[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 69 (Tuesday, May 15, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E793]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   CELEBRATING 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF 
                              AGRICULTURE

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                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 15, 2012

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 
150th anniversary of the United States Department of Agriculture 
(USDA). Founded by President Lincoln in 1862 as ``the People's 
Department,'' the USDA has helped modernize and advance American 
agriculture to the point where Americans now enjoy a safe and abundant 
food supply at a cost of less than ten percent of their disposable 
income. The USDA has been critical in protecting the farmers and 
ranchers who are the stewards of our land and essential to ensuring 
that our nation maintains an independent and secure food supply.
  Over the course of its 150 years, the USDA has repeatedly been vital 
in solving the many agricultural challenges facing our nation. For 
example, a rapidly declining pollinating species population currently 
threatens the sustainability of our agriculture across the country. 
With one out of every three bites of food we eat the result of the 
intervention of pollinators like birds, bats, bees, and butterflies, 
the USDA has taken a lead role in addressing this looming disaster 
through programs like the Agricultural Research Service's research on 
the cause and treatment of Colony Collapse Disorder. The importance of 
the USDA is reflected in the fact that without pollinators, our country 
would not be able to grow food.
  The USDA also does much more than just work with our local 
agriculture. It is a key player in addressing the changing needs of 
agriculture across the globe. The world's population is estimated to be 
nine billion people by 2050. Consequently, the world will need to 
produce more food in the next 50 years than has been produced during 
the past 10,000 years combined. The USDA, America's farmers, ranchers, 
and research scientists will answer this challenge together through 
programs such as Food for Progress, McGovern-Dole International Food 
for Education and Child Nutrition, the USDA National Hunger 
Clearinghouse, and the Norman Borlaug Commemorative Research 
Initiative.
  One hundred and fifty years ago, President Lincoln recognized the 
potential of America's farmers to resourcefully cultivate our land to 
provide an ample food supply. Today, we must use the same innovative 
spirit in approaching agricultural production. By supporting USDA 
programs and initiatives, we are able to link research and scientific 
innovations to effective adaptations in order to successfully address 
the food security needs of our country. I am pleased to honor our 
country's farmers and ranchers, and acknowledge the work of the USDA on 
this historic occasion.

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