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.

Bill: 108-hconres-269
Sponsor: Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-35]
Introduced: 2003-07-25 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Africa
Africa (Sub-Saharan)
Agricultural conservation
Agriculture and Food
Agriculture in foreign trade
Arts, Culture, Religion
Cultural relations
Economic development
Economics and Public Finance
Environmental Protection
Farmers
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Housing and Community Development
Intellectual property
Middle East and North Africa
Patents
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Science, Technology, Communications
Sustainable agriculture

Summary:
action_date: 2003-07-25
text: 
Declares the sense of Congress that: (1) African nations and people have the right to ensure the conservation, evaluation, and sustainable use of their agricultural and biological resources, traditional knowledge, and technologies, and to govern access to them; (2) African farmers have the right to access, use, exchange, and share their agricultural and biological resources, traditional knowledge, and technologies as established by customary law and practice; (3) African nations have the right to protect the rights of farmers and communities to their agricultural and biological resources, traditional knowledge, and technologies; (4) the patenting of life forms that are part of African agricultural and biological resources, traditional knowledge, and technologies violates such rights; (5) 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 seeks to recognize, protect, and support such rights; and (6) U.S. trade and economic development policies toward Africa should respect and support the rights of African farmers with respect to their agricultural and biological resources, traditional knowledge, and technologies, and the provisions of the African Model Legislation.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-07-28
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.
action_date: 2003-07-25
text: 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.
action_date: 2003-07-25
text: 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.
action_date: 2003-07-25
text: 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.
action_date: 2003-07-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-07-25
text: Introduced in House