The Rural Voice, 1981-09, Page 19Congress brings
potential customers
There is a well known story about the
giant DuPont company of the United
States, where sometimes a student was
given a job declared impossible by the
experts and scientists. The student, not
knowing his task couldn't be done, went
ahead and found a way to solve the
problem. It's something akin to the
bumble bee, for whom it is aeronauti-
cally impossible to fly, but who flies just
the same.
This is exactly what the Export
Committee of the Pork Congress did
when they succeeded in bringing a
number of potential customers from Latin
America to Stratford.
What couldn't be done, to get through
all the red tape in Ottawa and Toronto in
a short period, was accomplished in three
months of hard work.
Producers and _ government officials
from Venezuela and Mexico looked at
Canadian breeding stock and equipment,
talked with officials from Industry, Trade
and Commerce with Trade and Tourism,
with trading companies dealing in pork
and porkers, and took home with them an
enormous quantity of goodwill for
Canada.
Final results will be some time in
coming, but there is little doubt that
these people. prominent in their own
countries, will prefer Canadian stock and
products if on even terms with other
suppliers. —Adrian Vos
World Food Day
to be instituted
The problem of hunger in the world is
not new. For many years, rich countries
have tried, through economic co-operation
and basic food aid, to eliminate world
famine and malnutrition. The results have
been disappointing.
Not only has the situation in disadvan-
taged countries deteriorated, the food
supply problem appears to be increasing
and will soon become insurmountable
unless concrete measures are taken
quickly.
In Africa, the average person has 10 per
cent less to eat in 1980 than in 1970.
Almost 500 million people in developing
countries suffer from severe malnutrition.
In these countries one child in four reaches
the age of five. With one doctor available
for 10,000 people the average life span is
50.
Faced with these facts, the 147 member
countries of the United Nations' Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) saw the
need to increase world-wide awareness of
the nature and dimensions of the world
food problem.
The FAO decided to institute a World
Food Day to be observed October 16. This
date is also the anniversary of the
founding of FAO in 1945. From now on,
this day will be recognized world wide to
promote efforts to solve the problem of
hunger. Organizations from all sectors,
including rural groups and international
agencies, will arrange and sponsor
activities around the world to mark the
first World Food Day, October 16, 1981.
Canada has been ranked among the
leaders in food production. On a world
scale, we cultivate three per cent of the
land with less than one per cent of the
by Gisele Ireland
world's population. Canada provides from
four to six percent of the world's wheat,
eight to twelve per cent of its oats, thirty
per cent of all rapeseed as well as
seventeen per cent of all oil products.
Canada provides two per cent of the
world's meat and milk products. Canada is
one of the rare countries fortunate
enought to be a net exporter of food. That
is why Candians have a clear responsibil-
ity to developing countries.
Canada is represented at the FAO by
Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan,
and is playing a major role in the
co-ordination of World Food Day.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
The Secretariat of World Food Day
receives and distributes information on
the world food situation and helps local
and provincial organizations plan and
organize for World Food Day. The aim is
to get Canadians more involved in helping
resolve food production and distribution at
home and around the world. Over the next
four years, Canada intends to set aside .5
per cent of its gross national product for
development aid.
Canadians can take an active part in this
awareness campaign by planning or
attending meetings and conferences con-
cerning world hunger and food produc-
tion. Young people can take part in fund
raising projects. Agricultural organiza-
tions can study farm problems and food
production. The media could present
special programs on the food supply
question. The possibilities are limitless.
For more information contact: World
Food Day Secretariat, Agriculture Can-
ada, Sir John Carling Bldg., Room 573,
OTTAWA, Ont. KIA 007 (613) 995.8195.
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THE RURAL VOICE/SEPTEMBER 1981 PG. 17