SECRETARY MIKE JOHANNS: Well, thank you very much. That was a very nice introduction, very generous introduction, and it was a very nice welcome. Now ladies and gentlemen, I was looking out at the crowd as the introduction indicated that I grew up near here near a community called Osage, Iowa. I must admit I do see a little bit of confusion on some faces out there. Not everybody, Dr. Borlaug, knows where Osage is at. Now we do because Cresco and Osage are pretty close together, so I better explain to you where Osage is at before I start my comments here today.

Ladies and gentlemen, Osage would be just south of Stacyville and St. Ansgar, and it's straight east of Manley, so now you know where Osage is at.

[Laughter.]

I do appreciate the kind introduction. It's such an honor to be here today presenting the first Secretary's address at the 20th Annual International Symposium for the World Food Prize. In the 20 years since Dr. Norman E. Borlaug conceived of the World Food Prize it has been recognizing the most significant achievements in so many areas-- food quality, quantities, availability.

Now USDA is honored that four of our own have been awarded the World Food Prize in years past. In fact, Dr. Borlaug himself began his career with the United States Forest Service some years ago, so we at the USDA have had a long, long very positive association with him.

I understand that your 20th anniversary is also marked by naming this symposium for Dr. Borlaug. Ladies and gentlemen, it's such a fitting tribute for the man who so dramatically reduced hunger, through his pioneering work in wheat production. Dr. Borlaug, it's always a pleasure to be here with you. It's a pleasure to be here with you today.

I also want to recognize Josette Sheeran from the State Department. I hadn't seen Josette yet but I was made aware that she's here. And Ambassador Quinn who you all know.

I'd like to also offer my congratulations to this year's laureates: Alisa Paolinelli, and Edson Labato and Colin McClung. Their work to improve agricultural conditions in regions of Brazil has improved the lives and the livelihoods of countless people. Like past winners, they serve as an inspiration for all of us to ensure a safe and plentiful food supply for all people all across this globe.

Agriculture is one of the essentials of life. It's the foundation of society. It's the foundation of civilization. Without an adequate food supply, people have no opportunity to strive beyond anything, beyond mere survival. In the 21st Century, we certainly must aspire to more. At this symposium we've been asked how we can replicate the success of the Green Revolution. I believe there are tremendous opportunities for new advancements on a number of fronts.

We are seeing such amazing successes in the areas of productivity. Research leads us to new technologies that were beyond the imagination when I was that young boy growing up on that farm near Osage. We are finding creative ways to deliver agricultural expertise to critical areas of the world for our Extension Service, and we are pressing for new world trade policies that we believe have the opportunity to lift millions out of poverty.

This is a dynamic time in agriculture, maybe the most dynamic time certainly in my life. I would make the case it could be as revolutionary as the agriculture of past decades if we seize the opportunities that are before us.

That means continuing the great success story of agricultural productivity. In the United States alone productivity just continues to grow year after year by nearly 2 percent each year.

Now putting that into perspective over the span of about 50 years, we've tripled the amount of milk produced by an average cow and quadrupled the amount of corn harvested in a single acre. Like I said, these would have been numbers I could not have imagined growing up on that dairy farm.

Now what are the benefits from these advances? How do we sustain it? For starters, we recognize the important role of groundbreaking research like that of Dr. Borlaug and so many other scientists that have worked with him. We must recognize that the breakthroughs of tomorrow might today be nothing more than experiments that involve a lot of skepticism. These experiments require willingness to invest with really no guarantee that the return will exceed that investment.

For private companies, the risk might be too great--regardless of the potential social benefit.

That's why I believe so much in public research and the vital role that it has to play and why it is so enormously important for government and government-funded researchers to stay closely connected to our private sector. You see, public research lays the foundation. We do some problem-solving and then often pass the torch to the private sector to take it to the finish line in the form of the commercialization of that product. Only then do we realize the broad social benefits.

Our researchers have developed strong public and private partnerships, but we want to press to make them even stronger. The more closely we are linked, the more likely it is that our research dollars will ensure that the amazing story of agriculture continues not just today but on into the future.

The advancements just in the past few years are convincing evidence of the value of our investment of tax dollars in this arena. USDA's scientists identified a major wheat gene for aluminum tolerance. Wheat strains can now be bred that will flourish in acidic, high-aluminum soil. Productive wheat harvests in areas with this soil type will be crucial as the world's population continues to grow.

We collaborated with the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines to develop a high yielding, disease-resistant rice. It was higher in levels of zinc and iron than traditional varieties.

Successes like these go beyond increasing productivity to increasing the nutrition of the crops that we produce. One of the most troubling problems in the developing countries is malnutrition. Populations that rely exclusively on a very few staple crops are often lacking in necessary vitamins and minerals.

Iron deficiency is the most serious nutritional deficiency on a worldwide basis. It is estimated to plague 30 percent of the world's population. In Africa alone nearly half of all pregnant women and more than half of all school age children suffer from iron deficiency. It's sad. It impairs learning ability, it reduces cognitive function, and it can even be deadly.

We have made some exciting discoveries that will help to increase iron consumption.

We have developed a strain of rice that allows the human body to absorb more iron. We have developed a breed of corn that has been shown to increase iron absorption by up to 50 percent.

Vitamin A deficiency is second to iron in its impact in developing countries. A lack of vitamin A can lead to a weakened immune system, impaired vision, and cause blindness. Now our researchers have tackled this problem too. Our researchers have bred darker carrots that have a higher beta carotene content, which is an important source of vitamin A, making these carrots more readily available to help reduce the number of people who suffer from blindness and from weak immune systems.

In some cases, research is only in the very first steps. What we learn in the lab we must teach our farmers to apply in the field. And that's where our Extension efforts have always come in and will come in in the future. At USDA we direct our domestic extension efforts to our Land Grant colleges and universities. Every state has a university that is tasked not only with research and education, but also with that outreach into surrounding communities.

A researcher at North Carolina A&T University explained his mission very recently. The researcher said, and I'm quoting, "Our job as scientists is to give back to the community. We then play a role in making the lives of our citizens better," unquote.

We're doing this on an international level as well. Yesterday morning the symposium opened with a special session sponsored by USDA on the growing U.S./India Agricultural Knowledge Initiative. President Bush and India's Prime Minister directed USDA and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research to lead this effort. Through it we provide support to many agricultural universities in India. The United States has pledged $24 million to support this venture.

The purpose of the initiative is broad and it includes promoting food security, increasing technology transfer, supporting India's integration into the global economy, and reinvigorating U.S. and Indian university partnerships.

Iraq is another country with the potential for great agricultural advancements, and we are committed to help, do all we can so Iraq can realize its potential. Iraqi agriculture once the lifeblood of the country's economy, was choked out by years of neglect. Agriculture is the second largest contributor to the Iraqi economy, only behind oil. So revitalization is crucial to ensure both a plentiful food supply and stable economy.

This summer I visited Iraq for signing an agreement to pursue a program called the Iraq Agriculture Extension Revitalization Project. Through this program our Land Grant Universities will train Iraqis to become extension agents. These agents will in turn provide the technical assistance that is so necessary to Iraqi farmers. The goal is to bring new life into Iraq's fertile fields and we believe we can do it.

We have also set our sights on Africa with a multifaceted effort underway to help the continent overcome agricultural challenges and feed its population. Last year I was in Africa twice.

From training African science to hosting biotechnology workshops they are committed to this cause. We are helping African policymakers to understand the enormous potential of biotech crops that can literally make a lifesaving difference. And we are transferring new technologies to Africa by training their top scientists.

The board for International Food and Agricultural Development, which is meeting in conjunction with this year's symposium will discuss the potential for a green revolution in Africa. The board assists the U.S. Agency for International Development in fully engaging Land Grant Universities in foreign assistance efforts.

The academic community has stepped up to provide international assistance in really magnificent ways. And yet I hope my friends in academia accept the challenge to go even further, to seek innovative approaches to reducing hunger in Africa on that continent, but beyond.

Whether a scientist a professor or agribusiness owner, we all have an inspirational example to follow in Dr. Borlaug. Now I hope I don't embarrass the doctor, but I cannot help but highlight the ingenuity and leadership you continue to demonstrate in the fight against hunger. The Global Rust Initiative led by Dr. Borlaug exemplifies the power of working together in collaboration. USDA is just one of many partners in this effort to combat a stem rust that has emerged in Africa. We are helping to screen America's wheat and barley varieties, and the advanced breeding lines in Kenya to identify lines that are resistant.

Your commitment and ideals, Dr. Borlaug, have inspired collaboration of another kind through USDA's Norman E. Borlaug International Science and Technology Fellows Program. This Fellowship program helps to strengthen agricultural practices in other countries through the transfer of new science and new technologies. Borlaug fellows are top agricultural scientists and policymakers from developing countries. They are assigned a mentor who coordinates up to six weeks of scientific training for them. This year we will spend $1 million to train about 100 fellows from 20 countries around the world. As you know, we have 57 fellows present at this symposium representing 13 countries. I'm so glad they are here.

Research, education and international partnership all come together in this program, and I am confident that these fellows will help carry on the fight against hunger with great passion. And if our program doesn't inspire our fellows to do so, I am assured that you have it covered, Dr. Borlaug. I have heard that your talk has been inspirational here.

There exists another opportunity, ladies and gentlemen, that I'd be very remiss if I did not mention, an opportunity to make a real difference in this world. But I must admit, I am concerned that this opportunity is slipping away from us, maybe not to come back in this generation.

Now this opportunity is not related to new technologies. It's not even necessarily related to more education. But I believe it has the potential to lift millions out of poverty.

I'm speaking of international trade and specifically the Doha Development Agenda. It is another piece of the puzzle when it comes to addressing world hunger. See, I've long believed that trade is an engine of economic growth that increases rural income and offers poor countries access to markets, to new technologies, to partnerships and opportunities for employment and investment. I believe we have before us literally a once-in-a-generation opportunity to have a profound impact on hunger and poverty in developing countries.

Two-thirds of the WTO member countries are developing countries; 32 of these are considered least developed countries, truly the poorest of the poor in the world. And these countries, over 70 percent of the poor live in rural areas where agriculture is the employer. Now according to a World Bank study, roughly half of the global economic benefit for free trade would be enjoyed by these developing countries. In particular more than 90 percent of these gains would come from reducing import tariffs.

A study by International Institute of Economics estimates that global free trade can lift as many as 500 million people out of poverty and inject $200 billion annually into the economies of developing countries. It far surpasses anything being done in aid.

Economic growth spurred by trade liberalization has tremendous potential for development, far more than voluntary aid donations alone.

That's why we work so hard. Along with U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman and Ambassador Susan Schwab, I have worked to reach a successful resolution to the WTO negotiations. The talks have stalled, and in fact they were suspended in July. And I'm disappointed by that. There's so much at stake here. It's not an exaggeration to say that lives are depending upon our success.

I think that quote from a former president in a least developed country says it best. He says, "The wrong policy on agriculture might lose elections in France, but it loses lives in Africa." The United States remains committed to the Doha Round as a means of reducing poverty in developing countries. It is my sincere hope that our ambitious offer tabled about a year ago will be matched, unlocking the true potential of the Doha Round.

Ladies and gentlemen, some concluding thoughts. We all have a responsibility to humankind. No one should have to live with hunger wondering where their next meal may come from. The World Food Prize provides an excellent forum to raise awareness and to remind each of us that we have a responsibility to give to this cause, whether that be through science, technology, policy, education or time.

USDA is proud to provide the financial assistance to the World Food Prize because, Dr. Borlaug, we believe in your cause. We admire your passion, and we are determined to carry on your vision.

Thank you all. God bless each of you.

[Applause.]