, tout à fait dans la ligne d'action proposée par cette section. Nous avons cependant des difficultés avec l'item 3 du Point III invitant "le Fond Monétaire international. . . à examiner. . . la possibilité de fournir un soutien supplémentaire à la balance des paiements. . . pour aider à faire face aux coûts croissants des importations alimentaires" de ces pays. Le Canada considère qu'en tant qufinstitution monétaire, le FMI n'est pas l'organisme à qui de pareils problèmes puissent être soumis, à moins évidemment qu'il s'aggise de difficultés vis-à-vis de l'ensemble de la balance des paiements. En d'autres mots, nous sommes d'avis que le problème de financer l'importation alimentaire, surtout en cas d'urgence, relève des agences qui ont pour but d'aider en pareilles situations et non pas du FMI.
Le Canada est d'accord avec les objectifs des Arrangements spéciaux pour l'assistance à la sécurité alimentaire, comme en font foi ici encore plusieurs de nos programmes bilatéraux. Nous nous demandons toutefois jusqu'à quel point le PAM devrait faire servir ses programmes d'aide alimentaire directement à la constitution ou au maintien des stocks de réserve de pays en développement. A notre point de vue, l'assistance à la création et à l'élargissement des stocks par les pays en développement, lorsque nécessaire, devrait être fournie sur une base bilatérale. Quant au PAM, nous croyons qu'il devrait continuer de se concentrer à fournir l'aide alimentaire à des projets en voie d'exécution et à des programmes spéciaux d'alimentation.
En dernier lieu, Monsieur le Président, les mesures suggérées pour promouvoir l'autonomie collective des pays en développement nous plaisent beaucoup. Comme le rappelait la semaine dernière notre ministre de l'Agriculture, l'honorable John Wise, dans son discours à l'assemblée plénière, à la longue et avant tout, la sécurité alimentaire mondiale ne peut être fondée que sur l'amélioration du niveau de production des pays en développement eux-mêmes. Et pour y arriver, chez eux comme chez nous, les fermiers et autres producteurs doivent être les premiers à en retirer des avantages, afin d'être encouragés à produire mieux et plus. Dans cette perspective, nous nous permettons une toute petite mise en garde en ce qui concerne les "arrangements commerciaux spéciaux" suggérés au paragraphe 3 du Point V. Eu égard au débat courant sur le protectionnisme, nous ne serions pas en faveur de toute démarche, quelle qu'elle soit, qui créerait de nouvelles barrières commerciales discriminatoires. Elles ne feraient qu'ajouter aux contorsions des marchés mondiaux, à l'instabilité du commerce et, éventuellement, à l'augmentation des coûts tant pour les exportateurs que pour les importateurs.
En conclusion, Monsieur le Président, nous tenons à assurer la Conférence de la coopération du Canada dans l'application du Plan d'Action et nous espérons, encore une fois, que ce sera un pas de plus vers la sécurité alimentaire mondiale tant souhaitée. Je vous remercie.
J. R. COOPER Jr. (Liberia): The situation has acquired a state of urgency and a need for total commitment on the part of all countries to avoid a recurrence of the 1972-73 world food crisis. My delegation endorses the Director-General's five-point Plan of Action and, as a matter of expediancy, urges that the food aid in the International Emergency Food Reserve targets be met. Notwithstanding, the food aid in the International Emergency Food Reserve current targets should be considered with a view to upward adjustments due to current and anticipated increased demand. Conference document C 79/24, Agriculture: Toward 2000, indicates a projected food aid target of 32 million tons on a trend basis and 20 million tons on a normative annually up to 1990.
The Liberian delegation also endorses the proposal that the International Monetary Fund should provide additional balance-of-payments support for meeting the rise in food import bills of low-income deficit countries in the event of domestic food shortages and rising import prices.
We support the negotiation of a Food Aid Convention separate from the Wheat Trade Convention.
Due to the importance of rice in the diet of Asian and African countries and its apparent greater food insecurity, since only about 5 percent of world rice production is traded on the world market, we recommend that rice be included in the international grains arrangements.
Liberia is a subscriber to International Undertaking on World Food Security and has adopted and is implementing national stock policies. However, these policies have to include imported grain, since Liberia is still a net importer of rice, her main staple.
Liberia received a Food Security Mission from FAO which prepared proposals in the areas of marketing, including strengthening of the Ministry of Agriculture's Marketing Division and additional storage and processing facilities for rice, and the establishment of a crop-forecasting unit within our Statistics Division. We anticipate funding for these projects in consonance with our efforts to improve food security measures.
Liberia is a recipient of FAO's Action Programme for Prevention of Food Losses in the area of rice; she is also a recipient of the World Food Programme.
World food security is hollow without increasing food production capacities in developing countries in order to attain self-sufficiency. This statement takes due cognizance of the realities, that not all developing countries can be self-sufficient in food production. However, recent trends, where surplus food grains are concentrated in only a few developed countries, have increased the risks of food insecurity, and hence the imperative need for developing countries to become self-sufficient.
In the short run, the FAO's Action Programme for Prevention of Food Losses has the greatest potential for immediate substantial gains in increasing food availability. Therefore, we strongly recommend that support to this Programme should be substantially increased. Concurrently, this Programme should be implemented with measures to increase food production by increasing production capabilities within the context of national food sector strategy plans. The approach to using food sector strategy plans was advanced for a number of reasons.
Firstly, the complexity of food production, taking into account problems of production, incentives to increase food production, institutional problems of land tenure and research, sociological problems of farmers' response and acceptance, and physical infrastructure development relating to access roads, transportation, storage and processing facilities must be borne in mind.
Past attempts to pursue increased food production without taking into account all of these factors in terms of their complexity and inter-relationship have not met with success.
Secondly, the sector strategy should embrace a multi-faced approach to food production, distribution, nutrition and investment. This strategy should ensure that food is made available to the very poor and needy, especially to children.
Thirdly, the sector strategy should alert national policy makers to the resource requirements and commitment to the task. Also, bilateral and multilateral donors will be equally informed so that they can more rationally programme their areas of cooperation.
Within this context, the Liberian delegation views the preparation of national food sector strategy plans. However, we hasten to emphasize that the preparation of national food sector strategy plans should not be a precondition to aid.
It is no mere accident, but a deliberate attempt, fostered over a number of decades, which has resulted in the poor performance of food production in developing countries and stagnation in the African region. This Condition has been precipitated by the emphasis placed on export crops at the expense of food crops, by which developing countries were forced to produce the former. Research, extension, markets, credit and prices were all geared towards export crops. Unfortunately, these conditions still persist today.
In addition, multilateral and even bilateral donors are orientated in their appraisal of projects to finance only those projects which are financially and economically viable, which means that the rate of return of the projects should not drop below a certain level. As a result, a number of food production projects were excluded.
Now, the imperative need is increased availability of food, and not whether projects have a certain rate of return. The decision is: food, or salvation.
In closing, we recommend the following:
(1) donnors restructure their policies and priorities in favour of food production projects;
(2) nationals of developing countries be trained in project analysis in order to increase the preparation of food production projects for financing, if possible, within the context of national food sector strategy plans;
(3) more nationals be trained for implementation of food production projects.
LIN GAN (China) (interpretation from Chinese): Having heard the important speech which was made personally by the Director-General, Mr. Saouma, to this agenda item, we cannot but express our concern at the present situation of world food security, particularly at the acute food shortages in some developing
countries. At the 75th Session of the Council, we stated our views on the Plan of Action of World Food Security proposed by the Director-General. The Director-General has now made further proposals for action aimed at the implementation of the Plan.
A few days ago the Head of my Delegation spoke at the Plenary Session on how China manages to feed her nine hundred million-odd people. I shall not repeat what he said, but merely add a few remarks on the question of world food security, from our own experience. We consider that the factors which affect world food security are complex, involving economic and natural conditions, as well as social and political aspects. A solution will require, first, the efforts of individual governments, and secondly, consultation between countries. It stands to reason, therefore, that consideration should proceed from each country's specific circumstances, with careful study in the light of the related factors, and appropriate measures should be adopted suited to each country's characteristics and needs. So far as economic factors are concerned, the national policies of a given country on food production, reserves, distribution and consumption, are inter-related and inter-active. None of them should be over-emphasized at the expense of others.
Naturally, it is highly desirable to pursue a policy on food consumption which benefits the entire population and ensures rational distribution and utilization. However, it is commonly acknowledged that the problem of production has the most important and universal relevance to the majority of developing countries, as production provides the groundwork. So, only with increased food production can a nation ensure improved consumption for its population and further development of trade and the setting up of reserves.
In order to speed up food production, in the light of specific circumstances in developing countries, favourable conditions created by the international community are indispensable, in addition to the efforts made by the developing countries themselves.
With regard to the establishment of food reserves, we hold that all countries where conditions permit should take active measures to establish and replenish food reserves at national and local levels. Tne more food reserves one country has, the greater the guarantee for domestic food security; likewise, the more countries having food reserves, the greater will be world food security. International food reserves are supplementary to those of each country. The countries concerned should take part in consultations if they regard it as feasible, and establish such internationally held reserves on the basis of mutual benefit and joint management. It is certainly necessary for the international community to take measures to assist low-income, food-deficit countries, to meet their import requirements and emergency needs.
Third World Countries deserve sympathy and support when they try to strengthen their food security by adopting ways and means which they deem appropriate in accordance with their specific circumstances. Necessary assistance should be provided in various positive ways to help them overcome the difficulties they may encounter.
SANG-WOO PARK (Korea, Rep. of): My delegation wouldlike to heartily welcome the discussion on this important food security issue under the gloomy food and agriculture situation we are facing today. I believe that the presence of the Director-General, Mr. Edouard Saouma, until a few minutes ago, reflects his keen interest in this critical problem, which was shown to be true in his introduction. I am very pleased and honoured to have had him here today explaining the vigorous FAO challenge to this matter.
We have the dilemma of a rapid increase in population and a slow increase in food production on a global basis, resulting in the possible continuation of hunger and malnutrition in some parts of the world. Many of us doubt whether we shall have a real increase of food production per person in the future.
On looking into the analysis of the world food and agriculture status in 1979, discussed in the first session of this Comission, our attention was drawn to several important issues. Firstly, while there has been a trend for grain stocks to increase in the world as a whole, variations in the increase in food production persist between developed and developing countries. Secondly, while the food stock is concentrated in a certain continent, many importing countries are suffering from increasing food import demand and the burden of foreign currency payments. Thirdly, no concrete internationally coordinated reserve food stock system is in operation. Furthermore, the world cereal stocks in 1979-80 are likely to fall below the minimum safe level for world food security.
Under these circumstances my delegation regards the Five-Point Plan of Action on World Food Security, proposed by the Director-General of FAO, as timely. Therefore, as stated by the Head of the delegation of Korea in the Plenary, we fully support it.
The Goverement of the Republic of Korea has already subsribed to the undertaking and has adopted national cereal stock policies. It has already achieved its target of stockpiling 1. 1 million tons of staple food grains, or the equivalent to a quantity of two months' national consumption. The operation and management of the national stocks are guaranteed by national regulations and subject to the criteria of the undertakings. According to the Korean experience, food stockpiling can be achieved by increased production, a price support policy, storage facilities, etc. Actually, as a developing country, it is very difficult for it to take all the burden on its shoulders alone. It needs cooperation and assistance in many areas.
The crucial problem of food security in many developing countries is financial capital which is required for investment in production, storage, transportation, importation and other areas. In this regard special measures to assist low income food-deficit countries to meet current import requirements are badly needed. Special measures for food security assistance also have special meaning.
Therefore the Korean delegation would like to support the draft resolution on World Food Security shown in document C 79/LIM/34.
Finally, I would like to reiterate the point which the Head of the Korean delegation made in the Plenary:
"Despite our sustained efforts so far to establish the world food security system, I regret to point out that we have not yet been able to take proper actions to materialize the recommendation of the World Food Conference in 1974 on the International Undertaking on World Food Security, and that we have failed to conclude a new International Grains Arrangement which was anticipated by both exporting and importing countries.
At this moment, I sincerely hope that the pending New International Grains Arrangement, with its stock and price agreement and its special provisions for importing developing countries will be resumed in the near future and be successfully concluded with mutual understanding and cooperation among the countries concerned.
We wish that all individual countries and the relevant international organizations, including FAO, will cooperate in a more tangible way for the rapid implementation of this plan. "
J. S. CAMARA (Guinée): Je voudrais tout d'abord exprimer ma profonde gratitude au Directeur général pour être venu personnellement nousprésentercette partie de notre Programme de travail. Cela est dû à l'importance même du sujet, mais je suis certain que le Dr. Islam et ses collaborateurs ne manqueront pas de nous aider dans notre approche pour parvenir à un accord sur la question qui nous est soumise. Le Directeur général a déclaré ici, et vous avez repris cette phrase vous-même, Monsieur le Président, que le temps des discussions stériles est largement dépassé. Je partage entièrement cette déclaration et j'y souscris. Certes, des efforts sont faits et continuent à l'être, mais nous sommes loin des buts à atteindre. Il est fort regrettable de constater que les faits concrets ne correspondent pas aux déclarations.
La FAO a soumis un Plan en cinq points précis, concrets, offrant de larges possibilités d'intervention aux Gouvernements. Lorsque l'on parcourt la liste des réunions des chefs d'Etat ou de Gouvernement, liste contenue dans un document qui nous est soumis, nous voyons que tous ces textes ont traité cette question. On ne peut que manifester notre inquiétude de voir ce qui reste à faire pour assurer la sécurité alimentaire et l'autonomie de chacun. La baisse de la production, le coût élevé des transports perturbent l'économie des pays en développement surtout ceux qui connaissent un déficit alimentaire et qui se trouvent de ce fait les plus gravement touchés.
Notre Conférence doit donc solliciter une reprise rapide des négociations pour un nouvel accord international sur les céréales, ainsi que la rédaction du texte de la nouvelle convention relative à l'aide alimentaire. Il faut que les gouvernements, par une sincère volonté politique, passent aux faits concrets.
Aux assises pour la Paix, qui viennent de se terminer à Paris au siège de l'Unesco, les participants ont précisé l'énorme somme con sacrée aux dépenses pour l'armement, de l'ordre de 500 milliards de dollars, soit l'équivalent du produit national brut des 75 pays les plus pauvres du monde. Le stock d' armes mondial représente 3 tonnes TNT par habitant de la planète. Le taux d'inflation en rapport direct avec le coût et la course aux armements atteint aujourd'hui un million de dollars à la minute. C'est vraiment ahurissant. Ces chiffres parlent tout seuls et soulignent une tendance fort préoccupante vers une politique de la terreur plutôt que vers une politique de développement économique, et surtout de production alimentaire et de création de conditions pour assurer à tous les pays une sécurité alimentaire, une autonomie et une indépendance. Voilà pourquoi mon. Gouvernement appuie avec la plus ferme détermination le plan du Directeur général. Ma délégation, avec six autres, présente un projet de résolution susceptible de recevoir l'appui unanime de la Conférence, donnant ainsi au Directeur général un instrument efficace en vue d'un travail fructueux pour l'Organisation et pour les gouvernements. C'est dans ce cadre que mon Gouvernement, avec ses faibles ressources et avec l'assistance de la FAO, est en train d'élaborer un plan pour sa politique de stockage et pour assurer sa sécurité alimentaire, peut-être même, dans un avenir pas très lointain, celle d'autres pays de la région, à savoir la constitution d'un stock de réserves de 10 000 tonnes et la construction de magasins et de silos pour les contenir, sans oublier la formation d'un personnel adéquat pour le controle et le suivi de ce Programme. En faisant cette politique, notre Gouvernement attache une importance particulière à son autonomie en ce qui concerne l'alimentation. Nous estimons en effet qu'en suivant le plan élaboré par le Directeur général, qui a déjà reçu l'appui de nombreux gouvernements lors du Conseil dernier, nous estimons que nous rendrons un service utile à tous les Etats Membres, comme l'a exprimé notre collègue de la Colombie. Nous vivons dans une interdépendance qui nous oblige les uns et les autres à nous préoccuper des problèmes, surtout dans le domaine de l'alimentation qui aujourd'hui revêt plus d'importance que jamais, alors que nous sommes presque en l'an 2000. Comme l'a dit M. Guernier, membre du Club de Rome, la politique alimentaire mondiale devrait tendre à doubler la production d'ici vingt ans si nous voulons éviter une famine générale qui n'épargnerait presque personne.
R: RAMPERSAID (Trinidad and Tobago): The Trinidad and Tobago delegation shares the view of the Director-General that food security is the most important subject on the agenda of this Conference. We also share the disappointment and concern expressed by the Director-General and other delegates who have spoken so far on the unsatisfactory rate of progress being made in the area of food security. We note with regret that to date the food aid target of 10 million tonnes has not yet been realized. This target was adopted at the World Food Conference in 1974. Current FAO estimates of food aid needs is in the region of 15 to 16 million tonnes. The emergency food reserve target of 500, 000 tonnes annually has also not been achieved despite the recent decision by some of the large producers to increase their contributions.
Negotiations for a new international grains agreement have not met with much success. We note with relief however statements made in the Plenary by some delegations which give rise to optimism about the conclusion of such an agreement at an early date.
Mr. Chairman, this delegation fully endorses the five-point plan of action put forward by the Director-General and hopes that the plan will receive the support and cooperation that is necessary to ensure its success. There is an obligation, moral or otherwise, on all of us to do our utmost to achieve complete relief of hunger and malnutrition among the world's poor. Mr. Chairman, feeding the world's poor can't always be a question of economics. We are each one of us, our brother's keeper.
This delegation feels that in the context of measures for increasing world food security, greater attention should be paid to increasing food production in developing countries. Such measures are now more urgently needed than ever. During the period 1970 to 1978 the average rate of growth of food production in developing market economies was about 2. 9 percent per annum which is way below the 4 percent minimum growth rate that was suggested at the World Food Conference in 1974, and even less than the average growth rate of 3 percent per annum achieved in the 1960s. Considering that the population growth rate in these countries is roughly 2. 5 percent per annum the per capita food increase is at best minimal and totally inadequate to relieve the serious problems of malnutrition. We endorse unreservedly the emphasis given by the Director-General in his five-point plan on national and collective self-reliance. We feel convinced that food security cannot become a reality unless developing countries attain a greater degree of self-sufficiency in food. This is both necessary and desirable because of (1) the psychological satisfaction that is derived from the knowledge of greater independence in so vital an area as food supply; (2) the importance of increased food production in general economic development; (3) the balance of payments problems which these countries almost chronically experience and which are aggravated by the heavy expenditure of foreign exchange in food imports; (4) the problems involved in the storage and transportation of food from the developed countries; and (5) the fact that developed countries may be fast approaching the limit of their capacity to expand food production whereas developing countries in some instances have enormous untapped resources.
But for the development of the food sectors the developing countries need not only encouragement but assistance and support. They need financial resources for the purchase of the input required for the application of modern technology and for the development of the necessary infrasture, including an appropriate institutional framework. They need assistance in the development and improvement of appropriate technology in production, harvesting, marketing and distribution. They need the assurance of access to a wider export market in which they can obtain reasonable prices for their products. In this context the Declaration of the Seven-Nation Economic Summit to which reference is made at page 7, paragraph 39 of Document C 79/23 is welcome and encouraging. It is also our hope that additional resources will be made available through the FAO regular budget, and the Technical Cooperation Programme for assisting these countries in the development and transfer of technology.
Mr. Chairman, the Trinidad and Tobago Government is giving renewed emphasis to the development of the food sector not only in our country but also in the Caribbean region. We recently presented to our Parliament a White Paper on Agriculture which presented the general policy orientation and charts the course which our agriculture will follow.
We have strengthened our institutional framework by the creation of a Food and Agriculture corporation which will have special responsibility for implementation of large-scale projects as well as for the marketing of agricultural produce. It is hoped that this body, which will be free from the normal bureaucratic procedures and constraints, will be able to operate efficiently, effectively and expeditiously.
We have created a special Food and Agriculture fund with financial appropriations which will ensure the provision of funds on a long-term basis for large-scale projects. This fund is an addition to the annual appropriations on the Capital Expenditure and Recurrent budgets which on the average account for between 10 and 15 percent of the total budgetary allocation of the country.
We have chanelled to our Agricultural Development Bank substantially increased funds for the provision of credit to farmers at highly-subsidized rates of interest. The normal interest rate is b 1/2 percent per annum which is lower than the prime rate in the commercial banking sector. In addition we have established a soft loan facility in this bank through which loans are provided at 3 percent per annum for small farmers and cooperatives for food production.
Our range of incentives to agriculture has been expanded and the rate of subsidies increased. In the context of our special programme for grain production we are at present paying to our rice farmers a guaranteed price for paddy that is almost twice the price at which rice is sold.
On the regional level we seek to cooperate and collaborate with our Caribbean brothers in promoting an integrated development of the region's agriculture. Under the Agricultural Marketing protocol of the CaricomAgreement we have accepted special arrangements for trade in agricultural commodities. We have taken the initiative in introducing the Caribbean Food Plan, details of which are currently being finalized with technical assistance provided through the UNDP and FAO.
We have created a Caribbean Integration Fund to meet our obligations arising from participation in regional projects. We are collaborating with the Governments of Guyana and St, Kitts in a joint project for production of corn and soya beans on a large scale in Guyana.
More recently, as mentioned in Document C 79/23-Sup. 2, we established a disaster relief fund to assist the less developed countries in the Caribbean to finance reconstruction after natural disasters.
Mr. Chairman, food production must always remain a major priority in economic policy. Man shall not live by bread alone but without bread he cannot live. Food security must always be a primary objective. It is ours and we shall do what ever we can to achieve it. We support the Plan of Action put forward by the Director-General of the FAO and we urge its acceptance by member countries.
HORATIO MENDS (Rapporteur from Plenary to Commission I):I will be very brief indeed. Last Friday twenty-three more Heads of Delegation attended Plenary and all the speakers enthusiastically supported the programmes and projects which the Director-General has proposed to the Conference. The major emphasis was on the follow-up of WCARRD, the Five Point Action Plan for World Food Security, and the development of integrated fishery management plans in the Exclusive Economic Zones. The developing countries made reference to slow progress in the establishment of the New International Economic Order.
In relation to the item on your agenda for discussion today, all the speakers made particular reference to the Five-Point Action Plan proposed by the Director-General for World Food Security as one of the important prerequisites for achieving their development. Only one country was cautious about the implementation of the Action Plan, and in this regard he raised two questions. In the prevailing food production situation of the world, could security be guaranteed to all countries and the groups that need food? And, second, would it be possible to implement the plan on account of the high increase in prices and in the exhorbitant freight charges?
Another country came up forcibly and suggested the Plan of Action for World Food Security should include not only those who receive food aid at present but also those who are likely to become food deficit countries in the immediate future.
The Netherlands announced their decision to contribute $2. 5 million to implement the Action Plan and urged other donors to support the programme. Many speakers stressed the need for the establishment of a food reserve centre to ensure food security in time of deficiency. In particular the head of the delegation of Malta proposed that with the removal of a military base from their territory ample storage facilities have become available for a regional food reserve centre to be established. In view of its strategic location in the Mediterranean the delegate stressed that FAO seriously consider using these facilities for the benefit of the countries in the area.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic): It may perhaps be appropriate for me to recall that there is a draft resolution that you may wish to comment upon. Speakers who have not yet expressed their views, perhaps would like to comment on the draft resolution.
P. KANGA (Angola): La délégation de la République populaire d'Angola est d'accord d'une manière générale sur les documents de travail présentés pour la discussion de ce point et en particulier le document C-79/23.
De son contenu ressortent les propositions du Directeur général en vue de l'application du Plan d'action. Nous sommes entièrement d'accord sur les mesures destinées à mettre en oeuvre de manière effective le plan d'action, néanmoins, nous aimerions apporter notre contribution pour éclairer cet important aspect et en faisant part de certaines considérations de caractère préliminaire.
La conception de la sécurité alimentaire nous paraît parfaitement claire: on prétend ici garantir à tous les peuples la base alimentaire indispensable à leur bien-être, indépendamment des conditions naturelles et spécifiques de chacun et des circonstances particulières, en particulier les calamites.
Ainsi, la sécurité alimentaire passe en premier lieu par la capacité de production de chaque pays, par la capacité de production au niveau mondial et par la formation et la gestion des excédents non consommables immédiatement. Ce sera sur ces trois points que je baserai mes commentaires.
La République populaire d'Angola proclame comme l'un de ses principes de base non seulement l'autosuffisance alimentaire traditionnelle, mais aussi l'introduction et l'expansion de nouvelles cultures alimentaires capables d'augmenter le niveau alimentaire général de nos populations. Nous pensons atteindre ces objectifs dans la mesure où leur définition est partie d'une volonté politique clairement définie par notre parti lors de son premier congrès et appliquée quotidiennement par le gouvernement.
Ces objectifs se matérialisent par la priorité donnée à l'agriculture, soit sur le plan des investissements. soit sur celui de la formation de cadres. On les concrétise sur le terrain par la réactivation croissante des fermes coloniales abandonnées et leur transformation en unités étatiques consacrées en grande partie à la production vivrière intensive, également par l'appui que nous donnons aux petits paysans, en particulier par l'allocation des machines agricoles, à l'approvisionnement en semences améliorées, fertilisants et pesticides, et, par la garantie que le paysan peut vendre ses produits à. un prix rémunérateur et ceci pour la totalité de ses excédents. Nous nous sommes aussi assignés comme objectifs à moyen terme la dynamisation des coopératives que nous considérons non seulement comme la forme la meilleure pour assurer la participation populaire dans la production et la gestion, mais également comme la voie la plus efficace pour rationaliser les efforts de l'Etat dans la répartition des moyens matériels et humains dans l'agriculture.
Finalement noe objectifs résident attesi dans l'implantation des grands projets de complexes agroindustriels en particulier dans la production des céréales, de lait et de viande de qualités variables car nous considérons que c'est là la forme la plus rapide et peut-être la plus économique de produire les aliments dont nous avons besoin. Tous ces aspects représentent le point le plus important de la sécurité alimentaire.
En premier lieu, chaque pavesane la mesure de ses possibilités, doit garantir son auto suffi sance. Plusieurs pays en voie de développement ne le font pasy bien qu'ils soient politiquement indépendante et continuent à dépendre des grands intérêts capitalistes mondiaux. Ainsi les investissements destinés à l'agriculture sont consacrés à la production de matières premières pour l'exportation et la production des denrées alimentaires est laissée à l'entière responsabilité des petits paysans. Ces derniers, limités dans la possession des terres possèdent à peine une technique complètement dépassée, d'une faible productivité et ne disposent ni de crédits, ni de l'assistance technique; dans ces conditions ils arrivent difficilement à dépasser leur niveau de survie. Et c'est ainsi que leurs excédents lancés sur le marché sont très réduits et insuffisants pour alimenter les populations urbaines toujours croissantes.
De là la nécessité de recourir au coime ree international où ils rencontrent deux difficultés.
Eh premier lieu, le problème des prix; pour importer ce dont ils ont besoin, ils doivent produire plus pour l'exportation et ceci se traduit par la détérioration des échanges entre les pays développés et les pays en voie de développement, et comme l'exportation des matières premières est toujours croissante, la capacité de l'importation des pays en voie de développement est d'autant plus limitée. C'est ce qui aggrave la situation du déficit alimentaire.
Eh deuxième lieu, outre le fait de payer des prix élevés, certains paye en voie de développement sont parfois obligée d'accepter des compromis politiques, et certains pays développés utilisent comme objet de pression politique leurs excédents alimentaires.
Nous sommes d'accord avec un système d'aide alimentaire multilatérale, telle que nous le propose la coordination de la FAO et du PAN, et nous considérons donc que l'aide alimentaire, qu'elle soit sous forme de dons ou d'achats, doit itre avant tout attribuée aux pays dont les ressources naturelles sont limitées afin de venir en aide aux calamités ou de résoudre certains problèmes d'émergence.
Dans notre pays, nous vivons deux situations sur lesquelles nous aimerions attirer l'attention de cette Commission.
D'abord la situation de nos compatriotes du sud du pays, dont les cultures sont menacées de manière permanente par des incursions, des bombardements de bandes racistes d'Afrique du Sud; en deuxième lieu des centaines de milliers de compatriotes qui se sont réfugiés dans les pays voisins, fuyant la menace de la guerre coloniale et qui reviennent massivement pour le moment. Les uns et les autres ont besoin d'une aide alimentaire.
De plus, nous avons également besoin de cette aide pour les populations qui cherchent à réactiver les grandes plantations de café et de sisal étant donné les conditions dans lesquelles elles ont été abandonnées par les colons et détruites par des actes de banditisme provoqués par les racistes sudafricain s et leurs laquais, ce qui fait qu'elles n'ont pas encore atteint un niveau de production normal·
Nous avons dit également que la sécurité alimentaire passe, en plus de la capacité de produire, d'acheter ou de recevoir, par la possibilité de l'employer au moment opportun. Nous considérons qu'un plan qui localise les excédents alimentaires auprès des grands producteurs est un plan qui a échoué dès le départ et qui permettra la répétition des points déjà signalés : spéculation et pression politique.
Noue reconnaissons que tous les pays en voie de développement ne possèdent pas encore un réseau d'infrastructures capables de garantir le stockage dans de bonnes conditions des aliments nécessaires à leur sécurité alimentaire. Nous pen son β donc qu'il est impérieux que la FAO aide ces pays dans l'établissement du réseau nécessaire et qui fonctionnera auprès d'autres organismes internationaux comme force de pression afin que ces infrastructures soient favorisées en termes de financements.
A part les commentaires que nous venons de faire, nous répétons que nous appuyons d'une manière générale le Plan d'action qui vise à assurer la sécurité alimentaire dans le monde.
De la même façon, nous soutenons tout à fait le projet de résolution C 79/LIM/34 qui répond à beaucoup de questions que nous avons également soulevées.
A. MSHHADY (Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of) (interprétâtion from Arabic): In the name of God the Merciful, Mr. Chairman, the document which has been presented to us on this subject refers to the evolution of the food situation as well as the efforts made by the area organizations, by governments, by other institutions within the framework of a common programme to ensure world food security. Government fully supports the proposals submitted by the Director-General. We have already adopted all the proposals and all these recommendations in an effort to ensure our autonomy in the field of food production. And this is because we know the need for close cooperation towards security in the developing countries, is also based upon the constant policy of making every effort to alleviate the burden of the populations of developing countries in their efforts to cover their food requirementst particularly in cases where special difficulties confront them.
Above and beyond that has been said here and elsewhere on world food security, and on the basis of the draft resolution adopted by the FAO Council at its Seventy-fifth Session in June 1979 in Rome, my Government has taken the following steps to do its share on world food security.
(i) We are adopting a long-term strategy to increase food production in our country and to create sufficient food stocks to cover a minimum period of three months, which we later intend to increase to six months.
(ii) In cooperation with the Gulf countries and with Arab and international institutions, we intend to draw up a long-term plan of action in order to guarantee food security to our region, the particularly important region of the Middle East.
(iii) We cooperate with the World Food Programme in order to offer our assistance to the developing countries, on the basis of the priorities adopted by the Programme, by participating in the Programme for an important part of its financing.
(iv) Within the framework of the forthcoming programme for the Middle East, we take part in the financing of projects to ensure the growth of food production and ensure basic commodities.
(v) Through the Saudi Development Bank we offer long-term credits on the best possible terms to developing countries.
(vi) Within the framework of the League of Arab States and the Islamic movement, we cooperate for the establishment of a long-term strategy to ensure world food security.
(vii) We have created possibilities for the storage and stocking of grains in particular for at least a six-months period and we are doing our best to increase the storage capacity. We are encouraging the private sector to participate in the effort to increase storage capacity, by longer-term credits and grants in this sector. Furthermore, the production of meat and dairy products will be encouraged by the offer of interest-free credit in order to participate in the development effort of the food industries and in the agricultural field.
We hope that all the governments of FAO member states will not fail to give their support to the Director-General’s plan to ensure world food security.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic): There are fortyMseven names on my list of speakers and in order to avoid any surprises at a later stage I will inform the Commission that we shall continue this meeting for a further half hour on our original schedule. I have even started thinking of the possibility of holding a night meeting tomorrow. This of course depends on the cooperation of delegates and the length of their interventions, particularly if they make sure that the interventions bear only on the essence of the documents submitted and particularly the draft resolution. Of course, we are very much interested in listening to statements on the efforts made by each government and each country in order to bring about world food security, but perhaps it will be possible to ensure that statements on production figures be handed to the Secretariat in writing, to be recorded by the Secretariat. That would save a considerable amount of time. We are already one session late in our programme and we have a great deal of work ahead. Of course, I am entirely in the hands of delegates for the final decision.
M. BOCOUM (Mauritanie): Il n'est jamais trop tard, Monsieur le Président, pour vous exprimer toutes nos félicitations pour votre élection au poste de Président de notre Commission. La délégation de la République islamique de Mauritanie vous assure de sa collaboration afin que nos travaux soient couronnés de succès.
Mon pays, dont lee besoins céréaliers se chiffrent à quelque 180 000 tonnes, vient d'être frappé de nouveau par une sécheresse jamais connue depuis l'existence de notre République, Une mission mixte Mauritanie, pays et organismes donateurs, chargée de l'évaluation de la situation agro-pastorale au mois d'octobre 1979, vient de déposer ses conclusions. Il faut s'attendre au maximum à une production de 25 000 tonnes de céréales. C'est ainsi plus de 150 000 tonnes de céréales que le Gouvernement mauritanien devra importer au cours de l'année 1930, soit plus de 30 millions de dollars américains que devrait prélever sur ses propres ressources le Gouvernement mauritanien s'il était amené à faire face tout seul à cette situation alimentaire, sans compter les problèmes hydrauliques et pastoraux que connaîtra le cheptel mauritanien, étant donné aussi les problèmes de devises. Il suffit de rappeler que la Mauritanie est sortie il y a quelques mois seulement de la Guerre du Sahara pour le moins ruineuse pour son économie. Nous restons confiants car, comme par le passé, nous pouvons compter sur l'aide extérieure et surtout sur le soutien traditionnel de la FAO.
En ce qui concerne plus précisément le plan d'action pour la sécurité alimentaire mondiale, la délégation mauritanienne approuve l'esprit et le contenu des documents C 79/23 et C 79/23 Supp. 2. Plie soutient les propositions qui y sont faites ainsi que le projet de résolution C 79/LIM/34 sur la sécurité alimentaire mondiale, particulièrement en son point 5.
Le Gouvernement mauritanien a créé l'Office mauritanien des céréales, instrument privilégié de la politique céréalière, chargé de la réalisation du programme de sécurité alimentaire. Ainsi, l'OMC est chargé notamment de la constitution et de la gestion des stocks de sécurité et de leur régulation, de la politique de commercialisation des stocks et d'incitation de la production par le biais de prix rémunérateurs aix paysans. Depuis 1976, la République fédérale d'Allemagne apporte une assistance soutenue et diversifiée à l'OI'C dans le cadre du programme de sécurité alimentaire.
Aussi, un programme d'infrastructure de stockage des céréales, d'une capacité de plus de 60 000 tonnes, est actuellement en voie de réalisation grâce à l'assistance de la UFA, des Pays-Bas et duPAD. Une programmation pour la constitution du stock de sécurité, actuellement inexistant, est faite sur cinq ans. Des pays et organismes donateurs sont vivement sollicités pour y participer car c'est le moyen le plus indiqué pour nous mettre à l'abri des effets répétés de la sécheresse, en attendant la réalisation des projets agricoles actuellement en préparation et en cours de négociation avec les institutions de financement dans la perspective de l’auto suffi sance alimentaire, c'est-à-dire de la sécurité alimentaire.
T. MOSKOVTTS (Malta): Since this is the first opportunity for the delegation of Malta to address the Commission I of the Conference, allow me to express to you, Mr. Chairman, our warmest congratulations on your appointment to the high post of Chairman of this particularly important Commission. We are sure that under your able guidance our work will be interesting and fruitful.
At the outset of our intervention we wish to stress that Malta is a strong supporter of the World Food Security scheme. It not only subscribed to the basic ideas of the scheme but also became one of the first member of the Committee on World Food Security. It attended all the sessions of the Committee and was always anxious to submit proposals to it, as well as to other FAO meetings, on food security problems.
In the following remarks we will give some examples of our proposals, but before doing so we wish to note that Malta fully subscribes to the Director-General's Plan of Action submitted to the Fourth Session of the Committee on Food Security and the consequently adopted relevant resolution of the Seventy-fifth Session of the Council.
We replied on 22 October last to the circular letter in which governments were asked to report on the progress they had made towards implementation of the Plan of Action. Perhaps the reply arrived late, and that is why it was not included in C 79/23-Sup. 2.
We do not wish to prolong this debate by describing the advantages and the various characteristics of the Plan after the excellent introduction by the Director-General himself and the very good working papers before us. We will not repeat most of the interesting points made by previous speakers underlining once more the great merits of the Director-General in launching this Plan as a bridge over the gap created by the interruption of the United Nations negotiations for the conclusion of a new International Grains Agreement. Furthermore, we think it is useless to stress that the idea of the creation of a coordinated system of national food reserves is not new and that with a somewhat different scope, namely, as an outlet for emergency assistance to countries which suddenly suffered natural or manmade calamities it was launched about ten or twelve years ago by the World Food Programme. Already at that time Malta suggested the setting up, instead of or in addition to the proposed coordinated system of national reserves at strategically important points, regional or sub-regional food reserves. That proposal is still our basic idea. With this in mind, we wish to limit our intervention essentially to some remarks on Section 5 of Chapter III of the Plan of Action, entitled "Collective self-reliance of developing countries". It is obvious that one of the greatest handicaps for small, and often poor, countries consists of the high cost of establishing food reserves, building storehouses for stock piling and the maintenance and handling of such stocks.
Paragraph 29 of document C 79/23 indicates that tne vVorld bank, in recognition of the urgent need to improve cereal storage and handling facilities in developing countries, includes in an increasing number of its projects investments for such facilities: ''The storage and handling component of these projects has grown from US$2 million in 1974 to US$384 million in 1978, totalling US$500 million for the five year period. '' We feel that considerable savings could be made if centrally located storage facilities could be used, and the expenses for the building of small, national food stores would be used for the purchase of foodstuffs to be stored. That our reasoning is gaining ground is shown by the fact that the ASEAN group of countries has decided to set up an ASEAN Emergency Rice Researve, totalling initially 50, 000 tons of rice, and that the Ministerial Council of the Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel is also considering the setting up of a regional food reserve for the Sahel. If our information is correct, the problem of the establishment of food reserves is also in the foreground of consideration in Arab countries, which considered an FAO feasibility study on this matter at the Second Arab Conference on Food, Science and Technology, held in March 1979 in Rijadh.
In order to promote cooperation on food security policy in the Mediterranean, the Government of Malta offered storage facilities in former military warehouses located on the island, using them for the establishment of a regional food reserve for neighbouring Mediterranean countries. Handling, transport and storage rates would be competitive, and the storage and other facilities could be converted at minimum cost. This formal offer was first made at the Fourth Session of the Committee on World Food Security in April 1979, and, as the report of the session states, ''Some other delegates suggested that this offer should receive careful examination by the countries concerned. '' The 75th Session of the Council together with the report of the Committee on World Food Security, was also informed of the offer of the Government of Malta, and expressed the hope ''that positive stepsvould be taken to implement these proposals. ''The FAO Technical Consultation on Economic Cooperation Among Developing Countries, held by FAO at the end of June, also recognized the importance and economic advantages of establishing sub-regional and regional foodstocks, and, noting the offer of the Government of Malta, felt that the facilities could be conveniently used by Mediterranean and North Africa countries, particularly since adequate transport facilities were available.
I am particularly grateful to the Rapporteur, who very kindly mentioned also that my Minister in the Plenary Session last Friday indicated that the Government of Malta still sticks to this offer.
Turning now to a more general aspect of the problem, we wish to point out that the Plan of Action adopted by most countries which have subscribed to the Undertaking onWorld Food Security, specifies that the international community should recognize the urgent need for fostering collective self-reliance of developing countries in the vital sector of food security, and that to this end they should intensify efforts to establish cooperative arrangements, including the setting up of regional reserves, and that the governments concerned should consider joint action on reserve stocks held nationally or regionally.
Further, the Plan of Action requests that concerned international financial and technical organizations, as well as the developed and other potential contributor countries, should extend all necessary support to promote the efforts of developing countries to'strengthen their culiective self-reliance. In this context, of particular significance is the proposal of several delegates at the Fourth Session of the Committee on World Food Security to establish an international fund on food security, to be allocated by the Committee on World Food Security to augment the assistance provided to developing countries for food security projects.
As you have requested, Mr. Chairman, that we should also comment on document C 79/LIM/34 which contains the Draft Proposal, we wish first of all indicate that we fully subscribe to it in spirit. Nevertheless, we would like to make some comments and additions to it.
We think that a new Point 3 should be included, to read as follows:”Invite governments which adopted the International Undertaking on World Food Security to establish national food reserves, and participate in the creation of regional or sub-regional food reserves, or in the creation of an international fund for food security. '
We would propose also the addition of a new Point 9 which would be added to the present Point 9, as follows:"Requests the Director-General to prepare drafts of contracts which would be used by countries interested in participation in the establishment of regional or sub-regional food reserves, thus facilitating cooperation among those states. ''
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic): I have great satisfaction in informing you that the delegation of Guinea-Bissau has communicated its text to us in writing and has waived its right to speak. Also, this morning I failed to mention that the delegation of India also submitted a text on forestry to us-that is to say, a declaration on the Jakarta Declaration.
I would like to hear your views on one question. What we have heard today on the item of World Food Security and the relevant Resolutions is only a beginning. A number of speakers who have taken the floor cannot really be considered a valid sample for what is to follow, but, to be certain, I would like to know whether you feel it appropriate to consider the setting up of an informal consultative group, similar to our procedure on the question of protectionism. Possibly we would not have the same reasons or motives for such a measure, but, as a proportion and to avoid hearing 52 speakers without coming to agreement at the end of the discussion, I would like to submit this idea to you so that I may have your reactions to this suggestion. I do not know whether I personally would chair this advisory committee-it depends on your attitude; if I hear no objections to this idea, without your actually expressing your views on the matter I would consider that you agree to this suggestion. I do not see any objection and I therefore declare this adopted.
RAMADHAR (India): We are considering the present item against a background of a worsening world food situation. The other day we heard the Director-General tell us that 32 countries are facing unfavourable crop conditions. Wheat and coarse grains fell by 62 million tons in 1979, and it is estimated to be 3 percent below the long-term plan. Rice production is also likely to fall by about 2 percent as compared with last year. The number of undernourished, mostly women and children, in developing countries continues to increase. At the same, time, cereal imports of developing countries are steadily rising. The import needs of developing countries are forescast to exceed 70 million tons for a second year in succession. The recent increase in grain prices would add two billion dollars to the import bill in absolute terms, and, as a proportion of the total world cereal import of the developing countries, food aid remains much less than it was in the late-1960s. Pledges for international food reserves for 1979 are still only 308, 000 tons, considerably below the end world target of 500, 000 tons of cereals.
The United Nations Negotiating Conference on a new international grains arrangement adjourned without any indication as to when it was going to be resumed. We are aware that the International Wheat Council has set up a committee to consider the issues outstanding from the United Nations Conference. The report of that committee is likely to be discussed in the next session of the International Wheat Council beginning on 26 November.
Global food security today is more precarious than it ever was before. The plan of action is more relevant than it was in June 1979 or in April 1979. The proposals outlined in paragraphs 38 to 54 of document C 79/23 therefore deserve full support and acceptance. Therefore my delegation, along with some other delegations, proposes that the draft resolution in documentC 79/LIM/34 be adopted by this Conference. I would not like to go into the draft resolution clause by clause at this stage. It is intended to focus attention sharply on measures of global food security and point to the future course of action. The various operative clauses of this draft resolution are in accordance with the International Undertaking on World Food Security, the recommendations of the World Food Council, the decisions of the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes, the Committee on Food Aid Security, food security and recommendations of our own Council and Conference.
I would therefore urge the unanimous adoption of this resolution by the Conference and I would like to join the Director-General in appealing to everyone here by saying that now there is no time for reservations but this should be done by complete unanimity.
This delegation has been encouraged by the statements made so far by various delegations and fortunately we have not heard any dissenting words. I would like to compliment the delegation of Canada, which has joined in the general consensus which prevailed earlier, and we hope in that positive spirit other delegations will also join and that complete unanimity will emerge on this draft resolution.
Before I close I would like to comment on the two points raised by the delegate of Canada. The first relates to the special measures to help importing developing countries and the desirability of asking the IMF to have a food financing facility. If we look at the terminology in the Five-Point Plan of Action, as well as in the draft resolution, the words are:
''Invites the International Monetary Fund to consider, in response to the request made by the Director-General, the feasibility of providing additional balance of payment support for meeting the rise in food import bills of low-income food-deficit countries. . . ''
This is in clause 8 of the draft resolution. This kind of facility will be made available by the IMF only when this falls within the overall terms of the functioning of IMF. So I do not see any harm in requesting the IMF to examine this; and this is the spirit of the paragraph.
At the last annual meeting of Governors of the World Bank andtheIMF held in Belgrade in October 1979 this matter came up for discussion and many of the members there raised this point.
I am referring to paragraph 50 of document C 79/23-Sup. 2 where two points were specifically raised. One was how food security programmes based on decentralized storage systems could be designed to assure adequate prices to farmers. The other was the liberalization of access to IMF financing facilities or the setting up of a special food import facility to deal with the crises created by natural calamities and rapid increase in food grain prices.
So now we find that the IMF itself is very much seized with this issue and therefore there should be no harm in asking the IMF to consider this.
The other point made by the delegate of Canada related to the use of food aid for food security. It will be recalled that this item was considered at the Eighth Session of the CFA, which decided that without prejudice to priorities of the food aid as decided earlier, food aid should continue to be given for assisting the developing countries in building food reserves. I think that these two points which are very important should be allowed to remain there.
Mr. Chairman, you have just suggested the constitution of an informal consultative group. This is an excellent idea, but so far we have heard unanimous support for the draft resolution and we have not heard any differences of opinion about the different clauses of it. An informal consultative group is definitely desirable. But I think we have to listen to other delegations also and if you feel there is complete unanimity on this resolution, as there has been so far, probably this kind of consultative group may be redundant.
G. DUCOMMUN (Suisse): L'attitude des autorités suisses à l'égard de la sécurité alimentaire est exposée aux paragraphes 23 à 25. du document C 79/23 Supp. 2 et elle restevalable à ce jour. Vous pouvez donc vous y référer pour plus d'informations.
Dans sa déclaration générale, notre chef de délégation a rappelé quels sont à nos yeux les piliers de la sécurité alimentaire nationale. Premièrement, la mise en place d'un potentiel de production agricole national permettant en cas de besoin d'assurer l'auto-approvisionnement vivrier du pays même s'il doit en résulter un coût élevé; deuxièment, une répartition des emplois rémunérés ou des terres qui assurent à chaque famille le pouvoir d'achat ou le potentiel de production indispensables à la satisfaction de ses besoins fondamentaux. Ceci est très important sans quoi la sécurité alimentaire dont nous nous préoccupons ici serait celle des favorisés et oublierait la sécurité alimentaire des pauvres; troisième point, l'existence de stocks nationaux de stabilisation des marchés dont le volume sera fonction de l'irrégularité des récoltes et dont la gestion doit garantir l'auto-financement de ces stocks. Ceci est très important aussi: la gestion saine des offices nationaux de commercialisation et de stockage des céréales. Des stocks régionaux ou internationaux pourraient utilement réduire les frais liés à l'entretien de ces réserves nationales.
Cette conception est cohérente avec la priorité que la Suisse a retenu pour sa politique de coopération au développement, à savoir le développement rural et la production agricole vivrière.
Mon Gouvernement a l'intention d'augmenter sensiblement son aide publique au développement dans les années à venir. Il poursuivra ses contributions au Programme d'assistance à la sécurité alimentaire mondiale et au programme pour la réduction des pertes alimentaires. Nous remercions le Directeur général pour les paroles aimables quil a eues à l'égard de la Suisse à ce sujet.
Pour ce qui est de l'aide alimentaire en céréales, nous estimons qu'elle est indispensable en cas de catastrophe. En revanche, l'aide alimentaire de longue haleine en tant que l'une des formes d'aide à la balance des paiements n'est pas considérée par ma délégation comme le meilleur type d'aide lorsqu'il s'agit de soulager la faim des pauvres. L'aide alimentaire pourrait s'avérer fort utile lorsqu'un pays déficitaire a élaboré et met à exécution une vigoureuse politique d'auto-approvisionnement alimentaire, aide couvrant ainsi le déficit alimentaire dans la période de transition qui précède l'auto-suffisance. Mais en l'absence de politiques fermes et intégrées concernant l'alimentation, l'emploi, la production vivrière, le stockage et la commercialisation des produits vivriers, le support de la balance des paiements par l'aide alimentaire pourrait par contre avoir des conséquences paralysantes sur les gouvernements.
J'aimerais dire aussi quelques mots sur la politique de sécurité alimentaire de la Suisse. Elle repose sur deux fondements, d'une part le maintien d'un potentiel de production agricole minimum et d'autre part des stocks vivriers stratégiques. Actuellement, notre agriculture satisfait à un peu plus de la moitié de notre consommation calorique nationale, c'est dire que nous sommes un gros importateur de vivres, le plus gros peut-être par habitant. Mais en cas de rupture des approvisionnements, nous pouvons mobiliser notre agriculture en sorte qu'elle assure l'auto-approvisionnement du pays. Ce niveau de production peut être atteint en trois ans et le déficit alimentaire de la période de transition serait couvert par les réserves stratégiques.
J'aimerais rendre attentifs les pays exportateurs sur le fait que si la Suisse réduisait notablement la protection de son agriculture, donc les obstacles tarifaires et non tarifaires aux importations de produits agricoles, elleverrait: immédiatement le restant de son agriculture s'effondrer car elle ne pourrait survivre aux prix pratiqués sur le marché mondial. Il en résulterait une agriculture au potentiel encore beaucoup plus réduit, incapable d'assurer notre sécurité alimentaire et notre indépendance nationale, donc inconciliable avec notre politique de neutralité.
C'est pour cette raison que le projet de résolution sur le commerce des produits et le protectionnisme n'est pas compatible avec notre sécurité alimentaire. Ma délégation espère que ces explications seront considérées à leur juste valeur par les pays exportateurs.
Concernant la résolution qui se trouve dans le document C 79/LIM/34, ma délégation doit exprimer les difficultés qu'elle a avec le texte qui nous est proposé. En effet, mes autorités ne pensent pas souscrire entièrement au plan d'action en cinq points proposé par le Directeur général. Ces difficultés ne portent pas sur l'ensemble du plan d'action mais sur ses exigences concernant l'aide alimentaire en céréales et sur ses exigences concernant le déblocage des stocks nationaux céréaliers en cas de situation extrêmement difficile sur le marché. La Suisse a l'intention de participer à un système international de coordination des stocks nationaux mais ceci dans le cadre d'un accord international quiélaboredes mécanismes pour le remplissage et le déblocage de ces stocks afin que le prix des céréales puisse être maintenu à un certain niveau.
A. ARRIFI (Maroc): La délégation marocaine appuie fermement les propositions du Directeur général en vue de l'application du Plan d'action concernant la sécurité alimentaire, ses propositions pour des perspectives de travail sur deux fronts, l'une à long terme qui vise l'accélération de la croissance de la production alimentaire et l'autre immédiate pour mettre sur pied le système mondial de sécurité alimentaire.
Pour ce qui concerne le premier point, je me permettrai de rappeler que la priorité donnée au secteur agricole a été formulée depuis longtemps par mon pays et l'objectif d'auto-suffisance alimentaire fait partie intégrante de notre plan de développement économique et social.
Pour ce qui concerne le programme d'action immédiate, je voudrais formuler deux observations sur quelques dispositions du Plan d'action: d'abord le stockage. Au niveau national, nous estimons qu'il est très important d'améliorer les infrastructures de stockage existantes et de décentraliser au maximum les points de stockage, notamment au niveau du producteur, c'est-à-dire le plus près possible des agriculteurs, et ce, d'autant plus que les encouragements donnés au système de coopératives facilitent la gestion d'un point décentralisé de stockage.
Deuxièmement, le critère de gestion et de déblocage des stocks. Ces critères tels que développés ne nous semblent pas assez explicites. En effet, les critères évoqués relèvent à notre sens beaucoup plus du domaine des directives générales que de celui d'un cadre normatif précis.
Troisième point, les pertes alimentaires. En ce qui concerne ce point, il est certain que ce domaine relatif aux pertes de produits revêt la plus grande importance et nous appuyons de ce fait tous les efforts de la FAO sur ce plan. Mais au moins, je voudrais attirer l'attention de l'assistance sur les points suivants : mon pays, comme certainement beaucoup d'autres pays africains connaît un fléau redoutable qui opère beaucoup de prélèvements dans les récoltes céréalières et oléagineuses qu'il s'agisse par exemple du moineau, qui pour mon pays réduit de 15 à 20 pour cent les rendements escomptés en céréales vivrières, il serait souhaitable que la FAO intervienne dans ce domaine pour contribuer à réduire l'impact néfaste du moineau. Un projet analogue relatif au criquet pèlerin sauvegarderait une grande partie des récoltes des pays de l'Afrique du Nord.
En conclusion, nous voudrions remercier le Directeur général de son exposé concis et concret, tout en en apportant notre soutien total au Plan d'action sur la sécurité alimentaire mondiale.
M. S. AL-SAYED AHMAD (Yemen Arah Republic) (interpretation from Arabic): I will be very brief so far as the point of view of my delegation is concerned. First of all, allow me to congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, on the way in which you are guiding our discussions with great wisdom and relativity. This, I am sure, will help us to produce fruitful results.
I will start with a specific comment concerning the draft resolution in document C 79/LIM/34, the (a) of paragraph 5 of this draft resolution. I wonder whether what the Plan of Action pursues is approx imately $10 million or ten million tonnes. This is my question. This goes back to 1974. If ten million tonnes is the objective, I would like to ask for the necessary correction so that this will be borne in mind. However, if what we are seeking is the programme against losses referred to in paragraph 31 in document C 79/23, if that is what we are aiming at, then the objective is 320 million, not 310 million. That is why I would like to ask those who submitted this draft resolution to bear this point in mind.
My delegation would like to express its wholehearted support for the Five-Point Plan of Action proposed by the Director-General, and wishes to support also the draft resolutions submitted by a certain number of countries. We consider what the draft resolution is suggesting is the minimum to ensure world food security. The Head of my delegation said in Plenary that he expressed concern concerning the present indications on world food aid, which has not reached 10 million tonnes. Moreover, we felt in the Director-General's declaration at the beginning of this afternoon's Session his bitterness at the very slow progress made within the Member countries which have committed themselves to going further.
We think that if food aid has not increased in the desired way during the 1970’s decade, and if this food aid in 1975/76 has amounted to 18 million tonnes, there has actually been no increase. Furthermore, the aid to developing countries in financial aid to development, in this field we notice the aid extended to these countries has actually decreased. It was 2. 79 percent in 1949· and" today it is merely 0. 22 percent according to the World Bank statistics. The aid to the development of developing countries has not reached the objective of 1 percent of the GNP of the developed countries.
I would like to remind you, also, that the question of the food security is indivisible and unique for all, as is the case for world peace, and we are wondering why some of the developed countries are not enthusiastic to support the Five-Point Plan of Action which is proposed by the Director-General and which is the minimum required in order to arrive at this food security, while the military expenses, for instance, last year, amounted to 400 billion. We notice that the increase of the military expenses in view of the present situation will add nothing to the security of these countries.
This is the reason why my delegation once again wishes to reiterate its support for this Plan of Action and the draft resolution, and requests the authors of this draft resolution to give some information concerning the aid to he extended to the developing countries to put this aid in figures for indicative purposes at least, in order to help us to face up to this challenge.
O. DIALLO (Mali): Je serai href. Tout d'abord, permettez-moi de vous féliciter de la competence avec laquelle vous dirigez nos débats. Ma délégation vous remercie de lui avoir donné la parole sur ce point important de l'ordre du jour qu'est l'application du Plan d'action pour la sécurité alimentaire mondiale.
Pays sahélien, enclavé, le problème de sécurité alimentaire préoccupe "beaucoup notre gouvernement. C'est pourquoi notre Plan de développement économique et social vise a priori l'autosuffisanee alimentaire de nos populations.
Aussi, je voudrais signaler combien est utile pour notre pays le programme d'assistance à la sécurité alimentaire de la FAO.
Ce programme nous a aidée tant sur le plan de conseils pratiquée, que sur celui des réalisations déjà effectuées. Il nous a aidée ft mobiliser des fonds pour réaliser une bonne partie de notre programme de constructions de magasins de stockage destinés principalement aux stocks de réserve que notre Ministre du développement a signalés dans sa déclaration du 16 novembre.
A notre avis, il est souhaitable que les ressources du programme d'assi et ance à la sécurité alimentaire mondiale soient augmentées afin que ce programme puisse continuer son travail essentiel.
En conséquence, nous soutiendrons fortement toutes propositions qui seront faites dans ce sens.
SUKRIYA ATMADJA (indonesia): First of all I would like to thank the Director-General for having presented the FAO Conference with his clear and concise report on the implementation of the Plan of Action on world food security.
My delegation wishes to submit a few comments and ohservations on the very useful information and suggestions contained therein. We further wish to present a "brief report on our rice programme as one of the Government measures which, to a very large extent, has contributed to the strenghening of national food security in the country.
As stated in the Director-General's report, the Council in adopting the Plan of Action on world food security expressed concern regarding the world food security situation which is believed to be no less precarious than before on the world food prices in the early seventies. My delegation fully shares these views and feelings of apprehension. While world food supplies and carry-over stocks of cereals appear to he adequate at present, and are certainly more ample than five years ago, however, one cannot but feel conoerned observing the many distressing features that accompany the seemingly rosy, but highly misleading, picture of the current world food situation.
Certain major disquieting features as identified by the Council are in particular: first, the fact that developing countries as a whole instead of succeeding in reducing their food deficit have, on the contrary, become increasingly dependent on external food supplies.
Second, the failure of the international community to arrive at a concensus on the setting-up of a new international grains arrangement, at a time when world supplies and stocks appeared to be more than adequate.
Third, the indication as brought out by FAO's Fourth World Food Survey that the number of undernourished people in the developing market economies sinoe 1969/71 has instead of declining, continued to increase to 420 million in 1974/76, and maybe to 450 million at present.
Bearing all this in mind, my delegation is in full agreement with the Director-General for having brought to our attention three critical implications of recent developments in the world grain supply/ demand situation as mentioned in paragraphs 9 to 11 in the report. We further agree with his assessment of the situation, that the international community has no alternative but to act now, and on two fronts. Long-term measures to accelerate food production growth, particularly in the developing countries, and immediate stepe to establish a World Food Security System.
Accordingly, my delegation endorses the proposals for implementation of the Plan of Action as presented by the Director-General in paragraphs 38 to 54 of hie report. The paragraphs 50 to 52 on Collective Self-Reliance correctly emphasize the important point that the key importance for attaining world food security is the stepping-up of domestic food production, particularly in developing food-deficit cotuitries, and the growing constraints they have thereby to overcome -among others because of their growing cereal import bill-it is vitally important that international assistance for agricultural development in developing countries be stepped-up so as to meet the requirements of 18. 300 million in 1975 prices as estimated by the World Food Council.
Still on this point of collective self-reliance I would like to refer to the historical agreement reached by the five Member Countries of ASEAN-Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand-to set up what they call an ASEAN Food Security Reserve, which includes the establishment of an ASEAN Rice Emergency Reserve. The size of euch an Emergency Reserve has initially been determined at 50, 000 tons. This amount as well as the contributions of each Member Country to such Emergency Reserve will be periodically reviewed, taking into account the general food situation in the ASEAN region as well as in the world. The ASEAN Food Security Reserve Board which is to supervise and coordinate the implementation of the Reserve, is soon to have its first meeting.
Mr. Chairman, allow me, briefly, to present a report on the activities we in Indonesia have undertaken to strengthen national food security.
Bearing in mind the vital importance of rice for the nation, the question of food security for our large and growing population is centered on the crucial question of adequate availability of this staple food grain. Thanks to the considerable efforts made by the Government-especially under the so-called Rice Intensification Program-rice production has increased over the last period of ten years at the annual rate of 4 percent. In spite of such progress, however, imports of rice are still necessary to meet domestic requirements-as well as to build stocks. With current imports of about 2 million tons Indonesia is, in fact, the single largest rice importing country in the world.
The main objective of the Government food policy is the assurance of adequate availabilities of rice at all times at stable prices, attractive to producers and within the reach of consumers at large. In the implementation of such a policy a National Rice Stabilization Program developed since the end of the last decade, and plays a vital role". It makes use of two basio instruments: first, a prioe mechanism and, secondly, a stock meohaniem.
A floor price of rice is determined every year, safeguarded by the Government through its domestic procurement programme. An average of half a million tons of rice is procured each year, or about 3 percent of the national crop. To prevent market prices from exceeding the ceiling-which is also determined each year-rice from the national stock is released on the open market. The size of such market operations, while basically depending on the size of the crop, has tended to increase over the years. In 1977/78 it amounted to 2 million tons, four times the amount of 10 years ago, but declined to 1. 052 million tons in the following year as a result of the 1978 bumper crop.
The national stock of rice maintained by the Government in support of the Programme is multi-purpose in character. In addition to releases on the open market-which are the most important and characteristic under the Programme-the national stock is also responsible for the regular supply of rice for the Government civilian personnel and armed services. It also makes available rice supplies in times of emergencies or calamities. Depending on the size of the crop, a minimum stock level of 300, 000 to 400, 000 tons appears to be required during the months of peak harvests, and of 700, 000 to 1, 200, 000 tons during months of scarcity.
The Government has just completed the first phase of a rice warehouse programme which includes the construction of 323 units of modern warehouses of 3, 500 tons capacity each. The second phase of the programme provides for the building of smaller storage facilities of 1, 000 tons capacity. In addition, the village cooperatives have started construction of even smaller godowns suited to conditions at village level.
Particularly since 1974/75 the National Rice Stabilization Program has in an increasing and convincing way demonstrated its capacity to ensure the adequate supply of rice, also in years of substantial production shortfall. Market prices of rice have thereby remained within the tolerable limits between floor and ceiling prices. This was true, even after the substantial devaluation of the national currency which became effective as of 15 November 1978· Bearing in mind the weight of rice in the cost of living index, the high degree in stability of rice prices must have contributed to a large extent to the overall economic stability of the whole country, which was reflected in the declining inflation rate over the year.
It can thus he stated that the National Rice Stabilization Programme as the basic tool in the implementation of the Government food policy has over the years demonstrated its positive contribution to the achievement of three highly important objectives:
Firstly, the assurance of adequate supply of rice at all times at stable prices and thus the maintenance of national food security; secondly, the assurance thereby of a fair price to the rice farmer and thus providing an important incentive for increased rice production; and thirdly, the promotion of the country's economic stability-not to speak of political stability as well.
While the greatest emphasis so far has been given to rice in the Government food production programmes, however, the objective of promoting a more diversified pattern of consumption has become an established policy of the Government in recent years, especially with the start of the Third Five Year Development Plan, 1978/79-1982/83·The aim of such a change in policy emphasis is to reduce as much as possible the country's dependence on rice, and at the same time promote expansion in the production of non-rice basic food commodities. In order to stimulate production of such commodities, the Government, for example BULOG, is to start this year procuring maize, soybean, groundnut and mun^bean from the farmers through the village cooperatives, at floor prices recently determined by the Government. It is expected that such promotion of a more diversified consumption pattern will further facilitate the attainment of national food self-sufficiency, and at the same time contribute to improvement in nutrition standards.
This is, Mr. Chairman, a brief review of the measures we have taken in Indonesia to strengthen and ensure national food security. Copies of the more detailed report have been made available by my delegation for those who may have a special interest in the matter.
Allow me to make a comment on document C 79/LΙΜ/34·First may I express my gratitude to the delegations of several countries who had the initiative to formulate a draft resolution. I am not in a position to evaluate it in more detail. I leave it to the Committee, but my position is, I fully support the document of the draft in spirit.
J. A. SANTOS OLIVEIRA (Guinée-Bissau): Au sujet du point 7 de l'ordre du jour, Plan d'action à renforcer la sécurité alimentaire mondiale, notre délégation veut, comme elle l'a déjà fait en séance plénière, appuyer fortement le programme d'action en cinq points proposé par le Directeur général.
Nous voudrions aussi soutenir le projet de résolution sur la sécurité alimentaire mondiale présenté par les délégations de la Colombie, de la Guinée, de l'Inde, de l'Uruguay, du Zai're et de la Yougoslavie.
La Guinée-Bissau est un pays qui, en conditions normales, a des possibilités de produire des aliments en quantités suffisantes pour faire face à ses besoins. Toutefois, la longue lutte pour la libération nationale, avec la destruction des faibles infrastructures de base existantes, a requis tous les efforts de production du peuple guinéen.
Après l'indépendance totale, un nouveau fléau s'est abattu sur la plupart du pays-la sécheresse.
Après la plus grande sécheresse de l'année 1977 qui nous a forcés à demander l'aide du programme de sécurité alimentaire, la sécheresse de cette année a de nouveau frappé notre pays. La diminution des pluies a été remarquable, mais c'est surtout l'irrégularité des jours de pluie qui a causé les plus graves conséquences.
A cet égard, nous sommes obligés de recourir encore une fois à l'aide du programme de sécurité alimentaire.
Monsieur le Président, nous profitons de cette occasion pour remercier de l'action menée jusqu'à présent dans notre pays par le Fonds de sécurité alimentaire, et pour donner, encore une fois, tout notre appui au plan d'action et au projet de résolution ici présentés 1/·
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabie: The last speaker for today will be the Observer for the World Wheat Council and I now call upon him.
1/ Texte reçu avec demande d'insertion au procès-verbal.
J. H. PAROTTE (Observateur pour le Conseil international du Blé): La plupart des orateurs qui sont montés à la tribune de la séance plênière, de même que ceux qui 'font précédé ici au cours de Ce débat, ont fait allusion d!une manière ou d'une autre è la mise en place d'un arrangement international comportant d'une part des engagements formels en matière de stocks de réserve et dfautre part une nouvelle convention relative à l'aide alimentaire. Depuis l'ajournement de la conférence des négociations c'est au Conseil international du Blé qu'il appartient de prendre toute nouvelle initiative en ce qui concerne la reprise de ces négociations. Il serait donc utile qu'avec votre permission je fasse le point de la situation sur les discussions qui ont eu lieu récement au sein du Conseil et qui se poursuivront dans une dizaine de jours, d'abord, au sujet de la Convention sur le commerce du blé. A sa dernière session en juin dernier, le Conseil, reconnaissant la nécessité d'aboutir aussi rapidement que possible à un nouvel accord contenant des dispositions économiques substantielles en vue de stabiliser lè marché international du blé et de contribuer à la sécurité alimentaire mondiale, décida d'établir un comité spécial afin de rechercher la solution des questions encore en suspens à l'issue de la Conférence des négociations Ce Comité spécial s'est réuni les 24 et 25 octobre derniers. Conformément à son mandat, le Comité a examiné d'abord l'évolution de la situation mondiale du blé depuis l'ajournement de la Conférence. Il a ensuite porté son attention sur les problèmes d'ordre logistique qui pourraient entraver les courants des échanges mondiaux des céréales. Il a également examiné les mesures prises dans différents pays exportateurs et importateurs pour résoudre ces difficultés. Celles-ci sont bien connues et il est inutile que je m'y attarde.
Certains délégués ont fait valoir que les problèmes logistiques ne Constituaient pas un phénomène nouveau et qu'ils seraient surmontés comme ils l'avaient été par le passé. Ils avaient le sentiment qu'il serait encore possible de reprendre les négociations au point où elles avaient été ajournées en février 1978. Selon eux aussi, aucun facteur nouveau n'était apparu qui serait susceptible de faire particulièrement obstacle à la reprise des négociations.
D'autre part, plusieurs délégués ont exprimé un point de vue différent selon lequel les perspectives pour la reprise des négociations demeuraient défavorables; elles l'étaient peut-être devenues davantage encore à la suite de l'évolution du marché au cours des derniers mois Les problèmes d'ordre logistique ci-dessus mentionnés, qui avaient fait l'objet d'une discussion assez profonde, avaient des incidences sur la reprise de la Conférence sur les basés arrêtées lorsqu'elle s'était ajournée. On estimait en outre qu'il était plus nécessaire que jamais que les pays importateurs, qu'ils soient développés ou en développement, détiennent des stocks importants susceptibles d'assurer la réalisation des objectifs de stabilité du marché et de sécurité alimentaire.
Une troisième opinion a été avancée selon laquelle la situation s'était modifiée à un tel point depuis l'ajournement de la Conférence qu'il était nécessaire d'envisager la convention sous un angle entièrement nouveau. Si une nouvelle convention avait été mise sur pied, on peut se demander si certaines de ses dispositions auraient en fait fonctionné dans le contexte de l'évolution subie par la conjoncture.
Le problème le plus important n'est pas seulement celui de la mise en place d'un système ou d'un mécanisme de stockage, mais bien celui des besoins d'importation des pays en développement qui' s'accroissent de jour en jour. Les achats de céréales de la plupart de ces pays en développement sont souvent limités par des impératifs financiers. Il est donc nécessaire d'avoir une vue beaucoup plus large d'un nouvel accord que cela a été le cas lors de la négociation.
Quoi qu'il en soit, je peux vous assurer que les membres du Conseil international du Blé sont parfaitement conscients de l'importance de l'invitation qui leur est adressée au paragraphe 3 du projet de résolution.
En ce qui concerne la Convention relative à l'aide alimentaire, le Comité de l'aide alimentaire a tenu des consultations informelles également à la fin du mois d'octobre. A l'issue de la Conférence, au cours de laquelle une nouvelle convention a été négociée aussi bien par les pays donateurs que par les pays bénéficiaires, les nouveaux engagements des pays donateurs existants portaient sur quelque 7, 6 millions de tonnes. Depuis lors, un certain nombre de pays donateurs ont manifesté leur intention de mettre en oeuvre la nouvelle convention et leurs nouveaux engagements. Les autres pays donateurs sont en train de réexaminer leur position. Nous en saurons davantage à ce sujet lorsque le Comité de l'aide alimentaire se réunira lui aussi à la fin du mois.
On m'accuse souvent de faire preuve de trop d'optimisme; mais cette fois, j'ai de bonnes raisons d'être optimiste et de croire que le Comité pourrait se réunir à nouveau tout à fait au début de l'année, au mois de janvier par exemple, pour mettre au point la nouvelle convention qui pourrait alors entrer en vigueur le ler juillet 1980. D'ores et déjà, on peut se féliciter que l'Autriche et la Norvège participeront à la Convention. Espérons que d'ici peu de nouveaux pays donateurs viendront rejoindre les pays donateurs traditionnels.
Je voudrais suggérer aux auteurs de la résolution dont nous sommes saisis de compléter son paragraphe 6 en invitant les autres pays donateurs qui sont en mesure de le faire à se joindre à la nouvelle convention aussi rapidement que possible.
The meeting rose at 18. 10 hours
La séance est levée à 18 h 10
Se levanta la sesión a las 18. 10 horas
