[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 156 (Tuesday, October 16, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12931-S12932]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             WORLD FOOD DAY

  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, each October, the eyes of the world 
appropriately turn to Des Moines for the presentation of the World Food 
Prize, called by the former President of Mexico, ``the Nobel Prize for 
Food.''
  Created by Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, each year on or around October 16--
World Food Day--representatives from more than 60 countries gather in 
the magnificent Iowa State Capitol to honor the newest laureate for his 
or her exceptional breakthrough achievements in increasing the quality, 
quantity or availability of food in the world. In past years, this 
honor has gone to individuals from India, Denmark, Brazil, China, and 
Sierra Leone. This year the winner is an American from Indiana. But no 
matter where they are from, all of these laureates have in common that 
they have reduced hunger and human suffering around the globe.
  It is most fitting that this weeklong celebration begins today, 
October 16 with the first ever Iowa Hunger Summit.
  There are people flying today from the east coast and the west coast 
to Des Moines. No, they are not Presidential candidates--although there 
are already plenty of them in the State. Rather, they are national 
leaders of the Alliance to End Hunger and representatives of the U.N. 
Foundation, and ambassadors from the United Nations and leaders of the 
OneVote08 campaign. They are all coming to join hundreds of Iowans to 
listen to the leaders of Bread for the World and MAZON, the Jewish 
Response to Hunger offer an inspiring vision about how to diminish 
hunger at home and abroad in this inaugural Iowa Hunger Summit.
  At the center of this endeavor will be Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, Iowa's 
and America's greatest hero in the struggle against hunger. Today is 
U.N. World Food Day all around the globe. But I would argue, that 
perhaps the most significant observance of this special day will be 
taking place in Des Moines, where it is also Dr. Norman E. Borlaug/
World Food Prize Day.
  I want to commend Iowa's three former Governors, Tom Vilsack, Terry 
Branstad, and Robert Ray for their bipartisan leadership in making this 
first ever Iowa Hunger Summit possible. I also express my appreciation 
to the World Food Prize Foundation for its initiative in starting this 
new program. Iowa has a rich legacy of coming together above partisan 
differences when human suffering is involved. Governor Ray has 
exhibited exemplary leadership of Iowa SHARES to feed emaciated 
Cambodians, who had suffered under the genocidal Khmer Rouge. 
Similarly, Governor Branstad has led Iowa CARES to send food to 
starving populations in Ethiopia. And here at home, Governor Vilsack 
has worked in Iowa to greatly expand the number of hungry people 
receiving assistance.
  I am pleased to add my name to the list of those in support of this 
marvelous new focus on hunger--the Iowa Hunger Summit. It is most 
fitting that we in the Congress would also join together in a 
bipartisan fashion to further commit ourselves to efforts to alleviate 
malnutrition and human suffering wherever it is found, at home or 
abroad.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, it is harvest time in Iowa and 
throughout heartland. It is the time of year when farmers work around 
the clock to bring in the year's harvest of corn, soybeans, and other 
grains. Just this past weekend while on my farm in New Hartford,

[[Page S12932]]

I was able to help my son with the harvest.
  Across Iowa and the Midwest, farmers are harvesting a bumper crop. It 
is during this time that we pray that these bounties from the land make 
their way into of the mouths of the hungry.
  It is appropriate, then, that during this season of harvest, a 
gathering will be taking place in northeast Iowa focusing on global 
hunger. Not far from my farm, a dinner is taking place tonight in the 
small town of Protivin, to honor one of America's greatest fighters of 
hunger.
  Dr. Norman Borlaug, who grew up just a few miles from Protivin in 
Howard County, shared his talents to help populations around the world. 
His efforts to increase food production, and alleviate global hunger 
and famine earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 and the title of 
``Father of the Green Revolution.''
  His work in food production was also acknowledged this summer when 
Dr. Borlaug was presented the Congressional Gold Medal by President 
Bush and the bipartisan leadership of Congress. As a testament to his 
work around the globe, officials from Mexico, India, Japan, and 
numerous countries in Africa were present to honor Dr. Borlaug. I was 
proud to join this distinguished group in honoring him, and I thank my 
colleagues for acknowledging Dr. Borlaug's accomplishments.
  It is clear that Dr. Borlaug has never forgotten his roots. He 
remains a rural Iowa farmer at heart. That is why I am sure tonight's 
dinner near his hometown will mean as much as, if not more than, the 
formal banquet that followed his receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.
  It is also appropriate that Dr. Borlaug is making this trip back to 
the heartland today, October 16. Today has been designated ``World Food 
Day'' around the globe, and ``Dr. Norman E. Borlaug/World Food Prize 
Day'' in Iowa.
  Dr. Borlaug continues to lead the effort to end global hunger and 
will do so today by participating in the first Iowa Hunger Summit in 
Des Moines. This summit will bring together people from across Iowa and 
the country to focus on feeding the hungry at home and abroad. Iowa 
Governor Chet Culver and former Governors Vilsack, Branstad, and Ray 
will also be in attendance for the summit.
  I would like to thank the World Food Prize Foundation which provided 
the leadership in making this daylong focus on hunger possible. The 
foundation has worked closely with the Alliance to End Hunger, the One 
Campaign, and Iowa State University to make this event a central focus 
of World Food Day.
  This is an appropriate time of year for us to focus on hunger and 
feeding the malnourished worldwide. I hope my colleagues will join in 
commending those who are working daily to raise the awareness of world 
hunger and working to provide adequate food for all.

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