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II - ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMMES OF THE ORGANIZATION (continued)
II - ACTIVITES ET PROGRAMMES DE L’ORGANISATION (suite)
II - ACTIVIDADES Y PROGRAMAS DE LA ORGANIZACION (continuación)

13. Follow-up to WCARRD (continued) (C 81/23)
13. Suite donnée à la CMRADR (suite) (C 81/23)
13. Actividades complementarias de la CMRADR (continuación) (C 81/23)

CHAIRMAN (original language Arabic): This meeting will discuss Item 13, included in Document C 81/23. Yesterday Dr. Islam presented this document to us in an excellent manner. He talked about the measures and guidelines which the organisation follows in implementing cooperation with the other agencies and non-governmental organisations in the follow-up of the conference. He also discussed the other major issues put before you.

A. ACUÑA (Panamá): Resulta realmente satisfactorio el conocer de documentos como el C 81/23 que nos informa de los progresos realizados por la FAO en la ejecución de la Resolución 7/79 de la Conferencia, relativa a las actividades complementarias de la Conferencia Mundial sobre Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural.

Y decimos que nos resulta satisfactorio Sr. Presidente, porque frente a los pronunciamientos que se han venido dando, a diversos niveles, muchos de los cuales conllevan buenas intenciones en la búsqueda de los medios más eficaces para resolver el hambre a ese 20 por ciento de la humanidad que la padece en forma trágica, no deja uno de preguntarse si se lograrán los medios para realmente llegar a esa legión de hambrientos.

Hacemos esta puntualización, Sr. Presidente, porque somos de la opinión de que frente a los problemas del desempleo, subempleo, el hambre, y la desnutrición, especialmente en las áreas rurales, uno de los medios más eficaces para resolver estos problemas en forma duradera es la ejecución de programas de desarrollo rural y reforma agraria. Y en esto, la Conferencia Mundial sobre Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural precisó adecuadamente la necesidad de una participación popular por intermedio de instituciones rurales adecuadas, la asignación de recursos al desarrollo rural, reformas estructurales para garantizar a los pobres del sector rural un acceso suficiente a la tierra y demás recursos.

Es por esto que expresamos nuestra satisfacción por los adelantos que en cumplimiento y concorde con la Conferencia Mundial sobre Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural la FAO ha venido logrando. En esto, Sr. Presidente, felicitamos sinceramente a la Secretaría, máxime si tomamos en cuenta que para la realización de estos adelantos, esta Organización recurrió muy correctamente a la movilización flexible de recursos de todas las fuentes disponibles y no contó con organización, ni personal adicional, ni con recursos del Programa ordinario previamente asignados.

Creemos que lo sustantivo de las actividades de esta Organización se tiene que errumbrar por actividades como éstas, apoyadas, claro está, por otras que le vienen a dar integridad, mayor alcance y consolidación a estos proyectos.

Como bien lo aceptó la Conferencia Mundial sobre Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural la responsabilidad primaria en la aplicación de sus recomendaciones recaería en los gobiernos miembros. Pero, si bien, esto es así, y está fuera de discusión, no es menos cierto que es también misión de estas conferencias, y como bien lo expresara en el día de ayer el Sr. Nury Islam debe influir positiviamente en los paises.

En relación a los diferentes aspectos del contenido del documento C 81/23 y en lo referente a las principales esferas de acción y asistencia, señalamos que sobre la promoción de la participación popular no solo en los dos últimos Consejos de la FAO, sino en los Comités de esta, en donde se debatió el tema, el mismo contó con una alta prioridad debido a la aceptación general que existe de que éste es un aspecto que en suma decidirá la eficacia o no de cualquier programa.

Y sobre este particular, destacamos lo señalado ayer por la distinguida delegación de Paises Bajos, cuando se discutió el informe de las organizaciones no gubernamentales, al expresar que el apoyo a la participación popular fue en la que se basó el desarrollo agrícola de su país hace 100 años.

Sobre la integración de la mujer en el desarrollo, esta integración debe verse, como se señala en parte del párrafo 11, integrando en todos los programas posibles componentes relativos a la mujer.


Sobre este aspecto, ya hay un claro consenso, debiendo superarse ahora los atavismos y prejuicios exis-tentes sobre el particular.

En cuanto a la esfera de acción que tiene que ver con la enseñanza, capacitación y extension para el desarrollo rural, la misma debe estar claramente dirigida a la renovación e introducción de metodologías innovadoras que tiendan a reforzar las capacidades nacionales en este aspecto.

Por otra parte, estamos de acuerdo con que la Conferencia reitere la petición de la Conferencia sobre Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural sobre la presentación de informes por parte de los países cada dos conferencias bienales, esto como forma eficaz para darle seguimiento a lo aprobado por esta Conferencia. Al respecto, la FAO tiene la experiencia de los informes por países que se prepararon en 1979 para la realización de este evento.

Igualmente, el aspecto referente a las actividades complementarias de la Conferencia Mundial sobre Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural debe ser tema de las Conferencias Regionales de la FAO. Creo, Sr. Presidente, que a este respecto las experiencias tenidas son positivas, por lo que proponemos que este aspecto sea aprobado por esta vigésima primera Conferencia de la FAO.

Sobre el importante tema de los centros regionales de reforma agraria y desarrollo rural nosotros espe-ramos y confiamos, especialmente en cuanto al de America Latina se refiere, que los mismos realmente contribuyan en dos aspectos a nuestro juicio muy importantes: en la investigación en los aspectos socioeconómicos de la reforma agraria y desarrollo rural; y en la preparación de personal que tenga que ver con la planificación y ejecución de estos programas.

Finalmente, Sr. Presidente, y para terminar aquí nuestra intervención, consideramos eficaz los esfuerzos que se hagan en materia de comunicación para el desarrollo rural. Decimos esto por la oposición a que se ven enfrentados, en no pocas veces, estos programas, lo que viene a exigir la necesidad de una adecuada y correcta comunicación.

E. MAZURKIEWICZ (Poland): My delegation studied very carefully document C 81/23 which is before us. It is two years since WCARRD was used by FAO with benefit to popularise and improve the targets of this conference. WCARRD brought up many very important subjects which are significant for the world community; emphasising ways to achieve growth of agricultural production, indispensable changes of agricultural structures, necessity of access to land, water and other foods for the poorest groups of the population; indispensable improvement of working and living conditions for rural women.

The conference emphasises the big role of universal and professional knowledge and education for the rural population, and the significance of non-agricultural activity for this population. We highly praise the FAO’s activity in this field. Agrarian reforms are the initial steps to further those changes in agriculture and rural development. This order of changes confirms our own experience, as many other countries.

Mr. Chairman, I want to draw your attention and all members of our Committee to the 3 following problems in our dicussion. The first is connected with countries where a deficiency of land exists. In these countries it is suitable, with agrarian reforms, to develop on a parallel line non-agricultural activities for the rural population. These activities connected with agriculture make possible the faster growth of income for the rural population, and improvement and better living standards. These changes in Poland’s agriculture gave positive results. Poland widely developed cooperative farms in rural regions in small scale manufactures, in supply and sale, and also in agricultural production, which now play a very important role in the national economy.

Poland submits its offer to organise seminars and training courses for developing countries on organisation of small scale industry in rural regions by using manpower surplus. We developed this kind of production in work cooperatives and we have had interesting experiences in the leather industry, fisheries processing, timber industry, food processing and others.


Poland has multi-sector agriculture. We have State farms, cooperative and family farms. The State and cooperative farms are the main producers of quality seed and animals for breeding purposes. They are also centres for the training of skilled staff and for practice by pupils and students of agricultural schools and universities. Poland could organise for developing countries the training of management of State, cooperative and family farms. The second problem. In the life of the rural family women perform a significant role. In small family farms in fact they manage them because the men very often are working outside of agriculture. From our experiences it follows that the integration of women in their professional organisations makes it easier to introduce improvements in agricultural production and in family life. For these purposes we organised in Warsaw Agricultural University the Faculty of Rural Home Economics as an important research centre to educate instructors for cooperation with rural women and their organisation. We believe that our experience may be interesting for many developing countries.

Third problem. Improvement in agricultural production is closely connected with the professional knowledge of the rural population and known different methods of education. I want to emphasise the good results which were achieved in Poland in the union of schools and after-school teaching at agricultural schools.

But a better level of agricultural education must be connected with a good market for commodities which the farmers use for agricultural production. A deficiency in this matter has had a very bad influence on social relations and on agricultural production. These few remarks which I make bring me to the conclusion about the big role of FAO in the realisation of WCARRD’s targets. Poland strongly supports FAO in this activity.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Sra. G. SOTO (Cuba): Nuestra delegación quisiera, en primer lugar, agradecer a la Secretaría por este breve pero sustancioso documento C 81/23, que nos brinda una clara idea de lo que se ha venido reali-zando para poner en práctica el Plan de Acción aprobado por la Conferencia Mundial de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural en julio de 1979 y que ha sido complementada por la presentación hecha ayer por el Profesor Islam.

Consideramos, que dicha Conferencia constituyó un momento histórico en el cual se contrajo el compromiso de llevar a cabo políticas de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural como una via para transformar la vida y las actividades rurales en todos sus aspectos económicos, sociales, culturales, institucionales, ambientales y humanos.

Con esta Conferencia reafirmamos nuestra convicción de que la reforma agraria es un factor decisivo del desarrollo rural y de que el mejoramiento constante de las zonas rurales requieren un acceso más equitativo y completo a la tierra, el agua y otros recursos naturales; una amplia participación en el poder económico y politico, puestos de trabajo cada vez mas numerosos y mas productivos, un mayor aprovecha -miento de la capacidad y la energía humana, la participación e integración de la población rural en los sistemas de producción y distribución, teniendo muy en cuenta la participación de la mujer, así como el aumento de la producción, la productividad y la seguridad alimentaria para todos los grupos.

Si en ocasión de la Conferencia Mundial de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural, los cientos de delegados reunidos en esta misma sede vieron con satisfacción la Declaración de Principios y el Plan de acción aprobados, hoy con mayor satisfacción aún, vemos que no fue aprobado un documento mas y que muchos gobiernos y la FAO han comenzado a adoptar medidas concretas para el cumplimiento de los fines propuestos.

Consideramos que todas las delegaciones presentes en esta Comisión podrán expresar su satisfacción por los activos esfuerzos realizados por la FAO para cumplir con las obligaciones que le fueron encomendados por el Programa de Acción de la Conferencia y la Resolución 7/79 de la Conferencia de la FAO. Nos complace, además, que el principio rector en las disposiciones organizativas haya sido el de integrar la orientación y actividades complementarias de la Conferencia en las organizaciones y labores ya existentes en la FAO y no crear otras dependencias organizativas.


Con relación a lo planteado en el párrafo 3, sobre la orientación de las actividades de la FAO, nuestra delegación encuentra apropiados los métodos utilizados, especialmente en la orientación contenida y asignada de los recursos a los programas técnicos especializados. Consideramos, sin embargo, que se debe continuar trabajando en la introducción de nuevos proyectos complementarios, orientados directamente a la población rural mas necesitada, y financiados con fuentes extrapresupuestarias para estas actividades complementarias de la Conferencia Mundial de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural con el fin de promover futuros proyectos de campo en ese sentido.

En lo referente a la Acción a nivel de países, nos parece muy acertada que la misma se rija por las peticiones específicas de los países efectuadas individualmente, o por conducto de consultas interguber-namentales a nivel regional. Es digno de elogio también, las adaptaciones que se han hecho en algunas misiones FAO/PNUD lográndose que las mismas abarquen la formulación de proyectos en actividades complementarias de la Conferencia Mundial de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural, además de cumplir con la tarea habitual de preparar proyectos para el ciclo de programación del PNUD.

El número y la utilidad de proyectos y actividades de apoyo de los programas nacionales de reforma agraria y desarrollo rural los cuales, según se indica en el párrafo 8, eran de más de cincuenta hasta julio de 1981, y que han sido financiados algunos con recursos del Programa Ordinario, principalmente con el PCT, nos indica la necesidad de incrementar en la medida posible los fondos de dichos programas.

Nuestra delegación también considera digno de elogio la identificación y formulación de proyectos realizados para propiciar la participación popular en el desarrollo y especialmente los esfuerzos relativos a la participación de la mujer. Estimamos que el Programa “Acción de las comunidades en favor de las mujeres desfavorecidas”, es un magnifico ejemplo de cómo tanto la FAO, corno los países, han respondido al contenido del párrafo 15 xvi) de la Declaración de Principios de la Conferencia de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural referente a la participación de la mujer.

Igualmente nos parece acertada la labor desplegada en lo referente a la capacitación y extension para el desarrollo rural, sin embargo, pensamos que pudiera analizarse la posibilidad de incrementar los programas especiales de capacitación, especialmente para las mujeres y, muy fundamentalmente, para la mujer campesina, que incluyen hábitos de consumo, higiene de los alimentos y preparación de los mismos, entre otros aspectos.

En cuanto al seguimiento posterior de este importante tema, consideramos acertada la idea de la Secretaría en el sentido de que los países informen sobre los progresos realizados en el desarrollo rural des-pués de la ejecuciôn de sus Programas de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural y que dichos informes se presenten en el próximo período de sesiones de la Conferencia General en 1983. La importancia de estos informes está perfectamente recogida en el párrafo 18 del documento C 81/23. Asimismo, estamos de acuer-do con que el tema de las actividades complementarias de la Conferencia Mundial de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural sean incluidos en los programas de las próximas Conferencias Regionales.

La acción complementaria a nivel regional es muy importante, y si bien coincidimos en que el centro de esas actividades complementarias debe ser a nivel de país, consideramos que especialmente a través de los Centros Regionales de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural, recientemente constituidos para las regiones de Asia y el Pacífico, Africa y más recientemente aún, en septiembre de 1981, para América Latina, suministrarán el principal apoyo regional de los países mismos a la acción a nivel de países.

Esta Comisión, y lo que es más, esta Conferencia, deben instar a los Estados Miembros que no lo han hecho, a que se adhieran y apoyen a estos centros en las respectivas regiones en que se hayan estable-cido.

Con relación a la Cooperación con organizaciones no gubernamentales, es importante que tanto los Gobiernos Miembros como la FAO promuevan el desarrollo de organizaciones de pequeños agricultures haciendo especial hincapié en los más desposeídos. A nivel nacional es muy importante también la participación de las organizaciones no gubernamentales en la formulación de proyectos para la participación popular en su ejecución. En nuestro país, la Asociación Nacional de Agricultures Pequeños juega un rol importantísimo y prioritario en el desarrollo rural, siendo nuestros campesinos tanto beneficiarios como protagonistas de este desarrollo.

Igualmente vemos con interés y agrado la acción desplegada por la FAO al promover la cooperación económica entre países en desarrollo y la cooperación técnica entre países en desarrollo por conducto de grupos económicos regionales y los centros regionales de desarrollo rural, lo cual posibilita la promoción de proyectos de desarrollo rural interpaíses.

Una última cuestión a la que quisiéramos referirnos es a la necesidad de que se complementen los fondos mínimos de 20 millones de dólares a fin de poder movilizar más recursos para la acción complementaria


de la Conferencia Mundial de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural.

Una vez más, señor Presidente, agradecemos a.la FAO por permitirnos analizar este importante tema y esperamos que en reuniones tan importantes como la Conferencia General, Conferencias Regionales, Conse-jos y Comités de Agricultura se sigan analizando estas importantes actividades complementarias para dar cumplimiento al Programa de Acción aprobado en la Conferencia de 1979.

G. ERICSSON (Sweden): The following statement on document C 81/23 is made on behalf of the four Nordic countries, Denmark, England, Norway and Sweden. The Nordic countries were actively involved in the preparation of the WCARRD as well as in the Conference itself and we attach great importance to FAO’s work on the follow-up to the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. The resolutions adopted by that Conference are very much in conformity with our notion of major problems in the rural areas such as widespread poverty, low productivity in agriculture and a low rate of participation by peoples themselves in the development process.

Experience from several countries clearly shows how economic growth can only be a self-sustained process if the majority of the target group becomes actively involved. Economic growth can be achieved in the short run by concentrating development efforts on the relatively more educated opinion leaders in the local society. Sustained growth, however, is only possible if the target group as a whole can be actively involved in and reap the benefits of development efforts. We consider it important to favour the approach with regard to people’s participation that ascribes to participation the decisive role in the development.

There are two reasons behind this idea: firstly, the approach implies a strong belief in the ability of people to change their situation if the conditions for change are created. A development approach based on peoplefs participation does imply not only an attitude to good human relations but it simultaneously implies a decision on how a rapid economic growth can be achieved. Secondly, there is a strong relationship between the distribution of results of growth and people’s participation.

Participation of the target group in the choice, design and implementation of different development activities will increase the probability of achieving the social and economic equality in accordance with the WCARRD principles.

So far we have made general references to target groups. In the WCARRD context, the rural poor are often mentioned as a target group. Women in rural areas, landless people and the unemployed and under-employed are examples of other more specific target groups given in the WCARRD document. In this context, however, we would also like to draw this Commission’s attention to the fact that the United Nations have declared this year, 1981, the International Year for Disabled Persons. There is reason to underline that even people with disabilities of different kinds must be mobilized in and be able to benefit from the development work. Today there are some 500 million disabled persons in the world, not less than 400 million live in the developing countries and 80 percent of these in the rural areas. This clearly points to the need for including the disabled persons as one of the target groups for the WCARRD activities.

We believe that an important aspect of the follow-up to WCARRD will be to make it possible for these people to support themselves through productive work. A private project which includes such elements would, as a matter of fact, be desirable since it could provide valuable information and practical experience.

We trust that these specific remarks will be reflected in the Report of this Commission. We are informed that by July 1981 the total sum of U.S. $9 292 000 had been pledge in response to the 79th FAO Council Resolution 7/79 which called for contributions of extra-budgetary funds up to U.S. $20 million in the 5-year period, 1980-85. This means that only half the target set by the 20th Conference had been met. Only five countries have contributed and the Nordic countries have provided some 80 percent of the total sum pledged.

The Nordic countries would like to compliment FAO for its competence and dynamic approach in the utilization of available resources, as well as its attempts to mobilize new resources, which we hope will be forthcoming. Thus we note with satisfaction that 6.5 million U.S. dollars have been raised from various non-governmental organizations, and that 2.4 million dollars now have been supplied by the Islamic Development Bank. We strongly endorse these efforts by FAO for engaging the NGOs in


WCARRD activities. We feel this is very encouraging, the approach which has been taken vis-à-vis nongovernmental organizations. Several of these WCARRD type projects are likely to catalyse further investment. It is therefore very important that further funds can be raised as the follow-up of WCARRD progress.

The main criteria for selection of projects are the power of catalytic action and ability to mobilize existing local resources. This means that successful projects will have a catalysing effect. New projects may add further projects.

From the outset the Nordic countries have offered to cooperate through their aid agencies in the work of FAO on WCARRD follow-up. The role of women and people’s participation have been identified as key areas in the WCARRD approach, calling for re-examination of both the mortalities and contents of field projects and a deliberate orientation towards meeting the specific needs of small farmers and the rural poor. We are eager to incorporate the experiences made by FAO in our work and assistance strategy. We strongly support the monitoring and reporting system built into the action programme to ensure a continuing follow-up of WCARRD. The country reports on progress in rural developments, arising from the implementation of the various programmes, could provide a basis for a general analysis of the progress and problems in rural poverty.

The Nordic delegation would also like to raise a few other points. A truly coordinated approach will be a prerequisite, for success in the implementation of the WCARRD resolution. It is obvious that FAO has taken some important steps to coordinate WCARRD follow-up. Organizational arrangements have been made. The new orientation is reflected in the documents to FAO bodies, and in FAO technical publications. Furthermore a new staff orientation and training programme has been introduced to ensure this WCARRD orientation in all of FAO technical activities.

In regard to the field programme, a review and presentation of existing and new projects is being undertaken on the basis of WCARRD criteria and components. A very strong and efficient coordinating machinery is certainly needed if, as it is stated in Document C 81/4, paragraph 4.38, and I quote, “The influence of WCARRD and the rural development approach will in time permeate all of FAO’s field activities.” Unquote. However, it is not easy to see from the documents how this machinery is functioning in practice. We would, therefore, like to hear the Secretariat what sort of practical experiences FAO has had as to the coordination of the WCARRD follow-up. We believe that only with a strong element of people’s participation can rural development projects become self-sustaining and survive beyond the temporary input of external assistance. This is an area where considerable innovative thinking will be required by FAO/ The talk-down approach to identifying and implementing projects should be allowed to give way for an approach giving more emphasis to active people’s participation. However, we know that it is difficult to mobilize general participation in the strongly stratified society. In such societies the local elite tend to take over the control of local organization, and uses them to their own advantage. This risk is very real, as in many countries significant popular movements involving rural poor, rural women and landless people do not exist. Where popular movements do arise they are often undermined by the central bureaucracy. Aid efforts to force the cooperative development, for example, have often paradoxically meant support for the governmental organizations which have been created to organize and monitor cooperative societies. The essence of this programme is not only that people’s participation is difficult to achieve, it also presents a very delicate issue with regard to the relationship between the UN organization like FAO and governments. Political conflicts may arise. People’s participation is, in fact, impossible to initiate from the outside, without acceptance from the governments concerned. It is clear from paragraph 4.40 in Document C 81/4, Review of Field Programme, which we discussed the other day. A logical conclusion is that not all countries are susceptible to carrying out WCARRD type projects, at least not to the full extent as given by the principles. An interesting question is, therefore, how does FAO try to overcome this problem?

Then, Mr. Chairman, to end we are aware of all the difficulties which will be met in the implementation of the WCARRD follow-up action programme, but we do hope that the new efforts being made, we have been discussing during a number of years, the integrated rural development approach, but it seems to us now that the WCARRD follow-up programme has given a new direction, and we wish FAO success in that. We also will continue to, support in different ways, financial as well as by cooperating more directly these important fields of FAO activities. Thank you, Chairman.

CHAIRMAN (original language Arabic): I thank the delegate of Sweden. We have taken note of the questions he has asked. Dr. Nurul Islam will respond to those later. I shall now give the floor to the representative of India.


M. SANKARANARAYANAN (India): My delegation is deeply and sincerely appreciative and grateful for having been given permission to make our brief intervention at this juncture.

My delegation has very carefully considered the document C 81/23, follow-up of WCARRD. This, like all the other presentations of FAO for this conference, has been brought out with remarkable succinctness, simplicity and clarity. My delegation would, therefore, like to convey our appreciation to FAO for its efforts in the follow-up action taken by it subsequent to the World Conference on Agrarian Reforms and Rural Development, which took place in July 1979. All of us here are aware of the fact that FAO has played a very active role for the conclusion of the WCARRD programme of action, and this is already part, in a sense, of India’s development policy. India has participated in the regional follow-up consultations, and it has taken an active role in formulating specific recommendations appropriate to the Member countries of the regions. We have also agreed to collect data on a continuing basis on the lines suggested in the social economic indicators formulated by the FAO. However, since some of these indicators require modifications to suit local conditions a review is being effected. The Indian delegation would, therefore, urge the FAO to accelerate its efforts in monitoring rural development activities in Member countries, and in assisting them in priority areas.

The resolution of the FAO Conference had called for voluntary contributions by donor countries up to a target of 20 million dollars, as against which the total pledges up to July 1981 amounted to only 9.3 million dollars. The follow-up action on WCARRD has identified projects covering more than 12 million dollars. While, therefore, my delegation would commend the call of the FAO Conference for urgent commitments and allocation of at least 20 million dollars in voluntary contributions as per the resolution 7/79. My delegation would also suggest that the agencies of the UN system should be invited to allocate more resources to WCARRD follow-up activities, along with direct bilateral assistance. Our delegation would like to express its concern over this low funding of the total fund of 20 million dollars, and ask for more help for this purpose.

In conclusion, my delegation would like to inform all the other delegates of all other countries that we are fully implementing the programmes of agrarian reform, integrated rural development, national rural employment, etc. which are all signals of the competence of India’s sixth five-year plan, and which are fully consistent with the directions for the further follow-up activity suggested by WCARRD.

Sra. D. SANCHEZ (Colombia): Gracias Señor Presidente; muchas gracias también al Profesor Islam por la completa e interesante presentación que ha hecho del tema que nos ocupa.

La delegación de Colombia hará algunas observaciones acerca de cómo se ha venido cumpliendo lo dispuesto en la Resolución 7/79 de la pasada Conferencia, en relación con actividades complementarias de la Conferencia Mundial sobre Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural. Pensamos que se ha procedido bien al crear el Comité Interdepartamental y el Grupo Interdireccional sobre Desarrollo Rural en la sede, así como grupos de trabajo en las oficinas regionales, para que a través de esos mecanismos se haya movilizado el personal y los recursos de organización, en favor del implemento de las medidas dimanantes de esa importante Conferencia.

Pensamos que corresponde principalmente a la FAO, de acuerdo con los gobiernos, estimular los principios de equidad y la participación de la población en esas actividades, tal como está previsto en el Programa de Acción. Por ello, nos complace que se hayan elaborado proyectos complementarios orientados directamente a la población rural pobre, y financiados con fuentes extrapresupuestarias.

La FAO, en la medida de lo posible, deberá atender las peticiones de los gobiernos dentro de sus respec-tivas soberanîas para formular y ejecutar sus propios programas nacionales de reforma agraria y desarrollo rural.

En el párrafo 8, queremos destacar el hecho positivo de que las misiones de la FAO hayan preparado proyectos y actividades, en general dentro de los parámetros del Programa de Acción, y base de especîficas solicitudes de los gobiernos. De esos 50 proyectos, la mayorîa están destinados apromover la asistencia a las inversiones a más largo plazo, lo cual asegura la continuidad de los beneficios sociales. La participación popular es importante; ya lo dijo este Consejo en su anterior período de sesiones. Debe estimularse la participación de los grupos más vulnerables de la población campesina para que los beneficios de ese desarrollo rural lleguen directamente a los pequeños y medianos agricultores.

La delegación de Colombia ve con gran interés y suma importancia los programas de integración de la mujer en el desarrollo, y espera que el método doble que está adoptando la FAO, de integrar en los programas de actividades complementarias un fuerte componente relativo a la mujer, de modo que esta orientación llegue a formar parte integrante de todos los programas ordinarios y actividades de campo de la FAO,


y la acción de la comunidad en favor de las mujeres rurales desfavorecidas tenga un éxito rotundo, se extienda a todos los países donde deba implantarse y se convierta la FAO en la abanderada de mejorar las condiciones socioeconómicas de la mujer y utilizar así su invaluable aporte para el desarrollo.

Tambiên sobre enseñanza, capacitación y extensión nos preocupamos en América Latina. En abril de este año, 22 países de América Latina y del Caribe participaron en un simposio regional sobre el reforzamien-to de los sistemas rurales de extensión en América Latina, en el cual se consideraron medios posibles para orientar y reforzar los sistemas de extensión en favor de los pequeños agricultores.

Al final del párrafo 14, quisiéramos preguntar a la Secretarîa en qué fecha va a celebrarse en América Latina, la consulta interpaíses para cooperación técnica entre países en desarrollo en capacitación, consulta que deberá ser financiada por el PNUD.

La delegación de Colombia piensa que las Conferencias Regionales son foros adecuados para estos temas. Por ello, estamos de acuerdo en que este asunto siga figurando en los programas de las conferencias regionales de 1982.

En el marco de América Latina y el Caribe, nuestros representantes de Gobiernos, se reunieron en Caracas, Venezuela, del 8 al 11 de septiembre pasado, y decidieron crear el Centro Regional de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural, con sede en Quito, Ecuador.

Esperamos que la FAO y los demás organismos competentes de las Naciones Unidas y fuera de éstas, apoyen nuestro Centro Regional. Debemos solicitar el apoyo de los donantes que quieran contribuir directamente a este Centro, así como a los demás centros de otras regiones. Pensamos que la FAO viene cumpliendo bien su función de Organización líder en las responsabilidades que se le atribuyen en el Capítulo XII del Programa de Acción, y la resolución de la Conferencia Mundial sobre Actividades Complementarias, muy bien igualmente que la FAO, esté colaborando con otros organismos componentes de las Naciones Unidas, en su condición de organismo principal del grupo de acción del CAC sobre desarrollo rural.

Para lograr buenos éxitos en estos campos se requiere el apoyo total de la comunidad internacional, incluidas las organizaciones no gubernamentales. Debemos insistir en una mayor financiación para los proyectos en países que lo soliciten. Lamentamos que solo se haya alcanzado la mitad de los 20 millones de dólares extrapresupuestarios solicitados por la Conferencia pasada en la Resolución 7/79, sólo cinco países han hecho contribuciones, y sería inconcebible que se dejaran de financiar por carencia de recursos los proyectos ya identificados por 12 millones de dólares y los nuevos que habrán de presentarse. Hay que hacer un llamado a los donantes en este sentido.

Al mismo tiempo agradecer a China, a los países escandinavos, a Norteamérica y a la República Federal de Alemania, a los organismos árabes de financiación y a todos los que hayan ofrecido contribuciones y seguramente las seguirán haciendo en el futuro.

En el Capítulo VIII Resumen de la cuestiones para consideración de esta Conferencia, estamos de acuerdo en general con esos planteamientos; en particular, con la necesidad de que los gobiernos de países en desarrollo concedan más alta prioridad al desarrollo rural y a los beneficios a las clases más desposeídas, la conveniencia de asegurar a los campesinos un mayor acceso a la tierra, a los insuπюs y servicios, y la presentación de informes por parte de los países sobre el seguimiento de estas actividades y el asesoramiento de la FAO para que los gobiernos elaboren esos informes en forma adecuada, que permita una evaluación real de la situación.

J. BARBOSA (Portugal): C’est avec les félicitations de ma délégation pour les progrès réalisés dans la mise en oeuvre des suites données à la Conférence mondiale sur la réforme agraire et le développement rural, que je vais évoquer les mesures prises dans mon pays.

La réforme agraire, qui a consisté au Portugal en des occupations de terres des grandes propriétés de l’Alentejo et de quelques propriétés de Ribatejo, est un sujet de grande préoccupation pour le gouvemement qui s’efforce de légaliser les situations irrégulières en appliquant la loi de base de la réforme agraire, approuvée par l’Assemblée de la République.

Cette loi prévoit la distribution de terres aux petits agriculteurs, aux fermiers et aux métayers, après avoir attribué à l’ancien propriétaire la part qui lui revient, suivant l’évaluation de la propriété et le système de “ponctuation” institué par la loi. Les terres expropriées ou nationalisées qui étaient gérées par l’Etat sont divisées en parcelles constituant des unités économiques qui sont distribuées aux` intéressés.


Les nouveaux agriculteurs bénéficient de l’appui technique, administratif et comptable, y compris la formation professionnelle, l’application de techniques appropriées dans la planification et l’exécution des programmes d’exploitation, la concession de crédits, de facteurs et de moyens de production, l’enregistrement comptable, développement associatif et, à titre supplétif, d’équiρements.

Quant aux exploitations de petite dimension qui existent surtout dans le Nord du pays, la loi de base de la réforme agraire en prévoit le dimensionnement physique et économique moyennant les mesures suivantes: promotion de l’intégration coopérative horizontale et de la constitution de cooperatives complémentaires de production; promotion du remembrement, de l’affermage ou de l’acquisition de parcelles ou de proprietés, interdiction de la division des propriétés et des exploitations inférieures à des limites fixées, droits de préférence à la vente et à l’affermage de propriétés et concession d’une pension de réforme ou d’une rente viagère pour abandon des exploitations.

A ce sujet, je dois ajouter qu’il y a beaucoup de petites exploitations agricoles qui, n’ayant pas des divisions physiques ou économiques convenables, sont cultivées à temps partiel par des propriétaires qui sont des ouvriers travaillant dans des activites proches des champs.

Je dois ajouter encore que ces pluriactivitês ont une très grande importance dans les régions de mon pays où les ouvriers de l’industrie et du commerce font de l’agriculture à temps partiel avec l’aide de leurs femmes et de leurs enfants sur de très petites parcelles.

Depuis quelque temps, nous avons des contacts avec la FAO et avec certains pays qui ont déjà étudié le problème, envisageant un projet sur le terrain.

Nous souhaitons qu’un tel projet réussisse, en tenant compte du fait que beaucoup de families habitent dans les environs des villes et villages plus importants du Nord du Portugal, et qui sont éventuellement intéressées. Les pluriactivités seront probablement incluses dans un programme de la FAO. On projette le remembrement de 15 000 hectares dans le Bas-Mondego, de 11 600 hectares dans le Tras-os-Montes et de 6 000 ha dans la Gova da Beira. Dans le Bas-Mondego, l’Etat procède à l’acquisition de proprietés en vue de leur distribution aux termes de la loi sur le remembrement.

Quant aux autres propriétés qui ne peuvent être divisées en unités économiques viables, après l’attribution des réserves aux anciens propriétaires, elles sont retirées des superficies variables en vue de leur distribution â de petits agriculteurs, fermiers et métayers.

Une législation de 1979 définit plus rigoureusement les objectifs à atteindre pour l’agriculture de groupe et énonce les principes qui doivent en réglementer la constitution et le fonctionnement.

Le domaine et le concept en sont étendus à d’autres modalités d’ssociation, y compris l’intégration partielle des exploitations et l’utilisation de l’équipement en commun.

Les associations constituées pourront contribuer à surmonter une grande partie des obstacles découlant des insuffisances structurelles, en particulier en ce qui concerne la nature foncière et l’organisation des entreprises localisées dans les régions de petite propriété qui se limitent à leur fonction de subsistance.

Un autre texte de loi de la même année tend à modifier la structure par âges de la population active agricole où 27 % a moins de 35 ans, représentant 11 % des entrepreneurs agricoles.

Sont déjà créées les conditions nécessaires en vue de préparer, d’encourager et de fixer les jeunes qui désirent exercer une activité agricole sous la forme d’entreprises individuelles ou collectives.

Nous trouvons dans le programme du gouvernement les objectifs envisagés qui englobent totalement le pays et la zone de la réforme agraire en particulier. En effet, les principaux objectifs de la politique agricole globale, définie dans le programme du gouvernement pour 1981, visent l’amélioration des conditions économiques et sociales de la population rurale, l’augmentation de la production et de la productivité, la protection des ressources naturelles et la reconstitution des ressources renouvelables.

Des mesures d’une portée générale ont été prises relativement au problème du crédit et de l’assurance agricole, forestière et des récoltes, à la coopération, à l’enseignement agricole et à la formation professionnelle, ainsi qu’à l’aide aux zones rurale défavorisées. Diverses actions ont été entreprises portant sur l’usage de la terre, la production agro-pastorale et forestière, ainsi que sur la commercialisation et la transformation des produits. On s’efforce d’adapter la politique agricole aux règlements, aux directives et aux résolutions de la CEE.


Le financement concédé à l’agriculture (et aux pêches) est centralisé à l’Institut d’appui au développement de l’agriculture et des pêches (IFADAP). En 1979, a été crée le Système de financement à l’agriculture et aux pêches (SIFAP) qui, par respect des normes et des règies de l’IFADAP est chargé des opérations de crédits, de bonification d’intérêts, de garantie et de subventions. Ce système est entré en fonctionnement en 1980.

En 1980 a été institué le “Programme de financement concédé aux fermiers ruraux” (PAR), destiné à donner aux agriculteurs travaillant en régime de fermage la possibilité d’acquérir les propriétés qu’ils exploitent, moyennant un systéme d’appui technique et financier. Le crédit sera concédé pour un délai de 20 ans, à faible intérêt.

L’assurance agricole a été instituée en septembre 1979 et les opérations correspondantes ont commencé en avril 1980. L’assurance couvre les risques suivants: incendie, foudre, explosions, tornades, trombes d’eau, grêle et gelées affectant les cultures.

En octobre 1980, a été publié le Code coopératif qui a institùé officiellement le “coopératisme”, texte légal unique qui englobe les dispositions sur la matière jusque là dispersées ou dépassées.

La formation professionnelle a englobé une vaste gamme d’enseignement des simples tailleurs d’arbres ou greffeurs, à la préparation d’agents en vulgarisation, d’agents de coopérative, de comptables et de gestion-naires.

L’enseignement de l’agriculture dans les écoles primaires et secondaires et dans les universités, complète la préparation technique à tous les niveaux des professionnels qui se consacrent aux problèmes agricoles.

La politique des prix tend à garantir au producteur une rémunération juste et, en même temps, à protéger les consommateurs. En 1981, comme chaque année, on a continué à déterminer les prix de beaucoup de produits agricoles.

On a défini les relations de travail entre entrepreneurs et travailleurs ruraux; on a fixé l’horaire de travail, le régime des congés annuels et d’autres privilèges sociaux, de manière à tenter d’aligner la situation de ces travailleurs sur celles des travailleurs d’autres activités. Le salaire minimum a été ajusté.

On s’attache à la rationalisation de la structure du Ministère de l’agriculture, du commerce et des pêches, en vue de garantir une meilleure articulation entre les organes périphériques et les organes centraux; l’activité des services de vulgarisation et d’assistance technique a été intensifée. On ne peut pas dire que le suivi de la réforme agraire dans mon pays soit en accord avec toutes les résolutions de la Conférence mondiale, mais, compte tenu de l’énvolution politique qui s’est déroulée et des conséquences dans la constitution des gouvernements depuis 1979, nous croyons que les efforts qu’on est en train de faire aboutiront à des résultats satisfaisants.

J. NEUMANN (Czechoslovakia): May I also begin by expressing our appreciation of Dr. Islam’s introductory statement.

I would like to make some comments regarding document C 81/23.

We are glad to note that the FAO follow-up action to the conclusions of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development has already shown significant progress.

I wish to reiterate the standpoint of my delegation, as well as that of other socialist countries expressed during WCARRD, which is mainly that agrarian reforms have to be considered as a large complex of political and economic questions, including the removal of striking economic discrepancies in countries and regions. By no means can agrarian reform be implemented as a simple technical matter.

May I refer to the positive historical experience of my country and to the completely successful development of the large-scale and highly productive socialist cooperative agriculture, as shown in FAO statistics on Czechoslovakia for several years.


May I mention here the cooperative or state farms, I believe that any well organized modernised pilot plant is important also for the small farmer as a demonstration unit: it allows him to gain experience and learn the appropriate technology, which means greater progress in agricultural development.

It would be impossible to find a developing country which has not lived through a period of liberation wars and of damage to its food production. We strongly believe that, without fertilizers, pesticides, energy inputs and other components of modern agriculture, a rapid increase in production is impossible.

Agrarian reform and rural development vary according to social and economic systems. We are confident that the cooperative movement will be the main solution for the poor small farmer, providing him with access to the technological means of high productivity.

In the whole European region, at the beginning of agrarian revolutions, access to agricultural credit for the small farm was essential. This is also valid for other regions.

Exaggeration of private capital’s contribution to rural development is extremely dangerous, because the objective of such an idea, in reality, is to support the return to the multinationals. This should be refused by the developing countries.

Allow me to emphasize the important role of the forestry sector for rural development and for intensification of agricultural food production.

In conclusion, my delegation would like to insist that the WCARRD follow-up be planned and implemented in such a way as to be sure that the farm level is ultimately reached.

M. SALAMEH (Syria)(original language Arabic): I should like to thank the Assistant Director General for his excellent presentation yesterday. I would also like to thank the Secretary General for the document we have in our hands which covers all the aspects of the problem, whether economic or social.

Bearing in mind the agrarian reform in my own country which has continued to expand from the first five-year plan - we are now on our fifth - and taking into account the encouragement which we in our country give to popular participation in development, together with the active participation of women in this process in the different sectors of the national economy, and in line with the follow-up to the FAO’s conference on agrarian reform and rural development, our delegation is satisfied with what has been achieved in this field. We feel that the efforts of the organization have borne fruit thanks to the operational arrangements adopted by headquarters administration also thanks to the executive measures at regional and national level. In addition, the numerous missions aimed at following up this conference, have met with success.

My delegation also feels that world agrarian reform has borne fruit and is beginning to have a history of its own; it has its negative aspects as well as its positive ones. We hope that the next study or follow-up carried out by the FAO will give examples from experience in the world, examples from socialist countries as well as those with centrally planned economies. As mentioned by several delegations, we also wish to see among these studies an example of the definition of the area of agricultural land which best corresponds to the efforts of the individual or the famility for an optimal economic and technical working of this land. The follow-up of WCARRD has always linked the growth expected from agrarian reform and rural devlopment with social justice, as mentioned in paragraph 4 of the document. The question of land tenure is still, and will remain, a subject of controversy between the different systems in the world, some opt for the right to legal heritage to property ownership and others assert, that the land is for those who cultivate it. Finally, we believe that what is in this document and the actions to be taken in the future deserve every support from the donor countries so that we may attain an objective of $20 millions.

K. CHOUERI (Liban)(Langue originale arabe): Je voudrais tout d’abord, au nom de la delegation de mon pays, vous dire combien nous sommes attaches au progrès realise dans les suites données à la Conference mondiale de la reforme agraire et du développement rural.

Nous voudrions faire quelques commentaires sur les points fondamentaux exposés dans le document dont nous débattons.


En ce qui concerne les stratégies du développement rural, mon pays, au cours de l’année dernière, a coopéré avec la FAO en application du Programme de travail pour élaborer une stratégie de développement agricole à moyen et à long terme. Nous n’avons pas pu étendre cette stratégie aux questions de développement rural, car l’Etat libanais a dû laisser en suspens un certain nombre de questions de développement pour assurer le minimum de besoins vitaux des citoyens, compte tenu des circonstances difficiles que traverse notre pays.

Nous avons convoqué une réunion qui se tiendra au debut de l’année prochaine au Liban pour débattre de cette stratégie en vue de son adoption par le gouvernement.

En ce qui concerne les domaines de travail, nous avons oeuvré en vue de l’intégration de la femme au développement. Nous avons donné des primes d’encouragement à toutes les femmes qui travaillent dans le domaine de la sériciculture afin d’améliorer leurs conditions de vie.

Pour ce qui est du paragraphe 36 iv relatif aux consultations régionales, nous avons oeuvré et continuons de le faire dans le cadre des activités régionales, et nous demandons que des ressources financières soient allouées pour parvenir à un niveau minimum d’autosuffisance dans les récoltes vivrières, parce que c’est l’une des priorités qui intéressent notre région. Nous demanderons également que des dons ou des prêts favorisés soient accordés aux pays défavorisés de la région, afin qu’ils puissent mettre en oeuvre leurs stratégies nationales, lors des prochaines réunions.

Enfin, pour ce qui est du paragraphe 36.7, le financement, on avait demandé des contributions volontaires extrabudgétaires. Il est apparu que les fonds disponibles ne suffisent pas à la mise en exécution des projets qui ont déjà été définis. C’est pourquoi nous invitons les pays Conateurs à bien vouloir apporter leur contribution pour atteindre l’objectif de 20 millions de dollars, conformément à la Résolution 7/79 de la Conférence.

De même, nous invitons les institutions des Nations Unies à consacrer des ressources accrues au suivi de la CMRADR.

Enfin, nous sommes satisfaits des efforts déployés par la FAO, qui est l’institution pilote de toutes les actions de développement rural, et du travail du Comité de coordination administrative; et nous demandons à la Conférence de réaffirmer le besoin d’une coopération accrue entre les institutions intéressées qui s’occupent des suites données à la CMRADR.

Enfin, pour ce qui est de l’orientation future du travail, nous invitons la Conférence à maintenir la priorité accordée au développement rural dans le prochain Programme de travail et budget et nous demandons l’introduction de projets de terrain adaptés au développement rural. Dans ce domaine, nous sommes heureux de constater ce qu’entreρrend la FAO pour assurer la décentralisation, et nous sommes heureux également de constater ce que fait la FAO pour le renforcement des projets régionaux, ce qui ne peut qu’améliorer la situation de l’homme qui, après tout, est le capital de base de toute opération de développement.

Nous tenons compte de la nécessité de parvenir au développement grâce à l’équite et à la participation, comme l’a demandé le Programme de travail de la Conférence mondiale.

P.M. AMUKOA (Kenya): My delegation would like to thank the Secretariat for producing document C 81/23 on the follow-up to WCARRD, and for Nurul Islam for his brilliant introduction to the subject yesterday.

Mr. Chairman, the WCARRD recommendations are a major challenge to individual nations on the one hand and the international community on the other regarding their commitment to equitable development within national borders and at the international level. Debates in these chambers give the impression, sometimes, that all that is required is action by the international community and that the good things of life are not being enjoyed by all because the international community is insensitive to the problem of the under-privileged. Actually, there is some truth in this, but what WCARRD does is to delineate clearly those areas in which the input is surely national and those areas where the international community can be expected to play a significant role. This statement is only being made here to dramatise the real dilemma before us and draw our attention to the problems surrounding the activities of catalytic agencies such as FAO whose job is to precipitate action by others.


Mr. Chairman, the WCARRD recommendations on national policies of Agrarian Reform and Rural Dvelopment are in line with our own practices which we have been pursuing diligently for nearly 20 years. The key element in our strategies is the continued emphasis on the small-holder in production and all other fields of rural endeavour. In order to achieve a meaningful participation by the small-holder in these activities, in Kenya we have redistributed land to small-holders either individually on small plots or cooperatively. This is a well publicised settlement programme which includes also irrigation settlements and other irrigation works. We have also adjudicated, consolidated and registered originally communally held land for easier access to credit and also to create incentive for massive investments from savings. We have also secured the participation of the people at different levels. Self-help groups have been the key to successful rural development. Projects have covered water, schools, health centres, roads and so on. Cooperatives, of which there are 800 in agriculture alone with a membership of 600’000, benefiting about 5 million people, have been the channel for small-holder agricultural credit, the procurer of other farm inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, besides of course being marketing agents.

The youth have been encouraged to undertake agricultural hobbies which have made them more useful in helping their largely illiterate parents in deciphering extension instructions.

Our women have always played a major role in rural development and my delegation would like to pay tribute here to their initiative. The Government has now set-up a Women’s Bureau in the Ministry of Culture and Social Services in order to collaborate with and assist existing Women’s Groups whose apex organization is Maendeleo ya Wanawake which means Women’s Progress. These groups are engaged primarily in agricultural projects and household improvement.

The farmers’ groups which are based on the Cooperative Movement are very articulate regarding the needs of their members. It would be unthinkable, for example, for major policy decisions to be made, affecting farmers, without involving in one way or another such organizations as the Kenya National Farmers’ Union, Kenya Farmers Association, the Kenya National Federation of Cooperatives, the Kenya Cooperative Creameries, the Kenya Planters Cooperative Union, the Kenya Horticultural Cooperative Union and Maendeleo ya Wanawake on behalf of women. We have ensured farmer access to inputs by establishing institutions to cater for the especial interests of farmers and especially the small-holders. The Agricultural Finance Corporation provides seasonal medium and long term credit to farmers; The Cooperative Bank of Kenya provides credit to cooperative organizations and is now mobilizing rural savings by also operating like a normal bank; The Cereals and Sugar Finance Corporation backstops the operations of the Agricultural Finance Corporation in seasonal credit; adjudication, consolidation and registration enables the small-holder to get individual loans. As a result 85 per cent of agricultural credit goes to small farmers.

The Agricultural Development Corporation ensures the availability of good seeds and animal species. Statutory Boards and cooperatives market the farmers’ crop and the cooperative also handles inputs.

Village Polytechnics have been instrumental in supporting the development of non-farm rural activities including agro-industries such as tanning of leather.

The farmer has access to information and knowledge through extension workers, the Farmers’ Training Centres, the Department of Social Services and other bodies, and also farmers’ periodicals.

In this work we must acknowledge the contribution of the FAO and other international organizations and individual national donors who have been able to assist in areas of especial interest to them. Therefore the coordinating efforts of the FAO should be continued and we hope that budget and extra-budgetary funds will be made available for continuation of this work. Specifically we re-endorse resolution 7/79 which called for the urgent commitment and allocation of at least US$20 million in voluntary contributions.

We would like further to invite other UN agencies and bilateral donors to allocate more resources for WCARRD follow-up action.

We are grateful for the setting up of the Regional Rural Development Centre at Arusha and invite donors to contribute directly to that Centre.

We also hope that the FAO Regional Conference for Africa in 1982 will find time to discuss further WCARRD action. We hope that there will be continued inter-agency cooperation, and as reports on action to implement WCARRD are reviewd by FAO, we hope that these will be crystallized into a comprehensive document to facilitate consideration.

Thank you Mr. Chairman.


V. STIPETIC (Yugoslavia): Thank you Mr. Chairman for permitting me to participate in our discussion concerned with the Follow up of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. A very good concise paper is before us and I would like to compliment the Secretariat for this excellent paper. Also the illuminating introduction by Nurul Islam helped us a lot. My Government regards agrarian reform in many countries as a prerequisite for faster rural and agricultural development for which we as United Nations bodies are claiming.

Starting from pur own Yugoslav experience we can see how one deep long-lasting agrarian reform could mobilise millions of poor peasants and the landless rural labour in a national effort to better use of agricultural resources, resulting in higher yields and higher productivity of rural labour which stimulates the overall economic growth. As one measure of efficiency of such agrarian reform we could use the long range growth of Yugoslav agriculture which in the past 35 years amounted to 3.1 per cent yearly surpassing the population growth by 2 per cent yearly. The rural exodus which followed the industrialisation, with millions leaving agricultural occupations enabled us to create larger, more efficient units of production in agriculture, with higher yields for the owners, with steadily raising real income of farming people. In that respect agrarian reform in the light of the Yugoslav experience might be regarded as initial, so called big push for faster sustained growth of the economy.

We welcome the efforts of FAO in follow up of the conference, as well as methods by which FAO is doing that, namely FAO is integrating the follow up into its existing organization and the work of FAO rather than to create separate organizational units.

This, as can be seen from the document before us, enabled FAO to deal efficiently with the problems arising and making a saving in the total cost of FAO. We would like to see these methods applied on the other projects within the UN system, thus building up the much needed efficiency of the whole system. It is interesting that the regional bodies which were created are going to be autonomous, largely self-financed, inter-governmental organizations working through designated national institutions to provide a regional network of national institutions for research, training, information and action for rural development as is mentioned in paragraph 22 of the document.

We further welcome the monitoring programme which goes under the aegis of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. We hope that the collection on a regular basis of quantitative data on the level and distribution of rural income, the consumption and nutrition of rural people, the availability and accessibility of health care, education and other public services to the rural people, levels of real wages for agricultural labour as well as figures concerned with the distribution of land and other productive assets will become available in time for the next conference of FAO in 1983 and will be placed on the agenda of this conference, as indicated in paragraph 16.

Finally, my country supports the statement of the Secretariat presented in paragraphs 32 - 34 of the document. It is really needed to cover the discrepancy between the already identified costs under the WCARRD follow-up amounting to more than US$ 12 million and the contribution which reached only US$ 9.3 million. My delegation would in that respect support the move of our Indian colleague expressed in this Commission that we should have a call or an appeal to all donor countries and to the other international agencies to cover those US$ 20 million since early commitments of funds would enable us to have forward planning in this essential field of our activities.

A. BOUZOUBAA (Maroc) (langue originale arabe): Je voudrais tout d’abord rendre hommage à M. Islam pour l’excellent expose qu’il nous a présenté au sujet du suivi de la Conférence mondiale de la réforme agraire et du développement 1979. J’aimerais également remercier la FAO pour le rôle qu’elle a bien voulu entreprendre au sujet de la coordination des politiques nationales dans le domaine de la réforme agraire ainsi que pour l’appui et que le soutien qu’elle apporte dans ce domaine pour réaliser les objectifs de ladite Conférence.

Le Royaume du Maroc était parmi les pays d’avant-garde dans ce domaine, étant donné que nous étions convaincus que la réforme agraire était nécessaire pour le développement, puisque depuis 1966 nous avons établi le cadre juridique pour récupérer les terres qui étaient entre les mains des étrangers et les répartir entre les petits paysans sans terre et ceux qui en possédaient très peu. Nous avons réformé le système foncier en général et celui de l’irrigation en particulier.

Mon pays a déjà exprimé les principes sur lesquels se base l’expérience marocaine dans la réforme agraire, et ce lors de la Conférence mondiale de réforme agraire et de développement rural.


Je voudrais ici donner un bref aperçu de l’évolution dans ce domaine depuis la tenue de la Conférence en question. Au niveau de l’infrastructure, le Ministère de l’agriculture a institué une division qui trai-te de la réforme agraire et de la vulgarisation pour étudier la situation de la propriété foncière afin de l’améliorer, d’assurer la bonne répartition des terres au profit des paysans, et d’organiser les paysans qui ont bénéficié d’une telle redistribution, et ce par le biais d’un centre de coopératives. Parmi les superficies redistribuées jusqu’à ce jour, nous citerons 340 000 hectares dont ont bénéficié 24 000 families rurales, dans le cadre de 700 coopératives de production et de services. Dans la distribution de ces territoires, nous avons veillé à l’aspect social pour que ces territoires redistribués soient cultivables et répartis sur le plus grand nombre possible de families rurales, et nous avons également tenu compte de l’aspect économique, afin de réaliser des exploitations rentables, pour pouvoir assurer leur développement futur.

Le programme de réforme appliqué au Maroc englobe trois catégories de terrains. D’abord les terres qui étaient propriété de l’Etat, qui avaient été récupérées aux Colons étrangers, et les terres communales ou tribales en les donnant aux ayant-droits parmi les petitg paysans, et les terres qui avaient été dis-tribuées dans le remembrement des petites propriétés.

Nous avons également entrepris, dans le domaine de la réforme agraire, une étude d’évaluation d’une an-née, pour évaluer les terres distribuées, en tenant compte de la bonne exploitation et de la bonne ges-tion de ces terres, de leur rendement au niveau économique et social, et des améliorations devant y être apportées. Cette évaluation nous a permis de tirer des conclusions et des indicateurs économiques et so-ciaux, au moyen desquels nous pourrons à l’avenir suivre le progrès realise dans ce secteur. En outre le gouvernement de mon pays a pris des mesures pour relever le revenu des paysans de façon générale, en par-ticulier de ceux qui ont bénéficié de la redistribution des terres grâce à la réforme agraire. Parmi ces mesures: diminuer le prix des terres redistribuées et augmenter les prix des produits agricoles et per-mettre leur commercialisation dans des coopératives, fournir aux paysans tous les moyens de production dans des conditions favorables et à des prix subventionnés par la caisse de l’Etat.

Il nous semble que toute mesure de réforme doit tenir compte des aspects sociaux en plus des aspects éco-nomiques, et à ce titre doit veiller à ce que les terres redistribuées soient hautement productives. C’est là l’un des meilleurs moyens de mesurer notre travail et nos efforts. Cela est primordial pour le succès de la bonne réforme agraire.

Le succès de la réforme agraire et du développement rural dépend de l’amélioration du niveau de vie du paysan qui est le principal exécuteur de décisions et de l’application des politiques nationales. A ce stade, au Maroc et dans le cadre de programmes intégrés, nous veillons à créer le climat favorable pour que les paysans demeurent sur leurs terres, en leur fournissant toutes les facilités nécessaires au niveau économique et social. Cela permet à ces paysans de participer à leur propre essor et nous incitons également la femme au village à porticiper à l’exécution des programmes de développement.

Pour ce qui est de la vulgarisation, qui est un moyen d’aide au développement, et d’amélioration des moyens et des conditions de production, nos programmes nationaux veillent à améliorer la vulgarisation, et à former le personnel féminin et masculin dans toutes les régions du Maroc. Nous assurons l’harmonisation des programmes de développement et la satisfaction des besoins de chaque région en vue de faire participer les paysans eux-mêmes à ces programmes. Je saisis cette occasion pour remercier la FAO pour l’assistance qu’elle accorde à mon pays dans ce domaine.

J’aimerais, pour conclure, réaffirmer notre conviction que la réforme agraire nécessite une volonté politique de la part des gouvernements. II n’y a pas un modèle idéal pour la réforme agraire. Néan-moins il faudrait que toute expérience émane de et soit conforme à la situation réelle du pays et à ses caractéristiques.

A. GAYOSO (United States of America): It is in the nature of human beings and institutions to sublimate away from difficult tasks in life. The FAO Secretariat should be proud of the fact that such has not been its attitude concerning the follow-up to WCARRD. Both the working document and Mr. Islam’s presentation abundantly illustrate the persistence with which follow-up efforts are being carried out by FAO. Such persistence and commitment to these efforts are fundamental preconditions to equitable rural development, especially when, in the short run, problems which result precisely from land tenure inequity and lack of rural development constantly compete for our attention and our limited resources.

It is of especial significance to us in the United States that the WCARRD and now the Secretariat are giving popular participation the primary, the noble role it deserves, for we believe that the rural system of economically and politically free men and women can only be achieved when economic and political power are equitably shared.


Thus, the capacity to organize, to meet to decide without undue outside interference has been and remains the fundamental precondition to successful rural development. Experience shows abundantly that successful food and agricultural producers have possessed those crucial features.

To conclude, the U.S. delegation wants to reiterate its continuous support for the WCARRD action programme and the ways in which FAO is carrying out its follow-up. We welcome and support its emphasis and look forward to sharing our experiences with other delegations when the reporting system for seeing in the action programme starts during the next FAO Conference.

YUSOF bin KHALID (Malaysia): My delegation first of all would like to commend the Secretariat for the concise review on the follow-up of WCARRD as contained in document C 81/23 and also thank Professor Islam for the very comprehensive presentation yesterday. The document has outlined the progress made in the implementation of the Conference resolution 7/79 on the follow-up of WCARRD. We are generally satisfied with the progress made. My delegation is happy to note that FAO has taken all possible action to implement the various decisions made during the 20th Session of the Conference.

One of the major steps taken was to integrate the WCARRD orientation and activities into the present framework of FAO in order to achieve the objectives of WCARRD. My delegation would also like to commend FAO for the organizational arrangements made and for directing the necessary resources and manpower of the Organization for the realization of the resolution adopted on WCARRD.

Mr. Chairman, to assist developing countries in the implementation of WCARRD follow-up programmes, direct financial support is required. We are concerned that contributions of extrabudgetary resources of up to $20 million for the period 1981-85 has not yet been met. We are grateful to che Director-General for his untiring efforts to secure the target pledges and we hope that member countries could come forward in meeting the required resources.

We fully agree that WCARRD follow-up programme of action be incorporated into the national agricultural and rural development plan. In Malaysia, the implementation of our rural and agricultural development programmes, as embodied in our New Economic Policy is in consonance with the guidelines and principles adopted by WCARRD. We have in our programmes stressed the importance of people’s participation, integration of women in rural development, farmers training, agricultural extension and monitoring and evaluation of the programmes implemented. Those elements are, no doubt, important criteria for the successful implementation of Rural Development and we feel that they could contribute a great deal in the implementation of the programmes. Further, the new approach towards rural development, through Integrated Development Projects could be considered in future activities of the Rural Development programme.

At the regional level, the concept of TCDC could be applied fully, in which countries could consult and exchange experiences in implementing the WCARRD programme of action, besides defining areas of possible technical cooperation among themselves.

In this respect, my delegation would like to extend our appreciation to FAO and the Regional office for Asia and Pacific, and the host country, Bangladesh, for convening the Second Government Counsultation for Asia and Southwest Pacific on follow-up of WCARRD from May 19-25, 1981. Malaysia took part in that consultation and was fully satisfied with the outcome of the meeting. That meeting expressed the need for regular consultations between various agencies involved in the implementation of WCARRDfs plan of action. We fully support the proposals made.

Mr. Chairman, my delegation would like to touch on the regional centre for integrated rural development. In order for the centre to be the repository of information and experience and for it to carry activities which are regional specific, and specific to the needs of the countries in the region, it should further be supported and strengthened.

Finally, in view of the importance of WCARRD programme of action in the rural development programme of the developing countries, and that the progress made should be sustained, the Malaysian delegation fully supports the activities as contained in pages 8 and 9 of the document.

Thank you,.Mr. Chairman.


W.A.F. GRABISCH (Germany, Federal Republic of) (original language German): My delegation would like to thank the Secretariat for the document C 81/23. We believe this gives a good survey of the progress of the decisions taken at the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. We would also like to thank you for the Progress Reports which were given by a number of delegates here today. One of the priority areas of the development policy of the Federal Republic of Germany, is rural development. Regarding its concept for rural development, I would like to quote, “The object of cooperation is to improve the structure of rural areas by means of productive and diversified agriculture, an efficient infrastructure, and the establishment of decentralized handicraft and small-scale production centres. This also creates jobs. Main target areas of these policies are the small-scale farmers and the landless poor.” End of quotation. In this connection perhaps I could remind us about what the Minister of Agriculture of my country said at the Plenary on the 10th of November. He stressed that the share of agricultural development aid as part of our total development aid increased from 13 percent in 1979 to 20 percent in 1980. In this year, 1981, our country will provide about DM 1.3 billion for agricultural aid in developing countries. This is more than a third of our total development aid. My country on the basis of concrete projects, which are classified within the follow-up to WCARRD, tries to make a contribution to a more intensive cooperation between FAO and non-governmental organizations. The Konrad Adenauer Foundation has already approved a feasibility study which, from the view of the Latin American partners, looks at the possibility of a mobile adviser team of FAO for self-help organizations. We generally judge FAOτs thinking positively, that in the future greater attention should be given to self-help organizations in the rural areas. We think that close cooperation is not only more important with non-governmental organizations in the developing countries, but also with non-governmental organizations from the industrialized countries, who are active in development policy, than the traditional relationships between FAO and Member Governments.

The German Foundation for International Development made a medium-term arrangement in 1979 with the FAO on cooperation for promoting self-help. Within this framework this foundation holds regional meetings and training courses for rural development and peoples participation. The first possibility to discuss the promotion of self-help organizations of rural poor people with governmental and non-governmental organizations in the region was provided at an international meeting which was organized jointly by FAO, the German Foundation for International Development and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. This was held in December 1980 in Quito. The German Foundation for International Development also organized in July 1981 a meeting in Bonn for donor organizations to discuss the approach to development measures, and the new mechanism for the implementation of these measures, as well as the projects which have been submitted. The object of this meeting was, first,to define the approach to development measures of the new FAO action programme, and secondly, to discuss the procedure to put these measures into practice on the basis of first efforts in Latin America.

A.H. EL SARKI (Egypt) (original language Arabic): Egypt, since the dawn of history, has given special attention to rural populations who are the cornerstone of our civilization. Egypt also worked to improve z. their resources and their standard of living. In the middle of the 20th century Egypt passed a pioneer law in agrarian reform to establish equity and justice. Also Egypt was the first state who agreed to participate in the Second Conference on Agrarian Reform, and there we had an official delegation, as well as a delegation that represented the masses.

We also approve the principles and objectives of that Conference, especially concerning the implementation of the recommendations of that Conference; more particularly to enable the village to become an integrated production unit. The Delegation of my country would like to express its satisfaction for the efforts of FAO on the subjects mentioned in paragraphs 36 (i), (ii) and (iii). We also reaffirm our support of the resolutions concerning these paragraphs. My country supports the continuation of the regional consultations referred to in paragraph 36 (iv) and we appeal to all countries to provide all means in order to support the Centres for Rural Development, particularly the Rural Development Centre in Arusha, to enable that Centre to carry out its work properly. My Delegation would appeal to the Organization to continue its efforts to establish a centre for rural development in the Near East.

I should also like to express my appreciation for the efforts of FAO In order to carry out fully the work of WCARRD according to the Programme of Work and Budget of the preceding biennium.

J. ALABI (Nigeria): We are happy to note the action taken by the FAO in the implementation of the Conference resolution on the follow up of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development.

The establishment of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Rural Development and the integration of WCARRD orientation and activities into the existing organization and work of FAO will ensure the needed coordination in the implementation of the programmes.


We note however that less than 10 million dollars has been contributed to the extra-budgetary resource of 20 million dollars needed over the next five years. This is rather disappointing, and we urge donors ic to support the Fund so that it may be exceeded. We thank those governments which have made contributions. We note that quite a number of missions have been fielded to help countries formulate programmes in rural development. We advise that local experts should be included in such missions so that there will be involvement of local experts at all stages of local implementation of projects. People at grass roots level should also be involved when formulating projects. We also wish to warn that formulated projects should be implemented and not kept on the shelves in government ministries.

We are happy to note the emphasis on the integration of women in development. In planning for these women, we hope they will be involved in some way.

We are happy at the emphasis laid on education, training and extension in rural areas.

We note that at the regional levels two centres have been set up in Asia and Africa. We thank the FAO for the assistance given in setting up the Centre for Africa in Arusha, Tanzania. We are, however, alarmed that in Africa, with about 50 countries, only 14 countries are members. We appeal to governments to match their interest in rural development with membership of the Centre, which we are sure will benefit all countries. Since the running of the Centre will depend mainly on the contributions of Member Governments, we also appeal to members to pay up their assessments.

V.E. DLAMINI (Swaziland): Thank you for allowing me this intervention. I shall try to be as brief as possible.

May I congratulate Professor Islam on his comprehensive introduction yesterday.

I should like to register some observations on the Rural Development Programme. Permit me, therefore, to highlight a few developments taking place in Swaziland that are in line with the WCARRD Programme of Action. Firstly, our Rural Development Area Programme has taken off the ground fairly satisfactorily. To date, 60 percent of the rural land is covered by the Programme, covering about 186 000 households.

Secondly, work on land development has been encouraging. Soil conservation measures and rural road construction have been very good and on schedule. Some communal grazing lands have been fenced and grass regeneration shows signs of improvement. The fencing of grazing lands has released head boys and thus they are now able to attend school. The illiteracy rate is falling fast among the Swazi youth.

Forestry development has been very remarkable. Although not significantly high, production of grains has been increased. Here there is some room for improvement in order to achieve self-sufficiency and ultimately self-reliance.

The Rural Development Area Programme has provided rural employment, and thus rural - urban immigration had a chance of slowing down. However, I should like to point out that there have been some bottlenecks. The lack of skilled project managers has retarded progress on the Programme. One of our bilateral donors has decided to cut off funds to the Programme without any reasons for such cuts. As a result of these cuts, staff houses have been left incomplete and other works not finished. This has been a very disappointing experience for the Swaziland Government.

We also need to intensify our production, as arable land in Swaziland is of a limited nature.

Skilled manpower still remains a severe problem which hampers development. The process of changing attitudes has not progressed as anticipated, due to shortage of extension personnel.

The marketing infrastructure has not been well organized but some work is being carried out on this aspect under the auspices of IFAD.

We are also extremely pleased with the work achieved on the integration of women in development. We therefore wish to express our appreciation to FAO for this achievement, in my country, like most African countries, the rural women are the majority of producers of agricultural products, and they are also the de facto beneficiaries of the rural development policies and programmes. In this regard we wish to see more FAO inputs which will be provided in strengthening the existing FAO work in supporting rural development activities particularly focused on women and development projects as well as other FAO projects in which certain components can be added which would deal with the issues related to women and development activities.


People participation is the main key to rural development. Thus it is important thet the people being developed should not be spectators but participants. It is through the awareness of people about development that the process of rural development can be said to have taken place. The Government of Swaziland is trying its best to instil this awareness in the minds of the rural people and it is fully implementing WCARRD’s proposals.

M. IRSHADUL HAQ (Bangladesh): We have studied document C 81/23 on the follow-up of WCARRD with great interest. We must commend the FAO Secretariat for the very precise and informative presentation of the subject. We also congratulate Professor Islam for his excellent introduction on the subject.

I am glad to inform the Conference that my Government has made substantial progress in the implementation of the Plan of Action. As you know, we have one of the highest incidences of landlessness and rural poverty in one of the world’s overwhelmingly poorest rural countries. The Government therefore has set as the paramount goal in our Second Five Year Plan, 1980-85, the improvement of the quality of life of the rural mass, to be realized through accelerated production, tempered with distributive justice.

Fifty-three percent of the Plan outlay has been allocated for rural development. To ensure people’s participation, an innovative institution called “Swanirral Gram Sarker’ - that is, self-reliant village government - has been organized in 68 000 villages to harness local potentials on a self-help basis. Powers and functions have been devolved to this and other local government institutions to undertake local level planning and implementation of projects relating to rural infrastructure, buildine and services. A two-tier cooperative system has been expanded throughout the country to accelerate production as well as to generate productive employment for the rural poor.

A national dialogue has been initiated to explore agrarian reforms and other structural changes.

To ensure access to assets for the rural poor, excess state lands are distributed to the landless. To provide non-land property rights to the poor, a pilot project has been launched to sell on credit irrigation equipment to cooperatives and groups of landless. A Small Farmers’ Development Programme is being expanded to afford them access to credit, productive inputs and services.

For the integration of women in development, a Ministry of Women’s Affairs has been set up to promote and support women’s organizations and activities, and women’s cooperatives are being organized for ensuring economic self-reliance of rural women.

Non-farm activities for generating employment, income and purchasing power for the rural poor are being promoted by the Integrated Rural Development Programme’s Cooperative Programme, the Village Bank, the Rural Experimental Finance Programme, and so on. The Integrated Rural Development Programme has identified 19 non-farm viable activities and drawn up a manual for replication of these activities throughout the country.

Great emphasis has been laid on training of the landless, both for motivation as well as for activity specific skilled development, so that they may pursue self-employing avocations. Landless peasants are trained and supplied with tools to serve as village mechanics.

These are a few indicative but not exhaustive steps that have been taken by my Government to alleviate rural poverty.

In this connection, we record our support for the Secretariat’s call, in paragraph 36 (i) and (ii), upon Member Governments to implement the WCARRD Plan of Action geared to its objectives and target groups. The Conference may in addition ask the Member Governments to match their concern for the rural poor by commensurate resource allocations in their annual and five-year development plans.

We feel that the concepts of growth with equity and people’s participation, as embodied in the Programme of Action and mentioned in paragraph 3 of the document, need some elaboration in order to facilitate both Member Governments’ and donor agencies’ orientation to these concepts. Growth with equity must be geared to alleviating the abject condition of life of the rural poor. This would mean an improvement both in the status, representing asset holdings and educational levels, etc., and the level, comprising income, consumption, etc., of life of the rural poor.


Equity considerations may call for slowing down growth, at least, growth that leads to rural polarization. Similarly, participation is not mere representation or a passive presence in elective bodies. It must ensure active involvement of the rural poor in decision-making, implementation, equitable benefit sharing and evaluation and monitoring of activities that affect their living. FAO may further clarify these concepts to make them more operational for policy-makers and practitioners of development.

The most difficult hurdles we face in our pursuit of a poverty-focused strategy are two: firstly, to identify viable and replicable activities, projects and programmes for generating employment for a “basic needs income” to ensure subsistanceto the rural poor and, secondly, to line up finance for activities as and when identified. In this connection, I would refer to paragraphs 7 and 8 of the document which mention that FAO missions have identified a large number of projects. It would be helpful if we could know the areas, nature and character of these projects so as to give us guidance in preparing projects for our own programmes. We suggest that FAO, together with regional rural development centres, undertake research to identify agro-based and agro-supportive non-farm and rural industrial projects, and thereafter make out a schedule of investment for the guidance of member nations.

As the leading rural development agency in the United Nations system, FAO may serve as a clearing house for project preparation, funding, evaluation and exchange of information. In this connection, we support the call for urgent commitment of voluntary contributions of a minimum of $20 million for FAO’s poverty-oriented project funding.

We recognize that rural development is a multi-disciplinary effort, involving cooperation and coordination between multiple agencies, at both national and international levels. My Government has instituted a National Food, Agricultural and Rural Development Council headed by our President, to coordinate primarily all rural development efforts.

A National Committee for Multi-sectoral Rural Development has been set up at the highest bureaucratic level to coordinate projects and programmes having multiple components. At the international level, we support the need for greater inter-agency cooperation for WCARRD follow-up and for coordinating the role of the ACC Task Force on Rural Development, as proposed in paragraph 36 (xiii). We also propose that similar coordination among UN agencies at country level may be institutionalized.

We support the proposal contained in paragraph 36 (iii) for monitoring and reporting based on appropriate socio-economic indicators and benchmark surveys. In fact, our Government has already designed socio-economic indicators which have also been made available to FAO. I should like to observe that progress reported through the average and aggregate index of such indicators may not reflect the real change, if we are to monitor the changes in equity and distribution aspects. I suggest that such averages and aggregates be depleted by deconcentration coefficient to reflect the extent of distribution in assets, income and consumption levels.

With regard to paragraph 36 (ix), we would like to make a few suggestions. Improving the conditions of life of the rural poor, as our experience shows, inescapably involves four elements. The first of these is motivated, catalytic leadership which unfortunately is, for the most part, lacking among the rural poor. Hence, trained outside agents of change need to be hired. Secondly, training for motivation and for skill-development must be imparted to the rural poor, most of whom are fatalists, so that they become active agents of production and change. Thirdly, credit and complementary inputs must be provided to help them in their productive efforts. Fourthly, appropriate rewards or a fair price for their labour and a market for their produce must be ensured.

All these four elements require group action and that can be ensured only through organizations of their own. We therefore suggest that, in the efforts of the follow-up of the WCARRD Plan of Action, the role of the people’s institutions must be given due emphasis.

National and global efforts to increase production should not sidetrack us from considerations of equity. In fact, increased production in many parts of the world, instead of alleviating rural poverty, has accentuated it and led to rural polarization. The Conference may call upon Member Governments and the international community to refrain from taking projects and programmes which may contribute to increased landlessness and rural polarization.


We suggest that FAO could study the possibilities of organizing the rural labour force for the purposes of collective bargaining and minimum wages, in line with the experiences of ILO.

Due to low domestic purchasing power and lack of adequate effective demand, especially for non-farm produce of the rural poor, export demands need to be found for such products. This calls for international action and we suggest that FAO undertake studies to see how trade promotion can be oriented to meet the requirements of rural development, so as to improve the position of the rural poor.

I would conclude by observing that isolated, incremental or marginal action may not equal the size and complexity of rural poverty facing us. The Plan of Action must be built into the national planning and development strategies. This may entail designing and embarking on a new internal economic order for most member nations. Implementation of the WCARRD follow-up action will depend on both the political will and economic ability of member nations and the international community as to how far the member nations will be able to design and embark on this new order.

The meeting rose at 12.30 hours.
La séance est levée a 12 h 30.
Se levanta la sesión a las 12.30 horas.

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