THE NORTHERN ADVOCATE Registered for transmission through the Post as a Newspaper. TUESDAY NOVEMBER 5. 1946. N.Z.'s Interest In World Food Policy

Northern Advocate, 5 November 1946, Page 4

THE NORTHERN ADVOCATE Registered for transmission through the Post as a Newspaper. TUESDAY NOVEMBER 5. 1946. N.Z.'s Interest In World Food Policy

New Zealand, the economic stability of which depends mainly upon the volume and marketability ot the country’.-; primary products, cannot hut be deeply interested in proposals for the establishment of a World Food Board made hv the Food and Agriculture Organisation's conference held recently at Copenhagen This is a matter which especially concerns the Dominion's fanners. Sir John Boyd One Director of F.A.0.. has predicted that unless a long-term world food policy is put in train immediately, the slump in prices of primary products and the financial chats which followed the First World War will he experienced somewhere about 19-19. If the constitution of an authority such as was proposed at Copenhagen can avert the terrible ordeal through which the peoples of the world passed during the years of the great depression, everything should be done to bring such an authority into being. The declared purpose of the pr<>posed International Food Board is to organise food supplies throughout the world and to distribute them in such a way that reasonable prices will be maintained and food made available where it is most needed. Such an organisation should certainly be given a chance to cushion fanners and consumers against any threatening depression. It is unfortunate, therefore, that the United States, which had been a strong advocate ol' action such as is envisaged in the International Food Board, should have sensationally broken away last week. There is also the unpleasant fact that Russia is not evincing a cooperative attitude. L may be that the United States elections, now in progress, will cause another change of front, for there is little doubt that the imminence of an election affecting particularly a section of electors upon whom the Democrat Administration is greatly dependent has influenced the Government's altitude to the proposed beard. Summed up. the Copenhagen conference's suggestion is that the proposed board, invested with executive authority, should have power to purchase any food commodity when

world prices fall below an agreedupon minimum, and to release it again when prices rise above an agrec-d-upon maximum. By ibis means, it is urged, food prices could he controlled within relatively narrow limits, and regulated in such a way that a supply of food slightly greater than was actually needed would always he encouraged If there should accumulate a surplus much greater than required, it would he released to countries in greatest need of food —China and India, for instance —and sold at the host prices, obtainable under the citcu instances. In this way would it be possible to ensure the volume of foodstufls required to remove the threat oi starvation which large section.-' ** > 'he world's population face continually. l! is further armed that as <>my 5 per cent of all the food produced in tl, ( . -.4'erld is not consumer 1 in the country of origin, an increase of A per cent in world production would mean .m increase of f>o per cent ‘>u the world market. This would inevitably produce slump prices unless distribution oi mod were done in a more orderly way th in in the past. If the supply of loot! were diverted to poorer countries by means of 1, ng-ierm credits or deferred payments these countries, it is argued, would he able to raise the level of their general economy and thus become a better market lor industry generally. Admittedly, the drawing-up of a comprehensive plan acceptable to primary producing countries is a t |); '- midable undertaking. Following upon food conferences hold at Quebec. Washington. London and Copenhagen, a preparatory commission representing 1U nations, including an observer from New Zealand. commenced a session at Washington last week to prepare a blueprint of recommendations for a long-term world food policy. Enormous difficulties will need to be overcome, but the commission, whose session is expected to last three months, will have the best wishes of everybody that it will evolve a workable policy which is sorely needed.