New Agricultural Organization for Africa

Broadcast: April 15, 2003
By Mario Ritter

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
Soon a new organization will be established to help agricultural development in Africa. The African Agricultural Technology Foundation¹ will be set up in Nairobi, Kenya. It will start operations in September, two-thousand-three.
The African Agricultural Technology Foundation is not designed to make a profit. It represents1 an important kind of organization involved in the worldwide trade of genetically² changed crops.
The Rockefeller Foundation and the United States Agency³ for International Development are involved in the African Agricultural Technology Foundation. Several major agricultural companies also will support the effort. Monsanto, Dupont and Dow Agro Sciences L-L-C are American companies. Syngenta is a Swiss company that will also take part.
The president of the Rockefeller Foundation announced the formation⁴ of the A-A-T-F in Washington, D-C in March. Gordon Conway said the organization is an experiment. He said he hopes that the A-A-T-F will work with governments, companies, non-government organizations and research centers. He said it will negotiate⁵ between those who own sales rights to agricultural technology and Africans who want to use the technology.
Sales rights are an important issue for companies that develop agricultural technology. Without enforcement2 of their sales rights, agricultural technology companies could not make a profit from their products which are costly⁶ to develop.
Eugene Terry of Sierra Leone will be the director of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation. He served as the director general of the West Africa Rice Development Association⁷. He has also advised the World Bank. Mister⁸ Terry said in a presentation that one goal of the A-A-T-F is to support laws protecting sales rights. He also said it should help bring new agricultural technologies to market.
Many countries do not have trade agreements with nations that produce products developed through new agricultural technologies. Countries like the United States and Switzerland develop many of the genetically changed crops and the products used with them. Organizations like the A-A-T-F are meant to serve as a link between these industrial nations and developing nations seeking improved agricultural technology.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter.
1. represent [7ri:prI5zent] vt. 表现，描绘，扮演
2. enforcement [In5fC:sm[nt] n. 执行，强制

1 foundation   

n.[pl.]地基；基础；基金会；建立，创办

参考例句：

• The foundation of the university took place 600 years ago.这所大学是600年前创办的。
• The Foundation gives money to help artists.那家基金会捐款帮助艺术家。

2 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

3 agency   

n.经办；代理；代理处

参考例句：

• This disease is spread through the agency of insects.这种疾病是通过昆虫媒介传播的。
• He spoke in the person of Xinhua News Agency.他代表新华社讲话。

4 formation   

n.形成，组成；形成物，结构；队形，排列

参考例句：

• This is the formation of a new government.这是新政府的构成。
• The aircraft are flying in formation.飞机编队飞行。

5 negotiate   

v.洽谈，协商，谈判，顺利通过，成功越过

参考例句：

• I'll negotiate with their coach on the date of the match.我将与他们的教练磋商比赛的日期问题。
• I managed to negotiate successfully with the authorities.我设法同当局进行了成功的协商。

6 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

7 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

8 mister   

n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生

参考例句：

• Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
• He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。