§ 7411. — Findings and purpose.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 7USC7411]
TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
CHAPTER 101--AGRICULTURAL PROMOTION
SUBCHAPTER II--ISSUANCE OF ORDERS FOR PROMOTION, RESEARCH, AND
INFORMATION ACTIVITIES REGARDING AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES
Sec. 7411. Findings and purpose
(a) Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1) The production of agricultural commodities plays a
significant role in the economy of the United States. Thousands of
producers in the United States are involved in the production of
agricultural commodities, and such commodities are consumed by
millions of people throughout the United States and foreign
countries.
(2) Agricultural commodities must be of high quality, readily
available, handled properly, and marketed efficiently to ensure that
consumers have an adequate supply.
(3) The maintenance and expansion of existing markets and the
development of new markets for agricultural commodities through
generic commodity promotion, research, and information programs are
vital to the welfare of persons engaged in the production,
marketing, and consumption of such commodities, as well as to the
general economy of the United States.
(4) Generic promotion, research, and information activities for
agricultural commodities play a unique role in advancing the demand
for such commodities, since such activities increase the total
market for a product to the benefit of consumers and all producers.
These generic activities complement branded advertising initiatives,
which are aimed at increasing the market share of individual
competitors, and are of particular benefit to small producers who
lack the resources or market power to advertise on their own. These
generic activities do not impede the branded advertising efforts of
individual firms, but instead increase general market demand for an
agricultural commodity using methods that individual companies do
not have the incentive to employ.
(5) Generic promotion, research, and information activities for
agricultural commodities, paid by the producers and others in the
industry who reap the benefits of such activities, provide a unique
opportunity for producers to inform consumers about a particular
agricultural commodity.
(6) It is important to ensure that generic promotion, research,
and information activities for agricultural commodities be carried
out in an effective and coordinated manner designed to strengthen
the position of the commodities in the marketplace and to maintain
and expand their markets and uses. Independent evaluation of the
effectiveness of the generic promotion activities of these programs
will assist the Secretary of Agriculture and Congress in ensuring
that these objectives are met.
(7) The cooperative development, financing, and implementation
of a coordinated national program of research, promotion, and
information regarding agricultural commodities are necessary to
maintain and expand existing markets and to develop new markets for
these commodities.
(8) Agricultural commodities move in interstate and foreign
commerce, and agricultural commodities and their products that do
not move in such channels of commerce directly burden or affect
interstate commerce in agricultural commodities and their products.
(9) Commodity promotion programs have the ability to provide
significant conservation benefits to producers and the public.
(b) Purpose
The purpose of this subchapter is to authorize the establishment,
through the exercise by the Secretary of Agriculture of the authority
provided in this subchapter, of an orderly program for developing,
financing, and carrying out an effective, continuous, and coordinated
program of generic promotion, research, and information regarding
agricultural commodities designed to--
(1) strengthen the position of agricultural commodity industries
in the marketplace;
(2) maintain and expand existing domestic and foreign markets
and uses for agricultural commodities;
(3) develop new markets and uses for agricultural commodities;
or
(4) assist producers in meeting their conservation objectives.
(c) Rule of construction
Nothing in this subchapter provides for the control of production or
otherwise limits the right of any person to produce, handle, or import
an agricultural commodity.
(Pub. L. 104-127, title V, Sec. 512, Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1032.)
