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

Ide OUMAROU (Observateur de l’Organisation de l’unité africaine): Je voudrais tout d’abord vous féliciter pour votre accession à la présidence de cette auguste assemblée. Et je voudrais encore farmer le voeu que, par les présentes assises, l’Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’alimentation et l’agriculture dont le bilan est déjà incontestablemenfpositif, marque son quarantième anniversaire d’une aura et d’une crédibilité renouvelées afin d’insuffler au monde des malnourris et des affamés des espérances nouvelles.

Je sais tout particulièrement gré au Directeur général de la FAO, le Dr Edouard Saouma, de m’avoir bienveillamment incite à participer à cette importante session. Ce faisant, le Dr Saouma concrétise, une fois encore, et de façon éclatante, les liens privilégiés de concertation et de coopération qui existent si heureusement entre la FAO et l’OUA. Pour cela aussi je le remercie et j’en profite pour rendre hommage au dynamisme et au dévouement de ‘ce digne fils du tiers monde, désormais universellement connu comme un homme de réflexion et: d’action, portant au plus haut de ses inces-santes activités la sécurité alimentaire et l’élimination de la faim partout dans le monde. L’Afrique, en particulier, lui est reconnaissante de ses interventions insistantes et répétées ainsi que de ses appels pertinents et angoissés à l’adresse de la communauté internationale pour faire du problème de la sécheresse, de la désertification et de la famine sur notre continent des préoccupations de tous les hommes et de toûtes les nations, invitant non seulement à une compassion collective, mais surtout à une action de solidarité humaine aussi large et aussi concrete que possible.

Monsieur le Président, Messieurs les Ministres, Monsieur le Directeur général, Excellences, Honorables délégués, Mesdames, Messieurs, c’est M. Hubert Humphrey, alors qu’il était Vice-Président des Etats-Unis, qui a dit que “si la décennie 1970 fut celle du pétrole, l’enjeu de la politique internationale pour la décennie 1980 sera l’alimentation”.

Je n’ai pas besoin de démontrer que l’actualité de ces dernières années donne pleinement à cette affirmation la valeur d’une prophétie. Et j’ajoute, pour étayer cette conviction, que cette actualité si triste et si dure est loin d’avoir le caractère accidentel que certains “experts” voulaient lui donner et dont les mêmes “experts” prétendaient situer l’origine dans la conjonction fortuite d’un ensemble de facteurs exceptionnels. Le phénomène est structurel. II est mondial.

Dans son livre intitulé “L’Avenir alimentaire du tiers monde - bilan et perspectives”, M. J. Goffàux, Chef de travaux au Département de géographie de l’Institut supérieur d’études pédagogiques de Kinshasa, écrit: “Si nous analysons, par exemple, la situation du commerce mondial des céréales au cours des cinquante dernières années, nous constatons que durant la période quinquennale 1934-38, seule l’Europe occidentale était importatrice de céréales (24 millions de tonnes). Les autres continents étaient tous en mesure d’exporter des surplus vivriers: l’Amérique latine en exportait 9 millions de tonnes, l’Afrique un million, l’Asie 2 millions, l’Europe de l’Est millions, l’Océanie 2 millions et l’Amérique anglo-saxonne 5 millions. En 1978-79, les courants commerciaux affichent une orientation radicalement différente: selon les données recueillies par la FAO, l’Amérique du Nord a exporté 5 millions de tonnes de céréales, l’Océanie 9 millions et l’Europe occidentale un million. Mais tous les autres continents accusent déjà un deficit de production, se voyant ainsi forces de le combler par des importations alimentaires. Ainsi l’Amérique latine doit acheter annuellement environ 7 millions de tonnes de céréales, l’Afrique millions, l’Asie 36 millions, l’Europe de l’Est 6 millions... et le déséquilibre ne cesse de se creuser advantage” conclut M. Goffaux.

Et c’est précisément parce que “le déséquilibre ne cesse de se creuser advantage”, Monsieur le President, que vos présentes assises sont d’une exceptionnelle importance. Et elles le sont d’autant plus à mes yeux que j’y vois déjà une contribution nécessaire et particulièrement bien venue à la recherche de solutions à une preoccupation unanime des chefs d’Etat et de Gouvernement africains qui, réunis en la vingt-et-unième session ordinaire de l’OUA à Addis-Abeba en juillet 1985 pour examiner entre autres la crise sans precedent qui frappe présentement notre continent, en arrivèrent à proposer à la communauté internationale la tenue d’une session spéciale de l’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies pour débattre et trouver des remèdes à la situation économique critique en Afrique.

Vous allez, en effet, vous-même débattre au point 7.2 de votre ordre du jour provisoire de cette pénible situation où emergent, comme des cornes de défi, les problès brûlants de la sécheresse, de la famine, de la desertification et de l’endettement. Et les échanges de vues que vous consacreçez au.rôle du secteur agricole, à la rehabilitation de l’agriculture et aux politiques agricoles d’ajustement seront particulièrement suivis par nos soins puis.que-la problématique veritable de la crise africaine dont il est question aujourd’hui c’est la resolution rapide de situations de plus en plus complexes auxquelles nous devons apporter des solutions inédites qui tiennent compte de l’equation ineluctable entre production et consommation.

Car si la prophétie de M. Humphrey est aujourd’hui vraie pour une grande partie du monde, elle l’est surtout pour l’Afrique contemporaine où une grande majorité des populations souffrent à la fois de malnutrition et de sous-alimentation; où le rythme galopant de la croissance démographique excède de loin le développement des disponibilités alimentaires; où le souci de nourrir une population toujours plus nombreuse grace à une production accrue se heurte à bon nombre de tabous entretenus par des mentalités propres à des sociétés traditionnelles où l’organisation agricole se trouve profondément imbriquée au système social et se réfère même fréquemment à une cosmogonie religieuse; où les terres se dégradent et s’épuisent pour d’innombrables raisons dont souvent l’ignorance où se trouvent les paysans des conséquences de toute surexploitation des sols et de toute introduction mal assimilée de nouvelles techniques, voire de nouveaux équipements; où, enfin, malgré des tentatives diverses de promotion du monde rural et des apports massifs extérieurs de vivres, les aires de disettes s’étendent et les cas de famine se multiplient.

Mais à ces facteurs purement internes à notre continent il faudrait encore, hélas, en ajouter d’autres inhérents, eux, soit au contexte international et à l’interdépendance entre les nations, soit, plus grave encore, à l’environnement. Et je cite: la récession économique mondiale; la détérioration des termes de l’échange et son corollaire l’endettement; les produits concurrents dits de substitution; la sécheresse, la désertification, les inondations, cyclones et raz-de-marée... et tout récemment encore on recommence à parler de vols de sauterelles et de sérieuses menaces de pollution!

C’est done sur cette toile de fond très peu reluisante que les chefs d’Etat et de Gouvernement africains ont adopté, en 1980, le Plan d’action de Lagos dont l’un des principaux objectifs était d’apporter avant 1985 des ameliorations substantielles à la situation alimentaire. Or, lors de leur toute dernière reunion de juillet 1985, nos chefs d’Etat et de Gouvernement devaient malheu-reusement noter que pour l’année 1985, date limite pour les mesures recommandées dans le chapitre du Plan d’action de Lagos reserve à l’alimentation et à l’agriculture, le secteur agricole n’a pu atteindre le taux de croissance vise de 4 pour cent. Il n’a pu atteindre qu’environ 1,7 pour cent par an alors que la population augmentait au taux de 2,8 pour cent. Il a également été noté que les problèmes du secteur agricole sont dus à des échecs politiques et à l’incapacité de plusieurs de nos pays d’investir suffisamment dans le secteur agricole. C’est pourquoi le 21ème Sommet de l’OUA en vint encore à adopter un programme dit “Programme prioritaire de l’Afrique pour le redressement économique” qui, tout en demandant aux Etats africains des efforts supplémentaires comme, par exemple, consacrer 20 à 25 pour cent des investissements publics au monde rural, fait un certain nombre de recommandations à l’adresse de la communauté internationale, notamment en matière d’aide alimentaire et d’aide au développement.

1. Une étroite coopération entre les institutions, les pays donateurs et les Gouvernements des pays africains bénéficiaires de l’aide ainsi que les pays de transit;

2. Une assistance technique et financière adéquate pour assurer le transport, le stockage et la distribution de l’aide alimentaire aux victimes de la sécheresse et de la famine;

3. Un appui financier au Fonds spécial d’urgence d’assistance de lutte contre la sécheresse et la famine; fonds créé en novembre 1984, lors du 20ème Sommet;

4. Une facilitation du transfert de technologie appropriée et un développement de la technologie locale;

5. Une assistance internationale massive pour la recherche et le développement;

6. Une mobilisation des ressources financières et: autres pour la formation et le développement des ressources humaines;

7. La création de systèmes internationaux d’alerte rapide visant à aider, à prévenir ou à se preparer en cas de catastrophes naturelles en Afrique;

8. Enfin, la convocation, outre de la Conference internationale pour examiner la situation économique critique de l’Afrique, dont je parlais tantôt, d’une Conference internationale sur la dette africaine.

Voilà done, Monsieur le Président, sommairement évoquées, les préoccupations actuelles de l’Afrique pour faire face à une situation qui requiert, de toute évidence, des moyens autrement plus conséquents que ceux dont disposent aujourd’hui les seuls Etats africains.

Mais je ne terminerai pas sans profiter de cette tribune pour dire également toute la gratitude de l’Organisation de l’unité africaine à l’adresse de la communauté internationale tout entière pour le magnifique élan de solidarité dont elle a fait montre à l’égard de notre Continent. Mobilisée comme elle l’a été, ne tarissant pas d’initiatives et de generosities, pourvoyant activement vivres, fonds, medicaments, semences, engrais, vêtements et équipements, elle a véritablement fait oeuvre d’une haute portée humaine dont l’ampleur et la spontanéité n’avaient probablement jamais été connues auparavant. Merci pour tout. Merci à tous. Et nous disons que pareil elan réconforte l’Afrique. Il montre à nos populations acculées à l’exode et à la resignation, qu’il y a des occurrences où la solidarité internationale sait jouer, et joue en ignorant les différences et en minimisant les distances. Mais comme chaque médaille a son revers, il impose également aux responsables africains que nous sommes, un crucial et urgent devoir: celui de veiller à ce que tant de bienveillance et de générosité, n’en arrivent à définitivement convaincre nos bons paysans qu’il leur est aujourd’hui possible de se nourrir sans rien faire, rien qu’en affichant leur indigence, en jetant la daba et en criant famine. C’est pourquoi, tout en insistant ici et partant sur la nécessité de l’aide pour son devenir, l’Afrique veut choisir, parmi les aides, celles qui sont conformes à ses aspirations et à sa dignité, c’est-à-dire l’aide à la production, l’aide au développement, l’aide qui, après avoir soulagé incite, féconde, éduque, forme, et qui, en fin de compte”, “aide à se passer de l’aide”. Car cctte aide-là seule permettra à l’Afrique de se bâtir, de s’épanouir et de jouer pleinement son rôle dans le concert: des nations. Sans réserve aucune et sans complexe.

Sra- Dona Cecilia LOPEZ (Colombia): Señor Presidente, señor Director General, señores Ministros Delegados y Observadores, señoras y señores:

El Presidente de la República de Colombia, Belisario Betancur, me ha pedido transmitir a ustedes su reconocimiento y gratitud por la honrosa distinción de que le hicieron objeto y lamenta, muy since-ramente, no haber podido estar presente en esta importante Conferencia.

El aniversario que estamos celebrando, coincide con una de las más graves, confusas y persistentes crisis de la agricultura y la alimentación en el mundo.

Tradicionalmente, los países en desarrollo eran productores de materias primas y los estados desarrollados producían los bienes industriales. Esos.eran los dos canales de intercambio correla-cionados que, si bien con dificultades para los paises en vías de desarrollo, garantizaban al menos teóricamente una cierta interdependencia.

Ahora no solarnente se ha agudizado nuestra dependencia de los países industrializados de insumos, rnaquinarias y granos, sino que también esos estados se han dedicado a producir materias primas y alimentos en una competencia desleal.

Estos hechos, sumados a las desafortunadas prácticas de subsidios y otras formas de asistencia a la producción y exportación que aplican muchos países desarrollados han desatado una verdadera guerra comercial, de la cual son víctimas impotences los estados del Tercer Mundo.

Esos métodos que todos debemos condenar vienen causando una gran depresión de los precios de los principales productos agrícolas de exportación del mundo en desarrollo, con daños inmensos a nuestras economías y también con perjuicios notables a las sociedades de esos propios estados industrializados.

Además, todo esfuerzo por aumentar las exportaciones resultará vano, ante el creciente proteccionismo que practican algunos países del mundo desarrollado. Se requieren mejores términos de inter-cambio y más amplio acceso de nuestros productos a los importantes mercados de los países avanzados.

No obstante que en todas las instancias se viene clamando contra el proteccionismo y hasta se logran promesas de los países industrializados -a muy alto nivel - debemos lamentar que haya sido muy lánguido el resultado de ese proceso.

Excepcionalmente, en materia de comercio, los estados desarrollados suelen dividirse, coyuntural-mente, cuando se enfrentan sus propios intereses, pero siempre se unen para oponerse a las justas reivindicaciones del mundo en desarrollo.

Como consecuencia de esas actitudes, nuestros países están atravesando una profunda crisis, carac-terizada, sobre todo, por la necesidad de importar grandes cantidades de alimentos, reducir las areas sembradas, bajos niveles tecnológicos, carencia de suficiente flujo de recursos económicos y otros aspectos que determinan precarias condiciones de vida de las poblaciones rurales.

Ante esta situación, que no se modifica sino que se agrava, corresponde a los países en desarrollo aumentar su oferta agrícola interna y buscar a su vez cierto grado de especialización que permita incrementar el comercio entre nuestros estados. No podemos como región continuar siendo importado-res netos de productos básicos provenientes del mundo desarrollado. Debemos buscar un mayor auto-abastecimiento regional.

Esta decisión tiene un costo político. Nuestas clases urbanas pagarían alimentos más caros mientras nuestro sector agropecuario recupera la dinámica perdida. No serà posible competir, en principio, con los precios de los productos que exportan los países industrializados, puesto que ellos no reflejan ni siquiera sus propios costos de producción. Pero esta decisión en el mediano y largo plazo, no sólo es compatible con los propósitos de la estrategia de seguridad alimentaria, sino que probablemente y más importante aún, abrirá una nueva esperanza a nuestro marginado mundo rural.

Dentro de esta búsqueda de autoabastecimiento regional, el Gobierno de Colombia apoya la alta prioridad que el Director General de la FAO está concediendo en los programas de la Organización a la Cooperación Económica y Técnica entre países en desarrollo.

Sea esta la oportunidad de reconocer que todos los colombianos estamos muy cerca del doctor Edouard Saouma, a través del afecto de una distinguida compatriota nuestra que comparte su vida con el Director General.

El Gobierno colombiano reitera una vez más su admiración, respaldo y simpatía al Director General de la FAO, en nombre del Tercer Mundo, estadista de clara visión y ejecutivo de brillante trayectoria.

Asimismo, nuestro Gobierno da su más cordial bienvenida a los dos nuevos Estados Miembros: Islas Cook e Islas Salomón.

Señor Presïdente: La difícil situación económica, no es sólo patrimonio de las sociedades con atraso relativo.

Justo es reconocer que la recesión afectó también a algunos países industrializados que ahora están en proceso de recuperación “en buena parte a expensas de los países en desarrollo”.

Es absurdo que los pueblos del Tercer Mundo - particularmente los de América Latina y el Caribe -se hayan convertido en exportadores de capitales a los estados más prósperos.

Son inconmensurables las cifras sobre el monto de la deuda externa de los países en desarrollo y el alto costo del servicio de esa deuda.

Nos encontramos en un callejón sin salida: si los estados industrializados nos declaran la guerra comercial y nos cierran sus mercados ¿con qué recursos podremos entonces pagar la deuda y su ele-vado servicio?

Usted, señor Presidente, distinguido Ministro de Agricultura de la noble nación de Camerún, nos ha ofrecido testimonio directo de los sufrimientos del hambre, la malnutrición y las muertes que pade-cen millones de africanos.

No podemos permitir que tantas pobres gentes mueran de hambre, niños y mujeres inocentes, todos a quienes, con estupor y profundo dolor, vemos emigrar en condiciones lastimosas de pobreza y miseria de los campos que guardan en sus entrañas los alimentos que ellos no pueden extraer por carecer de recursos.

Hacia su penoso exilio, esos seres humanos, como cualquiera de nosotros, arrancados de sus parcelas podrían añorar el pensamiento de Cicerón: “De todos los oficios lucrativos, ninguno más digno, más productivo y agradable para un hombre libre que la agricultura.”

Frente a situaciones como ésta, nos enfrentamos a un notable y creciente deterioro de la coopera-ción multilateral, con reflejos graves y preocupantes en la situación agrícola y alimentaria.

EL Gobierno de Colombia invita a la seria reflexión. Hay que dar muestras de una gran capacidad común de reacción.

Para conjurar todos los síntomas apocalípticos que nos inquietan, se impone en primer lugar un mayor entendimiento de la actual problemática agrícola y rural. Excedentes y escasez de alimentos se están dando simultáneamente en distintas áreas del planeta. En segundo lugar es necesario, como lo viene propugnando el Tercer Mundo, el establecimiento de un nuevo Orden Económico Internacional, más justo y equitativo.

Los estados industrializados y los países en desarrollo - cada uno en el marco de sus propias y espe-cíficas responsabilidades - deben unirse, cooperar, entenderse, complementar sus condiciones y carac-terísticas, para que esta Organización pueda seguir contribuyendo eficaz y positivamente a eliminar el doloroso espectro del hambre, de la malnutrición y de la miseria.

Pitágoras afirmó: “El poder y la necesidad son, con frecuencia, vecinos que se ignoran.”

Dentro de las limitaciones económicas, sociales y políticas que vivimos, el Gobierno de Colombia ha realizado un gran esfuerzo para reservar la tendencia depresiva de nuestra producción agrícola y pecuaria. Después de tres años de esfuerzo conjunto del Gobierno, gremios y productores, empezamos a ver un crecimiento en nuestra producción interna, una reducción en las importaciones de alimentos y una mejor rentabilidad de las actividades del agro y esperamos que esta nueva situación empiece ya a traducirse en un mejoramiento en la calidad de vida de nuestra población rural. Vamos en la dirección adecuada, mas no con la intensidad deseada. Nos queda, como a muchos paises de la region, un largo camino por recorrer, para eliminar, al menos en el campo, las desigualdades que han venido convirtiéndose en los factores objetivos de la subversión.

Desafortunadamente, en los últimos días nuestro país - comprometido desde tiempo atrás con la búsque-da de la paz - ha sido víctima de hechos graves dirigidos a desestabilizar nuestras instituciones democráticas.

Con gran dolor y muy altos costos hemos superado este nuevo obstáculo, comprobando una vez más que la paz es frágil, y que sólo puede obtenerse mediante el esfuerzo continuado y la voluntad política de conseguirla por encima de todas las dificultades.

El Presidente - no obstante el tremendo impacto de esos hechos recientes que aún siguen gravitando sobre nuestra patria - decidió que ocupáramos esta tribuna para confirmar que, como lo ha dicho nuestro Jefe de Estado: “En esta fase de nuestra existencia, el mandato de la historia de Colombia es la paz “ y más aún, para reiterar que persistimos en la política de paz y que no ahorramos esfuerzos para que la teràpéutica del diálogo y de los acuerdos rindan sus frutos.

Los actos que la opinión pública reconoció recientemente, son un hecho aislado, impulsado por fuer-zas de la violencia y del mal. Fue una respuesta negativa a la mano tendida.

Pero la gran mayoría del pueblo colombiano enarbola la bandera de la paz y rodea a nuestro gobierno que - basado en la solidaridad y comprensión de todos nuestros compatriotas - trata, por todos los medios, de fortalecer el espíritu de convivencia y con actitud de serena firmeza defiende los prin- cipios y las instituciones.

M. TOMAN (Czechoslovakia): First of all, Mr Chairman, permit me to congratulate you on behalf of the delegation of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic on your election to the office of Chairman of the Twenty-third Conference of our Organization. May I also congratulate the elected Vice-Chairmen and other officials of our session and wish them the best of success in the discharge of their exacting work.

As the current United Nations General Assembly session has been marked by the 40th Anniversary of the foundation of the United Nations so, as is after all evident from the debate so far, this will also mark the important 40th Anniversary of our Organization which provides an opportunity for commemoration but above all for an appreciation of its activities in the past, and for discussions on the forms of future activities of the mission of our Organization in seeking solutions to the world food problem in light of the existing requirements and problems.

Forty years ago, the Csechoslovak Socialist Republic stood at the birth of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. We helped in establishing this Organization at the threshold of the period of peaceful reconstruction of a world disrupted by war.

The Government and the people of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic wish that the specialized agencies as well, including FAO which is one of the most important, should in full accordance with their respective statutes, make their contribution to the functioning of the whole United Nations System in the interests of the system - a systematic promotion of effective international cooperation, thus contributing significantly to an expansion of peaceful cooperation of all countries, irrespective of their social systems and the stage of economic development they have achieved.

An effective solution to the problem of hunger and malnutrition of hundreds of millions of inhabitants on our planet, which along with the safeguarding of the peaceful future of mankind also means narrowing the growing gap between the economic levels of advanced and developing countries, and coping with problems of debt and protection of the environment, constitutes one of the major global problems of mankind and calls for a democratic transformation of international economic relations on the basis of equality, justice and mutual advantage. None of these problems can be coped with under conditions of the prevailing economic dependence of developing countries. This year’s Twenty-fifth Anniversary of the declaration on granting independence to colonial countries and peoples provides us with an opportunity to assess the extent to which the process of emancipation of enslaved colonial nations has been made reality, the extent to which apartheid and racism have been uprooted and the measure in which not only political sovereignty but also the economic independence of developing countries has been fully ensured. Future development of these countries is inconceivable without eliminating all the undesirable impacts of the colonial heritage and, in particular, without the elimination of increasingly sophisticated forms of “neo-colonialistic” practices. This is why we have always given our support to the FAO strategy aimed at the achievements of the highest possible degree of self-sufficiency by developing countries in securing the nutrition of their populations.

At the beginning of my statement I referred to the important anniversary of the foundation of the United Nations and of FAO and the declaration of granting independence to colonial countries and peoples. For my country as well, 1985 is a year of a great anniversary, a symbol of common creative work of all of the Czechoslovak people who commemorate.the liberation of their country by the Soviet Army from the horrors of facist occupation. In the early years of that period we faced a difficult task.- We had to solve our food problem. One of the kjey tasks in the process of profound political and socio-economic transformations in Czechoslovakia after the Second World War was a consistent implementation of agrarian reform. Hand in hand with it, in harmony with the long traditions of the Czechoslovak cooperative movement, a process was started of voluntary association of small farmers to form unified agricultural cooperatives.

The structure of backward agricultural production and low efficiency which was reminiscent of the last century was, with the participation of all farmers, gradually re-built into an efficient socialist mass production, making use of the most modern agricultural techniques and progressive technologies. The tumultous development, proceeding simultaneously with the establishment of state farms, was going on under conditions of consistent application of principles of cooperative democracy both in the administration and in the management of cooperatives.

The agricultural cooperation system is a significant element of the economic and social life of our country. Unified agricultural cooperatives, at present 1,686 in number, cultivate an average of more than 2,500 hectares of agricultural land each, providing for two-thirds of agricultural production and taking an important share in its constant rise. They represent, together with the State farms, 95 to 98, percent of our food resources. Compared with the period when cooperative farms were non-existent and private small-scale agricultural enterprising prevailed, before 1948, agricultural production rose more than 2.2 times, while the acreage of agricultural land dropped by roughly 10 percent and the number of people working in agriculture by more than 60 percent. Labour efficiency rose 5.5 times. While we support the strategy of the FAO aimed at a solution of the world food problem and the achievement of self-sufficiency by developing countries in making use of their own resources, we, in our country, also strive to achieve the optimum possible degree of self-sufficiency in our conditions, that is, in food production in the temperate zone. Despite the fact that in Czechoslovakia there are 0.44 hectares of agricultural land, and/or 0.31 hectares of arable land per head, in recent years, we have, in cooperation with other socialist countries, recorded a high level of nutritional standards for an average per capita consumption of 85 kg of meat. Over the last two years Czechoslovakia practically ceased to be an importer of cereals from world markets. At the same time, we are doing our best to expand trade through exchange of other agricultural products with developing countries.

Therefore if, at the 1979 World Conference on Agrarian Reform, we advocated the road towards self-reliance in the production of basic foodstuffs as a permanent springboard for the solution of the food problems in developing countries, we are now opposed to attempts by multinationals to restore nationalized and cooperative agricultural production and food industry enterprises to private ownership. If we also point out the great power of initiatives that may be taken by millions of small farmers and landless people associated in different cooperatives in developing countries, we are doing so on the basis of our own objective and proven experience. FAO statistics reveal a lot.

My delegation lends its full support to the priorities of FAO’s Programme of Work for the next two years, and adheres to and advocates the irreplaceable role of FAO in the process of rehabilitating African agriculture. Over the last two years Africa has served as a testing ground for the capacities and possibilities of our Organization. I would like to identify myself with the representatives who expressed the conviction that FAO has passed that test. In this respect we highly appreciate the Director-General’s efforts. He has personally, on the spot in Ethiopia and in other affected countries, organized FAO’s speedy and efficient participation in international solidarity projects.

We are convinced that although the rains which fell on the arid soil and caused the cultures and pastures in East Africa and in the Sahel to turn greenare not decisive for a final elimination of crop failure, hunger and malnutrition in that part of the world, they will be a signal for our Organization to tackle the root of the’ causes and to eliminate them in a difficult but real and permanent way- through modernization of agricultural structures. In this connection we support the role of FAO as the leading international organization in rural and agricultural development. As concerns the anti-colonialist role of FAO, we can also support it fully.

As concerns the draft Programme of Work and Budget for the next biennium, the Czechoslovak delegation will vote for its adoption. The draft is based on existing resources and, as a whole pays attention to the requirements. We appreciate the further limitation of non-productive expenditures in favour of increasing resources for the implementation of programming and technical sectors. It is especially in this connection that we support all endeavours to simplify administration. A certain reduction of the budget might also be achieved through a properly fixed exchange rate of the US dollar and the lira. The draft is in harmony with the concept of programmes giving priority to developing countries. We agree with such preference on condition that it will not lead to restrictions in other regional programmes.

As representative of a European country, I would like to draw your attention to the importance of the European programme of cooperation which, although not drawing a large portion of the current and proposed budgets, does contribute significantly to the promotion of applied research and constitutes a source of valuable information and data for technological projects carried out by FAO in developing countries. We believe that it is desirable to apply, in practice, an equitable geographic distribution of all FAO member countries, both in the Secretariat and in the field. The prevailing situation, where the use of the expertise of specialized institutions and experts of member countries is not always adequate, should be remedied. Some States are highly over-represented while others, including my own, are very under-represented. This is an important aspect which should receive much greater attention in the future.

For the solution of serious technological problems of development we offer the co-operation and participation of our training and educational centres, and the involvement of our experts and consultants in field work.

We will take part in the network of reference laboratories to cope with major infectious animal diseases. We are going to participate in the FAO programme of co-operation in the preservation and exchange of plant genetic resources. We tope that in the near future we shall witness similar co-operation in livestock genetic resources.

We wish to confirm the invitation extended to FAO/UNDP Coordinators in the programme of Development of Integrated Renewable Energy Resources for agricultural areas to hold their 1986 meeting in our country.

As the President of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic,. Dr Gustav Husák, said in his message on.the occasion of World Food Day, we are ready to make available to all interested developing countries the experience that we have gained in the establishment of agricultural cooperatives and their activities, and our knowledge resulting from research on and application of modern agricultural technology.

We are ready to expand and improve our cooperation with FAO in general. As a founding Nation of the UN and FAO, we feel that we have a special responsibility towards our Organization to be an increasingly important link for peaceful co-operation in the world’s socio-economic development; to contribute, with our share, to the peaceful co-operation of nations on an equal footing, irrespective of different social systems and levels of economic development; and to contribute to the clarification of requirements and the establishment of conditions for the invigoration of the international climate for disarmament, economic stability and development.

M. BARTUREN DUEÑAS (Perú): En nombre del Gobierno del Perú, permítame expresarle mi más sincera felicitación por haber sido elegido Presidente de esta Conferencia. La confianza depositada en su persona constituye un claro reconocimiento a sus cualidades personales y a su probada capacidad pro-fesional para conducir nue.stras deliberaciones, las que orientarán la acción de los Estados para res-ponder con justicia y oportunidad al desafío que nos enfrenta la problemática de la agricultura y la al.imentación.

Me honra adelantarle que la Delegación del Perú le brindará el mejor de sus esfuerzos para contribuir a cristalizar el delicado mandato que se le ha encomendado.

De igual modo, deseo aprovechar esta oportunidad para relievar la destacada labor del Sr. Edouard Saouma, Director General de la Organización, quien en la promoción de los objetivos que norman la Carta constitutiva de la FAO, ha contribuido a fortalecer la credibilidad de esta Organización que tantas esperanzas concita por parte de los países pobres.

Saludamos el ingreso a la Organización de las Islas Cook y las Islas Salomón, al tiempo que les ex-presamos nuestro deseo de intercambiar experiencias en el area de la alimentación y la pesquería.

En circunstancias en que se conmemora el 40º Aniversario de la Fundación de la FAO, es oportuno re-cardar los objetivos que la motivaron y efectuar una evaluación sobre la consecución de los mismos.

Un tal análisis, tiene qué pasar por evaluar en que medida se ha cumplido con la promoción del bie-nestar general, el fomento del nivel de nutrición de los pueblos, el mejoramiento del rendimiento de la producción y eficacia de los alimentos, el mejoramiento de las condiciones de la población rural y la liberación del hambre de la humanidad, todos estos objetivos consignados en la Constitución de la Organización.

Por cierto, el resultado de esta evaluación no es promisorio. Según el Banco Mundial, cerca del 25 por ciento de la población mundial, cerca del 25 por ciento de la población mundial (1 000 millones de personas) viven en un estado de pobreza absoluta.

En el horizonte se perfila la perspectiva de 1 500 millones más de personas que sera preciso alimen-tar para el año 2000, un 90 por ciento de las cuales habitarán en los países en desarrollo y a pesar de ello se amplía la brecha entre la producción agrícola y el consumo alimentario. Los países más ricos, lejos de contribuir a la superación de este desequilibrio, nos agobian con la pesada carga que significan los servicios de la deuda externa, las medidas proteccionistas adoptadas en contra de nuestras exportaciones, con las remesas exageradas de las utilidades de las empresas multinacio-nales y con la restricción de la ayuda técnica y financiera que apoyen nuestros proyectos de desarrollo.

A nivel planetario se vive una situación incierta y confusa y es tan injusta la distribución inter-nacional de la riqueza que permite que se generen situaciones tan contrastantes en la que coexisten economías de la abundancia y del derroche al lado de situaciones caracterizadas por el hambre en el Africa, en Asia y en la situación de hambre y miseria del poblador andino de nuestro subcontinente.

A pesar de todo ello este diagnóstico sería incompleto si no resaltara la labor de la FAO para pro-mover la cooperación a favor del agro, los esfuerzos que emprende eL Grupo de los 77 para imponer un Nuevo Orden Económico Internacional, las políticas que impulsan algunos Gobiernos para corregir sus desequilibrios económicos y el intercambio horizontal, así como el significativo aporte de algunos países desarrollados que contribuyen con el desarrollo agrícola y alimentario del Tercer Mundo.

La grave escasez de productos alimentarios, muchos de los cuales constituyen el ingrediente básico en la dieta de las regiones rurales, y el abandono del. campo por la falta de una eficiente política agraria, impone la adopción de medidas correctivas que respondan al interés y a la demanda de un alto porcentaje de la población de los países en desarrollo dedicada a la faena agrícola. No podemos seguir impasibles cuando constatamos que, por la fatalidad propia del subdesarrollo, esta situación se torna cada vez más dramática e insostenible. Las cifras estadísticas demuestran que aquellos que dedican su vida al culcivo de la tierra son los que sufren más agudamente la miseria, la malnutrición y la marginación social.

Esta situación engendra todavía problemas más graves para nuestras sociedades cuando grupos humanos optan por única alternativa a su sobrevivencia migrar a la ciudad, tratando de incorporarse a un medio cultural siempre ajeno y a veces hostil. La búsqueda de un me joramiento de vida èn la urbe, alentada por ficticios patrones de consumo, agrava aún más, por la propia dinámica del desarrollo, su margi nalidad y su pobreza..Como una consecuencia más que cierra este círculo opxesivo, la ausencia del hombre en el campo repercute en la postración del agro y también de la economía en su conjunto por la disminución de la capacidad de demanda.

Enfrentamos un desafío cuya naturaleza histórica es insoslayable. El pueblo peruano nos ha hecho co-nocer su mandato de transformar el país por los medios democráticos. Como lo prueba la experiencia histórica, combinar la revolución social y la democracia política es el más complejo reto que una sociedad plantea a sus ciudadanos.

En el contexto de los grandes lineamientos para el mediano plazo en lo tocante al sector agrario el Gobierno del Perú ha priorizado el desarrollo rural integral, otorgándole importancia estratégica al desarrollo del agro. Esto se sintetiza en la erradicación de la pobreza rural y en la reducción de la vulnerabilidad alimentaria externa, a través principalmente de la mayor producción de alimentos y la creación de un mercado interno ampliado para el desarrollo de los otros sectores productivos, principalmente la industria.

En concordancia con los conceptos actualizados de la FAO sobre la seguridad alimentaria, el Perú está impulsando un “sistema alimentario nacional” cuyas principales características son:

- Ampliar la oferta interna de alimentos en condiciones de eficiencia, cuyo volumen y com-posición permitan satisfacer en mayor grado las necesidades básicas de la población.

- Disponer de mecanismos que neutralicen las fluctuaciones cíclicas pronunciadas, a través del recientemente creado Fondo de Mejoramiento de Precios y el reforzamiento y amplia-ción de los sistemas de almacenaje y conservación.

- Reducir al mínimo la vulnerabilidad externa a través de un mayor grado de autoabasteci miento y estabilidad de la oferta interna, para lo cual se ha comenzado por establecer un régimen de protección a la producción agrícola nacional.

- Impedir la sobreexplotación de los recursos naturales y el deterioro del medio ambiente.

- Atender las demandas de todos los sectores económicos y sociales y, en particular, aquellas de los estratos del más bajo ingreso.

Un desarrollo rural agropecuario orientado en este sentido requiere en primer lugar de un esfuerzo de racionalización de los recursos escasos - agua y tierra - y una decidida acción promotora del Estado para garantizar el acceso prioritario al crédito y a la asistencia técnica, a los pesticidas y fertilizantes, a la implementación y equipos, en magnitudes que permitan satisfacer las necesidades de producción y comercialización, aprovechando y fomentando la propia organización cooperativa del agro nacional, dentro de los diversos modelos de gestión agropecuaria.

Asimismo el Gobierno se ha impuesto rescatar la inmensa riqueza ecológica de nuestro mar, orien-tándola fundamentalmente a la alimentación popular. En este esfuerzo que hemos emprendido, para que nuestro mar pueda nutrir al pueblo peruano, solicitamos el concurso de este Organismo, que es la máxima Organización Mundial de la Agricultura y de la Pesca.

En suma, el Gobierno peruano no ha propuesto emprender en los próximos cinco años un programa de reactivación del sector agrario y pesquero que restituya a nuestro campesino su derecho fundamental a gozar de una fuente digna de trabajo, que le provea bienestar y progreso para él y su descen-dencia y fortalezca la estructura productiva alimentaria del país.

Sr. Presidente, desde el momento que asumimos el Gobierno hemos puesto en práctica un conjunto de medidas económicas de emergencia, con lo cual hemos logrado estabilizar el tipo de cambio, hemos reducido sustantivamente el costo del crédito, hemos decretado una prudente regulación de precios de los productos básicos y hemos incrementado significativamente el salario real de la población. Lo importante del camino diferente que hemos escogido es que el costo de la medida no se concentre en el hambre de los más humildes; defendemos y seguiremos defendiendo la. economía popular y a los sectores marginados del Perú. Para nosotros una condición de éxi-to fundamental en los próximos meses es que la lucha contra la inflación se refuerce y asocie estrechamente con la reactivación agrícola e industrial, el comercio y los servicios orientados a satisfacer el consumo.

El avance y la generalización de la economía de mercado a nivel nacional, no sólo alteró la estruc-tura productiva del país, sino además introdujo nuevas normas sociales de consumo cuyas posibili-dades de satisfacción no corresponden a la capacidad agroecológica de los Andes; razón por la cual enormes áreas de este territorio fueron abandonadas y gran cantidad de trabajadores del campo fueron expulsados hacia los centros urbanos donde nuestra industria incipiente y dependiente es incapaz de absorber estos brazos necesitados de trabajo.

Sr. Presidente, el agravamiento de la situación alimentaria y agrícola del Perú no impide que se desarrolle una política nacional de preservación de nuestras reservas naturales porque somos conscientes de que su extinción no sólo atentaría contra la ecología peruana, sino también contra la ecología mundial. Me refiero a la reserva de Paracas, al Parque Nacional del Manu, a la preservación de la vicuña en Pampa Galeras, así como el mantenimiento de la flora y fauna de la Amazonía, considerada por algunos como el pulmón de la humanidad, cuya responsabilidad podemos compartir con otros países y que asumimos en la medida de la importancia cada vez más gravitante que representa mantener el equilibrio de nuestros ecosistemas.

La relación entre las políticas alimentarias agrícolas nacionales y la situación del servicio de la deuda externa es evidente, en cuanto carecemos de recursos para atender las necesidades esencia-les de nuèstra póblación y por ello no podemos priorizar el pago de la deuda, ya que sería aten-tatorio contra el propio pueblo peruano.

La carrera armamentista significa al mundo 800.000 millones de dólares anuales, los países desa-rrollados dedican en gastos militares sumas veinte veces superiores a los que proporciona en concepto de ayuda económica, y lo que es más importante, que si se redujese sólo en una quinta parte las dedicadas a tales gastos, se podría erradicar el hambre en todo el mundo para el año 2000.

El Perú, animado de un sentimiento de solidaridad internacional, recoge el mensaje de los antiguos peruanos que plasmaron su voluntad pacifista grabando en la piedra, en una estela que nos ha dejado la civilización chavín, una alegoría que representa la renuncia a las armas de ese pueblo precolombino, y dentro de ese espíritu estamos promoviendo en las Naciones Unidas la adopción de una resolución que desarme convencionalmente a escala regional, que en nuestro caso está destinada a fomentar la unidad de Latinoamérica.

Sr. Presidente: La Delegación del Perú apoya el Programa de Labores y Presupuesto 1986-87, por estar estructurado orgánicamente, y aunque austero en la asignación de recursos, otorgamos especial importancia a la preservación de los recursos fitogenéticos y respaldamos la creación de un banco de germoplasma mundial a cargo de la FAO.

Expresamos nuestro apoyo sin reservas al Pacto de Seguridad Alimentaria Mundial Agrario y la Reforma Alimentaria.

Estamos seguros que el esfuerzo nacional es fundamental para poder superar estos graves problemas. Sin embargo, advertimos que sin la adopción de un Orden Económico más justo, todos estos esfuerzos del desarrollo serían magros y de desalentadores resultados.

Las reflexiones que todos hemos hecho sobre el 40° Aniversario de la Fundación de la FAO no debe llevar, para que esta celebración tenga sentido, a. la adopción de una firme voluntad política por parte de los países que más tienen, para asumir un compromiso y responsabilidad internacionales para con los países del Tercer Mundo. Ignorar esta responsabilidad es agudizar el hambre y desatar la violencia. El futuro está en nuestras manos.

G. HAIDEN (Austria) (original language German): Mr Chairman, on behalf of the Austrian delegation I would like to congratulate you and the Vice-Chairmen on your election.

It is an.important trait of this year’s assembly that it coincides with the 40th Anniversary of FAO. I am very happy to congratulate the FAO Director-General, Edouard Saouma, and all of his collaborators, and to bring you the best wishes of the Austrian Government on the occasion of this Anniversary.

No one can deny that this Organization can pride itself on unique achievements in the struggle against hunger. The fact that starvation and malnutrition, misery and poverty still persist in some regions does not speak against the FAO, it proves that the efforts of the FAO must be systematically continued and that it needs more of our support than before. We are still far from assuring the basic right to adequate nutrition proclaimed in 1974. Since the FAO was founded in Quebec the world population has doubled. Although the 1984 harvest was one of the best of the last 25 years, of the 4.6 billion people in the world, almost one billion are ill fed. While it is gratifying that in many African States the acute food emergency has been relieved, these hard facts remain.

The connection between the food situation and the economic situation of a country is obvious. Some examples illustrate that aid may be mobilized but the actual supply may be hampered by logistic problems. The development of infrastructure will, therefore, have to receive top priority in many developing countries.

The FAO has repeatedly drawn the attention of the world to Africa. In all of the studies Africa shows the lowest growth rate in agricultural production between 1970 and 1980, 1.3 percent as compared to 2.7 percent in the sixties, and the food production per capita declined by 1.1 percent. This leads to the question of how can a developing country manage to square the circle and slip the starvation trap in order to develop infrastructure and to develop food production which requires capital funds that are not available in adequate quantities.

In the developing countries a situation prevails in which the high payments on interest are already higher than new borrowing and, further aggravated by plunging commodity prices, the developing countries will have to pay back more to the donor countries than they received from them. It is a paradoxical situation, and a solution of this problem can only be achieved through comprehensive international cooperation. In this context may I point out once again how important it is to have a new international order, an increase of transfer of resources, general access to scientific and technical knowledge; in other words, a transfer of know-how, developing countries having a say in monetary policy decisions, an integrated raw material programme, and the elimination of obstacles to trade. Last but not least, a renunciation of price subsidy policies for agrarian exports and the partial relief of debt or cancellation of debt are understandable postulates of developing countries. We should translate them into reality.

There are only two options for industrial states as far as their market policies for agrarian goods are concerned, and that is either to adapt the production volume to their own requirements and renounce exports or, if they produce for the world market, not to provide subsidies for exports.

Two years ago in this forum I said that Austria fully supports the priorities of the Director-General in the 1984-85 Programme of Work and Budget. We have been satisfied that this work has been systematically pursued and that in the coming work Programme of Work and Budget for 1986-87 the region of Africa will again receive special priority. Austria gives its unlimited endorsement to the Programme of Work and Budget of the FAO for 1986-87, and we welcome in particular, thanks to the initiatives of the Director-General, further reduction of administrative expenditure, thus providing more funds for the expansion of technical programme activities. Environmental problems are dramatically gaining in importance. Environmental problems in connection with the household water alkalination, accumulation of salt, pollution of coastal areas through industrial emissions and wastes, water pollution through the use of pesticides that are resistant to degradation, the spread of desert-like situations in widespread regions, erosion in wet areas, the extensive deforestation of tropical jungles and harm and damage done to forests, lakes and soils as a result.of acid rain must be seen as a common problem. Forests are jeopardized in all parts of the world, in Europe mainly as the result of the toxic emissions of the industry of thermal

stations and automotive traffic, and in the Third World through over exploitation. The loss of the substance of the forests leads to desertification, to an aggravation of the climate, and to a loss in the production of agrarian assets and produce.

This is a necessary con-sequence. We are therefore highly satisfied that, it-is intended to take account of the recommendations of the world forestry conference and to incorporate this work into the work programme. The creation of a world fund for the development of forestry work is a step in the right direction. The Austrian delegation fully supports the world food production and security programme and on behalf of the Austrian Federal Government I would like to assure the FAO and all the delegations represented here that our Government assures you that the Republic will harness all our efforts towards the work of the funds, so as to play a constructive part in the efforts of the FAO. The war on hunger is one of the most important contributions to secure peace. It is a political paradox - a political disaster - that man. grasps for the stars and that we are about to manipulate genes in order to combine heredeitary traits, starting with plants, while at the same time man suffers from starvation in a broad number of regions. Less armaments and more developments would be the best contribution towards overcoming this problem.

A. RAHMAN bin Abdul Aziz AL-SHEIKH (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) (original language Arabic): It gives me great pleasure and delight to extend my sincere congratulations to the Chairman and deputies for their election to preside over this session. We trust that, through their wisdom, abilities and experience, the Conference will reach objective resolutions and fruitful recommendations which would benefit the developing countries and the world community at large. I would also like to welcome to the international community the new States which have just joined this Organization, hoping that through their serious and effective participation, they will benefit from the valuable services of the Organization to the betterment of their people and the development of their food resources.

The world has just celebrated the World Food Day which coincides with the Fortieth Anniversary of this Organization. Undoubtedly FAO as a specialized agency has realized, during this short period of forty years, substantive achievements in the various fields of food and agriculture - through its varied development programmes, the modernization of techniques and increased productivity and the conservation and development of natural resources. This is especially true during the past ten years under the able directives of its Director-General, Mr Edouard Saouma. Nevertheless, all Member States are looking for still more efforts and involvement aiming at the eradication of hunger and malnutrition in the developing countries.

On the occasion of the lapse of forty years since the inception of this important and distinguished Organization, I would like to re-establish, in the name of the Government of His Majesty King Fahad Bin Abdul Aziz, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s firm commitment to the constitution and the charter of this Organization and its objectives.

While we assemble here today, hunger and famine are still haunting the world in spite of the advanced scientific achievements, the huge available resources which are enough to stem out hunger and in spite of the genuine efforts of the Arabic, Islamic and International Organizations and other donor countries and the World Food Programme. In spite of all this, there are still more than five hundred million people in the world who face hunger or malnutrition as a result of sorry contradictions, catastrophies or disasters, natural or man-made. The monopoly of technology and the deprivation of developing countries of its benefits, in addition to their meagre resources, had certainly led to the noticeable shortage in food supplies and the failure in the best utilization of available resources.

My.Government is deeply concerned with this prevailing situation, particularly with food shortages sustained by the majority of developing countries. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through its responsibility towards the international community, its awareness of the seriousness of the problem and its conviction in international cooperation, had persisted in providing aid and assistance to needy countries through Arab, Islamic or international specialized financial institutions. This is in addition to the steady aid which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is providing directly to certain countries. Its contributions to the World Food Programme have been in both cash and kind. The Kingdom donates good quality hygienically-processed dates in addition to its annual contribution in cash The overall contributions of the Kingdom through various channels during last year exceeded 7 percent of the country’s GNP.

You may share with me the opinion that contributions alone in cash or in kind cannot constitute a permanent solution to the problem of hunger. They are only temporary and unreliable measures. The effective and sustainable solution should spring from the countries concerned. They have to depend on themselves and develop their capabilities through sound planning, initiation of development programmes, deployment of modern technology by making good use of any financial or technical support provided and through hard and sincere efforts to attain maximum,utilization of the available resources.

Following these principles, the Government of Saudi Arabia centred its attention and concern in the agricultural sector. It initiated programmes for the development of agriculture and water resources, established complete network and necessary infrasructure for proper water use; distributed agricultural land free, and provided easy loans and subsidies in addition to proper extension services. This resulted in the establishment of large farms which can be seen all over the country and in the formation of the many agricultural corporates with large capital investment. The outcome of these endeavours had indeed exceeded all expectations. The Kingdom in fact, has realized big jumps-in its production, particularly in wheat which attained and surpassed the level of self sufficiency. High levels of production were also achieved in poultry and dairy products, meat, fish, dates and vegetables. The Food and Agriculture Organization, in recognition of this self-motivated agricultural development, had presented last year a token Certificate of Merit.

By reviewing the achievements realized by the FAO during fiscal year 1984-85, the delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia extends our thanks to His Excellency the Director-General of the FAO and his staff - for his constructive efforts in executing the programmes with efficiency and effectiveness, for having reduced the overhead expenses and for putting an end to the centralization of the Organization’s functions. This resulted in improving the efficiency of the technical programmes serving developing countries, especially the FAO Technical Cooperation Programme.

The Saudi Arabian delegation approves in general, the Work Programme and Budget for the coming period of 1986-87 as presented in the document, leaving the details for the technical committees.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia re-affirms its confidence and continued cooperation with the FAO for its active role in providing the developing countries with advanced technology and expertise, for its increasingly effective role in enhancing food production and the realization of food security, and for its participation in increasing the rate of development and agricultural industrialization,. all of which aim at freedom from hunger and increases in the rates of growth in those countries.

Before closing, I wish to request from this international forum, and with all sincerity the developed and the developing countries and the financial agencies and specialized organizations, to work together to put an end to hunger. To the developed countries I would say:

“Do not deprive developing countries of the access to modern technology, but try to make it available to them with no obstacles”,

and to the developing countries I say:

“You have no alternative but to depend on yourselves; and each country has to design its own agricultural development”.

To the financial and specialized organizations and agencies I say: “Double your efforts, and your technical and financial assistance to the developing countries under easy terms in order for them to build up their basic agricultural foundations”.

I have the honour to repeat His Majesty’s, King Fahad Bin Abdul Aziz, words in his address to the world on the occasion of celebrating the World Food Day, the 16th October which was also the Fortieth Birthday of FAO. He said and I quote:

“If we all recognize the importance of this day and celebrate it, then it will be our duty to realize its objectives, by doubling the efforts, each in his field of activity, to solve the food crisis and to put an end to the problem of hunger. This cannot be achieved except through the realization of self agricultural development by each country, and by collaborating in the efforts of developed countries and international organizations to assist the developing countries in achieving self-sufficiency in food production through the utilization and development of modern technology and technical and financial assistance.”

J. ANDRIANOELISON (Madagascar): Je voudrais tout d’abord, au nom de la délégation de Madagascar, exprimer à Son Excellence Monsieur Jean-Baptiste Yonke, Ministre de l’agriculture du Cameroun, mes chaleureuses félicitations pour sa brillante élection à la Présidence de cette vingt-troisième session de la Conférence. Soyez assuré de notre pleine et entière coopération.

J’adresse également les souhaits de bienvenue de ma délégation aux nouveaux membres de cette Organisation.

Monsieur le Président, cette session de la Conférence se tient à un moment particulièrement important de l’histoire de l’Organisation. En effet, il y a quelques semaines seulement nous avons célébré avec lè faste et la solennité voulus le quarantième Anniversaire de la FAO. Mon gouvernement a saisi l’occasion pour éditer une brochure spéciale qui retrace les 25 ans de cooperation entre Madagascar et l’Organisation..

En de pareilles circonstances, il est de règle d’observer une pause pour dresser le bilan des actions entreprises, jeter un oeil critique sur les résultats enregistrés et méditer sur la ligne de conduite à suivre à l’avenir.

Je m’empresse de vous rassurer tout de suite. Je ne vais pas me lancer dans de grands développements et vous accabler de chiffres, de statistiques et de longues énumérations.

Mais permettez-moi seulement de dire qu’en examinant les résultats globaux, nous ne pouvons nous empêcher de nous demander pourquoi la faim et la pauvreté continuent encore de nos jours de faire des millions de victimes? Et, ce qui est plus inquiétant encore, nous constatons qu’en fin de compte, ni les efforts déployés par les gouvernements et leurs peuples ni l’assistance technique et financière apportée par les différents organismes bilatéraux et multilatéraux n’ont donné des résultats à la hauteur des espoirs suscités. La situation de la sécurité alimentaire n’a cessé de se dégráder dans une vingtaine de pays africains où la production agricole par tête d’habitant est tombée à un niveau inférieur à celui atteint il. y a 10 ans!

Alors pourquoi?

Il faudrait certes avouer que les cataclysmes naturels échappent à notre contrôle et dépassent l’état’de nos conna.issances. La distorsion des phénomènes climatiques a perturbé si violemment Ié cycle de lã production agricole que dans de nombreux pays d’Asie et d’Afrique, les deficits des mauvaises campagnes atteignent aujourd’hui d’énormes proportions.

Mais il serait trop facile et indigne des responsables que nous sommes de tout rejeter sur la fatalité du destin ou sur les caprices d’une nature devenue hostile.

Aussi en premier lieu convient-il de mettre en cause la responsabilité des Etats eux-mêmes et de ceux qui contribuent à les gouverner?

Nous admettons et déclarons que la priorité doit être accordée à la production agricole et que les ressources nécessaires doivent y être affectées. Avons-nous pu ou avons-nous su le faire dans nos pays et dans les organisations internationales?

Avons-nous réussi à réaliser les ajustements nécessaires à l’intérieur de nos Etats?

Il nous est permis d’en douter lorsque nous constatons que le service de la dette absorbe près de la moitié de nos recettes d’exportation, que l’hypocrisie et l’égoïsme semblent gouverner les relations économiques internationales, que le déséquilibre Nord/Sud persiste, que le fossé entre pays riches et pauvres ne cesse de s’élargir, et que dans le même temps, des sommes fabuleuses sont investies dans l’armement pour concevoir, produire ou posséder des engins de mort de plus en plus sophistiqués, qui font peser une lourde menace sur la sécurité mondiale, voire l’avenir même de l’espèce humaine.

Monsieur le President, il est certain que si les moyens et l’énergie ainsi gaspillés étaient utilisés pour assister les pays qui en ont le plus besoin, nous aurions fait un grand pas car les institutions d’aide aux pays les plus défavorisés telles que le FIDA n’auraient pas connu les difficultés croissantes qu’elles ont à surmonter à chaque reconstitution de leurs ressources. Et ici nous touchons sûrement au noeud du problème.

En effet, apparemment, et au plan global, le problème de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale paraît facile à résoudre. Maintes fois a été évoqué à cette tribune le paradoxe de la distribution des disponibilités et des reserves alimentaires. D’un côté, des pays ne savent que faire des excédents de récoltes grâce à une agriculture performante tandis que de l’autre, au même moment, d’autres font face à de graves pénuries et se débattent dans les pires difficultés économiques et sociales. Il ne semble plus manquer que l’étincelle ou le.catalyseur approprié pour que la réaction tant attendue s’opère.

Monsieur le Président, nous sommes d’avis que ce catalyseur est la conviction que toutes les nations souveraines sont condamnées à être solidaires. Il ne s’agit ni plus ni moins que de la foi inébranlable dans l’idéal international que nous nous devons d’exalter à l’occasion de ce quarantième anniversaire.

Récemment, en s’adressant au Conseil des gcruverneurs, le Président de la Banque mondiale a estimé nécessaire d’accroître le volume et l’efficacité des flux d’aide d’origine multilatérale aussi bien que bilatérale, si la communauté internationale veut s’attaquer avec la moindre chance de succès aux problèmes gigantesques des pays les plus pauvres. Mais sans la volonté ferme à laquelle j’ai fait allusion tout à l’heure, cette déclaration pourrait rester lettre morte.

Nous sommes saisis au cours de la présente session du projet de Pacte mondial de sécurité alimentaire. Au début de notre intervention j’ai évoqué le malaise que l’on ne peut manquer de ressentir en dressant le bilan de ces 40 années d’existence de l’Organisation.

La foi en la solidarité des nations devrait se concrétiser en une convention qui lie moralement les membres. Des toutes premières versions, le projet actuel ne garde que les principes moraux fonda-mentaux et il est difficile de le,remodeler encore sans risquer de le vider de toute sa signification.

Telle n’est certainement pas notre intention.

Comme j’ai évoqué là un point très important qui figure à notre ordre du jour, permettez-moi, Monsieur le Président, de saisir l’occasion pour vous faire part de la position de notre délégation sur les autres sujets.

Concernant le Programme de travail et Budget, nous sommes heureux de constater que l’Organisation aborde les problèmes de développement d’une manière nouvelle. Ainsi les projets à long et moyen terme sont abordés de manière interdisciplinaire, synthétique et globale.-et ont pris le pas sur les anciens modèles sectoriels que nous considérons comme périmés.

La priorité est accordée aux programmes visant à garantir aux petits agriculteurs un environnement favorable. Monsieur le Président, nous souhaiterions que le problème de désenclavement des zones rurales soit sérieusement examiné lors du biennium 1986-87 et que des propositions concrètes soient formulées à cet égard. Il en va de même des infrastructures permettant d’assurer la maîtrise de l’eau dans les zones de production.

Monsieur le Président, en cette période de crise grave et eu égard à la nécessité de garantir l’effi-cience et la célérité des actions menées par notre Organisation, nous appuyons fermement le renforcement du Programme de coopération technique dans sa nature précisée par les textes en vigueur et au niveau propose dans le budget soumis à notre approbation. En effet, d’une part le rapport d’evaluation externe du PCT a clairement prouvé que ce programme a répondu pleinement aux résultats que l’on était en droit d’en attendre, et d’autre part, nous avons pu en apprécier l’efficacité dans notre pays. Nous pensons cependant qu’il y a lieu d’augmenter le plafond de chaque projet, car les 250 000 dollars fixés il y a presque dix ans de cela ne permettent plus de répondre aux besoins reels manifestés pour certains projets d’urgence.

Notre appui pour le Programme de travail et Budget est motivé par notre conviction que l’ensemble des mesures prises, ainsi que les moyens prévus, permettront à notre Organisation d’atteindre les objectifs qui lui sont assignés pour le prochain biennium, et vont dans le sens du renforcement de la solidarité internationale.

Quant au Code de conduite pour la distribution et l’utilisation des pesticides, ma délégation estime qu’il répond merveilleusement au double objectif que tous les Etats veulent atteindre,

à savoir l’utilisation d’un intrant agricole qui permette d’assurer une croissance réelle de la production agricole tout en évitant de mettre en péril la vie humaine et son environnement. Ce Code a pris en considération les intérêts mutuels- des industriels et des utilisateurs, et il donne la priorité aux plus démunis.

Nous souhaiterions done vivement que la Conférence approuve ce projet.

Monsieur le Président, la délégation malgache est convaincue que la FAO reste le creuset où doivent se rassembler les énergies et qu’elle constitue un modèle de concertation où toutes les opinions s’expriment aux fins de promouvoir un nouvel ordre mondial plus équitable dans lequel chaque pays pourra jouir de son droit inaliénable à la sécurité alimentaire.

En cette année de jubilé, nous tenons à réaffirmer notre foi et notre adhésion aux idéaux pour lesquels l’Organisation se bat aux fins d’assurer une vie plus décente aux pauvres.

Puisse done cet anniversaire insuffler une vigueur nouvelle à la coopération internationale pour qu’ensemble, unis dans nos efforts, nous puissions continuer notre combat pour libérer l’humanité de la tyrannie de la faim.

LI HAK CHOL (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) (original language Korean): First of all, I warmly congratulate you on Your Excellency’s election to the Chairmanship of this Conference, and express conviction that under your Chairmanship the Conference will be crowned with success.

May I also express my profound thanks to the Director-General and other officials of the Organization for the great efforts exerted in the preparation of the Conference.

My delegation is pleased and satisfied with the membership of the Cook Islands and the Solomon Islands to our Organization and warmly congratulate them. The present Conference is of special importance since it coincides with the 40th Anniversary of the Organization’s establishment.

In the past four decades of its existence FAO has made a great contribution to global efforts for the solution of the problem of agriculture and food. It has supported and encouraged the governments and peoples of many countries in their efforts to solve food problems, promoting and developing international cooperation in this field.

I am quite convinced that this Conference will go down as an historical event dedicated to the proud review of the 40 years of combat against world-wide hunger and marking a turning point to a further determined advance.

Despite the global efforts, the food and agriculture problem still persists as an urgent issue, awaiting early solution.

The question of agriculture is of particular importance to those developing countries who, after a long period of colonial rule, inherited a deformed, lopsided and backward agriculture.

Our respected leader Comrade Kim II Sung said as follows: “The problem of food, the problem of agriculture,is one of the highly important and urgent problems which the non-aligned countries and developing countries must solve without fail.”

Of late it has been said that food production is on the increase. However, this increase concentrates mostly on developed countries. A number of developing countries have suffered from declining food and agricultural production due to global economic upheaval and abnormal climate, which cause serious social and economic disasters and hamper independent development.

Presently, not less than one billion of the world population is at the brink of severe poverty, and 40 million are dying of hunger every year.

However, some countries are wielding the food weapon instead of offering sincere help to the countries suffering from the food problem, and those lacking food cannot even say what they want as they should get supplied with food.

Reality shows that the question of food and agriculture in the developing countries is not only a problem restricted to the people’s nutrition but an important condition in consolidating national independence and ensuring independent development of a country.

Mr Chairman, distinguished delegates, our Government enforced the land reform in 1946 and on the basis of its consolidation carried out the cooperativization of agriculture, which brought about promotion of agricultural development. We thoroughly implemented the “Theses on the Socialist Rural Question in Our Country” advanced by the great leader Kim II Sung, and thus attained a satisfactory solution to the problem of food and agriculture.

Successful fulfillment of the tasks of irrigation, electrification, mechanization and chemicalization as was set forth in the Rural Theses has enabled our agriculture to acquire a solid base, safeguarding steadily high stable harvests even under adverse conditions such as drought and flood.

Our country harvested 10 million tons of grain last year from the same land which produced only 1.89 million tons in 1946, the year following liberation. Food self-sufficiency is successfully achieved under the condition where 80 percent of the territory is mountainous, and arable land is extremely limited.

Today huge projects are being carried out in order to increase the acreage under cultivation.

By the end of this decade, farming area will be increased, 200 000 hectares through “exploring new land” and 300 000 hectares through tide land reclamation.

At the same time, Nampo lock-gate and Taechon power station are under construction to ensure a sufficient supply of water to the reclaimed tide-land and newly explored fields.

These projects will make a substantial contribution not only to irrigation but also to power generation, fishculture and transport.

Considerable areas of tide-land have already been reclaimed and coverted into fertile fields and the Nampo lock-gate, a great nature remaking project which involves an across-the-sea blocking construction, is in its final stage.

All these successes have been attained as the result of the Juche-oriented agricultural policy of the great leader President Kim II Sung and dear leader Comrade Kim- Jong II and the wise leadership in their implementation.

In the near future, our country will produce 15 million tons of grain, hitting the target set forth by the great leader at the Sixth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea and thus contributing to world food security.

In developing agriculture and thus solving the problem of food, it is important for the member countries to promote the exchange of successes and experience and realize economic and technical cooperation.

If many countries exchange their food farming experience and know-how and make effective use of human and material resources, a more rapid increase of agricultural production could be achieved.

The Government of the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea has adopted economic and technical cooperation among developing countries as an important policy and has carried out cooperation with other countries in the field of agriculture. In this course considerable experience has been acquired.

Today, numbers of our technicians and experts are carrying out, in developing countries, research on seeds and farming methods for the local soil and climatic conditions and to this end they have established agro-science research stations and pilot farms. They have also completed irrigation schemes in more than 20 countries.

In some countries they made small farm implements, on their own, harnessed locally-available buffaloes to solve the problem of draught animals and introduced farming methods agreeable to the natural and geographical conditions, thus producing three and a half to six tons of grain per hectare compared with no more than 0.5 to 0.6 tons in the past.

It Is our belief that the Programme of Work and Budget for 1986-87 which has been presented to the Conference on the basis of a full consideration of the world situation, conditions and requirements of member countries, is a well-balanced and realistic document. We are in the position, to support the Director-General’s proposal as a whole on the related draft resolution.

We share the concern over the attempt to-supply zero budget growth and hold that the proposed 1.1 percent increase for the new budget is an absolute minimum and should be acceptable to all members without difficulty.

The Conference also has the task of discussing and deciding important issues which have already been discussed in a number of fora: the current world food situation and related measures, the problem of the World Food Security Compact, the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources, the International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides, and so forth.

We take the proposals of the Secretariat in this regard as constructive submissions of practical significance for the solution of the world-wide food problem and express our support for the proposals.

Particularly, we fully agree with the Secretariat in that the economic and technical cooperation among developing countries should be encouraged in order to expedite agricultural and rural development.

Our experience shows that when the developing countries cooperate closely with one another they can solve many more problems within the existing resources.

My delegation believes that the Organization could make the funds work more efficiently by using the facilities of developing countries for training and implementing development projects.

In this regard, let me confirm that all the facilities and technical staff would be at the disposal of those countries who need their cooperation in the field of rice and maize cultivation, irrigation, production of farm implements and technical training. We are prepared to help them and wish to have concrete discussions with the Secretariat concerning the practical aspects of the matter.

In conclusion, I hope that the Conference will be supported by the earnest efforts of all delegates present here and become a highly significant assembly for its substantial contribution to world food security.

T. YLÄJÄRVI (Finland): The occasion of the 40th Anniversary of our great Organization gives a good opportunity for stock-taking: where we are now; what has taken place in the past and what will the future bring us? Before elaborating on this, I should like, on behalf of the people and Government of Finland, to assure the Conference of our strong support for the Food and Agriculture Organization. Almost from the very beginning, Finland has taken an active part in FAO’s activities, and it is also its intention to do so in the future.

In this connection, I should like to express our gratitude to FAO’s leadership and staff. The contribution FAO can give is crucially dependent on the competence and devotion of those people who do the everyday work in the Organization.

If we look at the developments of the past decades, I think we can draw the following conclusions. The international community and especially public opinion in the developed countries is quite well aware of the dimensions of hunger and malnutrition in the developing world. At the same time, the international community has learnt that the problem of hunger is a much more complicated and more difficult matter to solve than we thought a couple of decades ago. We know now that the world, as a whole, has the technical capacity to produce enough food for the expanding population of the foreseeable future. The fear of diminishing global food supplies relative to population growth and hence rising food prices has not come true.

But we are now also very much aware of the fact that the problem of hunger is not only a technical problem; it is also to a very large extent a political, social and economic problem. It is crucial whether there exists political will to overcome hunger and this concerns both the international community, as well as the governments of individual developing countries.

I think it is now a widely recognized fact that hunger and poverty are very closely linked together. This means that increasing food production does not necessarily remove hunger and malnutrition. It is crucial to provide people with productive employment in order to increase their purchasing power. Usually, but not always, expanding agricultural production means also better employment opportunities and more purchasing power to all the people in the rural areas of the developing countries, including the landless population.

During the past decades, the developing world has achieved ma.ny surprising victories and successes in the battle against hunger. In my view, this should be emphasized because usually the mass media give too gloomy and pessimistic a picture. Often only bad news attracts attention. Therefore, we should remember that even if during the last 10 years the world population has increased by about 900 million people, many countries in Asia, like China and India, have achieved tremendous results in food production by applying modern technology or “the green revolution” and by providing farmers with sufficient economic incentives.

On the other hand, the emergency in Africa has thrown a deep shadow over the world during the last two or three years. FAO has done its utmost to help those African countries which have experienced the crisis. We should recognize that the African famine is not only caused by the catastrophic drought. It is also a result of a long-term development. In the last 15 to 20 years, food production per capita in Africa has been declining. The drought has accelerated this deterioration. There are both internal and external causes for this unfortunate development. It is clear that as far as internal causes are concerned, only African countries themselves can initiate those political, economic and institutional changes, which are necessary to overcome the crisis. But, of course, the developed countries and the whole UN family, including FAO, also have a very heavy responsibility to help Africa. Many external factors, like depressed export prices, poor terms of trade, debt burdens and balance of payment pressures are now afflicting the great majority of African countries.

The long-term development needs of the agricultural sector are given a special role, for example, in the newly established IDA special facility for the Sub-saharan African countries. We welcome this development and urge FAO to collaborate closely with the IDA in the substantive preparations of the use of the funds.

The African countries, with the support of the Group of 77, have called for the convening of a special session of the General Assembly to consider the critical economic situation in Africa. Finland has, in the General Assembly,endorsed this idea. We are of the view that the priorities of the African countries themselves, as set out at the OAU summit meeting, provide a natural starting point for such a special session.

When we look at the future, the challenge before us is enormous. The demand for food in the developing world will double by the year 2000, compared with the year 1980. A recent pioneering study by FAO “Potential population supporting capacities of lands in the developing world” reveals in a startling way the necessity to promote modern agricultural technology in the developing countries. For example, at their present level of agricultural development, 64 countries with 60 percent of the developing world’s population would be unable, by the year 2000, to feed their projected populations from their own land resources. Deep-going institutional changes are often an unavoidable precondition for the application of science and technology to agriculture. The role of small farmers will be crucial. If the small farmer can be provided with appropriate economic incentives - for example, appropriate agricultural price policies are of utmost importance - and if the institutional barriers concerning agricultural extension, marketing and credit can be overcome, the future food needs will be covered. Also, the role of women as agricultural producers must be improved.

FAO, together with other international and national organizations involved in development cooperation, should continue its support to enhancing the role of women in agriculture and to better integration of women’s concerns into national development.

The main duty of the FAQ Conference is to approve the Organization’s Programme of Work and Budget for the next biennium. The Finnish delegation listened with interest to the statement by the Director-General on the budget proposal. We share his conception of the main objectives of the budget proposal, and we appreciate his efforts to present a budget proposal that could prove acceptable to,all members. The Finnish delegation will express its more detailed opinions on the work programme and budget in the appropriate Commission of the Conference, including some critical remarks. However, our delegation can, in principle, accept the level of the budget as proposed by the Director-General.

During its 40 years of action our Organization has experienced many changes in order to meet ever new challenges. I believe that we should continue the discussion on the future role of FAO. Our Organization is the leading organization within the UN family in the field of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and rural development. It has vast experience and knowledge in these fields. How could this wealth of knowledge be better utilized by the international donor community in a co-ordinated manner? Should FAO put more emphasis on planning and consultation? These are some of the questions we should pay attention to in our future deliberations to improve the efficiency of FAO, when it, as the senior of the UN family, enters its fifth decade.

K. KAKUDO (Japan): I am greatly honoured to have this opportunity of representing the Japanese Government at this 23rd Session of the FAO Conference and of exchanging views with the distinguished delegates of other member countries.

FAO is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its founding, and I should like, first of all, to offer, on behalf of the Government and people of Japan, our heartfelt congratulations on this auspicious event. Since FAO was established.in 1945, with the objective of eliminating hunger from the earth, the world has certainly overcome the serious food shortages of the postwar period, but it has also time and again experienced famine in various places. The food crisis of 1972 is still fresh in our memories. During the forty years of its existence, FAO, always playing a central role in the pursuit of solutions to food and agricultural problems, has made a very great contribution to world food and agriculture. I should like to express the most profound respect and admiration for FAO’s many contributions over the years.

Before I begin my statement proper, permit me to extend a very warm welcome to the two new members of the FAO, the Cook Islands and the Solomon Islands. It is indeed a great pleasure to have these two new members join us in FAO, bringing the total membership to 158, further enhancing the importance of FAO as a specialized agency of the United Nations.

Looking at the world food situation, one sees that food production has on the whole made steady progress during the last decade. This is owing not only to a steady expansion of food production in the major food-producing countries, but also to truly remarkable efforts to increase production made elsewhere, particularly in Asia. In recent years, the world grain supply-and-demand situation has relaxed considerably, resulting in increased cereal stocks.

On the other hand, however, we must never forget that in African countries a food crisis on a scale unprecedented in human history has occurred and is, at this very moment, afflicting vast numbers of people with hunger and malnutrition. The fact that: there still exist serious shortages of food and malnutrition in parts of the world is itself a serious challenge to human dignity. I wish to emphasize the need to see and solve the problem as a problem of the world as a whole.

There is no need for me to stress the fact that, in order to solve the world’s food problems, it is essential to increase food production in those developing countries which suffer from food shortages. For that purpose, it is, I believe, most essential for those countries to fully realize that the promotion of self-sufficiency in food for their own people is the indispensable foundation for their national economic and social stability, and that it is necessary for them to confront the problem by giving the very highest policy priority to agriculture. Furthermore, in order for the developing nations to achieve such objectives, the international community should strengthen its support for the self-help efforts made by those nations.

Desiring to assist such efforts made by the developing nations, Japan has to date twice set itself the target of doubling its Official Development Assistance, and has attained those goals. We have set ourselves a third ODA target in order to continue its expansion. This new target aims at increasing the total amount of ODA during the period from 1986 through 1992 to more than 40 billion U.S. dollars. For this purpose the Japanese Government intends to double the total amount of its ODA in 1992 as compared to that of the year 1985, while expanding the bilateral grants, the multilateral aid and the yen loans. The Japanese Government is determined to strive continuously to achieve this target.

In expanding its ODA, Japan desires to promote the development of agriculture and rural communities in the developing countries as one of the most important aid fields.

In view of the grave food situation in Africa, our Government has been increasing its assistance to African countries considerably. We plan to further expand ©ur food and agriculture-related assistance for Africa, grant aid, technical cooperation and other forms of assistance.

With regard to FAO’s Field Activities, Japan has continued to increase its contribution to the Trust Funds and wishes to further reinforce such support. Japan hopes that FAO will further strengthen its role of promoting international cooperation by fully utilizing the information and technologies relevant to world food and agriculture problems which it has accumulated over the past four decades.

Mr Chairman, I should now like to refer briefly to the basic direction of the agricultural policy which my Government is pursuing.

My Government attaches great importance to the national policy of ensuring a stable supply of food for Japan’s population, which now numbers 120 million. In order to achieve this objective, while also improving productivity, we endeavour to supply domestically such food items that can be produced in Japan, and to maintain and strengthen food self-sufficiency which is only 52 percent on a calorie basis. At the same time, we are doing our utmost to assure stable supplies of food imports from overseas.

Needless to say, the agriculture of any country has various specific features which make it significantly different from other industries. We believe that this fact needs to be adequately taken into account in connection with trade in agricultural products. Consequently, in order to ensure the stable development of this trade, realistic and effective rules that take account of its distinctive characteristics are important. Japan considers it important to deal with trade in agricultural products within an international framework as such. With that purpose in view, work on establishing new rules is now being carried on in the GATT. Japan, the world’s largest importer of agricultural products, is actively participating in the work.

I would now like to turn to forestry and fisheries, which are just as important as agriculture.

The world’s forests, besides supplying us with timber, play many other vital roles, including that of protecting the natural environment. However, it has been noted with grave concern that there is a sharp decrease in forest resources all over the globe, notably, in the tropical forests. Above all, as it is seen in various regions of the world, particularly Africa the destruction of forests has been leading to desertification, which, in turn, causes a decline in food production. Attaching great importance to the gravity of the problems, FAO declared 1985 the International Year of the Forest and called upon the world to seize that opportunity to deal in a positive manner with maintaining and developing forest resources all over the world. I wish to express our most profound appreciation for this initiative of FAO. In Japan there has been an enthusiastic response to this call by FAO, and various activities have been organized. I should like to mention particularly the recent international symposium in Yokohama attended by specialists from various countries of the world, together with a specialist representing FAO. At this symposium the “Yokohama Forest Declaration” was adopted, fully supporting the action programme proposed by FAO for the preservation of tropical forests.

In view of the great importance of the diverse functions of forests my country has been doing its utmost to improve its forest resources and to promote forestry by undertaking such projects as the development of man-made forests with a total area of 10 million hectares, equivalent to nearly one-third of the total land area of Japan. It is our earnest hope that Japan’s experience in this

field may be used to help the developing nations in their efforts in the same area. We wish to - make a very positive working contribution to the International Tropical Timber Organization,and that is why we have proposed that the organization locate its headquarters in Japan.

Fish resources represent an important source of protein, which is of very great value in the search for solutions to the world’s food and nutrition problems. In Japan, for example, fishery products provide more than 40 percent of the nation’s total animal protein intake: Because of the importance of fishery products as food we have always taken a keen interest in the preservation and effective use of the world’s fishery resources.

We, therefore, consider extremely valuable the Strategy for Fisheries Management and Development and the associated Programmes of Action adopted last year by the FAO World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development. Japan earnestly hopes that the optimal utilization of the world’s marine products will be promoted yet more intensively along the lines of such FAO strategies, while endeavouring to harmonize the interests of both coastal and distant waters fisheries countries.

As one of the advanced fishing nations, Japan possesses abundant experience and expertise. Japan, therefore, greatly desires to contribute, through various forms of international cooperation, in promoting fisheries management and development throughout the world.

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries are basic industries essential to a nation, and they employ actually very considerable numbers of the working population in many countries. They also have the aspect, to which great importance should be attached, of being industries that are preeminently carried on by contributing to the circulation of the natural ecological system and making use of its energy flows. Such property of mankind as the world’s farmlands, forests and fishing grounds are capable of being renewed and developed yet further. These natural resources are, in fact, inexhaustible, provided that they are used and managed appropriately. These resources also play the important role of protecting the very foundation of human life, while enriching the natural environment for mankind and having important land resource maintenance and water resource development functions.

It is the duty of all of us concerned with our countries’ and the world’s agriculture to maintain and promote the functions of agriculture, forestry and fisheries to which I have referred, and to endeavour to achieve sound rural development thereby. I should like, therefore, to conclude my statement by once again expressing Japan’s earnest desire that FAO may strengthen yet further its leading role in promoting international cooperation aimed at the attainment of these objectives, and by pledging Japan’s positive support for FAO and its activities.

A. NEHAMKIM (Israel) (original language Hebrew): On behalf of my delegation please accept our congratulations on your election as Chairman of this Conference. I am sure that under your wise guidance the discussions of this Conference will produce meaningful results. We would also like to congratulate the Cook Islands and the Solomon Islands on joining the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

We have met here in Rome to review the world food and agriculture situation, to assess the activities of our organization during the last two years, and to make proposals for the following biennium.

I would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to Dr - Edouard Saouma, the Director-General, and to the Secretariat for their untiring and most commendable efforts in carrying out the important activities of the FAO in improving the lot of the hungry of this world, and also our sincere appreciation for the precise and detailed preparation of this Conference.

With your permission I should like to focus on the significance of our national agriculture in its broad sense. As you probably know, in recent years Israel’s experience has been utilized in assisting the Third World nations shift towards a “Transitional Economy” strategy. Israel, as well as other countries active in this field, participated in projects designed to pave the way for developing countries to achieve agricultural progress and a higher quality of life. Generally speaking, programmes for initiating the “Transitional Economy” focus on five principal issues: agricultural productivity, off-farm rural job creation, rural social services and infrastructure, integrated rural regional development and population control.

In Israel both agriculture and rural settlements are regarded as prime national targets closely linked with aspects of food security, food sufficiency, population dispersion, employment and other national goals. These subjects have an obvious international aspect as many developing countries struggle through similar problems.

Permit me here-to say something about agriculture in semi-arid regions such as the Middle East. A typical feature of semi-arid regions is the long geographical distance between land and water resources. Government involvement is therefore absolutely imperative to supply the required water to the farmer. No country that is arid or semi-arid can do without such intervention. The main question that arises here is how this involvement should be applied. I believe that we in Israel realize that the main objective is to achieve technological progress in the broad sense of the word, for instance, physical and chemical treatment and preparation of soils, new irrigation and harvesting techniques, improvement of varieties, especially crops resistant to drought, disease and salinity, crop planning and adjustment to farm structure. Such technological adjustment can substantially compensate for the lack of natural resources.

I wish to remind you that the Israeli farmer is a “new farmer” lacking the agricultural tradition normally passed on from father to son throughout the ages. The first pioneers who came to Israel from the diaspora about 100 years ago found an arid land most of which was desert and part of which was malaria-infested swamps. Our national experience proves that a semi-arid region can support a highly developed agriculture. Thanks to its Intensive farming methods and competent irrigation technology, Israel has advanced from an underdeveloped agriculture to a highly developed one by international standards. Let me remind you of the fact that during one generation only Israel’s agricultural production increased almost twelvefold in real terms. In other words, throughout 25 years our agricultural production progressed at an international high growth rate of 10 percent per annum. Consequently, one Israeli farmer produces a quantity of food sufficient for 50 people as against 17 people two decades ago.

The Israeli growth rate was made possible by the following factors: high-level technology by which the natural constraints were successfully overcome, national ownership of land and water resources, an efficient technology transfer system, and the cooperative structure of our agricultural sector. As I have already mentioned, our agricultural momentum is largely due to technological progress. Technology is indeed an extremely important factor, and it helps to partly overcome the water scarcity problem by creating conditions for substituting water by other inputs. Hence follows a transition to non-conventional agriculture such as hothouse flowers and off-season vegetables. Also, successful experiments have been carried out in cultivating spices and medicinal plants.

I would like to point out that the contribution of Israel’s agriculture to the national economy extends far beyond the scope of food security, creating additional employment in the rural areas. For example, 1 000 employees in agriculture create employment for 1 400 in the non-agricultural sectors. I hope you will agree with me that one of the most outstanding features of a developed agriculture is its close ties with other economic sectors.

In other words, the higher the development level of the agricultural sector the closer its ties with the sectors of industry, trade, transport and services. We in Israel have been successful in establishing very close ties in two particular forms. Firstly, industry provides agriculture with about half of its inputs; and, secondly, industry has become an important purchaser of fresh agricultural produce. About one-third of Israel’s agricultural produce is destined for industrial processing.

Let me point out that the Israeli village has undergone significant structural changes as a result of which agriculture has lost its dominant position. To illustrate this point, agriculture employs less than one-third of the entire rural manpower. We actually cope today with a pluralistic rural economy where the cooperative framework is the dominant element. Among other things, cooperative framework affords the establishment and every day operation of multicapital regional enterprises. These enterprises handle large-scale agricultural produce mainly for export purposes. In the specific conditions of Israel no other framework could successfully enjoy such economics of scale.

I have mentioned the fact that Israel is today an agriculturally developed country. Notwithstanding, Israel has a broad common denominator with many developing countries, namely, considerable dependence on world market development, internal structural changes, and the necessity to cope with land and water shortages.

Thus, many developing countries, struggling to develop their agriculture under similar conditions, can use Israel’s experience to their advantage.

Let me now mention briefly Israel’s International Technical Cooperation which began in 1955. Up until today, nearly 27 thousand persons have attended agricultural and related courses and on-the-spot training programmes in Israel. In addition, nearly 9 000 Israeli experts have been active on agricultural cooperation a-ssignments abroad. In recent years about 150 Israeli experts were recruited by international development organisations and served on a number of short and long-term projects.

It should be pointed out that Israel is a multi-lingual nation, and it often occurs that Israeli experts functioning abroad are fluent with the native tongue. This fact has paved the way for closer and more rewarding relations between the local farmers and our experts, and contributed to the success of projects and programmes.

Judging by the contemporary situation of world agriculture, Israel’s International Agricultural Development Cooperation Programme will be geared towards three main situations existing in the developing world.

Traditional agriculture is where rural communities are often entrapped in a vicious circle of shift cultivation, low yield output, limited per capita area cultivation, an ensuing widespread land degradation, all resulting in hunger and dire poverty. The challenge is to break this vicious circle by first improving existing cultivation practices, by using improved propagation material, and introducing critical inputs for sedentary agriculture. However, without alleviating basic hunger, any innovations are difficult to introduce. Therefore, the approach is to improve food aid delivery systems linked to basic infrastructure and resource development programmes.

In this respect Israel is at present developing a concept whereby bulk food aid could partially be reduced into more concentrated forms for effective distribution.

Improved traditional agriculture, characterized by a somewhat better nutritional intake and often made possible by supplementing food-for-work programmes, is a need encountered in many developing countries. This phase is characterized by sedentary farming, which is only feasible if established on cultivable lands with acceptable production potential. To improve traditional agriculture, four main aspects will require concentrated treatment: applied research and extension to improve traditional crops; a supervised credit delivery system; price incentives; organization for the supply of inputs and the marketing of the product.

Diversified agriculture is characterized by a marked improvement in the food basket, the use of irrigation and semi-intensive livestock husbandry, the development or consolidation of irrigation schemes, the use of by-products to reduce costs of feeds, fertilizers and energy required for agriculture, the development of pre-processing facilities, employment generation, and higher capitalized human settlement programmes.

At this stage the supporting services that have to be supplied to develop this phase are more complex, with strong emphasis on research, development and extension, post-harvest care, marketing (for export and for home consumption) and a more sophisticated system for the financing and supply of production inputs. It is at this phase that specialized agriculture begins to develop.

A consensus to join efforts to develop agricultural projects, training programmes, and applied research, with particular emphasis on semi-arid and arid zone development, calls for a decision for implementation.

Permit me to conclude my address with an optimistic view. Now, with the hope of peace in the region, international cooperation becomes all the more important. I am convinced that Israel can - and will - cooperate with all the countries in the region, in all spheres of agricultural development. Let me use this forum for expressing the hope that regional cooperation in the Middle East will pave the way towards a prosperous future. May the entire region, within a relatively short time, undergo a green revolution, not only through technology - but mainly through the strength of the human spirit.

In conclusion, let us all hope for the fulfilment of the vision of the Prophet Isaiah: “And they shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks”, and there will be no war any more.

T. RAISON (United Kingdom): I am glad to have the opportunity once again to speak at this Conference on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government and to give you my good wishes, Mr Chairman, for the success of our work under the benefit of your distinguished chairmanship. We meet against the background of one of the most tragic famines of our time - something which has incidentally brought food and agriculture to the forefront of the minds of millions of comfortably-fed people as almost never before. We meet too on the anniversary of the occasion 40 years ago when individual nation states joined together to tackle the task of banishing hunger at the first conference of FAO.

It is perhaps appropriate to pause for a moment and consider the achievements of the past 40 years, The war-ravaged agricultural sectors of Europe and Asia have been restructured and now produce an abundance which must seem incredible to those who experienced such hardship during the war.

In those past 40 years, the world’s major grain producers have shown generosity in sharing their surpluses with those less fortunate. The green revolution enabled the countries of Asia to feed a growing population and eased their economic growth. Fishing and forestry have all been expanded to improve our welfare.

In every one ot these developments FAO has played some part. It is a distinguished record and one of which the organization can be duly proud.

Forty years ago there were 42 Member States. There are now 158 Member States. This Conference gives us an opportunity to welcome two new Member Nations to our Organization - the Cook Islands and the Solomon Islands, and our welcome is all the warmer because of their Commonwealth associations.

Without doubt, the world agricultural scene is currently overshadowed by the enormous problems of Africa which the drought has brought into devastating focus over the last two years.

But in recognizing the processing needs of Africa, we must not lose sight of those countries elsewhere in the world that face specific problems - in particular those countries which have to tackle problems of raising production from marginal lands and minimizing soil erosion.

Ironically, some of.the positive aspects of science - improved plant varieties, better pesticides, better medical care, longer life-expectancy, and the development of new raw materials and products -have all posed problems of their own for agriculture. The most acute of these is, of course, the pressure on land resources from increasing population.

As a starting point, I think we have to return to the basic consideration of land potential and its ability to support human population. We are aware of the excellent work that FAO has been undertaking in this field. We hope it can be taken further by local studies which can identify areas in which productivity can ben improved using our existing knowledge. This sort of programme, together with the global information and the early warning system, should have a high priority within FAO’s programme.

The remarkable success of the green revolution in Asia and the sub-continent depends not only on fertilizer and improved varieties but on the availability of water. Apart from a few highly favoured areas, exploitable water resources in Africa are simply not enough to enable us to replicate the green revolution on that continent.

For the revival of fortunes in Africa and, in the longer term, large parts of Asia, we must therefore look to rain-fed agriculture. At present our collective knowledge of the means of development of the semi-arid zones is inadequate. Research over the past 20 years has not come up with a proven package which will enable these areas to provide a sustainable and adequate living for their population. We consider that FAO should use its data base to help identify

those sectors in which research might yield early rewards. Meanwhile, effort should be concentrated on increasing production in the areas of high potential. Provided incentives are maintained and overall this should lead to an increase in food production; but storage and distribution problems have of course to be tackled at the same time.

Africa’s diversity makes generalizations on priorities difficult. Comparative advantage has to be exploited.

This generally lies with tree crops in humid zones, annual food and non-food crops in semi-humid zones and livestock in arid and less-favoured semi-arid zones. Understandably, at present the emphasis is on food crops, but it would be unwise to neglect the role that cash crops can play in national economies and in providing foreign exchange to purchase additional food.

At the same time, while population growth over the past 10 to 15 years in Africa has frequently been in excess of 3 percent per annum, per capita food production has been increasing only at a rate of 1 to 2 percent per annum. World Bank projections suggest that the population in sub-Saharan Africa will eventually stabilize at a level between five and eight times the current size; clearly even the lower of these estimates, or indeed even half the lower estimates, presents an alarming prospect.

It is important that the international community is fully aware of this. Current studies undertaken by FAO of ‘the relationship between land capability and population suggest that by the turn of the century a number of countries, including some unlikely to have any export earning potential, will go into permanent food deficit. Clearly, we have to start work now if we are to avert a further series of human catastrophes.

Africa is no stranger to feast and famine. Not only the Bible in the story of Joseph, but African folk stories talk of periods of great hunger alternating with times when the people were content because there was plenty of food. Rather than simply encourage the attempt to replicate systems that have worked in other continents, the time has now come to look more closely at the ways in which African society has traditionally coped with the problems of fluctuating harvests. Let us see whether we can use our global experience to help these methods evolve and enable them to sustain larger populations.

This again is an area in which FAO is uniquely placed to initiate work by drawing together our international resources and knowledge. We all await with interest the forthcoming FAO study on raising agricultural production in Africa.

Mr Chairman, we believe that the problems in Africa have been caused by a number of complicated social, climatic, economic and technical problems. Development aid and technical assistance can certainly help lessen some of the problems, but in common with many African countries themselves, we recognize that the first step down the road to improved productivity is the adoption of economic policies which provide incentives for the agricultural sector. Without these policy changes, increased resources for agriculture will not resolve the present problems.

It is against this backdrop of sound, but uneven, progress that this Conference has to consider a wide variety of important issues. If those who attended the first Conference 40 years ago were to look for examples of whether the agency they founded was still fulfilling its role, then as well as looking at the review of the regular and field programmes, I would suggest they also read the excellent paper on pricing policy, the report of the World Conference on Fisheries Management and the Code of Conduct on Pesticides.

The FAO has identified a need for international cooperation to manage and conserve the fisheries resources of the South West Atlantic. The British Government fully supports suggestions that the FAO has a part to play in initiating technical discussion and study of the problem. I am encouraged that other governments share this view - and in particular I note the positive remarks made yesterday in this connection by my Argentine colleague. We believe that this important technical problem can best be tackled through cooperation, and entirely without prejudice to any political differences. We are ready to participate actively in an FAO study to make available all the relevant scientific material at our disposal.

We consider too the Code of Conduct on Pesticides to be an especially good example of the type of work which can only be successfully promoted by an international agency. While we can still suggest minor technical amendments to clarify points of detail, we are happy with the text of the Code as it now stands.

This Conference will also consider a compact on food security, obviously a Subject of the highest importance. FAO has given good practical assistance through the Food Security Assistance Scheme and has done much to sensitize opinion through World Food Day. Our Prime Minister welcomed the inaugural World Food Day and we have been glad to help the UK Group produce its material in subsequent years. Against this background we had not perceived a need for an elaborate document on food security. It is however our hope that the compact will supplement the good work already under way.

We firmly believe that the Global Information and Early Warning System should be given priority. It is one of the most important of FAO’s programmes and has proved its value in the African emergency. I am glad that the UK has been able to contribute to an expert consultation on ways of improving the System and making it easier to use. It is to FAO’s credit that it initiated what was effectively a review of the System without the need for prompting by users. Of course, national systems are a first priority. They, in turn, need to be backed up by regional and international systems to provide information to donors. These systems should not be wholly dependent on high technology, such as satellite imagery. Useful though this is, it needs to be backed up on the ground, for example, by crop assessment. There is other information, such as the state of the market, which is as important an indicator of the way things are going as the state of the weather and the crops themselves.

May I now turn to the Budget for the next biennium. I am bound to say that we are not happy with the present proposals. Our subscription to FAO is funded from our aid programme. Any increase in our contribution to multilateral agencies like FAO reduces the resources which are available to individual countries under our bilateral aid programme. In common with many other donors, we have made a considerable effort to reduce our own administrative overheads. We do not believe it is unreasonable to ask other agencies to which we subscribe to make a similar effort.

Thus, while we commend the Director-General for the efforts he has so far made, we believe that the scarcity of resources and the size of the demand for operational programmes from FAO justifies even greater efforts to reduce administrative costs, to increase the proportion of our contributions which go on directly operational activities and to keep the overall programme within limits which will not oblige us to reduce our operational programme, in effect to meet other administrative overheads.

FAO’s relationship wiçh one other particular organization within the UN system - the World Food Programme - has always been of the greatest importance, and not just in times of food shortage. We and other donors were therefore most concerned about the difficult relationship of the two organizations over the last few years. It has been a particular pleasure for me to learn of the positive response from all concerned to the recommendations by the UN/FAO Task Force. I hope it will be possible for work to continue in the present spirit of cooperation.

Forty years on, I believe it is not too early to start considering the sort of organization FAO will need to be at the turn of the century. Conditions have changed immeasurably since 1945 and the Organization has evolved. This Conference could usefully consider whether the management structure of our agency has to be refined or adapted to enable it to. meet the next forty years with the vigour it has shown up to now.

Let us start to consider whether we need a review of the management structure, a manpower and staffing plan, more independent evaluation of programmes and some external review body which can be consulted before Divisions embark on major new programmes.

At the first Conference of the FAO the leader of the United Kingdom delegation explained the British Government’s support for FAO by quoting from a statement made by the then Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. He said,”We have come to a period in history where mankind must either set up an institution of this kind, and not only set it up but make it work, or face consequences so appalling that the mind shrinks even from contemplating them.”.

We have only to think of the famine in Africa to see that statement has not lost its relevance. The Organization of course exists and has a record of achievement. But we must now set our minds to the task of enabling it to respond effectively to’the challenges of the next decade. I wish it well.

J. DEBONO GRECH (Malta): It is both a privilege and an honour for me to have the opportunity of taking part in this distinguished gathering and of addressing the Conference which happens to fall on the 40th Anniversary of the Founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization.

I would like first of all to congratulate you, Mr Chairman, on your appointment as Chairman of this Conference. My congratulations are also extended to the distinguished Vice-Chairmen and those who will be chairing the Commissions of this Conference during the next two weeks.

Malta warmly welcomes the newly admitted Member Nations,namely Cook Islands and Solomon Islands, as fellow nations working together for the noble aims of FAO.

The Director-General’s Programme of Work and Budget for 1985-87 is one of the most important FAO documents, which Malta approves, and we feel confident that the Conference will also give its approval through consensus. In these dificult times of economic recession, a proposed Budget which results in an increase, however small, is a laudable effort by the Director-General, Dr Saouma.

It is only natural, given the problems facing millions of people in the African continent who are suffering from severe malnutrition and famine, that FAO departed from the accepted doctrine of zero growth rate adopted by the United Nations agencies.

This Programme or Work and Budget is a project which tries to come to terms with this problem of famine and malnutrition facing millions of people in Africa. On behalf of the Maltese Government I would like to express our solidarity with these African countries. We agree that the utmost priority should be given by FAO to its programmes for the coming two years.

I am pleased to note that the Programme of Work and Budget has continued to give top priority to the provision of funds for training activities in all fields of agriculture and fisheries. I feel certain, that with new training methods and support for agricultural education in the developing world, the aims of FAO will be achieved.

In this regard I cannot but make reference to the expansion in Malta of agricultural education. The Maltese Government is giving the utmost attention to the training of our young people who are inclined to take up agriculture as their future work. This is important to ensure that in the future we will not lack trained agricutlural workers to carry on with the work which we have already started.

In this regard we look in anticipation to a closer link with FAO to obtain the required material and technical aid which is so essential to help us achieve our targets.

We have noted with satisfaction the importance that the Programme of Work and Budget is giving to the development of fisheries.

You will recall that at the World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development which was held in June last year, the Director-General of FAO was invited to take all necessary steps to ensure the implementation of the strategy and programmes of action. Malta actively supports the programmes of action which were approved by the said Conference. Above all we would like to see more active collaboration between developed and developing countries, both at regional and sub-regional levels, in the field of training of fisheries personnel as well as in aquaculture development.

We note that the FAO Regular Programme Budget has been adjusted to provide the necessary technical support for the implementation of the programmes of action. Due to Malta’s geographical position in the centre of the Mediterranean, we feel that FAO should actively consider and support the setting

up in Malta of a Regional Centre for coordination of fisheries programmes, including training institutions for fisheries personnel from neighbouring Southern European and North African countries. Such an institution would also be in a position to develop on a regional basis self reliance in both skilled manpower, as well as technologies required for fisheries management and development.

Due importance could also be given to aquaculture development in which my Government is very much interested.

Of equal interest to my country is the Technical Cooperation Programme, the TCP. Its efficient, flexible and rapid response to the needs of Member States fills an overall aid to agriculture in which there does not seem to be any equivalent facility. Since it started operating in July 1976 over 3 000 requests have been submitted by 129 FAO Member States. Out of these 81 percent have been approved.

Malta has been very active in the setting up of TCP and has also been a direct beneficiary under the TCP in our efforts to control brucellosis in our cattle herds, in eradicating African swine fever and in upgrading our abattoir to international level. The Maltese Government is satisfied with TCP and supports any proposal for a smooth running efficient programme which is receptive-to the needs of FAO Member States.

The aim of the World Food Security Compact is to provide a focus for commitment by all Member Nations.

In this forum,as well as in other international fora, we have been discussing for a number of years the establishment of reserve food stocks.

In spite of all these discussions the world is still faced with severe malnutrition in African countries as well as in various countries all over the world where natural disasters occur.

The problem unfortunately keeps repeating itself year after year and emergency measures have to be taken to reduce hardship.

The establishment of emergency food reserve stocks on a regional basis would serve the purpose of meeting food requirements in disaster areas in the shortest possible time.

Time in such a disaster situation is precious. Malta has for a number of years offered its geographical position as a depot for such reserves.

On our part, we are prepared to make available our newly set up grain storage and transhipment facilities.

Countries having recurrent food surplus would be in a position to deposit part of such surpluses in Malta’s grain silos for eventual quick and efficient transhipment to disaster areas. This is tangible proof of Malta’s commitment to FAO’s desire to ensure access to food supplies by those in need.

In conclusion, may I re-state once again on behalf of the Government of Malta that we will continue our efforts to increase food and agricultural production in our country. We are making every effort aimed at the optimum utilization of all available resources so that agriculture in Malta will contribute towards a higher degree of self-reliance.

We are in the final year of our development plan, 1980-85, which was aimed at consolidating our previous achievements. In the coming development plan we shall aim, to the fullest extent possible, at meeting our food requirements through local production. In spite of a number of difficulties, we intend to develop even further our horticultural industry through the establishment of glasshouse units for the production of out-of-season crops for the local and export markets.

The Government will continue to emphasize support measures and schemes with the aim of strengthening the infrastructure, thereby stimulating higher levels of production,

Malta looks forward to FAO supporting it, as it did some years ago both financially, materially as well as technically, so that the aims Malta is putting forward for development for the next five years can be achieved.

D.P.G. MAKOAE (Lesotho): My delegation would like to join those who have congratulated you on your unanimous election to the Chairmanship of this 23rd Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. We are confident that your well-known qualities will enable you to guide the deliberation of this Conference to a successful conclusion. In order to assist you in your responsibilities, my delegation pledges its cooperation to you and your bureau.

Allow me, first of all to thank the Director-General of the FAO and his staff for the excellent work done in preparing for the holding of this very important Conference, This Conference is being convened at the time when most of our countries in the developing regions continue to experience major economic difficulties and food shortages due to a multiplicity of factors, most of which are beyond our control.

I would also like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to the Council for the contributions and improvements it has made in the documentation prepared by the Secretariat for this Conference on different topics. My delegation fully supports the resolutions which have been made concerning actions required to be taken by the individual member Governments of both the developed and developing countries and by Non-Governmental Organizations, to reverse the current worsening food and economic situation production and increasing incomes of the people in poor Africa in order to enable them to meet their food gap through commercial imports. It is becoming increasingly evident that this can be achieved through the provision of agricultural inputs necessary for production and modern technology needed to accelerate production growth. In the Director-General’s words: “there is a compelling need to restore vitality to Africa’s agriculture with practical inputs such as seeds, tools and fertilizers.” We also support the proposal by the Director-General of FAO to set up an “International African Solidarity Fund.” After the Second World War when Europe was faced with the serious problem of reconstruction, the international community found an answer in the Marshall Plan. When Africa is faced with hunger and malnutrition, the international community should not fail to find the right answer. African Governments’ commitment to agricultural development is clearly laid down in the Lagos Plan of Action and the Harare Declaration. But their plans and strategies are short of financing.

At the national level my Government has taken a number of measures aimed at redressing the current food crisis and seeking long-term solutions to the problem. As early as 1980/81, my Government launched a Food Self-Sufficiency Programme whose main objective was to make the country self-sufficient in basic food grains. The effect of this measure is to reduce grain imports. The participation of FAO and other donors in the evaluation of this programme resulted in the adoption of new measures which are now being implemented by the Government of Lesotho to improve the productivity of the programme. During the 1984/85 cropping season, its operations were modified to encourage greater farmer participation and it was reduced to a manageable size. However, for the 1985/86 cropping season, because of its success and the need to feed more people, it will be expanded to cover other areas. Under this programme Government is subsidizing farmers with inputs to the tune of thirty-nine percent,especially in Africa.

The Kingdom of Lesotho, like most other countries in the Africa region, has experienced devastating drought spans for the past four years. Although during the 1984/85 season our food grain production was back to normal due to better rainfall in the Southern African sub-region, effects of the drought are still felt in the mountain region of our country. Efforts have been made by the international community to come to our assistance and in this regard I would like to express my Government’s appreciation of the actions by both the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Director-General of FAO for having sensitized the international community to the plight of the Kingdom of Lesotho and of millions of African people elsewhere affected by drought early this year.

In particular, I would like to congratulate the Director-General for the trouble he took in paying a special visit to some of the affected countries with the view of obtaining first-hand information and of familiarizing himself with the conditions in these countries. His visit to Lesotho was not only regarded as a humanitarian gesture, but an expression of a sense of duty for a man charged with great responsibilities. Now, allow me to address some of the major issues on the agenda of this Conference.

Regarding the Food Situation in Africa my delegation welcomes the provisions of the draft Resolution depicted in document CL 87/REP/1 Supl 1. The provisions of this draft are regarded as realistic measures proposed to combat the effects of drought and famine in Africa. But considering the long-term objective, there is a fear that food aid and charitable relief grants may trigger off a process of irreversible dependence. The key to the problem should therefore be a rapid rehabilitation of food.

In other areas outside the Food Self-Sufficiency Programme, the Government is also inducing farmers to produce more food grains by subsidising their input requirements. As another incentive to more food production, producer prices have been increasing steadily above import and export parity levels. Between 1980 and 1985, for instance, the average producer price increase for the three major grains has been 82 percent. Farmers are given technical advice at the beginning of each ploughing season on the best production package for that season. All these measures have encouraged farmers, especially women, who constitute a predominant force in our agricultural and food production activities.

Other short-term measures being implemented include re-direction programmes which concentrate mainly on government-owned demonstration sites to produce vegetables for market consumption and also fruit and vegetable seedlings for sale to the public. To reduce the effects of drought, rehabilitation projects compiled in conjunction with the FAO Resident Representative’s Office have been launched. Farmers individually or collectively are also encouraged to undertake their own small-scale irrigation schemes through loans from the Agricultural Development Bank.

In the medium- and long-term, the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho has now formulated policy on the following aspects of Agriculture: crop production, livestock production, research and extension, soil and water conservation, land tenure and land utilization, credit and marketing and afforestation. The articulation of these policies serves the purpose of providing guidelines for the Ministry of Agriculture so as to adequately develop the agricultural sector.

Our proposed long-term development strategy which is visible also in the short- and medium-term is embodied in the National Watershed Management Programme. The programme is all-embracing and its ultimate goal is to increase overall agricultural productivity in the country. Its main objectives include: carrying out soil surveys, land use planning, comprehensive soil conservation measures, afforestation, irrigated agricultural production, livestock production and labour intensive projects. People’s participation and training are the main features of this programme.

Complementary to the above-mentioned programme in the livestock subsector, is the Destocking Programme. This programme seeks to curb the overwhelming overstocking problem in Lesotho which is estimated at about 300 percent and aims at reducing livestock, numbers to be in line with the carrying capacity of the range. Its main objectives include: determination of stocking rates, development of strategic water supply points for livestock, establishment of grazing associations to improve range management, destocking by about 50 percent through marketing and the provision of supplementary feeding. Procurement of improved replacement stock is another feature of this programme: culled stock will be disposed off through auction sales and marketing through the National Abattoir and Feedlot Complex. These two programmes would initiate sustained development towards achieving food self-sufficiency preserving of soil and water, and combatting the adverse effects of future droughts.

On the subject of the World Food Security Compact, my delegation supports the broadened definition of the concept and its general principles as approved and recommended by the Council to this Conference. We fully endorse the Council’s viewpoint that the Compact represents a moral reaffir-mation of commitment to achieve the objectives set forth in the broadened concept of World Food Security namely: attaining desirable levels of food production, increasing the stability of food supply, and ensuring access to food supplies on the part of those in need. We believe that this is a man-centred development strategy because it emphasizes the fundamental right of man to fully participate in the food production process.

The fact that required actions are not only expected to be taken by Governments and Non-Governmental Organizations, but also by individuals in our respective countries, indicates the seriousness with which the World Food Security Compact should be viewed and considered for implementation. The points made are valid and require joint and coordinated action at all levels. One of the general principles that deserves a special mention is the one which says: “Food should not be used as a means of exerting political pressure”. Food, we assert, should not be used-as a political weapon. This principle is most acceptable to my delegation and we would plead with those countries with food surplus for donation to show their goodwill and maintain the spirit of this principle.

With regard to Food Aid Policies and Programmes, my delegation has noted the deliberations of the Council on the Tenth Annual Report of the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes. We are encouraged to hear of the record performance of the World Food Programme during 1984, as stated by the Executive Director to the Council, with regard to approvals for new development projects and emergency operations, as well as tonnages of food actually shipped. We would like to congratulate him and his colleagues for the manner in which they have timely responded to our needs and hope that they will continue to do so in future in the interests of mankind.

Of particular interest to us is the question of the best possible use of food aid. We fully share some of the views expressed by the Council in this regard, namely, expansion of on-going food-aided development projects, supporting employment-led growth strategies focussing on rural development and infrastructure and linking food aid to national and sectoral development strategies and programmes. We believe this is a realistic approach. In our humble view, and in our particular case, the following strategy is preferred and offered as a guide to donors for the utilization of “monetized” food aid for productive and|or development purposes. It should be utilized to: (1) provide loans to farmers; preference should be given to capital-short, market oriented farmers; (2) initiate new labour-intensive Soil Conservation and Forestry Projects in rural areas; (3) provide capital funds to support construction of public sector facilities or to purchase equipment required to assist in the expansion of agricultural production; (4) provide Working Capital to support the marketing operations of Government and|or Parastatal Marketing Organizations.

These are some of my delegation’s views regarding the best possible utilization of food aid for development or production purposes.

In as far as the International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides is concerned, we are only happy to announce our support for the draft Resolution recommended by the Council to this Conference.

Finally, I would like to congratulate the Director-General of FAO and his staff for organizing the Commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of the FAO of the United Nations system. The invitation of the Heads of State and the Holy Father to mark this occasion was a wise decision. Their thought-provoking statements will guide us in our deliberations in this Conference.

Le PRESIDENT: Je suis informé par le secretariat que l’honorable délégué du Luxembourg a remis sa déclaration et a demandé qu’elle soit reproduite dans le procès-verbal de la Conférence.

R. STEICHEN (Luxembourg): Au cours des conférences passées le représentant luxembourgeois n’a généralement pas saisi l’occasion de prendre la parole en ce lieu. Parmi les raisons de cette attitude il faut sans doute mentionner la modestie qui sied à un pays à dimensions réduites comme le nôtre, lorsqu’on compare son apport médical aux besoins considérables de la FAO dans son immense tâche.

Une autre raison a été le fait que depuis l’existence des Communautés européennes,. le Grand-Duché de Luxembourg en fait partie et, en dehors d’actions proprement nationales, participe au prorata de ses obligations,aux mesures d’encouragement au développement du tiers monde, ainsi qu’aux actions d’aide alimentaire des CEE aux pays affamés. Les initiatives de la Communauté Economique Européenne dans les multiples actions en faveur des pays en voie de développement résultent d’ un consensus entre ses Etats Membres. La Commission en est le porte-parole et le point de vue exprimé par son représentant est appuyé par chacun des Etats Membres.

Si à l’occasion de la 23ème conférence un membre du Gouvernement luxembourgeois, responsable de l’agriculture, tient lui-même à être present à cette conférence, une des raisons en est que le Gouvernement luxembourgeois a le privilège, au cours de ce second semestre de 1985, de présider aux travaux du Conseil des Ministres de la CEE. J’ai donc tenu à rencontrer mes collègues ou leurs représentants ici à Rome afin de pouvoir exprimer comme eux, et aux noms de nos pays respectifs, nos hommages et notre reconnaissance à l’Qeuvre considérable accomplie par la FAO au cours des quatre récentes décennies. Le 4oème anniversaire de la FAO marque 40 ans de lutte contre la faim dans le monde, contre la malnutrition et contre la pauvreté.

Le travail accompli ne peut nous faire oublier qu’au cours de la dernière décennie la sécheresse a sévi en de nombreux points du globe, et en particulier en Afrique, où elle a infligé de nouvelles souffranees à des populations mal loties vivant dans des régions peu développées.

C’est dire que l’oeuvre engagée doit pouvoir être poursuivie et que les moyens d’actions nécessitent d’être renforcés.

Mesdames, Messieurs, permettez-moi de vous présenter dans les grandes lignes la politique du Gouvernement grand-ducal en matière d’aide et de coopération au développement.

Je vous signalerai que dans la déclaration présentée par le gouvernement actuel lors de son entrée en fonction en 1984, une augmentation progressive de notre aide au développement est prévue. Il y est dit que le Gouvernement favorisera l’envoi de coopérants dans les pays du tiers monde, qu’il voudra sensibiliser les Luxembourgeois aux véritables problèmes du sous-développement et à ses enjeux.

“Dans les enceintes internationales et compte tenu de l’interdépendance des économies, le Luxembourg fera preuve de plus de comprehension à l’égard de certaines revendications réalistes du tiers monde visant la réforme économique internationale.”

L’effort du Grand-Duché s’exerce par voie d’aide multilatérale autant que bilatérale.

Notre pays pratique l’aide multilatérale par le canal des grandes institutions financières internationales et des principales organisations pour le développement, la solidarité et l’aide humanitaire. Je signalerai, outre notre contribution à la FAO, à titre d’exemple le Fonds européen de développement qui est l’instrument financier de la convention qui lie la Communauté Européenne et ses pays membres aux Etats associés d’Afrique, des Caraîbes et du Pacifique. Ce fonds constitue un outil de cooperation de premier ordre offrant une grande variété de moyens d’intervention au profit d’un nombre important de pays du tiers monde.

En dehors de sa participation à l’aide alimentaire communautaire, le Luxembourg entreprend des actions bilatérales d’aide alimentaire et intervient dans les actions urgentes de secours et de solidarité. De même, des contributions sont versées dans l’intérêt de programmes d’assistance en faveur de pays sinistrés à la suite de catastrophes naturelles et en faveur de groupes de réfugiés.

En raison de ses moyens restreints, le Luxembourg concentre son aide sur des projets précis dans un nombre limité de pays.

Une loi de 1982, portant sur la cooperation au développement, a tracé un cadre efficace à l’assistance technique. Ainsi sont encourages ceux qui se prédestinent à venir en aide aux pays en voie de développement.

Le Parlement luxembourgeois est saisi actuellenient de trois projets de loi devant promouvoir le développement. Le premier est relatif à la creation d’un “Fonds de la cooperation au développement” qui est destiné à contribuer au financement de la politique gouvernementale en cette matière. Ce fonds est de nature à moderniser la gestion de notre aide pour faire échapper les montants disponibles aux principes de l’annalité budgétaire. Le second projet porte création d’un Fonds d’aide au développement et a pour but de concentrer les dons en espèces en un seul fonds et de faire bénéficier

d’un traitement fiscal favorable les dons transitant par ce fonds. Enfin le troisième projet concerne les subventions accordées par l’Etat aux projets ou programmes de cooperation des organisations non gouvernementales luxembourgeoises. Le but en est de faire bénéficier de ressources accrues les organisations non gouvernementales qui se proposent d’executer des projets ou programmes de développement.

Dans les pays en développement, quelques-uns sont parvenus au cours des dernières années à un état d’autosuffisance pour les produits agricoles les plus nécessaires. Il convient de nous en réjouir et de les en féliciter. Mais malheureusement dans bien d’autres pays en développement, à la suite de circonstances défavorables, il y a eu un ralentissement de la production agricole. Ces faits sont des plus inquiétants.

Mesdames, Messieurs, je voudrais faire encore quelques remarques d’ordre général.

Dans certains pays développés et industrialisés, à la suite d’un déséquilibre croissant de l’offre et de la demande, notamment dans le domaine des céréales et des produits laitiers, les responsables politiques ont été amenés à introduire des seuils de production pour réduire ainsi les excédents et pour régulariser les marchés.

D’après les documents de la FAO, ces circonstances “sont dues dans une certaine mesure à des catastrophes naturelles particulièrement dévastatrices, mais tiennent aussi aux difficultés économiques de ces regions au debut des années quatre-vingt”.

D’autre part, “dans la plupart des pays en développement, la population agricole augmente plus vite que les terres cultivées”.

Ces dernières constatations constituent un veritable défi pour les pays en cause mais aussi pour notre Organisation. Les ajustements agricoles appropriés seront nécessaires, ils sont urgents et il s’agit de réussir.

Le rapport sur l’ajustement agricole international fait état qu’en matière d’aide alimentaire et de réserve alimentaire internationale d’urgence les objectifs en volume ont été atteints et même dépassés pour la première fois pour les deux rubriques. Voilà des faits encourageants qui devraient précéder la realisation d’autres objectifs de solidarité internationale.

Je pense à la coopération économique et technique entre pays en développement et à l’assistance technique extérieure en provenance de pays développés, au profit de pays en développement.

Dans son document qui traite des politiques des prix agricoles, la FAO émet d’excellentes réflexions sur les orientations futures tant des pays en développement que des pays développés.

En ce qui concerne les orientations de la politique des prix dans les pays développés, la FAO rejoint le souci des pays membres des C.E. d’améliorer la politique agricole commune.

Le Conseil des Ministres C.E. est actuellement saisi d’une communication de la Commission au Conseil et au Parlement européen concernant les perspectives de la politique agricole commune. La discussion est en cours et je suis sûr qu’elle ne manquera pas de s’orienter dans le sens d’une meilleure coopération internationale.

Monsieur le Président, Mesdames, Messieurs,

Permettez-moi, pour terminer, d’émettre le voeu que la FAO continue son oeuvre humanitaire pour le bien-être des peuples, comme elle l’a fait au cours des quatre décennies passées, et qu’elle parvienne à enrayer la faim qui ne devrait plus avoir de raison d’être dans un monde civilise 1/.

The meeting rose at 13 hours
La séance est levée à 13 heures
Se levanta la sesión a las 13 horas

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1/ Texte reçu avec demande d’insertion au procès-verba