I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1894
To supplement current activities in the exchange of agricultural and farming
expertise by establishing a grant program to support bilateral exchange
programs whereby African American and other American farmers share
technical knowledge with African and Caribbean Basin farmers regarding
maximization of crop yields, use of risk management tools, expansion
of agricultural trade, use of new financial instruments to increase access
to credit, and other ways to improve farming methods, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 17, 2001
Mrs. CLAYTON (for herself, Mrs. EMERSON, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. BEREUTER, Ms.
KAPTUR, Mr. LEACH, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. OSBORNE, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD,
Mr. GILMAN, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. BISHOP, Mrs.
MORELLA, Mr. BALDACCI, Mr. HOUGHTON, and Mr. HASTINGS of Flor-
ida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on International Rela-
tions, 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
A BILL
To supplement current activities in the exchange of agricul-
tural and farming expertise by establishing a grant pro-
gram to support bilateral exchange programs whereby
African American and other American farmers share
technical knowledge with African and Caribbean Basin
farmers regarding maximization of crop yields, use of
risk management tools, expansion of agricultural trade,
use of new financial instruments to increase access to
credit, and other ways to improve farming methods, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Farmers to Africa and
the Caribbean Basin Act of 2001’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Many African farmers and farmers in Car-
ibbean Basin countries use antiquated techniques to
produce their crops, which results in poor crop qual-
ity and low crop yields.
(2) Many of these farmers are losing business
to farmers in European and Asian countries who use
advanced planting and production techniques and
are supplying agricultural produce to restaurants,
resorts, tourists, grocery stores, and other con-
sumers in Africa and Caribbean Basin countries.
(3) A need exists for the training of African
farmers and farmers in Caribbean Basin countries
and other developing countries in state-of-the-art
farming techniques regarding standard growing
practices, insecticide and sanitation procedures, and
other farming methods that will produce increased
yields of more nutritious and healthful crops.
(4) African-American and other American farm-
ers, including banking and insurance professionals,
are a ready source of agribusiness expertise that
would be invaluable for African farmers and farmers
in Caribbean Basin countries.
(5) A United States commitment is appropriate
to support the development of a comprehensive agri-
cultural skills training program for these farmers
that focuses on—
(A) improving knowledge of insecticide and
sanitation procedures to prevent crop destruc-
tion;
(B) teaching modern farming techniques,
including the identification and development of
standard growing practices and the establish-
ment of systems for recordkeeping, that would
facilitate a continual analysis of crop produc-
tion;
(C) the use and maintenance of state-of-
the-art farming equipment;
(D) expansion of small farming operations
into agribusiness enterprises through the devel-
opment and use of village banking systems and
the use of agricultural risk insurance pilot prod-
ucts, resulting in increased access to credit for
these farmers; and
(E) marketing crop yields to prospective
purchasers (businesses and individuals) for local
needs and export.
(6) The participation of African-American and
other American farmers and American agricultural
farming specialists in such a training program prom-
ises the added benefit of improving access to African
and Caribbean Basin markets for American farmers
and United States farm equipment and products and
business linkages for United States insurance pro-
viders offering agricultural risk insurance products
and technical assistance.
(7) Existing programs that promote the ex-
change of agricultural knowledge and expertise
through the exchange of American and foreign farm-
ers have been effective in promoting improved agri-
cultural techniques and food security and thus the
extension of additional resources to such farmer to
farmer exchanges is warranted.
SEC. 3. FARMERS FOR AFRICA AND CARIBBEAN BASIN PRO-
GRAM.
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
(1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Agriculture.
(2) AGRICULTURAL FARMING SPECIALIST.—The
term ‘‘agricultural farming specialist’’ means an in-
dividual trained to transfer information and tech-
nical support relating to agribusiness, food security,
the mitigation and alleviation of hunger, the mitiga-
tion of agricultural and farm risk, maximization of
crop yields, agricultural trade, and other needs spe-
cific to a geographical location as determined by the
Secretary.
(3) ELIGIBLE
FARMER.—The term ‘‘eligible
farmer’’ means an individual owning or working on
farm land (as defined by a particular country’s laws
relating to property) in the sub-Saharan region of
the continent of Africa, in a Caribbean Basin coun-
try, or in any other developing country in which the
Secretary determines there is a need for farming ex-
pertise or for information or technical support de-
scribed in paragraph (2).
(4) CARIBBEAN
BASIN
COUNTRY.—The term
‘‘Caribbean basin country’’ means a country eligible
for designation as a beneficiary country under sec-
tion 212 of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery
Act (19 U.S.C. 2702).
(5) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means
the Farmers for Africa and Caribbean Basin Pro-
gram established under this section.
(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—The Secretary
shall establish a grant program, to be known as the
‘‘Farmers for Africa and Caribbean Basin Program’’, to
assist eligible organizations in carrying out bilateral ex-
change programs whereby African-American and other
American farmers and American agricultural farming spe-
cialists share technical knowledge with eligible farmers
regarding—
(1) maximization of crop yields;
(2) use of agricultural risk insurance as finan-
cial tools and a means of risk management (as al-
lowed by Annex II of the World Trade Organization
rules);
(3) expansion of trade in agricultural products;
(4) enhancement of local food security;
(5) the mitigation and alleviation of hunger;
and
(6) other ways to improve farming in countries
in which there are eligible farmers.
(c) ELIGIBLE GRANTEES.—The Secretary may make
a grant under the Program to—