IMPROVED DIETARY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22903, 10 June 1936, Page 9

IMPROVED DIETARY

FACTOR IN WORLD TRADE

ASTOR COMMITTEE’S REPORT

LONDON”, June 9, (Received June 9, at 11.35 p.m.)

The Times Geneva correspondent says the Astor Committee has prepared preliminary recommendations for the Assembly’s consideration in the autumn, urging Governments to ensure that food supplies, especially protective foods, will be available at prices that can be reached by all classes, while safeguarding the interests of producers; to cheapen marketing and distribution; to support scientific study with a view to ascertaining the best nutrition for each country; to carry out vigorous propaganda, instruct the public, arrange for teaching to medical students of nutrition values, and reorganise agriculture with a view to satisfying the requirements of sound nutrition. Governments arc to be asked to consider methods of adequately supplying lower-paid workers ami unemployed, and whether modification of the economic policy is desirable to ensure full food supplies. "Restore public health and you will restore world trade.’ - said Lord Astor at the opening session of the Nutrition Committee. He continued: “Tactful skill is required to persuade people that specific diseases can be avoided by improved dietary, that physique can ho improved and robustness replace weak ness, that contentment and well-being can replace disharmony and discontentment. If this is achieved, the whole economic policy of certain nations will be affected, and tbo whole structure of agriculture influenced. A marked increase in the demand for perishable products such as milk and‘ vegetables will result in farmers becoming less insistent on State help for sugar and wheat crops, leading gradually to an increase in the international exchange oi goods and thus to restoration of world trade.”