Progress has been made, in some instances, as the result of United States efforts

Consciousness of population issues among Third World leaders has been enhanced;

Countries with family planning programs have increased from 4 countries in 1963 to 34 in 1973;

Growth of other donor assistance has gone from $7 million in 1969 to $52 million in 1973; and

Some countries have experienced a slow-down in their population growth rates.

Despite gains, however, no one can rationally predict that the population growth problem will be licked in 10, or even 20 years. A number of tasks remain

Reaching at least 85 percent of the people in the developing countries for whom family planning services are not yet available; Better understanding of economic, social, and cultural determinants of fertility, and policies to influence them; and

Greater integration of population with health and nutrition programs, and-beyond that-with general general development planning.

Many experts believe the key to controlling fertility in the lessdeveloped countries lies in better health and nutrition for the population, especially for children. The following statistics on infant mortality help to tell the story:

Source: Population Reference Bureau, "1975 World Population Data Sheet."

Desired family size has a direct correlation to population growth rates in less-developed countries.

In turn, desired family size appears to be a result, at least in part, of a couple's perception of how many of their children will live to maturity-to be a source of labor, comfort, and "social security."

Thus, paradoxically, insuring the survival of children, through better health care and nutrition, may be the best means of changing ideas on family size and reducing population growth rates.

Furthermore, bringing health care to millions in the LDC's is, in itself, a worthy objective.

But it cannot be done in the high-cost, curative modes of Western society.

Rather, such programs should follow the "New Directions" strategy of health progress which—

Emphasizes preventive rather than curative medicine;

Uses paramedical and auxiliary medical personnel and other forms of community outreach; and

Stresses disease prevention, environmental sanitation and health education.

D. EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

Education in agriculture, health, population, presupposes general education and literacy. Yet, as the following comparative chart shows, literacy is low in the less-developed countries:

Sources: Report by the Chairman of the Development Assistance Committee, Development Co-operation, 1974 Review (Paris: OECD, 1974), pp. 280-283; U.S. Agency for International Development, Bureau for Population and Humanitarian Assistance, Population Program Assistance: Annual Report, Fiscal Year 1973 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1974), pp. 162–167.

Too often in the past, outside aid has been used to spread inadequate and inappropriate schooling to those who had never had it before. The "New Directions" approach emphasizes, instead

Expanding and improving nonformal educational methods, especially those designed to improve productive skills of rural families and the urban poor and to provide them with useful information;

Increasing the relevance of formal education systems to the needs of the poor, especially at the primary level, through reform of curricula, teaching materials and methods, and improved teacher training; and

Strengthening the management capabilities of institutions which enable the poor to participate in development.

TITLE XII—FAMINE PREVENTION

A major feature of the bill is the addition to the Foreign Assistance Act of a new Title XII-Famine Prevention and Freedom From Hunger.

This new authority is designed to enlist fuller and more effective use of one of America's great resources-its land-grant and similar agricultural colleges and universities-in meeting the challenge of increasing food supplies for the growing populations of developing countries. The new title XII recognizes the large contribution that land-grant and other U.S. universities have made over the years toward making American farm production the envy of the world. It sees also that in a world of rising populations with rising expections, increased food production and improved distribution, storage, and marketing in developing countries are needed both to prevent hunger and to build an economic base for growth, with greatest benefit to the poorest majorities.

These American universities long have shown their ability and interest in stimulating food production abroad, in cooperation with foreign agricultural institutions. But to maintain and increase such activities, the universities need dependable, long-term Federal funding. The new title XII thus seeks, through Foreign Assistance Act funding, to strengthen the capabilities of land-grant and similar U.S. universities to help improve farm production in developing countries. It will promote the building of agricultural institutions and programs in poor countries which foster research and teaching and conveying agricultural information directly to farmers in the field. It will support long-term collaborative university research and the international agricultural research centers and specific research projects, and involve universities more fully in the international network of agricultural science. And it will accord a stronger, statutory role to the U.S. universities in assisting the Agency for International Development in these programs.

The general authority under title XII is vested in the President, who shall exercise it through the Administrator of AID. To assist in its administration, there is established a new, permanent Board for International Agricultural Development.

The Board will be a focal point for the increased U.S. university role in this area of foreign assistance. The Board is given broad responsibilities and duties in assisting the Administration. It will be composed of seven Presidentially appointed members, of whom at least four shall be from eligible universities and one shall be from a nonland-grant university.

Two subordinate units of the Board are also provided for: a Joint Research Committee, and a Joint Committee on Country Programs.

Eligibility for participation under the title includes both land-grant universities and other U.S. universities with demonstrable capacity in teaching, research, and extension work in agricultural sciences, and which can contribute effectively to the objectives of the title.

Various funding restrictions of the Foreign Assistance Act are waived for purposes of title XII to aid in its successful implementation over a long term. There is no specific level of authorization, the funding being derived from the amounts for section 103 (Food and Nutrition) of the act. However, the initial title XII expenditures are expected to be relatively small, and to increase rather slowly, because of the gradual nature of the institution-building process.

The committee intends that the assistance to U.S. universities to strengthen their capabilities for helping to increase agricultural production in developing countries will relate only to their overseas development responsibility, and will be limited to instances where university capacity is clearly lacking and is clearly required for the purposes of this title. Title XII aid to universities is not to be deemed as an end in itself. Foreign assistance funds are too limited to promote a large-scale effort to build U.S. university capacities which are only indirectly related to the objectives of the "New Directions" program. The committee intends that to the maximum extent possible, title XII funds will be spent in the recipient countries.

The committee also recognizes that American-style agricultural techniques usually cannot be directly transplanted to foreign countries, but must be adapted to local circumstances. This recognition is reflected in the new title. However, the committee believes that the education of farmers is a worthy goal and a good investment in each developing country. It also believes that a great virtue of promoting adequate agricultural educational institutions and systems in developing countries is that these mechanisms are relevant to indigenous needs and will remain able to deal not only with one specific agricultural problem, but also with future problems as they arise in this area.

The committee stresses the benefits to American farmers and consumers that can result from U.S. university collaboration with foreign universities. For example, the genetic materials for a new rust resistant winter wheat variety developed at an American university originated from materials imported from Brazil.

The new title XII was originally introduced this session by Congressman Findley as a separate bill with about 100 cosponsoring members. Mr. Findley, as a member of the committee, offered a similar measure including some suggested revisions as a section of this bill, and it was adopted.

The committee has received strong support for this proposal in testimony from representatives of the American agricultural university community and from AID.