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I. THE INTERIM COMMISSION A. CONSTITUTION AND TERMS OF REFERENCE 1. The Interim Commission on Food and Agriculture was established by the United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture held in May, 1943, at Hot Springs, Virginia, for the purposes stated in the following recommendation : — " 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 : "1. 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 ; " 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 July 15, 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 ; " (6) 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 permanent organization, reports on the action taken and the progress achieved toward 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 : —- " (a) 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;

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