FOOD CONFERENCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25346, 30 October 1945, Page 6

FOOD CONFERENCE

ACTIVE OR PASSIVE ROLE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM (P A.) WELLINGTON, Monday In a report received by the Prime Minister's Department from the New Zealand delegation to the United Nations food conference in Canada it was stated that the fundamental question whether the organisation is to be an action body or a mere fact-finding agency was brought into much sharper focus during the past three days of the conference. The former view, first openl.v and explicity stated by the New Zealand delegation, is finding increasingly wider support, not least from the leaders of influential farm organisations attending the conference. In addition to New Zealand, United States, Canadian, Australian and French representatives among others have come out strongly for an organisation capable of making an effective contribution to the solution of problems created by food surpluses on one hand and ncute want on the other. Only so far as the organisation will help in solving these problems, it is argued, can it hope to fulfil its main purpose of bringing about economy of plenty. The bnsic issue of what kind of organisation it should be has come most squarely before the Marketing Committee, on which .Mr G. M. Pottinger represents New Zealand. Most of this committee's discussions have been concerned with ways and means of maintaining a satisfactory demand and price situation in respect of farm products. This is looked upon as part and parcel of surplus disposal problems. The report states that Mr E. J. Faw rcett. New Zealand member of the Agricultural Committee of the conference, has been appointed chairman of the panel of the committee which has the task of drawing up specific recommendations covering soil resource, development and conservation, irrigation, drainage erosion control, salinity control and range management. At a plenary meeting of the conference at which Sir John Boyd Orr was elected director-general of the organisation, a 15-member executive committee, including Mr Fawcett, was appointed. Applications for membership from Lebanon and Syria were approved, bringing to 86 the number of United Nations Governments that have joined the organisation.