Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 107 Part 3.djvu/809

 PROCLAMATION 6614—OCT. 16, 1993 107 STAT. 2747 On this World Food Day, let us commit ourselves to bringing change to the lives of those who suffer from hunger and to preserving the resources we will need in the years ahead. Failure to protect our environment now and in the future will clearly affect the ability of countries to produce food and fiber for growing populations. The United Nations has indicated that the world may not be able to feed itself by sometime early in the next century if we continue to abuse productive soil. If world food production is to be maintained and enhanced, we must learn to safeguard the biological diversity that underpins our agricultural system. Today, the biological foundation is imperiled. Traditional crop varieties and animal breeds are becoming endangered. Many are aheady extinct. When we lose a traditional wheat or rice variety, we lose its imique characteristics and its potential pest and disease resistance, drought tolerance, or nutritional benefits. Nature's diversity is a precious inheritance. We cannot live on this earth without it. Through sound agricultiural practices and intelligent shepherding of our natural resources, we can nourish and protect our land, forests, rivers, and streams. The almost constant threat of famine in Africa and the continuing food problems in Asia should remind us all of our global vulnerability, especially as the population continues to grow. Raising the global community's awareness of the himger that afflicts the young, the infirm, the poor, and the elderly—and considering the needs of others each day—can bring change and help ensure our food supply for the future. The Congress, by House Joint Resolution 218, has designated October 16, 1993, and October 16, 1994, as "World Food Day" and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of these days. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 16, 1993, and October 16, 1994, as World Food Day. I call on all Americans to observe these days with appropriate programs and activities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety- three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eighteenth. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 6614 of October 16, 1993 National Forest Products Week, 1993 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Our National Forests are a priceless heritage, a gift that we hold in trust for future generations. As stewards of this inheritance, we have the obligation of preserving the capacity of these lands to sustain, not only themselves, but also the species that depend on them. Even as we strive to fulfill this obligation, the American people are asking fun-

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