358. Summary Notes of the 562d Meeting of the National Security Council1
The World Food Problem
The President: This discussion on the current world food problem was called because: 1. The war on hunger is as important as any national security problem we face; 2. The size and urgency of the problem requires us to move rapidly to organize a worldwide attack on hunger; and 3. U.S. public opinion polls show a resistance to our assisting foreign countries in the fields of health, welfare, education, and food.
Secretary Rusk: The Development Assistance Committee is meeting in Washington this week. We plan to alert those who are assisting foreign countries to the urgency of the food problem. Up to now, the food producing countries have been looked to to solve the serious world food problem. However, the fight on hunger must include nations other than the food producing nations. We must work out a combination of means to fight hunger. We are disappointed in what the developing states have done to increase their food production. We have also been disappointed by what the donor states in DAC have done in providing food aid.
AID Director Bell: Summarized the Aid paper (copy attached).2 He used the charts attached to the paper to illustrate the magnitude [Page 701] of the problem and to emphasize that an agricultural program must be integrated into the national economy of every developing country.
Secretary Freeman: India is doing what it said it would do in improving seed, developing water resources, and increasing the use and production of fertilizer. Famine is not likely now in India but we must get tough with the Indians to ensure that they achieve a five percent agricultural growth rate. As to U.S. domestic production, we should return additional U.S. acreage to food production. We need enough food to ensure that famine will not occur in the future. The Indians have lived up to their commitments and we must live up to ours. (Secretary Freeman’s paper and table referred to are attached.)3
The Vice President: We should increase the amount of wheat carried over into the next year in order to block the speculators and to use it as a means of holding down inflation.
Secretary Freeman: A final decision on the increase in U.S. acreage must be taken no later than Labor Day.
The President: Every official taking part in the Development Assistance Committee meeting this week (the Vice President, Secretary Rusk, Secretary Freeman, Ambassador Bell) should make clear that the United States is deadly serious about a worldwide effort to fight hunger and that it is in the interests of all advanced countries to help to the fullest extent that they can.
Secretary Rusk should prepare plans for a State-AID-Agriculture-BOB effort to prepare studies and recommendations as to the next steps to be taken in the war on hunger.
A major objective of this Administration is the export of food, health, and education. Top priority must be given to getting Congress to authorize adequate resources for this purpose.
Secretary Fowler: The export of U. S. goods and services is desirable if it is done in such ways as to avoid displacing commercial markets. The export of cash is not. We must get on a burden-sharing basis with other countries because of the effect on our balance of payments position of the movement abroad of U.S. resources. We must insist that international organizations find ways to transfer abroad our resources with the least effect on our balance of payments.
- Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, NSC Meetings, Vol. 3, 7/19/66. Confidential/Sensitive; For the President Only. An attached list shows that 18 attended the meeting in addition to the President, including Humphrey, Rusk, McNamara, Ball, Helms, Fowler, Freeman, Bell, Gaud, Rostow, and Hamilton.↩
- Reference is to a discussion paper entitled “The World Food Problem,” signed by Bell on July 15.↩
- A July 19 paper entitled “Review of the World Food Situation,” and eight tables illustrating the U.S. wheat situation were attached.↩