- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 16th January 1964 (23rd Sitting) (see Doc. 1634, report of the Committee on Agriculture). Text adopted by the Assembly on 16th January 1964 (23rd Sitting).
1. The Assembly,
2. Recalling its first general remarks concerning food aid contained in paragraph 23 of
Resolution 247 in reply to the report of the OECD to the Council of Europe, and in the Explanatory Memorandum (
Doc. 1592) to this Resolution ;
3. Having examined in more detail the excellent and thought-provoking special report on food aid submitted to it by OECD,
4. Submits for consideration by the Council of OECD the following additional observations :
5. The Assembly considers that a clear distinction should be made between "surplus disposal" and "food aid". In particular, the Assembly is actuely aware of the danger that the simple substitution of the notion "food aid" for "surplus disposal" might give rise to misunderstandings which could lead surplus-producing countries to shirk the task of adapting their agricultural policies to economic realities.
6. The Assembly realises that some surpluses can be used for carrying out food aid programmes; but an essential prerequisite should be the advance establishment of well-balanced programmes according to the needs of the receiving country and geared to other development projects. In this context, the Assembly is looking forward to the results of the studies to be carried out under the experimental FAO/UN World Food Programme. In particular, it is interested in knowing how far food aid, besides providing emergency relief and social welfare, can contribute to economic development without delaying agricultural development.
7. The Assembly is of the opinion that agricultural development in many developing countries would constitute the healthiest basis for the primary (initial) economic development, and stresses the need for increased efforts in these countries to attain a higher level of general education and skill. In this context, the Assembly wishes once more to draw attention to the FAO Freedom from Hunger Campaign, the aim of which is to raise agricultural production in the less-developed countries.
8. The Assembly urges the establishment of a survey showing in some detail the potentials of agricultural production in the less-developed countries in relation to their population. Such a balance sheet, indicating the degree to which each country should be able to cover its own requirements or to produce exportable supplies on commercial terms, could serve as a basis for a more methodic development of world trade, including trade between the developing countries themselves.
9. The Assembly urges Governments both in exporting and importing countries to review their agricultural policies and to search for an orderly expansion of world trade in agricultural products taking into account the need for a more rational use of resources.
