WORLD FARMERS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22339, 26 May 1947, Page 4

WORLD FARMERS

PERMANENT BASIS 3,000,000 PRODUCERS 16-POINT PROGRAMME SCHEVENINGEN (Holland), May 22. The conference of the International Federation of Agricultural Producers, when it today resumed in open session and unanimously adoptee; the reports of its constitution and policy committees, formally transferred itself from ar, interim to a permanent basis and brought into being the first world farmers and agriculturists’ organisation with a membership of 17 countries and representing more than 3,000,000 primary producers. It also prevailed on its interim president, Mr. James Turner, of Britain,_ to reconsider his decision not tc_ offer himself for re-election, and made him the federation's first permanent president Members of Federation

With the election of Hungary, which was the first business of today’s plenary session, the countries now included as full members of the federation are Australia, Belgium, Burma, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, India, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Southern Rhodesia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. These member countries, in their turn, include 28 individual national producers' organisations, while there are in addition 16 countries and five international organisations with observer status within the federation.

In adopting the policy committee's report the conference approved a 10point programme under which the federation will co-operate closely with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, devise plans for greater stability in world price and employment levels, advocate and assist in the preparation of multi-lateral world commodity agreements, study agricultural mechanisation and do everything possible to raise the standard of living in under-developed countries, investigate and endeavour to check restrictive marketing practices such as cartels, and endeavour to develop better transport and handling facilities for the distribution of foodstuffs and raw materials. Undermining Effect on Prices The full conference unanimously supported the committee’s recommendation that. as a first step towards the negotiation of world commodity agreements, the federation should urge all Governments concerned in the London wheat conference to complete a wheat agreement without delay.

”It should be categorically stated,” says the report of the policy committee, “that the concern of the I.F.A.P. regarding surpluses is not motivated only by self-interest, but arises because farmers everywhere know that in the past surpluses have had an undermining effect on prices, thus deterring production while there are still unsatisfied nutritional needs in "the world.” Recognising that it must work through the governments of member countries to implement its policy, the federation asked all constituent organisations during the coming year to develop the most effective means of bringing their views, and those of the federation, before their governments, and to report their progress regularly to the federation’s headquarters. It also decided to press the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the international trade organisation to expedite the necessary consultations between governments in order .to stabilise agricultural prices and supplies.

When it discussed the functions of the international trade organisation at present in process of formation at Geneva., the conference made it plain that it considered agriculture must be given its proper place in the developing of the policies of the trade organisation and decided to make strong representations to that effect. The federation will ask that the Food and Agriculture Organisation will be given a full opportunity, as part of the contemplated world trade agreements, to develop its food policy, and particularly commodity agreements, dealing with agricultural products. Starting Point for Reconstruction

The conference also fully endorsed the policy' committee’s view that any' move to expand world economy, increase employment levels and raise standards of living and nutrition must have primary production as its starting point. It emphasised that stabilisation of returns in primary industries would, in turn, provide must bigger returns for secondary industries and make possible the highest possible employment in manufacturing. In order to give world agriculture an opportunity to form a basis for the general improvement and expansion envisaged in the policy of the United Nations, the federation enunciated six general principles, which it considered must form the basis of its own policy. These were: (1) To establish minimum nutritional standards. (2) Integration of world agricultural production programmes in order to regulate surpluses. (3) Restraints upon unreasonable and unfair competition while still recognising that reasonable competition encourages efficiency. C 4) Creation of orderly and efficient machinery for handling surpluses. (5) Recognition of the fact that it is a farmer’s duty to make his products available to the consumer at the lowest economic price.

(6) That returns from agriculture, both to employer and employees, must be made comparable with those from other occupations, with the stipulation that increased returns in agriculture must not be achieved by depletion of soil fertility, exploitation of labour or neglect of capital equipment.