EL PRESIDENTE: Distinguidos delegados, tenemos una larga lista de oradores para esta tarde, aproximadamente 30, más algunos observadores. Yo espero que podamos terminar los trabajos dé los temas cuatro y cinco esta tarde. Por tanto les pido que en la medida de lo posible, recorten sus intervenciones a no más de 10 minutos. En caso de que deseen hacer intervenciones más detalladas respecto de situaciones específicas en sus respectivos países, recuerden ustedes que las pueden entregar a la Secretaría y que éstas serán registradas en su totalidad en el Verbatim de este Consejo.
Nos ha informado el delegado de Alemania que le dará a la Secretaría su intervención a este propósito. Los primeros cuatro oradores de esta tarde son: Cuba, Hungría, Bangladesh y Francia.
Juan NUIRY SANCHEZ (Cuba): Señor Presidente: no es posible dejar de reflejar en este 107° Consejo algunas consideraciones a la luz de este importante aspecto del orden del día: "El estado mundial de la agricultura y de la alimentación", piedra angular de la FAO en su función primordial especializada y rectora, precisamente de estos dos aspectos referidos, sobre los cuales no podríamos entrar a considerar sin reconocer la calidad brindada en el documento CL 107/2 que la Secretaría ha puesto a nuestra disposición completa y detallada, así como agradecer la presentación en ambos temas, cuatro y cinco realizada por el señor Hjort.
Se hace necesario comenzar como introducción haciendo referencia por su importancia a la reciente reunión Regional de América Latina y el Caribe, que tuvo lugar en la República Centroamericana de El Salvador a fines del mes de agosto y principios de septiembre.
Ahí, en su mismo escenario, de frente a sus problemas, en su propio suelo poder evaluar una realidad que destaca que la pobreza afecta más a las áreas rurales, aunque como paradoja la misma se sustenta en la producción agrícola. Y constatar como uno de sus grandes problemas, que es el hambre y su pobreza, está relacionada en forma directa con el proteccionismo, la inseguridad de sus mercados, la deuda, su nivel técnico -hipoteca dejada por el colonialismo- en fin, factores que estrangulan sus pobres economías que no creo necesario, por conocido, repetido o enumerar, las cuales como asignaturas pendientes continúan sin resolverse.
Esta vigésima tercera Conferencia de la FAO, como usted conoce, señor Presidente, pues tuvimos el honor de contar con su presencia, constituyó un marco apropiado para analizar temas prioritarios para nuestros países, tanto dentro de su Comité técnico como en sus sesiones plenarias. Pero, además de estas consideraciones es necesario resaltar otro: su organización y hospitalidad en la que prevaleció una atmósfera de franca colaboración.
Un aspecto a destacar fue, sin duda, la presencia del Director General de la FAO, Sr. Jacques Diouf.
Era la primera vez que, en su condición de dirigente máximo de nuestra Organización, participaba en nuestra Reunión Regional y aunque la síntesis en estos casos se hace difícil en aspectos de tanto relieve, podemos
subrayar: 1° Que nuestros países pudieron expresar directamente y en detalles sus problemas. 2° Que el Director General, además de su valiosa participación en los debates, pudo reunirse con cada una de las delegaciones presentes y que, de manera unánime, la Región ratificó su firme respaldo al Director General tanto en su Plan de Propuestas, como en su Dirección, sólidamente articulada.
Finalmente recoger las palabras en la clausura del Director General cuando subrayó: "que la puesta en marcha de las Recomendaciones de la Conferencia requerirá de un esfuerzo conjunto entre la Organización, los estamentos nacionales e instancias gubernamentales, regionales y subregionales, manifestando además su empeño de examinar las recomendaciones y de poner en marcha aquellas que los recursos disponibles lo permitan.
No dudo, para terminar, que algún otro colega latinoamericano y del Caribe podrá referirse y ampliar este importante acontecimiento.
Sr. Presidente, a nadie le puede sorprender traer otra vez a esta reunión y reiterar la denuncia, dentro de este apropiado marco, del tema del bloqueo impuesto a nuestro pequeño país por más de 30 años.
Nuestra delegación no podría hablar "del estado de la agricultura y la alimentación en el mundo" mientras a un país miembro de esta Organización, fundador de la FAO y de este Consejo, se le impide el más sagrado derecho a los alimentos. Un país que no está en guerra con nadie, finalizada la llamada guerra fría y a la puerta de un nuevo siglo!
Cuba, Señor Presidente, acaba de recibir en las Naciones Unidas un significativo respaldo diplomático al votarse de forma abrumadora la Resolución relativa a poner fin al bloqueo impuesto a mi país, que ya dura 32 años.
Esta Resolución, que se ha aprobado por tres años consecutivos en la Asamblea General, es una confirmación de los propósitos consagrados en la Carta de las Naciones Unidas y el Derecho Internacional, en especial los principios de la igualdad soberana de los Estados, la no intervención y no injerencia en sus asuntos internos y la libertad de comercio y navegación internacional.
Una mayoría de 101 países votó a favor de la resolución, 48 abstenciones, y sólo dos países se pronunciaron en contra.
Esto no es sólo una decisión de las Naciones Unidas, sino que representa un clamor solidario de nuestro pueblo que se debate en un presente difícil.
Los países en desarrollo, en particular los no alineados, respaldaron con fuerza el fin de este bloqueo. Esta votación refleja por demás que Cuba no está sola y que una significativa mayoría de los países del Norte y del Sur no apoyan esta anacrónica medida.
Cuántas veces, y ahí están los verbatim y documentos finales de anteriores Consejos y Conferencias, de la más reciente Conferencia Regional de América Latina y el Caribe, se han pronunciado por "la no utilización de los alimentos como arma política". Una situación, Sr. Presidente, no puede estar separada de la otra.
A esta denuncia, sin temor y firme, Cuba ha hecho gala de su voluntad siempre para encontrar soluciones negociadoras, sobre la base de igualdad soberana y respeto mutuo.
Esta Organización, Sr. Presidente, tiene sobradas pruebas - en nuestra participación en todas sus reuniones -de nuestra honestidad de principios que, si bien se manifiesta en una posición vertical contra las desigualdades y las injusticias, ha observado una consecuente flexibilidad cuando así lo ha demandado la voluntad democrática de la mayoría, cuestión que nos da fuerza suficiente para, en esta importante reunión y dentro de ese preciso tema, solicitar la comprensión y el apoyo del cese del bloqueo a nuestro país. Nuestro héroe nacional José Martí, cuya caída, como él cantara en sus versos "De cara al sol", cumplirá una centuria el próximo año, nos educó en que los principios y la dignidad deben ser nuestra primera ley. Por eso Martí, en estos momentos difíciles para nuestro país, es hoy, más que nunca, no sólo ala sino raíz del árbol de nuestros postulados.
Pero Cuba, en otro orden, como pueblo amante de la paz, se yergue ante la crítica situación por la que atraviesa.
A pesar del bloqueo, a pesar de la desaparición y desintegración de nuestros históricos mercados, nuestro pueblo labora entre las dificultades existentes.
Recientemente se constituyó la Asociación de Estados del Caribe, como forma de responder a la globalización de la economía internacional y fortalecer la cooperación entre estados, países y territorios de esa área del mundo. Somos pueblos del Mar Caribe. Esa nueva agrupación, nacida de las urgentes necesidades, constituye, junto a las Cumbres Iberoamericanas, acicate para dar pasos de avance en la imprescindible y necesaria integración económica y en el análisis conjunto de estrategias que nos son comunes en un entorno que nos ata por la historia y por la cultura.
No es casual que en esas Cumbres Iberoamericanas celebradas desde 1991, nuestros pueblos latinos, al sur del Río Bravo, se autoconvocaran, sin exclusión, presión, ni tutelajes, para hablar sobre temas que nos son afines. Búsquense sus acuerdos y encontrarán sus verdaderos pensamientos.
En el orden interno, Cuba trabaja sin descanso. Tan solo, como ejemplo, nos referiremos a algunos aspectos con relación al tema. Recientemente fue creado el Mercado Agropecuario, como una entidad que funciona sobre la base de su autogestión económica y financiera, regida por la oferta y la demanda, con la participación de productores individuales, cooperativas y empresas estatales.
Fue la constitución de las Unidades Básicas de Producción Cooperativa el antecedente estructural imprescindible para la creación de estos mercados agropecuarios a nivel nacional. Y en un corto período de tiempo ya se ven los resultados de hacer realidad la primera premisa de nuestras necesidades, el tratar de elevar los niveles productivos y nutricionales de nuestra población, acercando la producción a la demanda. El reto consiste en proliferar en ese camino, preservando las conquistas sociales que poseemos y estructurando la creación de consensos sobre la participación en la economía, aplicando además un amplio grupo de medidas para sanear la economía y finanzas internas y revalorar la moneda nacional. ¡Reformas y cambios irreversibles!
Estimados colegas, Sr. Presidente, pedimos disculpas por habernos extendido en estos temas que nos atañen tan directamente, y que tanto inciden en la situación alimentaria de mi país. De lo que sí estamos seguros es que cuando se cumpla lo aprobado por la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas, por tres veces consecutivas, cada año con votación más abrumadora, y cese el bloqueo de mi país, puedo asegurar sin lugar a dudas que podremos ser más breves.
Finalmente, Sr. Presidente, solamente para precisar una idea, que incide directamente en la FAO, como organismo multilateral, en su papel rector en la esfera de la alimentación en el mundo, aún más, teniendo en cuenta la cercanía de su 50° aniversario.
La FAO tiene entre sus funciones, precisaríamos, como un gran desafío la erradicación del hambre y la pobreza, secuelas indisolublemente vinculadas.
Si entendemos además como objetivo priorizado "La Seguridad Alimentaria en el Mundo" y en este gigantesco empeño desarrolla su papel de liderazgo no sólo basta tener una "voluntad política" sino que se hace imprescindible "una voluntad económica", y poder sacar a la Organización de opciones ínfimas económicas como las actuales.
Esto constituiría, sin lugar a dudas, el mejor homenaje y discurso en el 50° Aniversario de nuestra Organización.
Por último, y en relación con el Tema 5 sobre el Informe del 19° Período de Sesiones del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria Mundial, que tuvo lugar el pasado mes de mayo, nuestra delegación aprueba el informe.
EL PRESIDENTE: El Consejo ha tomado nota de su declaración. Me parece que la delegación de Estados Unidos ha solicitado ejercer su derecho de respuesta a su planteamiento, pero yo deseo advertirle que en la declaración, en el caso de que hubiera algún punto de controversia fuera de los Temas 4 y 5, la delegación de Estados Unidos tiene su turno después de Hungría, Bangladesh, Francia, Nigeria, Chipre. Le suplicaría, esperara a entonces para responder a la declaración del distinguido delegado de Cuba. Si está de acuerdo, podríamos escuchar posteriormente su planteamiento.
Ms Katalin BAKK (Hungary): The Hungarian delegation would like to go on record stating its appreciation for both the coverage and the high level of the document on the State of Food and Agriculture 1994.
The facts and figures on the current situation and the review of selected issues have both been well identified and presented. I have read with special interest the chapter on global greenhouse. As a matter of fact, eight years out of the last ten plagued our agriculture with extraordinary climate and droughts ranging from mediocre to severe ones. As science is gradually exploring ever more factors confirming global warming, as para. 79 of the report suggests, such as the warm currents on the Pacific shores of Latin America influencing other countries' weather, we all may justifiably look forward to any set of measures focused on these problems.
My delegation has the impression that the Director-General started a very determined effort to consult FAO Member Nations on important aspects of the life of the Organization that best serve the decisions taken at the last Hundred and Sixth Session of the Council.
Here I would like to mention three new initiatives of the Director-General which are really new and highly appreciated by my Government:
Firstly, the Draft Agreement concerning the use of experts for technical cooperation among countries in transition was very carefully studied by our competent authorities. This initiative on priority programmes in the field of agriculture, forestry and fisheries through exchange of experience, sharing of technical expertise and development of complementary capacities, is a valuable and promising idea promoted and welcomed by my Government with special regard to technical cooperation possibilities among countries in transition and developing countries with FAO assistance. Earlier Hungary had very good and wide-ranging connections with developing countries of Africa, Asia and South America. Hungarian experts could give valuable assistance to these countries in the field of agriculture (mainly crop production), fishery and training. Unfortunately, due to the well-known economic difficulties (for example high travel expenses), during recent years Hungary could not continue scientific technical cooperation programmes with developing countries to such an extent as earlier. Therefore, my Government highly appreciates this new initiative of FAO. We feel it offers new possibilities to continue a very fruitful earlier practice.
Secondly, my delegation is also glad to welcome the initiative involving all Member Nations into the working process of formulating the next Programme of Work and Budget for 1996-97 and the Organization's Medium-and Long-Term plans.
Thirdly, it was also highly appreciated to up-date the issues of the most important inter-governmental committees which play a key role in shaping the strategic orientation of the Organization. My delegation sincerely hopes the Organization got some valuable ideas (partly also from our Ministry) in order to formulate the agenda of the forthcoming meetings.
Now allow me to say some words about the present situation of agriculture in Hungary.
Hungarian agribusiness - which includes agricultural production, food processing, forestry, woodworking and agricultural services - is a traditionally important sector of Hungarian economy. Fourteen percent of GDP and 23 percent of exports are produced by this industry. It employs one-seventh of active wage earners.
The importance of the sector is demonstrated by the fact that beyond smooth provision of the domestic food market, it earned in 1992 US$2.7 billion in export income and, despite the unfavourable weather conditions, exports in 1993 were also over US$2 billion. Agricultural production has very low government support in
Hungary. According to an analysis prepared by OECD, the producer subsidy equivalent (PSE) of Hungarian agriculture was only 8 percent in 1992, which is well below the average PSE of OECD countries, especially the European Union.
The arable land is mostly used for the production of cereals (wheat and maize) and of industrial plants (sunflower and sugar beet). With regard to animal husbandry, milk and beef cattle, pigs and poultry are the major products. Therefore, generally favourable climatic conditions favour the production of high quality fruits and vegetable, seeds and planting materials, and also the production of biological products. However, within recent years droughts have hit our agriculture regularly (in 4 of the last 5 years) not allowing the full realization of our productive capacity. The same was the situation also this year. Drought caused serious losses in our agricultural production. In the case of wheat, harvesting outputs were rather favourable, the yield loss was less than anticipated, we had a medium yield of 4.5 tonnes per hectare (t/ha). Envisaged yields of later crops are as follows: maize 4.2 t/ha, potatoes 10.3 t/ha, sugar beet 25.2 t/ha, sunflower 1.6 t/ha. Producers prognosticate losses in autumn harvested fruits also. The estimated apple production for the whole country is about 600 000 tonnes, the estimated yield of grapes is 640 000 tonnes, of which 46 000 tonnes are table grapes and the other 594 000 tonnes are wine grapes.
The new government entering office in the summer of this year focused its agricultural policy conception on market-related, export-oriented agriculture, in line with the equilibrium requirements of the national economy. The safe supply of the domestic market at reasonable prices affordable for Hungarian consumers is a high priority task. The basic concept of agricultural policy correction is to ensure a reasonable, safe income for farmers.
In Hungary, in the years of transition, more than one million families (private farmers, cooperative members and agricultural workers) are depending on a regular safe income based on agricultural activities. In the interest of their members the cooperative farms are developed and stabilized. The cooperatives are indispensable first of all in procurement, sale of agricultural products, industrial activities, management of housing stock and saving-bank services.
The agricultural policy of our government is based on the following:
- reinforcing poverty structure;
- creating a modern market and financial system for agribusiness;
- creating an institutional and intellectual background in line with the needs of European harmonization;
- rapid, operative measures for the correction of agricultural policy; and
- creating better conditions for access to the world market.
I would now like to make some remarks on the relevant parts of document CL 107/2 SOFA. In paragraphs 509-584 the Report is offering a balanced and fair analysis of Central and Eastern Europe. My delegation is satisfied indeed with FAO's efforts to strive at a global nature by devoting ample space and attention to non-member countries as well, being of paramount importance to the region and to world agriculture.
I would like to make some general remarks on the agricultural policies of some countries in transition belonging to the Central and Eastern European region. The Hungarian delegation has found the statements and analyses correct and acceptable. The report has correctly stated that market regulation systems have already been introduced in many countries (Hungary included), though I feel obliged to add that these policies will only work out to our satisfaction when another essential element of CAP is also observed, that is the setting up, operation and authority of integrated product councils which, for the time being, have been started but not yet consolidated in my country.
I would ask you, Mr Chairman, to give the floor to our Permanent Representative and allow her to continue with our Joint Statement.
Ms Maria GALVÖLGYI (Hungary): After our National Statement, allow me to read a Joint Statement on behalf of the countries of Central East Europe, namely Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and on behalf of my country.
The Governments of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe welcome the appeal of the Director-General of FAO, as well as the practical measures undertaken by him to improve communication, ensure direct contact and, generally, enhance interaction at all states of the decision-making process.
Accordingly, the Governments I speak on behalf of wish to take the opportunity also of this One Hundred and Seventh Session of the FAO Council to present their common stand on selected crucial issues covered by the Agenda which are directly connected with the present policy planning and reform process.
First and foremost, I should like to assure the Director-General of our renewed commitment to the goals of the Food and Agriculture Organization which, under his stewardship, have already made great strides toward even greater effectiveness in forging a world without hunger.
Echoing the statements by our delegations to the Nineteenth Regional Conference for Europe at Killarney, I should like to emphasize the importance attached by the CEE countries to FAO activities in Europe. FAO, in concert with other international organizations, has a significant role to play in its areas of competence, including helping the integration of the economies of CEE countries into the European structures.
While looking forward to information on the implementation of the decisions taken by the Council at its 107th Session, I should like to express our conviction of the need for institutional arrangements within the framework of the Secretariat which, while self-supportive, would indeed strengthen FAO's European activities at the regional, sub-regional and national levels.
The European countries' priorities, such as trade and commodity policies, in the light of GATT agreements, food quality, sustainable agriculture and forestry, as well as the continuing need for greater involvement by FAO in the CEE countries, in order to promote and facilitate the reform process and their full integration into Europe, call for a well formulated policy response by the Organization.
The Ministers of Agriculture of the CEE countries, during their second consultation held at Warsaw in September 1994, following the first such consultation at Budapest last year, strongly supported the Director-General in his efforts to restructure and decentralize the Organization and to develop programmes responding to the CEE countries' specific conditions and needs of transition. Therefore, as stressed in the final recommendations of the consultation, in preparation for the forthcoming FAO Medium-Term Plan, the urgent and complex needs of the CEE countries should be taken into account and translated into action, in particular assistance construed and implemented in a way which ensures greater cohesion of the adjustments in agricultural policies and institutions within Europe as a whole, and enhances the CEE countries' capacity to make an increasing contribution to the global commitments of FAO.
These principles should be reflected in the structure, staffing, functions and modi operandi of the CEE Sub-Regional Office. In particular it is essential to strengthen, by continued support, the priority activities with reference to regional, sub-regional and national levels; to establish and staff the CEE Sub-Regional Office so as fully to correspond to the specific needs of the countries in question as well as to their quest for participation in European integration; to establish through a system of National Professional Officers in the sub-region a network linkage between FAO headquarters, REUR, its sub-regional office and leading academic institutions, research centres, training facilities, etc., so as best to utilize the intellectual potential and expertise of the CEE countries in FAO's programmes and activities in support of these countries.
EL PRESIDENTE: Le agradezco a la Delegación de Hungría su declaración, aunque debo advertir que algunos de sus comentarios se refieren al Tema 11 de nuestra Agenda, relativo al examen de la ejecución de las decisiones tomadas por el 106° período de sesiones del Consejo.
De cualquier forma, hemos tomado nota de la posición conjunta de los países del PECO y pensamos que seguramente la podremos trasladar al Tema 11 como un apoyo general a las políticas que está implantando el Director General.
MAJBD-UL HAQ (Bangladesh): Mr Chairman, first of all my delegation will deal with Agenda Item 4.
My delegation would first like to thank the Secretariat for preparing such a comprehensive and elaborate document on the global food and agricultural situation. Analytical review of the global economic environment, economic outlook for developing countries' agriculture and a wealth of statistical information are some of the distinctive features of the document. The selected issues are well chosen.
The current global food and agricultural scenario as presented in the document is somewhat disquieting. The depressed state of the world economic environment continues to inhibit global food and agricultural growth as well as trade. The decline in global agricultural production by 1.2 percent in 1993 - mainly due to a sharp fall in production in most developed countries - should be of concern. Increased agricultural output in Eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa is a positive sign. However, it is also a matter of concern that growth of developing countries' production is declining progressively. A growth of 1.7 percent in 1993 is the lowest in three years and is still below population growth rate. In spite of the regional variations, including a more positive picture in several densely populated countries, the global per capita food production scenario is equally disturbing. The situation in most of sub-Saharan Africa, which is facing a grave food shortage, is of particular concern. The position in regard to cereal production is far from encouraging. Although the total global cereal availabilities in 1994/95 are expected to remain at the minimum safe level as determined by FAO, our concern remains due to the fact that the expected increase in cereal production in most of the developing countries in 1994 will still remain below population growth rate.
Mr Chairman, we cannot but regret the continuing decline in multilateral commitments of assistance to the agricultural sector as well as the sharply decreased level of food aid in 1993/94. We note with concern that the level of the 1993/94 cereal food aid to developing countries has been the lowest since 1975/76. We would like to stress that food aid has a vital role to play in stabilizing food supplies in many low-income food-deficit countries, having low and critical levels of food security, and urge the donor countries to increase their budgetary allocations in food aid. The declining share of food aid for development activities due to increased response to emergencies needs augmentation. The level of total pledges so far to the World Food Programme's regular resources for the 1993-94 biennium is disappointing. We hope that the collaborative efforts of the donors and the recipients will eventually help meet the shortfall.
The document has depicted a depressing picture of the external debt situation in the developing countries. The total external debt of all developing countries has increased by 6.5 percent in 1993 despite debt write-off and voluntary debt reductions. We are quite concerned that despite an improvement in the GDP growth rate in 1993, many developing countries continue to face economic hardships due to excessive debt burdens and unfavourable balance of trade. Further ways and means must, therefore, be found to provide adequate relief to the severely indebted countries because the debt service repayments adversely affect their efforts to improve food security.
In conclusion, Mr Chairman, we commend the excellent presentation of the four selected issues which are not only highly topical and informative but also closely linked to agricultural productivity and trade. The write-up on HIV/AIDS, the chapters on Global Greenhouse, the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations and the North American Free Trade Agreement provide an exhaustive review of some important issues having vital linkage with agriculture. Thus, we hope that we shall be better equipped to meet the challenges of the coming years.
Mr Chairman, although depressing I felt I had to state the facts on behalf of the developing countries.
As far as Agenda Item 5 is concerned, my delegation is pleased to endorse the Report of the 19th Session of the Committee on World Food Security as presented. However, we would like to emphasize that food aid should be integrated with agricultural and rural development programmes of the recipient countries. We feel that negotiations to renew the Food Aid Convention would represent an opportunity to ensure that provision is made for adequate levels of food aid.
Jacques LAUREAU (France): La délégation française souhaite féliciter les auteurs du rapport CL 107/2 pour l'information objective et la bonne qualité pédagogique de ce document notamment pour ce qui concerne les suites de l'Uruguay Round et le SIDA.
Certains points méritent cependant d'être relevés au-delà de ceux déjà traités par la délégation de la Commission.
La situation mondiale de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture se caractérise notamment - par une tendance à la baisse de la production agricole dans les pays développés et à une augmentation dans les pays en développement cependant encore inférieure à la progression démographique dans certaines régions, et je pense en particulier à l'Afrique. Ce dernier point est à tendance lourde.
En second lieu une production vivrière par habitant généralement insuffisante y compris dans les pays de l'Est.
En troisième lieu des situations d'extrême urgence dans de nombreux pays africains, ceux en guère civile notamment, aggravées dans certains cas par l'attitude de responsables locaux qui pérennisent ce qui apparaît comme un véritable détournement de l'aide internationale.
Enfin, une production agricole mondiale et des stocks céréaliers globaux ayant tendance à la baisse, mais suffisants cependant pour le moment. Cependant, les projections actuelles indiquent que l'accroissement de la production des grains, blé, riz demeurerait cependant inférieur à l'accroissement des besoins dans les pays en développement à l'horizon 2010.
Dans ce contexte, nous ne pouvons que saluer l'initiative du Secrétariat d'engager des études de fond concernant les échanges de production agricole et le développement de l'agriculture pour l'édition 1995 de la situation mondiale de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture. Mais nous souhaiterions également engager ΓΟΑΑ à ce préoccuper davantage encore des facteurs à long terme susceptibles d'affecter la production et la consommation agricoles. Parmi les instruments dont nous disposons, il y a le Comité de sécurité alimentaire.
Celui-ci doit plus que jamais être conforté dans sa mission de définir des politiques d'appui à la sécurité alimentaire et des possibilités d'utiliser les différents moyens que constituent la production locale, les importations, l'aide alimentaire.
Le Comité est également concerné par les opérations de réhabilitation auxquelles la France accorde une grande importance qui doivent immédiatement suivre les aides d'urgence dans des pays dévastés par la guerre. Il est également concerné par le soutien à apporter aux réfugiés pour leur permettre de rentrer dans leur pays dans des conditions de sécurité alimentaire décentes.
Quelques constats majeurs devraient déjà permettre à la Communauté internationale d'orienter ses méthodes de travail et ses objectifs dans ce domaine prioritaire de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation.
Nous savons, et le rapport qui nous est fourni le confirme, que ce sont les pays les moins avancés d'Afrique qui sont les plus pénalisés par l'application des accords du GATT, malgré quelques gains sur les produits tropicaux.
Ces pays subissent déjà la hausse des prix des cours mondiaux des céréales.
Pour ces pays, le constat fait dans le document évoqué en Comité de sécurité alimentaire de mars 1994 concernant les zones à fort potentiel des pays en développement et les capacités de production latentes de ces zones, représente cependant un espoir. C'est pour cela que nous avons soutenu l'initiative prise par le Directeur-général. Peut-être suffirait-il de réorienter une partie des programmes et projets de développement assortis ou non de dons alimentaires concernant les pays intéressés pour les aider à compenser les effets négatifs des accords du GATT en augmentant leurs capacités de production vivrière. Cette augmentation des productions locales était d'ailleurs l'un des objectifs poursuivis par la dévaluation du franc CFA.
Les informations dont disposent les gouvernements concernés, dix mois après cette dévaluation, sont encore fragmentaires et, malgré les exemples positifs ne permettent pas encore de tirer un bilan général. C'est pourquoi il convient de demeurer vigilants et actifs sur les niveaux relatifs des prix des produits vivriers, locaux et importés, sur les mesures techniques d'accompagnement de la production ainsi que sur l'environnement du fonctionnement des filières.
Un autre constat, beaucoup plus inquiétant, fait par ailleurs par les économistes internationaux, concerne la Révolution "verte" qui semble être entrée dans une phase de piétinement, liée surtout aux problèmes de l'eau. Si ce piétinement se confirmait, ce pourrait être très grave pour les zones concernées: la Chine du Nord, l'Inde méridionale, etc. On sait par ailleurs que le problème de l'eau se posera rapidement au Moyen-Orient et en Afrique du Nord, source de préoccupations majeures pour les pays de cette région.
Une autre inquiétude pèse sur l'avenir de l'agriculture: les répercussions possibles de l'effet de serre et leurs conséquences sur la production agricole. Ce point est abondamment souligné dans le rapport. Nous estimons que, sans qu'aucune certitude scientifique ne soit établie aujourd'hui, la Convention sur le climat ratifiée par la France apparaît comme un bon principe de précaution. Il est en effet préférable de se donner les moyens d'éviter des évolutions fâcheuses en mettant en oeuvre une stratégie de prévention ad hoc à l'échelle internationale.
Pour ce qui concerne les produits de base, nous pouvons nous réjouir du redressement des cours constaté pour leurs effets à court terme sur les économies des pays concernés.
Cependant, une certaine prudence s'impose selon les spécialistes sur les perspectives à moyen terme compte tenu de la diversité des phénomènes qui ont entraîné cette flambée, et surtout le caractère spéculatif de ces événements. Il faut en tout état de cause veiller à ce que les revenus nouveaux fassent l'objet d'un juste retour aux producteurs, condition indispensable à la relance économique des filières.
Je voudrais ensuite parler du SIDA.
Monsieur Diouf a eu le mérite de présenter dans son document une courageuse analyse de la situation créée par le SIDA, notamment en Afrique mais aussi en Amérique latine et en Asie. Nous devons nous aussi, Etats Membres, avoir la volonté de chercher mieux qu'avant quelles voies de formation générale élémentaire et de formation à la prévention nous devrions imaginer ou mieux organiser.
Parce que tout, ou presque, passe par les femmes dans les zones rurales de ces pays, et d'abord, comme partout ailleurs, la santé des enfants qu'elles mettent au monde, ce sont donc elles qui subissent plus que leurs compagnons, les ravages faits par le SIDA.
Ces femmes méritent qu'on les soutienne plus particulièrement et la survie des milieux ruraux dépend de ce que nous ferons pour leur formation spécifique.
Il ne s'agit pas d'une place plus ou moins grande dans les projets mais d'un effort concerté entre l'OMS, la FAO et l'UNICEF. Un état d'urgence semble s'imposer ainsi que le rapport qui nous a été remis le souligne, nécessitant de transgresser les usages et les législations en vigueur en temps normal. Il faut travailler avec les autorités locales pour monter des programmes d'urgence, de formation et de prévention élémentaire.
Les projets multilatéraux à long terme devraient être réexaminés et les crédits réorientés en fonction de cette urgence à court terme qui s'impose et qui prend des dimensions dépassant de très loin les capacités nationales de santé publique.
Un chiffre cité dans le rapport est à cet égard, éloquent; le coût moyen des coûts de santé par mort du SIDA dans certains pays en développement concernés est égal à 150 pour cent du revenu par habitant. C'est donc une donnée qu'il faut avoir à l'esprit quand on discute des problèmes de sécurité alimentaire.
La France, vous le savez, a pris une initiative en organisant la réunion, dans les prochains jours à Paris, d'un sommet sur le SIDA.
Nos premières interventions ont commencé en 1987, phase d'urgence d'abord pour dépister, informer, éduquer, en liaison avec les organismes français internationaux et locaux concernés puis accélération dans la deuxième phase à partir de 1990, élargissant le soutien à 19 pays africains.
La lutte contre le syndrome du SIDA est depuis juillet 1993 une priorité forte pour l'aide de la France aux pays concernés et c'est au total, un triplement de l'effort français que nous assurerons dès la fin de l'année 1994.
Nous voudrions enfin rappeler les préoccupations que cette délégation avait exprimées lors de la dernière session du Conseil concernant le nécessaire rapprochement des grandes organisations multilatérales pour gérer, sur le terrain, avec les autorités nationales, les activités qui concourent à la sécurité alimentaire des pays notamment entre cette organisation et le PAM. La France est très attachée à ce rapprochement qui est indispensable.
Maintenant, Monsieur le Président, permettez-moi de quitter ma casquette de délégué de la France pour faire une rapide déclaration concernant la question du Comité de sécurité alimentaire, puisqu'il s'agit du point 5 de l'ordre du jour.
Je voudrais dire que le rapport qui nous est présenté est tout à fait complet et que je n'ai rien à ajouter. Je souhaiterais simplement en tant que président de ce Comité indiquer que quelques voies avaient été explorées au sujet de l'intégration d'autres facteurs que ceux qui sont actuellement identifiés pour orienter de nouveaux futurs travaux.
EL PRESIDENTE: Muchas gracias, señor Embajador. Este Consejo ha tomado nota de su declaración, que tiene todavía más importancia en virtud de que usted presidió con excelencia los trabajos del Comité de seguridad alimentaria, y hemos registrado, desde luego, sus profundos comentarios al respecto.
F. ΒATURE (Nigeria): First of all, my Delegation would like thank the Secretariat most sincerely for making available the comprehensive documents we are now discussing.
We are greatly concerned about the critically low levels of food security in recent years, most especially in Africa. Man-made and natural disasters as well as environmental problems such as desertification and drought have exacerbated the economic and food security problems in developing countries. Many countries are seriously facing economic crisis, and this has been compounded by the burden of external debt, various pests and diseases, inadequate infrastructural facilities for agricultural production, and marketing distribution.
We believe that FAO has the right mix of capacity and policy to assist the developing countries in attaining their goals in reaching food self-sufficiency by introducing measures that would increase agricultural productivity and food production, especially in the low-income food-deficit countries, most especially in Africa. We appreciate the positive step taken by the Director-General to launch programmes leading to solving food insecurity.
We would also request FAO to continue to find ways and means of alleviating the burden of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in developing countries which in most cases threatens the food security of these regions. Assistance in the strengthening of the Technical and Economic Cooperation among the developing countries (TCDC/ECDC) should continue to be encouraged.
Today, the central policy thrust of the Nigerian Government is to promote the production of all sub-sectors, with a view to achieving national self-sufficiency in most items of local consumption, food security and domestic industries and provide excess for export. In this regard, Government is determined to support all categories of producers (small-scale farmers, women, returnees to rural areas, and medium and large-scale farmers) to improve their level of technical and economic efficiency throughout the sector.
The Government attaches great importance to research and development of technology for agriculture. Seventeen agricultural institutes have been established for this purpose. This approach should be strengthened and encouraged by FAO through the participation of the developing countries in a bio-technology network and to ensure that bio-technology questions are widely discussed by specialist groups.
The Government has also adopted improved and appropriate technologies for optimizing production and post-harvest handling, including processing, storage and marketing leading to a reduction in associated hazards and waste. It is also the policy of the Government to provide adequate access in a timely maimer to all necessary inputs including credit and insurance. Most of the agricultural inputs are imports; for example, fertilizers, pesticides, machinery and equipment. The current policy is to encourage local manufacture of as many of
these through private ventures ably backed by Government. Some fertilizers are already being manufactured in Nigeria by national companies.
The ecological diversity of Nigeria offers a unique opportunity for ecological specialization in the production of various food crops, livestock, forest resources and fisheries in zones where they are most suited. The policy is to encourage the production of everything possible in all places, and to also develop and support specific programmes that will enhance the zonal advantage.
The policies have also taken cognizance of the importance of protecting the environment from pollution and degradation. Government also places a premium on policies for the provision of adequate resources to the institutions whose objectives devolve on the development of the physical environment and natural resources for sustainable use or to control and combat ecological disaster and environmental abuse.
The inability of the relatively poor communities to balance their natural and human resources to consistently meet subsistence needs is a fundamental constraint. Access to productivity - increasing technology and the associated inputs is also limited, thereby highlighting the needs for labour intensive mechanism.
Mr Chairman, my delegation has noted with appreciation the emphasis given to environmental protection and sustainable agriculture. My government has expressed the need and importance of protecting the environment against erosion, desert encroachment, deforestation, etc. The Arid Zone Afforestation Project in the northern part of the country has been quite commendable.
Cooperative education, training and public enlightenment at all levels has been encouraged in order to bring about increased participation and involvement of farmers, especially women and other rural people in the cooperative movement to enhance their decision making in order to improve their welfare.
Mr Chairman, we are appreciative of the activities of UN Agencies such as FAO, the World Health Organization, UNDP, IFAD, IBRD and the NGOs who have been of considerable assistance to developing countries in their quest for meaningful development in agriculture and related areas. We would urge them to continued their support for global, regional and country level activities which will strengthen the developing countries' capabilities in their resolve to improve food production.
Chrysanthos LOIZIDES (Cyprus): I wish to begin our brief comments on this Item 4 by expressing our appreciation to the Secretariat for preparing a very comprehensive and informative report on the State of Food and Agriculture as in Doc. CL 107/2 and Supplement. I also thank Mr Hjort for his introduction to this Item.
In general, the report under review provides wide information on the various parameters of the World Food Situation, such as agricultural production, per capita food production, food shortages, external assistance to agriculture, agricultural terms of trade, etc. It also provides, on the regional level, a review of the economic outlook for developing countries' agriculture and a brief description of the current problems facing the agricultural sector in certain countries of the Central and Eastern European region. This information is very useful indeed for understanding the magnitude of the problem of the current food situation in our planet.
As stated in box No. 2, page 4, during the five-year period 1988-93 the level of per capita food production has declined "in approximately 60 per cent of the total number of developing countries". Additionally, Exhibit No. 2 on page 5 indicates that during the last five years the average percentage rate of change in the per capita food production is ranging from zero to minus ten per cent in 92 countries, of which 74 are developing countries, including most of the Sub-Saharan countries, where the problem of food supply is more acute. Dramatic contraction in per capita food production is also recorded in almost all countries in transition in Eastern Europe and the former USSR.
Food shortages are usually more critical in countries affected by civil strife and inevitably famine conditions are emerging for millions of people in many of these countries. The need for emergency food assistance to avert suffering and further loss of life is dramatically increasing as never before, at least in the recent history of humanity. However, as mentioned in box 6, the shipments of food aid in cereals during the year ending June 1994 are estimated to register a reduction of around 3 million tonnes, or 21 percent less compared to the previous corresponding period while "the level of cereal food aid provided in 1993-94 to developing countries
was the lowest observed since 1975/76". A considerable decline is also registered in both the bilateral and multilateral commitments of external assistance to agriculture, as indicated by figures and graphs on pages 10 and 11.
The document under review also informs us that during the period 1980 to 1992 there has been a considerable deterioration in both the terms of trade and the purchasing capacity of agricultural exports, especially for the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa and the Latin American and Caribbean countries, as illustrated on page 17.
The external debt situation likewise continues to be a critical issue for many developing countries. This is surely an alarming reality, closely related with the global food situation. At this point I wish to draw attention to page 26 where it is mentioned inter alia that for the 29 severely indebted low-income countries the ratio between total debt service and export earnings has apparently increased from 413 percent in 1992 to 432 percent in 1993.
Following the aforementioned negative features which directly or indirectly affect the global food situation, we wish to underline certain positive features which have been achieved recently and which it is hoped will generate more favourable conditions for improving the world food situation. These are: the conclusion of the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations; the democratization process in South Africa following the abolition of the apartheid system; the promising peaceful development in the Near East; the economic reforms and stabilization in certain countries; and the enlargement of European Community membership.
In the light of these brief observations, we believe that there is much to be done to improve the food situation in the low-income and food-deficit countries. We share the view that priority should be given to key issues such as peace and social stability, economic and structural reforms, increased external assistance for sustainable agricultural development and improved arrangements in both terms of trade and foreign debt.
As on previous occasions, I wish to conclude by emphasizing the importance of international cooperation and the role of FAO as the leading international agency for promoting cooperation through concrete activity for improving the world food situation. We appreciate and support the continuous efforts and activities of FAO in this field and we strongly believe that FAO, as always, with the close cooperation and assistance of all Member Nations, will be able to implement the Special Programme on Food Production in support of food security in the low-income and food-deficit countries.
With regard to Item 5, we fully endorse the Report of the Nineteenth Session of the Committee on World Food Security as presented in document CL 107/10.
EL PRESIDENTE: Deseo anunciar que el distinguido delegado de Alemania ha enviado a la Secretaría General de este Consejo su declaración relativa al tema 4. Sin embargo, hará todavía una declaración en relación con el Tema 5. El Consejo toma nota y se incorporará de lleno la declaración de Alemania sobre dicho tema.
También deseo informar que tenemos aún por delante 30 declaraciones de parte de miembros del Consejo, más otras de observadores. Si cada una de esas declaraciones tomaran cinco minutos, podríamos quizás terminar en dos horas y media, lo que nos llevaría más allá de las cinco treinta, hora en que debería terminar esta segunda sesión. Si toman diez minutos, serán cinco horas, y eso implica toda la mañana de mañana, con lo que yo les auguro que por la noche de mañana tendrán ustedes una quinta sesión plenaria para evitar que nos retrasemos en nuestros trabajos. Por tanto, pido a los distinguidos delegados que, en la medida de lo posible, recorten sus intervenciones y que, si lo estiman pertinente, los detalles de las mismas los pueden entregar a la Secretaría para ser incorporados en el verbatim. Ahí aparecerán totalmente.
James W. SCHROEDER (United States of America): As suggested earlier, the United States first wishes to take this opportunity at the beginning of our remarks on the State of Food and Agriculture to reply briefly to the comments expressed by the distinguished representative of Cuba.
The United States' embargo is not a blockade. It is not the blockade that the Cuban Government described. The objectives of the United States policy have been, are and remain a peaceful democratic transition and respect for human rights in Cuba.
Let me compliment the FAO Secretariat on its work in producing the document on the State of Food and Agriculture and make a few remarks in regard to that document.
The past year has brought historic developments for world agriculture. With the successful completion of the Uruguay Round we have laid the groundwork for a significant expansion in agricultural trade. We had an election in our country last week but the US Congress will meet at the end of this month to consider that agreement and the Clinton Administration continues to press for the passage for implementing legislation by the end of this year. Further benefits will accrue not only to major food exporters but to many developing countries as well and we hope that our Congress will pass the legislation at the end of this month or early in December.
The benefits from the Uruguay Round will not, of course, be uniform. We shall need to monitor the effect on the least-developed, food-importing countries. Nevertheless, recent analyses of the impact of the Uruguay Round agreement on developing countries as a whole predict dramatic gains. Gross domestic products should grow at a minimum by $US35 billion annually and perhaps by as much as US$90 billion annually.
In North America we have already begun to see strong results from trade liberalization under NAFTA. The trade in agricultural products between Mexico and the United States has already grown by 11 percent for the first eight months of this year, in good part because of the lowering of trade barriers which NAFTA has allowed.
The strong rise in long-term resource flows to both middle-income and developing countries compared to the 1980s is also welcome. This growth has been spurred largely by a rapid increase in private funds devoted to direct foreign investment. It is remarkable that this investment has almost doubled since 1990. In future reports on the State of Food and Agriculture FAO may wish to provide more detail on private investment, especially direct foreign investment in agricultural sectors of developing countries.
I am also pleased to note that in the agricultural regional reviews the United States escaped the critical eye of FAO analysts this year and our neighbours to the north took our place in the line of fire. However, we were disappointed that FAO omitted discussion of Canada's marketing boards. The operation of the Canadian Wheat Board and Canada's Western Grain Transportation Rail Subsidy are sources of major concern to the United States, along with Canadian policies on dairy and poultry supply management. The FAO review of Canada's agricultural policies would have been improved by a thorough analysis of the Canadian marketing boards.
With respect to global warming, we agree that it is difficult to develop adequate models to predict how greenhouse gases will affect agriculture. More research is clearly needed. However, we concur with FAO's call for national initiatives, such as adopting technologies to reduce fossil fuel consumption, which are justified on the basis of economics or public health, even if global warming does not prove to be a major threat to world agriculture.
The treatment of the impact which AIDS has on rural communities and agricultural output, particularly in Africa and South East Asia, is quite thought-provoking. AIDS has the potential to cut economic growth in half in Sub-Saharan Africa.
For its part, the United States has long been concerned about the global impact of AIDS, and USAID has approved several hundred million dollars since 1986 both bilaterally and through WHO's global programmes on AIDS to help with education and other preventative measures. While we do not envision any additional role for FAO in coping with the economic consequences of AIDS, we hope it will continue to monitor this issue closely as part of its on-going assessments of food security.
The United States endorses the Report of the Nineteenth Session of the Committee on World Food Security. We concur with FAO's estimates of a 2.4 percent increase in world cereal output in 1994 based on a US recovery in coarse grains and a 1.8 percent expansion in developing-country production. Unfortunately, as the
Director-General has pointed out in his remarks, this rise in output lags slightly behind population growth and varies significantly among regions.
I have some comments on the size of US production this year but I will leave those out and go on in the interests of time. Suffice it to say that in the United States we have enjoyed recovery since last year's floods and drought and our corn and soybean production is approaching record levels.
The United States strongly endorsed the Director-General's plans to give greater emphasis to food security in FAO's programme and, as the Director-General stated in his opening remarks, to pursue policies directed towards the prevention of food crisis situations rather than merely reacting to such crises after they occur. However, we believe that FAO will be fighting an uphill battle as it seeks to put food security at the centre of global development agendas. In nearly all regions farmers are achieving production gains that match or exceed population growth and hunger is more often the result of political conflict than of short supplies. That will not make it easier for FAO to persuade policy-makers to reorder priorities.
There is growing public anxiety, however, that gains in agricultural output have come at the expense of the environment and may soon fail to keep pace with growing demand. Highlighting those concerns may be one key to an effective campaign by FAO to obtain the high-level political backing and media attention needed for a successful World Summit.
Let me close by briefly mentioning that just a few weeks ago, the Clinton Administration began the largest restructuring of the United States Department of Agriculture since its founding over 130 years ago. More than 1 100 field offices are being consolidated or closed, and we hope to save the US taxpayer US$3.6 billion, reducing our payroll by over 11 000 employees - more than a tenth of our workforce. I mention this for two reasons: First, to demonstrate that the United States is practising what we preach here in the UN system - we are taking the hard steps needed to reduce duplication and provide services more effectively and efficiently. And second, to offer encouragement to the new Director-General as he encounters the many obstacles to his own restructuring of FAO.
Augustin IYAMUREMYE (Rwanda): Monsieur le Président, Mesdames et Messieurs les délégués et observateurs, la délégation du Rwanda est fière de pouvoir participer à cette session du Conseil de la FAO; cela est un signe que mon pays commence à se relever de la situation dramatique que le monde entier a pu suivre sur les écrans de la télévision avec horreur et consternation.
Je voudrais profiter de cette occasion pour remercier, au nom de mon Gouvernement et du peuple rwandais, la communauté internationale, les pays amis, les institutions des Nations Unies et les organismes non gouvernementaux pour leur attention bienveillante et l'aide massive et rapide en tous genres apportée à nos populations en détresse.
Le conflit interethnique et les massacres qui en ont résulté ont provoqué la mort de près d'un million de victimes innocentes et le déplacement de près de deux millions et demi de personnes dont près d'un million et demi restent encore réfugiées dans les pays voisins, à savoir le Burundi, le Zaïre et la Tanzanie.
Au-delà de son caractère horrifiant sur le plan humanitaire, le drame rwandais pose un problème très grave sur le plan alimentaire dans notre sous-région. En effet, la guerre civile au Rwanda a connu son paroxysme au moment où notre pays hébergeait sur son sol près de 500.000 réfugiés du Burundi, ce qui avait déjà causé un grave déficit alimentaire dans la région sud de notre pays. C'était malheureusement aussi la période des récoltes que la fuite des populations paysannes a anéanti pour près de 60 pour cent. La concentration des populations dans les camps de réfugiés et dans les camps de personnes déplacées, à l'intérieur du pays comme dans les pays voisins, a provoqué la destruction massive des reboisements et la déforestation de milliers d'hectares.
Devant l'ampleur de la catastrophe qu'a connue mon pays, le Gouvernement rwandais ne peut que faire appel à la communauté internationale mais, de son côté, il s'attache à l'action primordiale de la pacification, du rétablissement de la paix et la réconciliation nationale. A l'heure actuelle, la sécurité est rétablie sur tout le territoire et, malgré quelques incidents regrettables de vengeance ou de représailles vite réprimés, la population se réinstalle progressivement. Les autorités rwandaises, en collaboration avec les pays voisins et le
Haut Commissariat des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés, coopèrent étroitement pour le retour et la réinstallation des réfugiés.
Dans le domaine de la production agricole, nous devons souligner que les agriculteurs et éleveurs rwandais, qui constituent 90 pour cent de la population active, ont payé le plus lourd tribu à la guerre. En effet, ayant abandonné leurs récoltes et leurs champs, ils doivent maintenant non seulement trouver de la nourriture, mais aussi des semences et des outils agricoles. Beaucoup de nos cadres techniques sont morts ou réfugiés. Le Ministère de l'agriculture et de l'élevage, en collaboration avec la FAO, a coordonné toutes les aides des ONG en intrants agricoles avec des résultats jusqu'ici satisfaisants. De même, un programme de réhabilitation de l'agriculture et de l'élevage est à l'étude avec les experts de la FAO. De nombreuses ONG interviennent également pour nous aider sur le terrain mais le pays a besoin de la solidarité et de l'aide bilatérale des pays amis et organismes internationaux pour préparer la reconstruction au-delà de programmes ponctuels d'urgence. C'est pourquoi mon gouvernement sollicite de la part des pays et organismes donateurs de nous permettre de remettre en marche les projets et programmes de développement agricole qui étaient en cours avant la guerre avec, bien sûr, les réaménagements et réorientations nécessaires, compte tenu de la situation actuelle. Nous pensons, ici, que la FAO pourrait jouer un rôle moteur.
Je voudrais terminer mon intervention en remerciant particulièrement le Directeur général de la FAO pour l'attention toute particulière qu'il a accordée à la situation de mon pays. Je remercie également tous les experts qui n'ont pas hésité à venir travailler dans notre pays malgré les conditions très difficiles. Je puis leur assurer que mon gouvernement n'épargnera rien pour leur offrir les meilleures conditions de travail.
Je voudrais également présenter mes félicitations au Secrétariat pour le document qu'il a présenté sur la situation de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture. En ce qui concerne le rapport de la dix-neuvième session du Comité de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale, ma délégation y souscrit entièrement.
EL PRESIDENTE: Este Consejo ha tomado nota de su testimonio sobre la catástrofe que ha devastado su país y también sobre el llamado de ayuda en múltiples frentes a la comunidad internacional para lograr la reconstrucción de su economía, de su sociedad, en particular en materia de desarrollo agrícola y alimentario, donde la FAO podría jugar el papel de pivote para canalizar la ayuda y los apoyos necesarios.
Adel Ν. CORTAS (Lebanon): First, I would like to commend Mr Hjort's presentation of the three papers which relate to the items we are discussing.
May I say, however, that paragraph 451 in CL 107/2, which relates to my country, Lebanon, should be replaced by another paragraph which would depict the situation in a better way than as written here. I would agree with the statements made in paragraph 452, but paragraph 451 would apply much better to the agricultural situation in 1992 or 1991. This is because of the fact that during last year - that is - 1993, we have improved the situation of food and agriculture in Lebanon. We have to differentiate between the food situation and the agricultural situation, and food security, in the country.
May I therefore re-write this paragraph and submit it to Mr Hjort or to Mr White at a later stage?
Also, there is a contradiction between what is written in this paragraph and what appears on the Table, Exhibit 2, on page 5, where you mention that Lebanon is at the top of the list of the Near East and North African countries, where the average percent rate of exchange is more than 5 percent.
I would like to make another observation. Where are the statistical tables relating to this document? I trust that in the final printing of this document we will have the tables which are usually produced under SOFA. If not, I would like to have an explanation. It would be a pity if we were to discontinue producing the statistical tables in the final printing of SOFA.
I would now like to turn to the Global Information and Early Warning Systems issues. I regret the fact that we were not able to attend the Food Security meeting which was I understand held in March of this year. But I would like to stress a point which I have already made -1 think it was at the last meeting of the Council or in the Conference - that we would like to have much more timely information on the food and agricultural
information available to the member countries. Now that we are reducing the number of publications concerning the situation of the food and agriculture outlook - the outlook publications of the Commodities Division - can we replace this by electronic communication through the regional offices and the country representations of FAO, and to make this information available as quickly as possible?
I do not have to repeat that information is valuable when it is needed; if it comes too late, it does not have the value that is needed. Otherwise, we rely on The Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal, whereas it is much better to rely on the FAO information system.
EL PRESIDENTE: El Consejo ha tomado nota de sus observaciones respecto de la información proporcionada en el Documento en cuestión. Se harán las correcciones conforme usted lo ha pedido. Igualmente sus otras peticiones, que serán respondidas por el Sr. Hjort al final de nuestros debates.
Sang Woo PARK (Korea, Republic of): Firstly, let me express my compliments to the FAO Secretariat for their preparation of the comprehensive document which gave us an informative overview of the current world food and agricultural situation.
The Korean delegation feels regret that global agricultural production declined by 0.7 percent in 1993 following the 2.8 percent expansion in 1992. We also know that per caput food production levels declined in approximately 60 percent of developing countries. I feel this situation should be improved for world agriculture through the efforts of all member countries.
My delegation notes with pleasure the fact that the ratio of global cereal stocks at the end of the 1993-94 season to the trend utilization in 1994/95 remained within an 18 percent range, which is considered by FAO to be the minimum necessary to safeguard world food security, as Director-General Diouf mentioned this morning, in his statement.
The world food economy is now experiencing very rapid changes and the agricultural sector is no doubt a major area affected by such changes. Recent natural disasters such as droughts and floods, as well as unstable food supplies due to civil strife in many parts of the world, have been threatening our food security.
We are also facing the challenge that natural resources, which have served as the foundation for all food production activities, have become so depleted that it has become imperative for the global community to embrace its common responsibility to care for them.
Furthermore, as Deputy Director-General Hjort mentioned in his introduction to the State of Food and Agriculture 1994, the Agricultural Agreement of the Uruguay Round will especially affect world food prices and the agricultural environment. The WTO will intervene in the world food and agricultural sectors much more strongly than GATT. That is why my delegation wishes FAO and WTO would collaborate much more closely in order to solve world food and agricultural problems.
Looking toward the 21st century, I believe that our efforts should be further concentrated on strengthening our respective food and agricultural sectors by pushing programmes for food security and rural restructuring in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner in order to manage these formidable challenges.
At present, approximately 800 million people in the world are suffering from hunger and malnutrition and 192 million children under the age of 5 are chronically deficient in protein and energy.
There are still many member countries which suffer from food shortage requiring emergency assistance, particularly in Africa and Asia. However, the external assistance to agriculture has continued to decrease since 1986.
The Korean delegation also notes with anxiety that the recent performance of the global food and agricultural sector has been uneven and the future prospects still remain somewhat uncertain.
As we are all aware, agriculture has been, and continues to be an important source of economic growth in developing countries. It is impossible to imagine economic and social development in these countries without improvements in the agricultural sector. Therefore, it is necessary that global cooperation and assistance should be more strengthened to solve world food problems.
Despite the successful developments of its national economy, Korea's agricultural sector still maintains small-scale farming and needs structural improvements, as in many other developing countries in Asia. Given its structural weakness, Korea's agriculture has entered into a transitional period since the conclusion of the Uruguay Round at the end of last year. The Korean Government has set up a long-term programme for agricultural restructuring in order to strengthen agricultural competitiveness, restructure rural communities and improve the well-being of rural people.
The Korean delegation is watching with great interest FAO's activities since the inauguration of FAO's Director-General, Mr Diouf. We would especially like to compliment FAO on making substantial efforts to solve the rural problems facing low-income, food-deficit countries. I hope that FAO cooperates more actively with member countries and other agencies of the UN System by providing the benefits of FAO's expertise in the food and agricultural field.
In conclusion I hope that FAO will continue to move effectively towards the ultimate goal of eradicating hunger and malnutrition from the world.
Adel Mahmoud ABOUL-NAGA (Egypt) (Original language Arabic): Thank you Mr Chairman. My delegation would like, first of all, to congratulate the elected Vice-Chairmen and I am sure they will help you reach sound decisions. I would also like to thank the members of the Council for choosing me to be Chairman of the Drafting Committee. I hope to be up to their expectations. This will only be possible thanks to the cooperation of all members of the Drafting Committee. My country's delegation welcomes the documents on Items 4 and 5 we have been given on the General State of Agriculture and Food in 1984, especially document CL 107/2 which contains an enormous amount of information and an excellent analysis of the situation. We should like to thank the Secretariat for this document. We wish to stress the importance of the indications and information contained in this document.
We welcome the positive developments contained in the documents on food production in 1993-94. Thanks to the help of the Secretariat we hope to be able to overcome some negative effects, especially in the sub-Saharan countries and in other neighbouring regions.
My country's delegation welcomes the general ideas mentioned in this document with regard to the repercussions of the Uruguay Round negotiations on agricultural markets. We hope that in the future we shall have studies and analyses which will be more detailed on the repercussions of this agreement on the different regional groups and food products.
While welcoming the studies made on some countries mentioned in the report we would like to see in future reports on more studies on different countries in the different regions. We believe this is an important task for the technical divisions of the Organization and a way of making available their technical expertise to the member countries.
We wish to confirm the positive information which is given in this document on the agricultural progress which has been accomplished by Egypt during the last few years. Economic liberalization policies and the liberalization of agricultural prices and crop structure, the transfer to the private sector, the right to trade in agricultural inputs and food products in addition to the use of modern technologies, the use of high-yielding varieties, all this has led to an important increase in agricultural production specially cereals. Wheat production has increased by more than 150 percent during the last years. The production of maize has increased by more than 60 percent. The production of rice achieved one of the highest levels of production per unit in the world in 1992, in addition to major developments in horticulture.
Therefore, the agricultural sector has played its role as a leading sector in the liberalization of the economy of the countr.y. We have been able to reduce our imports and thereby the burden on the economy in this period of transformation and in spite of the increase in the population of Egypt.
In conclusion, we should like to express our support for the policies of the Director-General which aim to achieve food security in the low-income countries, which are mostly found in sub-Saharan Africa, through the use of modern technologies in order to increase food production, and through the various agreements made with some international financial institutions such as the World Bank, IDA and some regional banks, which, in recent years, have reduced the level of financing in the agricultural sector. This is something of great concern to us. We hope that cooperation between FAO and these institutions will correct this unnatural and unacceptable situation.
Jürgen OESTREICH (Germany): With your permission I want to intervene very briefly on behalf of the European Community and its Members States on Agenda Item 5, that is the Report of the Committee on World Food Security. I promise to be very brief. With much interest, we have analysed the report of the 19th Session of the Committee on World Food Security, and would like to commend the Committee and FAO services for the quality, balance and comprehensiveness of the Report.
While underlining that, we welcome the Report's recommendations, perhaps the most important conclusion of the very interesting debate on world food security is indicated in paragraph 26 of the Report, which states the areas on which the Committee wished to place more emphasis in its future work.
We fully endorse these orientations given by the Committee, and look forward to detailed proposals to put these into practice, so as to obtain an even greater impact not only for FAO's programmes, but also for policies and programmes of its member countries.
It may be of interest to inform you that the European Union's policy-making body, the Council of Ministers of Development Cooperation, will in a few days consider a Draft Resolution on the issue of food security. The latter re-emphasizes food security as one of the key issues to be addressed, and defines this area as one in which coordination between policies and programmes of the Union and the EU Member States will be intensified.
Some of the main points of the Draft Resolution are its emphasis on the long-term dimension of food security while recognizing at the same time the need to continue providing food aid to relieve emergency situations, the importance of the effective demand for foodstuffs, the role of poverty alleviation policies in promoting access to and acquisition of food and other goods, and finally the relevance of nutrition-related considerations.
It follows from this policy line, Mr Chairman, that we in the European Union much appreciate the priority the Director-General attaches to food security, and we look forward to discussing further operational proposals for FAO's work in this field.
EL PRESIDENTE: El Consejo ha tomado nota de su declaración a nombre de los países de la Unión Europea.
Ken MATTHEWS (Australia): Australia would like to thank the Secretariat for once again producing a comprehensive review of the State of Food and Agriculture, both at the global and at the regional level. The agenda paper records a small decline in world agricultural production in 1993. What is of note is that this decline occurred mostly in the developed countries - countries which already enjoy large surpluses in production, some of which had been distorting world agriculture and food markets. We can only hope that the forecast of a modest increase in global production in 1994, as updated in the supplementary document, is realized and surpassed.
I have to inform the Council that parts of Australia are in the grip of the worst drought on record. Queensland, one of our northern states and our second largest, is the worst affected with 43 percent of that state being declared drought stricken. Much of that state has suffered drought for four years now. New South Wales, another large state to the south, has had drought declarations applied to 93 percent of the state.
The longer-term meteorological outlook is for little improvement until the second quarter of 1995 for the southern half of Australia which normally relies on winter rains. The drought could persist into the fourth quarter of 1995 in northern Australia, which normally relies on monsoonal rains in summer.
The strong recovery in the rural sector in Australia, which we had been enjoying, will be turned around during 1994/95. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics forecasts that the drought will reduce the gross value of agricultural production in Australia by 10 percent. However, Australia will remain a net exporter of grains in 1994/95 despite the drought conditions. Grain exporters are maintaining close contact with their overseas customers emphazing that the current circumstances are a temporary problem and they continue to be committed to remaining reliable long-term suppliers of high quality grains to the world.
In relation to food aid, we note that the document estimates that shipments of world food aid will be down 21 percent on the previous year. That is on page 12. Australia will continue to meet its food aid commitments under the International Food Aid Convention to provide a minimum of 300 000 tonnes of wheat, or its equivalent, each year to countries in need.
Let me comment on some of these specific issues considered in the agenda paper. On the question of HIV/AIDS, as the paper recognizes, HIV/AIDS is a global problem which requires international cooperation. Australia has taken an active role in supporting the work of the six main international agencies engaged in HIV/AIDS control. Australia recognizes that it has a role to play in its own region, working in partnership with other governments and community organizations to share our experiences in education, prevention, treatment and care.
Australia is providing financial and technical assistance to HIV/AIDS programmes across Asia, the South Pacific and Africa. Programmes are funded in three ways: on a direct government-to-government basis; through multilateral agencies; and through NGOs. As part of this assistance a 110 million Australian dollar four-year health initiative was announced in our 1994-95 budget to combat four preventable diseases, including HIV/AIDS.
On the question of Global Greenhouse, Australia commends the FAO on the balanced approach it has taken on the issue in the document before us. The effect of global warming on agriculture, forestry and fisheries -as raised in pages 43-48 of the document - is of special relevance to Australia. The Australian economy is heavily reliant on the resource-based industries with large agricultural, energy and minerals sectors. Agriculture accounts for nearly 40 percent of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions.
The national and state governments of Australia adopted a National Greenhouse Response Strategy in 1992 based on a comprehensive 'no regrets' policy approach. We are in the process currently of reviewing the adequacy of our greenhouse response measures taking due account of the importance of agriculture to our economy. This integration of the environmental and economic considerations would be consistent with Australia's long-standing approach to greenhouse issues.
On the question of fisheries, food security and economic development in small island countries, as the representative of the South West Pacific Region on this Council, Australia is pleased to see Fisheries, Food Security and Economic Development in Small Island Countries included as a selected issue. Small island nations like those of the Pacific depend heavily on the sustainable management of their fishery resources for their nutritional well-being and economic prosperity.
Australia acknowledges the role of, and the assistance given by, the FAO in fisheries matters to the Asia and Pacific region and notes the efforts of FAO in assisting small island countries. We too are working to assist the introduction of sustainable fisheries management in the countries of our region, both bilaterally and through multilateral fora such as the Forum Fisheries Agency.
In the broader context, Australia strongly supports international efforts to reduce the incidence of reflagging, to avoid compliance with internationally agreed conservation and management measures for fisheries. Reflagging has the potential to seriously undermine fishery conservation and management. We see the Agreement to Promote Compliance as an important step in securing flag-state responsibility as it creates specific obligations for countries to authorize and control vessels flying their flag and fishing on the high seas.
We also see it as complementary to the other current international initiatives including the United Nations Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks, Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, and the FAO Code of Conduct on Responsible Fishing, both of which seek to improve the standards of management of high sea fisheries.
On the question of the Uruguay Round, Australia welcomes the successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round. We believe it will give a considerable stimulus to world trade and world economic growth. It is of vital importance for all the world that national ratification and implementation processes are completed successfully on time.
We consider that the outcome of the Round will contribute to a real strengthening of the multilateral trading system. The Round outcomes will also mean positive increases and stability, not only in world prices but also in international markets. To this one can add the benefits of reduced internal taxes and market distortions. All these benefits will contribute towards developing countries having a greater opportunity to play a more active role in the international trading arena. For example, the Round outcome will create improved access opportunities for developing countries in industrial markets. The anticipated improvements in world commodity markets and prices should in turn enhance the prospects for economic and social development in developing countries, in whose economies commodities are typically more important. For the least-developed countries Australia endorses the view that the agricultural sector will benefit in the short to medium term, as well as in the longer term. An increase in world prices provides the most direct and most effective incentive for growth in the agricultural sector in these countries. Food production in these countries has for too long been suppressed by artificallly low prices caused by artificially large surpluses generated in developed countries.
The FAO has a key role in assisting developing countries to capitalize on the benefits of agricultural trade liberalization. Increased productivity through improvements in infrastructure and through the application of appropriate technologies, as well as through the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices will provide major challenges.
There is still a long way to go, however, as liberalization of trade barriers will be gradual and the genuine commitment of GATT signatories is still to be tested. The threat of indirect trade barriers springing up through the application of quarantine, environmental or other standards is a particular concern. Australia will insist that such standards should only be applied, or should only remain, where a sound scientific or cultural basis exists.
Mr Chairman, there are two other factors which Australia considers will contribute significantly to the state of food and agriculture in the future, although they are not specifically covered in this edition of the document before us. They are agricultural research and the role of women in development.
Australia places considerable priority on FAO's work in the area of agriculture, forestry and fisheries research. Research is becoming internationalized and the innovation which flows from research is a key component of economic development. From our own economic research we know that the returns from investment in agricultural research can be very high indeed. Like other agricultural producers, Australia shares the benefits of international agricultural research. We are therefore pleased that there was an increase in the budget allocation to FAO's research and technology programme, following the Director-General's review of the programmes, structures and policies of the Organization.
The contribution that women make to global food production is enormous and it is appropriate that policy should now be focusing sharply on women. Australia commends FAO for its ongoing efforts to lift the participation of women in all its programmes and activities. We would wish to see those activities continued.
On the Report of the Committee on World Food Security, Australia was pleased to have been able actively to participate in the work of this Committee last March. As the report confirms, debate was informed and constructive.
The report we believe is an accurate record of the meeting and we are happy to support its adoption. As the record of discussion shows, FAO clearly has an important role to play in assisting in the development of food security at all levels - household, national, regional and global.
We are particularly pleased to see the recognition given to the wider definition of food security in paragraphs 7 and 8 where "the Committee welcomed the emphasis on economic access to food". As we have said before, food security is about giving people physical and economic access to nutritionally adequate and reliable supplies of food and is much broader than just self-sufficiency in food production.
It is pleasing to see the consensus that is being reached on this understanding of food security and on the role of the free market in enhancing it, not only in this forum but also in the international press. You may have seen an editorial in the October 13 issue of the Far Eastern Economic Review in which the Malthusiasts, with their cry of "Starvation is just around the corner" are taken to task. The editorial reminds us that "Agriculture is a market just like any other in its response to incentives, and the more open that market the faster and better it will respond".
Australia is pleased to note that the Committee's expectation of a substantial recovery in coarse grains production has, in fact, occurred, with the September issue of Food Outlook reporting a substantial recovery in coarse grains production in the United States, record production in Asia and a substantial increase in North and West Africa. The forecast of global cereal production in 1994 is up nearly 3 percent on 1993.
Australia believes that the progressive freeing up of food and agriculture markets can make a major contribution to continuing such positive trends.
There is, of course, one factor which continues to thwart the attempts by many countries to attain food security, and that is the human factor!
We note from Mr Hjort's statement that man-made disasters continue to be a persistent characteristic of food insecurity to the extent that a considerable number of the current food emergencies can be traced to some form of social or political unrest. Whilst it is beyond the mandate of the FAO and the wisdom of most of us here to solve such problems we can only hope that our work at this Council meeting will contribute at least in part to alleviating the suffering of the people involved.
Per Harald GRUE (Norway): Thank you for giving me the floor. On behalf of the Norwegian delegation I would like to thank the Secretariat for providing us with this most interesting document now under discussion. The document gives a very thorough description of both the global and regional state of food and agriculture.
During the last years the global food situation has shown great variations. In the document it is pointed out that in 1993 the global agricultural production declined by 1.2 percent. The regional imbalances in food security are alarming. Some parts of the world are facing problems related to overproduction. At the same time hunger, malnutrition and low food security are hampering the development process in other parts of the world. As shown in the document before us, the per caput food production levels declined in approximately 60 percent of the developing countries over the 5-year period from 1988 to 1993. Nearly 800 million people regularly go hungry. This clearly demonstrates the huge challenges that are ahead of us in the agricultural sector. FAO clearly has a major role to play in international efforts to address these problems.
FAO has an important mandate in promoting development of the food sector, and in this respect the need to promote sustainable development and consider the environmental impacts of agricultural activities are my main concerns. Present methods of agricultural production in several parts of the world are not durable. Hence, existing production patterns will have to be modified to become ecologically sustainable. At the same time, the volume of production must be increased to satisfy the rapidly growing world population. These challenges are among the most serious ones facing humanity today. Therefore, a description of the state of food and agriculture should also include information on sustainability and environmental aspects related to food and agriculture.
From our point of view, cooperation through multilateral organizations is essential to meet the challenges facing us in the coming decades, both in a global and a regional perspective. I want to emphasize the need to give top priority to the role of FAO as a leading global agency in food and agriculture. We therefore warmly welcome the shift in the Organization to concentrate its work on areas and tasks within its mandate where it has clear comparative advantages, and thereby strengthen the mutual reinforcement between operational activities and general professional competence.
My delegation welcomes the fact that the document addresses a set of selected issues of great significance to food security and agriculture in the broad sense, such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic, global warming and the outcome of the Uruguay Round of GATT. All these issues are of great significance and need to be considered carefully by policy-makers.
As stated in the document, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is more than a health problem. It has significant long-term socio-economic implications on food security, agricultural production and national economy. It is important that agricultural planners and policy makers understand the dynamics and impact of the epidemic on agricultural production patterns. There is need for further research to fully understand the long term effects the epidemic will have. This should not, however, prevent us from taking immediate action to reduce to the extent possible the negative effects already shown in many areas of the world.
This also relates to the question of global warming and the effect on the environment and the sustainability of agricultural development. Even if the full picture might be a bit unclear, a united international approach is needed. FAO surely has an important contribution to make to this work.
The document also deals with the outcome of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations. I want to underline the need for close cooperation between FAO and the WTO. FAO has a recognized competence in the field of phytosanitary and food safety standards. This competence could greatly benefit the international efforts to liberalize world agricultural trade.
EL PRESIDENTE: Quizás al final de nuestro debate habrá una respuesta interesante respecto a lo que ha mencionado usted al último. No obstante, lo dejo para el final. Mientras tanto, otorgo la palabra a la distinguida delegación de Burkina Faso.
Mme Béatrice DAMIBA (Burkina Faso): Au moment où, pour la première fois, je prends part aux travaux du Conseil de la FAO, en qualité de Représentant permanent du Burkina Faso, je ressens un honneur et un réel plaisir.
Je voudrais avant tout remercier le Président du Conseil et, à travers lui, tous les Etats Membres de la FAO pour l'accueil chaleureux et l'amitié qu'ils me témoignent. Je voudrais aussi exprimer la reconnaissance de ma délégation au Directeur général de la FAO et à son Secrétariat pour la qualité professionnelle des documents préparés et soumis à l'examen du Conseil. Je partage la conviction que l'engagement et la compétence de l'ensemble du personnel de la FAO seront garants du succès de sa noble mission au côté des pays membres pour vaincre la malnutrition et la pauvreté rurale.
L'examen régulier de la situation mondiale de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture, qui est l'une des tâches essentielles des fonctions normatives de la FAO, doit donner l'occasion aux Etats Membres d'analyser les faits et chiffres caractérisant le niveau mondial de la production et de la disponibilité alimentaire dans le but d'interpeller l'opinion internationale sur les nombreux cas de pénurie et sur les situations d'urgence qui frappent encore beaucoup de pays en développement. La prise de conscience de la gravité de la question telle qu'elle est décrite dans le document CL 107/2 ainsi que des causes désormais connues de tout le monde appelle à plus de solidarité entre les pays développés et ceux en développement. Ma délégation note avec préoccupation que l'offre alimentaire mondiale a enregistré une diminution importante au cours de 1993, malgré une amélioration de la production dans la plupart des pays en développement. En Afrique, chacun sait que la pauvreté rurale s'est aggravée depuis 1988 et que 80 pour cent des pays de la région connaissent des situations de déficit alimentaire chronique. C'est pourquoi ma délégation est d'avis que l'examen de la situation alimentaire dans le monde se concentre en priorité sur le cas spécifique de l'Afrique et se focalise sur les problèmes majeurs que rencontrent les populations rurales des pays concernés, à savoir la baisse de la productivité, la dégradation des terres et la persistance de la sécheresse - et cela beaucoup plus en terme d'appui à l'appropriation des moyens d'en sortir. Tel est le point de vue du Burkina Faso qui a engagé, en juin dernier, six grands paris pour un développement multisectoriel et participatif grâce à la production agricole, à l'élevage, au reboisement, et en comptant essentiellement sur les femmes et les jeunes.
Comme cela a été dit, la disponibilité et l'utilisation des stocks mondiaux en vue d'assurer la sécurité alimentaire ont considérablement baissé au cours des dernières années jusqu'à atteindre le seuil du minimum
indispensable de garantie de cette sécurité. La situation va probablement se détériorer davantage au cours des prochaines années suite aux dispositions finales du GATT. Face à une situation plutôt inquiétante, la communauté internationale et la FAO doivent agir de façon coordonnée pour assurer la sécurité alimentaire au niveau national et régional; elle devront accorder une attention soutenue à la nécessité d'un appui technique et financier aux pays engagés dans la lutte contre la pauvreté rurale. Le Conseil devra par conséquent préconiser des actions concrètes et immédiates à la communauté internationale en fonction de chaque cas spécifique.
Pour le continent africain, les actions prioritaires déjà identifiées par les études de la FAO concernent principalement la maîtrise de l'eau, le transfert des technologies, l'investissement dans le secteur agricole et l'intégration des économies régionales. Ma délégation est convaincue que la FAO pourra aider l'Afrique à relever ces défis grâce au lancement de la nouvelle "Révolution verte" dont la cent sixième session du Conseil a déjà approuvé les principes. Le document que nous examinons indique clairement que l'amélioration de la situation mondiale de l'alimentation passe nécessairement par le redressement économique de l'Afrique. L'urgence de la question appelle des mesures immédiates au niveau national et international pour s'attaquer aux racines de l'insécurité alimentaire persistante. C'est pourquoi ma délégation accueille favorablement l'idée d'organiser prochainement une grande conférence mondiale de l'alimentation, qui débouchera nécessairement sur l'élaboration de stratégies internationales et nationales, ainsi que sur la création d'un mécanisme de financement en vue de concourir à un développement durable pour tous.
Quant au rapport de la dix-neuvième session du Comité de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale, ma délégation apprécie sa bonne qualité et l'approuve entièrement.
EL PRESIDENTE: Muchas gracias a la distinguida representante de Burkina Faso. Este Consejo le reitera la bienvenida como nueva representante de su país.
J. RASOULOF (Iran, Islamic Republic of): At the outset, I would like to extend my thanks and gratitude to all colleagues in FAO who very skilfully prepared such a comprehensive, and at the same time rather detailed, document: "The State of Food and Agriculture 1994", and I wish them all full success.
I would also thank Mr. Hjort for his brief and excellent introduction.
I would keep my remarks short and concise and would follow the same order of the report.
Agricultural output declined in 1993 in most developed and the majority of developing country regions, including North America, EC, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean, Near East and North Africa. This fact brings about major concerns about two of the most important objectives of the FAO: First, when adverse weather conditions could have such a negative effect even on production of developed countries, which enjoy highly mechanized agriculture, we have to be aware that sustainable growth and development for the developing countries heavily dependent on agriculture and at the same time vulnerable to natural disorders, is very fragile, and needs very much more thought, action and awareness.
Second, food security in most parts of the world is facing major threats and should receive ever-increasing attention and endeavours.
Per caput food production in more than 60 percent of the countries listed in exhibit 2 has declined and less than 10 percent has experienced a growth of more than 3 percent. In other words, a great majority of us has produced less, which means we have to eat less. This might even be good for a small number who are overfed but it certainly is a major threat to health and productivity of the majority who are either hungry and mal-nourished or are not receiving proper quality food, especially the 25 countries listed in the food shortage and emergencies section.
What have we done to be sure that these countries will not appear in the same list next year and the years to come? Are we sure that this list will not be longer in the future? FAO, as the largest autonomous agency within the United Nations system, is expected to have a clear answer to this question and we all know that this clear answer depends to a great extent on the resources available to FAO, which in turn depends on contributions of developed economies well beyond the present level.
My delegation strongly believes that the combination of adequate extra resources and the efficiency of the new Director-General could provide a master key to the long-locked doors of sustainable development and food security in the least developed countries in a reasonable time period.
"The ratio of global cereal stocks at the end of the 1993/94 seasons to the trend utilization in 1994-95 is considered by FAO to be the minimum necessary to safeguard world food security": although FAO's first forecast of 1994 global cereal output is slightly above the reduced crop in 1993, most of the rise is expected to occur in the developed countries and should be confined to coarse grains. On the other hand, for the year 1992 commitments for external assistance to agriculture, at constant 1985 prices, reached US$7 billion, representing a 42 percent decline in real terms from the peak levels of 1986. The level of food aid provided in 1993-94 to developing countries was the lowest observed since 1975/76.
These facts, together with the existence of close to one billion hungry people in the world, bring about one of the most obvious paradoxes of our time. Coexistence of peace and hunger is clearly impossible. We cannot expect the hungry population to live in peace with their rich neighbours in our global village. Transfer of a minimum level of resources from rich to poor countries to be used for food production is a vital prerequisite for peace, and FAO is the most appropriate channel for this transfer. The only missing link is sufficient attention from potential donors. We all have to find an effective way of creating this necessary concern.
On the issue of global warming, as is stated in the report, there is debate about whether or not global warming has already begun, and there is still too much conjecture about certain features of climate change and national level impacts on agriculture to warrant specific investment responses by developing countries, given their heavy financial requirements to meet more immediate food and agricultural needs. I therefore strongly support the short-term responses and no-regrets policies proposed in the report and do not see strong logic in going for specific long-term policies such as reduction or elimination of fuel subsidies for agricultural users in this regard.
The final act of the Uruguay Round of GATT includes agreements and decisions that will be of most economic significance to the world and specifically to the developing countries. A few of its projected effects, according to the report under consideration, are these. First, agricultural trade liberalization would lead to higher world prices for food, for both temperate and tropical products. Second, it would reduce export subsidies, which also leads to higher effective prices paid by importers. Third, it may reduce the volume of food aid due to high correlation between volume of food aid and level of surplus stocks, which is predicted to be reduced. Fourth, it leads to a boost to world income, mainly in the developed countries. Fifth, it might cause the demand for higher value products, exotic fruits, vegetables, cut flowers and horticultural products.
To sum up, the negative effects would be a fall in government stockholding of agricultural commodities and a significant increase in import prices paid by the net food-importing developing countries, whose food security is one of the prime concerns of FAO and one of the approved and emphasized programmes of the Director-General. I believe combating these negative outcomes is the main task facing FAO in the future. On the one hand, assessment and projection of GATT's effects on developing countries and ways and means of minimizing negative effects and taking advantage of positive features is a delicate professional responsibility which falls upon FAO's shoulders, the level of success of which heavily depends on its level of competence in economic policy analysis at macro and sectoral level. On staffing of the new Agriculture and Economic Development Analysis Division, this issue should receive enough attention and emphasis. On the other hand, the impact on individual developing countries will depend on their agricultural-product mix, importance of trade in the economy and prevailing socio-economic conditions. In other words, there is not a general prescription suitable to all or a number of developing countries. Each country should be studied separately and in detail. This also requires a high level of expertise, which in most cases is not available. FAO as a centre of excellence should be able and prepared to provide assistance in policy analysis and manpower training necessary for this task.
My delegation found the report of the Nineteenth Session of the Committee on World Food Security very comprehensive and informative. We fully support the views and recommendations, especially issues raised in paragraphs 11, 17, 19, 22 and 25.
Although the Near East region is predominantly a net importing region and most of the countries are likely to remain large net importers, at the same time the region produces a variety of horticultural and cotton exports.
This means that the region needs expertise both on import and export aspects, and the main source of support within the reach of most of the countries of the region is FAO. We are all looking forward to benefit from FAO's potential support.
My country has achieved a great deal in areas of agricultural production and food security. We have experienced a growth rate of 6 percent in the agricultural sector in our first five-year development plan, which was concluded last year. Food production, and especially production of food grains, has witnessed a major success. In spite of a population growth of over 2.3 percent, and in spite of hosting 3 million refugees from neighbouring countries, we succeeded in reducing our annual wheat import from 5 million tonnes to less than 2 million tonnes within a period of 5 years. This achievement is mainly due to a special wheat production scheme called the pivotal wheat production project. We are quite ready to share our experience with all FAO Member States towards a better state of food production and food security.
Hiroaki KISHI (Japan): First, I should like to make some comments on Item 4. My country has great concern for world food security based on a proper world food balance and is particularly concerned, as the largest net food importer in the world.
My government considers that the food security of each country can be established only through the endeavours to produce staple food for its nation by the country itself and that trade liberalization should be pursued in a way that will not disturb such endeavours.
This idea of my government is basically unchanged and we intend to continue supporting the self-reliant endeavours of developing countries to produce more food for themselves.
The most important problem we should consider in relation to the future world food balance is the food security situation in developing countries, in particular the chronic food shortage in those low-income food-deficit countries in areas such as Sub-Saharan Africa. As is pointed out in the Secretariat paper, the situation continues to deteriorate as the years go by.
Although this food problem seems to be considered as an imbalance in the distribution of food to the people of the world and mathematically seems to be solved by world food distribution through trade or food aid, my country has recognized that, from the point of view of long-term stability in food security, trade measures or food aid alone are not enough to achieve it. We have repeatedly advocated the importance of agricultural development in food-deficit countries. The promotion of agriculture in these countries would provide rural people with food as well as employment and would make it possible to formulate a social basis for sound economic development as a whole.
Now we can see the evidence of it in the progress of economic development in the eastern Asian countries. We request FAO to carefully monitor the agricultural development of food-deficit countries and to provide them with appropriate advice so that these countries can achieve sound agricultural development without being adversely affected by food aid, structural adjustment and trade factors. My country is committed to continue to support the efforts of developing countries to promote their own agriculture.
In our view, excessive and increasing reliance of many countries, in particular those low-income food-deficit countries, on import of food from limited exporting countries will lead to uncertain food security.
The Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture is considered a big progress in the liberalization of agricultural trade, and we hope the results will prove to be beneficial for all member countries, in particular many developing countries. We recognize that currently, in many member countries, domestic procedures for the ratification of the Agreement are followed, as in my country.
In this context, as to the Agreement on Agriculture, it would be very important for FAO to analyze and discuss the consequences of the Agreement, but at this moment it would not be appropriate to assess the value of the Agreement itself or to discuss the necessity of further liberalization. We would like to stress that such attempts might hinder the ratification process of some countries, including my country, and at this moment we should concentrate on the ratification and implementation of this Agreement.
From this point of view, we would like to raise our concern on the Secretariat document CL 107/2 paragraph 103, which states that the Agreement "represents only a partial liberalization agreement" or "a large degree of distortion will still remain even after the complete implementation of commitments based on the Agreements".
It is believed that global warming has been caused by the rise in the density of gases in the atmosphere, typically that of carbon dioxide emitted from combustion of oil and coal. We anticipate that global warming will surely have much influence on agriculture, but it is uncertain whether the agricultural sector has also been adversely affecting the environment in terms of global warming.
In this connection, Japan has been supporting FAO field projects on the application of fertilizer with attention to preventing global warming.
For many island countries, fisheries is a very important industry in an economic as well as social context. Appropriate management and conservation of living marine resources based on the best scientific information available and the rational utilization of those resources are essential.
Recognizing the importance of sustainable fisheries for island countries, Japan has been supporting an FAO field project on South Pacific aquaculture. With regard to high sea fisheries, Japan has been heavily involved in the process to secure compliance with international conservation and management. Therefore, we appreciate the efforts made by FAO for "the Agreement to promote compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas" and the continuous efforts for establishing the International Code of Conduct for responsible fisheries.
Sustainable contribution of fisheries is essential for food security not only for small island countries but for all in the world towards the 21st century. Therefore, it is a great pleasure for Japan to host the International Conference on Sustainable Contribution of Fisheries to Food Security in Kyoto in December 1995. Some information papers on this Conference will be available at the table in front of the Document Section by the end of today's session.
As for Item 4 concerning the Report on Food Security; we are very pleased to see it produced by the Committee.
We are very sure that the area of assessment of future food availability in agriculture and other sectors, such as the assessment of Agriculture 2010, is the most significant area in which FAO has comparative advantage.
We strongly support that FAO will continue to play fully the most important role of the Centre of Excellence in the field of World Food Security.
Observing some of the recent international agreements such as Agenda 21 and Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture, both of which include food security provisions, we note that the importance of food security is generally recognized also in other international fora.
On the other hand, trade negotiations to continue the reform process of world agriculture trade will be initiated soon under the framework of WTO agreements.
Our suggestion is that, in order to be prepared for the continued process of trade negotiations, FAO, which is highly professional in food and agricultural issues and is responsible for world food security, should continue and strengthen analysis on various effects of trade liberalization and on food security of various countries.
From this viewpoint, we much appreciate and support that such analysis and discussions will be conducted within the framework of the Committee on World Food Security of FAO.
We believe such process of analysis and discussion on the subject "trade and food security" will much contribute to both agricultural trade and, most importantly, world food security.
Finally, my delegation commends and appreciates FAO's activities in the field of food and agriculture and we will fully support FAO in the future.
Κ. BIWI (Tanzania): First, allow me to thank the Deputy Director-General for his concise introduction of the documents we are now discussing. Let me also commend how it has been prepared.
Now, I would like to turn to the issue of the state of food and agriculture in Tanzania. The food situation in Tanzania is not satisfactory as we are experiencing some food deficit, the reasons being those of frequent droughts in most of the important food producing regions of the country, associated with delayed rainfall and also characterised by short duration.
Based on the assessment made by FAO in collaboration with WFP and our Ministry of Agriculture at the end of 1993/94 production year, the food situation in 1994-95 was found to be unsatisfactory. The assessment confirmed unfavourable food production in most parts of the country. This situation was compounded by outbreaks of crop pests, notably red locust, qualla qualla birds and green grasshoppers, and also outbreaks of diseases such as Black Sigatoka in banana plantations and cassava mosaic virus coupled with high input prices.
In brief, the established shortage is 349 000 tonnes of maize which has to be bridged through commercial imports and food aid.
The influx of Rwanda and Burundi refugees into Tanzania has raised the national food requirements in a year in which the country is experiencing poor harvest.
In this respect, Tanzania needs to focus on food production and availability, especially in deficit areas. In order to increase the national and local supply of food, the need to adopt food security as a guiding principle underlying agricultural and rural development is emphasized. We have developed a national food security programme which highlights the specific action which we need to take with respect to policies and programmes focused on agricultural development enhancing food production, rural infrastructure, trade import and price policies, and adequate production support services as provided by our national irrigation master plan and research and extension.
Extension cuts across programmes in food production, marine and coastal conservation as well as public health in terms of creating awareness in AIDS control practices among farmers, livestock keepers, fishermen and women, and tree planters. All these will enhance realization of increased food production and consequently better prospects of food security in the country.
As regards policy reforms, Tanzania has liberalized the marketing of food cash crops and procurement and distribution of inputs. The Government is creating an enabling environment for full participation of the private sector while reducing progressively its involvement in direct production.
In the fish sector, the main concern of the Tanzania Government is sustainable harvesting of fisheries resources. Artesenal fishing, however, is still confined to inland and coastal waters and catches are still far below optimal. A greater potential in fishing lies in dry sea waters, where there is little exploitation so far because of our limited fishing capacity.
At this juncture, let me commend FAO for its significant role in quick responses to Tanzania's problems concerning food security, for example:-
(a) this year, Tanzania's request for assistance to combat red locust;
(b) food aid in collaboration with WFP;
(c) the FAO mission on low-income and food-deficit countries and other FAO programmes, which has helped Tanzania in institutional capacity building, animal disease control, especially the fight against East Coast Fever and an integrated approach in the eradication of tse tse flies and trypanosomiasis on Zanzibar Island of the Republic of Tanzania.
Lastly, as regards item 5, my country fully endorses the report as presented. I would like to express my country's genuine satisfaction to the Director-General of the FAO for the efficiency he has demonstrated in handling crucial issues of food and agriculture for the period he has been in office. His prompt responses to various issues and requests are a reflection of his sensitivity to human problems, particularly the eradication of hunger and malnutrition. We fully support his efforts.
EL PRESIDENTE: El Consejo, señor Delegado, ha tomado nota de sus comentarios y, en particular la respuesta efectiva de la FAO a la situación de seguridad alimentaria en su pais.
Aguinaldo LISBOA RAMOS (Cap-Vert): Tout d'abord je voudrais exprimer la satisfaction de la délégation du Cap-Vert de vous voir à la direction de nos travaux et féliciter les autres membres du Bureau de leur élection.
J'ai lu, avec un grand intérêt, le document CL 107/2 et son supplément qui nous présentent des analyses approfondies et détaillées de la situation mondiale de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture en 1994. Je félicite le Secrétariat pour la qualité de ses documents et à M. le Directeur général vont aussi nos hommages pour les efforts qu'il déploie pour éliminer la faim et la malnutrition de la surface de la terre.
J'ai pu constater que la production a connu un recul en 1993, particulièrement dans les pays développés. Les pays en développement ont enregistré une légère progression qui n'a pas cependant accompagné la croissance démographique. Bien que les signes de reprise de la production agricole mondiale en 1994 soient très encourageants, en Afrique subsaharienne la situation reste préoccupante. En effet, si la production par habitant en 1993 a connu une légère augmentation, la tendance à court et à moyen terme est en baisse dans la plupart des pays africains qui connaissent de graves pénuries alimentaires et même des situations de famine.
Il est douloureux de constater que dans un tel contexte, le flux d'aide alimentaire en 1993-94 et en 1994-95 ait diminué de 21 pour cent et 37 pour cent respectivement, cette réduction ayant atteint en 1993-94 plus de 50 pour cent en Afrique. Cette région où se trouvent 28 des 78 pays les moins avancés et qui est déjà pénalisée par la dégradation des termes d'échange et par le poids de la dette, devra ainsi consacrer à l'importation de denrées alimentaires une partie chaque fois plus importante de ses maigres devises.
Espérons que la fin de la sécheresse et des troubles internes en Afrique ainsi que la reprise économique contribuent au redressement rapide de ce continent.
Je ne pourrais manquer à ce point de l'ordre du jour de porter à la connaissance du Conseil quelques informations sur la campagne agricole 1994-95. Contrairement à ce qui s'est passé dans l'ensemble de la sous-région et comme on peut le constater en consultant les bulletins du SMIAR, la sécheresse, une fois encore, n'a pas épargné mon pays. Si la situation était difficile les années passées, elle est devenue critique en 1994. D'après la mission d'évaluation de l'année agricole et de la situation alimentaire menée par FAO/CILSS/Cap-Vert, la production n'atteindra que 12 pour cent de la moyenne des années 1987-93 et 13 pour cent de celle de 1993, ne satisfaisant pas le minimum des nécessités en céréales.
Etant donné l'insuffisante recharge des nappes phréatiques, il est à prévoir une forte réduction de la production dans les périmètres irrigués et de sérieux problèmes pour l'approvisionnement en eau potable des populations et du bétail, en particulier dans les zones d'altitude et dans les zones arides. Par conséquent, le chômage dans les zones rurales et l'exode vers les centres urbains seront plus importants. Pour réduire les effets de la sécheresse, le Cap-Vert devra trouver des alternatives pouvant contrarier l'exode rural et garantissant un niveau acceptable de sécurité alimentaire des populations.
Le déficit alimentaire est surtout couvert par l'aide alimentaire qui permet le financement d'activités de développement surtout celles de lutte contre la désertification et la création d'emplois dans le monde rural. Comme par le passé, dans ce combat, mon pays compte sur l'appui de la communauté internationale, notamment pour ce qui concerne l'aide alimentaire.
S'agissant du point 5 de l'ordre du jour, ma délégation, d'ailleurs membre du Comité de sécurité alimentaire, approuve le rapport tel qu'il lui est soumis par le Secrétariat sour le code CL 107/10.
Néanmoins, permettez-moi des souligner trois aspects auxquels nous attachons une attention particulière. II s'agit tout d'abord de placer la sécurité alimentaire dans le contexte du développement durable et faisant appel à des ressources humaines, techniques et financières de tous les partenaires potentiels.
La FAO est appelée à accroître son assistance technique aux pays qui le demandent, surtout les PVD, afin de leur permettre la mise en oeuvre d'une stratégie de développement de l'agriculture incluant à la fois des zones
à fort et à faible potentiels et d'adapter leurs politiques agricoles nationales au nouveau contexte du commerce international.
La dernière remarque a trait au risque pour un certain nombre de pays de ne plus pouvoir poursuivre les activités nationales d'alerte rapide sans une aide financière extérieure.
Harald HILDEBRAND (Germany): The Secretariat has presented for this agenda item the highly instructive document CL 107/2 with updated information contained in Sup.1. The European Commission, on behalf of the Community and its Member States, has already made reference to some key aspects of regional and global interest. My delegation would like to add some comments. They will prove rather incomplete in view of the large amount of information the document provides.
The facts and figures regarding the current agricultural situation on a global scale confirm a number of trends we have been seeing for some time now, and with much concern.
Although agricultural production in many developing countries is growing, this upward trend is quite unevenly distributed across regions and subregions.
In many countries of Africa and elsewhere population growth tends to outpace production increase.
Therefore, per caput food production stagnates or even declines in too many countries, above all in sub-Saharan Africa.
Natural resource degradation and population pressure reduce the yielding capacity of agricultural lands and tend to push land use to marginal sites that are ecologically fragile and require a proper handling, otherwise they are definitively lost.
Despite encouraging signs of higher food supplies in some major countries, including Africa, the problem remains for most food-deficit countries which do have a potential for higher output: How to make agricultural and particularly food production sustainable in a double sense - through sustained higher yields and farming practices ensuring the sustainability of the natural resource base.
Food shortages and emergency situations in 1994, five years after the virtual end of the East-West confrontation which was believed to usher in a period of peace the world over, have been caused by civil strife, war situations, and their aftermath in numerous countries.
Latent or chronic hunger and malnutrition affecting about 800 million people and poverty as their main cause contrast with declining aid flows be it in the form of food or of external assistance to agriculture in food-deficit countries.
The recent temporary relief for certain developing countries through better prices for their traditional commodities cannot hide the fact that agricultural terms of trade have been deteriorating over the past 15 years. The prospects for food-deficit countries in Africa to fare better after the conclusion of the Uruguay Round of GATT seem to be uncertain, as para 109 of the document reveals.
The potential of fisheries to contribute more strongly to the protein nutrition of major population sectors in developing countries is limited because marine fish resources tend to be overexploited. However, inland fish production continues to grow steadily and represents a valuable protein source that can and must be further tapped.
The ambiguous reference on page 20 of the document to a "significant expansion of fuelwood and industrial roundwood output in developing countries" points to the deplorable fact that forest lands are overexploited due to the lack of energy sources other than wood.
This altogether rather gloomy picture is brightened up by encouraging signs. National food and agricultural policies in a number of countries, also Africa, do produce some effect. This is the case where governments
have embarked upon economic and social reform, where rural people are made to participate in development schemes, where small farmers are promoted by favourable frame conditions, where private investment and gradual deregulation are allowed to proceed. My delegation is aware that these internal factors cannot operate without the corresponding external conditions, and assistance from outside to stimulate self-help.
Hopefully, the conclusions from regional analyses and country case studies will help convey guidance and positive experiences to those countries where advice is urgently needed.
My delegation appreciates the efforts by the Secretariat to keep member countries well informed about these developments. It is this type of analytical work which enables FAO to devise strategies and comply with its mandate for policy advice.
Finally, my delegation would like to thank the Secretariat for having included in the document two subjects that, at first glance, do not seem to be so directly related to the topic: I refer to the selected issues "A global greenhouse" and "HIV/AIDS - the price of an epidemic". These short, but conclusive analyses remind us: both phenomena will have far-reaching implications of a different type for agriculture and rural development, and need therefore to be carefully monitored in future.1
El PRESIDENTE: Hemos llegado al final de la segunda sesión plenaria de nuestros trabajos. Me voy a permitir antes de que se vayan leerles la lista de delegados que se han inscrito para hacer uso de la palabra sobre los temas cuatro y cinco.
Señores delegados les anuncio claro que el día de mañana vamos a empatarnos en nuestro programa de trabajo de tal suerte que vamos a cubrir el Tema 6 completo, así como el 7 si es necesario con una sesión posterior a ésta; es decir a partir de las 17:30. Les pido a los señores delegados que consideren de nuevo el recortar sus intervenciones para que nos limitemos a terminar los Temas 4 y 5 por la mañana y podamos así mismo escuchar a la Secretaría dar sus respuestas y a mí resumir esta parte de nuestros trabajos.
Distinguidos delegados se levanta la sesión hasta mañana a las 9.30.
The meeting rose at 17.45 hours.
La session est levée à 17 h 45.
Se levanta la sesión a las 17.45 horas.
1 Statement inserted int he verbatim records on request.
