ACHIEVEMENTS REVIEWED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 75, 8 January 1949, Page 6

ACHIEVEMENTS REVIEWED

Food and Agriculture WORK BY THE ORGANISATION (fly William. Ilardcastie.—Reuter’s Correspondent). (By Airmail) WASHINGTON. With most delegates to the fourth Annual Conference back home again, officials of the Food and Agricultural- Organisation (F.A.0.) have completed a survey of accomplishments in the first three years of the life of their organisation, The score appears good. Cynical prophecies notwithstanding, it seems that real progress has indeed been made, toward the attainment of F.A.O.’s high objectives. Perhaps for the first time, delegates were able to visualise the problems ahead, in all their magnitude and complexity, if mankind as a whole is to receive enough to eat and to be properly housed and clothed.

F.A.O. appears to have reached the point where it can now add flesh and blood to the bare bones of its original

conception—of a world free from want. In its short life, F.A.O. has hitherto been largely pre-occupied with the laborious and unspectacular tasks of assembling the tools and the workmen, measuring the project, listing and analysing the things to be done and firmly establishing the true shape of the design. But F.A.O. has been able to accomplish much even while this was proceeding. Millions of people have been saved from hunger, perhaps even death, by the organisation’s international emergency allocation of scarce food. This aspect of its activities becomes less pressing as world food production is restored to more normal levels, and there is emerging more clearly the greater problem against which the real force of F.A.O. was intended to be directed. As an F.A.O. assessment puts it: “We have not yet matched the growing need of a growing world either in the care and development of our resources, in the application of modern science to production or in the improvement of distribution and use of the products of the soil and waters.” i

The Dominant Thought The thought which dominated discussions at the recent fortnight’s con-ference-here was how to share and apply the knowledge of how to produce, distribute and utilise the products of the soil and waters. The programme of work for 1949 approved by the conference represented the advance that has,been made into a significant new stage of F.A.O. development. For the first time, it was found possible to build an orderly schedule of projects to be begun, or accomplished, in one year—priority tasks in a long term programme designed to banish hunger from the world. Analysis of the world situation and its problems, inventory of the resources available to meet the problems, then a methodical attack through a programme beginning with the most necessary tasks—these were the steps through which the conference planned the organisation’s work in the coming year. Reports before the conference emphasised certain salient facts which may he summarised thus:—

(1) Continuing post-war recovery and good 1948 crops make the immediate situation easier, but the means of production—fertiliser, machinery, seeds and so on—are still lacking in many places. Modern production skill is not widely enough employed. (2) Food production is nearing the pre-war level, but that is not enough. It was insufficient for a pre-war world and there are 200 million more people now. f (3) The situation is aggravated by inequalities of distribution) arising from low buying power in many areas due to inadequate, urirestored or disorganised industrial facilities and to foreign exchange difficulties. In spite of world insufficiency of food, producers of great export crops fear market collapses. The picture painted by these reports was not wholly gloomy. Measures which have already been taken have not only alleviated the immediate situation but have provided bases for a more far reaching improvement. For instance, F.A.O. has taken over important parts of the agricultural rehabilitation work formerly conducted by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. Specialists in agriculture, nutrition, forestry, and fisheries have completed 35 assignments in Europe and supplied technical assistance for more than 50 projects in 'China, including the care and operation of farm machinery, the use of pesticide sand fertilisers, control jof animal diseases, control of floods andsoil erosion, irrigation, food preservation, seed production and fish culture. In Europe, help in restoring and expanding production has been given in the form of a series of courses for scientists who had been unable, during the war, to keep in touch with developments in their fields. Experimental lots of improved seed were distributed.

Wide Field Covered

Technicians and administrators have been brought together in regional meetings in Italy,. Egypt, Philippines and Latin America, and F.A.O. specialists are working in all these regions to help the countries concerned to convert regional plans into concrete programmes. International missions have been sent to Greece, Poland, Siam and Venezuela, action has been taken to keep up timbersupplies to Europe and a world forestry survey has been completed; dietary surveys have been made for 50 countries; the first world yearbook of fisheries statistics has been compiled ; superior breeding stocks of plants and livestock Jiave been catalogued. The programme of work for the coming year is impressive. In each field concerned with plants, animals and soils, the division of agriculture proposes to operate pilot plant projects in some of the world’s most acute problem areas. One will help to control rinderpest. Another effort to make more food quickly available will be continued through work on the control of infestation. The fisheries division will set up regional fisheries councils in European and Latin American areas on lines'similar to that already established for the Indo-Pacific seas. Fishery resources will be estimated to facilitate their exploitation. Forestry problems are being attacked regionally also, and a commission, similar to that in Europe, is planned for Latin Anlerica, to make

studies and recommendations. F.A.O. is sponsoring the third world forestry conference in Finland in 1949 and also a Far-Eastern conference in forestry and forest products. The nutrition division is helping governments. .to expand and improve their nutrition work by furnishing guidance for investigations and practical projects. Studies are planned on .supplementary feeding, food composition, nutrition, education and technology in handling and processing foods. A training course will be organised for nutrition in the Near East.

Extension work will lie emphasised by the rural, welfare division and a training school in extension methods is planned in either Latin America or in the Near East. The distribution division is studying commodity situations and food needs and recommending international allocation where necessary. Next year, it will take up longer term commodity problem studies and work with commodity study groups and advisory committees. As tlie F.A.O. itself recognises, the sum total of desirable activities is beyond the limited means of the organisation. Nevertheless, the 58 member nations would appear to be getting good value for the 5,000,000 dollars which they are called upon to contribute, to the organisation’s budget.