•A—l

As no comprehensive international system for reporting on the world food situation and future trends in respect of food-supplies existed, it was felt that the FAO Research and Information Service could materially assist the International Emergency Pood Council. However, as the first report of the proposed Service will not be issued until the middle of September, it is doubtful whether it will be of any use in making current allocations. COMMITTEE lI.—CONSERVATION AND EXPANSION OF SUPPLIES (Mr. J. S. Scott) (See Appendix II for text of Committee's report) The work of Committee 11, which dealt with conservation and expansion of supplies, was divided for discussion as follows: — (ai) A review of the 1946-47 position, with recommendations for utilizing the 1946 harvest supplies in such a way as to avoid repetition during 1947 of the shortage and famine which occurred in 1946. (&) Consideration of the measures which can be adopted to make the 1947 harvest as large as possible and thereby increase the food-supplies available during the year 1947^18. (c) Preparation of proposals regarding the principles which may be adopted in the procurement, collection, allocation, and distribution of foodstuffs in short supply. It was recognized that very little could be done by producers to increase the 1946 harvest in the Northern Hemisphere, but steps could be taken to ensure that this harvest is utilized to the maximum extent in the provision of food for human consumption. It was stressed particularly no country should, with the harvesting of the 1946 crop, assume there was no longer any 'necessity for further economy. Wheat, of course, was the most discussed subject, and the economy measures dealt with included increasing the extraction rate for flour, the dilution of wheat or flour by other grains and by potatoes, reduction of wastage, possible rationing of bread, control of domestic distribution of wheat and flour, and, most important of all, further curtailment of the feeding of wheat and other grains to live-stock. The position of other foodstuffs was also examined, especially rice, potatoes, fats, sugar, fish, dairy products, and meat. In regard to the 1947-48 harvest the fact was elicited that seeds, fertilizers, and equipment were all urgently needed to assist in increasing supplies of both foodstuffs and feedstuffs, but accompanying these requirements in this, as in other instances, was the need of producers for assurance that any special efforts they may make now to increase output would not be to their detriment in future years when the possibility of surpluses may become an actuality. Discussions and recommendations of more particular interest to New Zealand are dealt with below: — (1) Flour Extraction Rates Some delegates pointed out that the special circumstances of individual countries would make it difficult to secure agreement on any precise figures for extraction rates. In tropical countries the keeping-qualities of flour must be considered; some countries have soft wheat, some have commitments in respect of live-stock products. The Australian representative indicated that if Australia had to adopt a high-extraction rate, resulting in less offals, they

4