incidence of absolute hunger, higher levels of 

 nutrition and health generally, and, with appropriate 

 marketing policies, added income for rural populations, 

 Demands on governments to expend foreign exchange to 

 import food or fertilizer might also be reduced. 



2. Soil and Water Management at the Farm Level 



Both soils and water can be used more efficiently 

 to increase food production. Over half the world's 

 arable land is used sparsely, or not at all, for 

 agriculture. Most of this unused potential is found in 

 the tropics and often has characteristics unfavorable 

 for steady cultivation, e.g., high acidity or high 

 levels of mineral toxicity. At the other extreme, 

 about half of the world's food production, by value, 

 comes from irrigated land. Yet on this land, water is 

 often poorly managed, leaving great room for 

 improvement. Irrigation projects have freguently 

 failed to meet expectations because the delivery, 

 distribution, and drainage of water on farmers' fields 

 are uneven, wasteful, poorly timed, and conducive to 

 waterlogging and salinity. 



We recommend that the United states indicate its 

 willingness to respond to reguests from developing 

 countries and international organizations in two areas: 

 (1) management systems for sustained crop production on 

 tropical soils, and (2) water management for 

 irrigation. The United States has strong capabilities 

 in both areas. For many years, the U.S. Department of 

 Agriculture (USDA) and other government agencies have 

 worked on similar problems in this country, while AID 

 and others have had extensive experience with these 

 problems abroad. 



With respect to management of tropical soils, the 

 United States could offer to increase U.S. 

 participation in joint research, education, and 

 training activities that would develop and demonstrate 

 appropriate management practices; strengthen the 

 capabilities of the AID-supported consortia of 

 universities which have in-depth expertise and 

 worldwide contacts and cooperative activities in this 

 field; support international initiatives to expand and 

 strengthen the evolving informal international network 

 working on problems in soil management; and assist, 

 where reguested, in building developing country 

 capabilities in this field. 



Similarly, in the area of farm- level water 

 management, the United States could offer to expand 

 bilateral financial and technical collaboration with 

 developing countries; encourage ties between 

 international financing for new irrigation projects and 



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