[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 41 (Thursday, April 2, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E588]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   AFRICA: SEEDS OF HOPE ACT OF 1998

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DOUG BEREUTER

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 1, 1998

  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, this evening, the distinguished gentleman 
from Indiana, the Ranking Member of the House International Relations 
Committee (Mr. Hamilton) and this Member are introducing legislation 
that focuses on improving agricultural efficiency in Africa. This 
legislation is an important compliment to our goal for an invigorated 
trade strategy with Africa. Several weeks ago the House of 
Representatives passed, with this Member's support, the African Trade 
Growth and Opportunities Act and took the very important step toward 
greater trade with a continent in desperate need of private-sector led 
economic growth.
  By focusing on sustainable agriculture, research, rural finance, and 
food security, our legislation is directly aimed at helping the 76% of 
the Sub-Saharan African people who are small farmers. Improving the 
efficiency of these farmers is crucial to ensuring that our overall 
trade strategy is successful. As a longtime supporter of aid to Africa 
through the Development Fund for Africa and other mechanisms, I believe 
this legislation--in conjunction with our new trade initiatives--helps 
coordinate and focus America's resources on both trade and aid in 
Africa.
  If trade is to prosper in Sub-Saharan Africa, we need to better 
direct our scarce aid resources so that they stimulate private sector 
investment or help ease the suffering in those places either overlooked 
by the private sector or suffering from disasters. Our legislation 
attempts to refine our assistance programs for Sub-Saharan Africa and 
ensure that agriculture and rural development are not neglected. For 
example, we believe that the microenterprise program and the Overseas 
Private Investment Corporation are two excellent tools to help remedy 
rural finance and investment shortcomings. Moreover, we believe our 
international agricultural research programs can be better coordinated 
with our domestic agricultural research to benefit farmers in Africa as 
well as the United States. And, our food assistance programs need to be 
refocused on long-term development assistance and not be evaluated on 
the basis of short-term or immediate results that are anathema to their 
original purpose.
  This Member is especially pleased that this legislation seeks to 
replenish the Food Security Commodity Reserve and appropriately rename 
it the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust. The late, distinguished 
gentleman from Missouri worked tirelessly to ensure that the United 
States provided humanitarian assistance to those most in need 
throughout the world. By providing a mechanism to replenish the 
commodity reserve in times of low agricultural prices, this legislation 
continues that legacy by ensuring that a reserve for humanitarian 
purposes will exist when prices are high.
  In conclusion, this Member would like to commend Bread for the World 
for its relentless efforts to reduce hunger and malnutrition throughout 
the world. This Africa: Seeds of Hope Campaign and our legislation 
combine to form one more initiative in a long history of successful 
campaigns by Bread for the World.

                          ____________________