World Food Day

Floor Speech

WORLD FOOD DAY -- (Senate - October 16, 2007)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, it is harvest time in Iowa and throughout heartland. It is the time of year when farmers work around the clock to bring in the year's harvest of corn, soybeans, and other grains. Just this past weekend while on my farm in New Hartford, I was able to help my son with the harvest.

Across Iowa and the Midwest, farmers are harvesting a bumper crop. It is during this time that we pray that these bounties from the land make their way into of the mouths of the hungry.

It is appropriate, then, that during this season of harvest, a gathering will be taking place in northeast Iowa focusing on global hunger. Not far from my farm, a dinner is taking place tonight in the small town of Protivin, to honor one of America's greatest fighters of hunger.

Dr. Norman Borlaug, who grew up just a few miles from Protivin in Howard County, shared his talents to help populations around the world. His efforts to increase food production, and alleviate global hunger and famine earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 and the title of ``Father of the Green Revolution.''

His work in food production was also acknowledged this summer when Dr. Borlaug was presented the Congressional Gold Medal by President Bush and the bipartisan leadership of Congress. As a testament to his work around the globe, officials from Mexico, India, Japan, and numerous countries in Africa were present to honor Dr. Borlaug. I was proud to join this distinguished group in honoring him, and I thank my colleagues for acknowledging Dr. Borlaug's accomplishments.

It is clear that Dr. Borlaug has never forgotten his roots. He remains a rural Iowa farmer at heart. That is why I am sure tonight's dinner near his hometown will mean as much as, if not more than, the formal banquet that followed his receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.

It is also appropriate that Dr. Borlaug is making this trip back to the heartland today, October 16. Today has been designated ``World Food Day'' around the globe, and ``Dr. Norman E. Borlaug/World Food Prize Day'' in Iowa.

Dr. Borlaug continues to lead the effort to end global hunger and will do so today by participating in the first Iowa Hunger Summit in Des Moines. This summit will bring together people from across Iowa and the country to focus on feeding the hungry at home and abroad. Iowa Governor Chet Culver and former Governors Vilsack, Branstad, and Ray will also be in attendance for the summit.

I would like to thank the World Food Prize Foundation which provided the leadership in making this daylong focus on hunger possible. The foundation has worked closely with the Alliance to End Hunger, the One Campaign, and Iowa State University to make this event a central focus of World Food Day.

This is an appropriate time of year for us to focus on hunger and feeding the malnourished worldwide. I hope my colleagues will join in commending those who are working daily to raise the awareness of world hunger and working to provide adequate food for all.

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