Extracts 28 OCTOBER 1946 [1]

COMMENTS ON THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS AND
STATISTICS

1. This Committee-like the other technical committees of the
Conference had the advantage of reports prepared for the Director-
General by the Standing Advisory Committees on Economics and
Statistics which had met at The Hague immediately prior to the
F.A.O. They comprise individuals acting as experts in their fields
and not as delegates of their governments. [2]

With the reports of these Advisory Committees made available by
the Director-General, the Conference Committee on Economics and
Statistics was able to confine itself largely to recommendations
affecting the relative urgency of the various suggestions for work
by the staff of F.A.0. contained in the Advisory Committee
reports. The work of the Conference Committee was divided into two
sections: (i) Economics and Marketing and (ii) Statistics; and its
report drafted accordingly. The Australian delegation was able to
endorse the recommendations, but the following matters covered in
the report or in the minutes of proceedings were given special
stress by the delegation's representative on the Committee.

2. Economics and Marketing
(a) In view of the fact that another Committee of Conference was
dealing with the Director-General's proposals for a World Food
Board-despite the considerable attention given to these proposals
in the report of the Standing Advisory Committee on Economics. The
Australian representative made some observations on this matter
under another item on the Agenda: World Food Survey.

(b) World Food Survey:

[matter omitted]

(ii) The Delegate stressed what had already been emphasized at Hot
Springs and at Quebec [3] that the principal source of improved
nutritional status or greater consumption was in domestic action
supported where practicable by international measures. There were
in fact four avenues open to any country: (i) produce more itself,
(2) alter the distribution of its production among its people in
favour of low income groups; (3) by one means and another increase
its share of ordinary or commercial international trade; and (4)
participate in some special international arrangements for 'non-
commercial' distribution of foodstuffs. He regretted the tendency-
as the result perhaps of the Director-General's proposals for the
World Food Board-to give too much prominence to the fourth
category.

He addressed his remarks more specifically to this matter.

(iii) The Australian position rested principally on the contention
that the most satisfactory basis for adequately supplying
foodstuffs to a given population is to raise the levels of
employment and living standards. It is recognised that the
proposition embraces general economic policies of complex
character-both national and international but, nevertheless,
F.A.0. objectives (e.g. higher consumption levels) will never be
attained without concerted efforts to achieve these wide economic
aims. Australia is prepared to play its part in these efforts. Yet
in the specific case of India it was pertinent to observe that
industrialisation was necessary as the domestic basis for
achieving higher living standards there.

(iv) It was then argued that too much hope should not be placed on
what has been called Class II distribution (vide Sir John Orr's
proposals and the Report of the Standing Advisory Committee on
Economics) -that is 'non-commercial' distribution of foodstuffs
between nations. No one contemplated permanent relief on the scale
of U.N.R.R.A.'s recent operations; yet anything of more limited
character could offer only a partial contribution to the goal of
raising food consumption levels the world over. [4]

[matter omitted]