I
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3636
To support sustainable and broad-based agricultural and rural development
in sub-Saharan Africa, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 1, 1998
Mr. BEREUTER (for himself, Mr. HAMILTON, Ms. MCKINNEY, Mrs. CLAYTON,
Mr. HALL of Ohio, and Mr. LEACH) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition
to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To support sustainable and broad-based agricultural and
rural development in sub-Saharan Africa, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘Africa: Seeds of Hope Act of 1998’’.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents is
as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings and declaration of policy.
TITLE I—ASSISTANCE FOR SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Sec. 101. Africa Food Security Initiative.
Sec. 102. Microenterprise assistance.
Sec. 103. Support for producer-owned cooperative marketing associations.
Sec. 104. Agricultural and rural development activities of the Overseas Private
Investment Corporation.
Sec. 105. Agricultural research and extension activities.
TITLE II—WORLDWIDE FOOD ASSISTANCE AND AGRICULTURAL
PROGRAMS
Subtitle A—Non-Emergency Food Assistance Programs
Sec. 201. Non-emergency food assistance programs.
Subtitle B—Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust Act of 1998
Sec. 211. Short title.
Sec. 212. Amendments to the Food Security Commodity Reserve Act of 1996.
Subtitle C—International Fund for Agricultural Development
Sec. 221. Support for activities of the International Fund for Agricultural De-
velopment.
TITLE III—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Sec. 301. Report.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF POLICY.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:
(1) The economic, security, and humanitarian
interests of the United States and the nations of
sub-Saharan Africa would be enhanced by sustain-
able and broad-based agricultural and rural develop-
ment in each of these African nations and the
United States should support such development.
(2) According to the Food and Agriculture Or-
ganization, the number of undernourished people in
Africa has more than doubled, from approximately
100,000,000 in the late 1960s to 215,000,000 in
1998, and is projected to increase to 265,000,000 by
the year 2010.
(3)(A) Currently, agricultural production in Af-
rica employs about two-thirds of the workforce but
produces less than one-quarter of the gross domestic
product in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the
World Bank Group.
(B) Africa’s food imports are projected to rise
from less than 8,000,000 metric tons in 1990 to
more than 25,000,000 metric tons by the year 2020.
(4) African women produce up to 80 percent of
the total food supply in Africa according to the
International Food Policy Research Institute.
(5)(A) In November 1996, the World Food
Summit set a goal of reducing hunger worldwide by
one-half by the year 2015 and encouraged national
governments to develop domestic food plans and to
support international aid efforts.
(B) Since then, several agencies of the United
Nations, including the International Fund for Agri-
cultural Development (IFAD) whose mission is to
provide the rural poor and women in the developing
world with cost-effective ways of overcoming hunger,
poverty, and malnutrition, have undertaken a coop-
erative special initiative on Africa.
(6) Although the World Bank Group has re-
cently launched a major initiative to support agricul-
tural and rural development, currently only 10 per-
cent or $1,200,000,000 of its total lending to sub-
Saharan Africa for fiscal years 1993 to 1997 was
devoted to agriculture.
(7)(A) The future prosperity of the United
States food processing and agricultural sector is in-
creasingly dependent on exports and the liberaliza-
tion of global trade.
(B) Africa represents a huge potential market
for United States food and agricultural products.
(8)(A) Although increased trade among African
countries and between the United States and Africa
can greatly help to overcome hunger in Africa, pri-
vate sector investment cannot alone meet the initial
needs of rural Africa.
(B) Development assistance, microcredit assist-
ance, and technical assistance from nongovernmental
and private voluntary organizations, multilateral and
bilateral governmental entities, including United
States agencies, are also necessary to facilitate and
encourage commercial development in Africa of, for
example, improved infrastructure, including rural
roads, agricultural research and extension, and ac-
cess to credit and other resources.
(9)(A) The African Development Foundation as
well as several United States private voluntary orga-
nizations have proven successful at empowering Afri-
cans through direct business ownership and helping
African agricultural producers more efficiently and
directly market their products.
(B) Rural business associations, owned and
controlled by farmer shareholders, also greatly aid
agricultural producers to increase their household in-
come.
(10)(A) Over a decade ago, the Development
Fund for Africa (DFA) was enacted into law ‘‘to
help the poor majority of men and women in sub-
Saharan Africa to participate in a process of long-
term development through economic growth that is
equitable, participatory, environmentally sustainable,
and self-reliant.’’.
(B) In recent years, political change and eco-
nomic recovery in Africa have amplified the impor-
tance of this policy objective while generating new
opportunities for its advancement.
(C) Despite these developments, funding for the
Development Fund for Africa has declined from a
high of $811,000,000 for 1993 to approximately
$635,000,000 for 1997.
(11)(A) United States bilateral development
and humanitarian assistance to sub-Saharan Africa
is approximately one-tenth of one percent of the
total annual budget of the United States Govern-
ment.
(B) Funding for agricultural development
worldwide by the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development has declined from 36 percent
of its total budget in 1988 to fifteen percent in
1997.
(12) The United States Agency for Inter-
national Development has initiated an Africa Food
Security Initiative in an effort to improve child nu-
trition and increase agricultural income in Africa.
(b) DECLARATION OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the
United States to support governments of sub-Saharan Af-
rican countries, United States and African nongovern-
mental organizations, United States and African busi-
nesses, and international agencies to ensure secure liveli-
hoods and adequate nutrition for all individuals in sub-
Saharan Africa, through sustainable agricultural and
rural development.
TITLE I—ASSISTANCE FOR SUB-
SAHARAN AFRICA
SEC. 101. AFRICA FOOD SECURITY INITIATIVE.
(a) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS IN CARRYING OUT
THE INITIATIVE.—In providing development assistance
under the Africa Food Security Initiative, or any com-
parable or successor program, the Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development—
(1) shall use resources for programs and
projects that improve the food security of infants,
young children, school-age children, women or food-
insecure households, or that improve the agricultural
productivity, incomes, and marketing of the rural
poor in Africa;
(2) shall solicit and take into consideration the
views and needs of intended beneficiaries and pro-
gram participants during the selection, planning, im-
plementation, and evaluation phases of projects; and
(3) shall ensure that program objectives and
interventions are primarily developed and conducted
by African and United States private and voluntary
organizations and other such organizations, includ-
ing cooperatives and local producer-owned coopera-
tive marketing associations, that have a dem-
onstrated expertise in addressing the needs of the
poor, small-scale farmers, entrepreneurs, and rural
workers, including women.
(b) SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.—It is the sense of
the Congress that the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development should increase re-
sources to the Africa Food Security Initiative, or any com-
parable or successor program, for fiscal year 2000 and
subsequent fiscal years in order to meet the needs of the
countries participating in such Initiative.
SEC. 102. MICROENTERPRISE ASSISTANCE.
(a) BILATERAL ASSISTANCE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—In providing microenterprise
assistance for sub-Saharan Africa, the Administrator
of the United States Agency for International Devel-
opment shall, to the extent practicable, provide cred-
it and microcredit assistance for the purpose of im-
proving the efficiency of agricultural production in
sub-Saharan Africa.
(2) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT.—In providing
assistance described in paragraph (1), the Adminis-
trator shall ensure that such assistance is targeted
specifically to the needs of women, small-scale farm-
ers, and small rural entrepreneurs.
(b) MULTILATERAL ASSISTANCE.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development
shall work with other countries, international organi-
zations (including multilateral development institu-
tions), and entities assisting microenterprises to de-
velop a comprehensive and coordinated strategy for
providing microenterprise assistance for sub-Saharan
Africa.
(2) ADDITIONAL
REQUIREMENT.—In carrying
out paragraph (1), the Administrator shall encour-
age the Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest to
coordinate the strategy described in such paragraph.
SEC. 103. SUPPORT FOR PRODUCER-OWNED COOPERATIVE
MARKETING ASSOCIATIONS.
(a) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this section are—
(1) to support producer-owned cooperative mar-
keting associations in sub-Saharan Africa;
(2) to strengthen the capacity of farmers in
sub-Saharan Africa to participate in national and
international markets and to promote rural develop-
ment in sub-Saharan Africa;
(3) to encourage the efforts of farmers in sub-
Saharan Africa to increase their productivity and in-
come through improved access to farm supplies, sea-
sonal credit, technical expertise; and
(4) to support small businesses in sub-Saharan
Africa as they grow beyond microenterprises.
(b) SUPPORT FOR PRODUCER-OWNED COOPERATIVE
MARKETING ASSOCIATIONS.—
(1) MANDATORY ACTIVITIES.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The President, acting
through the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development, shall
utilize relevant foreign assistance programs and
initiatives for sub-Saharan Africa to support
producer-owned cooperative marketing associa-
tions in sub-Saharan Africa, including rural
business associations that are owned and con-
trolled by farmer shareholders.
(B) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—In car-
rying out subparagraph (A), the President—
(i) shall seek to target such assistance
specifically to the needs of women, small-
scale farmers, small rural entrepreneurs,
and rural workers and communities; and
(ii) shall take into account the local-
level perspectives of the rural and urban
poor through close consultation with these
groups, consistent with section 496(e)(1)
of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2293(e)(1)).
(2) DISCRETIONARY
ACTIVITIES.—In addition
to carrying out paragraph (1), the President is en-
couraged—
(A) to cooperate with governments of for-
eign countries, including governments of politi-
cal subdivisions of such countries, and particu-
larly with United States nongovernmental orga-
nizations, that have demonstrated expertise in
the development and promotion of successful
producer-owned cooperative marketing associa-
tions; and
(B) to facilitate partnerships between
United States and African cooperatives and pri-
vate businesses to enhance the capacity and
technical and marketing expertise of business
associations in sub-Saharan Africa.
SEC. 104. AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT AC-
TIVITIES OF THE OVERSEAS PRIVATE IN-
VESTMENT CORPORATION.
(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to en-
courage the Overseas Private Development Corporation to
work with United States businesses and other United
States entities to invest in rural sub-Saharan Africa, par-
ticularly in ways that will develop the capacities of women,
small-scale farmers, and small rural entrepreneurs in sub-
Saharan Africa.
(b) SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.—It is the sense of
the Congress that—
(1) the Overseas Private Investment Corpora-
tion should exercise its authority under law to un-
dertake an initiative to support agricultural and
rural development in sub-Saharan Africa, including
issuing loans, guaranties, and insurance, to support
rural development in sub-Saharan Africa, particu-
larly to support intermediary organizations that—
(A) directly serve the needs of women,
small-scale farmers, small rural entrepreneurs,
and rural producer-owned cooperative market-
ing associations;
(B) have a clear track-record of support
for sound business management practices; and
(C) have demonstrated experience with
participatory development methods;
(2) the Overseas Private Investment Corpora-
tion should utilize existing equity funds, loan and in-
surance funds, to the extent feasible and in accord-
ance with existing contractual obligations, to support
agriculture and rural development in sub-Saharan
Africa; and
(3) the United States Agency for International
Development and the Overseas Private Investment
Corporation should jointly cooperate to ensure that
adequate administrative funds are available to carry
out this subsection.
SEC. 105. AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND EXTENSION AC-
TIVITIES.
(a) DEVELOPMENT OF PLAN.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Develop-
ment, in conjunction with the Secretary of Agri-
culture, shall develop a comprehensive plan to co-
ordinate the activities of international agricultural
research centers funded by the Agency, United
States land grant universities, and national agricul-
tural research and extension centers in sub-Saharan
Africa.
(2) ADDITIONAL
REQUIREMENTS.—Such plan
shall ensure that—
(A) research and extension activities will
respond to the needs of small-scale farmers
while developing the potential and skills of re-
searchers, extension agents, farmers, and agri-
business persons in sub-Saharan Africa;
(B) sustainable agricultural methods of
farming will be considered together with new
technologies in increasing agricultural produc-
tivity in sub-Saharan Africa; and
(C) research and extension efforts will
focus on sustainable agricultural practices and
will be adapted to widely varying climates with-
in sub-Saharan Africa.
(b) SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.—It is the sense of
the Congress that the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development—
(1) has disproportionately reduced funding for
international agriculture and rural development ac-
tivities and has disproportionately reduced the num-
ber of agricultural specialists who carry out such ac-
tivities; and
(2) should devote more resources and staff to
such activities.
TITLE II—WORLDWIDE FOOD AS-
SISTANCE 
AND 
AGRICUL-
TURAL PROGRAMS
Subtitle A—Non-Emergency Food
Assistance Programs
SEC. 201. NON-EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.
In providing non-emergency assistance under title II
of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act
of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1721 et seq.), the Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development shall
ensure that—
(1) in planning, decision-making, and imple-
mentation in providing such assistance, the Adminis-
trator takes into consideration local input and par-
ticipation directly and through United States and in-
digenous private and voluntary organizations;
(2) each of the non-emergency activities de-
scribed paragraphs (2) through (6) of section 201 of
such Act (7 U.S.C. 1721), including programs that
provide assistance to people of any age group who
are otherwise unable to meet their basic food needs
(including feeding programs for the disabled, or-
phaned, elderly, sick and dying), are carried out; and
(3) greater flexibility is provided for program
and evaluation plans so that such assistance may be
developed to meet local needs, as provided for in sec-
tion 202(f) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1722).
Subtitle B—Bill Emerson
Humanitarian Trust Act of 1998
SEC. 211. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ‘‘Bill Emerson Hu-
manitarian Trust Act of 1998’’.
SEC. 212. AMENDMENTS TO THE FOOD SECURITY COMMOD-
ITY RESERVE ACT OF 1996.
The Food Security Commodity Reserve Act of 1996
(7 U.S.C. 1736f–1) is amended—
(1) so that section 301 reads as follows:
‘‘SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE.
‘‘This title may be cited as the ‘Bill Emerson Human-
itarian Trust Act’.’’;
(2) in the title of section 302(b), by inserting
‘‘OR FUNDS’’ after ‘‘(b) COMMODITIES’’;
(3) at the end of subparagraph (B) of section
302(b)(1), by striking ‘‘and’’;
(4) in section 302(b)(1)(C), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’;
(5) in section 302(b)(1), by adding at the end
the following new subparagraph:
‘‘(D) funds made available under section
302(b)(2)(B).’’;
(6) in section 302(b)(2)(A), by striking ‘‘Sub-
ject to subsection (h), commodities’’ and inserting
‘‘Commodities’’;
(7) in section 302(b)(2)(B), by striking ‘‘to ac-
quire’’ and all that follows through the end of such
subparagraph and inserting ‘‘to acquire eligible com-
modities through purchases from producers or in the
market to replenish the trust shall be available—
‘‘(i) from funds made available to
carry out the Agricultural Trade Develop-
ment and Assistance Act of 1954 (7
U.S.C. 1691 et seq.) that are used to
repay or to reimburse the Commodity
Credit Corporation for the release of eligi-
ble commodities under section 302(c)(2)
and section 302(f)(2) of this Act;
‘‘(ii) from available balances in other
Commodity Credit Corporation programs,
if such balances otherwise would not be ob-
ligated and such balances are transferred
for use under this Act at the end of a fis-
cal year except that no funds may be
transferred from export enhancement, ex-
port credit guarantees, export promotion,
or foreign market development programs;
‘‘(iii) from available balances under
title I of the Agricultural Trade Develop-
ment and Assistance Act of 1954, as
amended (7 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and
‘‘(iv) from authorized funds in an ap-
propriations Act.’’;
(8) in section 302(c)(2) by inserting at the end
the following: ‘‘Commodities may be provided for
this purpose only at levels consistent with maintain-
ing the long-term value of the trust.’’
(9) in section 302(d)—
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of para-
graph (1);
(B) by striking the period at the end of
subsection (d)(2) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(C) by inserting at the end the following:
‘‘(3) for the management of the trust to pre-
serve its value through the use of the replenishment
authority provided under subsection (b)(2), if this
does not interfere in the release of commodities from
the trust to meet the purposes of section 302(c)(1)
of this Act.’’;
(10) by striking subsection (h);
(11) by striking ‘‘reserve’’ each place it appears
and inserting ‘‘trust’’; and
(12) in the heading of section 302(e), by strik-
ing ‘‘RESERVE’’ and inserting ‘‘TRUST’’.
Subtitle C—International Fund for
Agricultural Development
SEC. 221. SUPPORT FOR ACTIVITIES OF THE INTER-
NATIONAL FUND FOR AGRICULTURAL DE-
VELOPMENT.
(a) SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.—It is the sense of the
Congress that the United States should maintain its lead-
ership in and continued support for the activities of the
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
(b) SUPPORT FOR ACTIVITIES OF IFAD.—The Presi-
dent, acting through the Administrator of the United
States Agency for International Development, is author-
ized and encouraged to take a leadership role among other
countries that make contributions to the International
Fund for Agricultural Development for the purpose of giv-
ing direction and support for the activities of the Fund.
(c) REVIEW OF UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTIONS TO
IFAD.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development
and the Secretary of State shall review the effective-
ness of the current 6-year agreement between the
United States Agency for International Development
and the Department of State relating to United
States contributions to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development.
(2) CONDUCT OF REVIEW.—In carrying out the
review under paragraph (1), the Administrator and
the Secretary shall consider the extent to which the
International Fund for Agricultural Development
has made progress toward management reforms,
self-sufficiency, poverty reduction, and achieving the
goals outlined in the current agreement referred to
in paragraph (1).
(3) FUTURE
CONTRIBUTIONS
TO
IFAD.—For
purposes of determining the amount of future
United States contributions to the International
Fund for Agricultural Development, the Adminis-
trator and the Secretary shall determine the extent
to which the Fund has satisfied or made sufficient
progress toward satisfying the criteria described in
paragraph (2).
TITLE III—MISCELLANEOUS
PROVISIONS
SEC. 301. REPORT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of
the United States Agency for International Development,
in consultation with the heads of other appropriate agen-
cies, shall prepare and submit to the Congress a report
that contains the following:
(1) A summary of the Agency’s plans for meet-
ing the objectives of the Africa Food Security Initia-
tive, or any comparable or successor program, under
section 101.
(2) A summary of the strategy for providing
microenterprise assistance for sub-Saharan Africa
developed under section 111(b), including a descrip-
tion of how the Agency intends to provide assistance
specifically to meet the needs of women, small-scale
farmers, and small rural entrepreneurs.
(3) A summary of the activities of the Agency
to support producer-owned cooperative marketing as-
sociations in sub-Saharan Africa under section 112.
(4) A summary of the comprehensive plan relat-
ing to international agricultural research and exten-
sion activities under section 114.
(5) A summary accounting of all programs and
expenditures of the Agency on sustainable agri-
culture, research, agricultural-related activities, and
personnel from 1985 to 1998.
(6) A summary of the activities of the Agency
to carry out section 201.
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