GENERAL DISCUSSION (continued)
DEBAT GENERAL (suite)
DEBATE GENERAL (continuación)

- STATEMENTS BY HEADS OF DELEGATION (continued)
- DECLARATIONS DES CHEFS DE DELEGATION (suite)
- MANIFESTACIONES POR LOS JEFES DE LAS DELEGACIONES (continuación)

S. MATSUMOTO (Japan): Mr. Chairman, Mr. Director-General, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am greatly honoured to be able to represent the Japanese Government at this conference and to have this opportunity to exchange views in person with delegates from other countries. At the outset, I would like to express the hope that this conference will be productive and beneficial to all FAO members. I am sure that it will be, thanks to the outstanding knowledge and leadership of Your Excellency, Mr. Jorge RUBEN AGUADO, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Argentina, who has been unanimously elected as chairman.

I also congratulate Dr. Saouma on his re-election as Director-General. I have been deeply impressed by his activeness and his brilliant leadership toward solving the world's food problems during the past six years.We were most delighted by Dr. Saouma's visit to Japan in June for a frank exchange of views on the issues faced by FAO. We hope Dr. Saouma will use his long experience in FAO to the fullest and spare no effort for the development of FAO and world agriculture.

I would also like to extend a most cordial welcome to FAO's new members; Kingdom of Bhutan, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Kingdom of Tonga, Republic of Zimbabwe, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

I would first like to take a look at the global food and agricultural situation. The world grain market, which was generally stable in the latter half of the 1970's, has recently been fluctuating from year to year. In 1979 and 1980, abnormal weather in major grain producing countries caused production drop; in 1981, a bountiful harvest is generally predicted. In the context of these trends, fluctuations are also beginning to emerge in global trade and in prices of food and farm products.

Many developing countries with little ability to purchase food and agricultural products still suffer from chronic food shortages. Long-term forecasts presented in the FAO's report "Agriculture: Toward 2000" and elsewhere point to large undernourished populations despite very substantial production efforts. We must not allow ourselves to forget this harsh fact.

Because Japan is a major food importing country, dependent on overseas sources for nearly 70 percent of its grain requirements, our people are much more concerned about securing stable food supplies than are other industrial countries. We can therefore understand well the burning wish by food-short developing countries to increase in their production.

Japan believes that the food problem is one of the most important problems faced by mankind. We strongly emphasized the importance of advancing food production and agriculture in the developing countries at

the Cancun Summit in Mexico last month, and were supported by many other countries on this point. Japan intends, in concert with other countries, to cooperate with developing countries in their agricultural development.In this connection, there are several points that I would like to emphasize.

First, the factor that will fundamentally solve the food problems of developing countries will plainly be their own efforts. However, Japan is also aware of the need for comprehensive cooperation in funding and technology in order to complement their efforts. Such cooperation should also include food aid by the developed countries.

Second, I should like to refer to the expansion of the Japanese Official Development Assistance.

Having achieved the target of doubling its Official Development Assistance within a three-year period by 1980, Japan has set a new medium-term target for its Official Development Assistance last January, despite the severe fiscal constraints it faces.

The Government of Japan will continue to expand positively its Official Development Assistance, further endeavour to increase in the ratio of Official Development Assistance to Gross National Product and make efforts to more than double the aggregate Official Development Assistance disbursed in the latter five years of the 1970' s namely, approximately 10.7 billion dollars, in the aggregate Official Development Assistance to be disbursed in the first five years of the 1980's.

For this purpose, the Government of Japan will:

1) Aim at more than doubling the aggregate national budget related to Official Development Assistance allocated in the latter five years of the 1970's, in the first five years of the 1980's.

2) Endeavour to increase positively its official loans.

3) Respond positively to the request for capital subscription and so forth to be made by international development financial institutions.

The Government of Japan intends to continue to expand its Official Development Assistance in a positive manner on the basis of this newly set target.

In proceeding economic cooperation, the Government of Japan intends to place priorities on rural and agricultural development as well as energy development, development of human resources and development of small and medium-sized industries.

Third, if you look at the history of modernization of Japanese agriculture, you will see that we have been able, for example, to more than treble our rice yield over the past century. Japan has achieved this by development of the land and water resources, breeding of high-yielding varieties, mechanization and other technical advances. Of course, agricultural education and reform of social institutions have also contributed substantially.By reform of social institutions, I refer to Japan's postwar agricultural land reforms, in which all farmers became land owners.

A wide range of policies on the part of both central and local governments have also encouraged the modernization of Japanese farming.Such policies have included financial aid for the promotion of agriculture and price stabilization systems for farm products.

The scale of Japanese farming operations is minute compared with that of the advanced agricultural countries. Moreover, unlike that of the west, farming is mainly paddy field cultivation. Japan's historical experience in agricultural modernization over the last hundred years can provide useful examples in solving the food and agricultural problems of developing countries, with similar farming environments.

Now I would like to say a few words about forestry. Attention has been given in recent years to conservation, afforestation, and effective utilization of tropical forests in regard to resource utilization and environment conservation. These tropical forests are widely distributed in the developing countries.

Forest resources are not formed overnight. The depletion of forests, moreover, destroys not only timber resources as fuel and industrial wood but also the natural environment.It also has an immense impact on agricultural production and local communities.

The urgency of conserving and reforestation of tropical forests was stressed at the 17th International Union of Forestry Research Organizations' World Congress, which was held just recently in Japan with

the participation of 1,500 forestry experts from 73 countries.

Japan has cooperated in the past in the conservation and afforestation of the world's forests. FAO, for its part, is one of the world's largest bodies which possess technical expertise in the field of tropical forests.Japan hopes that FAO will intensify its activities toward developing techniques of conserving and reforesting tropical forests and that it will play a guiding role both in agricultural development and in contributing to the lives and well-being of rural communities in the developing countries.

Japan supports the FAO's efforts to work actively for fisheries development in developing countries. As the world's largest fishing nation, Japan is actively cooperating in the development of their fisheries, using the technology which Japan has built up so far.Our country intends to continue to maintain this policy of cooperation in the field of fisheries.

The fisheries play an important role of solving the world food problem in that they make possible efficient use of marine protein resources.In Japan's case, marine products provide about 50 percent of the country's animal protein intake. Therefore Japan has a vital interest in the effective conservation and utilization of oceanic life resources including marine mammals.

Japan hopes that coastal countries will cooperate with pelagic fishing nations to ensure both the conservation and efficient utilization of fisheries resources within their 200-mile zones.I trust FAO will play an active role in this regard.

I would like to comment now on some of the main agenda Items.

First, concerning the Plan of Action on Wordl Food Security:

I see as a positive step the agreement reached by the Committee en World Food Security concerning the items to be studied in case of an acute and large-scale food shortage.This agreement gives assistance to the Plan of Action on World Food Security.

I believe that the most important guarantee of world food security is for countries to espouse independent stock policies along the lines of the International Undertaking on World Food Security adopted by the 64th Council in 1974.Japan has established the national stock policy and stock targets noted in the Plan of Action on World Food Security and is now implementing this policy in line with those targets.

The second item I wish to touch on is the International Development Strategy for the 3rd United Nations Development Decade adopted by the 35th General Assembly last year. The strategy indicates the cooperative relationships and goals that the international community should take to promote agricultural development in the developing countries.It also seeks to expand their agricultural production and balanced development of international economy.Japan regards the International Development Strategy as being significant in that it establishes the basic framework for international cooperation in the 1980’s.

The third item is energy in agriculture and rural development.Soaring oil prices have had a huge impact on agriculture.The need to secure energy in rural areas of developing countries was stressed as an urgent task at the United Nations Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy recently held in Nairobi.

I hope that FAO will contribute to the solution of these energy problems by means of data collection analysis activities and technical assistance to developing countries in the area of energy in agricultural and rural development.

With respect to the fourth item--the follow-up to WCARRD--I welcome the progress of follow-up activities in the FAO secretariat and at the regional and national levels.

The postwar agricultural land reforms in Japan, as I noted a few minutes ago, enabled farmers to possess their own land.This greatly increased their will to produce and led to the current, level of Japanese agriculture.

I believe that it is of vital importance that developing countries solve their problems a long-term perspective on the basis of the WCARRD Declaration of Principales and its Programme of Action.

The fifth point that I wish to touch on is the Programme of Work and the Budget. As Prime Minister Suzuki stated at the Cancun Summit, Japan understands the importance of food and agriculture problems and wishes to cooperate now as before actively in this area. It is for this reason that Japan considers particularly important FAO's activities intended to make possible dealing with agricultural problems in an integrated and comprehensive manner in the United Nations' system. I consider with regard to the Budget for the Programme of Work in 1982-83 that international organization including FAO should make further efforts to increase in the effectiveness of work as undertaken in most countries.In this sense, I think it also necessary that the efficiency of FAO's activities should be always pursued and evaluated on a sustainable basis and its operating costs further reduced.

Japan appreciates highly FAO's active involvement in field projects aimed at increasing in food production and building up agriculture in developing countries. We will continue to extend our support for field projects.

The world is groping for solutions to its many intractable economic difficulties.

On October 16th, Japan held its First World Food Day, on which a number of events were staged to impress upon people the importance of the food and agricultural problems faced both by Japan and by the world. We were particularly gratified that Professor Islam of FAO Headquarters was able to participate in this event. World Food Day imbued the Japanese people with renewed determination to work atoward solutions in a spirit of interdependence and mutuality among nations.

The problems of food and agriculture cannot be solved in haste.Solutions must be reached through consistent efforts from a long-term perpective. Nor are the problems solvable by any one country alone. That is why we are gathered here to tackle together the food problem common to all mankind.

In closing, I would like to stress two things. First, this conference bears a heavy responsibility for the prosperity of mankind.Second, if we cooperate in a spirit of interdependence and mutuality, solutions to the problems of food and agriculture are not beyond our grasp.

Thank You, Mr. Chairman

G. HAIDEN (Austria)(original language-German) : On behalf of the Austrian delegation, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, and the Vice-Chairman, on your elections to these very important posts, and express my best wishes for the success of the Conference.In particular, I would like to congratulate the Director-General of FAO, Edouard Saouma, on his very impressive re-election, which shows that the active initiative which he has taken over the last few years has met with full appreciation.

I would also like to congratulate the representatives of the five countries which have been admitted as new members at the present Conference.

Over the last three years a number of very important changes have taken place in the developing countries. Over the last three decades average incomes have doubled, average life expectancy has increased from 42 years to 52 years, and the proportion of literate people has increased from 30 percent to 50 percent, and overall we can say the gap between industrialized and developing countries has been reduced with regard to life expectancy, literacy, and elementary school attendance.

A number of representatives here have pointed out that a great success has been achieved in increasing food production. Nevertheless, there is still a pitiless ratio between hunger and development in too great a number of countries, and hunger has not been overtaken.

The income of more than 750 million people is too low to protect them from hunger and malnutrition.In countries with low incomes, the population has a very much lower life expectancy than in highly developed countries.In developing countries the increase of agricultural yields is of essential importance.It is of more than essential importance, and the very first priority must be given to food production.

The study prepared by FAO on the development of agriculture called Agriculture: Toward 2000 shows that food demand is not dependent merely on the population size but also on the incomes of this population What we need is purchasing power.Therefore, it is not only a question of developing agriculture but also a question of developing infrastructure and a well adapted industry at the same time as the Development of agriculture.

World trade in agricultural commodities is increasingly conditioned by a system of high export subsidies which comes from the industrialized countries, and Austria is one of these-subsidies which are bound to have a disruptive effect on the world market. The distortionof competition due to the subsidies for agricultural commodities are a very serious barrier to free trade in the world market, in particular from the point of view of developing countries.Over the last few years the effect of the instability of the agricultural markets, such as the great fluctuations in prices, surplus situations on the one hand and very considerable shortages on the other, were to be seen most clearly.

Such a situation of instability and uncertainty creates great difficulties to all parties concerned the producers and consumers, the exporters and the importers.The uncertainty with regard to the Development of outlets and markets certainly makes it very difficult for theexporting countries to decide on the orientation of their agrarian policy.

Quite frankly, in this connexion export subsidies of the industrialized countries are expensive and disrupt the market.In this situation, it would indubitably be more reasonable in the transitional stage of persisting hunger to expand food aid progressively, and expand food export policies. However, this would require the cooperation of all industrialized countries; this would be absolutely necessary.

Austria is Darticularly interested that there should be no distortion in competition and that international agricultural markets remain sound and functional in the interests of buyers and sellers.

The precarious energy situation is more important than all the other economic aspects.It increases the dangers of new protectionism.It certainly leaves developing countries which do not have their own oil resources years back in their development, and impedes world trade and reduces economic growth in all countries.It accentuates the high degree of inflation.

The only thing that can help us will be the joint efforts which have to be undertaken first of all by the great economic powers of the world.These are tasks which are waiting for us which are not new. What is new is only the menacing dimension which might make it more difficult to find a solution for these economic tasks.

According to the United Nations, up to one-quarter of world energy requirements should be covered from new and renewable sources of energy.This is a great task for our agriculture. We have to save energy, but we must also develop new sources of energy.

Over the last few years, the problem of energy for agriculture and the production of alternative energy by agriculture has increased enormously in importance. We are therefore very glad that FAO is going to give more attention to this problem in its future work.

Austria gives its support to the Programme of Work and Budget of the Director-General for the biennium 1982-83, and we give our full support to the priorities as proposed.

Oral statements are not enough.The support for the Budget is only one, and a small step which needs to be taken.The reduced staff and the savings which are planned in a number of areas underline, the efforts made by the Director-General and his staff to increase the efficiency of FAO.

We are aware of the effect of world-wide economic recession on national, economic and monetary situations. The danger that during such a period efforts in development aid might be reduced is one that exists. This is something we have to fight against.

The crisis which exists also in the industrialized countries requires more economic aid because the deve loping countries are the ones which suffer most from such crises.

Austria has in the past and will in the future give increased support to the FAO seed programme.We believe that education and training in this area are of particular importance.Thework of FAO in the European region and particularly its importance for the regions of the world has been followed by my country very carefully and we would like to make a constructive contribution in this respect. This applies to the European Commission on Agriculture and also to the European Forestry Commission which, on invitation bythe Austrian Federal Government, is going to hold its next session in 1982 in Austria.

I believe that among the many tasks of the European region the work of the economic communications networks and their usefulness for the developing countries are of particular importance; 250 national scientific institutions, about 200 of them in European countries and 36 in non-European developing countries, and seven scientific institutions in Canada and the United States, are taking part in this activity. These networks are a very important element in internationl agricultural scientific cooperation. It is a question of giving everybody access to scientific development.It helps avoid duplication and facilitates exchange and transfer of research results to developing countries. However great the importance of the World Food Programme and however important it is to give food supplies to the various developing areas, nevertheless it is important that the developing countries should take their own initiatives in order to develop their own agriculture and their own infrastructure for agriculture.

I would like to assure you that Austria will in future also contribute constructively to the achievements of the objectives of the World Food Programme. Furthermore, Austria is ready to give its support to developing countries in their own efforts.I would like to mention that Austria is giving its active sup port to the International Emergency Food Reserve which was initiated by Dr. Saouma and we will continue to give our support in future.In this connexion I would like to say that the representative of Zambia said something to which I would like to give my full approval: it is necessary to have more multilateral work, and FAO is the only organization which can provide it. The temptation to indulge in bilateral aid is a very great one, I quite understand this, and it certainly makes things easier for the donor countries; but bilateral aid is never quite unselfish; and secondly, we must recognize that multilateral aid can be used precisely in those areas where aid is particularly necessary and it can certainly give more attention to the needs of the recipient countries. Therefore we should give increasing support to multilateral aid.

Now I would like to say something with regard to the Cancun conference. There is some pessimism; we do not wish to be euphoric but we must recognize that the Cancun conference was a new beginning, that the spirit of Cancun has given hope and that now practical measures need to be taken in order to implement this spirit.I believe that we must recognize the full importance of this very important conference. True and continuing solution of problems can only be possible through very close cooperation on a very broad basis. Austria is ready to cooperate closely with the poorest countries of the world, and in particular we would like to help wherever we have specialized experience and knowledge. We are in full support of the continuation of detente in the framework of the Conference on Security and Cooperation and, together with the neutral and non-aligned countries, very important initiatives have been taken by my country in this respect.The Austrian Federal Chancellor, Dr. Kreisky, together with the President of Mexico, Lopez Portillo, has taken on the responsibility for convening the Cancun Conference. The Austrian Federal Government has repeatedly stated that a new economic order is absolutely necessary. The enormous surplus potential of the industrialized countries must be used in order to give the developing countries the possibility of helping themselves and developing their infrastructure. This can only be done on the basis of a plan in which all the industrialized countries cooperate and in this case, it should be possible to achieve this in one or two decades.

Only if we are ready to share part of our wealth with the poorer peoples of the world will be able to make better and more complete use of the enormous productive potential of the world.

Chancellor Kreisky at the Cancun conference stressed that it was necessary to increase production in those areas where there are food shortages, to strengthen and develop the open world trade system with special regard to the export interests of the developing countries, to deal comprehensively with financial problems in order to facilitate growth of production and wealth in developing countries and to ensure energy supplies for all countries, in particular those which are now developing their industry.The representative of Austria at the North-South Conference of Cancun presented a proposed programme for the improvement of infrastructures and economic basic sectors in developing countries.

In conclusion I would like to reiterate the intention of the Austrian Federal Government to give full importance to the work of FAO and to make a constructive contribution to the efforts made by the Director General of FAO in solving worldwide problems. The elimination of hunger is the most important task facing mankind if the future is to be a happier one.

G. K. M'MBIJJIWE (Kenya): Mr. Chairman, Bwana Director-General, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, I should like to congratulate you. Mr. Chairman and Mr. Director-General on your election and assure you of my delegation's fullest co-operation and support. I should like to welcome Bhutan, Equitorial Guinea, Tonga, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Zimbabwe who have just joined the FAO.I wish them success in all their endeavours.

It is clear that the problem of the FAO is securing the greatest impact for its activities during a period of doubtful prospects for any increase in extra-budgetary funds and near zero growth in the Regular Programme. The FAO therefore has to increase the relevance, effectiveness and impact of its Regular Programme activities, search for the most cost-effective methods in development assistance in order to at least maintain, in real terms, the flow of resources for agricultural and rural development.

It will have to develop applicable approaches and concentrate on areas where technological and socioeconomic pre-conditions exist for early impact.It will have to disseminate its information to those who need it most and in this work, the FAO should co-operate with other information organizations such as the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau based in London.FAO's planning experts will also have to be trained in the art of transfering knowledge.It will have to recognise and exploit, the essential link between Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries; harmonise objectives and help harness regional, subregional and national efforts for community based, ecologically sound, and totally integrated rural development.It will have to help countries to appraise their options in resource use and development, particularly in respect of small-scale and low technology programmes.It must foster the spread of credit facilities to all sectors of the community and the development of specialised marketing advisory services. Moreover, the rapid growth in Trust Funds not withstanding, FAO's share of the UNDP allocation to Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries most not be allowed to dwindle.

In our view, therefore, the Director-General's Programme of Work and Budget for 1982-83 is sound.We agree that, first and foremost, the maximum effort must be devoted to increasing domestic food production, and particularly in Africa where the situation is far from satisfactory.In this respect there must be intensified work on crop and animal husbandry, farming systems, disease control, fishery and forestry development and the activities of women, youth and children.We welcome FAO's intention to work towards maintaining the momentun achieved in the last few years in increasing investment in agri culture. We support FAO's policy to implement the Exclusive Economic Zone Programe activities and its plan to organise a World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development in 1983.

We also endorse FAO's orientation of forestry programmes towards the improvement of productivity and management.We also agree that greater emphasis should be given to energy questions.We agree that work should continue in nutrition, support to national and international research, follow-up of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, control of tse-tse fly; desert, red and migratory locusts, prevention of food losses, support of food aid, the Food Security Assistance Scheme, the. International Fertilizer SupplyScheme, the Technical Co-operation Programme and Technical and Economic Co-operation among developing countries. We also feel that wherever the presence of an FAO Country Representative would facilitate this work, such an officer should be engaged without delay. We support the Director-General's Budgetary Proposals and reject entirely the idea of zero growth. We invite other delegations to do the same and call upon international, multilateral and bilateral donor agencies to reinforce their support for these endeavours.

The objectives of Kenya's agricultural programmes, are inter alia, alleviation of poverty, agricultural growth, improvement of "balance of payments, employment and conservation of natural resources.

In pursuance of these objectives our policies, therefore, are understandably, concerned with questions of what is produced, how it is produced, who produces it and, more important, who benefits from this production.

These policies, which are also in keeping with the recommendations of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, are, designed to ensure that our basic resources of soil, water, forestry, fisheries, rangelands and other animal life are fully utilized but at the same time not depleted.For example, while our work in fisheries has been directed at an overall expansion of the industry, there has been a conscious effort to recommend caretul cropping to prevent species eradication.In forestry, emphasis has been on conservation, expansion, even into the more arid areas, the prevention and control of fires and sound harvesting methods.

In our discussion of the Kenya situation we shall concentrate only on energy, conservation of natural resources and food security.

Kenya has no mineral source of energy and has, therefore, had to pay exorbitant and escalating charges for decreasing amounts of energy including fertilizer.Our industry and agriculture have, therefore had to suffer. We are now, therefore, very concerned about, and support programmes on, energy conservation measures, the development and promotion of new and alternative sources of energy, particularly renew able sources, including the growing of crops specifically for the purpose of providing liquid and gaseous fuel.We also support a balanced approach in the use of fertilizer and the recycling of organic material, symbiotic biological Nitrogen fixation, and a farm systems approach including multiple, mixed and other forms of cropping.

We are also concerned about our rate of population growth. We believe that the short term solution is increased food production and to do this we shall have to increase productivity in the conventional farming areas by increased use of fertilizer and other inputs and extend the frontiers of agriculture by irrigation and the employment of dryland farming techniques.

The formation of the Commission on Soil Conservation and Afforestation was actuated by these needs. Research programmes in this and other areas of interest, to us, will have to be done in a regional context because none of the countries in our region can independently support all aspects of basic and adoptive research. We believe that a regional approach would help by eliminating duplication, avoiding unnecessary mistakes and of course reducing cost.

Recent problems have necessited the development of a National Food Policy whose main elements are increasing food production and the establishment of a strategic food reserve, initially at 180 000 tonnes of maize but rising to 360 000 tonnes. This 360 000 tonnes will cost the Taxpayer $21.35 million to purchase and a further $2.3 million per annum to maintain. The elements of this Policy have been debated at all levels and fora including Parliament and the Cabinet.Grassroot people's organizations and international bodies including the FAO, World Food Council, EEC have also been involved.The operational details will be ironed out by the five Permanent Committees which have been established to cover various aspects, but it is already clear that the storage capacity of the National Cereals and Produce Board which stands at some 500 000 tonnes, will have to be doubled immediately to at least one million tonnes.Immediate attention will have to be given to the marketing system whose inadequacies tend to perpetuate subsistence as it cannot guarantee the availability of food products on the market at the right time, at the right price and in the right quantities. The financial implications of all this are obvious.Some possible solutions, apart from an immediate coffee boom, would be the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers for our products, particularly processed products, more rapid progress in International Agricultural Adjustment and the Common Fund; the free and rapid transfer of technology, meeting the targets for Official Development Assistance of 0.7 percent of GNP, Food Aid and the International Fertilizer Supply Scheme; an early conclusion of the International Wheat Agreement and common sense in the energy industry. All these would greatly improve our economic position and enable us to acquire the necessary inputs.

This, Mr. Chairman, is a brief outline of our main preoccupations.Our problems are not all self-created. We, too, have not escaped the tentacles of the new atmosphere of tension that has taken a firm grip on the world.

In this new atmosphere of crisis and tension, the world situation calls for governments to reinforce their support of food and agricultural development especially through the FAO and other concerned international organisations and, though dynamic action for increasing food production by the developing countries themselves is imperative, the gravity and urgency of the situation demands nothing less than concerted, and timely, action by international community.First and foremost, the international community must speed up the rate at which investments flow into the agriculture of developing countries. In this respect it is sad to note that the supply of fertilizer material to the International Fertilizer Supply Scheme has practically vanished.Secondly, the world must develop, for itself, a solid and reliable system of international food security. Food aid has never met the already outdated tar get of 10m tonnes per annum set by the World Food Conference in 1974; supplies to the International Emergency Food Reserve are unpredictable, although this year the target of 500 000 tonnes may be reached;the Wheat Council is getting nowhere in its negotiations and time is running out.Then the operations of the international economic order with their disparity in prices between primary products and manufactures mean that developing countries have to run faster and faster in order to get exactly nowhere.

There has to be a new spirit in the Multilateral Trade Negotiations; there must be new initiatives in the North-South dialogue; the operation of the Common Fund must be speeded up and financial institutions must adopt new and more imaginative procedures. We commend the decision of many governments to implement the Director-General's Five Point Plan of Action on World Food Security both at national levels and in conjunction with other countries in a spirit of collective self-reliance. We also welcome the recent decision by the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund enabling the Fund to extend balance payments assistance to member countries that are experiencing temporary in creases in the cost of cereal imports.

We commend particularly the Lagos Plan of Action for the Economic Development of Africa which was adopted and which we fully support. These remarks notwithstanding, it would be unfair, unjust, even improper, if I were to end this statement without mentioning briefly the many people, most of them anonymous, who have been of a great deal of assistance to us in our agricultural endeavours. The FAO and its entire staff immediately come to mind, and well-deservedly, and for obvious reasons. But there have also been the World Food Council, the UNDP, the World Bank, IMF, the EEC, IFAD, the OAU and national governments all of whom have devoted their energies towards our development.

Kenya does have a large FAO Country Programme, for example, as well as a large presence of most of the other organizations and all the countries that have been involved in our programmes. But these external efforts have been additional and supplemental to, and not instead of, our own efforts which have increased over the years.

Development expenditure has steadily increased as we have expanded our development programmes.These developments though enviable, perhaps, have created planning, manpower and logistic problems.Then, too, the activities of the public sector have stimulated desires and action in the private sector.In the absence of reliable growth models, such developments would have been difficult to forecast and, although they were welcome when they came, their funding and management required additional resources. It is against such a background that one must view our deep, and complicated, involvement bilaterally and multilaterally, with national governments, groupings of such governments and international organizations including FAO.

R. BIRENDRA SINGH (India): Mr. Chairman, Director-General Dr. Edouard Saouma, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me first to congratulate Dr. Saouma, Director-General for his re-election yesterday. His uncontested election for another term is a positive proof of the faith of the member countries in his leadership and is a guarantee for their unstinted support in the fight against starvation and malnutrition from which millions of people are suffering in the developing countries.

I would also like to congratulate the newly admitted Member Nations who have joined this family, Bhutan, Equatorial Guinea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tonga and Zimbabwe.I am sure Mr. Chairman, that the participation of these countries in the Organization would further strengthen it and promote the humanitarian cause for which it was set up.

It is a matter of great privilege and happiness for me to have this opportunity to address the 21st Session of the FAO Conference. We are meeting at a time when the world economy is not in a good shape. Problems of inflation, unemployment, energy crisis and slow growth in trade have been producing considerable strains in the last two years. Global food situation has also deteriorated, though fortunately there are indications of some improvement during 1981. In our view, these and other problems which the mankind is facing can be successfully tackled through foresight, goodwill and international cooperation.

On an occasion like this when over 140 nations of the world are meeting in this Conference let us remind ourselves of the vision of the founders of the United Nations System in general and the Food and Agriculture Organization in particular.Expansion of food and agricultural production and rural development which this Organization is seeking to promote, would help in the removal of hunger, malntrition and poverty in the world.These are among the noblest ideals for the fulfilment of which the entire international community transcending all barriers of race, religion or ideology can join hands. I hope the deliberations of this Conference will greatly influence world opinion.

In its review of the World Food and Agricultural Situation, FAO Secretariat has very competently highlighted the precarious nature of the present world food situation.Imports of cereals by developing countries are stated to have risen during the late seventies at an alarming rate of 14 percent per annum and are estimated to go up to the level of 105 million tonnes in 1981.The food aid as a proportion of cereal imports in low-income developing countries has declined from 26 percent in 1976-77 to 17 percent in 1980-81. The purchasing power of agricultural export earnings of several developing countries has declined.For some commodities such as jute and tea-as pointed out by the Director General yesterday in his illuminating address-a long-term declining trend is affecting the export earnings of the concerned developing countries.Further, nearly 500 million people, mostly in the developing countries of the world, are estimated to be seriously mal-nourished. These people cannot enjoy health and vigour and are susceptible to diseases and poverty.In a large number of developing countries staple foods particularly cereals and root crops are the principal source of energy.The proportion of animal products, oils and fats, sugar, pulses, fruits and vegetables in their diets is low.This situation is a matter of concern for all of us.

Last month, on the 16th October, 1981, we joined hands with the FAO in the celebrations of the first World Food Day.The initiative taken by Dr. Saouma, Director-General of FAO in focussing the world attention on the problem of food was fully appreciated by India, The President of India, the Prime Minister and my Ministry made all possible efforts to spread the awakening among the masses in the matter of food security at the global level. We also stressed the need for cooperation of all people in helping to solve the problems of hunger, poverty and malnutrition in all parts of the world by producing more food and avoiding waste. New coins and special stamps were also issued on this day. I am mentioning this to emphasize India's solidarity with the goals and objectives of this international organization.

Our Prime Minister, Shrimati Indira Gandhi, in her McDougall Memorial Lecture yesterday highly appreciated the work of FAO, and wholeheartedly supported its objectives. She clearly outlined our national policies in this regard. I would not like to take much time of this august assembly in giving detailed account of achievements and future plans of our country in the field of agriculture.

It is well recognized by the FAO and other international bodies that one of the important contributions which a country can make to the cause of food security is to increase its own food production and food distribution system. India with one-sixth of the world's population has made considerable progress in this direction. We have given a high priority to agriculture in our successive Five Year Plans. As a result India's foodgrains production has increased from 55 million tonnes in 1950-51 to a level of about 130 million tonnes per annum at present.

For maintaining and even improving the tempo of progress in the years to come the infrastructure for agricultural growth is being continuously expanded. The area under irrigation has been increased from about 23 million hectares in 1950 to over 52 million hectares at present. The irrigation potential created so far is even higher, at about 56 million hectares. What is more, under our current Plan, we are proposing to create additional irrigation potential of 14 million hectares in five years. The high yielding varieties of seeds, notably wheat and rice, which were introduced in the mid-sixties, presently cover about 45 million hectares of our area. The fertilizer use has risen from a level of 0.2 million tonnes of nutrients in 1960-61 to over 5.6 million tonnes of NPK during 1980-81.

Agricultural research, training and extension constitute important components of our long-term policy for development. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research is coordinating various plans and programmes bearing on research, education and extension.There are 56 all India coordinated research projects functioning through a multi-location system.In addition, we have developed 22 Agricultural Universities in different States. They combine the functions of agricultural education, research and training and deal with various problems of regional or location-specific nature. Apart from crop-oriented research, the problems of soil and water management, dry-land agriculture, agricultural engineering, post-harvest technology are being tackled by the research institutions. Research programmes in the spheres of livestock, fisheries and special problems of backward areas and weaker sections of agricultural population are also being strengthened. The extension network is also being expanded to bridge the wide gap between the existing levels of productivity and the potential achievable through the application of results of scientific research and modern technology. Anew approach known as 'Training & Visit System' has been adopted in almost all major States partly with the assistance of the World Bank and partly with our national resources.

An important component of our agricultural development strategy relates to agricultural price policy. It is our belief that increased production on millions of holdings would depend upon incentives in the form of remunerative prices for the agricultural produce.Our price policy aims at providing adequate incentive to the producers for the adoption of new technology.

It has been rightly stressed by FAO in the context of World Food Day that hunger and malnutrition are related not only to inadequacy of food supplies but also to lack of purchasing power of the poorer sections to buy food.Thispoints to the need for a massive attack on poverty, more particularly rural poverty.Increasing attention is being given to this aspect in India under the dynamic leadership of our Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, right from the beginning of the Fourth Plan in 1969-70. Special programmes were undertaken to provide assistance to the poorer sections of the population including small and marginal farmers and agricultural labourers. They are provided inter-alia with agriculturalinputs on subsidised rates and institutional credit on a preferential basis.Similarly, specific programmes were drawn up for Drought Prone Areas, desert development, hilly and tribal areas, which suffered from severe handicaps in terms of institutional support, know-how and investment capacity. The basic objectives of rural reconstruction programmes are to improve the quality of life and nutritional standards of the rural people. One of these programmes relates to Integrated Rural Development which is expected to benefit 15 million poor families during the five-year Plan period ending 1984-85. Twenty-fivepercentof total plan outlay for development has been earmarked for agriculture and irrigation.

Now, I would briefly touch upon animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries sectors which augment food supplies, strengthen the nutritional base and widen employment opportunities for a fast increasing work force in our country, which stands at 260 million people today.

In the sphere of animal husbandry, it is envisaged that the production of milk in the country will be stepped up from 30 million tonnes in 1979-80 to 38 million tonnes in 1984-85. The production of eggs and fish in the same period is to be increased by 50 percent.The programmes for animal husbandry development include cross-breeding of cattle on an extensive scale, select breeding of buffaloes, stepup in fodder development for cattle and improvements of poultry stock and increase in its numbers.

Our Prime Minister is extremely concerned about forestry, wild life conservation and ecological balance. Forestry sector is being given much greater attention now than at any time before. A Forest Conservation Act was passed in 1980 to provide that no forest land in the country will be diverted for non forestry uses unless approved by the Government of India. A massive Social Forestry Programme has been launched to augment the availability of fuel wood, fodder and timber required by the rural people and also to promote environmental protection. An area of 1.5 million hectares is proposed to be covered under Social Forestry Programme during the Sixth Five-Year Plan. Here I may say a word of appreciation for the assistance being extended by the World Bank in support of our social forestry projects.The government of India is also supporting social forestry programme in 100 selected districts with outlay of Rs.500 million.

One of the basic factors in agricultural development is the institutional framework.In India we are using cooperatives both organizationally and financially, to underpin the programme of agricultural and rural development with focus on helping the weaker sections and underdeveloped areas.

Cooperative societies have been assigned a big role in providing agricultural credit, marketing and processing of agricultural produce and setting up of sugar and fertilizer factories, construction of warehouses, etc.

It may be of interest to my friends in this august assembly to know that India has built up an extensive food management system. Among the free market economies, India has probably the largest functioning food distribution system.There are about 297 000 fair price shops functioning in the country. These shops cater to the needs of 640 million people for food and certain other essential commodities. Through these shops the people can buy under an optional rationing system, specified quantities of foodgrains at reasonable prices.It may be worth mentioning here that in 1979-80 India suffered the worst drought of the current century, which caused a production loss of over 22 million tonnes of foodgrains. Even then, India did not go in for imports of foodgrains from the other countries. During the calendar year 1980 our distribution system distributed 15 million tonnes of foodgrains.Of these, 13 million tonnes were distributed under the normal public distribution system, while 2 million tonnes were distributed under the Food-for-Work Programme. This programme provided employment opportunities as well as foodgrains at reasonable prices for the landless agricultural labourers and other rural poor affected by drought conditions. The entire supplies were arranged from the Government stocks within the country.

India is nearly self-sufficient in foodgrains now. From 1978 up till now our net imports are almost nil. We are exporting about half a million tonnes of rice annually. From 1978 till now we had not imported any wheat, but recently we have contracted an import of 1.65 million tonnes to strengthen our bufferstock.It is our constant endeavour that we produce not only sufficient quantities to meet our own growing needs of food but are also able to contribute to the food security of other developing countries. When we had comfortable stocks in 1978 and 1979 we offered food loans, partly on interest-free basis, to some of our neighbouring countries. We would feel privileged if we can play a wider role in this regard in the years to come.

Not trying to take more of your time, Sir, let me, in the end, Mr. Chairman, express my sincere thanks for the patient hearing which you have given to our country' s statement.I hope that endeavours of this conference should lead to significant progress towards the achievement of the objectives of FAO for the welfare of mankind.

Eradication of hunger is the cause dearest to all mankind and all countries large or small, rich or poor, as has been amply demonstrated by the participation and united efforts towards this end, in the FAO It is a duty enjoined upon mankind by all religions and on this occasion of our meeting in this ancient and holy city of Rome, let us rededicate ourselves to work unreservedly and wholeheartedly to make this world organization a saviour of mankind in the present-day world beset with hunger and need which have often brought disasters to the affluent and the poor alike in the past.

J.L. GARCIA FERRERO (España):Señor Presidente, señor subdirector general, señores delegados, señoras y señores: Uniendo mis palabras a las de cuantos me han precedido, quiero ante todo, reiterar mi felicitación más cordial y sincera al nuevo Presidente de este 21 período de sesiones, ministro Rubén Aguado.

Igualmente me es grato felicitar de nuevo al doctor Saouma y a la FAO por haber sido elegido como Director General para un nuevo mandato. Felicitación que se dirige en realidad a la FAO en pleno, porque merced a esta reelección mantiene en el puesto de máxima responsabilidad del Organismo a un hombre de acción, a un conocedor experto de los problemas tanto alimentarios como económicos y políticos.

Estoy seguro de que esta reelección contribuirá a que el doctor Saouma redoble sus esfuerzos y persiga con más tenacidad esos objetivos de solidaridad internacional que tanto anhelamos.

Quiero igualmente aprovechar esta ocasión para dar mi enhorabuena a los representantes y delegaciones de los nuevos Estados Miembros (Bhutan, San Vicente y Las Granadinas, Tonga y Zimbabwe) y, muy especialmente, permítaseme a la delegación de Guinea Ecuatorial, tan querida y hermanada con mi país.

Deseo asimismo felicitar a los agraciados con los premios Sen y Boerma correspondientes al año 80-81 así como dedicar una mención especial a la Primer Ministro de la India, señora Indira Gandhi que tan profunda intervención ha tenido en la disertación en memoria de Frank Dougall.

Agotado este dilatado capítulo de felicitaciones y saludos, que ciertamente son merecidos, quiero referirme a algunos aspectos concretos de los problemas más acuciantes que a todos nos afectan y que ocupan de manera muy intensa a esta Organización.

Ciertamente poco nuevo se puede decir ya sobre la situación alimentaria mundial porque si bien es verdad que nunca fue enteramente satisfactoria,no es menos cierto que en los diez últimos años los perfiles se han agravado dramáticamente por causas y circunstancias que todos conocemos y que resultan innecesarias repetir en este foro.

El desarrollo, y quisiera decirlo con letras mayúsculas como una palabra importante y sustantiva, el desarrollo venía siendo hasta los albores de la década de los 70 un concepto que encerraba dentro de símatices y significados varios. En primer lugar, encerraba un desafío particularizado para todos y cada uno de nuestros países; el desarrollo era la persecución del bienestar, de la seguridad alimentaria, de la cultura y, por qué no decirlo, de una cierta forma de felicidad; pero el concepto de desarrollo encerraba además una carga de posibilismo, de realidad al alcance de la mano, de meta próxima, lo que sin duda constituía un factor psicológico importante de cara a orientar, con más precisión, las políticas de los respectivos Gobiernos y de igual manera a esperanzar y dar un sesgo colectivo a la lucha particular y anónima de los ciudadanos.

En nuestras sociedades había un horizonte. Un horizonte a corto plazo y medio plazo, pero un horizonte visible o cuando menos sonable para los ciudadanos, un anhelo.

Pero el comienzo de los años 70 supuso una transformación brusca de las estructuras económicas, e incluso, diría, de las estructuras políticas, culturales y sociales de casi todos los países. "Transformación" por cuanto alteró profundamente los modos de vida y los procesos político-económicos en curso; "brusca" porque bruscos son los fenómenos que ocurren en meses cuando se toma la historia en su largo devenir de siglos y milenios.

Sin descender aquí y ahora a trazar un mapa geográfico de aquellas zonas más afectadas por la crisis energética, resulta evidente que los países que carecían de petróleo serían, a la postre, los más obligados al reajuste cuando la energía pasó de ser abundante y barata a cara y escasa. Las consecuencias fueron muy variadas y han sido suficientemente expuestas. Por señalar algunas, destaquemos, en general, la inestabilidad política y el desempleo creciente en muchos países y, de manera más localizada, los 20 millones de desempleados en el hemisferio norte, así como las tasas de crecimiento negativo que muchos países en desarrollo seguirán registrando, como mínimo, hasta el 85.

Hablar de desempleo y de tasas negativas de crecimiento es esconder realidades y palabras muy dramáticas, y lo que se esconde en muchas situaciones, a fin de cuentas, no es otra cosa que el hambre, la malnutrición y la inseguridad alimentaria, cuestiones estas a las que se hacía referencia muy directa con motivo de la celebración, en este mismo foro, del Primer Día Mundial de la Alimentación; pero detrás del desempleo y tasas negativas de crecimiento se esconde algo más.Se esconde el bloqueo del desarrollo, la pérdida de esos horizontes a los que antes me refería y, en pocas palabras, se pierde esa fuerza, esa motivación que tienen los hombres y los pueblos cuando saben por lo que luchan y cuando creen razonable que al final de esa lucha hallarán la recompensa buscada. En una palabra, que tiene traducción en todas las lenguas y asiento en todas las religiones, se pierde la fe.

Señor Presidente, a mi modo de ver, la gravedad del momento que vivimos, y muy especialmente del momento que viven algunos países de la tierra, reside precisamente en que es un momento defensivo, de aguante, de supervivencia. Una supervivencia en la que algunos se encuentran con abundantes recursos nuevos, otros pueden todavía administrar los que tenían y muchos se sienten maniatados porque carecen de recursos nuevos y nunca han tenido de los antiguos. ¿Qué pueden esperar estos países? Ciertamente sólo dos cosas: o un nuevo orden internacional más solidario y justo, o simplemente su permanencia en una situación difícilmente soportable.

Esta pérdida de horizontes, de objetivos, de sentido de la existencia, es, al menos así lo creo, uno de los grandes dramas que ha provocado el estancamiento del desarrollo.Incluso diría que es el peor efecto que tuvo la crisis energética y de materias primas de la década de los 70. Algunos de ustedes dirán que el peor efecto es el hambre. Yo diría que el hambre también es mala, y que lo peor es cuando el hambre y la pérdida de esperanzas van unidas.

Pues bien, y este es el objetivo de mis palabras, ambos males constituyen el doble reto que se le presenta a esta Organización que hoy integramos: de un lado está la dirección tangible, concreta, material, encaminada a contrarrestar el hambre, favoreciendo mayores tasas de autoabastecimiento o, en su defecto, un intercambio de alimentos y de ayuda de todo tipo que propicien el desarrollo estructural. Del otro lado, pero simultáneamente, está la dirección esperanzadora, más abstracta, más idealista, de la solidaridad internacional y de generar nuevos horizontes de esperanza en aquellos hombres y países que están a punto de perderlos o los han perdido ya.

La primera vertiente supone intensificar las ayudas y configurar un marco internacional más racional y justo en la línea tantas veces expuesta de crear un nuevo orden económico internacional y de asegurar una situación alimentaria mundial que, si no enteramente satisfactoria, consiga cuando menos que todos los países tengan satisfechas las necesidades básicas; en otras palabras, se trata de achicar al máximo el mapa del hambre o, al menos, de frenar lo antes posible las líneas tendenciales de su crecimiento, que son ciertamente preocupantes para los decenios que se avecinan.

La segunda dirección, como tantas veces suelo ocurrir, tiene más difícil arreglo aunque sea más fácil de exponer:se trata de cambiar el particularismo por un universalismo más generoso y el proteccionismo por la solidaridad.

Yo quiero decir, como Jefe de la Delegación de uno de los muchos países aquí representados, que la actuación de la FAO a lo largo de los años que nos separan de su creación se ha orientado de manera muy concreta y decidida en esa doble dirección antes expuesta.Incluso diría que con el paso del tiempo esta actuación se ha ido aquilatando más y, por lo tanto, haciendo más intensa en ambos sentidos.

Por ello quiero manifestar aquí mi satisfacción por algunas iniciativas muy concretas de nuestra Organización, como son el Programa de Cooperación Técnica, Plan de Acción para la Seguridad Alimentaria Mundial, el Programa Mundial de Alimentos, o el Programa Alimentario Mínimo anunciado por el Director General de la Conferencia de las Naciones Unidas sobre los países menos adelantados, celebrada en París en septiembre pasado, como hilo conductor del programa sustancial de acción presentado en dicha Conferencia.

También considero que la FAO debe intensificar más, si cabe, sus programas en materia de energías alternativas, y en este sentido es muy satisfactorio el trabajo realizado para el establecimiento de una Red de Cooperación para desarrollo de fuentes renovables de energía rural en Europa, que tendrá, sin duda, consecuencias positivas tanto para esta región como para todos los países en desarrollo.

Otro problema con visos preocupantes de cara al futuro es el de la insuficiencia de las cosechas, toda vez que en las dos ultimas campañas se han producido menos cereales de los que se consumen, lo que hace que el nivel de reservas mundiales sea del 15 por ciento del consumo, cifra peligrosamente baja si no se invirtiese la tendencia.

No menos importante me parece el programa FAO sobre las denominadas Zonas Económicas Exclusivas de pesca.La FAO debe favorecer la cooperación en materia de aprovechamiento de los recursos pesqueros mundiales. Para mi país esta cooperación resulta importantísima para alcanzar el equilibrio necesario entre las flotas con tradición pesquera y aquéllos otros países que inician ahora sus esfuerzos en capturas, procesamiento y comercialización de los recursos vivos del mar.

En este ámbito de la cooperación entre estados, la FAO debe alentar la transferencia de tecnologías pesqueras de los países industrializados a los países en desarrollo, bien en el contexto de convenios bilaterales, bien mediante la constitución de empresas conjuntas que favorezcan un desarrollo integral de la actividad pesquera, tanto extractiva como comercial, formación profesional náutico-pesquera, desarrollo de las técnicas de mercadeo, sistema de conservación y distribución, etc. De esta forma el nuevo orden jurídico de los mares se irá haciendo efectivo en beneficio de los Estados ribereños, sin perjudicar en exceso a los nacionales de estados con flotas de pesca a distancia, de manera que al mismo tiempo se contribuya a resolver el déficit alimentario mundial y se eviten desequilibrios estructurales en las flotas tradicionales.

Por otra parte, puedo destacar que mi país está contribuyendo a la consecución de estos objetivos mediante transferencia de tecnología a aquellos países ribereños con los que negocia acuerdos bilaterales de pesca. En este sentido, el gobierno está favoreciendo el desarrollo económico de los países

ribereños mediante la formación profesional naútico-pesquera, la transferencia de tecnología y la cooperación científica, bases fundamentales para el desarrollo de las pesquerías locales y próximas a la costa que también eran contempladas como objetivo prioritario en la Resolución 4/79 aprobada por la Conferencia de la FAO.

Finalmente, creo deben resaltarse los efectos de la Conferencia de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural por su transcendencia para el mundo rural. En esta dirección me parece enormemente positiva la creación en Asia y Africa de Centros que trabajarán en estos temas; y especialmente el Centro Regional de Reforma Agraria de próxima creación en América Latina, al que ofrezco desde ahora mismo la colaboración de mi país.

Ya que he aludido a algunos proyectos de FAO que desde la óptica de nuestra delegación nos parecen importantes y necesarios para conseguir esos objetivos anteriormente expuestos, me permitirán ustedes que brevemente haga algunas alusiones a la participación de mi país en dichos proyectos, no tanto para destacar y cuantificar la ayuda española a los programas de FAO, cuanto para corroborar el interés y espectación con que el gobierno español y el pueblo español, en general, siguen los esfuerzos de esta Organización y tratan, en la medida de sus posibilidades, de contribuir a que lleguen a buen término.

Desde un punto de vista institucional creo que la mejor prueba de la buena disposición española a participar activamente en las labores y trabajos de la FAO ha sido no sólo el mandato del Ministro de Agricultura y Pesca de España como Presidente del 20°período de sesiones de la Conferencia General, sino incluso la solicitud presentada para que España forme parte del Consejo de FAO en el período 1983-85.

España en el aspecto de sus contribuciones concretas ha prestado una contribución de 20 000 toneladas al Convenio de Ayuda Alimentaria y 10 000 toneladas adicionales y, por otra parte, España contribuye desde este año con 10 000 toneladas más de cereales para reserva alimentaria internacional de emergencia y 400 000 dólares USA para el actual bienio a las actividades del Programa Mundial de Alimentación.

Al margen de lo anterior, donde la cuantificación no deja de tener su importancia, quiero resaltar nuestra participación activa a las reuniones para la constitución de la antes aludida Red de Cooperación para Desarrollo de Fuentes Renovables de Energía Rural en Europa.

Señor Presidente, para terminar, quiero reiterar a todos ustedes, a sus países y a esta Organización que tan esforzadamente viene luchando por un orden económico internacional más justo, la solidaridad de mi Gobierno y de España en todos los órdenes.Una solidaridad que se concreta en esta ocasión apoyando de modo genérico el Programa de Labores y Presupuesto presentado por el Director General para el próximo bienio. Porque además estoy seguro que el Doctor Saouma, sabrá aprovechar al máximo los recursos de que disponga, para que esa solidaridad se traduzca en mejores niveles de vida para nuestros pueblos.

LASSAAD BEN OSMAN (Tunisie)(Langue originale arabe) : Monsieur le Président, permettez-moi, au début de mon intervention, de joindre ma voix à celle des autres délégations présentes et de vous féliciter pour votre élection à la présidence de la vingt-et unième session de la Conférence général de la FAO.

Permettez-moi également de présenter mes sincères félicitations à Monsieur le Directeur général, M. Edouard Saouma, pour sa réélection.Cette confiance renouvelée en sa personne et en son expérience, ainsi que sa haute compétence sont pour notre Organisation les meilleures garanties de réussite dans sa noble mission au service de la Communauté internationale.

Ce sentiment de responsabilité face à la Communauté internationale fait de la consolidation de notre Organisation la condition nécessaire à l'instauration d'un monde meilleur d'où disparaîtrait à tout jamais le spectre de la faim et de la guerre, et où régneraient bien-être, sécurité et paix.

La Tunisie,forte de sa foi dans le rôle vital et d'avant-garde joué par la FAO qui oeuvre pour accroître la production agricole et pour combler le fossé alimentaire mondial, sera toujours un membre responsable, fidèle à ses engagements auprès de l'Organisation, et contribuera aux efforts des autres Etats Membres pour réaliser les objectifs fixés par cette Organisation en mettant au service de l'humanité toutes ses possibilités.

La situation alimentaire mondiale s'est détériorée encore davantage, et le rapport du Directeur général, tout en soulignant certains aspects positifs, telsque l' augmentation de certaines récoltes, a clairement démontré que les principaux objectifs n'ont pas été atteints.C'est pourquoi la solution du problème alimentaire mondial conserve la priorité absolue pour la Communauté internationale.

En outre, le droit de l'homme à une alimentation correcte et adéquate n'a toujours pas trouvé d'écho, alors que sept années se sont écoulées depuis la reconnaissance unanime de ce droit.

Je dois en effet inclure la croissance de la production agricole dans les pays en développement, qui est lente, alors que certains pays à déficit alimentaire connaissent parfois une baisse de leur production qui entraîne des situations insoutenables et des déficits d'autant plus grands qu'il est impossible de les confronter à des proportions acceptables.

La détermination des pays en voie de développement à l'instar de la Tunisie à promouvoir leur secteur agricole et à ne plus se contenter des aides alimentaires et de l'importation de denrées alimentaires est une détermination nette et relève les défis lancés, car il importe à ces mêmes pays en premier lieu de trouver des situations adéquates à leurs problèmes alimentaires et de choisir des moyens leur permettant d'exploiter au mieux leurs ressources à l'intérieur de leurs peuples.Mais cette période difficile que traversent aujourd'hui ces pays réaffirme la nécessité de consolider la coopération internationale bilatérale et multilatérale et de poursuivre les efforts même modestes pour satisfaire les besoins de pays en développement. Pour assurer la sécurité alimentaire mondiale à la fois sur le plan national et international, il est nécessaire de définir des politiques bien nettes et adéquates pour les appliquer.C'est ainsi que l'on pourra définir certains éléments et soulever certaines questions auxquelles il faudra trouver des réponses.Dans ce domaine, les secteurs agricoles et alimentaires dans le cadre de la nouvelle stratégie pour le développement pourraient être considérés comme un bon point de départ pour une stratégie qui devrait contribuer à augmenter la production par des moyens sains et à assurer la sécurité alimentaire mondiale, les investissements agricoles, la croissance intensifiée et l'aide alimentaire ainsi axée, à relever le développement rural et l'infrastructure par des responsabilités d'accroître la production dans les pays en voie de développement qui incombe à ces mêmes pays et les résultats sont fonction des priorités du secteur agricole et de l'importance des investissements qui lui sont consacrés et des efforts déployés pour résoudre le problème alimentaire.A cet égard, permettez-moi de vous exposer un résumé des principales lignes poli-tiques tunisiennes en matière agricole qui visent à mobiliser les possibilités agricoles et alimentaires et un plan sain de développement rural. Nous avons pris soin en Tunisie d'accorder au secteur agricole une priorité absolue qui est consacrée au plan quinquennal 1982-86, Notre politique se fonde sur un certain nombre d'éléments dont voici les plus importants: assurer l'autosuffisance alimentaire, encourager l'exportation des produits agricoles, améliorer le revenu agricole' et revaloriser le domaine agricole afin de garantir l'échange de travail et réaliser l'équilibre social à l'échelle nationale. Notre plan à long terme, notre effort de développement, s'est au cours de la dernière décennie concrétisé, et a abouti à une amélioration des facultés d'investissement; notre plan consiste à mobiliser toutes nos ressources disponibles, à améliorer les moyens de production.Il serait bon que les surfaces cultivables augmentent à l'avenir; c'est pourquoi notre unique voie de salut réside dans l'amélioration de la production et la productivité d'une meilleure utilisation des eaux et des terres.Nous avons également pris en considération le besoin des demandes supplémentaires et la réduction de l'importation de denrées alimentaires.A cet égard, la somme des investissements dans ce secteur constituera 17 pour cent de l'ensemble des investissements estimés à 8 milliards de dinars tunisiens contre 13,5 pour cent au cours de la période précédente 1977-81.

De même le taux de croissance annuel a été fixé à 6 pour cent prouvant ainsi l'importance de notre pari sur le secteur agricole mais ces investissements ne sauraient suffire s'ils n'étaient accompagnés d'encouragements aux agriculteurs et à l'investissement privé dans le secteur agricole, en outre des plans d'encouragement dans le domaine de la recherche, de la formation et de la vulgarisation.On espère, grâce à toutes ces mesures, que les secteurs des produits laitiers, des viandes, des huiles et des céréales se développent de façon â leur permettre de faire face à la demande croissante.Par ailleurs, le gouvernement tunisien est déterminé â développer l'aide aux stocks céréaliers et aux produits de base. En effet, notre capacité de stocks actuelle est estimée à 500 millions et se trouvera accrue de 100 millions aux cours des deux prochaines années. En outre le gouvernement a adopté une politique encourageante des prix des produits agricoles, des céréales, des viandes et produits laitiers afin de garantir des revenus respectables aux producteurs leur permettant d'améliorer leur production.Il est certain que la sécurité alimentaire nationale exige que les prix nationaux ne soient en aucun cas inférieurs à ceux pratiqués sur les marchés et cela nous amènera à une meilleure utilisation de nos ressources, à accroître le revenu annuel du producteur agricole et à investir davantage ce qui, en définitive, réduira le volume des importations des produits de base.

Nous avons également remarqué que les structures de commercialisation subissent encore quelques lacunes. Pour ce qui est du stockage et de la réfrigération le gouvernement a jugé bon d'accorder une attention à ce domaine et on a consacré des investissements importants au stockage et à la réfrigération, à l'amélioration et à la création de centres permettant à l'agriculture de s'acheminer dans les meilleures conditions.

De plus, on a encore accordé une attention particulière à l'investissement privé, et on est en passe de créer une agence, de mettre une législation, de créer une agence pour promouvoir les investissements et fournir toutes les facilités d'encouragement à tous ceux prêts à investir dans le domaine agricole et de l'industrie alimentaire. De même, le crédit agricole va poursuivre ses efforts pour aider les agriculteurs au cours des années à venir. Nous allons augmenter la somme disponible pour les prêts, plus particulièrement pour les prêts saisonniers, les étendre. aux petits et moyens agriculteurs et je voudrais saisir cette occasion pour rendre hommage au Fonds international de développement agricole pour la mise en application d'un programme de crédits contrôlé au nord et à l'est du pays.Je suis convaincu que les pays en développement qui, telle la Tunisie, cherchent à promouvoir le secteur agricole estiment que l'aide alimentaire et l'approvisionnement en produits alimentaires de base ne sont que des palliatifs. Nous ne pouvons en aucun cas discuter à moyen et à long terme de l'effort national pour assurer la sécurité alimentaire aux générations actuelles et futures; en outre, l'assistance financière et technique fournie par les pays frères et amis ainsi que par les organisations internationales constitue un facteur très important pour les pays en développement. Mais les besoins actuels de la diminution du volume des autres contributions et ressources sont très alarmants, car les pays en développement ont plus que jamais besoin d'une aide technique et financière accrue d'autant plus qu'un grand nombre de ces pays est quotidiennement confronté aux problèmes sans cesse, croissants parmi lesquels les mesures protectionnistes croissantes face â leur production.Il est certain que les initiatives de la FAO et le programme de travail et de budget présenté par le Directeur général pour les deux années à venir s'adaptent à la situation alimentaire mondiale actuelle et méritent tout notre appui.L'augmentation proposée dans le programme 1982-83 est le minimum acceptable étant donné l'ampleur des besoins des pays membres et plus particulièrement des pays en développement.Par ailleurs, le budget proposé est le minimum acceptable si l'on prend en considération l'ampleur des problèmes auxquels est confrontée notre Organisation. La République tunisienne est convaincue de l'importance de l'oeuvre de l'Organisation, notamment dans le domaine de la sécurité alimentaire, des financements, des aides aux programmes d'assistance, de décentra lisation et de travail qui accompagnent le programme et le budget présentés.Je ne saurais, ici, ne pas parler de problèmes financiers auxquels est confrontée cette Organisation et nous voudrions faire part de nos remerciements au Directeur général qui déploie des efforts considérables pour y faire face. D'autant plus que les cas d'urgence soulèvent notre attention et réaffirment les rôles joués par les recherches alimentaires d'urgence.On espère que les contributions seront égales en quantités et en qualité dans le cadre d'une convention à engagement moral.Permettez-moi à cet égard de remercier le Programme alimentaire mondial pour tous les efforts déployés, non pas uniquement pour les cas d'urgence mais surtout pour le développement. J'aimerais également faire part de ma satisfaction à l'égard de la proposition par le Fonds monétaire international visant à créer un mécanisme à des conditions faciles et permettant de consolider les balances des pays à revenu, limité; mais en outre je devrais insister sur la nécessité d'encourager les pays en développement qui ont réalisé un certain progrès grâce à l'aide reçue, encourager ces pays à poursuivre dans cette voie. Notre monde aujourd'hui traverse une période d'économies diverses.

En effet, l'inflation, le chômage, la stagnation sont les signes annonciateurs d'une crise mondiale qui n'épargnera aucun pays et surtout pas les pays en développement.

Il nous appartient donc de faire face à cette crise et de poursuivre notre but contre la faim, la malnutrition et trouver au plus vite des solutions positives à l'échelon international, solutions accompagnées par des actions politiques telles que la solidarité, qui devrait être le moyen de l'humanité en tant que finalité.

KUN KOH (Korea Rep. of): Mr. Chairman, Mr. Director-General, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Korea, I wish to extend my warmest congratulations to His Excellency Jorge Rubén Aguado, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of the Argentine on his unanimous election to the chairmanship, and to congratulate the Vice-Chairmen, on their well-deserved elections.I am sure, Mr. Chairman, that under your distinguished leadership this Conference will achieve outstanding results.

I also wish to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Edouard Saouma on his reappointment as Director General of the FAO. He has shown outstanding leadership in strengthening FAO activities during his past term, and I am sure he will continue to do so.I would like to welcome the distinguished representatives of the new member countries -- Bhutan, Equatorial Guinea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tonga and Zimbabwe. My delegation pledges its best cooperation to help bring this conference to a successful conclusion.

In this Conference, we will review our efforts and achievements in the 1970's and discuss new international development strategies for the coming decade and FAO work programs.In the past we have devoted our efforts to solving crucial world food and agricultural problems, but many of them remain unsolved.

With your permission, Mr. Chairman, I would like to review briefly the Korean experience and the world agricultural situation.As the distinguished delegates may be aware, the Republic of Korea has achieved a high rate of economic growth and agricultural development during the past two decades.

A number of factors have contributed to the success of Korean agriculture.One of the most important has been the Saemaul Undong, an integrated rural development movement which began in the early 1970's, and has enabled and encouraged farmers to work together for a better society.Others were the Development of high-yield rice varieties and the increased availability of modern agricultural inputs including fertilizer and machinery.Afavourable agricultural price support policy, institutional arrangements including land reform and a system of agricultural cooperatives have also facilitated rural development and an increase in production and income.

However, we still face problems, some inherent in the nature of our agriculture and some resulting from rapid industrialization.

Weather and climatic conditions, of course, affect agriculture in all countries and Korea is no exception.On the human side, we have not yet been able to develop a means of stabilizing supply of and demand for agricultural products, domestically and internationally.

Another problem is that the agricultural productivity increase is relatively slow and the expansion of farm income is rather limited, as experienced by many countries.

Further difficulties are the small size of farms, which limits total production per household, and a shortage of farm labour because of a marked desire of the farmers, especially young people, to migrate to the cities.

To overcome these difficulties, intensive research and development programs, crop diversification, the expansion of non-farm income source, irrigation and farm mechanization have been undertaken.

Along with the continuous efforts in such areas, the Korean Government has formulated vigorous agricultural development projects in the Fifth Five-Year Economic and Social Development Plan which will start in 1982.

Some oí the highlights of the plan are:

First, an efficient water resources development and utilization program to overcome unstable weather conditions.

Second, a systematic crop diversification program for strategic crops and horticulture to ensure efficient land utilization and year-round supply.

Third, a new incentive scheme for rural youth through the establishment of a special fund to aid young people who are interested in farm operation and willing to work on farms, and

Lastly, special emphasis on the social welfare aspect of rural society.

It seems that we all face similar problems, and their solution will require close cooperation among us. Successful experience should be shared, and we are ready to share our experience with you.In this context, the Korean Government has always supported bilateral, regional and global cooperative arrangements.FAO is one of the key organizations of such a nature.

In fact, the Government of the Republic of Korea has trained a large number of agricultural experts from FAO member countries in the fields of water resources development, land consolidation, agronomy, rural development, agricultural extension and fisheries during the past decade at its own expense and under the TCDC joint program of the FAO/UNDP and the Korean Government.

We also have participated actively in the exchange of the new high-yield rice varieties and relevant research information since the middle of the 1970's when Korea successfully developed them in close cooperation with the International Rice Research Institute. The Korean Government wishes to continue its participation in disseminating the new high-yield rice varieties.

The Afro-Asian Rural Reconstruction Organization, which was established in 1962 with a large number of member countries from African and Asian continents, is also of such a nature.

My delegation is pleased to inform the distinguished delegates that the Korean Government, as a member of AARRO, offered a Saemaul Undong program to the member countries during the Seventh General Conference which was held in Seoul last October. All the delegates at the 7th AARRO General Conference in Seoul also confirmed the need and importance of such a training program and exchange of experiences. The Saemaul Undong Program has been one of the important joint work programs of FAO and Korea. We would like to further expand the Saemaul Undong Training to the FAO member countries in close cooperation with FAO.

As to the overall world food situation, many experts evaluate it as having improved substantially since the early 1970's. However, they note that the cereal production has been unstable in major importing countries and that many developing countries are suffering from poor infrastructures and inefficient distribution systems.

The Korean delegation would like to emphasize that proper food distribution and efficient marketing are as important as increased production. The world food crisis in the early '70s demonstrated the necessity of an efficient international food marketing system.

In spite of sustained international efforts to improve the world food security system initiated on the recommendation of the World Food Conference in 1974, the International Undertaking on World Food Security and the International Grains Arrangement have not yet been fully implemented.

I sincerely hope that the pending New International Grains Arrangement will be activated in the near future for the benefit of both exporting and importing countries, and that the Minimum Global Programme for Food and Agriculture proposed by the Director-General of the FAO will be implemented through closer cooperation among member countries.

On this occasion, the Korean delegation would like to inform the Conference that the President of the Republic of Korea issued a statement on the first World Food Day asking the people to renew their awareness of the importance of food and emphasizing that food is the most important basic requirement both for the survival of the human race and for world peace.

My delegation supports the FAO program for the development and management of marine resources in the Exclusive Economic Zones. The Republic of Korea, as one of the leading countries in the development of fisheries, is willing to share her accumulated experience and technical know-how and we also support the FAO work program for 1982-83.

Before I conclude, I would like to remind the distinguished delegates that the implications of food shortage are two-fold:it threatens human survival and it puts a burden on the balance of payments, especially in developing countries. A recent projection by an international research institute indicates that the grain shortfall in 1990 is likely to be 153 million metric tons.If this is correct, many countries will suffer additional difficulties.

In addition, the World Bank Annual Report predicts that the recovery of the world economy is likely to be slower than previously expected and that there is not much cause for optimism in the global outlook for the near future.

In the light of such precarious world food and economic situation, I sincerely hope that the wisdom and endeavors of the delegates to the 21st Conference and those of the FAO Secretariat will be able to solve or at least to ease the global problems of poverty, hunger and malnutrition, and that this Conference will be instrumental in relieving the world of these burdens.

Lastly, my delegation wishes to express its sincere appreciation to the Government and people of Italy for the cordial hospitality they have extended to us all, and to thank the FAO Secretariat for their wonderful arrangements for this Conference.

N. YAO AGBESI (Ghana) : It is a pleasure to meet here with you, to see old friends and to make new ones. My delegation will like to join in the payment of respect and expressing appreciation for your election and we are confident that you and your able Vice-Chairmen will steer the affairs of this Conference to a successful conclusion.

My delegation also wishes to felicitate Bhutan, Equatorial Guinea, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tonga and Zimbabwe for their admission to the Organization.Clearly, their membership will serve to strengthen our Organization.

I would like to use this occasion, to give special recognition to the Director General for his untiring efforts in the course of Agricultural development and advocacy of World Food Security, his dedication and his dynamic leadership of this Organization, We in Ghana are quite relieved that his re-election has increased our hope to continue to benefit from his vision and his resolve in the years to come.

Two years have passed since we assembled here and deliberated on the problems of agriculture production. The international economic scene has not eased, and seven years after the World Food Conference, the numberof the world's hungry and malnourished keep increasing daily, particularly, in Africa and Asia. The food and agriculture problems confronting the world cannot therefore be considered in isolation from the general economic and social problems, and that is why we are gathered here, I am convinced, with the determination of strengthening the role and increasing the impact of our Organization.

We affirm that in our circumstances in Ghana, agriculture is the best vehicle for accelerating rural development.Thus, the main objectives of the Government of Ghana's agricultural programme are to achieve self-sufficiency in food production and raw materials to feed our local industries and to raise the productivity and earning capacity of the rural communities.Consequently, the Government has recently adopted an agricultural development programme which aims at making readily available agricultural inputs for specific areas of concentration to ensure food self-sufficiency.For, it is our firm belief that with the excess grains generated through these efforts, it will be relatively easy to produce the animal protein portions of our national dietary needs.

In this area, of promoting self-reliance in agricultural communities, greater emphasis has been placed on helping the individual small producer.

The strategy for agricultural development and food production in the developing countries involve the mobilization of investment funds from internal and external sources,As far as internal resources are concerned, our present administration is taking bold steps in making easily available the resources required in response to the crying need to develop a sense of national solidarity in the struggle against rural poverty, hunger and malnutrition.The Government has been working relentlessly for the past two years to optimize the small farmer's abilities and capacity to improve upon the national food situation significantly.Plans have been made to assure the peasant farmer remunerative prices for the crops he produces, and Rural Banks are being established in the country-side to provide easy access to credit and offer protection against usurial money lending.

In the fisheries sector, our objective is to expand production to provide a ready source of protein. We have extended the limits of our territorial waters and programmed for large-scale fish farming in our inland waters.FAO collaborates with us in some of these projects and my delegation invites FAO to intensify its assistance particularly in our inland fisheries development area in the management and'exploitation of our Exclusive Economic Zone.

Our experience shows, however, that while we have demonstrated the needed political will to mobilize internal investment for some specific national projects, the main constraint is the lack of foreign exchange to finance agricultural inputs, about 95 percent of which are imported.It is therefore evident that in order to achieve targets under the agricultural and food production programmes, the foreign exchange problems will have to be solved.Consequently, my delegation will advocate that if at least 20 percent of fertilizer donations were channelled through the FAO International Fertilizer Supply Scheme, food production in the developing countries will be greatly enhanced.

The skills of the agricultural extension worder will have to be improved through relevant training programmes.These must be adequately backstopped by appropriate research recommendations.It is in this regard that we encourage FAO to intensify its assistance in the flow of research information among member states so that material research institutions do not operate in isolation and recommend that FAO should negotiate with the International Fund for Agricultural Research to support national and regional research institutions with funds to enable them make meaningful impact on agricultural production programmes.

Access to international sources of finance for agricultural development for the low-income countries, is narrowing with each passing year, although all Governments recognize that agricultural assistance must increase.My delegation therefore is happy to acknowledge the assistance we have received from many friendly countries and International Organizations particularly Italy for her recent offer of agricultural machinery, USA, Canada, Federal Republic of Germany, France and the EEC.

We fully appreciate the decentralization and strengthening of the work of the Organization at the national level which was initiated by the Director-General.It is on this note, Mr. Chairman, that my delegation deeply regrets the untimely closure of the office of the FAO Country Representative in Accra. While I am certain that the concept of transferring the functions of the Country Representative was taken on economic grounds and quite in conformity with the FAO Council decision, I would like to request that the Director-General considers the engagement of a professional Officer to support the Deputy Regional Representative who is now saddled with the functions of the Country Representative.

Allow me to say that at a recent meeting held at my request with the Staff of the FAO Regional Office in Accra, key officials of the professional departments of my ministry were charged to work with their counterparts in the Regional Office and carry out a complete overhaul of the agriculture production programmes to ensure maximum attainment of our objectives. This, no doubt, is an arduous task, but Ghana as a food deficit country endowed with fertile soils and reasonably favourable climate and human resources, needs a constant link between the Ministry of Agriculture and FAO regional activities.If the traditional agriculture is to be raised from its present platform of rural poverty and rural starvation to equitable and rapid development for all, the Deputy Regional Representative cannot meaning fully fulfil the demands of this link in our country in addition to his normal functions.

We have reviewed the Programme of Work and Budget for the next biennium which the Director General has so diligently prepared.We fully appreciate its major thrust, of providing timely and sufficient technical support for increasing self-sufficiency in food production.We therefore affirm our resolve to cooperate with him for the realization of this objective. The implementation of the programmes and projects will require a budget.In view of the current global economic difficulties the overall modest increase of about 6 per cent envisaged in the budget might be deemed rather high especially for the low income food deficit countries with balance-of-payment problems, but Mr. Chairman, if the scourge of harrowing hunger and malnutrition is to be eradicated in our society, this price is indeed too little for the task ahead at this stage. My delegation therefore supports the budget level and urges that this august assembly of the world's decision makers on food and food production issues approve the budget in affirmation of its solidarity with the 800 million people who are hungry and are threatened by death through malnutrition.

In conclusion, I am highly honoured to have had the attention of the distinguished delegates to this 21st Conference.It is my delegation's hope that the views exchanged at this unique forum will be thoroughly examined and applied to the improvement of food production programmes and the betterment of our rural community dwellers as well as the small farmers in our various countries.

T. LAKATOS (Hungary)(original language Hungarian):On the behalf of the Government of the Hungarian People's Republic the honour is bestowed upon me to greet respectfully the 21st Session of the Conference of FAO, all its delegates and officials.

My Government is pleased to observe that over the recent years FAO has given more and more emphasis to programmes and projects aimed at increasing food production and that the Organization has made steps to promote a versatile agricultural production in developing countries through the establishment of institutional systems and through the enhancement of their efficiency as well.

The Conference documents intensively analyse the food problems and the causes of slow progress in developing countries, drawing a number of conclusions concerning major tasks in the food and agricultural production in the world and particularly in the developing countries.The Hungarian Government has already presented its views on the roots of food problems several times. Most of the developing countries having obtained independence inherited a distorted basic agrarian structure and an agricultural backwardness.In addition, insufficient priorities were given to agricultural production in countries concerned, although these priorities would be justified by food needs.In our view the primary task of FAO is to provide adequate encouragement to governments in developing countries in drawing up agrarian policies which fully mobilize food producing potential of these countries utilizing production possibilities through an appropriate technical assistance. The assistance of FAO and other international organizations is indispensable for improving food production, but the creation of basic conditions devolves upon the governments.

In countries making attempts at a permanent solution of food related problems, the greatest importance should be attached to human factors and to associated institutions as well. Generally these institutions do exist, but they are lacking skilled and trained experts.

We think FAO should continue on this path.It is very important that the Organization should be even more courageous in initiating and promoting institutions in developing countries and should make more efforts to help the exchange of technical and economic experiences among countries. All possibilities and alternatives for increasing food production should be explored and revealed even more profoundly than so far.

The resolution and action programme taken at the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development were rignt in fixing the requirements to update agrarian structure in the developing countries: these requirements, we think, are right in comprising the providing of more encouragement to farmers and of making them and their groups more interested in production.The participation of small farmers in producing and marketing their own products is of importance. We suggest therefore to give some preference even in production-oriented projects to their marketing activities, to the modernization of distribution methods.

My Government highly appreciates FAO activities and agrees to the endeavours by the Director-General for a more differentiated utilization of available resources. We consider right and natural that FAO spends almost its entire material resources on helping food supply in the developing world.A few words must be said, however, about the fact that FAO programmes have also promoted extension of agricultural cooperation among European Member Nations.The network of agricultural research institute extending over the whole of Europe is ready to transfer its results and experiences to all developing countries.The success attained so far in our cooperation has also induced us to join readily the new European cooperative programme concerned with issues arising from the utilization and production of energy in agriculture.

In 1981, the Hungarian agriculture, despite adverse weather conditions has completed a slightly better than average year.I should like to draw your attention to the fact that this outcome is entirely due to our agrarian policy which for two decades has led to good results on account of the large-scale introduction of modern management and technology as well as of the household farming combined with other initiatives. Hungarian agricuiture seeks to meet flexibly both domestic and foreign market requirements and to comply with the interests of those engaged in agriculture as well.This muítisectoral character combined with the widespread introduction of integrated systems optimally utilizing large-scale conditions was able to ensure the Hungarian population adequate cereal supply in spite of losses caused by bad weather in wheat production.I review these facts before the Conference to reiterate my Government's willingness and intention to make these experiences available to interested countries in the field of organizing viable cooperative farming and of the suitable technological and incentive system.We are ready to give over this knowledge on both a bilateral and a multilateral basis.

In the near future, therefore, we would like to organize-in agreement with FAO an international meeting open to all who may wish to utilize the experiences on production oriented large and small farms.My country keeps on offering its agricultural and food training facilities to serve international cooperation.In close collaboration with FAO we have prepared the setting up of an International Training Centre promoting cooperative agricultural production, the getting off the ground of which is pending just on the decision of UNDP.The cooperation between Hungary and FAO is good, and we envisage further possibilities in extending our relations in favour of the developing countries. We do not fail to notice that in developing countries who wish to increase food production, the lack of adequate expert staff presents at least as big a constraint as the shortage of capital available to implement development objectives.My government, therefore, suggests that FAO make still more assistance available in the efficient formulation of agrarian policy in developing countries and in working out production and incentive systems respecting closely the endowments of different countries.

Our viewpoint concerning food aid is well known.Food aid can provide relief only in the short run. They do not promote food production in the medium-and long-run in recipient countries.In spite of this, we fully agree and support the efforts by the most seriously affected countries to obtain rapid and efficient assistance from cereal surplus countries or from others disposing of proper financial means, in order to ward off the imminent danger of famine . Hungary does not belong to these countries, though we have decided to raise our contribution to the World Food Programme by 10 per cent from next year on.These days we have experienced many times the strategic importance of food.We must avoid, however, through all means we have, food being used as a weapon by some countries as a tool for political or military pressure.

Finally, I should like to touch upon the question of peace, which is a basic condition for higher food production and for the ensurance of good international atmosphere stimulating production and trade. A resumed expansion of the process of detente and the curbing of the arms race could remove a substantial amount from the many hundred billions of US dollars used for this purpose so that part of it could be used in the world-wide fight against poverty and malnutrition.For us, who do feel responsible for the bread of the world, peace is important above all.Any true initiative promoting the use of resources of mankind for peaceful creative work should be supported.

N. ERICSSON CORREA (Perú): Señor Presidente de la Conferencia, señores miembros de la Mesa, señores delegados de los países asistentes: sean mis primeras palabras de felicitación y saludo al señor Ministro de Agricultura de la República Argentina quien ha sido elegido para presidir esta Conferencia. Igualmente mi felicitación a los nuevos países miembros incorporados a la FAO y, finalmente, mifelicitación al señor Edouard Saouma por su reelección para el proximo período en la Dirección General de este Organismo Internacional.

Hace muchos años que venimos hablando del fantasma del hambre en el mundo; un fantasma que también en nuestro país, considerado dentro del grupo de los países en desarrollo, produce un efecto negativo para la superación de sus aspiraciones. El hambre y la malnutrición son las grandes preocupaciones desde hace décadas que no nos permiten lograr alcanzar un nivel suficiente de soluciones. Son 700 millones de sere humanos que padecen hambre y malnutrición en el mundo y podríamos reseñar como las causas: no sencillamente la falta de producción de alimentos sino fundamentalmente la falta de desarrollo integral, la ignorancia, la injusticia y quizá finalmente, la falta de alimentos.

Tenemos que procurar diversos caminos para el desarrollo: uno de ellos será, evidentemente, el de producir cantidades crecientes de alimentos que satisfagan las necesidades totales de la humanidad de hoy y la del futuro, que sabemos lleva un ritmo de crecimiento en algunos casos alarmantes. Es en realidad necesario que el desarrollo nos permita que en el país la población tenga capacidad adquisitiva para llegar a adquirir los alimentos que se producen.

En el Peru hemos sufrido vaivenes en cuanto a lo produtivo, en la estructura de la tenencia de las tierras y en la distribución de bienes de producción. En los últimos 20 años el promedio de crecimiento del producto nacional bruto del sector agropecuario ha sido de 2.1 mientras que la población ha crecido a un ritmo de 2, 7 por ciento anual. Hemos ido acumulando un retraso relativo que nos ha traído a una situación bastante delicada. En los últimos 10 años este ritmo de crecimiento del PBI disminuyó al 1.2 por ciento anual.

El Gobierno Constitucional del Presidente Fernando Belaúnde Terry, en su período de 1963-1968 inició el proceso de Reforma Agraria el cual fue retomado por el Gobierno militar que lo sucedió, el que no recogió, sin embargo, la filosofía del mismo, radicalizándolo y errando al momento de conjugar criterios fundamentales para un proceso de esta naturaleza. En mi país se centró la atención en exceso en un injusto desquite del pasado, olvidando el futuro inmediato y eso determinó este decrecimiento relativo al que hacía alusión. Como una referencia dramática podía decir que en el año 1980 el PIB en soles constantes fue semejante al de 1970: después de 10 años estábamos en el mismo nivel productivo anterior. Las primeras medidas que surgen con los cambios políticos operados en el país se dan en la nueva constitución del Estado que se promulgó en 1980, la que otorga la primera prioridad al sector agropecuario para dotarlo de recursos financieros suficientes y de leyes promocionales. Nosotros creemos que una reforma agraria debe perseguir fundamentalmente el lograr que la tierra cumpla su función social primordial, cual es la de proveer los alimentos necesarios para toda la población y de ser posible, se produzca un excedente que pueda ir a satisfacer las necesidades del mercado interno y eventualmente del exterior.

El nuevo Gobierno peruano plantea, aprueba y promulga un decreto legislativo de promoción y desarrollo agropecuario conjugando armónicamente los intereses de los elementos constitutivos de la cadena, es decir, los productores, los comerciantes y los consumidores. En él se dictan las políticas y las medidas de estímulo que deben otorgarse al sector agrario para iniciar el proceso de recuperación. Para adecuarnos a este cambio de políticas, racionalizamos la estructura del aparato estatal del Ministerio de Agricultura y sus organismos y lo hemos dividido fundamentalmente en tres grandes cuerpos: uno de ellos como brazo ejecutivo, en manos de institutos descentralizados que se abocan a la tarea de la investigación, la transferencia de tecnología, de la educación para la productión agropecuaria; igualmente, otros para la ampliación de la frontera agrícola sobre la base de acciones diversas, que luego reseñaré y, finalmente, un organismo para la preservación de recursos forestales, su racional explotación, la conservación del medio ambiente y el desarrollo de la agroindustria.

Esta nueva estructura del Estado nos permite desarrollar políticas que ya con bastante claridad se habían concebido. Hemos procurado abarcar todo el ciclo, desde el estímulo inicial que debe recibir el hombre que va a producir en el campo, a través de la transferencia de la tecnología actual, manteniendo además una dinámica en el proceso de conocimiento de la producción a través de la investigación, de tal manera que nos aproximemos a los niveles de producción del mundo desarrollado y, finalmente, a través de una política de precios y de comercialización racional que permita que la actividad fundamental del agro sea rentable.

Sería un tanto ingenuo promover un sector si no nos aseguramos hacer económico el proceso productivo del mismo. Con este fin hemos ido equipando los organismos necesarios, tanto privados como estatales y así tenemos que para la investigación y transferencia de tecnología, se ha instalado en cada una de las 18 regiones del país Centros de Investigación y Promoción Agropecuaria. Hemos desplazado ya al campo aproximadamente dos mil seiscientos expertos para cumplir con esta tarea de trabajo directo del técnico del sector agrario privado y del sector estatal con la gente que trabaja en el campo. Nos ha preocupado igualmente, aunque todavía no hemos alcanzado todos nuestros objetivos, el poder otorgar créditos, en condiciones y cantidad suficientes, a los productores. En este sentido, nuestro país-el que hemos recibido del gobierno precedente con una crisis económica profunda, similar a la que aqueja a muchos de los países en vías de desarrollo-, está afrontando dificultades para llegar a los niveles que requiere el sector agrario para impulsar al máximo el ritmo de crecimiento que es necesario y creemos que está al alcance de nuestra mano.

Hemos iniciado la implernentacion de una serie de programas, tanto para el mejoramiento técnico, de difusión de semillas mejoradas, de incremento de la utilización de fertilizantes, etc-no obstante que en América Latina el Perú es uno de los países que tiene el mayor índice de consumo de fertilizantes, como igualmente el programa de desarrollo ganadero, tanto para la producción de carne como para la de leche.

El Perú es un país heterogéneo en cuanto a sus condiciones climáticas y ecológicas. Somos un muestrario del mundo pues, justamente por nuestra ubicación geográfica, somos un país tropical, pero al mismo tiempo, por la influencia de la corriente de Humboldt, tenemos una costa desértica y la presencia de los Andes nos da la sierra, que por su altitud nos otorga climas comparados con los más fríos del mundo. La selva igualmente nos reserva un potencial de desarrollo con grandes expectativas. Toda esa gama, si bien es un gran reto y una gran dificultad por tener que aplicar políticas tan dispares, es una ventaja que nos permite tener gran diversificación de la producción y, una vez que proyectemos nuestra acción, podremos ir siendo cada vez menos dependientes del comercio internacional para la solución de nuestros problemas alimentarios.

Hemos concebido el desarrollo agropecuario como algo integral y así tenemos unidades a lo largo del país que enfocan este aspecto del desarrollo principalmente en la ampliación de nuestras fronteras agrícolas, en la vertiente oriental de los Andes, en las zonas de la Amazonia de clima tropical húmedo. En esta región contamos con suelos y un ecosistema sumamente frágil, como seguramente conocen muchos de los delegados asistentes, lo que nos plantea un reto delicado de cumplir y afrontar: aprovechar racionalmente estos recursos sin deteriorar el ecosistema y el medio ambiente que tenemos que preservar para nuestro futuro.

Contamos también con programas de apoyo alimentario, no como solución, sino como paliativos temporales para las clases más deprimidas de nuestro pueblo. Hemos creado una Oficina Nacional de Apoyo Alimentario que canaliza la ayuda recibida tanto de los organismos nacionales como internacionales y directamente de los países amigos. Este apoyo a las clases menos favorecidas no lo concebimos como dádivas, sino que los beneficiarios desarrollan una labor conjunta con programas de cooperación popular y es a través de su trabajo directo a base del cual construímos escuelas, trazamos nuevos caminos, realizamos irrigaciones’ pequeñas. En fin, una serie de labores que dignifican a estos pueblos y los colocan en mejores condiciones para atender a sus necesidades inmediatas. Contamos también con un programa de dimensiones limitadas para aquellos sectores de la población, que no se benefician directamente con el sistema mencionado en el párrafo anterior, y se trata de la emisión de bonos alimentarios, los que tienen un valor económico concreto para la distribución de determinados alimentos.

Como uno de los fundamentales enfoques de política, consideramos necesario el rescatar hábitos de consumo perdidos por la influencia occidental en nuestros hábitos de consumo alimenticio, lo que nos había llevado a una exageración de la dependencia para el abastecimiento de determinados productos pero, a través de los programas de educación y también de una adecuación de la investigación, debemos ir rescatándolos de manera de ponerlos nuevamente en proceso productivo y al alcance de la mesa de nuestro consumidor. Para este programa de enseñanza y de extensión técnica contamos con el apoyo decidido y valioso de la FAO con un centro de apoyo audiovisual para labores de extensión y de educación. Este programa goza de tal apoyo por parte de nuestro Gobierno que incluso hemos incrementado su presupuesto en 200 millones de soles sobre las partidas que se habían asignado por este Ministerio al convenio con la FAO.

Para cerrar el ciclo del proceso economico de la producción, debo agregar que nos preocupa la comercialización rural y urbana de los productos y para esto contamos con empresas del Estado que comercializan los insumos y productos en competencia con el sector privado y hemos creado, además, centros de comercia lización rural y centros de distribución urbana, actualmente en manos de productores y de comerciantes minoristas, lo que permite un contacto directo evitando así la cadena de intermediarios que son los que encarecen los productos al consumidor. El resultado de esta política ha sido que los productores han podido aprovechar bien las condiciones benéficas climatológicas, muy favorables este año, y hemos logrado así un crecimiento del PBI del sector agrario del país del 11.4 por ciento, sin precedentes en nuestra historia.

Quiero en este momento expresar mi agradecimiento a la FAO, que es uno de los Organismos que nos han ayudado para ir cumpliendo estos objetivos, de tan difícil logro en nuestros países.

Deseo finalmente hacer un enfoque de carácter internacional en cuanto a lo que debe ser la tarea de las naciones para resolver el problema del hambre en el mundo, lo que no se logrará solamente con una producción mayor de alimentos para el abastecimiento interno de los países, sino con un comercio internacional más justo y equitativo en términos de intercambio que nos permita obtener precios justos para nuestras exportaciones de origen agrícola, lo que a su vez nos permitirá sufragar el enorme costo de los productos que importamos. Es conocido, por ejemplo, que mientras los precios que reciben los países en desarrollo por sus productos primarios de exportación se mantienen o se estabilizan o a veces disminuyen o, que cuando crecen en progresión geométrica. Esto quiere decir que el valor agregado solamente se añade crecientemente a los bienes de capital, y a la mano de obra del país industrializado, pero no a los productos que provienen de los países en desarrollo los que sufren el embarte y el impacto del crecimiento del costo de la producción. De modo que si no se actúa en consecuencia con este principio, jamás podremos vencer el problema del hambre que es permanentemente creciente en el mundo en desarrollo y se da en mínima escala en el mundo desarrollado.

Yo quiero con este fin traer a colación las palabras pronunciadas por el Presidente Reagan en la cita de Cancún, cuando él hizo memoria del pensamiento de Confucio que decía: "Da al hombre un pez y comerá un día; enséñale a pescar y comerá toda la vida". Pero en el mundo complejo de hor habría que añadir un concepto adicional. No solamente se trata de producir, sino de comercializar el excedente de la producción. Y es aquí donde fallamos. Los términos del intercambio son injustos y muchas veces el apoyo que recibimos con una mano se borra en cantidad creciente con la otra. Esto es fundamental si queremos verdaderamente vencer y resolver el problema del hambre y la malnutrición. Si no se revisa el Orden Económico Internacional nunca se podrá resolver el problema del hambre y la malnutrición que están produciendo malestar, desengaño y descontento general y que a menudo se traducen en actos de violencia en señal de protesta y en su importancia de producir el cambio.

Hago votos porque las condiciones e inquietudes que aquí se han formulado, en muchos casos semejantes,-porque los países en desarrollo tenemos problemas similares-puedan llegar finalmente a feliz término. No se podrá lograr un desarrollo integral de nuestros países si es que no se establece una justicia en el mercado internacional, no sólo para nuestros productos de origen agrícola, sino también de todas nuestras otras materias primas, las cuales están sujetas a variaciones permanentes e imprescindibles que no nos permiten programar acciones a largo plazo, pues los ingresos que proyectamos que estas exportaciones nos produzcan son inestables y normalmente de tendencia bajista. Sin justicia en el intercambio internacional no hay desarrollo, y sin desarrollo hay hambre y malnutrición.

El Perú se adhiere a la necesidad que se firme el Convenio Internacional del Trigo, lo que asegurará el abastecimiento normal y equitativo de este valioso cereal, base de la alimentación humana.

La FAO es un organismo que viabiliza la posibilidad de un intercambio de opiniones concretas para la solución del problema alimentario. Nosotros apoyamos la necesidad de un crecimiento presupuestario en los términos que el Dr. Saouma lo ha planteado: racionalizando el gasto, limitando el crecimiento del gasto administrativo y, por el contrario, descentralizando las acciones del Organismo. En este sentido mi país, el Perú, apoya el crecimiento del presupuesto de la FAO para el Programa 1982-83. Creemos que el crecimiento cero es inconveniente e inoportuno, menos aún en un momento en que se han agudizado los problemas del hambre y la malnutrición en el mundo. Mi país reclama igualmente, la ampliación del Convenio que regula el apoyo alimentario, asegurando el mínimo de 10 millones de toneladas en lugar de las 7.6 asignadas, así como la ampliación en el tiempo de duración del nuevo Convenio, pues nos parece que su renovación hasta 1983 no nos permitirá programar objetivos a mediano y largo plazo. Muchas gracias.

N. PATTICHIS (Cyprus): It is indeed my pleasure and honour to address today the 21st Session of the FAO Conference. The Government of Cyprus fully adopts and endorses all the complimentary statement made by previous Speakers referring to you Mr. Chairman, to the Director-General, to the Officers and Staff of FAO.

We are indeed delighted with the well deserved re-appointment of Dr Edouard Saouma as Director-General of the Organization and for the admission of the new Member States. Ourheartiest congratulations.

I will not deal now with what we have so far accomplished in Cyprus in the fiels of agriculture or with the multitude of problems we encounter. Nor am I intending to tire you with an account on world food production and availability, but I will deal with my concern regarding the hunger and misery prevailing in the world.

Despite well-intentioned efforts for over three decades on behalf of the world community to combat hunger and misery, achievements are still far from what they should be. Poverty, hunger, malnutrition and misery are still widespread, debasing mankind. World food production in general, despite marked increases, is still far from adequate and food is inaccessible to those who need it urgently. Demand and imports in grains by developing countries are rising and grainstocks worldwide, but most crucially in specific geographic areas, are below the margin of safety needed for sustained world food security; carry-over stocks are declining too, and the world is precariously relying on annual harvests for its survival.

Official external assistance to agriculture is failing to keep pace with inflation; food aid, besides its inadequacy, is even declining over the past year.Debts and the debt-burden service for developing countries are also rising and this drains their financial resources which could be ploughed into selfsustained development.Increased protectionism in trade deprives developing countries from foreign exchange earnings so badly needed for their development.

Ever-rising costs of imported agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, chemicals, machinery and energy in general, put a heavy burden on the balance of payments of developing countries and push up the cost of production of agricultural products to their detriment: we strongly support FAO's initiative for the recent establishment of the European Cooperative Network on Rural Energy and we trust that the benefits will in due course also be extended to the developing countries.

There is no point in just reciting the predicaments of the situation at every biennial Conference. We know the problem, its causes and effects and technologically, we know how it might be solved. Luckily enough the earth could provide the natural resources necessary to feed many more millions of people. But the problem is not just technological or that of natural resources.There must be a strong sense of responsibility towards our suffering fellow men, by everybody and especially by politicians and those who have the means. Let us, therefore, take the firm commitment to go through the proper decisions, both on the national and international level, in order that once and for all we resolve the problem of hunger and misery for the sake of peace and happiness. There should be, in my view, such bold decisions both on behalf of those countries which are plagued by poverty and hunger and on behalf of those countries which are lucky enough to be at a superior economic and technological platform.

Undoubtedly, in this struggle against hunger and misery, FAO is performing a remarkable task.But there should not be any misunderstanding that the problem is FAO's.The problem is ours and of the world at large.The FAO can act as a catalyst through the provision and coordination of technical assistance and in that respect is a very important and necessary catalyst.

Obviously, the role and effectiveness of FAO cannot extend beyond its financial and human resources. A weak financial foundation does not allow the Organization to implement its Programme of Work and honour thus its obligations.It is, therefore, in my view not only a moral responsibility, but also an economic obligation on behalf of those countries which are fortunate enough to be in a state of economic and technological superiority to extend to the less fortunate ones a more generous helpful hand, both on a bilateral and on a multilateral basis, such as through FAO; not for the sake of the unprivileged people alone, but for the sake of world peace and happiness.

FAO has always proved a reliable friend to all those in need; Cyprus is indeed very grateful to FAO.

Thank you; I wish every success to the Conference and to the superb direction of the Director-General through the coming years.

T. SANGARE (Guinée): M. le Président, je m'en voudrais si mes premiers mots n'étaient pour vous féliciter de votre brillante élection.

Qu'il me soit aussi permis de saluer très chaleureusement la présence parmi nous des nouveaux membres que sont le Zimbabwe, la Guinée equatoriale, le Bhoutan, Saint-Vincent-et-Grenadines et Tonga. Leur présence parmi nous en tant qu'Etats indépendants ne fera que renforcer la nécessaire coopération existant si heureusement au sein de notre Organisation.

L'une des constantes fondamentales de notre époque réside dans les contrastes qui caractérisent la société internationale. Notre monde en effet est un univers de dualisme qui se définit par des situations de tensions entre les riches et les pauvres.

Parmi les fléaux qui provoquent le déséquilibre de l'humanité figurent en bonne place la malnutrition et la faim. Cette situation, pour le moins dramatique, rend compte de l'injustice et de l'inégalité qui régissent les relations internationales et indiquent jusqu'à quel point il est urgent d'instaurer un nouvel ordre économique susceptible de modifier positivement l'état actuel des choses.En effet, accablés par la faim et la malnutrition, nos pays accusent un retard technique et technologique chaque jour plus important, mais aussi la crise actuelle de l'énergie et ses conséquences affectent gravement nos économies qui étaient déjà fragiles et largement tributaires des aléas de la nature.

Pour ce qui concerne notre région en particulier, la sécheresse frappe bon nombre de nos pays.Nos cours d'eau tarissent et le désert progresse inexorablement.Cette mutation de l'écosystème crée desperturbations sérieuses dans le calendrier agricole et place nos paysans dans le désarroi.Cela se traduit tout naturellement au niveau de l'agriculture par une insuffisance alimentaire doublée d!une instabilité.

Il faut, comme le disait récemment le Président Ahmed Sékou Touré:"que les nantis interviennent non pour continuer à nourrir ceux qui ont faim, mais pour mettre à la disposition de ceux-ci les moyens suffisants de production pour vaincre la faim".

Ma délégation tient à féliciter le Directeur général de la FAO, le Dr. Edouard Saouma, pour l'oeuvre de rénovation et de dynamisation qu'il a su donner à notre Organisation.

La FAO, grâce au sens élevé de la responsabilité du Dr. Saouma, a fait depuis six ans peau neuve, six ans au cours desquels nous avons tous senti un souffle nouveau parcourir notre Organisation. Mon pays apprécie hautement ces efforts personnels.

Je voudrais également et surtout féliciter le Secrétariat de la FAO pour la teneur et le sérieux qui sanctionnent les documents de travail mis à notre disposition pour cette Conférence.

Quant aux mesures organisationnelles envisagées, celles-ci témoignent, éloquemment à nos yeux, du souci permanent de l'Organisation de toujours faire mieux dans l'intérêt bien évident de chacun et de tous.

A cet égard, ma délégation voudrait exprimer sa satisfaction et son appui sans réserve aux différentes propositions faites et que nous considérons comme conformes aux voeux des Etats Membres.En particulier, ma délégation tient à marquer son approbation pour le Programme de travail et le budget 1982-1983, ainsi que pour les objectifs à moyen terme.

Il en est de même pour les programmes de terrain, les programmes d'action pour la prévention des pertes de produits alimentaires, le Programme de coopération technique, la lutte contre les épizooties, etc..

Il convient par ailleurs de redire notre appréciation concernant les progres accomplis par la FAO dans le cadre du recrutement d'experts de pays en développement.

Comme j'ai eu à le dire au début de mon intervention, le problème alimentaire préoccupe actuellement l'ensemble du Tiers Monde.En ce qui concerne mon pays, l'agriculture a toujours occupé une place de choix dans le Programme de développement de mon gouvernement et le Plan quinquennal en cours lui consacre pris de 25 pour cent de son budget.

D'autre part, pour arriver à une transformation rapide et heureuse duronde rural, dans le cadre de nos options de développement, des structures dynamiques ont été mises en place dans tous le pays. Il s'agit des Fermes agricoles communales (FAC) au niveau de chaque commune villageoise et des Fermes agro-pastorales d'arrondissements (FAPA) qui, elles, regroupent un certain nombre de communes.

Au cours des dernières campagnes agricoles, la République populaire révolutionnaire de Guinée a enregistré de lourdes pertes de récoltes du fait de l'invasion de chenilles, phénomène du à la sécheresse, en particulier dans la partie septentrionale du pays. Des cas d'inondation sont aussi fréquents dans les plaines de la Haute-Guinée à cause,de l'ensablement du lit de nos cours d'eau et tout cela fait que nous perdons presque chaque année d'importantes récoltes de riz, de fonio, de mil et d'arachides, etc.

C'est le lieu de remercier la FAO et la Communauté internationale pour l'aide appréciable qu'elles nous ont apportée à l'occasion de ces dures épreuves.C'est dire que la coopération économique est aujourd'hui plus que jamais vitale, voire indispensable pour nos pays et nos peuples et nous pouvons réussir tous ensemble, si nous le voulons bien sur.

Cette nécessité historique trouve une résonance appropriée dans un message que notre Chef d'Etat délivra à l'occasion de la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation et je cite:

"En Guinée, l'aide prioritaire que nous attendons des organisations internationales et des pays amis dans le domaine de l'alimentation, c'est bien les moyens matériels et la technologie qui nous permettront d'assurer une production alimentaire mettant le peuple à l'abri de la faim et de la malnutrition et, d'une façon plus générale, une production agricole susceptible de pourvoir à l'approvisionnement correct de nos usines de transformation et à l'exportation de produits végétaux et animaux, source de devises."

Voilà ce que nous attendons aujourd'hui de la coopération internationale dans le cadre d'une véritable solidarité agissante, car nous disons bien en Guinée que toute aide qui n'aide pas à nous développer doit être rejetée, toute aide qui ne nous amène pas à nous passer de l'aide doit être repoussée. C'est-à-dire que la sécurité alimentaire, nous devons la trouver sur nous-mêmes, sur nos propres forces. Cette sécurité alimentaire que nous voulons réaliser suppose avant tout le développement de la production agricole.C'est pourquoi nous devons en priorité mettre l'accent sur les voies et moyens devant permettre aux pays en développement d'accroître la production grâce à l'usage de techniques améliorées.

Dans cette optique, il est évident que nous devons d'abord compter sur nous-mêmes.C'est à nous-mêmes en effet qu'il revient de prendre les mesures requises pour un changement de la situation. Mais aucune innovation technique ne peut être efficace si les conditions de son application ne sont pas d'abord installées.C'est pourquoi il ne suffit pas de considérer le problème alimentaire dans les pays en développement seulement, en fonction des paramètres technologiques.

La transformation de la production agricole et l'accroissement de la production qui concernent d'importantes masses humaines sont inévitablement liées aux problèmes politiques et socio-économiques.

Aussi le peuple de Guinée sait pouvoir compter sur la coopération de tous les pays, coopération basée sur les principes d'égalité, de compréhension et de respect.

The meeting rose at 18.10 hours.
La séance est levée à 18h10.
Se levanta la sesión a las 18.10 horas.