The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“INTRODUCTION OF THE BIOTECHNOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD ACT OF 2001” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1232-E1233 on June 27, 2001.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCTION OF THE BIOTECHNOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE IN THE DEVELOPING
WORLD ACT OF 2001
______
HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON
of texas
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, June 27, 2001
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing a bill to establish a grant program under the Secretary of Agriculture to support research and development programs in agricultural biotechnology to address the food and economic needs of the developing world.
My bill recognizes the great potential of agricultural biotechnology to combat hunger, malnutrition, and sickness in the developing world and provides the mechanism to encourage the pursuit of this exciting technology.
Portions of the developing world are facing a pandemic of malnutrition and disease; 200 million people on the African continent alone are chronically malnourished. Traditional farming practices cannot meet the growing needs of the developing world. Africa's crop production is the lowest in the world and even with about two-thirds of its labor force engaged in agriculture, Africa currently imports more than 25 percent of its grain for food and feed.
Biotechnology offers great promise for agriculture and nutrition in the developing world. Vitamin-enhanced foods, foods higher in protein, and fruits and vegetables with longer shelf-lives have been developed using biotechnology. Biotechnology can promote sustainable agriculture, leading to food and economic security in developing nations. Biotechnology can help developing countries produce higher crop yields while using fewer pesticides and herbicides. My bill does not encourage the development of pesticide-resistant crops.
An added benefit of increased yields through biotechnology is that increased productivity on existing crop land reduces the amount of land that needs to be farmed as well as the need for new crop acreage, which can greatly slow the rate of habitat destruction. Since most food production and farming in the developing world is done by women, such an increase in productivity also enables women to spend their time on other productive activities and better care for their families.
Biotechnology can also improve the health of citizens of developing countries by combating illness. Substantial progress has been made in the developed world on vaccines against life-threatening illnesses, but, unfortunately, infrastructure limitations often hinder the effectiveness of traditional vaccination methods in some parts of the developing world. For example, many vaccines must be kept refrigerated until they are injected. Even if a health clinic has electricity and is able to deliver effective vaccines, the cost of multiple needles can hinder vaccination efforts. Additionally, the improper use of hypodermic needles can spread HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Biotechnology offers the prospect of orally delivering vaccines to immunize against life-threatening illnesses through agricultural products in a safe and effective manner.
My bill establishes a grant program under the Foreign Agricultural Service in the Department of Agriculture to encourage research in agricultural biotechnology. Eligible grant recipients include historically black colleges and universities, land-grant colleges, Hispanic serving institutions, and tribal colleges or universities. Non-profit organizations and consortia of for-profit and in-country agricultural research centers are also eligible.
I encourage my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation.
____________________
