[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 19488-19489]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 SUPPORTING THE COFFEE FARMERS IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, like many Senators, I have followed the 
appalling situation facing citizens of the Eastern Congo, where armed 
groups have fought for years over control of minerals and territory, 
pillaging, raping, and killing civilians in the process.
  The innocent people who struggle to survive in the midst of this 
violence and destruction rely on subsistence agriculture, as well as 
raising crops for export; yet their own government makes it doubly 
difficult.
  For decades, coffee was an important agricultural export from Eastern 
Congo. But after years of armed conflict, official coffee exports have 
reportedly decreased by over 80 percent from peak levels 30 years ago. 
The majority of this coffee is produced by smallholder farmers, most of 
whom are women, and for whom coffee is a significant source of income.
  Today a consortium, including the Eastern Congo Initiative, the 
Howard Buffett Foundation, and Starbucks Coffee Company, are trying to 
help Congolese farmers by revitalizing the industry. Needed 
infrastructure has been built, a supply chain is in place, and 
America's largest coffee company has provided a reliable buyer. This is 
a welcome and worthwhile effort to improve the lives of people in rural 
Congolese communities that should have the support of the Congolese 
Government.
  Despite this collective effort, Congolese coffee farmers are being 
crippled by oppressive taxes that make their coffee uncompetitive in 
the global marketplace. While Congo's official export tax rate is 0.25 
percent, many export officials reportedly continue to levy taxes of 7.5 
percent, which is the previous rate. In addition, there are often 
informal tax levies that charge another 3 to 8 percent. These excessive 
taxes force exporters to pay smallholder farmers less for their coffee, 
with the result that farmers smuggle their crop into neighboring 
countries. The livelihoods of these farmers and the success of the 
Eastern Congo Initiative-Buffett-Starbucks joint venture are put at 
risk by the Congolese Government's actions.
  I want to yield to Senator Graham, who has traveled to Africa and 
observed the challenges facing small farmers like those I have 
mentioned.
  Mr. GRAHAM. I want to thank my friend from Vermont with whom I have 
worked for years to help improve the lives of small farmers in Africa 
and elsewhere. The situation facing coffee farmers in the Eastern Congo 
should concern all Senators, as there is an opportunity, thanks to the 
Eastern Congo Initiative, the Buffett Foundation, and Starbucks, to 
significantly increase the income of people who have long struggled to 
get out of poverty. The Congolese Government should take immediate 
steps to eliminate this unofficial tax rate and other specious 
financial charges that are jeopardizing the livelihoods of their own 
people. The government must be part of the solution--and not the 
problem--to Congo's myriad challenges.
  Mr. LEAHY. I thank the Senator from South Carolina, the chairman of 
the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, who chaired a hearing 
earlier this year when we heard compelling testimony about this 
subject.

[[Page 19489]]

  I ask my friend from Delaware, the former chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Africa, who has traveled to Africa many times, 
including this year with President Obama, to discuss how this situation 
in the Eastern Congo relates to the requirements of the African Growth 
and Opportunity Act.
  Mr. COONS. I thank the Senator from Vermont for calling the Senate's 
attention to the challenges facing coffee producers in the Eastern 
Congo. The Congress passed the African Growth and Opportunity Act, 
AGOA, to advance economic growth and political stability in sub-Saharan 
Africa. AGOA furthers these objectives by offering trade benefits to 
countries that meet certain requirements, including commitments to 
policies that alleviate poverty and reflect market based economic 
principles. Moreover, as part of this year's AGOA renewal, we included 
provisions to enhance industries where African women are making strong 
contributions. Since its inception, exports from AGOA countries to the 
United States have grown 300 percent. Agriculture is the largest 
employer in Africa, and in the years to come, farming can play a key 
role in accelerating exports even further and realizing the vision of 
AGOA.
  To meet the standards of AGOA and gain eligibility, the Congolese 
Government must do away with the excessive export and other taxes 
currently being levied on its coffee farmers. Impeding the growth of 
their coffee industry and lowering the standard of living of their own 
farmers is inconsistent with the language, intent, and spirit of AGOA. 
Lowering this tax burden should be required before the Democratic 
Republic of the Congo is granted AGOA benefits.
  Ms. STABENOW. I thank the senior Senator from Vermont for his 
leadership on this issue. Last year, I had the privilege of leading the 
first all-women Senate delegation to sub-Saharan Africa to examine 
food, agriculture, and the critical role women play in local economies. 
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United 
Nations, nearly 50 percent of all the agricultural work in the region 
is done by women.
  Yet, too often, women are not afforded equal opportunities to own 
property, earn an education, or participate in the political process. 
That is why I was eager to lead two bipartisan provisions included in 
the recent AGOA renewal. The first makes clear that we expect our 
African trading partners to make progress toward establishing policies 
that support men and women. And the second expands existing 
agricultural trade technical assistance programs at USDA and USAID and 
prioritizes outreach to organizations and sectors that support women.
  At its core, AGOA is about creating the building blocks of an 
improved trading relationship with sub-Saharan African nations. For the 
Democratic Republic of the Congo, coffee production presents a critical 
export opportunity. That is why we must insist that the Congolese 
Government addresses its inconsistent and burdensome export taxes on 
coffee producers--most of whom are women--before regaining eligibility 
for AGOA benefits. We have an opportunity to send a strong message to 
our African trading partners that we expect them to recognize how vital 
women are to the development of those nations' economies.
  Ms. CANTWELL. I thank the senior Senator from Vermont for his 
leadership on this issue. Last year, I travelled to sub-Saharan Africa 
with Senator Stabenow. In Africa, we saw firsthand that empowering 
women and girls as leaders in agriculture is important to promoting 
economic development. When we returned, we fought to make sure 
promoting economic opportunities for women was an important aspect of 
renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
  Investing in women produces a good return on investment. According to 
the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, if women had the same 
access to economic resources as men, this could increase agricultural 
productivity by 20-30 percent.
  The Congolese Government's export taxes on coffee producers have the 
opposite effect. It unfairly burdens women. It should be repealed 
before the Democratic Republic of the Congo receives any additional 
AGOA benefits.
  Mr. ISAKSON. I want to thank the Senator from South Carolina and the 
Senator from Vermont for their important work in improving United 
States foreign assistance. I thank Senator Leahy for bringing this 
issue to our attention today. The Senator from Delaware and I have 
worked for years on the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on 
African Affairs, and I look forward to continuing that work. Throughout 
our travels on the African continent, we have seen the beneficial 
effects of increased agriculture productivity and better access to 
markets, facilitated by U.S. economic development and trade preference 
programs.
  I am proud of our work to reauthorize the African Growth and 
Opportunity Act. We made it stronger, more accountable, and hopefully 
more accessible to sub-Saharan African countries and their people. 
Unfortunately, Congo's ineligibility makes export opportunities more 
difficult for Congolese businessmen and farmers. I echo my colleagues' 
call on the Congolese Government to become more transparent and 
responsive to the needs of its people.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, as you can see, there is bipartisan support 
for these coffee farmers who face oppressive economic constraints that 
limit their ability to be competitive in the marketplace and earn a 
decent living. I join my colleagues who have spoken on this issue today 
in urging the Congolese Government to address these concerns for the 
benefit of its people.

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