The War on Hunger must be a continuous urgent priority. Major portions of
the world's population continue to be threatened by the specter of hunger
and malnutrition. During the past year, some 150 million people in 36
African countries were faced with near disaster as the result of serious
drought, induced food shortages. Our government, working in concert with
the U.N.'s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), helped to respond to
that need. But the problems of hunger cannot be solved by short-term
measures. We must continue to support those activities, bilateral and
multilateral, which aim at improving food production especially in
developing countries and assuring global food security. These measures are
necessary to the maintenance of a stable and healthy world economy.
I am pleased that negotiation of a new Food Aid Convention, which
guarantees a minimum annual level of food assistance, was successfully
concluded in March. The establishment of the International Emergency Wheat
Reserve will enable the U.S. to meet its commitment under the new
Convention to feed hungry people, even in times of short supply.
Of immediate concern is the prospect of millions of Africans threatened by
famine because of drought and civil disturbances. The U.S. plea for
increased food aid resulted in the organization of an international
pledging conference and we are hopeful that widespread starvation will be
avoided.
Good progress has been made since the Venice Economic Summit called for
increased effort on this front. We and other donor countries have begun to
assist poor countries develop long-term strategies to improve their food
production. The World Bank will invest up to $4 billion in the next few
years in improving the grain storage and food-handling capacity of
countries prone to food shortages.
Good progress has been made since the Tokyo Economic Summit called for
increased effort on this front. The World Bank is giving this problem top
priority, as are some other donor countries. The resources of the
consultative Group on International Agricultural Research will be doubled
over a five-year period. The work of our own Institute of Scientific and
Technological Cooperation will further strengthen the search for relevant
new agricultural technologies.
The goal of freeing the world from hunger by the year 2000 should command
the full support of all countries.