Expressing the sense of the Congress that the trade and economic development policies of the United States should respect and support the rights of African farmers with respect to their agricultural…

Declares the sense of Congress that: (1) African nations and people have the right to ensure the conservation, evaluation, and sustainable use of their agricultural and biological resources, traditional knowledge, and technologies, and to govern access to them; (2) African farmers have the right to access, use, exchange, and share their agricultural and biological resources, traditional knowledge, and technologies as established by customary law and practice; (3) African nations have the right to protect the rights of farmers and communities to their agricultural and biological resources, traditional knowledge, and technologies; (4) the patenting of life forms that are part of African agricultural and biological resources, traditional knowledge, and technologies violates such rights; (5) the African Model Legislation for the Protection of the Rights of Local Communities, Farmers and Breeders, and for the Regulation of Access to Biological Resources seeks to recognize, protect, and support such rights; and (6) U.S. trade and economic development policies toward Africa should respect and support the rights of African farmers with respect to their agricultural and biological resources, traditional knowledge, and technologies, and the provisions of the African Model Legislation.