United Nations General Assembly Resolution 45

by the UN General Assembly

45. World Shortage of Cereals and Other Foodstuffs

At its thirty-third plenary meeting, on 14 February 1946, the General Assembly adopted a resolution urging action, both directly by Governments and through the international organizations concerned, to alleviate the anticipated serious shortage of bread grains and rice.

The General Assembly has learned with satisfaction of the extent to which the position in 1946 was improved, particularly with respect to bread grains, by the common effort of the United Nations, thus saving millions of lives during the critical months before the 1946 harvest.

The General Assembly recognizes, however, that the food situation is still unsatisfactory. A number of countries have not yet overcome the devastating results of the enemy occupation to which they were subjected, and are obliged on this account to continue emergency imports of grains, fats and other foodstuffs. A severe shortage of these foodstuffs exists in many European countries, even in some of those which before the war were themselves exporters. In a number of countries of Asia the shortage of cereals and other foodstuffs has led to undernourishment and even famine, resulting in heavy lost of human lives, as in the case of India and China. There is also a widespread shortage of livestock.

The General Assembly notes, moreover, that in 1945 and 1946 some countries of Europe and Asia were affected by drought and bad harvest, resulting in still further deterioration of their food situation. Some countries which were not under enemy occupation have even introduced bread rationing for the first time, for instance, the United Kingdom. In addition, some countries of Latin America are experiencing food shortages and are obliged to import grain.

The General Assembly has learned with concern that expected supplies of bread grains, rice, fats and oils, dairy products, meat and sugar appear to be substantially inadequate to meet minimum requirements for human consumption in 1947. Many countries, especially those which have suffered from enemy occupation and those which do not produce sufficient foodstuffs to meet their own requirements, need agricultural supplies such as machinery, implements, fertilizers, pesticides and seeds.

In addition, international payment difficulties on the part of certain importing countries, as well as transport and other difficulties, threaten to prevent the utilization of such food supplies as may be available.

At the same time, there is a tendency in some countries to reduce the areas under cultivation of cereals and other foodstuffs, which may cause unwarranted price increases and still further aggravate the food situation. Inflationary prices, and other price factors, in many cases constitute another obstacle to the production and distribution of food supplies to those in need.

The General Assembly, therefore,

Urges the Governments and international agencies concerned to adopt or continue measures designed to overcome the deficit during 1947 in bread grains, rice, fats and oils, dairy products, meat and sugar and to achieve the equitable allocation and prompt distribution of the available supplies free from political considerations; and, in particular,

Recommends:

1. Food producing countries to take all practicable steps

(a) To increase the output and collection of foodstuffs to the maximum extent;

(b) To prevent reduction and encourage an increase of areas under grain cultivation;

(c) To improve transportation facilities for cereals and other foodstuffs;

(d) To increase exports to countries suffering from a shortage of foodstuffs;

(e) To continue and strengthen international efforts and machinery with a view to utilizing exportable food supplies with due consideration for the urgency of the food requirements in the needy countries;

(f) To take measures against any unwarranted increase in the price of grain and other foodstuffs, especially such as would be detrimental to the interests of consumers and would mainly favor speculative interests without resulting in any real advantages to the farming population;

2. Countries which are largely industrial and which produce transportation equipment, agricultural implements, machinery, spare parts and supplies for the construction of workshops for manufacturing and repairing the essential categories of such materials, or which produce fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, and animal feeding stuffs, to take all appropriate and practicable measures for expanding production, increasing export, and facilitating the construction in these countries of small factories and workshops for the manufacture and repair of the most essential agricultural machines, implements and spare parts, for increasing food production;

3. All countries to carry out as far as practicable appropriate and necessary measures to regulate consumption, indlucing the maintenance of high extraction rates, the dilution of flour, restrictions on usage of bread grains for beverages and other non-essential purposes, and restrictions on the feeding of bread grains to animals;

4. Governments and international agencies concerned to continue and expand publication of the fullest possible information on supplies and requirements of foodstuffs and materials mentioned in paragraphs 1 and 2 above and on action taken to carry out the recommendations contained in this resolution, in order that future action may be guided by full knowledge of the relevant facts;

5. That attention continue to be given to the need for measures necessary to enable importing countries to overcome international payment difficulties, in order that the above recommendations may be rendered effective in improving the food situation.

Fifty-fifth plenary meeting, 11 December 1946.