Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 112 Part 5.djvu/703

 PUBLIC LAW 105-385 —NOV. 13, 1998 112 STAT. 3461 future as productive and creative members of their communities. (3) Currently, agricultural production in Africa employs about two-thirds of the workforce but produces less than onefourth of the gross domestic product in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the World Bank Group. (4) African women produce up to 80 percent of the total food supply in Africa according to the International Food Policy Research Institute. (5) An effective way to improve conditions of the poor is to increase the productivity of the agricultural sector. Productivity increases can be fostered by increasing research and education in agriculture and rural development. (6) In November 1996, the World Food Summit set a goal of reducing hunger worldwide by 50 percent by the year 2015 and encouraged national governments to develop domestic food plans and to support international aid efforts. (7) Although the World Bank Group recently has launched a major initiative to support agricultural and rural development, only 10 percent, or $1,200,000,000, of its total lending to sub-Saharan Africa for fiscal years 1993 to 1997 was devoted to agriculture. (8)(A) United States food processing and agricultural sectors benefit greatly from the liberalization of global trade and increased exports. (B) Africa represents a growing market for United States food and agricultural products. Africa's food imports are projected to rise from less than 8,000,000 metric tons in 1990 to more than 25,000,000 metric tons by the 2020. (9)(A) Increased private sector investment in African countries and expanded trade between the United States and Africa can greatly help African countries achieve food self-sufficiency and graduate from dependency on international assistance. (B) Development assistance, technical assistance, and training can facilitate and encourage commercial development in Africa, such as improving rural roads, agricultural research and extension, and providing access to credit and other resources. (10)(A) Several United States private voluntary organizations have demonstrated success in empowering Africans through direct business ownership and helping African agricultural producers more efficiently and directly market their products. (B) Rural business associations, owned and controlled by farmer shareholders, also greatly help agricultural producers to increase their household incomes. (b) DECLARATION OF POLICY.—I t is the policy of the United States, consistent with title XII of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, to support governments of sub-Saharan African countries. United States and African nongovernmental organizations, universities, businesses, and international agencies, to help ensure the availability of basic nutrition and economic opportunities for individuals in sub-Saharan Africa, through sustainable agriculture and rural development.

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