TIPPER GORE MAKES KEYNOTE ADDRESS TO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE
WASHINGTON, June 29, 1998 -- Tipper Gore, wife of Vice President Al Gore, today delivered a keynote address at the second day of the second International Conference on Women in Agriculture, which runs through July 2 at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, D.C. The conference has drawn more than 1,000 women from 40 countries and is featuring speakers from around the world on a variety of agricultural topics.
"I am pleased to be here today to speak on the important topic of the role of women in world agriculture," Mrs. Gore said. "It is exciting to see so many representatives of the international community coming together to reach some common conclusions to help women who run family farms and rural cooperatives, who nurture and sustain rural communities, and who are closely involved in raising crops and producing other agricultural commodities."
Other featured speakers at the second day of the Conference include Marsha Pyle Martin, Chairman and CEO of the US Farm Credit Administration; Gilbert Normand, Canada's Secretary of State for Agriculture; Richard Rominger, US Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary; Andrew Peacock, Australian Ambassador to the United States; and Kerry Sander, CEO of the Port of Fremantle, Western Australia. A number of presenters from around the world will address smaller groups on topics such as doing business in remote areas, making the transition from farm laborer to family farmer, purchasing insurance, food safety, and ecological sustainability.
The conference, hosted by the President's Interagency Council on the Status of Women, is being chaired by the US Department of Agriculture. "We are pleased to have such a high turnout of women from around the world," said Jill Long Thompson, Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development and International Conference on Women in Agriculture conference chair. "Hearing from women such as Mrs. Gore provides a unique perspective and helps women learn from each other and form successful coalitions to protect resources, to form better communities, and to live healthier lives."
Additional information about the conference is available at the ICWA site, or by calling (202) 720-4581.
Contact:
Jim Brownlee,
(202) 720-2091
jim.brownlee@usda.gov