agriculture, rural development, and nutrition

agriculture, rural development, and nutrition Sec. 103. (a) Section 103 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended to read as follows: “Sec. 103. Agriculture, Rural Development, and Nutrition.— (a) (1) In recognition of the fact that the great majority of the people of developing countries live in rural areas and are dependent on agriculture and agricultural-related pursuits for their livelihood, the President is authorized to furnish assistance, on such terms and conditions as he may determine, for agriculture, rural development, and nutrition— “(A) to alleviate starvation, hunger, and malnutrition; “(B) to expand significantly the provision of basic services to rural poor people to enhance their capacity for self-help; and “(C) to help create productive farm and off-farm employment in rural areas to provide a more viable economic base and enhance opportunities for improved incomes, living standards, and contributions by rural poor people to the economic and social development of their countries. “(2) There is authorized to be appropriated to the President for purposes of this section, in addition to funds otherwise available for such purposes, $665,231,000 for the fiscal year 1979. Amounts appropriated under this section are authorized to remain available until expended. “(b) (1) Assistance provided under this section shall be used primarily for activities which are specifically designed to increase the productivity and income of the rural poor, through such means as92 STAT. 944 creation and strengthening of local institutions linked to the regional and national levels; organization of a system of financial institutions which provide both savings and credit services to the poor; stimulation of small, labor-intensive enterprises in rural towns; improvement of marketing facilities and systems; expansion of rural infrastructure and utilities such as farm-to-market roads, water management systems, land improvement, energy, and storage facilities; establishment of more equitable and more secure land tenure arrangements; and creation and strengthening of systems to provide other services and supplies needed by farmers, such as extension, research, training, fertilizer, water, forestry, soil conservation, and improved seed, in ways which assure access to them by small farmers. “(2) In circumstances where development of major infrastructure is necessary to achieve the objectives set forth in this section, assistance for that purpose should be furnished under this chapter in association with significant contributions from other countries working together in a multilateral framework. Infrastructure projects so assisted should be complemented by other measures to ensure that the benefits of the infrastructure reach the poor. “(c) The Congress finds that the greatest potential for significantly expanding availability of food for people in rural areas and augmenting world food production at relatively low cost lies in increasing the productivity of small farmers who constitute a majority of the agricultural producers in developing countries. Increasing the emphasis on rural development and expanded food production in the poorest nations of the developing world is a matter of social justice and a principal element contributing to broadly based economic growth, as well as an important factor in alleviating inflation in the industrialized countries. In the allocation of funds under this section, special attention shall be given to increasing agricultural production in countries which have been designated as ‘least developed’ by the United Nations General Assembly. “(d) Assistance provided under this section shall also be used in coordination with programs carried out under section 104 to help improve nutrition of the people of developing countries through encouragement of increased production of crops with greater nutritional value; improvement of planning, research, and education with respect to nutrition, particularly with reference to improvement and expanded use of indigenously produced foodstuffs; and the undertaking of pilot or demonstration programs explicitly addressing the problem of malnutrition of poor and vulnerable people. In particular, the President is encouraged— “(1) to devise and carry out in partnership with developing countries a strategy for programs of nutrition and health improvement for mothers and children, including breast feeding; and “(2) to provide technical, financial, and material support to individuals or groups at the local level for such programs. “(e) Local currency proceeds from sales of commodities provided under the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 which are owned by foreign governments shall be used whenever practicable to carry out the provisions of this section.”. (b) Section 644 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended by adding at the end thereof the following: 92 STAT. 945 “(o) ‘Agriculture ’ includes aquaculture and fisheries, “(p) ‘Farmers’ includes fishermen and other persons employed in cultivating and harvesting food resources from salt and fresh waters.”. (c) Sections 117 and 296 (f) and (g) of such Act are repealed. (d) Section 103A of such Act is amended by inserting “environmental,” immediately after “social,” in clause (2) of the first sentence.