[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1894 Introduced in House (IH)]







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 Florida) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and 
 in addition to the Committee on International Relations, 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 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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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 Caribbean Basin 
        countries use antiquated techniques to produce their crops, 
        which results in poor crop quality 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 
        consumers 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 farmers, 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 agricultural skills training 
        program for these farmers that focuses on--
                    (A) improving knowledge of insecticide and 
                sanitation procedures to prevent crop destruction;
                    (B) teaching modern farming techniques, including 
                the identification and development of standard growing 
                practices and the establishment of systems for 
                recordkeeping, that would facilitate a continual 
                analysis of crop production;
                    (C) the use and maintenance of state-of-the-art 
                farming equipment;
                    (D) expansion of small farming operations into 
                agribusiness enterprises through the development and 
                use of village banking systems and the use of 
                agricultural risk insurance pilot products, 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 promises 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 providers 
        offering agricultural risk insurance products and technical 
        assistance.
            (7) Existing programs that promote the exchange of 
        agricultural knowledge and expertise through the exchange of 
        American and foreign farmers have been effective in promoting 
        improved agricultural 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 PROGRAM.

    (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 individual trained 
        to transfer information and technical support relating to 
        agribusiness, food security, the mitigation and alleviation of 
        hunger, the mitigation of agricultural and farm risk, 
        maximization of crop yields, agricultural trade, and other 
        needs specific 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 
        country, or in any other developing country in which the 
        Secretary determines there is a need for farming expertise or 
        for information or technical support described in paragraph 
        (2).
            (4) Caribbean basin country.--The term ``Caribbean basin 
        country'' means a country eligible for designation as a 
        beneficiary country under section 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 Program 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 exchange programs whereby African-American and other American 
farmers and American agricultural farming specialists share technical 
knowledge with eligible farmers regarding--
            (1) maximization of crop yields;
            (2) use of agricultural risk insurance as financial tools 
        and a means of risk management (as allowed 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--
            (1) a college or university, including a historically black 
        college or university, or a foundation maintained by a college 
        or university; and
            (2) a private organization or corporation, including 
        grassroots organizations, with an established and demonstrated 
        capacity to carry out such a bilateral exchange program.
    (d) Terms of Program.--(1) It is the goal of the Program that at 
least 1,000 farmers participate in the training program by December 31, 
2005, of which at least 800 will be African farmers or farmers in 
Caribbean Basin countries and 200 will be American farmers.
    (2) Training under the Program will be provided to eligible farmers 
in groups to ensure that information is shared and passed on to other 
eligible farmers. Eligible farmers will be trained to be specialists in 
their home communities and will be encouraged not to retain enhanced 
farming technology for their own personal enrichment.
    (3) Through partnerships with American businesses, the Program will 
utilize the commercial industrial capability of businesses dealing in 
agriculture to train eligible farmers on state-of-the-art equipment and 
to introduce eligible farmers to the use of insurance as a risk 
management tool.
    (e) Selection of Participants.--(1) The selection of eligible 
farmers, as well as African-American and other American farmers and 
agricultural farming specialists, to participate in the Program shall 
be made by grant recipients using an application process approved by 
the Secretary.
    (2) Participating farmers must meet certain educational 
requirements and targets regarding the productivity of their farm or 
agribusiness.
    (f) Grant Period.--The Secretary may make grants under the Program 
during a period of 5 years beginning on October 1 of the first fiscal 
year for which funds are made available to carry out the Program.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2002 through 2006.
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