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Title 7, AgricultureRelease 119-110

§1732 Definitions

Title 7 › CHAPTER 41 — FOOD FOR PEACE › SUBCHAPTER IV — GENERAL AUTHORITIES AND REQUIREMENTS › § 1732

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines key words used in the chapter. Administrator is the head of the Agency for International Development, unless the chapter says otherwise. Agricultural commodity is any farm product or its processed forms made in the United States, such as wood, processed wood, fish, livestock, and value-added or fortified products. Starting October 1, 1991, for subchapter III, a product is not treated as produced in the United States if it contains any ingredient not made here when that ingredient is produced and is commercially available in the United States at fair and reasonable prices. Appropriate committee of Congress names three committees: Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; House Agriculture; and House Foreign Affairs. Cooperative is a private, member-owned business that shares services and profits and helps members with cooperative development. Developing country is one with low foreign exchange earnings and trouble buying all its food commercially. Food security means everyone can get enough nutritious food all the time. Nongovernmental organization is a local group working on development in its own foreign country, but not one that is mainly an arm of that government. Private voluntary organization is a nonprofit NGO (for U.S. groups, exempt under section 501(c)(3) of title 26) that gets private funds or donations and does or plans charitable or development work (not religious activities). Secretary is the Secretary of Agriculture, unless the chapter says otherwise.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §1732

Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

As used in this chapter:
(1)Administrator (2) Agricultural commodity
The term “Administrator” means the Administrator of the Agency for International Development, unless otherwise specified in this chapter.
(3)Appropriate committee of Congress
The term “appropriate committee of Congress” means—
(A)the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate;
(B)the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives; and
(C)the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
(4)Cooperative
The term “cooperative” means a private sector organization whose members own and control the organization and share in its services and its profits and that provides business services and outreach in cooperative development for its membership.
(5)Developing country
The term “developing country” means a country that has a shortage of foreign exchange earnings and has difficulty meeting all of its food needs through commercial channels.
(6)Food security
The term “food security” means access by all people at all times to sufficient food and nutrition for a healthy and productive life.
(7)Nongovernmental organization
The term “nongovernmental organization” means an organization that works at the local level to solve development problems in a foreign country in which the organization is located, except that the term does not include an organization that is primarily an agency or instrumentality of the government of the foreign country.
(8)Private voluntary organization
The term “private voluntary organization” means a not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization (in the case of a United States organization, an organization that is exempt from Federal income taxes under section 501(c)(3) of title 26) that receives funds from private sources, voluntary contributions of money, staff time, or in-kind support from the public, and that is engaged in or is planning to engage in voluntary, charitable, or development assistance activities (other than religious activities).
(9)Secretary
The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture, unless otherwise specified in this chapter.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2008—Pars. (3) to (9). Pub. L. 110–246 added par. (3) and redesignated former pars. (3) to (8) as (4) to (9), respectively. 1996—Par. (6). Pub. L. 104–127 added par. (6) and struck out heading and text of former par. (6). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The term ‘indigenous nongovernmental organization’ means an organization that operates under the laws of the recipient country, or that has its principal place of activity in such country, and that works at the local level to solve development problems in the foreign country in which it is located, except that the term does not include an organization that is primarily an agent or instrumentality of the foreign government.” 1990—Pub. L. 101–624 amended section generally, substituting present provisions for provisions defining agricultural commodity. 1984—Pub. L. 98–623 inserted “(including fish, without regard to whether such fish are harvested in aquacultural operations)” and struck out provision that subject to the availability of appropriations therefor, any domestically produced fishery product could be made available under this chapter. 1981—Pub. L. 97–98 substituted “wine, beer, distilled spirits, or other alcoholic beverage” for “wine or beer”. 1979—Pub. L. 96–72 inserted reference to beer. 1977—Pub. L. 95–113 required that in allocation of funds made available under subchapter II of this chapter priority be given to financing the sale of food and fiber commodities. 1971—Pub. L. 92–42 inserted sentence that proviso excluding alcoholic beverages from term “agricultural commodity” shall not be construed as prohibiting domestic wine industry from participating in market development activities for expansion of export sales of domestic agricultural commodities. 1966—Pub. L. 89–808 substituted definition of agricultural commodity and provisions as to availability of fishery products for former provisions respecting agreements for delivery of surplus agricultural commodities, period, and security for payments in relation to long-term supply contracts, now covered by subchapter II of this chapter. See section 1707 of this title. 1962—Pub. L. 87–703 authorized executive agreements with financial institutions acting in behalf of friendly nations and administrative sales agreements with foreign and United States private trade with provision for security for payments.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2008 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, see section 4(b) of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 8701 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1990 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 101–624 effective Jan. 1, 1991, see section 1513 of Pub. L. 101–624, set out as a note under section 1691 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 98–623 to be considered as having taken effect before Sept. 8, 1982, for purposes of section 135 of Pub. L. 97–253 (set out as a note under section 612c of this title), see section 405(d) of Pub. L. 98–623, set out as a note under section 1707a of this title.

Effective Date

of 1981 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 97–98 effective Dec. 22, 1981, see section 1801 of Pub. L. 97–98, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 4301 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1977 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–113 effective Oct. 1, 1977, see section 1901 of Pub. L. 95–113, set out as a note under section 1307 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1966 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 89–808 effective Jan. 1, 1967, see section 5 of Pub. L. 89–808, set out as a note under section 1691 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 1732

Title 7, Agriculture

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110