Food and Agriculture Organization

The 29th session of the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was held in Rome from October 27 to November 7, 1958. The Council had before it the Director-General's annual report, The State of Food and Agriculture, and a supplementary statement bringing the situation up to date as at mid-October. It noted with concern the deterioration in the ‘terms of trade’ for agricultural products in world markets and the continuing problems of excess production and surplus disposal; it was suggested that policies should aim at making countries economically self-supporting rather than self-sufficient. A report from the Committee on Commodity Problems tended to confirm the Council's conclusion that there was a definite need for long-term measures which might help to bring about a better balance in world commodity markets. The Council also reviewed the state of various of the organization's current activities, including projects for Mediterranean development, desert locust control, Sunn pest control, and a re-examination of the social welfare aspects of FAO's work. Resolutions passed by the Council included: 1) the continuation of the FAO/United Nations Children's Fund Joint Policy Committee; 2) the approval of minor amendments to the Constitution of the European Commission on Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease; 3) the extension of the Latin American Forestry Research and Training Institute until the end of 1958; 4) the establishment of an ad hoc committee of member governments to work with the Director-General in preparation for a ‘Free-the-World-from-Hunger’ year; 5) authorization for a close association of FAO with the United Nations Special Fund for Economic Development; 6) approval of a relationship agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency; and 7) endorsement of various plans for a reorganization of FAO Headquarters, post adjustments, and modifications in the program of work for 1958 and 1959.