Grassley co-sponsored ag trade provision helps Sub-Saharan women

Noella, farmer.From Press Release

 

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today welcomed committee passage of an amendment he co-sponsored to prioritize agricultural trade technical assistance for businesses and sectors that engage women farmers and entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“Women in developing countries can benefit from the technical assistance agricultural trade experts are able to offer,” Grassley said.  “Helping women and their families get out of poverty is a worthy goal for a program focused on building skills for farmers and entrepreneurs.”

Grassley co-sponsored an amendment on the prioritized assistance that was included in the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act approved by the Finance Committee today.   The African Growth and Opportunity Act expires in 2015.  The committee-passed bill would extend it through 2025.

The African Growth and Opportunity Act offers trade preferences to Sub-Saharan African countries that meet certain criteria, including progress toward the rule of law, elimination of barriers to U.S. trade and investment, and protection of worker rights.