mended that `for many commodities, the most satisfactory method would be
inter-governmental commodity arrangements and agreements'. It further emphas-
ized that commodity arrangements
of them meet three requirements: first, they should contribute towards stabil-
ization of agricultural prices at levels fair to producers and consumers alike;
secondly, they should, so far as possible, avoid restriction of production and
should stimulate an expansion of consumption and an improvement of nutri-
tion and thirdly, they should encourage, consistently with considerations
relevant to the national economy of each country, shifts of production to areas
in which the commodities can be most economically and effectively produced.
technical questions related to the production and distribution of agricultural
products. Its report is remarkable for the fact that most, if not all, of the features
of the world food security proposals for the next twenty years were present in
the commission's recommendations. The most elaborate part of the commission's
report dealt with the definitions and concepts of stocks and reserves. It envis-
aged three types: working stocks, famine reserves and price-stabilization reserves.
Working stocks as defined by the commission included: pipeline (normal ship-
ping and distribution) requirements, a reserve against crop fluctuations, and,
for importing countries, a reserve against fluctuations in import supply, or for
exporting countries, a reserve to help maintain export markets. According to the
commission, the decision concerning the size of the working stock should be the
responsibility of individual countries.
possible to do so. This was regarded as necessary, particularly for bread grains
and rice. It was proposed that such a reserve should be held nationally by
exporting and importing countries for use nationally and internationally under
agreed conditions. The amount of reserve to be carried by each member was to
be decided for each commodity by international agreement. Each member was
to bear the cost of carrying its own share, but the distribution among members
of the aggregate burden was to be equitable, both as to carrying stocks and as to
any loss which might be incurred in distribution to famine areas. Contributions
were to be made in kind, as far as feasible.
commission favoured the idea that `the stocks should be nationally held, but