Report of the Preparatory Commission on World Food Proposals.

  • FAO Preparatory Commission on World Food Proposals
Date:
1947
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Preparatory Commission on World Food Proposals. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    REPORT OF F.A.O. PREPARATORY COMMISSION ON »» WORLD,FOOD PROPOSALS ML: SID CHAPTER 1. THE BACKGROUND Terms of Reference _ 1. The task assigned the Preparatory Commission on World Food Proposals was to work out specific recommendations for achieving two objectives: -““ (a) Developing and organizing production, distribution and utilization of ‘basic foods to provide diets on a health standard for the people of all countries; | (6) stabilizing agricultural prices at levels fair to producers and consumers alike.’’ | These are the objectives of Sir John Boyd Orr’s “‘ Proposals for a World Food Board ’’* as defined and unanimously accepted by the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations which met in Copenhagen in September, 1946. 2. The Conference considered action on these Proposals to be a matter of urgency and accordingly set up the Preparatory Commission to carry them further, instructing it to meet without delay. It was asked to consider not only the Proposals of Sir John Boyd Orr but any other relevant proposals and documents and to prepare its report as soon as possible. The Commis- sion met in Washington on 28th October, 1946, and completed its work on 24th January, 1946. It was organized in two main committees, one to deal with the problems of developing and organizing the production, distribution and utilization of foods and other agricultural products (including those of forest and fisheries) and the other with the problems of price stabilization and commodity policy. t The Setting of Our Report 3. This report will appear at a time when a world shortage of food amount- ing to famine in some lands, and ration scales even more exiguous than those of the late war, dominate the situation in others. At first glance, therefore, it may seem untimely and unreal to stress the problem of potential food surpluses. Nevertheless, the expansion of production capacity in agriculture and in industry during and since the war has been very great in certain countries. Unless measures are taken to expand consumption and purchasing power far above the prewar levels we shall be faced in a few years with the danger of a major slump in primary production and probably a major industrial recession. Review of the Inter-War Years ' 4. It may be salutary to begin by taking a brief glance backward. In many respects the situation today parallels that following the War of 1914-18, though in some ways it is more heavily charged with the potential of disaster. During the First World War production in industry and agriculture outside Europe expanded to meet war needs, and in the postwar years was utilized for restocking and re-equipment. When the economies of the war-damaged countries were restored, production outside Europe continuing at a high level could not find adequate markets, and surpluses ‘began to accumulate. There *Proposals for a World Food Board, Washington, 5th July 1946. + For the official terms of reference and membership of the Commission and the terms of reference of its Committees, see the ‘‘Summary of the Report of the Preparatory Com mission on World Food Proposals ’’ (Cmd. 7032) and the list of delegates in Appendix I.
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