Evening star., 1948-03-21
World Food
Output Low
Population Trend
Demands Better
Production
By james BirchfieId


more important problems facing tn,
world today.
An expanding population il
shrinking the amount of land avail.
able for producing food. Expert.
estimate there are no more thar
1000, 10000 acres Of arabic lane
left on which to produce the fooe
requirements for 2,o0o, ,ooo, 900 people
This Is less than 2 acres per person
while at least Az acres Of land Of
average productivity are considered
necessary to adequately feed one
person.
Meanwhile, the worlds people
continue to increase, and experts
expect the global population to
reach 5000, ,0o0,0 900 before it levels
OF. This means that new land
must be brought under cultivation
and that more care must be taken
OF the land now used to induce it
to yield maximum production.
Sir John May Retire
Behind the worlds drive for
higher food production and better
agriculture is the Food and Agri-
culture Organization, first Of the
new permanent United Nations Or
ganizations set up following the
war. 1t is the purpose of this Or
ganiziation that through the sep
arate and collective actions of its
SIS member nations the nutritional
levels and the standards Of living
OF world peoples will be raised, and
that the efficiency of world agri-
culture will be improved.
FAC will mark milestone here
next month at sessions of the Or
ganization's council and confer
ence. The council, which will meet
April 5, IS expected to make some
decision on the site Of permanent
headquarters and to discuss further
steps to increase world food pro-
duction.
The conference, meeting the fol-
lowing day, is expected to name a
successor to Sir John Boyd Orr,
the shaggy Scotsman who has
headed FAC as director general
since the organization was launched
in October, 1945, at Quebec. Sir
John wanted to retire last year
but the conference at Geneva was
unable to decide on a new director
general. 1t is expected Sir John
will be more fortunate this year
in his attempt to return to his TOO
acres Of fertile farmland in the
county Of Angus, Scotland.
Startled Great Britain
Sir John certainly has been one
OF the most colorful Of the inter-
national family to visit Washing
ton. His massive appearance and
the feeling Of force that surrounds
him gives the lie to his rather small
figure
Many who call on him for the
first time are impressed by the
massive power Of the man seated
behind a broad desk, and then are
shocked on leaving when a rather
small figure rises to bid them fare
well. Sir John is we'll constituted
for prophet, and his pleasing burr
lends character to all he says.
He has the fervor of a crusader
and his tremendous urge to raise
the nutritional standards of the
world has left an indelible mark on
FAC. For example, his proposals
to create a world food board for
relieving world hunger and farm
insecurity, were voted down, but
the World Food Council that took
its place embodies may of Sir Johns
advanced ideas. This was, in a
sense, triumph in defeat.
Sir John startled England some
years ago when he proved that ILL
nourished families were the result
OF the lack of money. This thought
later was to lead to an international
outlook when he teamed up with
Vlscount S. M. Bruce of Melbourne.
then Australia's high commissioner
in London, and his economic ad-
wiser, Frank McDougall, now coun-
selor of FAC, on the problem of
world surpluses. These thinkers
reasoned that food surpluses that
plague nations could be settled If
some means of providing an ade-
quate diet to the worlds population
could be devised.
Food Board Was Answer
The World Food Board was Sir
Johns answer to the problem. This
board would have had powers to
buy, hold and sell stocks of food
as a reserve against famine. 1t
also would have had the power to
help less fortunate countries in OBJ
SDAAA5 1AiCiL S1ldlC VI tIlc WOflQ S
food and to stimulate the develop
ment Of world agriculture.
What Sir John got was something
less than his dream. His objectives
were supported, but the responsible
ity OF achieving them was placed
back on the individual nations.
THE important thing" Sir John
commented, "is that practical be-
ginning has been made"
Throughout the year FAC has
continued its far-reaching efforts to
increase international food produc-
ticn and member governments are
cooperating. Vast areas OF unpro-
ductive land is being cleared in
Africa, where in the eastern section
of the continent the British are
engaged in the first step of a pro-
gram that calls for large-scale me-
chanical production of groundnuts.
The French in Africa also are
studying methods for the me-