World Food Conference (Rome, 5-16 November 1974)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 22 January 1975 (17th Sitting) (see Doc. 3541, Doc. 3541, report of the Committee on Agriculture). Text adopted by the Assembly on 22 January 1975 (17th Sitting).
The Assembly,
1. Having regard to the United Nations World Food Conference, which took place in November 1974 and in the preparation of which the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation was closely associated (see Chapter B.8 of the 8th biennial report presented to the Council of Europe by FAO,
Doc. 3510) ;
2. Referring to the resolutions adopted by the World Food Conference ;
3. Welcoming the achievement of the conference in unanimously agreeing to work towards world food security based on a co-ordinated system of nationally held cereal reserves supported by a world-wide food information and food shortage detection service ;
4. Welcoming the achievement of the conference in their commitment to provide, on a three-year forward planning basis, commodities and finance for food aid to a minimum level of 10 million tons of cereals each year as well as certain other food commodities ;
5. Considering that the world population, between 1970 and 1990, is expected to rise by 50%, or by 1 700 million- 1 250 million of which would be in the developing countries- which means that world population is increasing at an average daily rate of about 187 000 ;
6. Noting that, although total food production increased at about the same rate in the developed and developing countries, such production percapita in developing countries was about one third the level of richer countries in 1961 and only one quarter the level of richer countries in 1971 ;
7. Considering that world food prices have risen recently even faster than average prices, inevitably hitting the poorest people hardest ;
8. Considering that increasing fertiliser and pesticide shortages are reducing food production in certain areas, affecting in particular developing countries ;
9. Considering that more than one third of the present potential world harvests are destroyed by insects, pests, diseases and weeds, and that important quantities of supplies are lost during stocking and transport ;
10. Considering that some of the developed countries are obliged to denature or even destroy agricultural products, in order to balance their agricultural policy ;
11. Considering that it is essential to give every farmer the means and incentives to let him have appropriate returns from his work ;
12. Considering that the problem of world food supply is of absolute priority to humanity ;
13. Recalling the problems raised in the 8th biennial report of FAO (
Doc. 3510),
14. Warmly congratulates those responsible for arranging a World Food Conference at this critical time ;
15. Pledges the full co-operation and assistance of all Council of Europe member states to the fulfilling of the resolutions taken at the World Food Conference ;
16. Pledges full support and co-operation with the World Food Council which is to be established to co-ordinate the activities of the various international agencies working in this field ;
17. Undertakes to fully support the new International Fund for Agricultural Development which will channel investment towards the improvement of agriculture in the developing world ;
18. Calls on all its members to urge national parliaments and their governments to take all necessary steps to improve the world food situation by promoting measures such as :
a devoting not less than 0.7% of their GNP to official development assistance, increasingly channelled through the competent intergovernmental organisations ;
b encouraging the oil-exporting countries to channel some of their surplus finance into a special fund to assist food production in the developing areas ;
c encouraging fertiliser and pesticide production in industrialised countries, intended in particular for immediate help to developing countries ;
d giving developing countries all necessary assistance to build up their own independent agricultural economies not subject to imports from highly industrialised countries, and to help them in exporting their commodities ;
e encouraging developing countries to build up processing industries for the commodities they produce enabling them to make full use of their labour resources ;
f giving FAO, the World Bank and other financing institutions the means to increase their help and loans to the agricultural sector, in particular of developing countries ;
g associating non-governmental organisations active in the agricultural field in the fight in the eradication of hunger and malnutrition ;
h implementing the solemn pledge at the World Food Conference that "within a decade no child will go to bed hungry and that no family will fear for its next day's bread".
