UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1943 Session I, A-01

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1943 NEW ZEALAND

UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

HOT SPRINGS, VIRGINIA, 18th MAY to 3rd JUNE, 1943

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Leave

CONTENTS

PAGE Report of New Zealand Delegates to the Conference .. . . .. .. 1 Text of the Invitation extended by the President of the United States to the Government of New Zealand .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 Text of Message from the President of the United States to the Delegates of the Conference .. 4 Memorandum submitted by the New Zealand Delegation . . .. . . .. 5 Summation of the Work of the Conference by the Secretary-General .. .. .. 6 Text of the Final Act .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8

REPORT OF NEW ZEALAND DELEGATES TO THE CONFERENCE The Homestead, Hot Springs, Virginia, U.S.A., 3rd June, 1943. The Right Hon. the Prime Minister, Wellington, New Zealand. Sir, — United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture, 1943 Submitted herewith are copies of the following documents relating to the United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture which we attended for New Zealand, in accordance with your instructions : — Enclosure A : President Roosevelt's Message convening the Conference. Enclosure B : Text of President Roosevelt's Letter to Judge Marvin Jones, President of the Conference, as read at the Opening Session. Enclosure C : Memorandum submitted by New Zealand Delegation. Enclosure D : Journal No. 16, containing a Summation of the Results of the Conference by the Secretary-General, together with Verbatim Minutes of the Closing Plenary Session on 3rd June, 1943.* Enclosure E : The Final Act, including the Agreed Declaration. Enclosure F : Reports of Sections I, 11, and Ill.f 2. The Conference, held at The Homestead, Hot Springs, Virginia, began on 18th May and ended to-day. It was attended by representatives of forty-four countries : Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, French Delegation, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Liberia, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippine Commonwealth, Poland, Union of South Africa, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia. (The Danish Minister at Washington also attended in a personal capacity.) Opening addresses by delegations were dispensed with and instead we were invited to submit a written statement. Copy of the memorandum handed in for New Zealand, with your approval as to substance, is shown as Enclosure C. 3. The Conference worked in four Sections —on consumption, production, distribution, and future organization respectively—which met more or less simultaneously ; the first three Sections were further divided into eleven Committees, and representatives of all countries sat on every Committee.

* Verbatim minutes not printed. f Not printed.

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Our work was greatly facilitated by ample factual material, following the order of the agenda that had been prepared by United States officials. Wo cannot speak too highly of the competence of their organizational work and of their help in the smooth running of the Conference. 4 The whole Conference was marked throughout by the utmost cordiality and sincerity of ■purpose There was an awareness that if, as is stated in the declaration, we were meeting m the midst of " a great war, this expression had a more literal meaning for many of the countries and people represented The wartime waste of life and wealth was, inevitably, in every one s mind. All were conscious that, even as we met in the quiet of the Virginian Mountains people m or from most of our countries were bearing the burdens of the war. Against this was the hopeful fact that more and more effectively the United Nations are co-operating to secure victory. The same spirit and practice of co-operation, carried forward to the constructive tasks of peace, were felt to be the basic requirement of the future Nor was any one unmindful of the failures that had marred the decades between the wars That memory, too, pressed us to seek the greatest common measure of agreement : that we might suggest, for Governments' consideration, procedures that could in some measure help to replace restrictive trade and production practices by mutual aid and_ co-operation to improve standards of living and make them more secure everywhere. These sentiments, we think, are nowhere better expressed than in the words of a United States colleague* : 1 ; " We cannot have adequate food for the people of the world without working together in innumerable ways . . . within and between nations, and utilizing all of our knowledge and our resources, our will and our good will. , , "We are starting this effort in the midst of the greatest of all wars. And there is no better time to start. ' For this is a time when men need to have hope worthy of the suffering they are now going through, and aims worthy of the heroism they are showing m war when we need to seek new ways to continue the wartime unity of nations into the times of peace— and when the foundations must be laid for using our wartime miracles of production tor 5. The same speaker remarked also that " the problems have their national and their international aspects By far the greater part of what needs doing, nations must do within themselves. The truth of this will be borne out by noticing, as the detailed recommendations are examined, how largely they call for governmental and co-operative action within countries. That emphasis was not there at the start of the Conference. Just because we were an international Conference, indeed, there was a natural inclination to stress the importance of measures on the international plane. But in discussing together how the agreed objectives could be reached, the primary importance emerged of action that lies within the competence of individual Governments. This, of course, m no wise belittles the importance of the international measures recommended. 6 Briefly and without any attempt to paraphrase the considerable number of recommendations agreed upon, the work of the Conference's three main Sections can be sketched as follows (i) Consumption : Present levels and requirements were discussed, mainly m relation to foodstuffs, in ample detail for some countries and less so for others ; revealing always a wide and challenging gap between actual levels, even in peacetime, and the minimum that is necessary to health. Not we hope, to give too many glimpses of the obvious, the causal relationship between poverty, malnutrition ill health and death are stressed in the report. More constructively, the success of particular nutritional measures'is emphasized. It is a startling fact, for instance, that in Great Britain, where wartime food imports have been so much restricted in volume and variety, and housing conditions have deteriorated, the health of the nation has been maintained at a high level ; " m 1942 the infant mortality rate was the lowest on record, and the general death rate showed a fall." Though a good deal of ground was covered in the discussions and m the report, it was evident enough that the task even of assembling facts and figures for all countries was far beyond the scope of a short Conference. "It will be one of the tasks of the proposed United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to complete the picture in dismal detail and to replace it by a brighter one. Briefly only some attention was given also under this general heading to agricultural and marine products other' than food ; their further study is remitted to the permanent organization. (ii) Production —Expansion and Adaptation: As will be seen from the recommendations XII to XXII a wide field was covered under this heading. The Committee looked first to the short-term period' where increased output of crops for direct human consumption is recommended for priority. The crucial importance is stressed of continuing, after the war, the principle of mter-governmental co-ordinated action covering production, transport, distribution, and utilization. Longer-term questions are likewise covered, with due stress on the part usefully to be taken by producers co-operatives. Virtually without exception, for all countries as for New Zealand, increased production was pictured as desirable and practicable, given, of course, " suitable conditions.'' Potential outputs were not tabulated, nor could they be with any precision ; and compiling such estimates is, again a matter better suited to the permanent organization. Yet, without requiring exact figures, it is abundantly clear that food production is possible on a scale far exceeding all realized totals._ Fven so it is equally clear that human needs based on any adequate standards of health and nutrition must be far from satisfied. This truth makes sharper the challenge to men's capacity for sensible organization, and leads to the third main heading of the Conference's work. (iii) Distribution: From affirming the over-shadowing necessity for international security and a "progressively expanding economy," to recommended governmental and other measures for wider food distribution, and to detailed suggestions in marketing technique, this Section covered a range of subjects to which we do no more than draw attention. It will be seen that, as in other parts of the report and recommendations, some measures are suggested of a kind already adopted by New Zealand in the recent or more distant past, Our experiences were naturally of much interest; and it was encouraging to see how closely, independently altogether of any reference to New Zealand experience,

* Paul Appleby, United States Under-Secretary of Agriculture, over Columbia Broadcasting system, 30th May, 1943.

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changes were favoured along the lines our country has taken. Yet it will be noted that this Section of the Conference's recommendations includes also ample material that calls for attention in New Zealand no less than elsewhere. One particular issue may be specified, if only because its more detailed formulation still awaits action as a matter, it seems to us, of some urgency. " International Commodity Arrangements " — sometimes discussed under the perhaps inadequate headings of " Buffer Stocks " or " Primary Products Price Regulation " —are given guarded commendation as a possible means of achieving desirable ends (Recommendation XXV) ; " but further study is necessary to establish the precise forms which these arrangements should take and whether and to what extent regulation of production may bo needed." The last words quoted give a hint of the considerable issues which the topic raises, issues that must undoubtedly be faced in any realistic approach and that in a preliminary way were before our Conference, and are now remitted to our Governments. Unanimously it is agreed that the constant aim must be the expansion of consumption and production, not the limiting of output and still less the destruction of the fruits of man's labour —" the timid regime of scarcity which characterized the 1930'5." And it is agreed that " resort should be had to quantitative controls only in exceptional cases after all other expedients had been tried." In the recommendation No. XXV some important principles that should govern any commodity regulation plan are suggested. And in the realm of prices the following are defined as basic requirements : — " (1) National and international action to eliminate deflationary influences on agricultural income, in order to maintain an equitable balance between the purchasing power of agriculture and industry : " (2) Action to restrain monopolistic practices, the effect of which is to restrict production : " (3) Machinery for taking care of the temporary gluts and shortages that are so typical of agriculture." It is unquestioned that different times and different commodities call for different measures. All of this, and more, is readily enough agreed. Yet we are left with the detailed job of ensuring that, in respect to this and that specific commodity, the vision of expanding production and expanding consumption is realized. The problem, as will be seen, is treated at some length in both report and recommendations ; the upshot of the latter is to commend it for further study—but not specifically by the permanent organization to which this letter and the accompanying documents constantly refer. The distinction just made is not, we think, unimportant. It is perhaps a recognition of the fact that the task is complex enough to call for separate treatment —mainly, perhaps, in the first place between the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States. It also brings the proceedings of the Pood Conference into direct relationship to the problems of finance, which, though outside our scope, inevitably impinged upon much of our work. One final point we make, needlessly no doubt, in favour of pressing with some urgency for more detailed arrangements, of longer-term duration, in the interests of the New Zealand primary producers and the Dominion. It is the danger lest the matter be postponed on the ground that " during the transition period there will be no urgent need for either buffer stocks or quantitative control." That may well be the case, and none of us wishes to become involved in quantitative control (though we can still reasonably insist that this may, and ought to, mean " regulated expansion "). Yet we cannot ignore the fact that if we 'favour or acquiesce in maintaining controls after hostilities cease, we are for the most part accepting measures which in the immediate short run tend to restrain the prices of our produce from rising. That is not argued to be contrary to New Zealand's real interest, as experience after the end of the last war testifies well enough. But if we are a party to restraining our prices from rising just after the war, we can reasonably ask that as a part of the present undertaking we shall be protected against disastrous price collapses in the period after. 7. Permanent Organization: The final recommendation, to which earlier proceedings had led up, is that a permanent international organization be established in the field of food and agriculture. Its functions are still to be formulated for the consideration of Governments. To this end, and to carry forward the work of the Conference meantime, it was resolved to establish an Interim Commission. Governments are entitled to designate one representative each on the Commission, and it is to be installed in Washington, D.C., not later than 15th July, 1943.* 8. The other recommendations, &c., do not seem to us to call for further reference in this report. We are submitting them, as are other representatives to their respective Governments, for your consideration. It is well understood that they are but recommendations, for we had, of course, no power to make commitments. We do, however, commend them to your most favourable attention. 9. It remains to add that we have had the most helpful co-operation of the New Zealand Legation in the United States under the Charge d'Affaires, Mr. Geoffrey Cox. Two of the staff, Mr. B. R. Turner and Miss M. Oddy, have helped us most competently throughout the Conference. We are, Sir, Yours obediently, R. M. Campbell. G. A. Duncan. E. J. Fawcett.

* On 15th June, 1943, the Government of the United States invited the Government of New Zealand to nominate a representative on the United Nations Interim Commission on Food and Agriculture recommended in Resolution II of the Final Act of the Conference. The Government of New Zealand nominated the New Zealand Minister in Washington or, in his absence, the Charge d'Affaires of the New Zealand Legation. Meetings of the Interim Commission have since been held at which draft regulations, were adopted and three Committees appointed. These Committees, dealing respectively with the draft declaration of agreement for submission to Governments, a draft constitution for a permanent organization, and the promotion of interim studies and activities, are now working.

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TEXT OF THE INVITATION EXTENDED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE GOVERNMENT OF NEW ZEALAND The Government of the United States of America is of the opinion that it is desirable now for the United Nations and those nations which are associated with them in this war to begin joint consideration of the basic economic problems with which they and the world will be confronted after complete military victory shall have been attained. Accordingly, and as a first step in this direction, the Government of the United States proposes to convene, on 27th April, at some suitable place in the United States, a Conference on food and other essential agricultural products, and hereby invites the Government of New Zealand to send to that conference a small number of appropriate technical and expert representatives. The purpose of the Conference is to provide an opportunity for an exchange of views and information with respect to the following topics and for exploring and seeking agreement in principle as to the most desirable and practicable means and methods of dealing with the following problems : — Plans and prospects of various countries for the post-war period regarding production, import requirements or exportable surpluses of foodstuffs and other essential agricultural products, with a view to improving progressively in each country the levels of consumption within the framework of the opportunities and possibilities of an expansion of its general economic activity. Such consideration will be entirely divorced from the question of the provision of relief : Possibilities of co-ordinating and stimulating by international action national policies looking to the improvement of nutrition and the enhancement of consumption in general: Possibilities of setting up international agreements, arrangements, and institutions designed to promote efficient production of foodstuffs and other essential agricultural products and to ensure for the world adequate supplies of such products, with due consideration to the attainment of equitable prices from the viewpoint of both producers and consumers : Commercial, financial, and other arrangements which will be necessary in order to enable the countries of the world to obtain the foodstuffs and other essential agricultural products which they will need and to maintain adequate markets for their own surplus production. TEXT OF MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE DELEGATES OF THE CONFERENCE The White House, Washington, May 14, 1943. My Dear Marvin,' — In your capacity as Chairman of the United States delegation, and as temporary Chairman of the United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture, will you convey to the delegates assembled my heartfelt regret that I cannot be present in person to welcome them upon this historic occasion. Urgent matters in the prosecution of the war make it impossible for me to attend ; and until we have won the unconditional surrender of our enemies, the achievement of victory must be pressed above all else. Nevertheless, I hope that later I shall be able to meet the delegates and express to them personally my profound conviction of the importance of the task on which they are about to embark. This is the first United Nations Conference. Together, we are fighting a common enemy. Together, also, we are working to build a world in which men shall be free to live out their lives in peace, prosperity, and security. The broad objectives for which we work have been stated in the Atlantic Charter, the Declaration of United Nations, and at the meeting of the twenty-one American Republics at Rio de Janeiro in January, 1942. It is the purpose of this Conference to consider how best to further these policies in so far as they concern the consumption, production and distribution of food and other agricultural products in the post-war period. We know that in the world for which we are fighting and working, the Pour Freedoms must be won for all men. We know, too, that each freedom is dependent upon the others ; that freedom from fear, for example, cannot be secured without freedom from want. If we are to succeed, each nation individually, and all nations collectively, must undertake these responsibilities : They must take all necessary steps to develop world food production so that it will be adequate to meet the essential nutritional needs of the world population. And they must see to it that no hindrances, whether of international trade, of transportation or of internal distribution, be allowed to prevent any nation or group of citizens within a nation from obtaining the food necessary for health. Society must meet in full its obligation to make available to all its members at least the minimum adequate nutrition. The problems with which this Conference will concern itself are the most fundamental of all human problems —for without food and clothing life itself is impossible. In this and other United Nations conferences we shall be extending our collaboration from war problems into important new fields. Only by working together can we learn to work together, and work together we must and will. Very sincerely yours, Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Honorable Marvin Jones, The White House.

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MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED BY THE NEW ZEALAND DELEGATION 1. " The dominant conditions after the war," a competent authority has written, " will be short-term deficiencies and long-term surpluses." This forecast seems to summarize in a useful way the problems which face this Conference and which will face the permanent organization that must necessarily be set up to continue our work. These problems will be : first, to increase production towards meeting the threatened deficiencies, and, secondly, to initiate plans to ensure 'that the " surpluses " so-called—for they are, of course, not surpluses relative to human needs—will be coped with by expanding consumption, not be restricting production. The task, in short, is to raise standards of living by matching production and consumption at higher levels. 2. It is a task that in its entirety must go well beyond the scope of the present Conference and of any organization resulting from it. Trade, monetary, and broad governmental policies, internal and international, are relevant; for, in the ultimate, the problem of malnutrition is the problem of poverty. 3. New Zealand has progressively increased her farm production for export, mainly in butter and cheese, lamb, mutton and beef, wool, fruit, and other products. Given suitable conditions for their production and sale we can continue to increase the output of these and other commodities ; our delegation can provide, as required, details of potential outputs. Exports represent a very'large proportion of New Zealand's total production, in the case of some commodities over 90 per cent., and virtually all our exports are farm products ; to them our whole economy is largely geared. We 'have shared the common experience of disastrous price fluctuations in agricultural products, and our Government introduced in 1936 the principle of guaranteed prices for the purpose of giving security to individual producers and enabling them to plan for the future with confidence. Experience has shown that we should not hastily scrap wartime controls and organization, but should adapt them to the solution of post-war problems. Planned increases in production will be difficult to achieve unless based on stability of market and value. 4. What can this Conference do in those fields in which there is manifestly a large measure of agreement ? It will be agreed that malnutrition and low standards of living abound; and this is true of all countries. Nor will the Conference dissent from the proposition that improved nutrition is everywhere desirable. Though statistics of need are valuable and their compilation now and later is essential, we feel that in the limited time available to the whole Conference the elaboration of this aspect is needless, if only because it is already so clear that needs in food far exceed present or any probable early production tqtals. The factual and statistical function is by its nature a continuing job, and falls more appropriately to the permanent organization to be set up. Defining the possible functions of such an organization seems to be a key part of our common task. 5. Duplicating, no doubt, what other delegations will submit, and not attempting to schedule all the functions of the permanent organization, we would suggest consideration of the following (a) Immediate collaboration with the appropriate United Nations' planning authorities in food, raw materials, &c., to submit to Governments recommendations for production of commodities required for immediate post-war relief. It is not too soon to set up joint planning staffs for food and for other farm products. This primary function to include the maximizing of production towards meeting post-war needs, and to involve the adaptation of wartime arrangements for co-ordinated purchase, allocation, and transport of farm products : (b) Collaboration with existing international and other appropriate authorities (such as the Internationa] Labour Office and the Health and Economic Sections of the League of Nations) to make full use of, and to extend, their current work on problems of improving living standards : (c) Documentation of wartime and other emergency measures which aim to make food available in greater or less measure proportionate to individuals' need, not just in proportion to ability to pay. When production is sustained and increased by governmental and other collective measures, corresponding action on the side of consumption seems clearly indicated by experience to be essential, in the interests of producers as well as consumers. The function of a clearing-house for information and for making recommendations to Governments should be of value : (d) Recognizing that freedom of choice by the consumer is essential and that planning can increase, not abate, that freedom : to examine, in their bearing particularly on food consumption, possible national as well as international governmental measures to augment purchasing ability and make it more secure. These measures, while it is not suggested that they would be appropriate to all areas or all times, might include, for example, provision lor social security, family allowances, &c. Such measures would call for domestic rather than international action, and are hence appropriate for treatment on clearing-house lines to enable any country to gain the value of others' experience i (e) To examine, in conjunction with appropriate authorities and experts, the detailed application ol (i) resolutions from this Conference and elsewhere in favour of increased consumption, and (ii) plans for buffer stocks, price stabilization, &c. ; these to be considered in relation to particular commodities or groups of related commodities r e -9-> dairy products and all animal and vegetable fats ;or wool, cotton, and staple fibres : (/) ' 0 assemble and disseminate statistics and other data on farm products, having regard particularly to their bearing on measures to extend and improve consumption, marketing, and production. 6. We raise for consideration the question whether the permanent organization to be set up in this field might not appropriately be confined to foodstuffs, leaving, for example, wool, cotton, and related products to be covered by a separate suitable organization ; the body now contemplated, such as the International Food Office, to be integrated later with any other parallel commodity organizations in an international economic authority. 7. Because of the exclusive concern of this Conference with farm products, we feel it necessary to record our sense of one danger to be guarded against. Plans to increase farmers' output, well founded as these may be in themselves, may not be duly balanced by needed expansion in industrial production. Such a neglect could worsen rather than improve the position of the farmer, changing to his disadvantage the real terms of exchange between what he sells and what he buys. In its wide implications this is an issue beyond the scope of the present Conference ; it is not, we think, a matter that can be neglected by Governments.

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SUMMATION OF THE WORK OF THE CONFERENCE BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture met to consider the goal of freedom from want in relation to food and agriculture. In its resolutions and its reports the Conference has recognized that freedom from want means a secure, an adequate, and a suitable supply of food for every man. All men on earth are consumers of food. More than two-thirds of them are also producers of it. These two aspects of gaining subsistence from the soil cannot be separated. Men cannot eat more foods and more healthful foods unless these foods can be obtained from the land or the sea m sufficient quantities. If more and better food is to be available for all people, producers must know what they are called upon to do. They must equally be assured that their labours will earn them an adequate livelihood. The work of the Conference emphasized the fundamental interdependence of the consumer and the producer. It recognized that the food policy and the agricultural policy of the nations must be considered together : it recommended that a permanent body should be established to deal with the varied problems of food and agriculture, not in isolation but together. . The work of the Conference also showed that the types of food most generally required to improve people's diets and health are in many oases those produced by methods of farming best calculated to maintain the productivity of the soil and to increase and make more stable the returns to agricultural producers. In short, better nutrition means better farming. r , .. . , The Conference declared that the goal of freedom from want can be reached. It did not, however, seek to conceal the fact that it will first be necessary to win freedom from hunger. In the immediate future the first duty of the United Nations will be to win complete victory m arms; as then armies liberate territories from tyranny their goal will be to bring food for the starving The need to reach freedom from hunger before seeking freedom from want was understood, and resolutions were adopted 011 this subject. These covered both the planning of agricultural production and the adoption of measures to prevent violent fluctuations in prices resulting from the shortages of the transition period. _ Many delegates informed the Conference about the state of health m their respective countries. It was made clear that there was a close connection between many prevalent diseases and deficiency in diets. It was established that malnutrition was a leading cause for the high level of child mortality. It was apparent that in all countries there are large sections of the population who do not get adequate and suitable food for health ; in many countries the majority of the people are in this situation. The Conference has not attempted to lay down ideal standards of nutrition foi all peoples. It has recognized that, while the ultimate objective must be a world m which all people are fed m full accordance with the requirements of good health, it will be necessary as a practical measure to concentrate on intermediate goals which can be progressively raised as conditions improve (Resolution IX) Lhes intermediate goals must differ from region to region according to climate, taste, social habits, and other circumstances. These goals are therefore primarily a matter for individual Governments to determine One of the most important recommendations of the Conference is that the Governments and authorities represented should declare to their own people and to one another their intention to secure more and better food for the people (Resolution 111). Various measures which might be taken for this purpose were discussed. These included education, special provision for particular classes of the population, and the improvement of the quality of food available (see the report of Section I). The Conference recognized (Declaration, para. 3) that a great increase m the production of food would be needed if progress is to be made toward freedom from want. Section II discussed how this increase could be brought about, It was recognized however that to a extent; m ciiffe>re countries and at different times there would be insufficient food of the kind required for health It might therefore be necessary to take measures to see that special groups of the population, such as young children and pregnant women' who most need these foods, obtain at least their minimum requirements, even if this means reducing the supplies for the rest of the population below what they would ° the Conference considered how agricultural production could be increased and adapted to yield the supplies most needed by consumers. It began its work with the assumption which was confirmed by the conclusions of Section I, that more production was needed if the people of the world were to have sufficient food for adequate nutrition and that both new and existing production would have to be adjusted to secure more of those " protective " foods which are most necessary for good health. Before discussing methods by which these changes could be brought about, the Section exami: e the short-term position immediately after the liberation of occupied territories. It was generally agreed that this period will be one of shortage, the exact incidence and extent of these by the circumstances in which various territories are liberated from the enemy During th| ponod the first call will be to reach freedom from hunger in areas devastated by the war Until these - themselves are able to produce a harvest, the most urgent demand will be for cereals and othei foods which maintain human energy and satisfy hunger. The Conference agreed (Resolution XIII) that, while shortages lasted, there should be co-ordinated action by Governments both to secure increased production and to prevent speculative and violent fluctuations m h t oxisting at the end of hostilities will be exceptional, and it should not be too long before the production of the basic energy foods is sufficiently restored to provide for freedom from hunger When that state is reached it will be necessary to increase wherever possible the emphasis on production of foods containing first-class protein and other protective qualities necessary to good health according to the standards considered by Section I of the Conference. There is danger that the heavy demand for energy foods which will arise from the immediate period of shortage may lead, as the shortages are overcome, to overproduction of these foods unless Governments

* Not printed.

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act with foresight in guiding producers to alter their production programmes in accordance with the long-term requirements. The actual programmes must be drawn up to suit the particular circumstances of each country, but the Conference agreed upon broad general principles which should serve as a guide in making these programmes in all countries. These principles cover not only the adjustment of production to fit the long-term requirements of a better diet, but also improvements in the general efficiency of production. The Conference also recommended certain particular measures of more general application for carrying them out (Resolutions XYI-XX). In addition, the Conference recommended measures (Resolution XXI) for new agricultural development. It was the opinion of the Conference that some parts of the world which at present are unproductive could be brought into agricultural production if the appropriate measures were applied. At the same time it was recognized that, in some areas of rich potentialities, development is impeded by overcrowding of farmers on the land. While something can be done to increase the productivity of these areas by improving methods of farming, by drainage and similar measures, it was recognized (Resolution XXII) that in some cases the development of industry to provide employment for agricultural populations or emigration to other areas were the only measures likely to offer any significant contribution to a solution of the problem. The Conference recognized that it is useless to produce food unless men and nations have the means to acquire it for consumption. Freedom from want cannot be achieved unless there is a balanced and world-wide expansion of economic activity. The deliberations of the Conference in Section 111, which was set up to investigate the improvement of distribution, clearly showed that consumers would not be in a position to buy the food they needed, and producers of food could not be assured of adequate returns, unless progress was made through national and international action to raise the general level of employment in all countries. Moreover, as discussions in Section I emphasized, poverty is the first cause of malnutrition and hunger. The work of Section 111 established the close independence between the level of employment in all countries, the character and extent of industrial development, the management of currencies, the direction of national and international investment, and the policy adopted by the nations toward foreign trade. The Conference was not called upon to conduct a detailed investigation into the policies which should be adopted by the Governments of the world in order to promote an expansion of economic activity ; but it declared that freedom from want of food could not be fully achieved without such an expansion and urgently recommended the Governments and authorities represented to take action individually, and in concert, in order to secure this objective (Resolution XXIV). Having drawn attention to the fundamental importance, in the approach to freedom from want of food, of policies to expand and quicken economic activity, the Conference discussed the place and functions which might be given, within the framework of such policies, to international arrangements for the control of basic staple foodstuffs entering international trade. There was agreement that the object of any such arrangements must be to eliminate excessive short-term movements in the prices of food and agricultural commodities, to mitigate general inflationary or deflationary movements, and to facilitate adjustments in production which may be necessary to prevent economic dislocation. The Conference agreed that any such arrangements should include the effective representation of consumers as well as producers. It was not possible for the Conference, in the time available, to discuss future international commodity arrangements in detail. Discussion in Section 111 was directed to general questions of principle affecting the operation of such arrangements as might later be made. The two questions to which most attention was paid were — («) The place which buffer stocks should occupy in these arrangements ; and (6) How far it would be necessary to achieve the desired objectives to include within the general arrangements agreements for the regulation of production. The Conference agreed that further international discussion of these questions ought to take place with a view to the establishment of broad principles to govern the formulation and operation of future commodity arrangements. There was general agreement that, whatever the nature of the arrangements eventually made for individual commodities, machinery would be needed for co-ordinating their operations in the light of the broad principles to be agreed upon (Resolution XXV). It became clear at a comparatively early stage of the Conference that there was general agreement that the nations represented at the Conference should establish a permanent organization in the field of food and agriculture. It was also generally agreed that this organization should act as a centre of information and advice on both agricultural and nutrition questions and that it should maintain a service of international statistics. The Conference did not, however, attempt to lay down in detail what the scope and functions of such an organization should bo or its relation to other national or international bodies. It was agreed that these questions would have to bo worked out in detail between representatives of the participating Governments. Accordingly, the Conference recommended the establishment in Washington of an Interim Commission, one of the functions of which would be to draw up for submission to the Governments and authorities represented a detailed plan for the permanent organization (Resolution II). The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture has shown that the Governments and authorities represented are agreed upon the necessity of their taking action individually and in concert to achieve freedom from want of food. The reports and recommendations of the Conference indicate further agreement 011 the methods to be followed. The Conference has accordingly recommended that the Governments and authorities represented should recognize their obligation to their own people and to one another to raise the levels of nutrition and the standards of living of their citizens, to improve the efficiency of agricultural production, and to co-operate one with another for the achievement of these ends. The Conference resolved that the Interim Commission to be established in Washington should prepare such a declaration or agreement in this sense for the consideration of the Governments and authorities represented.

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TEXT OF THE FINAL ACT* The Governments of Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil Canada Chile, China, Colombia, Costaßioa Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia the Irene representatives ; the Governments of Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Liberia, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, orway, Panama Paraguay, Peru, Philippine Commonwealth, Poland, Union of South Africa, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United States of America, Uruguay Venezuela, and Yugoslavia ; Having accepted the invitation extended to them by the Government of the United Stat is America to be represented at a United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture ; Appointed their respective delegates, who are listed below by countries m the order of alphabetical precedence : —

Australia — H. C. Coombs, Director-General of Post-War Reconstruction (Chairman of the Delegation). F. L. McDougall, Economic Adviser to the High Commissioner, London. E. McCarthy, Assistant Secretary, Department of Commerce and Agriculture. .T. B. Brigden, Financial Counselor, Australian Legation, Washington. J. W. Burton, Department of External Affairs. Belgium— . Viscount Alain du Pare, Minister I lempotentiary, Commercial Counselor, Belgian Embassy, Washington (Chairman of the Delegation). L. Borremans, Commercial Advisor of the Ministry of Agriculture ; Agricultural Attache, Belgian Embassy, London. . . Edouard J. Bigwood, Professor of Physiological Chemistry and Nutrition of tho Faculties of Medicine and Sciences, University of Brussels; Adviser to the Belgian Government. Bolivia — . Miguel Etchenique, General Representative of the Banco Minero de Bolivia in the United States (Chairman of the Delegation). Rene Ballivian Calderon, Commercial Counselor, Bolivian Embassy, Washington. Jorge Alcazar, Member of the Sociedad Rural Boliviana. Enrique Tardio Guzman, Agricultural Engineer. Brazil— Joao Carlos Muniz, Ambassador to Ecuador (Chairman of the Delegation). Eurico Penteado, Commercial Counselor, Financial Attache, Brazilian Embassy, Washington. Jos6 Garibaldi Dantas, Superintendent of the Pro- 1 duction Financing Committee, Ministry of Finance. Newton de Castro Belleza, Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture; Director of the National Defence Section, Ministry of Agriculture. Jorge Kafuri, Head of the Price Control Division, Office of Brazilian Economic Mobilization. Walder de Lima Sarmanho, Commercial Counselor, Brazilian Embassy, Washington. Alfeu Domingues da Silva, Agricultural Attache, Brazilian Embassy, Washington. Paulo Froes da Cruz, Agricultural Attache, Brazilian Embassy, Washington. Canada— G. S. H. Barton, Deputy Minister of Agriculture (Chairman of the Delegation). Georges Bouchard, Assistant Deputy Minister of Agriculture. T. W. Grindley, Secretary, Canadian Wheat Board. H. F. Angus, Special Assistant to the Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs and Chairman of the Canadian Food Requirements Committee. L. B. Pearson, Minister Counselor, Canadian Legation, Washington. D. B. Finn, Deputy Minister of Fisheries. Ohile J. Manuel Casanueva, Director-General of Agricultural Services of the Ministry of Agriculture (Chairman of the Delegation). Carlos Campbell del Campo, Commercial Counselor, Chilean Embassy, Washington. Vincente Izquierdo, Corporation for the Promotion of Production. China— Kuo Ping-wen, Vice Minister of Finance (Chairman oj the Delegation). Hsi Te-mou, General Manager, Central Bank of China. Tsou Ping-wen, High Adviser to the Ministry of Food. Liu J. Heng, National Health Administration. Yang Shi-Tse, Director, Department of General Affairs, Ministry of Food. Chao Lien-fang, Ministry of Agriculture. Shen Tsung-han, Ministry of Agriculture. Lee Kan, Commercial Counselor, Chinese Embassy, Washington. Yin Kuo-yung, Ministry of Economics. Chu Chang Keng, National Health Administration.

Colombia — Cesar Garcia Alvarez, Minister Plenipotentiary, Economic Counselor, Colombian Embassy, Washington (Chairman of the Delegation). Luis Tamayo, Colombian Consul-General, New York, New York. Mario Camargo, Representative of the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, New York, New York. Costa Rica— J. Rafael Oreamuno, Vice Chairman of the InterAmerican Development Commission, Washington (Chairman of the Delegation). Cuba— Amadeo Lopez Castro, Secretary of the Presidency (Chairman of the Delegation). Arturo Manas'y Parajon, Executive Committee of tho Cuban Sugar Stabilization Institute ; Secretary of the Asociacion Nacional de Hacendados of Cuba. F6lix Hurtado y GaltSs, Under-Secretary of Public Health. Ramiro Guerra y Sanchez, Honorary Representative on the Inter-American Financial and Economic Advisory Committee. Felipe de Pazos y Roque, Commercial Attache, Cuban Embassy, Washington. Czechoslovakia — Jan V. Hyka, Commercial Counselor, Czechoslovak Legation, Washington (Chairman of the Delegation). Emanuel Sahanek, Acting Chief of the Section of Agriculture and Economics, Secretariat of the Council of Ministers. Dominican Republic — J. M. Troncoso, Ambassador to the United States (Chairman of the Delegation). Rafael A. Espaillat, Commercial Attache, Embassy of the Dominican Republic, Washington ( Vice Chairman of the Delegation). Anselmo Copcllo, Member of the Board of Directors of the Banco de Reservas. E. I. Kilbourne, Member of the Board of Directors of the Banco de Reservas. Andres Pastoriza, Deputy to the Congress, and Comptroller of Cocoa and Coffee. J. M. Bonetti Burgos, Deputy to the Congress, and Comptroller of Flour. Harry E. Henneman, former Vice President, National City Bank. Ecuador— Alfredo Penaherrera Vergara, Sub-Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Industries, and Mines (Chairman of the Delegation). Gustavo Adolfo Fassio, Ex-President of the Medical Surgical Society of Guayas. Arturo Meneses Pallares, Research Assistant, Office of Labor and Social Information, Pan American Union, Washington. Pedro Leopoldo Ndnez, Ex-Minister of Public Credit and Finances. Egypt— Hussein Bey M. Enan, Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Agriculture (Chairman of the Delegation). Hussein Bey Fahmy, Under-Secretary of Supplies. El Salvador — , Hector David Castro, Ambassador to the United States (Chairman of the Delegation). Victor C. Barriere, Director-General of tho Budget. Miguel Angel Gallardo, Office of the Director-General of Health. Ethiopia— . Yilma Deressa, Vice Minister of Finance (Chairman of the Delegation). Araya Ababa. Berlianu Tesamma, Secretary to the Governorate of Harar. French Delegation— Herve Alphand, Inspector of Finance; Director of Economic Affairs of the French National Committee (Chairman of the Delegation). Pierre Berthault, Member of the Academy of Agriculture of France. Andre Mayer, Vice President of the College de France, Paris; Member of the Academy of Medicine of France.

* All footnotes in tho final Act appear in the original.

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Great Britain— Richard Law, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Chairman of the Delegation). J. P. R. Maud, Ministry of Food. J. C. Drummond, Ministry of Food. R. R. Enfield, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. G. L. M. Clauson, Colonial Office. L. C. Robbins, Economic Secretariat of the War Cabinet Offices. J. H. Magowan, Board of Trade. Sir Kenneth Lee, Ministries of Production and Supply. E. Twentyman, British Food Mission. Greece — Cimon P. Diamantopoulos, Ambassador to the United States (Chairman of the Delegation). Guatemala— Julio G6mez Robles, Under-Secretary of Finance (Chairman of the Delegation). Luis Beltranena, Doan of the Faculty of Economic Sciences. Arturo A. Bickford, Mayor of Guatemala City and Chief of the Office of Economic and Financial Co-ordination. Haiti— Andr6 Liautaud, Ambassador to the United States (Chairman of the Delegation). Pierre Chauvet, Chief of the Service of Control of Industrial Development, Department of Commerce and National Economy. Edouard Baker, Agronomist, Department of Agriculture. Honduras— Marcos Carias Reyes, Private Secretary to the President (Chairman of the Delegation). Gregorio Reyes Zelaya, Collector of Customs. Colonel Joscs Augusto Padilla Vega, Military Honduran Embassy, Washington. Iceland— Thor Thors, Minister to the United States (Chairman of the Delegation). Olafur Johnson, Diroctor of the Iceland Purchasing Commission in New York. Helgi Thorsteinsson, Director of the Iceland Purchasing Commission in New York. India— Sir Girja Shankar Bajpai, Agent-General for India, Washington (Chairman of the Delegation). P. M. Kharegat, Vice Chairman, Imperial Council of Agricultural Research. Sir David Meek, Trade Commissioner, London. H. S. Malik, Trado Commissioner, New York. W. R. Aykroyd, Diroctor of the Nutrition Research Laboratories, Coonoor, S. India. Iran— Mohammed Shayesteh, Minister to the United States (Chairman of the Delegation). Hossein Navab, Iranian Consul, New York, New York. Sultan Mahmoud Ainerie, Iranian Trade and Economic Commission. Taghi Nassr, Economic Commissioner in tho United States. Iraq— Ali Jawdat, Ministor to tho United Statos (Chairman of the Delegation). Liberia— Gabriel L. Dennis, formor Socrotary of the Treasury (Chairman of the Delegation). Leo Sajous, Director of Public Health and Sanitation. George A. Dunbar, formor District Commissioner. Luxembourg— Hugues Le Gallais, Minister to the United Statos (Chairman of the Delegation). Leon Schaus, Counselor and Secretary-General of the Luxembourg Government. Mexico— Manuel J. Zevada, Under-Secretary of National Economy (Chairman of the Delegation). Eduardo Morillo Safa, Assistant Secretary of Agriculture. Luis Padilla Nervo, Assistant Secretary of Labor. Manuel Martinez Baez, Assistant Socretary of Public Health. Roborto L6pez, Director of tho National Bank of Foreign Trade. Netherlands— M. P. L. Steenberghe, President of the Economic, Financial, and Shipping Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Washington (Chairman of the Delegation). G. H. C. Hart, Vice President of the Economic, Financial, and Shipping Mission and Chairman of the Board for the Netherlands Indies, Curacao, and Surinam (Vice Chairman of the Delegation). P. Honig, Member of the Board for the Netherlands Indies, Curacao, and Surinam. L. A. H. Peters, Agricultural Attache, Netherlands Embassy, Washington. A. H. Philipse, Member of the Economic, Financial, and Shipping Mission. I. Snapper, formerly of Amsterdam University and Peiping Union Medical College. New Zealand— Richard Mitchelson Campbell, Official Secretary, High Commissioner's Office, London (Chairman of the Delegation).

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New Zealand —continued. George Andrew Duncan, Director, Export Division, Marketing Department. Ernost James Fawcett, Director-General of Agriculture. Nicaragua— Leon Deßayle, Ambassador to the United States (Chairman of the Delegation). Guillermo Tunnermann Lopez, Managor, National Bank of Nicaragua. Norway— Anders Fjelstad, Cabinet Minister of State (without Portfolio), (Chairman of the Delegation). Hans Ystgaard, Minister of Agriculture. Karl Evang, Surgeon General, Public Health Services. Kristian Fivelstad, Commercial Counselor, Norwegian Embassy, Washington; Representative in the United "States of the Ministry of Supply and Reconstruction. Arne Skaug, former Chief of Statistical Division, Ministry of Supply and Reconstruction; Acting Manager of the Norwegian Government Disability Services, New York, New York. Panama— Ramon Antonio Voga, Manager of the Banco AgroPecuario e Industrial (Chairman of the Delegation). Paraguay— Paris E. Men6ndez, Director of the Contral Laboratory, Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce, and Industry (Chairman of the Delegation). Peru — Gerardo Klingc, Editor of La Vida Agricola, Director of the Banco Agricola (Chairman of the Delegation). Philippine Commonwealth—• Joaquin M. Elizalde, Resident Commissioner of the Philippines to tho United States (Chairman of the Delegation). Major General Basilio J. Valdes, Chief of Staff of the Philippine Army. Arturo B. Rotor, Secretary to the President of the Philippines. Poland— Wieslaw Domaniewski, Commercial Counselor, Polish Embassy, Washington (Chairman of the Delegation). Tadeusz Lychowski, Chief, Economic Section, Polish Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Shipping, London. Stefan Krolikowski, Deputy Chief, Agricultural Section, Polish Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Shipping, London. Union of South Africa — Andrew T. Brennan, Commercial Counselor, South African Legation, Washington (Chairman of the Delegation). Andries P. van der Post, Senior Trade Commissioner of tho Union of South Africa, London. Robert Webster, Consul of the Union of South Africa, New York, Now York. Johan A. Siegruhn, Commercial Attache, South African Legation, Washington. William C. Naud6, Attache, South African Legation, Washington. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics— Alexey D. Krutikov, Deputy People's Commissar for Foreign Trade (Chairman of the Delegation). Vassili F. Starchenko, Deputy Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of tho Ukrainian S.S.R. Vassili S. Nemchinov, Professor, Director of the Timiryazev Agricultural Academy in Moscow. Dmitri D. Mishustin, Professor, Member of the Collegium of the People's Commissariat of Foreign Trade. Georgi F. Saksin, Assistant Secretary General of tho People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs. Pavel I. Chtchogoula, Chief, Foodstuffs Division, Government Purchasing Commission of the U.S.S.R. in tho United States. United States of America— Marvin Jones, Judge of the United Statos Court of Claims and Assistant to tho Director of Economic Stabilization (Chairman of the Delegation). Paul 11. Appleby, Under-Secretary of Agriculture. W. L. Clayton, Assistant Secretary of Commerce. Thomas Parran, Surgoon General, United States Public Health Service. Murray D. Lincoln, Executive Secrotary of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. Miss Josephino Schain. Uruguay— Roberto E. MacEacben, Ministor to Cuba (Chairman of the Delegation). Francisco Gomez-Haedo, Professor of Political Economy, University of Montevideo. Venezuela— Jos£ Joaquin Gonzalez Gorrondona, President of the Import Control Commission (Chairman of the Delegation). Rafael Cabrera Malo, Chief of the Nutrition Section, Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance. Roborto Alamo Ibarra, Institute of Immigration and Colonization. Yugoslavia—• Branko Cubrilovie, former Minister of Agriculture (Chairman of the Delegation). Mirko Mermolja, Economic Adviser to the Yugoslav Government.

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Who met at Hot Springs, Virginia, on 18th May, 1943, under the temporary Presidency of The Honorable Marvin Jones, Chairman of the Delegation of the United States of America. The Honorable Henrik de Kauffmann, Danish Minister ait Washington, attended_ the sessions in response to an invitation of the Government of the United States to be present in a personal capacity. . Warren Kelchner, Chief of the Division of International Conferences, Department of State oi the United States, was designated, with the approval of the President of the United States, as SecretaryGeneral of the Conference, and Ralph H. Allee, Chief, Division of Latin American Agriculture, Office of Foreign Agricultural Relations, United States Department of Agriculture, as Assistant SecretaryGeneral. The Honorable Marvin Jones, Chairman of the Delegation of the United States of America, was elected permanent President of the Conference at the Plenary Session held on 18th May, 1943. The Executive Committee of the Conference, composed of the Chairmen of the Delegations, and presided over by the President of the Conference, constituted a Steering Committee of its members composed of the following : — Marvin Jones (U.S.A.), President of the Sir Girja Shankar Bajpai (India). Conference (Chairman). Ali Jawdat- (Iraq). Joao Carlos Muniz (Brazil). Manuel J. Zevada (Mexico). G. S. H. Barton (Canada). M. P. L. Steenberghe (Netherlands). Kuo Ping-wen (China). Alexey I). Krutikov (U.S.S.R.) Richard Law (Great Britain). Branko Cubrilovic (Yugoslavia). The following three members of the Executive Committee served on the Committee on Credentials of the Conference :— J. Rafael Oreamuno (Costa Rica), (Chairman) Anders Fjelstad (Norway). Mohammed Shayesteh (Iran). The Drafting Committee, composed of the Chairman of the Technical Sections and three additional members appointed by the President of the Conference, was constituted as follows under the ex officio chairmanship of the Conference President: — Joao Carlos Muniz (Brazil). Richard Law (Great Britain). G. S. H. Barton (Canada). Hugues Le Gallais (Luxembourg). Kuo Ping-wen (China). Alexey D. Krutikov (U.S.S.R.). Hec-tor David Castro (El Salvador). In accordance with the regulations adopted at the opening Plenary Session, held on 18th May 1943, the Conference was divided into four Technical Sections, with Committees, as follows

SECTION I Consumption Levels and Requirements Chairman : Kuo Ping-wen (China). Vice-Chairman : Manuel J. Zevada (Mexico). Reporter : W. R. Aykroyd (India). Secretary : Frank G. Boudreau (U.S.A.). Assistant Secretary : E. F. Penrose (U.S.A.). Committee 1 Chairman : Karl Evang (Norway). Vice-Chairman : Tsou Ping-wen (China). Vice-Chairman : Miguel Etchenique (Bolivia). Secretary : Hazel K. Stiebeling (U.S.A.). Assistant Secretary : Katherine Bain (U.S.A.). A. Food — 1. Character and extent of consumption deficiencies in each country. 2. Causes and consequences of malnutrition. 3. Reasonable national and international goals for improved food consumption. Committee 2 Chairman : Roberto E. MacEachen (Uruguay). Vice-Chairman : Edouard J. Bigwood (Belgium). Vice-Chairman : J. Manuel Casanueva (Chile). Secretary : Harold A. Vogel (U.S.A.). A. Food— 4. Measures for improving standards of consumption (education, &c.). Committee 3 Chairman : Jos6 Garibaldi Dantas (Brazil). Vice-Chairman : Cimon P. Diamantopoulos (Greece). Vice-Chairman : Gabriel L. Dennis (Liberia). Secretary : A. W. Palmer (U.S.A.).* B. Other essential agricultural products— 1. Pre-war consumption levels in various countries as influenced by prosperity or depression and by buying power of the population. 2. Reasonable national and international goals for improved consumption with sustained employment and expanded industrial activity. SECTION II Expansion of Production and Adaptation to Consumption Needs Chairman : Alexey D. Krutikov (U.S.S.R.). Vice-Chairman : Sir Girja Shankar Bajpai (India). Reporter : Murray D. Lincoln (U.S.A.). Secretary : F. F. Elliott (U.S.A.). Assistant Secretary : Clayton Whipple (U.S.A.).

Committee 1 Chairman : G. S. H. Barton (Canada). Vice-Chairman : J. M. Troncoso (Dominican Republic). Vice-Chairman : Yilma Dercssa (Ethiopia). Secretary : Bushrod W. Allin (U.S.A.). A. Measures for direction of production toward commodities, the supply of which should be increased. B. Measures for shifting production out of commodities in chronic surplus. Committee 2 Chairman : Hector David Castro (El Salvador). Vice Chairman : Stefan Krolikowski (Poland). Vice-Chairman : C6sar Garcia Alvarez (Colombia). Secretary : Philip V. Cardon (U.S.A.). C. Measures for improving agricultural productivity and efficiency. Committee 3 Chairman : Joaquin M. Elizalde (Philippine Commonwealth). Vice-Chairman .* Roberto Alamo Ibarra (Venezuela). Vice-Chairman : Paris E. Men6ndez (Paraguay). Secretary : Mark L. Nichols (U.S.A.). D. Measures for development and conservation of agricultural resources. Committee 4 Chairman : E. McCarthy (Australia). Vice-Chairman : Andr6 Liautaud (Haiti). Vice-Chairman : Marcos Carias Reyes (Honduras). Secretary : Conrad Ta-euber (U.S.A.). E. Opportunities for occupational adjustments in agricultural populations. SECTION 111 Facilitation and Improvement of Distribution Chairman : Joao Carlos Muniz (Brazil). Vice-Chairman : Branko Cubrilovic (Yugoslavia). Reporter : G. H. C. Hart (Netherlands). Secretary : Howard S. Piquet (U.S.A.). Committee 1 Chairman : J. P. R. Maud (Great Britain). Vice-Chairman : Jan V. Hyka (Czechoslovakia). Vice-Chairman : Gerardo Klinge (Peru). Secretary : Frank A. Waring (U.S.A.). A. Relation- of national and international economic policies to agricultural problems, with special reference to the facilitation of the movement of agricultural products in commerce — 1. Expansion of international trade. 2. Broad policies for assuring increased production and consumption in general.

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Committee 4 Chairman : M. P. L. Stcenberghe (Netherlands). Vice-Chairman : Hussein Bey M. Enan (Egypt). Vice-Chairman : Julio Gomez Robles (Guatemala). Secretary : Robert M. Carr (U.S.A.). D. Buffer stocks and commodity arrangements to assure equitable prices and adequate supplies. SECTION IV Recommendations for Continuing and Carrying Forward the Work of the Conference Chairman : Richard Law (Great Britain). Vice-Chairman : Amadeo Lopez Castro (Cuba). Reporter : F. L. McDougall (Australia). Secretary : Loyd V. Steere (U.S.A.). Assistant Secretary : Benjamin Gerig (U.S.A.).

Committee 2 Chairman : G. A. Duncan (New Zealand). Vice-Chairman : Eduardo Morillo Safa (Mexico). Vice Chairman : Ramon Antonio Vega (Panama). Secretary : Frederick L. Thomson (U.S.A.). B. Improvement of agricultural marketing, processing, and distribution. Committee 3 Chairman : Hcrvc Alpliand (French Delegation). Vice-Chairman : A. P. van dcr Post (South Africa). Vice-Chairman : Alfredo Penaherrera Vergara (Ecuador) Secretary : Frederick V. Waugh (U.S.A.). Assistant Secretary : Faitli M. Williams (U.S.A.). C. Special measures for wider food distribution— 1. Improvement of consumption of low-income groups. 2. International disposition of commodities in over-supply.

Tie final Plenary Session was held on 3rd June, 1943. As a result of the deliberations, as recorded in the minutes and reports of the respective Committees and Sections and of the Plenary Sessions, the United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture approved the following declaration, resolutions, and recommendations. I. DECLARATION This Conference, meeting in the midst of the greatest war ever waged, and in full confidence of victory, has considered the world problems of food and agriculture and declares its belief that the goal of freedom from want .of food, suitable and adequate for the health and strength of all peoples, can be achieved. 1. The first task is to complete the winning of the war and to deliver millions of people from tyranny and from hunger. During the period of critical shortage in the aftermath of war, freedom from hunger can be achieved only by urgent and concerted efforts to economize consumption, to increase supplies, and distribute them to the best advantage. 2. Thereafter we must equally concert our efforts to win and maintain freedom from fear and freedom from want. The one cannot be achieved without the other. 3. There has never been enough food for the health of all people. This is justified neither by ignorance nor by the harshness of Nature. Production of food must be greatly expanded ; _ we now have knowledge of the means by which this can be done. It requires imagination and firm will on the part of each Government and people to make use of that knowledge. 4. The first cause of hunger and malnutrition is poverty. It is useless to produce more food unless men and nations provide the markets to absorb it. There must be an expansion of the whole world economy to provide the purchasing-power sufficient to maintain an adequate diet for all. With full employment in all countries, enlarged industrial production, the absence of exploitation, an increasing flow of trade within and between countries, an orderly management of domestic and international investment and currencies, and sustained internal and international economic equilibrium, the food which is produced can be made available to all people. 5. The primary responsibility lies -with each nation for seeing that its own people have the food needed for life and health ; steps to this end are for national determination. But each nation can fully achieve its goal only if all work together. 6. We commend to our respective Governments and authorities the study and adoption of the findings and recommendations of this Conference and urge the early concerted discussion of the related problems falling outside the scope of this Conference. 7. The first steps toward freedom from want of food must not await the final solution of all other problems. Each advance made in one field will strengthen and quicken advance in all others. Work already begun must be continued. Once the war has been won decisive steps can be taken. We must make ready now. 11. INTERIM AND PERMANENT COMMISSIONS FOR CARRYING OUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON FOOD AND AGRICULTURE Whereas : 1. Freedom from want is difficult to achieve without concerted action among all like-minded nations to expand and improve production, to increase employment, to raise levels of consumption, and to establish greater freedom in international commerce ; 2. The successful carrying-out of the recommendations of the Conference in the field of production, distribution, and consumption of food and other agricultural products in the post-war period will be the most important prerequisite for the achievement of freedom from want, and requires the creation by the Governments and authorities here represented of a permanent organization in the field of food and agriculture ; therefore The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends — I. That the Governments and authorities here represented recognize and embody in a formal declaration or agreement the obligation to their respective peoples and to one another, henceforth to collaborate in raising levels of nutrition and standards of living of their peoples, and to report to one another on the progress achieved ;

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2. That the Governments and authorities here represented establish a permanent organization in the field of food and agriculture ; and Resolves— . , . 1. That in order that every practicable step may be taken to attain these and the other appropriate objectives set forth in the declaration and specific recommendations of the Conference, an Interim Commission for carrying out the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture be established. 2. That each of the Governments and authorities here represented be entitled to designate a representative on the Interim Commission, and that the Interim Commission be installed in Washington not later than 15th July, 1943 ; „ 3. That the Interim Commission perform its work with due regard to the exigencies of the war, through such form of organization and personnel as it may deem appropriate, and formulate regulations covering its expenditures and submit to the member Governments and authorities a budget and allocation of quota contributions ; , 4. That the functions of the Interim Commission be to formulate and recommend for consideration by each member Government or authority — ... • (a) A specific plan for a permanent organization in the field of food and agriculture ; (b) The formal declaration or agreement referred to in the first recommendation, in which each participant shall recognize its obligation — (i) To raise the levels of nutrition and standards of living of its own people ; (ii) To improve the efficiency of agricultural production and distribution ; _ (iii) To co-operate, so far as may be possible, with other nations for the achievement of these ends ; (iv) To undertake to submit periodically to the other participants, through the jjermanent organization, reports on the action taken and the progress achieved towards these ends ; . (c) Such proposals or reports as are necessary to give effect to the recommendations of the Conference; . ... 5. That in the preparation of a plan for the permanent organization the Interim Commission give full consideration to the following : ((f) The relation of the permanent organization to, and methods of associating it with, other institutions, national as well as international, which already exist or which may hereafter be established, in the field of food and agriculture and in related scientific, economic, and other fields ; (b) Provision for membership in the permanent organization, in due course, of Governments not represented on the Interim Commission ; 6. That in considering the functions and duties to be assigned to the permanent organization the Interim Commission take into account: (a) The promotion of scientific, technological, social, and economic research ; (b) The collection and dissemination of information and provision for the exchange of services ; (c) The submission to member Governments and authorities of recommendations for action with regard to the following — (i) Nutrition ; (ii) Standards of consumption of food and other agricultural products ; (iii) Agricultural production, distribution, and conservation ; (iv) Statistics and economic studies in the field of agriculture and food, including the study of the relation of agriculture to world economy ; (v) Education and extension work in the field of food and agriculture ; (vi) Agricultural credit; (vii) Problems of agricultural population and farm labour; 7. That the Interim Commission further consider the desirability of assigning to the permanent organization functions in the field of— l (a) Development of agricultural resources and orientation of production, where necessary; (b) Agricultural commodity arrangements ; (c) Agricultural co-operative movements ; (d) Land tenure; (e) Other subjects on which recommendations have been made by the Conference; 8. That the Interim Commission also consider the initiation of preliminary statistical investigations and research into the problems with which the permanent organization will deal, 9. That the Interim Commission be deemed to have been dissolved when the permanent organization has been established ; .. 10. That the Government of the United States of America be invited to take whatever preliminary action may be necessary for the establishment of the Interim Commission after the United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture has completed its work. 111. IMPROVEMENT OF NATIONAL DIETS The United Nations Conference on Food and Agbicultuee Having reviewed the information submitted by the several delegations on consumption deficiencies and the relation of food to health throughout the world, and being deeply impressed by the dominant role played by adequate food in the reduction of sickness and death rates and the maintenance of health, Declares 1. That the first essential of a decent standard of living is the provision to all men of those primary necessities which are required to promote freedom from disease, and for the attainment of good health ;

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2. That the most fundamental of these necessities is adequate food which should be placed within the reach of all men in all lands within the shortest possible time ; 3. That ample evidence has been presented revealing the existence of malnutrition in every country, with its inevitable consequences of preventable ill health ; and Recommends— 1. That the Governments and authorities here represented — (a) Immediately undertake* the task of increasing the food resources and improving the diets of their people in accordance with the principles and objectives outlined in the findings of the Conference, and declare to their respective peoples and to other Governments and authorities here represented their intention of so doing ; (b) Undertake periodically to report to one another through the permanent organization recommended in Resolution II on the state of their national nutrition and on the steps being taken for its improvement. IV. DIETS OF VULNERABLE GROUPS Whereas : 1. There are special needs of vulnerable groups, such as pregnant and nursing women, infants, pre-school and school children, adolescents, workers, and individuals receiving low incomes ; 2. Families with numerous children in low-income groups are particularly vulnerable ; 3. Social, economic, and health measures of various kinds are or should be provided for these groups; 4. Wide experience has shown that direct measures to supplement inadequate diets have been economical and fruitful; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends — That the several Governments and authorities here represented undertake positive measures for the improvement of the diets of the vulnerable groups enumerated above. V. MALNUTRITION AND DISEASE Whereas : 1. Malnutrition is responsible for widespread impairment of human efficiency and for ati enormous amount of ill health and disease, reduces the resistance of the body to tuberculosis, and enhances the general incidence and severity of familiar diseases ; 2. Mortality rates in infants, children, and mothers are higher in ill-fed than in well-fed populations ; 3. Food consumption at a level merely sufficient to prevent malnutrition is not enough to promote health and well-being ; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends —• 1. That the Governments and authorities here represented— (a) Initiate or continue the study of the relationship between malnutrition and impaired bodily health and vigor; and, in particular, investigate the role of inadequate food consumption in the causation of, and mortality from, all those diseases which constitute their most serious health problems ; (b) Direct their attention to the study of health and well-being and of the nutritional and related factors which are necessary to secure and maintain them; (c) Consider the most effective means of disseminating knowledge of correct feeding among all sections of the population. VI. DEFICIENCY DISEASES Whereas : 1. The progressive improvement of diets will result in better health and eventually in the elimination of specific deficiency diseases, and a great deal of unnecessary suffering could be avoided if an immediate and concerted attack were made upon them ; 2. Progress in our knowledge of nutrition makes it possible to seek out, treat successfully, and prevent the recurrence of the common diseases resulting from specific deficiencies in the diet; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends — 1. That the several Governments and authorities here represented undertake immediately— (a) To ascertain the prevalence of specific deficiency diseases among their respective peoples ; (b) To deal with them by suitable dietary and therapeutic measures; (c) To take appropriate steps to prevent their recurrence. VII. NATIONAL NUTRITION ORGANIZATION Whereas : 1. A sound food and nutrition policy must be adopted by each Government if national diets are to be progressively improved, specific deficiency diseases eliminated, and good health achieved ; 2. Such a policy requires the guidance of a central authority with special competence and responsibility to interpret the science of nutrition in the light of national conditions and to propose to the appropriate authorities practical means for extending its benefits to all sections of society ;

* Obviously this is impossible for Governments whoso territory is entirely or partly occupied by enemy forces.

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The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture 1. That the Governments and authorities here represented— (а) Undertake to establish national nutrition organizations, if such do not now exist, entrusted with the responsibility of ascertaining food-consumption habits and the nutritional status of different sections of the population ; such organizations to be composed of authorities in health, nutrition, economics, and agriculture, together with administrators and consumers' representatives, &c. ; to be provided with adequate funds and facilities for the efficient conduct of their work ; and to have the authority to bring their recommendations to the attention of the public and to those agencies of Government which deal with agriculture and the framing of economic and social policy , (б) Re-examine and, if necessary, reorganize existing agencies and review legislation concerned with health, agriculture, and nutrition to the end that food and nutrition policies may be efficiently carried out. VIII. EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND EXPERIENCE Whereas : . . , „ „ 1. Experience has shown that national nutrition organizations receive considerable benefit trom periodic exchanges of views and information on methods employed, obstacles encountered, and progress achieved * 2. Governments participating in a common undertaking will wish to collaborate so that levels of food consumption may become more equitable not only among the different sections of the populations in a given country but among the several nations of the world as well, The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture RccovYivYicYids — 1. That the several national nutrition organizations exchange information and experience and provide mutual assistance, both directly, when desirable, and through the permanent organization recommended in Resolution 11, to which they should submit periodic reports on the results of their investigations into national dietary habits and nutritional status, and on the progress achieved m raising the level of food consumption throughout the population ;■ 2. That representatives of the several national nutrition organizations meet regularly under the auspices of the permanent organization to exchange views and to make proposals for any national and international action necessary to facilitate the progress of their work. IX. DIETARY STANDARDS 1. essential that there be some measure of the extent to which food supplies should be increased, and of the character and extent of the dietary improvements which need to be carried out; _ 2. This measure is best provided by dietary standards or allowances based upon scientific evidence ; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture RccoTyi^yicYtds— That the Governments and authorities here represented adopt as the ultimate goal of their food and nutrition policy, dietary standards or allowances based upon scientific assessment of the amount and quality of food, in terms of nutrients, which promote health, and distinguish clearly between these standards and the more immediate consumption goals which necessarily must be based upon the practical possibilities of improving the food supply of their populations. X. CO-OPERATION OF EXISTING AGENCIES Whereas i 1. National nutrition organizations were established in many countries before, the present war and various national and international health and nutrition agencies had achieved considerable progress in the study and improvement of diets and food-consumption levels in different countries and regions : 2. If no time is to be lost in moving toward the goals set out by the Conference, it is essential to make full use of the information and experience acquired by these agencies ; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture That in the establishment of the permanent organization recommended in Resolution 11, in any projected regional branches of that organization, and in any national nutrition organizations, due account should be taken of the work and experience of existing international regional or national agencies concerned with food, health, and nutrition ; and in any such plans, the possibility of enlisting the co-operation of such agencies should be fully explored. XI. NON-FOOD PRODUCTS Whereas : . 1. Many of the non-food agricultural and marine products are constituent parts of the means to human health and welfare to an extent which merits consideration for them on a plane with food ; 2. It is of great importance to consuming countries that there should be a regular and adequate supply of these commodities, and to producing" countries that they should be enabled to orient their agricultural enterprises to world demand ; _ _ 3. The Conference has not found it possible to reach conclusions as to the effective capacity ot the world to consume specific products in future years ; 4. In many countries and regions which are not well adapted to the production of food, the production of other essential agricultural and marine prod ucts and their disposal on domestic and foreign markets provide a major source of income, and the income so derived determines to a large extent the abilities of these countries and regions to secure adequate quantities of the right kinds of food ;

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The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends — 1. That the permanent organization recommended in Resolution ll— (a) Investigate the possibility of the development by the nations of the world of national standards of minimum consumption of certain non-food agricultural and marine products, taking into account the varying climatic and other relevant conditions of the different countries ; (b) Arrange at an early date for comprehensive studies of the probable future capacity of the world to consume specific agricultural and marine products in this group, taking into account in this connection the probable effect of synthetic and other substitute products ; (c) Give special study to the development of means by which regions which are not well adapted to the production of food may share in a world-wide improvement of nutrition in keeping with the purpose of the Conference. XII. CHANGES IN PRODUCTION IN THE SHORT-TERM PERIOD The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends — 1. That, as a first step in overcoming the general shortage of food, every effort should be made by countries whose agriculture can be expanded in the short-term period, so long as this is required and so far as the conditions of individual countries require or permit, to increase the acreage under crops for direct human consumption and even to hold back the rebuilding of depleted live-stock herds —essential though this rebuilding will ultimately be—as well as the production of other crops which compete for acreage with essential foods ; 2. That countries whose agriculture has been impaired should, in the immediate post-war period, utilize to the full their' agricultural resources to bring about a rapid increase in food-production, even if this involves a departure from the use of the resources which in the long run will be required, and even if it delays a return to production policies which are desirable for technical, economic, or nutritional reasons —for instance, in Europe there may need to be a concentration in the first years on vegetables, bread grains, and other products where production can mature quickly and which yield more calories per acre than live-stock ; 3. That, pursuant to the above purpose, countries which have been producing more than normal output because of freedom from enemy action should— (a) In the short run maintain such production ; (b) Whenever possible, increase production further, provided transport and the means of production, &c., are available, to assist in meeting abnormal demands. 4-. That, taking into consideration that the degree of shortage of foodstuffs which will develop after the war will depend upon the course of the war and on the harvests, it will be necessary during the period from the present until the termination of the war for each of the nations which has escaped enemy invasion to continue to stress the necessity of production of those products which are required by other nations during the war, and at the same time to produce sufficient quantities of products for home consumption, subject to the requirements of the war effort; 5. That every effort should be made now and immediately after the war by countries in a position to do so, to expand the production of farm machinery and implements, fertilizers, and other materials, including improved seeds, vital to the expansion of food production, and to co-operate in making these materials available to the agricultural producing countries, so far as the exigencies of the war permit. XIII. CO-ORDINATION IN THE SHORT-TERM PERIOD Whereas : 1. It is the consensus of the Conference that, despite all efforts to increase production, supplies of essential foodstuffs and certain other agricultural and marine products and of the necessary instruments of production, such as fertilizers and machinery, and the means of international transportation will all be inadequate to meet basic requirements in the transition period, which may extend for several years after the cessation of hostilities ; 2. It is essential for the preservation of life to secure, through equitable distribution, the maximum advantage from such supplies as may be made available ; 3. It is in the interest of producers and consumers alike to avoid social and economic ills due to monopolistic practices or to violent fluctuations arising from unrestrained competition for inadequate supplies, in the prices of food, the instruments of production, and other necessities, including industrial goods ; 4. It is in the common interest" of all that agricultural production be soundly re-established and expanded with all possible speed in countries now temporarily occupied by the .enemy as soon as they have been liberated ; 5. These objectives can be achieved only by the concerted action of Governments in the stimulation of production and in the allocation of supplies ; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends — 1. That the Governments and authorities here represented, for so long after the war as shortages continue, affirm the principle of mutual responsibility and co-ordinated action for— (a) The increased production of necessary foodstuffs and other essential agricultural and marine products by all possible means, subject only to the exigencies of war, in each country where such expansion can be accomplished .economically, either now or in the future ; (b) The transportation, distribution, and utilitization of such products ;

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(c) The prevention of speculative and violent fluctuations in the prices of food, the instruments of production, and other necessities, including industrial goods, under the conditions of scarcity that appear certain to prevail after the war; (d) The post-war readjustment of agriculture to achieve a progressive and balanced expansion of production and consumption throughout the world ; 2 That these Governments and authorities take, individually and in concert, whether by conference or otherwise, all necessary measures, both domestic and international, to secure the application of this principle and the achievement of these objectives, XIV ADJUSTMENT OF PRODUCTION IN THE TRANSITION FROM THE SHORT-TERM TO THE LONG-TERM PERIOD The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture ReC °l That countries whose agriculture has been impaired should progressively modify their shortterm allocation of resources to conform more closely to the long-term plan aimed at nutrition and greater efficiency in production—for instance, in certain parts of Europe this might mean increasing the production of milk products as hefds can be re-established, accompanied by declining production g 2 That countries which will have been producing during the short-term period more than normal output because of freedom from enemy action in the war or which have undertaken new lines of production, should progressively adjust the allocation of agricultural resources to conform to a long-term co-ordinated production plan for the best use of these resources on a world scale based on better diets for their own people and on the international demand for nutritionally better food. XV. LONG-TERM PRODUCTION POLICY 7. It is recognized that a secure, adequate, and suitable supply of food should be a cardinal aim 2. is recognized that this can be achieved only as part of a world-wide policy of industrial and agricultural expansion; regult producerg should reoeive a fair ret urn for their^p: Hghegt nutrit i ona l standards, a progressive expansion and, where necessary, reorientation in agriculture will be required , •ij.it* 5. It is desirable to formulate a body of principles which are applicable to agricultural policy m appropriate form in all countries ; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture R ° 7. (a) That the inherent natural and economic advantages of any area should determine the farming systems adopted and the commodities produced m that area ; (b) That farming systems should bo so designed as (i) To maintain soil fertility at levels which will sustain yields and ensure adequate return for labour ; (ii) To protect crops and live-stock from major pests and diseases ; (iii) To favour steady employment throughout the year; (These three ends, in general and save in exceptional circumstances can best be assured by balanced mixed rotational farming and by avoidance of single-crop (c) That of "desirable foods which can be obtained from elsewhere only with difficulty or not at all is a special obligation of the agriculture of every country , (d) In every region subject to drought (occasional or m the form of sharply marked periodic dry seasons) suitable measures should be undertaken, partly by storage and partly by diversification of production and development of water resources and cultural practices > (e) Land used or likely to be required for agriculture should be protected from erosion f) The spread of existing knowledge by education and the development of new knowledge by research should be constantly promoted, and that in these matters nations can co-operate to great advantage ; principles and with the object of expanding production of the foods needed for its people, each nation should undertake to direct its policies toward _ la) Increasing the efficiency of production in present producing areas through the introduction, as rapidly as conditions permit, of better farming methods, suitable modern equipment, improved varieties of crops and strains of live-stock, and soil-conservation practices ; lb) Developing any suitable undeveloped areas, where this is economically feasible, through, the use of such measures as clearing the land and large-scale drainage and irrigation (c) desirable changes in the pattern of production, designed to give greater emphasis to foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and proteins— (i) By encouraging the production, particularly in areas near consumption centres, of such products as vegetables, fruits, milk, eggs, and meat, wluch are relatively perishable and high in value and which are also the foods required m greatly increased quantities for better nutrition ; (ii) By encouraging the expansion of live-stock production m areas capable growing or economically shipping in the necessary feedstuffs , & (iii) By limiting the production of bulky, easily stored and transported energy foods in areas where they cannot be produced efficiently;

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(iv) By encouraging the production in single-crop areas of a greater diversity of foods for home use, since these areas are, in general, distant from the sources of perishable products and are particularly in need of improved diets ; (v) By likewise encouraging more diversified and adequate home food production in all farming areas, so that rural people may have more and better food, while eliminating the margin between producer and consumer ; 3. That, to implement these aims, having regard to its individual circumstances, each country should adopt the following measures — (a) The framing of policies designed to encourage production within the country of commodities that need to be produced there in greater amounts and limit production of those that should not be produced within the country or should bo produced in smaller amounts ; (b) The supplying of low-cost credit or other aids that would help producers to acquire necessary materials, equipment, and machinery for more efficient production and better use of the land ; (c) The furnishing of technical assistance to producers where this is needed ; (d) The development of a programme of education to help producers understand better farming methods and put them into practice ; (e) The development of a programme of research designed to meet the continuing problems of agriculture within the country ; 4. (a) That each nation consider the possibility — (i) Of drawing up periodic reports on steps taken to implement the recommendations set out above, with particular reference to production, exports, imports, and consumption of food and other agricultural and marine products. These reports should, where practicable, be on a statistical basis ; (ii) Of submitting these reports to the permanent organization recommended in Resolution II; (b) That, with a view to balancing production and consumption, the permanent organization consider to what extent and by what means such reports might contribute to international collaboration both on a regional and on a world basis in the field of agricultural production. XVI. AGRICULTURAL CREDIT Whereas : 1. Capital development and adequate credit facilities are necessary if agricultural production is to be restored, increased, and intensified ; 2. Agricultural credit in some countries has frequently been obtainable only at rates which the farmer could not afford to pay; 3. The agricultural communities in many countries have been unable to obtain information on the organization and development of agricultural credit systems in other countries ; 4. In some countries full agricultural development has been or may be obstructed by difficulties in providing adequate capital; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends — 1. That every endeavour be made to ensure an adequate supply of credit to agriculture ; 2. That to this end full use be made of all types of suitable private, co-operative, and public credit institutions ; 3. That the rate of interest be as low as possible and the conditions regarding initial cost, redemption, &c., be as favourable as possible for the borrowers, particularly with a view to helping the small farmer ; 4. That, in view of the importance of agricultural credit, its requirements be duly recognized by international action taken as a result of this Conference. XVII. CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENTS Whereas : 1. The Co-operative movement has been of very great importance in many countries, both to urban and rural populations, especially in agricultural districts where farming is based on small units and in urban areas of low-income families ; 2. The proper functioning of co-operative societies may facilitate adjustments of agricultural production and distribution, as members have confidence in the recommendations and guidance of their own co-operative organizations, which they know operate in the interest of their members and of society in general; 3. The democratic control and educational programme, which are features of the co-operative movement, can play a vital part in the training of good democratic citizens, and assist in inducing a sound conception of economic matters ; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends — 1. That, in order to make it possible for people to help themselves in lowering costs of production and costs of distribution and marketing : (a) All countries study the possibilities of the further establishment of producer and consumer co-operative societies in order to render necessary production, marketing, purchasing, finance, and other services ; (.b) Each nation examine its laws, regulations, and institutions to determine if legal or institutional obstacles to co-operative development exist, in order to make desirable adjustments; (c) Full information as to the present development of co-operatives in different countries be made available through the permanent organization recommended in Resolution 11.

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XVIII. LAND TENURE AND FARM LABOUR Whereas * Agricultural productivity and efficiency and the well-being of the tiller of the soil depend largely upon the system of land tenure and conditions of farm labour ; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture RcCOTTITYICTId/S — 1. That each nation make a careful survey of existing systems of land tenure and the other conditions of agriculture within its boundaries to ascertain whether changes in these systems and conditions are necessary or desirable to promote the productivity and efficiency of agriculture and the welfare of its workers and that special attention be given to the position of the agricultural worker as compared with that of the worker in other industries; _ . , 2. That the permanent organization recommended in Resolution. II give every assistance m this study. XIX. EDUCATION AND RESEARCH Whereas : , ~ 1. Through the inadequacy of agricultural education, existing knowledge is being very imperfectly applied to agricultural production ; 2. Man's increasing demands upon the soil can be met only by the increase of knowledge ; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture jHcCOTYIVYICTIds—■ 1. That each nation adopt, and carry out as rapidly as conditions may permit, a policy for—(a) Strengthening and expanding the educational system of its rural areas ; (b) Training scientific workers and rural leaders for service in agriculture ; . (c) Establishing or developing systems of rural adult education (extension systems) designed to promote technical efficiency among producers, to develop understanding of rural problems, and to enrich rural life ; 2. That each nation adopt a policy of promoting research in all the branches of science, including economics, which relate to food and agriculture, and to this end co-operate actively with other nations by the exchange of knowledge, materials, and personnel; and that, in particular, each nation agree— (a) To promote research in the natural sciences and their application to problems of food and agriculture ; (b) To develop economic and sociological investigation of rural problems ; (c) To collaborate with other nations in the collecting and assembling of factual information and statistics of food and agriculture throughout the world ; 3. That, as a necessary step in securing effective action in these directions, the permanent organization recommended in Resolution II be charged with the functions , . (a) Of providing advice, and technical and other assistance, to Governments desiring this in connection with the establishment or improvement of agricultural research and education; ... (b) Of facilitating international help and exchange in the supply of information, services, material and personnel j (c) Of assisting in the planning and conduct of any research programmes upon which international collaboration has been agreed or desired; (d) Of acting as a central agency for assembling, analysing, and disseminating factual data on world agriculture ; (e) Of assisting in a comprehensive abstracting service covering the whole range of agricultural research ; (/) Of assisting scientific societies in the arrangement of international meetings. XX. CONSERVING LAND AND WATER RESOURCES Whereas i 1. Soil erosion has in the past destroyed or severely limited the utility of vast areas of land and will in the future, unless checked, constitute the greatest physical danger to the world's food production ; 2." Failure to conserve and control water-supplies and to use them efficiently has, in many areas, precluded important potential increase in food-production ; 3. To meet the food needs of the growing world population and to ensure high nutritional standards, all land in agricultural use or suitable for being brought into agricultural use should be adequately protected from erosion and from any other serious damage by various measures, including structural work and the insurance of satisfactory agricultural systems and husbandry practices ; 4. The conserving of land and water resources should be regarded as an obligation of Governments as well as individuals ; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends — 1. That each nation undertake— _■ , (а) To survey its land and water resources with the object of ascertaining — (i) The extent and causes of soil erosion and water losses ; (ii) The soil and moisture conservation requirements of the areas covered and the types of conservation measures most needed ; (б) To develop soil and water conservation programmes based on the findings of such surveys ; (c) To assist farmers in conserving and rebuilding the fertility of the soil; 2. That the necessary implementation of these policies be effected through appropriate economic and other measures such as — (a) Assisting individual producers in planning and carrying out crop rotations, crop sequences, and other suitable practices ;

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(b) Protection of forest and afforestation of unprotected watersheds where necessary, including measures for the protection of food-producing wild life, to prevent flood damage and to conserve water needed for direct human consumption and for irrigation ; (c) Building, or assisting in building, dams, terraces, and other structures to minimize the loss of soil fertility through erosion caused by wind or water ; (d) Making readily available to individual producers soil amendments, particularly phosphates and lime, that will make possible expanded production of leguminous and other soilbuilding crops ; (e) Development and employment of farming systems and husbandry practices which ensure soil conservation ; (f) Developing a programme of research designed to determine the best methods and practices for bringing about conservation of land and water resources under various conditions; (g) Developing a programme of education to inform the public generally of the importanceand need of conservation and to help producers to understand and put into practice better farming methods ; . . . 3. That the permanent organization recommended in Resolution II provide assistance by such means as — (a) Formulation of a body of principles for the conduct of soil-conservation work ; (b) Collection and interchange between nations of data and information on erosion, erosioncontrol methods, and other pertinent matters ; (c) Interchange between nations of personnel technically trained in the development of conservation research and in the application of its findings. XXI. DEVELOPMENT AND SETTLEMENT OE LAND FOR FOOD PRODUCTION Whereas : 1. If freedom from want is to be achieved throughout the world by full development of foodproducing resources, conservation of existing lands and the development of new areas must be given primary consideration ; 2. There are large areas of land capable of materially adding to the world's food-supply which can be opened to food production if transportation facilities were made available and insanitary conditions and other deterrents corrected ; 3. There are many areas of great extent not now producing or in a low state of production because of lack of water-conserving and storing facilities for irrigation, lack of drainage, frequent flooding by rivers, wastage by erosion, deficiencies of plant food, accumulation of alkali, or improper development; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends — 1. That each nation undertake — (a) To survey its land and water resources to determine (1) in what areas, if opened to settlement, production of food cYjuki materially be increased ; (2) what areas, if supplied with additional production facilities, such as water-supply for irrigation, improved drainage, or by the correction of deterrents to production, could materially increase their production of food ; (3) the kind, extent, and economic possibility of developments necessary for this increase in food production ; (b) To develop on the basis of these findings policies of settlement and development of a programme applicable to the economic, social, agricultural, and geographical needs of the nation of which it is a part, considering— (i) Physical conditions, including (1) soils and climate, (2) health conditions, (3) transportation, and (4) clearing, irrigation, or drainage needs ; (ii) Settlement policies, including (1) the type of farming systems to be established, (2) the scale of working by plantations, small holdings, or co-operative organization of areas for production, (3) measures to prevent speculation and exploitation, and (4) financial and other assistance ; (iii) Conservation measures for sustained production of the, area, including (1) agronomic and management practices, (2) conservation structures and practices, (3) protection against alkali accumulations, and (4) measures of forest conservation and reforestation ; 2. That the necessary implementation of these policies and programmes be given through appropriate measures applicable to conditions and needs of each region or area, including — (a) A comprehensive engineering service providing for developments affecting the entire area, such as transportation, improvement of sanitary conditions, water-storage reservoirs, drainage channels, and flood protection ; ■(b) Development of a programme of sound land use, including conservation measures ; (c) Provision for technical assistance to individual producers in planning and developing the areas under their supervision ; (d) Provision for financial assistance to settlers for further development and operation ; (e) Provision for marketing produce, including necessary processing and preservation ; 3. That the permanent organization recommended in Resolution II provide assistance by such means as — (a) The interchange between nations of pertinent data and information on erosion and methods of control, land improvements, &c. ; (b) The interchange between nations of technically trained personnel to assist in the development of conservation research, &c. XXII. OCCUPATIONAL ADJUSTMENTS IN RURAL POPULATIONS The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends — I. That, in order to effect the necessary occupational adjustments in agricultural populations— (a) Agricultural efficiency should be improved and new lands brought under cultivation wherever possible

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(b) Areas which have a large agricultural population in relation to their agricultural resources should— (i) Develop industries suitable to the area, particularly' for the processing and preserving of the agricultural produce of the country, and, where feasible, for the manufacture of machinery, fertilizer, and equipment needed for agriculture ; (ii) Be encouraged, wherever it is economically sound, to export processed articles instead of the raw product, and in particular to take advantage of any reductions of trade barriers in the importing countries ; (iii) Be assisted in securing capital for the development of industrial and transportation facilities and for the development of export outlets for processed products ; (iv) Be assisted in securing facilities for the importation of machinery and tools where such arc necessary ; (v) Be assisted in securing and training technical personnel ; (vi) Undertake programmes of public works and, where necessary, be assisted in securing technical advice and access to capital; (vii) Develop sources of employment in public and private services ; (c) Where agricultural settlements are possible, appropriate steps should be taken to facilitate the movement of people from over-manned agricultural areas ; (d) In order to help in intra-national and international migration where these are feasible — (i) Occupational training should be provided ; (ii) Labour bureaux should be set up where necessary ; (iii) Transportation, communication, housing, sanitation, health, and other public facilities necessary to effective settlement should be provided by the country receiving the migrants ; (iv) Steps should be taken to provide for the economic security of the migrants; (e) Where emigration is possible, an international organization should support arrangements to provide adequate safeguards for the settlers and for the countries concerned, and to facilitate the movement through other appropriate means. XXIII. INTERNATIONAL SECURITY Whereas : 1. Freedom from want cannot be achieved without freedom from fear ; 2. Policies of aggression and the fear of aggression have induced the uneconomic employment of human and material resources, the development of uneconomic industries, the imposition of barriers to international trade, the introduction of discriminatory trade practices, and the expenditure of huge sums on armaments ; 3. These obstructions to a progressively expanding economy cannot be removed without effective collaboration among nations ; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends — 1. That the Governments and authorities here represented, by virtue of their determination to achieve freedom from want for all people in all lands, affirm the principle of mutual responsibility and co-ordinated action to establish such conditions of international security as will make possible an expanding and balanced world economy ; 2. That these Governments and authorities take in concert all necessary measures to secure the application of this principle and the achievement of this objective. XXIY. ACHIEVEMENT OF AN ECONOMY OF' ABUNDANCE Whereas : 1. The first cause of hunger and malnutrition is poverty. 2. The promotion of the full employment of human and material resources, based on sound social, and economic policies, is the first condition of a general and progressive increase in production and purchasing-power ; 3. The sound expansion of industry in undeveloped and other areas, with equality of access to materials and markets, serves also to expand production and purchasing-power and is therefore indispensable to any comprehensive programme for the advancement of agriculture ; 4. Tariffs and other barriers to international trade, and abnormal fluctuations in exchange rates, restrict the production, distribution, and consumption of foodstuffs and other commodities ; 5. Progress by individual nations toward a higher standard of living contributes to the solution of broader economic problems, but freedom from want cannot be achieved without effective collaboration among nations ; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends — 1. That the Governments and authorities here represented, by virtue of their determination to achieve freedom from want for all people in all lands, affirm the principle of mutual responsibility and co-ordinated action— (a) To promote the full and most advantageous employment of their own and all other people and a general advance in standards of living, thereby providing for an increase in both production and purchasing-power ; (b) To promote the uninterrupted development and most advantageous use of agricultural and other material resources for the establishment of an equitable balance between agriculture and industry in the interest of all ; (c) To secure for agriculture the stimulus of additional purchasing-power through the sound development of industry ; (d) To assist in the achievement of these ends by all appropriate means, including the supply of capital, equipment, and technical skill;

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(e) To maintain an equilibrium in balances of payments, and to achieve fclie orderly management of currencies and exchange ; (/) To improve the methods and reduce the cost of distribution in international trade ; (g) As an integral part of this programme, to reduce barriers of every kind to international trade and to eliminate all forms of discriminatory restrictions thereon, including inequitable policies in international transportation, as effectively and as rapidly as possible ; 2. That these Governments and authorities take, individually and in concert, whether by conference or otherwise, all necessary measures, both domestic and international, to secure the application of this principle and the achievement of these objectives. XXV. INTERNATIONAL COMMODITY ARRANGEMENTS Whereas : 1. Excessive short-term movements in the prices of food and agricultural commodities are an obstacle to the orderly conduct of their production and distribution ; 2. Extreme fluctuations of the prices of food and agricultural products aggravate general deflationary and inflationary tendencies, which are injurious to producers and consumers alike ; 3. The mitigation of these influences would promote the objectives of an expansionist policy ; 4. Changes in the scale and character of production to meet more effectively the world's need for food and agricultural products may in certain instances require a period of transition and international co-operation to aid producers in making necessary readjustments in their productive organization ; 5. International commodity arrangements may play a useful part in the advancement of these ends, but further study is necessary to establish the precise forms which these arrangements should take and whether and to what extent regulation of production may be needed ; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends— 1. That international commodity arrangements should be designed so as to promote the expansion of an orderly world economy ; 2. That, to this end, a body of broad principles should, through further international discussion be agreed upon regarding the formulation, the provisions, and the administration of such international commodity arrangements as may be deemed feasible and desirable and should include assurance that — (a) Such arrangements will include effective representation of consumers as well as producers ; (b) Increasing opportunities will be afforded for supplying consumption needs from the most elficient sources of production at prices fair to both consumers and producers and with due regard to such transitional adjustments in production as may be required to prevent serious economic and social dislocations ; (c) Adequate reserves will be maintained to meet all consumption needs ; (d) Provision will be made, when applicable, for the orderly disposal of surpluses ; 3. That international organization should be created at an early date to study the feasibility and desirability of such arrangements with reference to individual commodities and, in appropriate cases, to initiate or review such arrangements to be entered into between Governments, and to guide and co-ordinate the operations of such arrangements in accordance with agreed principles, maintaining close relations with such programmes as may be undertaken in other fields of international economic activity to the end that the objective of raising consumption levels of all peoples may be most effectively served. XXVI. SPECIAL NATIONAL MEASURES FOR WIDER FOOD DISTRIBUTION Whereas : 1. Even in the most prosperous countries there are many families which cannot afford to buy enough good food ; 2. In some countries, and at some times, hunger and semi-starvation have been widespread ; 3. This situation has existed even when agricultural prices have been low and when large supplies of food have piled up in warehouses or rotted in the fields, and the problem will not be fully met by general economic measures to stimulate production and trade ; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends— 1. That the Governments and authorities here represented accept the responsibility of making it possible, so far as it is within their power, for each person in their respective countries who is without an adequate diet, to improve his diet in the direction of obtaining the physiological requirements of health, adopting such of the following, or other, measures as are designed to fit local conditions and institutions — (a) Adequate social-security measures, such as family allowances, social insurance, and minimum wages ; (b) Some form of direct action to make protective foods available free, or at low prices, to groups with inadequate diets ; (c) Special attention to assisting such groups as pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, children, aged persons, invalids, and low-paid persons ; 2. That the diets provided under these programmes be based upon the best scientific information on nutritional needs ; 3. That food-distribution measures be co-ordinated with programmes to increase food-production and to bring about adjustments in agriculture and fishing which will, on the one hand, encourage the production and distribution of those foods most lacking in the diets of the country, and adapted to the soils and climates ; and will, on the other hand, provide an adequate level of living to persons engaged in farming and fishing ; 4. That the permanent organization recommended in Resolution II assist the several Governments and authorities in making surveys of nutritional needs, in helping develop now food-distribution programmes, in disseminating information concerning those programmes, and in aiding to co-ordinate efforts in this field.

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XXVII. SPECIAL INTERNATIONAL MEASURES FOR WIDER POOD DISTRIBUTION Whereas : 1. The provision of adequate food for all the people in each nation is primarily the responsibility of the nation concerned and that this responsibility will be met primarily by national measures ; 2. Nevertheless, undernutrition may continue for long periods of time in certain countries, while they are developing their agriculture and industry, and before they are able to produce internally or acquire abroad adequate amounts of food to meet the needs of their people ; 3. It is generally agreed that it would be desirable if arrangements could be made whereby a part of current world food-supplies could be used to supplement the national food-distribution programmes of certain countries ; 4. Moreover, relatively little attention has been given in the past to the possibilities of developing special measures for wider food distribution in the international field ; The United Nations Conference on Pood and Agriculture Recommends — 1. That the permanent organization recommended in Resolution II study the possibility of devising measures to meet the needs of countries with inadequate supplies, and the machinery needed for this purpose, distinguishing between methods which would be used in the case of famines following catastrophes, and in the case of countries where the available food supplies are generally inadequate ; 2. That the problems of developing special international measures for wider food distribution in the latter case be studied in connection with plans in the countries concerned for the long-term development of the national resources, and for raising the technical skill and the level of living of their workers, and that the above-mentioned permanent organization collaborate with the International Labour Office on this question. XXVIII. GOVERNMENT AND OTHER NATIONAL SERVICES IN MARKETING Whereas : Improvements in the marketing of foods and other products of agricultural or marine origin arc largely dependent upon certain basic Government services, including the provision of quality standards, an efficient grading and inspection service, marketing research and education designed to promote improved marketing practices, and protection of the public, through the medium of pure-food laws, against impurities or adulterations and against unfair competition and undesirable trade practices ; The United Nations Conference on Food and* Agriculture Recommends — 1. That the permanent organization recommended in Resolution II — (а) Investigate the practicability, and, if practicable,.assist in the adoption of international grade standards for agricultural and marine commodities and of providing machinery for controlling the use of any such international grade standards in international trade* ; (б) Give assistance to Governments and other national organizations looking to the establishment in each country of adequate grade standards and technical advisory and inspection services covering appropriate products, and, if requested, advise in the promotion of the educative, administrative, and legislative action necessary to achieve this objectivef ; (c) Promote standardization of containers, both nationally and internationally, along the lines suggested in connection with ; (d) Assist Governments to extend and improve standards of nutrient content and purity of all important foods, consider also the formulation and adoption of similar international standards to facilitate and protect the interchange of such products between countries, and agree upon international methods of determination§ ; (e) Consider the formulation and adoption of international standards or minimum requirements for drugs, insecticides, fungicides, fertilizers, and other materials used by agricultural producers, in order to prevent misrepresentation in their preparation and sale, and to promote the purchase of products best suited to particular uses|| ; (/) Consider whether existing international market news services adequately supply and co-ordinate information and statistics on prices and supply and demand ; and promote any improvements considered ; (g) Urge upon Governments the necessity, in the interests of better nutrition and better living, for further research into— (i) Consumer needs, including palatability, packaging, food habits, shopping habits, shopping facilities, &c.; (ii) Improved methods, with particular reference to perishable protective foods and any commodities of which buffer or other stocks may be held, of processing, preservation, storage, packaging, and transport;

* The use of any such standards should be voluntary on the part of individual countries and, if used, any one grade should apply uniformly throughout the world. + The primary purpose of grade standards is to improve the quality and permit the purchase and sale of commodities by description rather than by inspection of each lot by buyers and sellers. Such standards (1) supply the basis for a common language for describing the product marketed; (2) facilitate trading by minimizing misunderstandings concerning the quality of the products ; (3) reduce losses from rejections and costs of arbitration ; (4) facilitate price quotations and other market information on the basis of quality ; (5) reduce or eliminate the costs of re-sampling or inspection in various stages of marketing; (6) improve the collateral value: of warehouse receipts and thus reduce financing costs ; (7) help buyers to obtain the qualities of products they need ; (8) permit the distribution of the various qualities on the basis of thoir most advantageous outlets ; and (9) facilitate payments to producers, on the basis of quality, which in turn would encourage adjustments in the qualities produced on the basis of consumer demand. :J Standardization of containers has not developed to the same extent as has standardization of grades. Lack of standardization gives rise to waste and confusion in the distribution of food. § In order to protect health and improve nutrition, minimum standards for the nutrient content, and in certain cases for the methods of preparation and for the artificial enrichment of staple foods, should be prescribed by Governments. These steps should be taken in addition to any measures designed to secure the absence of toxic substances and organisms from food under the usual typo of pure-food laws. International standards of labelling and packaging can help, but in general the most effective action can be taken by individual countries themselves. 1| In'some countries little has been done to protect agriculturists from exploitation in the purchase of materials used in agricultural production. International machinery is desirable for the dissemination of such information and for tho promotion of action by Governments to make available comprehensive market data.

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(iii) Economics of marketing, including processing and retail distribution, consumer needs, and ways in which the shopkeeper, trader, and farmer can be helped to meet these needs ; (iv) The relation of food production on the farm to market demand and nutritional requirements ; and engage in the dissemination of the information so obtained, and urge on Governments the need for education of the producer, the intermediary, and the consumer in the principles of good marketing, and in marketing technique, including processing and storage ; 2. That the Governments and authorities here represented take steps to ensure that producers and consumers are adequately protected against trade malpractices and against exploitation in the purchase and sale of food and other products of agricultural or marine origin, and commend general and specific measures to prevent confusion as to quality and country of origin ; and that the permanent organization above mentioned assist, if requested, Governments and authorities to this end, and, if appropriate, formulate international codes of trade practices.* XXIX. ADDITIONS TO AND IMPROVEMENTS IN MARKETING FACILITIES Whereas : 1. Many countries are lacking in adequate facilities for the preservation of essential foods for consumption throughout the year, and for the production, transport, and distribution of these foods to satisfy nutritional needs ; 2. The destruction and disorganization of marketing facilities resulting from the war will make this problem particularly acute in countries which are the victims of hostilities ; 3. Technological developments in food preservation, processing, and transport have been accelerated by the war and give promise of contributing materially to the solution of these problems ; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends — 1. That the Governments and authorities here represented take steps to secure the provision of adequate processing, transportation, and distribution facilities required for improving the nutritional levels of their populations ; and that the permanent organization recommended in Resolution II study the technical, scientific, and economic factors involved, with particular reference to developments during the war, arrange for the pooling of knowledge thus acquired, and give all possible assistance to the Governments and authorities in realizing these objectives! ; 2. That steps be taken by each country to achieve full utilization of important new technological developments in food preservation, transportation, and marketing, including -especially dehydration, freezing, and ocean and air transportation J ; 3. That the permanent organization above mentioned take steps to obtain, collate, and disseminate information regarding conditions of marketing, processing, and storage facilities in all countries, including those devastated by war, with particular reference to any increased facilities needed and to the rehabilitation of countries devastated by war, in order to promote the expansion of marketing facilities in a carefully planned rather than a haphazard manner§; 4. That Governments examine transport deficiencies, both internally and in connection with export and import trade, which may be hindering the development of adequate and efficient marketing of foodstuffs and other agricultural and marine products and take such steps as may be necessary to rectify deficiencies ; and that any international body concerned with international transport assist to this endjf, XXX. INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY AND REDUCING THE COST OF MARKETING Whereas : 1. The maintenance of food-consumption among the peoples of the world at levels sufficiently high to satisfy minimum health requirements calls for the provision of greater quantities of better food at reasonable prices; 2. Except in some countries where consumers largely produce their own food-supplies, a substantial part of the total cost of food to the consumer consists of marketing costs (including the costs of assembly, grading, inland and sea transport, storage, wholesale and retail distribution), processing costs, and the rewards of enterprise ;

* There is general approval in all* countries of legislative and regulatory measures designed to protect both consumers and producers from exploitation arising from unfair trade practices, but some Governments have been slow to act in such cases. t Tile methods of attaining these objectives will vary in different countries in accordance with circumstances and may include action by Governments to establish in each country central organizations responsible for the work of carrying out these objectives by means of appropriate legislation designed to assist the production, processing, and distribution of the products of their oconomy, using the most up-to-date technological methods adapted to the conditions peculiar to each country. Among the objectives of this action are better utilization of foods not consumed in fresh form, the avoidance of loss of the nutritive value of perishable foods, the prevention of waste, and the stabilization of marketing conditions to induce so far as possible an adequate and even flow of foods to consumers. Special attention should be given to the establishment of local markets, which must be built up hand in hand with increased local production of protective foods to ensure the commercial success of both production and marketing. t The war has speeded up the development of new methods of preserving perishable foods, and of facilities for ocean and air-cargo transportation, which will have very important effects upon post-war national and international trade in foodstuffs. Many countries by means of air transport will be able to draw upon much wider areas of production for their supplies of the protective foods in concentrated form, and to transport and distribute such foods to presently inaccessible areas and among sectors of the national populations now having inadequate diets. § Much rebuilding and readjustment of plants and personnel required for the marketing of foodstuffs will be necessary after the war. This offers an opportunity not only to meet quickly the immediate post-war needs, but also to build a marketing system adapted to modern needs, with particular reference to the attainment of increased consumption of essential foods. This will require foresight, planning, and action designed to forestall haphazard reconstruction based on temporary expediency rather than long-term efficiency and adequacy. || Transportation charges frequently absorb a large or even a prohibitive part of the price of products, and ocean shipping or internal transportation charges may be so high as to prevent the interchange of products which is necessary if consumers are to be adequately supplied. The provision of transportation and storage services under present arrangements awaits the development of adequate volume of production, yet this volume cannot be built up without the transportation and other services necessary to encourage it. These difficulties cannot be solved by individual or private initiative alone; and Governments should assume the responsibility by adequate action to overcome them .

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3. In some countries, the provision of unessential services increases the margin between tic producer and consumer; 4. Reduction in marketing costs and margins can benefit both producer and consumer alike; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends — 1. That the Governments and authorities here represented take all practicable steps to reduce marketing, processing, storage and distribution costs, and margins between producers and consumers, particularly by the elimination of unessential services not required by producers or by low-income consumers.* 2. That the permanent organization recommended in Resolution II collect and disseminate information on marketing costs and margins in different countries and in international trade, on the factors which determine or influence such costs and margins, and on the steps taken by Governments, by co-operative associations, and by private enterprise to reduce themf. XXXI. FISH AND MARINE PRODUCTS Whereas : 1. Fish, marine animals, and marine products are essential in high degree to the diet of the people of many countries and play an important role in the nutrition of other countries ; 2. The production of fish and marine products is vital to the economy of certain countries, and the adequate livelihood of the fisherman, like that of the farmer, depends upon a balanced world economy ; 3. Consideration of questions relating to fish and marine products is important in any programme designed to meet immediate and long-term food and other requirements ; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Recommends — That the general conclusions reached by this Conference apply, wherever appropriate, to fish and marine products, and that these subjects be considered by the permanent organization recommended in Resolution 11. XXXII. RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture expresses its gratitude to the President of the United States of America, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, for his initiative in convening the present Conference, for its preparation, and for his contribution to its success. This resolution is to be embodied in the Final Act of the- Conference. XXXIII. APPRECIATION TO THE OFFICIALS OF THE CONFERENCE Whereas : 1. The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture was able to conduct its work under conditions of exceptional efficiency ; 2. This efficiency and consequent good results in no small measure resulted from the wisdom and talents of the Chairman, the Honorable Marvin Jones, whose ideals of international solidarity were a source of inspiration and stimulus to all; 3. Without the previous and exhaustive preparation of documentary materials submitted to the Conference by the Secretariat and without its painstaking work, it would not have been possible for the Conference to attain in such a short time the results achieved ; The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture Resolves— 1. To express to its Chairman, the Honorable Marvin Jones, its deep appreciation for the admirable manner in which he has guided the Conference and to pay to him the tribute -of its gratitude ; and 2. To express to the Secretary-General, to the Press Relations Officer, to the Assistant SecretaryGeneral, to the Secretariat, and to the clerical staff its appreciation for the efficiency and diligence shown in preparing the numerous documentary materials and in assisting the Conference in attaining its objectives. In witness whereof, the following delegates sign the present Final Act — Done at Hot Springs, Virginia, on the third day of June, nineteen hundred and forty-three, in the English language, the original to be deposited in the archives of the Department of State of the United States, and certified copies thereof to be furnished by the Government of the United States of America to each of the Governments and authorities represented at the Conference. [;Signatures follow here.]

* Most of the links in the chain from producer to consumer are essential, but thore is a tendency for extravagant services to develop. Thore is considerable scope for reduction of marketing costs by the elimination of unessential services, including unnecessary transport. Attention should also be directed to the possibilities of reducing marketing, processing, and distribution costs by : (a) assisting merchants in the adoption of more efficient methods of operation ; (b) effecting such reorganization of marketing channels as may reduce to a minimum the number of steps involved in taking the products from the farms to consumers ; (c) regulating the charges of transportation agencies or other factors in marketing if such charges are not kept at reasonable levels by competition ; (d) assisting in establishing or financing on a sound commercial basis of new and moro officient processing, storage, and transportation facilities. f Although each country will seek to improve the efficiency of marketing in conformity with its economic and agricultural circumstances, there is a need for some international agency which can collect, analyse, and disseminate facts and experience relating to marketing costs and margins. Such data will assist not only Governments but also co-operatives and private enterprises in formulating policies aimed at reducing marketing costs and hence the margin betweon producer and consumer.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (550 copies), £42,

Authority: E. Y. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington, —1943.

Price Od.]

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