Ronald Reagan

“ American agricultural development assistance programs have helped peoples all over the world to improve their food production.
Our efforts to alleviate hunger have complemented those of other members of the international community. We salute particularly the tireless efforts of the Food and Agriculture Organization which, on World Food Day, celebrates thirty-six years of service in the effort to alleviate hunger and malnutrition. ”

“ The United States is blessed with abundant land, fertile soil, adequate water, and a favorable climate. Upon this natural base, Americans have erected a sound system of agriculture, founded on the right of private property ownership, the opportunity to earn rewards for honest toil and investment, the freedom to exchange in the marketplace, the availability of essential credit, the application of new scientific discoveries and technologies, and the primacy of the independent family farm. ”

“ Today, many nations lack either the natural endowments or the system of incentives to private enterprise that are critical to successful agriculture. Many millions of people, particularly in the Third World, and where government policies have denied land ownership and market incentives to their farmers, are suffering from hunger and malnutrition. ”