IV

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 260

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the trade and economic development policies of the United States should respect and support the rights

of African farmers with respect to their agricultural and biological resources, traditional knowledge, and technologies.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

NOVEMBER 1, 2001

Ms. WATERS (for herself, Ms. LEE, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, and Ms. KILPATRICK) submitted the following concurrent

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period

to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee

concerned

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the trade and

economic development policies of the United States

should respect and support the rights of African farmers

with respect to their agricultural and biological resources,

traditional knowledge, and technologies.

Whereas indigenous agricultural and biological resources, traditional knowledge, and technologies are vitally important

to the economies, cultures, environment, food security,

and rural livelihoods of sub-Saharan Africa;
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•HCON 260 IH

Whereas the majority of Africans in the sub-Saharan region

depend directly on agriculture for their daily sustenance

and income needs;

Whereas the majority of farmers in this region cultivate their

crops on small family plots, growing crops and raising

livestock for their own food needs, saving and exchanging

their seeds and produce, and freely selling their surplus

harvest according to traditional practices passed on for

generations;

Whereas African women are the main producers of food crops

cultivated for family and local consumption;

Whereas public access to and communal prerogatives over agricultural and biological resources, traditional knowledge,

and technologies are integral to African culture, food security, and to the local economies;

Whereas corporations and outside individuals are profiting

from the use of these agricultural and biological resources, and from the traditional knowledge and technologies, without the prior agreement of African farmers

and local communities;

Whereas the international trend toward the patenting of life

forms threatens public access to and communal prerogatives over agricultural and biological resources, traditional knowledge, and technologies in Africa; and

Whereas in order to safeguard the access and rights of African farmers to their agricultural and biological resources,

traditional knowledge, and technologies, the Organization

of African Unity has developed the African Model Legislation for the Protection of the Rights of Local Communities, Farmers and Breeders, and for the Regulation of

Access to Biological Resources: Now, therefore, be it
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•HCON 260 IH

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—

3 (1) African nations and people have the right to

4 ensure the conservation, evaluation, and sustainable

5 use of their agricultural and biological resources,

6 traditional knowledge, and technologies, and to gov7 ern access to them;

8 (2) African farmers have the right to access,

9 use, exchange, and share their agricultural and bio10 logical resources, traditional knowledge, and tech11 nologies as established by customary law and prac12 tice;

13 (3) African nations have the right to protect the

14 rights of farmers and communities to their agricul15 tural and biological resources, traditional knowledge,

16 and technologies;

17 (4) the patenting of life forms that are part of

18 African agricultural and biological resources, tradi19 tional knowledge, and technologies violates these

20 rights;

21 (5) the African Model Legislation for the Pro22 tection of the Rights of Local Communities, Farm23 ers and Breeders, and for the Regulation of Access

24 to Biological Resources seeks to recognize, protect,

25 and support these rights; and
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•HCON 260 IH

1 (6) the trade and economic development policies

2 of the United States toward Africa should respect

3 and support the rights of African farmers with re4 spect to their agricultural and biological resources,

5 traditional knowledge, and technologies, and the pro6 visions of the African Model Legislation.

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