[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 83 (Monday, June 14, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S6948]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION--REQUESTING THAT THE PRESIDENT RAISE THE ISSUE OF 
       AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY AT THE JUNE G-8 SUMMIT MEETING

  Mr. ASHCROFT (for himself, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Helms, Mr. 
Bingaman, Mr. Bond, and Mr. Fitzgerald) submitted the following; which 
was considered and agreed to.

                              S. Res. 120

       Whereas biotechnology is an increasingly important tool in 
     helping to meet multiple agricultural challenges of the 21st 
     century;
       Whereas genetically modified crops are helping to control 
     weeds, insects, and plant diseases to increase crop yields 
     and farm productivity, and to enhance the quality, value, and 
     suitability of crops for food, fiber, and other uses;
       Whereas agricultural biotechnology promises environmental 
     benefits by reducing, or perhaps eliminating, the need for 
     chemical pesticides, by improving the efficient utilization 
     of fertilizer, thereby protecting water quality, and by 
     conserving topsoil by reducing the need for tillage;
       Whereas in recent years farmers have rapidly adopted 
     agricultural biotechnology, with worldwide acreage of 
     genetically modified crops growing from 4,300,000 acres in 
     1996, to 69,500,000 acres in 1998, which is more than a 16-
     fold increase;
       Whereas American farmers planted biotech crops on about 38 
     percent of the soybean acreage, 25 percent of the corn 
     acreage, and 45 percent of the cotton acreage, and within a 
     few years over half of the agricultural crops grown in this 
     country may be genetically modified;
       Whereas increased agricultural productivity attained 
     through greater use of biotechnology, in both developed and 
     developing countries, holds a great deal of potential for 
     meeting the nutritional needs of the world's population, of 
     which at least 800,000,000 currently suffer from hunger or 
     malnutrition;
       Whereas despite the widespread adoption and extensive 
     global benefits of biotechnology, marked differences among 
     countries in their regulatory approaches are limiting 
     substantially the use of, and trade in, agricultural 
     biotechnology products;
       Whereas an open international trading system for products 
     derived from plant and animal agricultural biotechnology 
     would make a broad array of improved products more 
     affordable, including agricultural and food products, 
     pharmaceuticals, and consumer products such as apparel, 
     paper, cosmetics, soaps, and detergents;
       Whereas because of the importance of international trade to 
     the strength of the farm economy and the entire food and 
     agriculture sector, any unwarranted restrictions on trade in 
     biotechnology products could seriously disrupt the farm 
     economy and unjustifiably force farmers to choose between 
     using agricultural biotechnology and exporting their 
     production; and
       Whereas the threat to agricultural production and trade 
     from restrictions on products derived from modern 
     biotechnology has become serious enough to warrant the 
     attention of world leaders: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) as the world trading system moves toward a reduction of 
     tariff and nontariff barriers, all countries should work to 
     ensure that scientifically unfounded new barriers are not 
     erected;
       (2) the President should raise at the June 1999, G-8 Summit 
     the important issues surrounding the use of, and trade in, 
     agricultural biotechnology ; and
       (3) as world leaders prepare for a new round of 
     negotiations on agriculture in the World Trade Organization, 
     the G-8 Summit is an appropriate forum to seek a consensus 
     with the major trading partners of the United States 
     regarding--
       (A) recognition of the global benefits of agricultural 
     biotechnology, especially in meeting the nutritional needs of 
     millions of people in developing countries;
       (B) increasing consumer knowledge and understanding of 
     agricultural biotechnology and its benefits; and
       (C) the adoption of rational, scientifically-based systems 
     for the regulation of biotechnology products and for 
     eliminating unjustified barriers to the use of biotechnology 
     products in international trade.




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