IB
Union Calendar No. 165
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2844
[Report No. 110–257, Part I]
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 25, 2007
Mr. Lantos introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
July 23, 2007
Additional sponsors: Mr. Smith of New Jersey and Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas
July 23, 2007
Reported from the Committee on Foreign Affairs with an amendment
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic
Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June 25, 2007
A BILL
To promote United States emergency and non-emergency food and other assistance programs, to promote United States agricultural export programs, and for other purposes.
Short title and table of contents
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Food Security and Agricultural Development Act of
2007
.
Table of contents
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings and purposes.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
Title I—United States emergency and non-emergency food and other assistance programs
Subtitle A—Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954
Sec. 101. United States policy.
Sec. 102. General authority.
Sec. 103. Provision of agricultural commodities.
Sec. 104. Generation and use of currencies by private voluntary organizations and cooperatives.
Sec. 105. Levels of assistance.
Sec. 106. Food Aid Consultative Group.
Sec. 107. Administration.
Sec. 108. Assistance for stockpiling and rapid transportation, delivery, and distribution of shelf-stable prepackaged foods.
Sec. 109. Administrative provisions.
Sec. 110. Expiration date.
Sec. 111. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 112. Coordination and integration of foreign assistance programs.
Sec. 113. Micronutrient fortification programs.
Sec. 114. John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer Program.
Subtitle B—Related statutes and other provisions
Sec. 121. Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust.
Sec. 122. McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.
Sec. 123. International disaster assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
Sec. 124. Report on efforts to improve procurement planning.
Title II—United States agricultural export programs
Sec. 201. Export credit guarantee program.
Sec. 202. Market access program.
Sec. 203. Export enhancement program.
Sec. 204. Assistance to address sanitary and phytosanitary barriers to trade.
Sec. 205. Foreign market development cooperator program.
Sec. 206. Emerging markets and facility guarantee loan program.
Sec. 207. Food for Progress Act of 1985.
Title III—Miscellaneous provisions
Sec. 301. Technical assistance for specialty crops.
Sec. 302. Support for sanitary and phytosanitary priorities of the United States within certain international organizations.
Sec. 303. Technical assistance for the resolution of trade disputes.
Sec. 304. Sense of Congress concerning the Global Crop Diversity Trust.
Sec. 305. Technical and conforming amendments.
Sec. 306. Rule of construction.
Findings and purposes
Findings
Congress makes the following findings:
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization reports, that in 2006, an estimated 850,000,000 people in the world, with 824,000,000 in developing countries, were chronically hungry.
The largest concentrations of the chronically hungry—an estimated 298,000,000 individuals—are in South Asia, with most of those individuals concentrated in India, where there are an estimated 212,000,000 undernourished individuals, and in sub-Saharan Africa, where there are an estimated 206,000,000 hungry people.
The number of food and humanitarian emergencies has doubled from an average of about 15 per year in the 1980s to more than 30 per year since 2000, due in large part to increasing conflicts, poverty, and natural disasters around the world. Some emergencies are exacerbated by multiple shocks, such as civil wars, recurring droughts, and endemic disease, adding to their complexity and protracting the crises for many years.
The United Nations reports that progress is being made toward reaching the Millennium Development Goal of reducing the proportion of hungry people in the world by half by 2015. In 1990, the proportion of people in the developing countries living with insufficient food was estimated to be 20 percent. By 2003, that percentage declined to 17 percent. However, from 1996 to 2006, the absolute number of hungry people increased from 790,000,000 to 850,000,000.
The number of hungry people in the most seriously affected regions of the world, namely South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, is increasing. In sub-Saharan Africa, in 1990, there were an estimated 169,000,000 chronically-hungry people; in 2003, the number of chronically-hungry people increased to 206,000,000.
The major United States Government response to reducing hunger in developing countries is to provide United States agricultural commodities as food assistance. In fiscal year 2006, the United States provided 3,000,000 metric tons of food valued at more than $2,000,000,000 to meet emergency food needs and to support development projects in developing countries.
In 2006, the United States provided food assistance to 65 countries, more than half of which were in sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately $1,200,000,000, or 60 percent of such assistance, was provided as emergency food assistance. The United States Agency for International Development estimates that 50,000,000 to 70,000,000 people benefit from United States food assistance programs annually.
Food assistance contributed by the United States Government has totaled more than $73,000,000,000 since 1946. Over the last decade, the United States has been the single largest donor of international food assistance, with a large proportion of the assistance provided through the United Nations World Food Program and most of that assistance is for emergencies.
The United States contributed more than 52,000,000 tons of food assistance between 1996 and 2005, more than half of the nearly 100,000,000 tons of food assistance delivered worldwide in this period. In 2006, the United States contributed $1,125,000,000 or about 40 percent of total donor contributions to the World Food Program in that year.
Private voluntary organizations and cooperatives are critical implementing partners in United States food assistance programs. In addition to assisting people whose lives and livelihoods are endangered due to crises, such organizations and cooperatives help communities that suffer from chronic hunger, delivering technical assistance and training and building local institutional capacity.
Although the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–171) called for increased levels of non-emergency food assistance in order to address chronic hunger needs and to have lasting impacts on vulnerable communities, according to the Government Accountability Office, by 2006, non-emergency food assistance programs were reduced to 42 percent of their 2001 levels.
Implementing partner organizations report that due to these reductions, such organizations have been forced to close operations in countries that are prone to emergencies and with populations that suffer from chronic hunger. As a result of such reductions, there is little opportunity to develop new programs that address food insecurity in developing countries.
Food assistance experts, advocates, and implementers have argued that distributing food commodities alone will not reduce food insecurity. Food assistance needs to be combined with other non-food resources, such as assistance to promote agricultural development, economic growth, and assistance to support education, water, and health programs, to ensure that food assistance has an impact on chronically-hungry people.
Women play an essential role in promoting food security and production throughout the world. According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, rural women are responsible for half of the world’s food production and produce between 60 and 80 percent of the food in most developing countries.
Purposes
The purposes of this Act are—
to promote United States emergency and non-emergency food and other assistance programs as described in title I of this Act in an efficient and effective manner; and
to promote United States agricultural export programs as described in title II of this Act in an efficient and effective manner.
Definitions
In this Act:
Administrator
The term Administrator means the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development.
Appropriate congressional committees
The term appropriate congressional committees means—
the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives; and
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate.
Secretary
The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.
United States emergency and non-emergency food and other assistance programs
Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954
United States policy
Section 2 of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1691) is amended—
in paragraph (1), by
inserting chronic
before world
.
in paragraph (5), by
striking and
at the end;
in paragraph (6), by
striking the period at the end and inserting ; and
; and
by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
respond to emergency needs and food crises;
implement an effective and efficient food assistance program that incorporates adequate resources for both emergency and non-emergency food assistance programs; and
provide adequate resources for non-emergency food assistance programs to address the causes of chronic hunger and food insecurity, to protect the livelihoods and health of vulnerable populations, to meet the nutritional needs of all members of the community (particularly children), to prevent future hunger related emergencies, and to promote participation in productive activities.
.
General authority
In general
Section 201 of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1721) is amended—
in paragraph (1), to read as follows:
address famine and food crises and respond to emergency food needs arising from manmade disasters, such as policy-based disasters, economic shocks, and conflict or civil strife, and natural disasters;
;
in paragraph (5), by
striking and
at the end;
in paragraph (6), by
striking the period at the end and inserting ; and
; and
by inserting at the end the following new paragraph:
promote participation in educational, training, and other productive activities.
.
Technical amendments
Such section is further amended—
by striking The
President
and inserting (a)
Program
required.—The President
; and
by striking Such
program
and inserting the following:
Implementation
Such program
.
Provision of agricultural commodities
Support for eligible organizations
Subsection (e)(1) of section 202 of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1722) is amended—
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)—
by striking 5
percent nor more than 10 percent
and inserting 10 percent but
not more than 12.5 percent
; and
by striking to
assist the organizations in
and inserting to provide such
organizations financial assistance in order to
;
in subparagraph (A)—
by striking
establishing
and inserting establish
; and
by striking
and
at the end;
in subparagraph (B)—
by striking
meeting
and inserting meet
;
by striking
management, personnel and internal transportation and distribution
costs
and inserting management, operational, technical,
personnel and other programming costs
;
by striking the period at
the end and inserting ; and
; and
by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
improve and implement methodologies for food assistance programs, including needs assessments and monitoring and evaluation.
.
Streamlined program management
Subsection
(h)(3)(B) of such section is amended by striking Committee on
International Relations
and inserting Committee on Foreign
Affairs
.
Generation and use of currencies by private voluntary organizations and cooperatives
Subsection (b) of section 203 of the
Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1723) is
amended by striking 1 or more recipient countries
and inserting
in 1 or more recipient countries
.
Levels of assistance
Subsection (a) of section 204 of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1724) is amended—
in paragraph (1), by
striking 2002 through 2007
and inserting 2008 through
2012
;
in paragraph (2), by
striking 2002 through 2007
and inserting 2008 through
2012
; and
in paragraph (3), by
striking International Relations
and inserting Foreign
Affairs
.
Food Aid Consultative Group
Sense of congress on integrated and effective food assistance
Section 205 of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1725) is amended—
by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections (f) and (g), respectively; and
by inserting after subsection (d) the following new subsection:
Sense of congress on integrated and effective food assistance program
It is the sense of Congress that the Group should make every effort to develop a strategy to achieve a more integrated and effective food assistance program.
.
Report to congress
Such section is further amended—
by redesignating subsections (f) and (g) (as redesignated by subsection (a)(1)) as subsections (g) and (h), respectively; and
by inserting after subsection (e) (as added by subsection (a)(2)) the following new subsection:
Report to congress
In general
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the Food Security and Agricultural Development Act of 2007, and annually thereafter until December 31, 2012, the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, in close consultation with the Group, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on efforts taken by the United States Agency for International Development and the Department of Agriculture to develop a strategy under this section to achieve an integrated and effective food assistance program.
Appropriate congressional committees defined
In this subsection, the term appropriate congressional committees means—
the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives; and
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate.
.
Termination
Such section is further amended in
subsection (h) (as redesignated by subsection (b)(1)) by striking
2007
and inserting 2012
.
Administration
Proposals
Subsection (a)(3) of section 207 of the
Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1726a) is
amended by striking and the conditions that must be met for the approval
of such proposal
.
Regulations
Subsection (c) of such section is amended by striking paragraph (3).
Program oversight, monitoring, and evaluation
Such section is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
Program oversight, monitoring, and evaluation
In general
The Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary, shall establish systems to improve, monitor, and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of assistance provided under this title in order to maximize the impact of such assistance.
Report to congress
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of Food Security and Agricultural Development Act of 2007, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on efforts undertaken to implement paragraph (1).
Government accountability office
Not later than 270 days after the date of the submission of the report under paragraph (2), the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that—
reviews and comments on the report under paragraph (2); and
provides recommendations regarding any additional actions necessary to improve the monitoring and evaluation of assistance provided under this title.
Contracting authority
In carrying out this subsection, notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Administrator may contract with individuals for personal services, provided that such individuals shall not be regarded as employees of the United States Government for the purpose of any law administered by the Civil Service Commission.
Appropriate congressional committees defined
In this subsection, the term appropriate congressional committees means—
the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives; and
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate.
.
Indirect support costs to united nations world food program
Such section is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
Indirect support costs to united nations world food program
In general
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in providing assistance under this title, the Administrator may make contributions to the United Nations World Food Program to the extent that such contributions are made in accordance with the United Nations World Food Program’s rules and regulations for indirect cost rates. Prior to making a contribution to the United Nations World Food Program under this subsection, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that contains the proposed level of the contribution and the reasons for such proposed level.
Appropriate congressional committees defined
In this subsection, the term appropriate congressional committees means—
the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives; and
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate.
.
Assistance for stockpiling and rapid transportation, delivery, and distribution of shelf-stable prepackaged foods
Subsection (f) of section 208 of the
Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1726b) is
amended by striking 2007
and inserting
2012
.
Administrative provisions
Prepositioning
Subsection (c)(4) of section 407 of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1736a) is amended—
by striking
Funds
and inserting:
In general
Funds
;
by striking
2007
and inserting 2012
;
by striking ,
except that for each such fiscal year not more than $2,000,000 of such funds
may be used to store agricultural commodities for prepositioning in foreign
countries
; and
by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
Additional prepositioning sites
Feasibility assessment
On or after the date of the enactment of the Food Security and Agricultural Development Act of 2007, the Administrator is authorized to carry out assessments for the establishment of not less than two sites to determine the feasibility of and costs associated with using such sites for the purpose of storing and handling agricultural commodities for prepositioning in foreign countries.
Establishment of sites
Based on the results of the assessments carried out under clause (i), the Administrator is authorized to establish additional sites for prepositioning in foreign countries.
Authorization of appropriations
To carry out this subparagraph, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
.
Annual reports
Subsection (f) of such section is amended—
in paragraph (2)—
in subparagraph (B), by
adding at the end before the semicolon the following: , and the amount
of funds, tonnage levels, and types of activities for non-emergency food
assistance programs under title II of this Act
;
in subparagraph (C), by
adding at the end before the semicolon the following: , and a general
description of the projects and activities implemented
; and
by amending subparagraph (D) to read as follows:
an assessment of the progress toward reducing food insecurity in the populations receiving food assistance from the United States.
; and
in paragraph (3), by
striking January 15
and inserting March 1
.
Expiration date
Section 408 of the
Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1736b) is
amended by striking 2007
and inserting
2012
.
Authorization of appropriations
Subsection (a) of section 412 of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1736f) is amended to read as follows:
Authorization of appropriations
In general
For each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012, there are authorized to be appropriated to the President—
such sums as may be necessary to carry out the concessional credit sales program established under title I;
$2,500,000,000 to carry out the emergency and non-emergency food assistance programs under title II; and
such sums as may be necessary to carry out the grant program established under title III.
Minimum level of non-emergency food assistance
For each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012, of the amounts made available to carry out emergency and non-emergency food assistance programs under title II, not less than $600,000,000 for each such fiscal year shall be obligated and expended for non-emergency food assistance programs under title II.
Reimbursement
For each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to make payments to the Commodity Credit Corporation to the extent the Commodity Credit Corporation is not reimbursed under the programs under this Act for the actual costs incurred or to be incurred by such Corporation in carrying out such programs.
Availability
Amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations under this subsection are—
authorized to remain available until expended; and
in addition to funds otherwise available for such purposes.
.
Coordination and integration of foreign assistance programs
In general
Section 413 of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1736g) is amended—
by striking the first
sentence and inserting the following: The Administrator shall, to the
maximum extent practicable, coordinate and integrate assistance to a foreign
country provided under title III with other United States development
assistance programs and objectives provided under chapter 1 of part I of the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.), including assistance
to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, assistance for child and
maternal health, assistance for education, and assistance for agricultural
development and economic growth. Such assistance shall also be coordinated and
integrated with other United States foreign assistance programs, such as the
Millennium Challenge Account. Such assistance shall also be coordinated and
integrated with the overall development strategy of the recipient country,
including the poverty reduction strategy of the recipient country, and in the
recipient country with other donors, including international and regional
organizations and other donor countries.
; and
by striking
Special emphasis should be placed on
and inserting
Special consideration should be given to
.
Conforming amendment
The heading for such section is amended by inserting
and
integration
after coordination
.
Micronutrient fortification programs
Purpose
Subsection (a)(2)(C) of section 415 of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1736g–2) is amended—
by striking using
the same mechanism that was used to assess the micronutrient fortification
program in
and inserting utilizing recommendations from
;
and
by striking with
funds from the Bureau for Humanitarian Response of the United States Agency for
International Development
and inserting with implementation by
an independent entity with proven impartiality and a mechanism that
incorporates the range of stakeholders implementing programs under title II of
this Act as well as other food assistance industry experts
.
Termination of authority
Subsection (d) of such section is amended by striking
2007
and inserting 2012
.
John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer Program
Minimum funding
Subsection (d) of
section 501 of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (7
U.S.C. 1737) is amended by striking 2002 through 2007
and
inserting 2008 through 2012
.
Authorization of appropriations
Subsection (e)(1) of such section is amended by
striking 2002 through 2007
and inserting 2008 through
2012
.
Related statutes and other provisions
Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust
In general
Subsection (a) of
section 302 of the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust Act (7 U.S.C. 1736f–1) is
amended by inserting after metric tons
the following: ,
an amount of funds equivalent to 4,000,000 metric tons of commodities, or any
combination of commodities and funds equivalent to 4,000,000 metric
tons
.
Commodities or funds in trust
Subsection (b)(2)(B)(i) of such section is amended—
by striking 2000 through
2007
each place it appears and inserting 2008 through
2012
; and
by striking $20,000,000
and
inserting $60,000,000
.
Termination of authority
Subsection (h) of
such section is amended in paragraphs (1) and (2) by striking
2007
each place it appears and inserting
2012
.
McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program
Administration of program
Section 3107 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 1736o–1) is amended—
in subsection (d), in the
matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking The President shall
designate 1 or more Federal agencies to
and inserting The
Secretary shall
;
in subsection (f)(2), in
the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking implementing
agency
and inserting Secretary
; and
in subsections (c)(2)(B),
(f)(1), (h)(1) and (2), and (i), by striking President
each
place it appears and inserting Secretary
.
Funding
Subsection (l) of such section is amended—
by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) and inserting the following:
Use of commodity credit corporation funds
Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this section—
$140,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
$180,000,000 for fiscal year 2009;
$220,000,000 for fiscal year 2010;
$260,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; and
$300,000,000 for fiscal year 2012.
;
by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2); and
in paragraph (2) (as
redesignated by paragraph (2)), by striking any Federal agency
implementing or assisting
and inserting the Department of
Agriculture or any other Federal department or agency assisting
.
International disaster assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
Sense of congress
It is the sense of Congress that the President, acting through the Administrator, should exercise the President’s authority under section 491 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2292) to purchase and to distribute to a recipient country agricultural commodities produced—
in the recipient country, or
in developing countries in the region of the recipient country,
Availability of funding for famine prevention and relief
For each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012, of the amounts made available to carry out section 491 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, not less than $40,000,000 for each such fiscal year shall be made available for the purposes of famine prevention and relief under such section.
Report on efforts to improve procurement planning
Report required
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator and the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on efforts taken by both the United States Agency for International Development and the Department of Agriculture to improve planning for food and transportation procurement, including efforts to eliminate bunching of food purchases.
Contents
The report required under subsection (a) should include, among other things, a description of efforts taken to—
improve coordination of food purchases by the United States Agency for International Development and the Department of Agriculture;
increase flexibility in procurement schedules;
increase utilization of historical analyses and forecasting; and
improve and streamline legal claims processes for resolving transportation disputes.
United States agricultural export programs
Export credit guarantee program
Repeal of supplier credit guarantee program and intermediate export credit guarantee program
Repeals
Section 202 of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5622) is amended—
in subsection (a)—
in paragraph (1), by
striking (1)
and all that follows through The
Commodity
and inserting The Commodity
; and
by striking paragraphs (2) and (3);
by striking subsections (b) and (c); and
by redesignating subsections (d) through (l) as subsections (b) through (j), respectively.
Conforming amendments
Such section is further amended—
in subsection (b)(4) (as
redesignated by paragraph (1)(C)), by striking , consistent with the
provisions of subsection (c)
;
in subsection (d) (as redesignated by paragraph (1)(C))—
by striking
(1)
and all that follows through The Commodity
and inserting The Commodity
; and
by striking paragraph (2); and
in subsection (g)(2) (as
redesignated by paragraph (1)(C)), by striking subsections (a) and
(b)
and inserting subsection (a)
.
Process and high-value products
Section 202 of such
Act (7 U.S.C. 5622) is amended in paragraph (1) of subsection (i) (as
redesignated by subsection (a)(1)(C)) by striking 2007
and
inserting 2012
.
Export credit guarantee programs
Subsection (b) of section 211 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 5641) is amended to read as follows:
Export credit guarantee programs
The Commodity Credit Corporation shall make available, to the maximum extent practicable, for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012 not less than $5,500,000,000 in credit guarantees under section 202(a).
.
Market access program
Organic commodities
Subsection (a) of section 203 of the Agricultural
Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5623) is amended by inserting after
agricultural commodities
the following: (including
commodities that are organically produced (as defined in section 2103 of the
Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6502)))
.
Funding
Subsection
(c)(1)(A) of section 211 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 5641) is amended by striking
, and $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 and 2007
and
inserting $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 and 2007, and
$225,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012
.
Export enhancement program
Subsection (e) of section 301 of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5651) is amended by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
In general
The Commodity Credit Corporation shall make available to carry out the program established under this section not more than $478,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
.
Assistance to address sanitary and phytosanitary barriers to trade
Title III of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5651 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
Assistance to address sanitary and phytosanitary barriers to trade
Assistance authorized
The Secretary is authorized to enter into contracts with technical experts and scientists, or provide grants to appropriate entities, as determined by the Secretary, to address sanitary, phytosanitary, and technical barriers to the export of United States agricultural commodities, including meat, poultry, and specialty crops, by—
contracting with technical experts and scientists outside of the Federal government to address sanitary and phytosanitary issues, and other issues regarding technical barriers, involving agricultural commodities and the products of such agricultural commodities; and
commissioning targeted outside scientific reports on sanitary and phytosanitary issues, and other issues regarding technical barriers, involving agricultural commodities and the products of such agricultural commodities.
Targeted trade issues
Projects funded under this section may include projects relating to the acceptance by foreign markets of—
antimicrobial treatments;
wood-packaging material;
irradiation;
biotechnology;
science-based maximum residue level standards;
testing procedures and controls for mycotoxins;
labeling; and
shelf life.
Funding
Commodity credit corporation
The Secretary shall use the funds, facilities, and authorities of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out this section.
Funding amount
The Secretary shall use, to the maximum extent practicable, $2,000,000 of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
.
Foreign market development cooperator program
Foreign market development cooperator program
Subsection (c) of section 702 of
the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5722) is amended by striking
Committee on International Relations
and inserting
Committee on Foreign Affairs
.
Funding
Section 703 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 5723) is amended—
in subsection (a), by
striking 2002 through 2007
and inserting 2008 through
2012
; and
in subsection (b), by
striking 2001
and inserting 2007
.
Emerging markets and facility guarantee loan program
Promotion of agricultural exports to emerging markets
Subsections (a) and (d)(1)(A)(i) of section
1542 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C.
5622 note; Public Law 101–624) is amended by striking 2007
each
place it appears and inserting 2012
.
Facility guarantee loan program
Such section is further amended—
in subsection (b)—
in the first sentence, by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and adjusting the margins accordingly;
by striking A
portion
and inserting the following:
In general
A portion
;
in the second sentence—
by striking The
Commodity Credit Corporation
and inserting the following:
Priority
The Commodity Credit Corporation
; and
by moving the margins of subparagraphs (A) and (B) two ems to the right; and
by adding at the end the following:
Initial payment
The Secretary may require an initial down payment, upon such terms as the Secretary may determine, by the beneficiary of the credit guarantee as a condition of providing a credit guarantee under this subsection.
Maximum liability
The liability of the Commodity Credit Corporation under a guarantee provided pursuant to this section may not exceed 98 percent of—
the principal amount involved in the underlying financial arrangement for construction of the facility; and
the interest on the outstanding principal amount at the rate specified in the underlying financial arrangement for construction of the facility.
Term of guarantee
A facility payment guarantee under this subsection shall be for a term that is not more than the lesser of—
the term of the depreciation schedule of the facility assisted; or
a maximum period, as determined by the Secretary.
.
Food for Progress Act of 1985
Provision of eligible commodities to developing countries
Subsection (f)(3) of the Food for Progress
Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1736o; section 1110 of the Food Security Act of 1985) is
amended by striking 1996 through 2007
and inserting 2008
through 2012
.
Minimum tonnage
Subsection (g) of such Act is amended—
by striking
400,000
and inserting 500,000
; and
by striking 2002
through 2007
and inserting 2008 through 2012
.
Report
Subsection
(j)(3) of such Act is amended by inserting and the Committee on Foreign
Affairs
after Committee on Agriculture
the first place
such term appears.
Effective and termination dates
Subsection (k) of such Act is amended by
striking 2007
and inserting 2012
.
Administrative expenses
Subsection (l)(1) of such Act is amended by striking
1996 through 2007
and inserting 2008 through
2012
.
Program management
Subsection (n)(2)(C) of such Act is amended, by
striking Committee on International Relations
and inserting
Committee on Foreign Affairs
.
Miscellaneous provisions
Technical assistance for specialty crops
Additional requirements
Section 3205 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 5680) is amended—
by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and
by inserting after subsection (c) the following new subsection:
Additional requirements
Maximum award
The maximum amount of assistance provided annually to a project under the program shall be $500,000.
Project duration
The Secretary may extend a project under the program irrespective of the initial estimated duration of the project.
.
Funding
Such section is further amended in subsection (e) (as redesignated by subsection (a)(1)), to read as follows:
Funding
Commodity credit corporation
The Secretary shall use the funds, facilities, and authorities of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out this section.
Funding amount
The Secretary shall make available the following amounts of the funds of, or an equal value of commodities owned by, the Commodity Credit Corporation, to the maximum extent practicable, for the following fiscal years to carry out this section:
$4,000,000 for fiscal year 2008.
$6,000,000 for fiscal year 2009.
$8,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015.
.
Support for sanitary and phytosanitary priorities of the United States within certain international organizations
Support authorized
The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to enhance United States support for international organizations, including international organizations described in subsection (b), that establish international standards regarding food, food safety, plants, and animals by funding additional positions of associate professional officers to address sanitary and phytosanitary priorities of the United States within such international organizations. The Secretary shall carry out this subsection pursuant to the authority of the Secretary under section 1458(a)(3) of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3291(a)(3)).
International organizations described
The international organizations referred to in subsection (a) are the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the International Plant Protection Convention, and the World Organization for Animal Health.
Technical assistance for the resolution of trade disputes
Technical assistance authorized
The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to provide monitoring, analytic support, and other technical assistance to limited-resource persons and organizations associated with agricultural trade (as determined by the Secretary) to address unfair trade practices of foreign countries, including intellectual property right violations, and to reduce trade barriers.
Authorization of appropriations
To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
Sense of Congress concerning the Global Crop Diversity Trust
Findings
Congress finds the following:
Crop diversity—the natural diversity exhibited in the array of varieties in every crop—is one of the world’s least recognized, but most valuable resources. It provides the genetic building blocks for adapting crops to constantly evolving pests, diseases, and changing climates. Without crop diversity, agriculture cannot retain current productivity levels and cannot meet anticipated future challenges associated with population growth and global warming.
Currently, much of the world’s crop diversity is neither safely conserved, nor readily available to scientists and farmers who rely on it to safeguard agricultural productivity.
The Global Crop Diversity Trust, an independent organization created by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization in conjunction with the 2001 International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources, is the only organization working globally to solve the problem of protecting crop diversity. The Global Crop Diversity Trust became a legal entity at the end of 2004, but has already raised $135,000,000 from a broad alliance of partners, including developed and developing countries, private corporations, and philanthropic foundations, including a joint initiative with the United Nations Foundation funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The United States was an early supporter of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, and has so far contributed $6,500,000 to the Global Crop Diversity Trust. Robust involvement of the United States in the Global Crop Diversity Trust ensures significant benefits to United States farmers.
Sense of congress
It is the sense of Congress that the President should provide significant United States financial resources to the Global Crop Diversity Trust to ensure the conservation of crop diversity which can yield significant benefits to United States farmers.
Technical and conforming amendments
Subsection (a) of section 3206 of the Farm
Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 5603a) is amended by
striking Committee on International Relations
and inserting
Committee on Foreign Affairs
.
Rule of construction
Nothing in this Act or any amendment made by this Act shall be construed to supersede the provisions of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.).
July 23, 2007
Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed