International Undertaking on World Food Security

The dramatic depletion of cereal stocks in the major exporting countries called public attention to the importance of maintaining an adequate year-round flow of food. In addition, the declared intention of the major exporting countries to prevent the accumulation of surpluses in the future caused all nations to re-examine their stock-holding policies. A resolution on an International Undertaking on World Food Security (IUWFS) had been endorsed in principle by the FAO Council at its sixty-third session in July 1974 (FAO, 1973, chapter 14, annex A). This resolution was submitted to, and endorsed by, the World Food Conference. In doing so, the participating governments accepted the following unprecedented responsibilities. They recognized that world food security was a common responsibility of all nations. They also agreed to cooperate to attain the objective of world food security, defined as ensuring, to the utmost, the availability at all times of adequate world supplies of basic food stuffs, primarily cereals, so as to avoid acute food shortages in the event of widespread crop failures or national disasters, sustain a steady expansion of production and consumption, and reduce fluctuations in production and prices.