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CHAIRMAN: May I ask the new Member Nations to come forward, please, It is an honour and a privilege to extend a very warm welcome to the newly admitted Member Nations of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Upon arrival of the new nations, the Director-General will be addressing them.
DIRECTOR-GENERAL: Mr Chairman, Distinguished Delegates, ladies .and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I welcome into our Organization the four new Member Nations of Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Saint Christopher and Nevis, and Vanuatu. The total number of Member States has reached now 156.
The first three come from the region of Latin America and the Caribbean, while the fourth adds to our growing membership in the Southwest Pacific.
I am very happy to see that we are getting ever closer to the universality that an Organization such as ours is always aiming for.
All four countries depend on agriculture for their economic well-being.
In addition, three of the four are island states, with the problems associated with that particular geography, and clearly fisheries have an important role to play in the economies of such countries.
Belize for its part has substantial fisheries and forestry resources.
FAO has had links with these countries prior to this Conference but these will grow closer now that they have acceded to full membership.
In Antigua and Barbuda, we have completed one Technical Cooperation Programme project on the formulation of agricultural policy.
We have also provided advisers on education and training, and on agrarian reform and rural development.
In Belize, we have been involved in forestry and agricultural resources development, and have given assistance in preparations for an agricultural census.
Saint Chistopher and Nevis, which is a neighbour of Antigua and Barbuda, has benefited from FAO assistance in a project related to agricultural planning and policies.
And finally, Vanuatu has been assisted by us in fisheries development.
From these beginings, we shall continue to expand our work in the future with these new members in order to develop their agriculture and to help them in improving the standard of living of their people.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you, Director-General, for providing that welcome, and now I call on the representative of Antigua and Barbuda for a statement
R.K.M. YEARWOOD (Antigua and Barbuda): Mr Chairman, Director-General, delegates, distinguished guests,
I wish first, on behalf of my Government and on my behalf, to express sincere appreciation on the admission of Antigua and Barbuda to the Food and Agriculture Organization.
I also wish to record my country's deep appreciation to the countries which have sponsored our admission to this Organization, and to those which have expressed such warm good wishes.
My country, Antigua and Barbuda, is a small state. Despite our small size, we are convinced that we can make a contribution to the dialogue of the new International Economic Order. Our most
earnest desire is a world secure in peace and stability, a world where man fulfils his obligation to the survival of his fellow man on the principle that the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of Nations.
Mr Chairman, it is my hope that the Nations and people of the world now realize that they must seize the opportunities to work together in order to increase World Food Production and bring to an end hunger. The Consitution of this Organization affirms the faith of all our Nations in realizing these fundamental objectives. We place the great faith, in the value and importance of this Organization. We, each of us, have a responsability to uphold the objectives for which this Organization was established, by renewing our commitment and dedication to this Organization. Therefore, Mr Chairman I pledge my Government's commitment to wholly accept its obligations and to participate fully in the activities of this Organization. I call upon all other Nations regardless of their status to re-commit themselves to the spirit of this Organization's Constitution in the interest of all Mankind.
I thank you.
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CHAIRMAN: I now give the floor to Belize.
R.I. CASTILLO (Belize): Mr Chairman, Director-General, delegates, distinguished guests. It is an honour and privilege for me to be here to represent the Government of Belize on the occasion of the Twenty-second session of the Food and Agriculture Organization Conference, and especially today when my country has been admitted as a full member. I would like to thank all of those who voted for Belize to became a member.
We take this opportunity to pledge our full support and participation in the activities and programmes of this Organization. Belize accepts the obligations of the FAO Constitution.
Mr Chairman, Belize has already in the past been a beneficiary in certain programmes sponsored by FAO which you mentioned. These include causes sponsored by the Organization, surveys and census-taking activities in the field of agriculture and full cooperation in respect of a reporting system on animal health.
Belize is a country with a comparatively small population of 160 thousand people living in an area of just under 21 000 square kilometers. We have just under 2 million acres of land available for development. With so much shortage of food in the world, Belize can play an important part in becoming one of the main sources of grain, oil, beef and milk for the area in which we live. We hope that our formal admission to the FAO will result in a greater involvment of the Organization in the training of staff in specific disciplines such as grain drying and storage, and laboratory technology to mention but two. We would like to receive assistance in the development of procedures with regard to the prevention of the introduction of diseases foreign to our crop and animal industry, and also to be provided with consultants on a short-term basis who help us to analyse our more pressing agriculture problems and suggest recommendations on how best we an deal with them.
Mr Chairman, once again may I thank you and the members of this august Organization for having accepted Belize as a new Member Nation. We look forward to active participation in all programmes in our area in the cause of food and agriculture development. Thank you, Mr Chairman.
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CHAIRMAN: Congratulations to Belize, and I am prepared to call upon Saint Christopher and Nevis but I understand they are not here at this point, is that true? Are they here?
We are going to go forward and we will call upon them later if they arrive. I will now call upon Vanuatu.
S.J. REGENVANU (Vanuatu): Mr Director-General, Mr Chairman, distinguished delegates of the Conference,
On behalf of the Government and the people of Vanuatu, I would like to thank you for voting in my country as a member of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations today.
I would like to take this opportunity to renew my Government's pledge to participate as fully as possible in the activities of the Organization as well as accepting the obligations of the FAO Constitution.
It is our great hope that in joining FAO our national efforts to develop our agriculture, livestock forestry and fisheries sectors will be supplemented by the wealth of experience which is to be found in this Organization. However, we also hope that this will be a two-way process so that the FAO will itself be strengthened through experiences gained from working in Vanuatu and with our people.
We look forward to many fruitful years of cooperation with, and assistance from, the FAO as we strive to develop Vanuatu's rural areas where the majority fo our population work and live, and thus to achieve our overall goal of economic self-reliance.
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CHAIRMAN: Congratulations to Vanuatu. There are some countries that would like to extend appreciation and congratulations to those that have been admitted, and one country that has asked for the floor is Mexico on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean group of countries. I give the floor to Mexico.
L.J. CASTAÑOS MARTINES (México): Place y honra al Grupo de Latinoamérica y del Caribe la incorporación a esta Organización de tres países hermanos de América Latina: Antigua y Barbuda, Belice, San Cristóbal y Nieves. Nos place su arribo a la Organización, ya que sabemos los esfuerzos que estos países realizan para mejorar su situación alimentaria y su situación económica. Estamos convencidos de que su incorporación será fructífera y valiosa.
CHAIRMAN: I would like to call on New Zealand to make a statement on behalf of the Southwest Pacific.
J. BELGRAVE (New Zealand): Mr Chairman, Mr Director-General, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, it is indeed a very great honour for the New Zealand delegation that it has fallen to New Zealand as Council Representative for the Southwest Pacific region to welcome on behalf of our region the four new members of our Organization.
This is a further important step well on the way to confirming FAO as the truly worldwide organization. We are all combined to fight against hunger; indeed Sir, the Director-General stressed this truly worldwide nature of our Organization just now when he introduced the new members.
For our region, Mr Chairman, it is of particular significance that one of the new members is a Southwest Pacific country, Vanuatu is a valued partner of the existing members of the region in the South Pacific Forum, and I might add a valued partner with the Forum Fisheries Agency. Last month, for example, Vanuatu participated in the FAO Committee on Fisheries as an observer. At next year's Fisheries Conference, of course, it will now be possible for Vanuatu to be a full participant.
Vanuatu though a small island country is fortunate in having a relatively high proportion of its area as good arable land, and I am sure that in the task of bringing more of this land to fruitful production there will be scope for further cooperation with FAO.
Mr Chairman, like my country, Vanuatu is a South Pacific Commonwealth member. In saying that I turn more specifically to our region's welcome to our other new members, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, and Saint Christopher and Nevis, all of whom are members of the Commonwealth too. Two of them, Sir, are, like Vanuatu, small island countries, and I have no doubt that all three will have much to contribute to the Caribbean area. It is for all of us here today, Mr Chairman, and I am sure also for the Director-General and his staff a matter of great satisfaction to welcome these four new members to our working partnership. Thank you sir.
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W.O. OMAMO (Kenya): I, too, would like to join my colleagues in extending congratulations to the four sister Nations in joining the FAO. I do so on behalf of the African region. I notice that none of these Nations comes from near the African region but I would like to assure each and every one of them that during times of need they will find the African region handy.
I would also like to assure the four sister Nations of the African region's cooperation in fighting hunger whenever it shows its head.
H.J. ARBUTHNOTT (United Kingdom): As all the new members are members of the Commonwealth, on behalf of the European region it gives me the greatest pleasure to extend a warm welcome to them as members also of this Organization. We know they will indeed all make a worthy contribution to the FAO and all it stands for.
ACHMAD AFFANDI (Indonesia) : On behalf of the Asian group we too wish to extend a warm welcome to the new members of this Community.
A.A. MALEK (Liban) (langue originale arabe): Nous souhaitons la bienvenue aux quatre membres qui viennent d'être admis aujourd'hui même à la FAO en qualité de membres à part entière. Je reprends à mon compte ce qu'a dit la délégation du Kenya, à savoir que nous aussi, pays du Proche Orient, nous sommes tous prêts à épauler ces nouveaux membres.
CHAIRMAN: We shall now hear the Director-General's Statement. It has been my privilege to work closely with the Director-General over a period of time and especially the last three or four days in preparation, and as this Conference has proceeded I am pleased to be working with a man of leadership and vision, working in a world of great need.
DIRECTOR-GENERAL (original language Arabic): Mr Chairman, distinguished delegates and observers, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, it is an honour for me to appear once again before this distinguished assembly. All recent summits, without exception, have designated the fight against hunger as one of the major priorities of the day. Now, Ministers of Agriculture from all over the world are gathered here today to discuss the problem and give the necessary impetus to FAO, the United Nations Agency responsible for food and agriculture.
We in FAO have a tradition of working in a spirit of cooperation and mutual understanding, trying to avoid disputes and arrive at the necessary consensus, however complex the topic for discussion. I am sure that this occasion will be no exception.
In my statement I intend to begin by surveying the general context which must always be borne in mind and in particular, the prevailing economic crisis, a disturbing food situation, and declining international solidarity. I will then go on to review the efforts FAO in making to overcome the difficulties facing it today, most notably in presenting an austerity budget in which the emphasis is placed on economic and technical programmes, with high priority being given to the promotion of a fully-fledged food security policy, rural development, and the conservation and development of natural and human resources.
Only a few days ago, the international community celebrated the third World Food Day. The theme chosen was 'food security', a subject which could not be more acutely topical than it is at this present time.
For since the last Conference, progress in the fight against hunger and malnutrition has been meagre, and particularly in the low-income, food-deficit countries. Even though the 1982 harvest was good at the global level, we must not forget that in spite of this good harvest the ranks of the starving have continued to swell in various parts of the world.
It is true that the unsettled weather bears a good share of responsibility for the situation: drought, floods, typhoons and the like. But we should not underestimate the influence of other factors: human failings, inequitable forms of social organization, mistaken priorities, the unsteady balance of international relations and, in short, the consequences of the political, economic, social and moral crisis which the world is currently going through.
The increase in the number of local conflicts and areas of tension has fostered a climate of uncertainty and of suspicion which does little to encourage international solidarity or further development. All too often, confrontations take the place of dialogue.
Nations are being bled dry by the arms race, and particularly the weakest ones. Is it not absolutely nonsensical, is it not suicidal, to throw out of the window some 800 000 million dollars on military expenditure every year which amounts to twenty times the total for official development aid. And what a senseless waste this is, at a time when development resources are as tightly rationed as they are at present.
In the meantime, a recession unparalleled since the Great Depression in the thirties has made ravages in the world economy. It has severely tried international solidarity and turned a sense of natural interdependence into an attitude of 'every man for himself'.
Today, there are signs which do seem to point to a recovery in the industrialized countries and the crisis may well become less pronounced. But the extent, the speed, and the duration of the recovery, and especially its effects on poor countries, remain uncertain.
The international monetary system, put under severe strain by the 700 billion dollars of Third World debt, is at the present time threatened with collapse.
Despite deflationist policies, real rates of interest have failed to come down as much as expected and inflation remains high. Austerity measures intended to reduce public sector deficits have produced some unwelcome side-effects: unemployment has reached exceptional levels (over 10 percent of the workforce in some industrialized countries), whilst bankruptcies and factory closures are becoming more common; welfare programmes and established rights have come under fire, and development aid itself has been pruned, and cut back in various ways.
International trade has suffered too. The year 1982 may well have seen the sharpest drop in the value of world trade in agricultural commodities for twenty years. And despite the risk of escalation, protectionism is on the rise. Thus the State intervenes more and more to shield uncompetitive industries, preventing the necessary adjustments being made and this stifles the processing industries in the Third World. Competition between partners for markets grows ever fiercer, with subsidies or special trading and credit facilities being used as weapons.
It is true that the crisis has hit the developed countries hard - in 1982 their economies experienced zero growth. In many instances, net farm incomes actually fell, as we all know.
But of all those who have suffered, poor countries have suffered most. The majority of them have seen their real per caput income fall in 1981 and 1982, the first time this has happened for decades.
A number of factors have contributed to their balance of payments difficulties: the fall in commodity prices (down in 1982 to the lowest level for 50 years), the worsening in the terms of trade, and shrinking world trade. Dependent as they are on a few primary products, their export revenues have been slowly and steadily eaten away, whilst world inflation has increased both domestic production costs and the price of imported capital goods.
Since the beginning of the year, world commodity prices have shown some signs of picking up again, but this seems to be due more to short-term factors operating on the supply side than to any sustained growth in demand. In any case, the recovery such as it is is far too modest to have anything more than a marginal effect on the economies of countries with primary exports.
Indeed, according to World Bank forecasts, a marked fall is likely in real prices for coffee, cocoa, tea, and, to a lesser extent, palm and groundnut oil, compared with the average over the last twenty years.
The Bank also estimates during the current decade the prices which developing countries obtain for their commodities will remain on an average at 15 to 20 percent lower than in the sixties.
According to certain UNCTAD projections for 1990, it does seem as if unfortunately these low prices are going to be compensated for by a corresponding increase in the volume of developing countries exports but the UNCTAD projections indicate that overall imports of the developing countries' products by developed countries with a market economy may not increase at all during the period 1980 to 1990. It seems, therefore, that for the foreseable future any rise in Third World exports is highly problematical.
Now given the general context, what can one say about the world food situation, except that it has again become extremely disturbing?
Some people point to the good harvest in 1981 and 1982 as a reassuring sign. It may be so. Stocks are plentiful and there is no immediate threat of a global food crisis.
All this is true, but the prospects for 1983 are much less encouraging. Our latest information indicates that world cereal production will only amount to 1 605 million tonnes, or 6 percent less than in 1982. The main reason for this drop would appear to be a 13 percent drop in the world production of coarse grains.
As a result, world cereal stocks, which last year were equivalent to 21 percent of annual consumption, could well fall back to 17 percent. Although the danger point has not yet been reached, this fall cannot be treated lightly since past experience shows that it is very much easier to jump from surplus to shortage than the other way round.
For the second year running, per caput production slumped in less developed countries, and emergency situations have been proliferated. In more than 30 low-income countries, food production rose at a slower rate than population; in some instances, it even fell in actual terms of volume of production.
Developing countries already import more than 100 million tonnes of grains a year. This growing dependence on the outside for their basic foodstuffs represents a grave danger for the future: it is a heavy burden on the balance of payments, compromises investment programmes, and puts these countries increasingly at the mercy of outside interests.
The situation is especially serious in Africa where average per caput food production has fallen over the last fifteen years. According to our most recent information, at least 22 countries are in urgent need of supplementary food aid, in addition to requiring help to reestablish their agriculture on a firm footing, safeguard their livestock and provide protection against the risk of further disasters.
At the end of October, and for the second time since 1980, 1 had to convene a special meeting to mobilize increased assistance for these countries. I would like to urge donor countries to speed up delivery of food and other aid already promised and to consider additional commitments to meet the shortages which have been forecast for the 1983-84 season.
I must admit that I am not totally satisfied with the results of the meeting. The participants did indeed share our analysis of the situation, but what is needed now is for the necessary decisions to be taken. I intend to take advantage of the presence here of so many Ministers from donor countries to discuss with them the possibility of taking rapid action.
A depressing fact, especially at a time when so many people are threatened by famine, is that food aid is actually decreasing, despite plentiful stocks. Estimates for 1983/84 put it at 8.7 million tonnes of grain, compared to 12.5 million tonnes in 1972. In the intervening period, the world's population has risen by 900 million people, three quarters of them in the developing countries.
The mood of the times cannot be ignored. That is why, at a moment when you are about to embark on discussions about the Organization's programme of work and budget for the next two years, I have deemed it appropriate, in this first part of my address, to outline the general context in which we have to operate.
The proposals for the 1984/85 biennium which I have the honour of putting before you, have been designed to take into account the financial and economic difficulties prevailing at the present time.
It is, therefore, an austerity budget which I put before you, a budget which deliberately lays stress on technical and economic programmes, whilst maximum cutbacks have been made in administrative expenditure.
The budget for the biennium shows a net increase of just 0.5 percent, a figure which is more symbolic than real. However, expenditure on technical and economic programmes will rise by not less than 3.6 percent enabling the Organization to respond more effectively to urgent situations in Member States and especially in the poorest ones among them.
On the other hand, the cost of administration and common services will be cut back by 6.6 percent. 40 posts will be shed. Established posts will now account for only 58 percent of the total budget, as against 77 percent ten years ago. Internal audit and inspection will be reinforced.
The aim of my proposals is to concentrate FAO's action in high priority areas, and reinforce our operational capacity.
Plainly, UNDP's shortage of resources has had a marked effect on our own field programme. Between 1982 and 1983, FAO/UNDP operational activities fell by 20 percent in real terms. In consequence, more than 300 experts have been lost, projects have been either cut short or not extended, even in promising areas, whilst certain development programmes have been put at risk.
In these circumstances, the Technical Cooperation Programme, which mainly intervenes in emergency projects, in training and in investment preparation, has played a valuable role in ensuring the continuity of certain projects threatened by the reduction in UNDP financing.
The draft programme of work and budget which has been put before you, has been the subject of deep reflection, and I sincerely believe it to be a well-balanced one. I am pleased to be able to say that it has received the very full support of the Finance and Programme Committees and, subsequently, of the Council too.
I very much hope that the Conference will feel able to adopt it unanimously, by consensus. By ¡ doing so, it will provide the Organization with a solid base for pursuing its task, with a clearly established strategy, and list of priorities for our action.
It is impossible for me to describe here all the programmes run by the FAO. In any case you will yourselves be examining them in detail in the weeks to come. However, there is one aspect which colours all the Organization's activities, and which underlies all my proposals (-) and that is the quest for world food security .
Food security is a major priority, a question of elementary prudence. It is a sort of insurance against adversity, but not of the kind provided by cheap policies. Indeed, only far-reaching action taken over a prolonged period and embracing all aspects of the problem - national, regional and global - will bring us closer towards real food security.
But important though a food strategy is, it cannot suffice on its own. A global approach to agricultural and rural development is what is needed, closely integrated with the process of economic and social transformation in the countries concerned and taking into account all relevant factors at regional and world level, including trade and aid.
Up until recently, there was a tendency to attach too much importance to measures aimed at ensuring the availability of food supplies in the event of widespread bad harvests. That is the reason why, at the last session of the Committee on World Food Security, I suggested a new approach, new principles and new methods.
I am glad to say that the Committee, and subsequently the Council, approved my proposal for an enlarged concept of food security. Since then, the World Food Council and ECOSOC have given it their backing. I feel confident that the Conference too will adopt this concept.
According to the new concept, the ultimate objective of world food security is to ensure that all people at all times have both physical and economic access to the basic foods they need, taking into account all those factors affecting countries' or individuals' ability to produce or buy enough for their requirements.
Three specific aims need to be pursued: ensure adequate production; maximise stability in the flow of supplies; secure access to these supplies for those who need them at the right time and in the right place.
Very often the root cause of hunger lies not so much in a shortage of food, but in poor countries not having enough foreign exchange to pay for imports, and in individuals having neither enough money to buy food nor the means to produce it themselves.
In short, the solution is to be found both in international trade relations and in domestic policies.
Trade questions have a direct effect on food security. It is difficult to see how poor countries can pay for the cost of food imports if they are unable to increase their export revenues. Consequently, it is indispensable if these countries are to be helped that commodity prices should be set at remunerative levels and that there should be a progressive liberalization of trade in those relevant commodities.
Unfortunately, there has been scarcely any progress in this area which is so important. The deadline for setting up the Common Fund for commodities expired on 30 September without the necessary number of ratifications having been obtained up to that date.
Insofar as domestic policies are concerned, on the other hand, priority ought to be given to rural development. Governments should make efforts to implement the Programme of Action decided on by the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development held in Rome in 1979. You will be examining the first report on the implementation of this programme in the course of your Conference here.
From it an idea can be gained of the truly horrific extent of rural poverty and deprivation. In 1980 there were 1 340 million people living in the rural areas of 68 developing countries. Nearly 700 million of these, that is to say 52 percent, were living in conditions of abject poverty. Nor is there anything to indicate that the situation has improved since those figures were obtained.
These figures illustrate, soberly but most tellingly, a human tragedy on a planetary scale. What kind of a future awaits coming generations in these disinherited parts of the world? This is something in which we all have our share of responsibility and we should not be surprised if so much misery gives rise eventually to social and economic disturbances.
FAO must give the Programme of Action a high priority. The additional resources I ask for will for the most part be allocated to a number of activities, such as agricultural education, extension and training, agrarian reform and land settlement, rural institutions, the encouragement of people's participation and promoting the role of women.
Mr Chairman, in the present circumstances, no potential source of food should be disregarded. Until now I have confined my remarks to agriculture and livestock production. However, as you are well aware, FAO also tries to help governments conserve, develop, enhance, and rationally exploit all those other resources that are at their disposal, such as fisheries, forests, and genetic resources. Above all, FAO spares no effort to train people in any discipline which contributes to agricultural and rural development. Allow me briefly to run through these various points.
Fish have great nutritional value and provide nearly a quarter of world animal protein supplies. The full potential of fishery resources, however, is far from being exploited at the present time. Fortunately the new ocean regime which emerged from the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea has opened up some highly promising horizons for developing coastal countries since virtually all marine fish stocks now fall within their national jurisdictions. However, now these countries must be reaping full benefit which derives from this radical change in order to be able in this manner to increase both domestic fish consumption and exports.
To help them revise and update their methods of exploiting and managing their fisheries resources the FAO will be organizing next year, in 1984, a World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development. This will be the first major international meeting convened to look into the consequences which the new Law of the Sea has for fishing.
Turning now to forestry, there is a need for more detailed forest resources inventories and for appropriate conservation and development programmes, particularly in tropical and sub-tropical zones where many potentially useful species are at the present time simply being ignored.
The decline and degradation in forestry resources, the growing fuelwood deficit, the serious consequences of shifting agriculture, and other problems, all these require imaginative forestry policies in support of local community development. The success of such policies depends on the full and willing participation of rural populations, not only in the management of forests and forestry products but also in the resulting benefits. Indeed, the protection of the environment and the ecological heritage can only be ensured with the participation of all and if everyone feels that they themselves are getting something out of it.
That is why the Ninth World Forestry Congress, which will be held in Mexico in 1985 under the auspices of FAO, has chosen as it's theme 'forest for development'.
Plant genetic resources are another invaluable part of the heritage of mankind and they are threatened by erosion and in some cases they are in danger of extinction.
A report on plant genetic resources is before this Conference. The draft International Agreement which I propose has, as suggested by the Committee on Agriculture, already benefited from the advice of an inter-governmental working party specially convened for this purpose. I hope the Conference will give it a favourable reception. The draft takes into account the views of all interested parties, and aims at promoting the survey, conservation, free availability and full exploitation of these genetic resources. Governments and institutes active in the field will also be invited to join in an international bank of plant genetic resources located within the jurisdictional framework of FAO.
Just one word more before I finish - a word of gratitude to all the world's peasants and countryfolk. Our daily bread is the fruit of their labour. Town dwellers all too easily overlook this fact and take what they eat for granted.
Yet these rural people are the real resource of nations and the wealth of nations. That is why FAO attaches so much importance to education and to other activities in this field, such as extension and training, giving priority to small producers, women and young people in rural areas wherever this is necessary.
This is one of the Organization's essential functions and it is an important component in the majority of our programmes. We are determined to continue along this path, because the surest investment in the long term, is that which helps develop man's natural abilities.
Mr Chairman, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen: It is time for me to stop and leave the floor to you.
You are the States General of agriculture. It is now your task, in your collective wisdom, to assess the world food and agricultural situation, evaluate the Organization's work, and point it in the right direction.
I am thoroughly confident that your support will not be lacking. You may rest assured that the whole Secretariat and myself will given you our active and dedicated assistance throughout your important deliberations.
In a few weeks the United Nations and men of goodwill everywhere will celebrate the Thirty-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man. But we must say that there is little cause for rejoicing.
One of the most basic of the rights of man, the right to eat, is beyond the reach of too many of our fellow human beings.
A Conference such as ours gives an exceptional opportunity to assess the magnitude of the scandalous state of affairs and to proclaim it to the world.
Science and technology provide the means in which to respond to this challenge. Hunger can in fact become a thing of the past. It is even the necessary condition for peace.
In the greater interests of humanity, let us put aside our quarrels and build together a fairer society. Let us build together a society which cares for all, through all and with all.
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CHAIRMAN: Thank you, Mr Director-General for that very forceful presentation.
The B.R. Sen awards were established by the Conference 16 years ago to commemorate Mr Sen's inspiring leadership as Director-General of the Organization and the cause that he served so well. The B.R. Sen Award is an annual one, consisting of a medal, a scroll, a $5 000 cash prize and a round trip to Rome for the winner and spouse, awarded to a FAO or World Food Programme expert who has had at least two years continuous service in the field and whose work has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the country to which assigned.
I will now call upon the Director-General to present the awards.
DIRECTOR-GENERAL: Mr Chairman, the awards which we are about to present honour not only their recipients, but also the man whose name they bear in tribute to his efforts to attain the aims of our Organization.
Since 1968, the B.R. Sen Award, which is an annual one, has been bestowed on the Field Officer who has made the most noteworthy contribution to the country or countries to which he or she was assigned.
The recipient of the B.R. Sen Award for 1982 is Mr Lim Poh Loh of Malaysia in recognition of his outstanding services resulting in the successful development of rubber production in Thailand.
Mr Lim has been long associated with the Rubber Development Project in that country, engaging in several activities within the framework of rubber training and extension programmes.
Not only his technical skills and his ability to establish exceptionally good human relationships with national and international staff, but also his capable manner in dealing with governments and with major financing insitutions, mark Mr Lim out for recognition.
The Government of Thailand, in acknowledging his meritorious service, has endorsed his selection.
The award for 1983 is given to Mr Manuel Calvelo Rios of Spain for his exceptional achievements in mass audio-visual training in rural areas in Peru, as well as other countries in Latin America.
Mr Calvelo Rios applied highly advanced video technology to the training of farmers at grass-roots level in developing countries.
It is altogether fitting that recognition be given him during the year which has been dedicated to world communications.
His demonstrated enthusiasm, initiative and long-standing commitment to training in rural areas, single him out as an exemplary international civil servant.
The Government of Peru, in recognizing Mr Calvelo Rios' merits, has endorsed his selection for the B.R. Sen Award for 1983.
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L. POH LOH (FAO Staff): Mr Chairman, Director-General, your Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
This is indeed an unexpected pleasures and honour for me to be here today at this distinguished gathering and to be bestowed the B.R. Sem award for 1982.
The success of the rubber development programme in Thailand is a combined effort put in by the Royal Thai Government, International Agencies, foreign experts - many local counterparts and the thousands of rubber smallholders who responded so well to the Rubber Replanting Scheme for over two decades. It is certainly not the effort by any one individual. I happen to be the fortunate one to be recognised. This award therefore is also a recognition for all who have contributed to the improvement of the natural rubber industry in Thailand.
Rubber is indeed an interesting crop. Just over a hundred years ago, the keen foresight of one person and the efforts of Sir Henry Wickham led to the introduction of the rubber tree to the East. Wickham collected some seeds from Brazil and brought them across to England. After successful germination they were sent to the Far East for test planting. This introduction has since brought on tremendous socio-economic changes in this part of the world. When synthetic rubber was first developed, some people predicted the death of the natural rubber industry. It certainly did not die but has bounced back instead from strength to strength. By complementing synthetic rubber, it will continue to contribute increasingly towards better living conditions for mankind. Looking further ahead, the rubber tree will also be an important source of tropical timber. The Thais have already regarded it as "white teak" producing beautiful household furniture.
The rubber tree has been an important contributor to the welfare of the rural smallholders. In many ways, it is a very suitable crop for them. It is relatively easy to grow and thrives well under a wide range of environmental conditions. In China and elsewhere, rubber tree growing is being extended even to latitudes which experience periodic cold and dry conditions. Of the 7 million hectares of rubber planted in the world, about three-quarters of these are under small holdings. Assuming that the average size of a smallholding is 1 1/2 hectare, we have the rubber tree crop touching the lives of 3.5 million smallholder families, not to mention those who are involved with it indirectly. Small as these holdings may be, the combined effort of thousands of smallholders walking daily from tree to tree to tap and collect latex has made the world a more comfortable place to live in. If they ever stop walking, we will all be living in a slow-moving and certainly less comfortable world.
As I drive along the country roads in Thailand, I see a changing scenario over the years. Jungle and low-yielding old rubber are being gradually replaced with new and better high-yielding clones. A Thai farmer who has successfully replanted his holding looks on it as a bank from which he can draw upon for his livelihood for the next 25 years. With the above transformation, living standards of the rubber smallholders have also improved very noticeably. One sees that the present rubber smallholder generally enjoys better living standards than others. It is very satisfying for me professionally to feel that I have been associated with this change.
I would like to thank the Royal Thai Government, the FAO, colleagues - both foreign and local -and the participating smallholders for the encouragement and support given to me. The training and experience I have gained in Malaysia, the country to which I belong, and the opportunities to be involved in Liberia, Burma and China are also gratefully acknowledged. I would also like to extend my appreciation and thanks to the Director-General and the Selection Committee for honouring me with this award. Lastly, to my dear wife, a special thanks, who I know spent many lonely days and nights with understanding and tolerance while I was away on field duties or overseas assignments. Thank you.
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CHAIRMAN: Thank you, Mr Lim Poh Loh.
Mr Manuel Calvelo Rios, would you care to say a word or two?
M.P. CALVELO RIOS (del Personal de la FAO): Sr. Presidente; Sr. Director General de la FAO; Sres. Ministros; Sres. representantes de los países; Señoras y Señores.
Quiero agradecer profundamente el otorgamiento de este Premio; pero el premio debe hacerse extensivo a aquellos que lo han hecho posible. En primer lugar, a mis contrapartes, a los que han trabajado conmigo en el Centro de Servicios de Pedagogía Audiovisual para la Capacitación (CESPAC) del Perú; a aquellos que han aceptado las propuestas de la investigación planteada y han sido capaces de desarrollarla.
En segundo lugar, quiero agradecer este premio en nombre de los campesinos peruanos, los interlocutores de este proceso y metodología de capacitación, de los cuales hemos aprendido tanto como les hemos enseñado.
En tercer lugar, a la Subdirección de Comunicación para el Desarrollo, de la Division de Información de la FAO, que me ha apoyado plenamente en la implementación y realización de esta nueva metodología de capacitación campesina a nivel de base.
En este Año Mundial de la Comunicación, este Premio a un proyecto que emplea medios masivos de comu‐nicación audiovisual -vídeo para la capacitación rural, es un estímulo para continuar el trabajo, ya que la comunicación es un elemento básico para el desarrollo rural.
Se requieren medios de comunicación para la información, base de la toma de decisiones; se requieren medios de comunicación para la participación, para que el desarrollo rural sea un proceso autónomo interno y no un elemento impuesto desde fuera; se requieren medios de comunicación para la educación, educación para mejorar la producción, la productividad y las condiciones de vida de nuestra población rural; se requieren medios de comunicación para que los investigadores conozcan y sepan las necesidades y demandas de los grupos campesinos.
Este Premio se adjudica a un proyecto de educación que utiliza medios de comunicación audiovisual-vídeo. El proyecto comenzó por un rediseño de los instrumentos, adecuando equipos producidos en países industrializados usados para la diversión y la recreación en zonas urbanas, y los rediseñó para utilizarlos en países en desarrollo para la educación en zonas rurales. Este es quizá uno de los logros más significativos del proyecto.
Es fácil explicar el porqué del uso de estos medios: la masividad, el analfabetismo y el multilingüismo del interlocutor campesino, obligan a usar medios masivos audiovisuales. De esta forma, hemos puesto en marcha un sistema en el cual la capacitación va al campesino sin que el campesino tenga que abandonar sus tareas productivas; un sistema que establece un puente directo entre los centros de investigación tecnológica para el área rural y los usuarios de los resultados de dicha investigación.
Si analizamos la tecnología del vídeo y extrapolamos hacia el futuro lo que hemos visto en los últimos veinte años, la constante mejora de la calidad y las constantes reducciones de precios y de pesos, no es una aventura pensar que en un próximo futuro, desde luego antes del año 2000, algo así como esta carpeta será un monitor de televisión; y algo así como esta grabadora de audio será una grabadora de vídeo, y que estos dos equipos no costarán más de 400 dólares. Esto es el futuro, y lo que la FAO ha iniciado en el Perú, con su apoyo al CESPAC es la base para la utilización de estos instrumentos para el desarrollo rural.
En este campo, la FAO, bajo su dirección Sr. Director General, ha iniciado el camino y esperamos que en el futuro mantenga el liderazgo mediante mayor apoyo a la investigación y desarrollo de la metodología originada en el CESPAC, no sólo sobre la tecnología sino, fundamentalmente, mediante la formación de nuevas contrapartes que deben manejar estos recursos en sus países para alcanzar las metas del desarrollo rural.
Por todo ello, porque entiendo que se está premiando un instrumento útil para los campesinos más pobres y necesitados, agradezco y recibo el premio Sen.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you very much. We now have some countries that would like to express congratulations. The first country I will call upon is Malaysia.
DATO KAMARUDDIN ARIFF (Malaysia): Mr Chairman, Mr Director-General, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to take this opportunity to say how honoured we are to be associated in the B.R. Sen Award for the year 1982 through the work of the Malaysia national Mr Lim Poh Loh. Prior to his experience in the FAO, Mr Lim Poh Loh made a significant contribution to the development of the Malaysian rubber industry over the period of 1952 to 1970. His experience in Malaysia includes positions of responsibility in the management of privately owned plantations and in rubber reak668e
work on estates as well as small-holder advisory services, and in the development and management of natural rubber processing units. For contributions made to the rubber industry in extension and management work, Mr Lim Poh Loh received His Majesty's Award in 1967. His wide ranging experience had equipped Mr Lim Poh Loh for services to the International Community, and we are pleased to see that his outstanding performance and dedication has been recognized today by the FAO. We are naturally pleased to know that, equipped with such experience, he has contributed significantly towards the natural rubber industry in the rubber growing countries of the world, particularly Thailand.
We share with Mr Lim Poh Loh his moments of jubilation, and extend our heartiest congratulations to him for the work well done. I than you Mr Chairman.
Prakob KANJANASOON (Thailand): Thank you, Mr Chairman. My Government wishes to extend its heartiest congratulations to Mr Lim Poh Loh for the B.R. Sen Award which he so richly deserves, as we are by far the major beneficiary of the impact of Mr Lim Poh Loh's services since 1971 with FAO. My Government wishes to take this opportunity to extend our sincere gratitude to him for the many fruitful years of cooperation in the developing of the Thai rubber industry, whereas normally technical assistance projects and the international personnel assigned to them are only of medium-term duration.
The twelve years over which we have cooperated with Mr Lim Poh Loh has seen an ever changing requirement as our industry has developed, and Mr Lim Poh Loh has met this new challenge with confidence. Because of the success of the rubber replanting programme, the natural rubber production in Thailand has been rising at an average of about 6 to 8 percent annually. The volume of export in 1982 was 11.3 percent higher than the previous year, and has a foreign exchange earning of about US$404 million. Thailand aims to increase the production to over 1 million tons annually by 1990.
We in the Government of Thailand are confident of our increasing capacity to manage the development of the natural rubber industry, and yet we look forward to continued cooperation with Mr Lim Poh Loh, even if not on a continuous basis then to assist in meeting new challenges as they arise in an expanding programme.
Mr Lim Poh Loh's considerable hard work, his devotion and exceptional rapport which he has established at all levels with the people of Thailand will make him always welcome. Thank you very much.
J.F. PEÑA (España): Gracias Sr. Presidente, Sr. Director General, Señoras y señores delegados.
En primer lugar quiero felicitar a los galardonados con los premios Sen y Boerma y agradecer a la FAO el estímulo que genera al otorgar dichos premios.
Es para mí un honor que el premio Sen 1983, le haya sido concedido al español Manuel Calvelo Ríos, por los justos méritos de una excelente labor realizada. Pero no quisiera atribuir este honor únicamente a España, donde nació y creció en un ambiente campesino sino a otros países hermanos en lengua y tradiciones, donde ha vivido y desarrollado su trabajo: Argentina, Chile y Perú. Es pues un español que sirve de puente de union entre España e Hispanoamérica.
El Sr. Calvelo es también una persona que sabe explicar con una metodología adecuada, las técnicas más avanzadas de los países desarrollados a los medios rurales menos adelantados, sirviendo también en este caso, de puente de unión.
Todo ello trabajando con un gran respeto a la cultura campesina, recogida en fuentes del pensamiento español, otro español universal, Miguel de Unamuno decía, refiriéndose a los hombres del campo: "esos analfabetos tan cultos", y el Sr. Calvelo tiene esto muy en cuenta cuando nos afirma que: "aprende de los campesinos peruanos tanto como les enseña".
Considero, Sr. Presidente, este premio muy merecido y quiero manifestar el gran interés de España por esta metodología. Debo anunciar que estamos estudiando la forma de asociarnos a la FAO y al CESPAC para ayudar a una mayor difusión del proyecto.
J. GAZZO FERNANDEZ DAVILA (Perú): Señor Presidente, Señor Director General, Señores Embajadores, Señores Ministros, Señoras y Señores,
Con gran satisfacción y con profunda emoción he asistido a la entrega de estos premios B.R. Sen otorgados al Sr. Lim Poh Loh, de Malasia, y al Sr. Manuel Calvelo Ríos, ciudadano español que h¿ trabajado en el proyecto que hoy se llama CESPAC, en el Perú, y con el cual me cupo la gran satisfacción de haber trabajado cuando estuve a cargo del Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agraria Lima -Perú-. Debo decir que Manuel Calvelo Ríos, es una mezcla extraordinaria de un hombre de
gran capacidad creativa y un incansable y permanente innovador de técnicas. Cuando conversaba con Manuel, y así lo llamo aporque somos muy amigos, me preocupaba inicialmente el que un aparato tan sofisticado, casi del año 2 000, como era el televisor pudiera llevar un mensaje a agricultores que se encontraban casi 2 000 años antes de Jesucristo, en relación al uso de sus tecnologías. Entonces era un período muy largo y aparentemente abrupto y quizá infranqueable el que se tenía que hacer.
Sin embargo, su creatividad, su profundo carácter de liderazgo y el contagio que produjo en sus colaboradores hizo que este proyecto fuera realidad.
Cuando pensábamos en el transporte de televisores él consiguió un container para que las llamas, los burros y los caballos pudieran llegar a 3 000 y a 4 000 metros sobre el nivel del mar a los pequeños villorrios campesinos. Esta tecnología tiene dos ventajas: la primera es aquella que puede enseñar a los analfabetos, a los únicos que no puede enseñar es a los ciegos, desgraciadamente, puede enseñar a los analfabetos; y tiene otra ventaja de síntesis y es que en una hora enseña todo un proceso agrícola que si se tuviera que enseñar de la forma corriente se demoraría muchísimo porque habría que ver la forma de siembra, el uso de fertilizantes, el control fitosanitario y las cosechas. Sabiamente, es la union maravillosa de una tecnología moderna que ha ido a recoger el mensaje eterno de los agricultores andinos, que han sido ancestralmente agricultores progresistas.
Quiero con esto, señor Presidente, contarles una anécdota que siempre va a dar una nota graciosa a esta reunion familiar: Cuando en el año 1981 se había cerrado el presupuesto general de la República, el proyecto de Calvelo no tenía un sol de financiación; estaba, como se dice, quebrado, y Manuel Calvelo no me dejará por mentiroso cuando diga que llegamos al Ministro de Agricultura primero y al Ministro de Economía después a enseñarles esta novedad, esta caja de pandora y recuerdo que les dimos dos filmaciones, dos vídeos, uno como aprender a construir una casa con los materiales locales y el segundo cómo hacer parir una vaca cuando no hay veterinario. Recuerdo que se emocionaron tanto que obtuvieron un dispositivo legal para asignarle 500 000 dolares a este proyecto que estaba despresupuestado por parte del Gobierno de Perú. De manera que creo que estos casos son símbolo y émulo que debe seguirse porque todos acá luchamos por una gran causa y no se puede luchar por una gran causa sin sentir la grandeza de la misma.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you very much; it is clear to me that Manuel Calvelo Ríos has instilled great enthusiasm and we do have a great cause here. Thank you for your remarks.
We now come to the presentation of the A.H. Boerma Award. This Award is biennial, consisting of scroll, a $ 10 000 cash prize and a round trip to Rome for the winner and spouse, to be given to a writer or journalist whose writing production on radio or television is likely to have increas‐ed international awareness of the world food problem and measures leading to its solution. I now call on the Director-General to present the Award.
DIRECTOR-GENERAL: The A.H. Boerma Award was established in 1975 by the FAO Conference to commemorate Dr Boerma's leadership as Director-General of FAO and this is the third occasion of the A.H. Boerma Award. .
The A.H. Boerma Award is presented biennially to a journalist or journalists whose work on develop‐ment questions has helped to focus public attention on important aspects of the world food problem, with the likely result of having increased public support for measures aimed at its solution.
The Award is not confined to the written word, but may also be extended to productions in all the information media, including particularly television and radio.
On this occasion, the winner of the A.H. Boerma Award is "Farming World", a widely disseminated radio programme of the BBC World Service.
Since 1958, "Farming World" has broadcast programmes on agriculture in the developing countries to an audience of over 20 million listeners.
In addition, many of the programme's items are translated and used separately by the BBC's 36 foreign language services.
Together these services reach a regular audience of 80 million people.
The programme's listeners have been sensitized to the problems of malnutrition and poverty facing the Third World's rural masses.
The audience has also been made aware of the ak668e for solutions to these problems being carried out by national governments and local organizations, as well as by FAO and other international agencies.
Many of the "Farming World" broadcasts have high-lighted matters of immediate concern to FAO, and the work of the Organization's experts and technicians is frequently featured on the programme.
It is my great pleasure, therefore, to present the A.H. Boerma Award for 1982-1983 to the producer or "Farming World", Mr David Dixon, and to the programme's production team.
In doing so, I would like to express my appreciation for their contribution to the fight against world hunger, and their support for the cause for which this Organization strives.
May I ask Mr David Dixon to come up, please.
D. DIXON (United Kingdom): Mr Chairman, Director-General, honourable delegates, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of all of us who are involved with 'The Farming World' I have much pleasure in accepting the A.H. Boerma Award. We all feel very encouraged that the work we are doing has been recognized in this way by FAO. The programme is fortunate in having such a dedicated team and I wish to thank them for all their support.
This award comes at a very appropriate moment, for in a few months time 'The Farming World' will have completed 25 years on the air. During that time we have tried to make listeners in every part of the world more aware of the huge problems facing food production and to keep them up-to-date with the latest in reak668e and developments, much of which is hard to come by from alternative sources in the remote areas. As you are all well aware agriculture, especially in the developing countries, is facing its greatest challenge, and so the swift flow of new ideas is, perhaps, more important than ever before. Radio's role here is vital and we like to think that FAO recognized this in making the award for the first time to a radio programme.
Not only does this award acknowledge the part radio can play in extension, but it also highlights the value of public service broadcasting. We have the advantage of not being tied in any way to commercial interests; it is free of any government propaganda and, because it is a public service, more people are probably prepared to contribute. All the information we broadcast in 'The Farming World' is judged solely on its importance and practicality to agricultural development; the criteria being that it must be of use to someone somewhere.
'The Farming World' will, I hope, continue to play its part in agricultural broadcasting, but to do this we need to have a flow of ideas and experiences from those of you who work, either at the Reak668e Stations or in the field. We cannot always get to you, so your support is really necessary
to make the programme effective, and here I would like to thank the staff of FAO and others who have supported us in the past.
With this award I hope we will be able to travel more to see, learn and report on the positive things that are happening.
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Given the BBC's independence, referred to by Mr Dixon, the Government can claim no credit for the success of Mr Dixon and his team but we are proud that the programmes made by a British producer with a British team has been seen to be worthy of the award. The BBC World Service is listened to by many millions of people in the developed and developing countries and its regular features like
"The Farming World" attracts large audiences with diverse interests and experiences. The Programme gives information on a wide range of agricultural issues of international concern and it has direct relevance to the problems of small farmers who are, of course, the main beneficiaries of the action programmes of the Organization.
"The Farming World" disseminates ideas not only for those seeking to assist the improvement of agricultural production by the application of appropriate technology but also from the farmers them-selves. Some of the recent interviews with local people in countries as wide apart as Jamaica and India illustrated that farmers indeed have the necessary skills and initiatives when the right conditions for profitable agricultural production exist. What is more the programme spread is not only geographically worldwide but covers the whole range of agricultural and agriculturally-related activities, including fishery and forestry.
I wish "The Farming World" every success in its endeavours in the years ahead and I once again thank the Director-General of the FAO for selecting the programme for this year's Boerma Award.
The meeting rose at 16.45 hours
La séance est levée à 16 h 45
Se levanta la sesión a las 16.45 horas
