1. The Third Session or the Conference held at Geneva last year-“approved and implemented the recommendation of the Preparatory Commission on World Food proposals, to hold an Annual World Review of Food and Agriculture at each Session of the Conference, at which national and international programmes and policies will be discussed with a view to furthering consistency”.
In the memorandum which the Director-General, with the approval of the council, circulated to Member Governments regarding proposed arrangements for the Conference (C48/1) it was suggested that, as last year, the first Commission of the Conference, to be known as the “Commission on the World Food and Agriculture Situation”, might undertake this annual review (Commission I). The basic documentation prepared by the Director-General for the purposes of these discussions includes two reports: one document entitled “The State of Food and Agriculture 1948” in which the present situation is analyzed, including probable development in the coming months (C48/8) and a second document entitled “National Progress in Food and Agriculture Programs” which summarizes the more detailed information supplied by those Member Governments whose annual reports were received before the middle of August (C48/9).
2. The Policy Committee on Production and Distribution, whose terms of Reference are set forth in the report of the First Session of the Council, met during the first week of November with a view to assisting the Council in carrying out its duties under Rule XXVI, 1, (c) (i) that is to say in preparing a report and agenda for the annual Governmental policy consultations. The recommendations of the Policy Committee regarding the work and agenda of Commission I has been reviewed by the Council, which adopted thereon the following resolution:-
THE COUNCIL
having considered the report of the Policy Committee on Production and Distribution (CL 4/13) adopts the report for transmission to the Conference together with an agenda for Commission I, the report being intended as an aid for the examination of the principal Conference document namely
“State of Food and Agriculture 1948”
supplemented by
“National Progress in Food and Agriculture, 1948”.
commends to Commission I the importance of concentrating on the wider international issues arising out of the Conference documents urges that while regional committee set up by Commission I will naturally determine their own agenda, & attention shall be directed in such regional discussions primarily to those regional problems which are of greatest urgency and immediate practical importance and which lend themselves to opportunities for mutual international co-operation draws the attention of Commission I and such regional committees as may be established by it, to the particular importance of :
The necessity and means of increasing output in the under-developed countries.
The integration of national production programs to serve overall needs as efficiently and economically as possible.
The development of International trade in agricultural commodities, including forestry and fisheries products, in such a way as to avoid aggravating the existing international disequilibrium and the effect of such development on the programs of the different producing and consuming countries.
The necessity for reassuring producers against the danger of over-production in particular countries which in the absence of effective demand might lead to burdensome surpluses, such anticipated danger being likely to restrict production.
The scope and character of the documentation and statistics required to improve the annual FAO review and enable member countries to plan their programs more effectively.
