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ANNEX II THE WORK OF FAO, 1947-48 SUMMARY OF THE REPORT The following paragraphs briefly summarize the work of FAO in the twelve months since the third session of the Conference, held in Geneva, 25 August to 11 September, 1947. The Council of FAO, or World Food Council, was set up immediately after the Geneva Conference. It has kept world problems of food and agriculture under review during the year and strengthened the organization in dealing with them. Following the instructions of the Council, the Director-General has drawn up a programme of work for 1949 which sets priorities for the numerous recommendations for FAO activities made by the Conference. International allocation of basic foods has taken the sharp edge off some acute shortages. This work was continued without interruption by the International Emergency Food Committee of the Council of FAO, which in January 1948, took over the functions and responsibilities of the former International Emergency Food Council. Several regional meetings were held in 1948 to lay foundations for future work. At Cairo, representatives of Near East countries made proposals for irrigation and other improvements capable of greatly stimulating the economy of that region. At Baguio, in the Philippines, a series of conferences drew up plans for co-operative action designed to increase rice and fish supplies and improve the nutrition of peoples of South and East Asia. At Teresopolis, Brazil, a Timber Conference agreed on farreaching measures needed for developing the forest resources of Latin American countries. At Montevideo, Uruguay, the countries of Latin America made plans for future work in nutrition. At Rome, representatives of European National FAO Committees dealt with problems of agricultural rehabilitation and development. A wide range of technical advisory services designed to help countries and regions overcome handicaps to increased production and better distribution of food and other products has been supplied to member countries. Much but not all of this work is done under the FAO/UNRRA agreement, which made it possible to place FAO technical experts directly at the service of many countries formerly receiving UNRRA aid. In Europe, some 35 assignments were completed by the end of June, 1948. In China, where a great deal of UNRRA equipment was available, more than 50 projects have been in operation, including some large-scale undertakings—for example, a programme now under way for vaccinating 15 million animals against the deadly live-stock disease, rinderpest. FAO missions went to two countries at the request of their Governments. One mission went to Siam, the chief rice-exporting country of South-east Asia, to make a broad survey emphasizing possible improvements in the production of rice and of forest products, and in the management of live-stock. Another went to Venezuela to determine ways of increasing the production of edible oils, now seriously lacking in the Venezuelan food supply. Also, the full report of the mission to Poland, which completed its work in 1947, was published this year. With the regional economic commissions set up by the United Nations, FAO is carrying out agricultural, fisheries, and forestry work. One FAO group working with the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) analysed the agricultural reconstruction and development programmes ■©f 26 European countries through 1950/51. The FAO/ECE European Timber Committee has followed up the recommendations of the Marianske Lazne Timber Conference, which resulted in a 10-per-cent. increase in