Africa – Advanced BioFuels USA

New Report: 21st Century Agriculture Renaissance: Solutions from the Land

(Solutions from the Land) “There has never been a greater need for an Agricultural Renaissance. The many voices of farmers, echoing across centuries of scarcity and abundance, challenge us to find new ways forward, paths that produce abundance for expanding populations while rejecting wasteful destruction of resources. We must seek these

February 18, 2021 Read Full Article

Future Fuels Change the Balance of Power

by Chris Edwards (Engineering and Technology) Renewables may actually keep carbon fuels going for decades to come, but a new group of energy-rich countries will emerge. — … The question is what these new vehicles will use instead. For most European governments, the answer for most cars and light

February 4, 2021 Read Full Article

Competitive Edge: MBP Solutions Biofuels, Biogas Production

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … We are adding value to biological by-products through our 5 core competencies: Product and Application Expertise, International Sales & Marketing, Legal Compliance, Sustainability and Supply Chain Management. … We offer a wide variety of specialist services, including by-product and waste collection and handling, as

January 15, 2021 Read Full Article

The Digest’s Biofuels Mandates Around the World 2021

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, the Digest today releases its annual review of biofuels mandates and targets around the world, looking at the state of biofuels mandates in 65 countries. Get the latest up to the minute new information on the Canada Clean Fuels Standard as well as a

January 8, 2021 Read Full Article

Higher Blending Mandate to Help Offset EU’s Lower Palm Oil Demand, Says Biodiesel Association

(Malay Mail) A nimble push into higher biodiesel blends such as B40 — 40 per cent blend of palm oil-derived biodiesel — by Indonesia and B30 by Malaysia will help to mitigate the negative effects of the European Union’s (EU) lower palm oil demand for biofuel, the Malaysian Biodiesel Association said.

January 5, 2021 Read Full Article

Rich Nations Have Sold 14 Million “Dirty and Dangerous” Vehicles to Developing Nations

by Amy Lupica (Our Daily Planet) A new report from the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) found that rich nations, including the United States, Japan, and the Netherlands, are exporting “dirty and dangerous” cars to developing countries en masse. Between 2015 and 2018, an estimated 14 million vehicles were “dumped” in Asia and Africa. 80% of those

October 29, 2020 Read Full Article

Harnessing Plant Power for Renewable Energy

(University of Leeds) Tapping into the myriad uses of plants and fungi could save people and the planet, says new report — University of Leeds researchers have joined forces with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to conduct research into the plants and fungi that could be used as a source of

October 7, 2020 Read Full Article

Bestseller Foundation in Collaboration with Intellecap Africa Launches the First of Its Kind Accelerator for Waste Value Enterprises

(Intellecap) Based on the aspiration to support enterprises and build the waste sector in East Africa, BESTSELLER FOUNDATION in collaboration with Intellecap Africa launched the Waste to Value Challenge in December 2019. The Challenge was launched across four countries; Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda, and received over 400 applications out of

September 16, 2020 Read Full Article

From Americas to EU, Asia, Africa, Who’s Got What?: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Biofuel Mandates Around the World 2020

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Today, biobased mandates around the world. Where are the markets you can count on, how much can you count on? 65 countries in all, We’ll be focusing especially on new information out of Argentina, Brazil, Britain after Brexit, Canada, the European Union, China, India, Indonesia,

September 7, 2020 Read Full Article

Biofuels Policy Progress in Africa

(Biofuels International) Advancing Africa’s biofuels potential has been a long, slow process with the continent’s various country-by-country development plans tending to sit in their respective government in-trays for far too long. At the point, however, where there is finally evidence of real biofuels’ development intention being seen across the continent,

September 1, 2020 Read Full Article

Emerging Markets Publishes Renewable Diesel 2030 Report

by Will Thurmond (Emerging Markets) Renewable Diesel 2030 is designed to help financiers, producers, developers, distributors, consultants and analysts with a fact-filled market guide detailing medium and long-term trends and developments in the renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuels sectors. This study focuses on market fundamentals, emerging market trends, long-term

July 23, 2020 Read Full Article

Middle East and Africa Aviation and Marine Biofuel Market Latest Trends and New Technologies Research Forecast to 2028

(AmericaNewsHour/Futures.TradingCharts) … CRIFAX added a report on ‘Middle East and Africa Aviation and Marine Biofuel Market, 2020-2028’ to its database of market research collaterals consisting of overall market scenario with prevalent and future growth prospects, among other growth strategies used by key players to stay ahead of the game. Additionally, recent

July 17, 2020 Read Full Article

New Publication – Novel Regional and Landscape-Based Approaches to Govern Sustainability of Bioenergy and Biomaterials Supply Chains

(IEA Bioenergy) Novel regional and landscape governance approaches aim at addressing complex sustainability challenges by enhancing commitment and collaboration between multiple stakeholders and sectors to achieve common goals for a more sustainable production at larger geographical scales and across sectors, regardless of the purpose of produced raw materials, or the end-destination of products.

July 14, 2020 Read Full Article

Clean Cooking Alliance Selects Portfolio Companies for Industry Acceleration Program

(CISION/PR Web/Clean Cooking Alliance) A diverse portfolio of 33 companies, operating mainly in Africa, will be supported by the Clean Cooking Alliance’s new Venture Catalyst (VC) program. The program focuses on building an investment-ready pipeline through venture-level interventions, to deliver universal access to clean cooking in developing countries. The Venture

May 26, 2020 Read Full Article

Clariant Expands Production Capability & Launches New Products for EMEA Edible Oils & Biofuels Market

(Clariant) Investment in additional production capacity at Yuncos, Spain plant; New product line extends portfolio of highly activated bleaching earths; Production & service closer to customers in Spain of products for 3-MCPD reduction in edible oils Clariant continues to boost the supply of high-quality activated bleaching earths to the edible oil

February 10, 2020 Read Full Article

Indonesia’s Thirst for Biodiesel May Undercut Global Palm Oil Supply

by Nur Yasmin and Ridho Syukra (Jakarta Post) The Indonesian Palm Oil Association, or Gapki, said on Monday that Indonesia is likely to use up 8.3 million tons of palm oil to meet domestic demand for biodiesel this year, raising concerns there won’t be enough palm oil left to export. The government began mandatory use of B30 – diesel

February 5, 2020 Read Full Article

The Versatile Ethanol Molecule: Ethylene, with a Similar Molecular Structure to that of Ethanol, Has Enormous Market Opportunity around the World.

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Knock a water molecule off ethanol and you’ll get ethylene, C2H4—the most widely produced organic chemical globally that is the basis for scores of other chemicals and hundreds (maybe thousands) of products, from antifreeze and surfactants to synthetic fibers, plastics and packaging. Global

January 30, 2020 Read Full Article

Sustainable Intensification of Arable Production for Food Security and Climate Protection

(Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP)) The “Green Deal” starts in the field — Berlin, 16 January 2020. The Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP) would like to take the publication of the fourth edition of the Report on Global Market Supply as

January 20, 2020 Read Full Article

Cutting Edge Sustainability for Cutting Edge Tech: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sustainability is such a vague term that some throw around to make them sound good in a consumer environment that is asking for greener and more socially conscious products. The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials is tackling sustainability head on with its cutting edge sustainability tools for

August 23, 2019 Read Full Article

His Family Farm Was Failing. Now He Runs the World’s Largest Biofuel Producer

by Parija Kavilanz (CNN Business) At 22, Jeff Broin was just six months out of college and getting started in the banking industry when his family turned to him for help. His father was scrambling to figure out a way to save the 130-year-old Minnesota corn farm that Broin and his

July 9, 2019 Read Full Article

Boeing to Expand Investment in Brazil’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Industry

(Boeing) Boeing today (June 17, 2019) announced a USD 1 million investment in Brazil’s efforts to establish a sustainable aviation fuel industry. The investment will focus on initiatives that maximize social, economic and environmental benefits to local communities engaged in the development of feedstock that can be used to produce sustainable

June 19, 2019 Read Full Article

Mobilizing for a Bioeconomy: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to SEforALL and below50

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sustainable Energy for All was created to drive the energy transition, particularly in developing countries. below50 is a global campaign that brings together companies and organizations who commit to growing the global market for the world’s most sustainable fuels. They connect the entire value-chain for sustainable

May 28, 2019 Read Full Article

Signing Ceremony of MoU between UNCTAD and Stockholm Environment Institute: SEI and UNCTAD to Cooperate on Trade and Environment

(UNCTAD) Stockholm Environment Institute and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The agreement is an overarching mechanism to foster cooperation on trade and environment, backed up by the research and convening capacities of SEI and UNCTAD. The main purpose of collaboration

May 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Insight: US Ethanol Moving to China by Various Means, Including Ship-to-Ship Transfers

by Clare Pennington, Izham Ahmad, Steven McGinn (ICIS) Trans-shipments of ethanol from the US to China are taking place in renewed efforts to thwart US-China tariffs, including ship-to-ship transfers, several sources in Asia and Europe have confirmed. Importing US ethanol into China carries a penalty of up to 70%, one of a

March 28, 2019 Read Full Article

Audio: Grain, Ethanol Market Development Work To Surge With USDA ATP Funds

(U.S. Grains Council) New funding to the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) from the Agricultural Trade Promotion (ATP) Program – part of a larger “trade aid” package offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the wake of new tariffs and global market uncertainty – will expand the organization’s global footprint and

February 11, 2019 Read Full Article

UFOP Report on Global Market Supply 2018/2019: Combining Economically Viable Agriculture with Appropriate Agricultural Market and Climate Protection Policies

(Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Crops (UFOP)) The Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Crops (UFOP) has formulated its policy expectations on the occasion of the presentation of the third edition of the Global Market Supply Report. The association refers to the generally good global supply

February 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Biofuel Production in Sub-Saharan Africa Could Be Prioritized for Aviation

(International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis) A new study, designed by IIASA researchers for conservation charity WWF, has found that while there is a small but not insignificant potential for the production of sustainable biofuels in sub-Saharan Africa, this should be prioritized for the aviation industry which has limited other options

February 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Sustainable Connectivity: How Biofuels Can Boost Mobile Access, Support Small Farmers – And Fight Climate Change

by John Garrity, Dennis Garrity and James Daniel (Next Billion) In rural villages across communities in Africa and Asia, families stay connected with distant loved ones, and benefit from reduced information and transaction costs, by using a mobile phone — but only during the day. That’s because the mobile cellular towers that serve many

January 21, 2019 Read Full Article

Renewable Energy To Remodel World Dominance Patterns

by Jacek Fior (CleanTechnica) Attending the 9th session of IRENA’s General Assembly on Friday*, we were all looking forward to one item on the agenda – launch of a new report, A New World: The Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation. We all swarmed into the Regal Room of The St. Regis Saadiyat Island

January 14, 2019 Read Full Article

USGC Finds Potential for Growing Ethanol Markets in Nigeria and Ghana

(U.S. Grains Council) The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) recently conducted a market assessment mission to Nigeria and Ghana gauging the potential for U.S. ethanol exports to these countries. “The mission identified a need for higher ethanol volumes and engaged government and industry directly on enforceable biofuels policy as well as demonstrated

January 7, 2019 Read Full Article

Bringing the Concept of Climate-Smart Agriculture to Life : Insights from CSA Country Profiles Across Africa, Asia, and Latin America (English)

(The World Bank) Bringing the Concept of Climate-Smart Agriculture to Life: Insights from CSA Country Profiles across Africa, Asia, and Latin America The Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) Country Profile Series assesses climate change challenges and solutions in the agricultural sectors of more than 30 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America and

January 3, 2019 Read Full Article

UN Food and Agriculture Organization Highlights Climate Smart Agriculture

(UN Food and Agriculture Organization) Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an approach that helps to guide actions needed to transform and reorient agricultural systems to effectively support development and ensure food security in a changing climate. CSA aims to tackle three main objectives: sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes; adapting and building

January 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Finnish Pilot Develops a New Solution for Sustainable Forestry

(VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd/EurekAlert) Finnish pilot develops a new solution for sustainable forestry New unique mobile application puts forest Big Data to more efficient use The whole of Europe is feverishly looking for new ways to use farm, forest and fishery resources more responsibly and sustainably and to

December 26, 2018 Read Full Article

How Poverty Is Causing Deforestation Across Africa

by Obed Owusu-Adda (Chatham House) Gitika Bhardwaj speaks to campaigner Obed Owusu-Addai about why solving the problem of deforestation across Africa requires tackling one of its biggest causes – poverty. — Deforestation is directly being caused by activities such as illegal logging, agricultural development, mining and infrastructure projects – but there are

December 11, 2018 Read Full Article

Closed Doors, Open Windows: Tariffs in China and Brazil …

by Lisa Gibons (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Tariffs in China and Brazil have deeply affected U.S. ethanol exports, but other markets remain, new ones are opening and opportunities still abound for the world’s lowest-cost octane. Despite a 20 percent tariff rate quota implemented in 2017, Brazil has continued to purchase significant amounts

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

Sharing The Octane Advantage Of Ethanol With World Markets

(U.S. Grains Council) … Global markets vary greatly in their experiences with ethanol, from fully realizing the advantages of increased ethanol use to continued reliance on expensive and environmentally harmful fossil fuel additives. The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) wants countries around the world to look to ethanol when their government and

November 5, 2018 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the Energy Outlook through 2040

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The BP Energy Outlook explores the forces shaping the global energy transition out to 2040 and the key uncertainties surrounding that transition. It shows how rising prosperity drives an increase in global energy demand and how that demand will be met over the coming decades through

November 2, 2018 Read Full Article

Agri-Tech Can Turn African Savannah into Global Food Basket – African Development Bank

(African Development Bank Group) The African Development Bank is championing a new regional and global effort to transform the African Savannah from a “Sleeping Giant” to the cradle of the continent’s green revolution. “This sleeping giant needs to wake up,” the Bank’s Vice-President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, Jennifer Blanke,

October 31, 2018 Read Full Article

Extending Palm Oil Production in Africa Threatens Primate Conservation

(EU Science Hub: The European Commission’s science and knowledge service) Future expansion of the palm oil industry could have a dramatic impact on African primates, according to the findings of a new study led by the JRC. The study has been published today (August 14, 2018) in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

August 17, 2018 Read Full Article

I’ll Never Find Another You: Provivi’s Protecting Crops by Confusing Pests in Their Search for Romance

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … (O)ne of the topics under discussion was 40 percent or higher maize crop losses now being experienced in Africa because of the Fall Anyworm pest. The losses are causing up to 10 percent GDP drop in some countries because of the importance of maize

May 11, 2018 Read Full Article

New Research Shows the Health Benefits of Ethanol-Fueled Cookstoves

by Jieyi Lu (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) Today, about three billion people still cook and heat their homes with traditional stoves and solid fuels worldwide. These fuels and stoves are major contributors to household air pollution in the developing world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), household air pollution

May 7, 2018 0 comment Read Full Article

Commonwealth Countries Get Knocked Down, But Get Up Again

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) With 195 countries on the planet today, an impressive 53 countries are Commonwealth countries, including countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific. They include large, rich countries like Canada and Australia all the way to some of the smallest or poorest countries

April 16, 2018 Read Full Article

Fighting Food Waste in Africa with Biofuel-Run Sparky Dryer

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Uganda, engineering graduate Lawrence Okettayot is addressing food waste with his new Sparky Dryer, which is a food dehydrator that runs on biofuel from a farmer’s garden and burns with zero-carbon emissions. The dehydrator helps farmers avoid food loss and food waste due to spoilage,

January 8, 2018 Read Full Article

What’s Needed in African Agriculture Before Technology

by Louisa Burwood-Taylor (AgFunderNews) “A lot of what’s needed in African agriculture is quite low-tech if tech at all,” says Gary Vaughan-Smith, chief investment officer at SilverStreet Capital, the agribusiness private equity firm. SilverStreet has been investing in African agriculture since 2011 when it held the first close of its first $320 million

January 4, 2018 Read Full Article

Biofuels Mandates Around the World 2018

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, the Digest today releases its annual review of biofuels mandates and targets around the world, looking at the state of biofuels mandates in 65 countries. The bulk of mandates continue to come from the EU-27, where the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) once specified a

January 2, 2018 Read Full Article

Avoiding GMOs Isn’t Just Anti-Science. It’s Immoral.

by Mitch Daniels (The Washington Post) Of the several claims of “anti-science” that clutter our national debates these days, none can be more flagrantly clear than the campaign against modern agricultural technology, most specifically the use of molecular techniques to create genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Here, there are no credibly conflicting

December 28, 2017 0 comment Read Full Article

Perspectives on Biofuels in Sub-Saharan Africa

by Susan van Dyk, Emile van Zyl, Brett Pletschke (International Energy Agency Bioenergy Task 39) This short contribution provides some perspectives on opportunities for biofuel production on the African continent. Africa has a large land base, with only 27% of its arable land currently utilised. High level assessments, such as by the

December 22, 2017 Read Full Article

Better Soil Could Trap as Much Planet-Warming Carbon as Transport Produces: Study

by Thin Lei Win (Reuters) Improving soil health in farmlands could capture extra carbon equivalent to the planet-warming emissions generated by the transport sector, one of the world’s most polluting industries, experts said Tuesday. Soil naturally absorbs carbon from the atmosphere through a process known as sequestration which not only reduce

November 20, 2017 Read Full Article

Sona Group Beefs up Production at Nigeria-Based Ethanol Plant

(Biofuels International) India-headquartered Sona Group has announced that it has beefed up the production at its Nigeria-based ethanol plant, according to media reports from Business Day. The website reported that Sona ethanol will producing 120,000 litres daily, approximately 43.8 million litres per annum at its plant in Ogun state. The Sona ethanol

November 16, 2017 Read Full Article

The Brazilian Conference on Science and Technology BioEnergy and the Progress in the BioEconomy in Brazil

by Laís F. Thomaz* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Held in Campos do Jordão on 16-19 October 2017, the Third Edition of the Brazilian BioEnergy Science and Technology Conference (BBEST) highlighted the theme “Designing a Sustainable Bioeconomy”. BBEST had 385 registered participants with 153 academics, 141 students, 55 invited speakers and 37

October 28, 2017 Read Full Article

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Gerard Ostheimer and Doug Faulkner co-authored a Biofuels Digest article with some ideas that show the benefits bioenergy could bring to Africa: “Africans should strive for sustainable fuels from native feedstocks in a modern infrastructure and thriving economy … Renewable diesel would fit right into existing fuel systems without the need

October 23, 2017 Read Full Article

Growing the African Biofuel Sector: What’s Not to Like?

by Gerard Ostheimer and Doug Faulkner (Biofuels Digest) … (I)n Sub-Saharan Africa a thriving indigenous bioenergy industry can play a positive and productive role in modernizing economies and improving the quality of human life. One challenge for African bioenergy development though will be for Africans themselves to forge their own

October 23, 2017 Read Full Article

No Boredom for Sorghum – Sorghum Reaches Stardom Status with Huge $16 Million Grant

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sweet sorghum stardom! In possibly one of the largest government grants given to anyone for research on a single feedstock, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is receiving a 5-year $16 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for research on the model grass green foxtail

October 9, 2017 Read Full Article

Biodiesel: 2017 World Market Outlook and Forecast up to 2021 – Research and Markets

(Research and Markets/PR Newswire) The “Biodiesel: 2017 World Market Outlook and Forecast up to 2021” report has been added to Research and Markets’ offering. The present report is an essential resource for a one looking for detailed information on the world biodiesel market. The report covers data on global, regional

August 18, 2017 Read Full Article

Pan-African Food and Non-Food Biomass Expert Network Unveiled

by Liz Gyekye (Bioenergy Insight) The “first” pan-African expert network on food and non-food biomass has been launched by African and German researchers. BiomassNet aims to ensure that food security and environmental sustainability are not compromised in the development of new biomass uses. The scheme’s developers claim this will help

August 8, 2017 Read Full Article

Could Clean Energy Spark A Mineral Boom?

(Energy Today/Oilprice.com) A new World Bank report released today (July 18, 2017) highlights the potential impacts that the expected continuing boom in low-carbon energy technologies will have on demand for many minerals and metals. Using wind, solar, and energy storage batteries as key examples of low-carbon or “green” energy technologies, the

July 31, 2017 Read Full Article

Is It the End or Just the Beginning for Jatropha?

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … In Botswana, jatropha’s adventures are just beginning according to the Ministry of Minerals Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security’s advisor, Freddie Motlhatlhedi. He was referring to a joint research project done by Botswana and Japan that shows quite a bit of promise for commercial production of jatropha

July 25, 2017 Read Full Article

African Oil Trader Taleveras Takes First Step into Biofuels

by Anna Hirtenstein (Bloomberg) Taleveras signs joint venture with Global Green Development; First phase of biofuels project seen costing $400-$600 million — Taleveras Group, the African oil trading company, is making its first moves into renewable energy by setting up a joint venture to build a biorefinery in the U.S. with

June 14, 2017 Read Full Article

Burn Better, Cook Faster, Save $$: The Quest for an Efficient African Cookstove

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … In Africa, the overwhelming use is cookstoves, and for a generation now, companies and organizations have been handing out LPG or ethanol cookstoves trying to move Africa to a new energy source for cooking. There’s been limited success. … Peter Scott has been working in

June 1, 2017 0 comment Read Full Article

Clariant Cellulosic Ethanol Donation Lets 1,000 Malagasy Families Cook Safer and Cleaner

(Project Gaia) Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals and one of the leading providers globally of cellulosic ethanol production technology, and Project Gaia, a non-profit promoting the use of alcohol fuels (ethanol and methanol) for household energy, announced the donation of approximately 24m3 of cellulosic ethanol from Clariant’s pre-commercial

May 31, 2017 Read Full Article

Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia Attract International Interest in Developing Homegrown Jet Biofuels

(GreenAir Online) A year after issuing a joint Request for Information (RFI) from parties interested in supporting the development and production of sustainable aviation fuel in the region, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia say they have had strong interest both locally and from abroad. The airlines have now completed

April 7, 2017 Read Full Article

African Climate Technology Center (ACTC) Selects Nine Institutions to Develop Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Research Projects Across the Continent

(AllAfrica) The African Climate Technology Center (ACTC) has the mission of supporting Sub-Saharan countries in scaling-up the adoption of clean technologies for adaptation and mitigation, through activities that include knowledge creation and dissemination, support to policies and enabling environment and support to projects. The ACTC is financed by the Global

March 23, 2017 Read Full Article

New Research: Forcing Local Peoples off Their Lands Drives Almost Two-Thirds of Conflicts Between Companies and Local Communities in Africa

(RightsAndResources.org) Experts at Dakar event point to a significant cause of investment losses, work stoppages and violence across Africa: the failure of governments and companies to respect the land rights of indigenous and local communities Sixty-three percent of disputes related to private sector land and natural resource investments in Africa

February 17, 2017 Read Full Article

Community Heroes Awards DEADLINE: February 1, 2017

(Awake Africa) The Community Heroes Awards is an initiative of African Centre for Peace Building and Awake Africa Magazine which seeks to identify, celebrate and honor individuals and organizations who have committed themselves to promote development at the grassroots through social work, entrepreneurship and selfless leadership. About the organizers: The

January 2, 2017 Read Full Article

NexSteppe Malibu Sweet Sorghum and Palo Alto Biomass Sorghum Approved for Commercial Sale in South Africa

(NexSteppe) NexSteppe, a company dedicated to pioneering the next generation of sustainable feedstock solutions for biobased industries, announced today that the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has approved four NexSteppe sorghum hybrids for commercial sale in country. Approved hybrids include both Malibu sweet sorghum and Palo Alto

December 15, 2016 Read Full Article

Commission’s Flip-Flop on Biofuels Puts at Risk Tens of Thousands of Jobs

by Patrick Kent (Irish Cattle & Sheep Farmers’ Association/Euractiv) The key element of this renewable energy plan is that the ceiling for the crop biofuel component of EU transport fuels will be slashed from 7% to 3.8% by 2030. The ultimate objective of the Commission is to remove crop based

December 6, 2016 Read Full Article

Petrobras Speeds Sales of Assets and Seeks Partners to Reduce Debts

by Nicola Pamplona (Folha de S.Paulo) … The idea is concentrate expenditure in operations connected to petroleum production, which have a higher potential to generate revenues. All other operations, such as gas, energy, biofuel and the petrochemistry area, may be sold, if the market shows interest. The list of closed sales

September 21, 2016 Read Full Article

Global Biofuels Market Will Gain Momentum Due to Increasing Energy Security Until 2020, Says Technavio

(BusinessWire/Technavio) The global biofuels market is expected grow at a CAGR of nearly 6% during the forecast period, according to Technavio’s latest report. In this report, Technavio covers the market outlook and growth prospects of the global biofuels market for 2016-2020. The market is further categorized into two fuel type

September 18, 2016 Read Full Article

Baseline Report of Clean Cooking Fuels in the East African Community

(Project Gaia) Ethanol fuel production represents a significant opportunity for economic and social development in the East African Community (EAC) region. Ethanol can be produced locally using a variety of feedstocks that can be selected based on unique local conditions. Farmers can grow fuel feedstocks along with food crops to gain access to

September 5, 2016 Read Full Article

Doing More (and Better) with Less: 2016 Global Agribusiness Forum Shows the Ways to Provide Food and Bioenergy, with Sustainability, for an Increasing Population

by Lais Thomaz* and Dan Quadros** (Advanced Biofuels USA) With diverse and dynamic programming involving agribusiness, food safety, nutrition, sustainability and bioenergy, the 2016 GAF achieved its mission to gather producers, companies and academia to discuss the importance of agribusiness supply chains in the world. GAF is held every two years.

July 26, 2016 0 comment Read Full Article

Solutions from the Land Leaders Bring North American Climate Smart Agriculture Ideas to Global Summit in Rome

(North American Climate Smart Agricultural Alliance) Solutions from the Land (SfL) is taking an active role in the Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture (GACSA) summit underway this week in Rome, pressing business, government, NGO and other leaders there to take full advantage of the contributions that agriculture and forestry

June 16, 2016 0 comment Read Full Article

Cars and Trucks Burn Almost Half of All Palm Oil Used in Europe

(Transport & Environment) … In 2014, 45% of all the palm oil used in Europe ended up in the tanks of cars and trucks, data from EU vegetable oil industry association Fediol and obtained by green group Transport & Environment has revealed. This is equivalent to four Olympic-size swimming pools of

June 2, 2016 Read Full Article

Where Did Biofuels Technologies Come from?

by Gerald Kutney (Lee Consulting/Biofuels Digest) … From the time of the caveman until the early Industrial Revolution, biofuels – namely wood and the advanced biofuel of the day, charcoal – reigned supreme. Both fossil fuels and biofuels originate from biomass. The major difference between them is that fossil fuels are sequestered

June 2, 2016 0 comment Read Full Article

Biofuels Mandates Around the World: The 2016 Visual Guide

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 64 countries have targets or mandates – but how much where, and when, and what? The bulk of mandates continue to come from the EU-27, where the Renewable Energy Directive specified a 10 percent renewable content by 2020 but has been scaled back to the 5-7.5

April 4, 2016 Read Full Article

Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada Visits the BioCube™

(BioCube™) The BioCube Corporation was delighted to have The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada visit the BioCube™ at the GLOBE 2016 Conference in Vancouver last week. Held every two years in Vancouver, BC the GLOBE Series of conferences has become the pre-eminent platform for discussion of environmental

April 4, 2016 Read Full Article

The Yield Dividend: 5-10X Increase in Sorghum Opening New Options for Africa?

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … In South Africa,, Chromatin and Zaad Holdings have entered into an alliance to produce and distribute planting seed for grain and forage sorghum throughout the African continent. In Africa, sorghum is used in the food and beverage industry and as animal feed. The crop conserves

April 1, 2016 Read Full Article

AP Interview: Corruption Probe Holds Lessons for Monaco

by Angela Charlton (Associated Press/Washington Post) Monaco’s government says it’s investigating how an alleged vast oil corruption scandal involving a Monaco-based company long went unnoticed, even though the principality has opened up its financial sector and cracked down on tax dodging. Monaco police carried out several raids and detained executives

April 1, 2016 Read Full Article

US Agency Sets Sights on Grass in Bid to Make a Better Biofuel

by Suzanne Goldenberg (The Guardian) Arpa-E project deploys drones and robots to breed fast-growing, drought-resistant and greener biofuel from sorghum which could replace corn ethanol — A US government agency is trying to build a better biofuel, using a higher energy-producing plant with a lower environmental impact than corn ethanol or

March 21, 2016 Read Full Article

Women Are Central to Africa’s Energy Transformation

by Fiona Lambe and Marion Davis (Stockholm Environment Institute/Reuters) … The reality, of course, is that electricity will not reach all households in the immediate future – not to mention, power is so unreliable in much of sub-Saharan Africa, and so expensive, that a large share of urban households cook with charcoal,

March 9, 2016 Read Full Article

Supply Ministry Receives 16 Offers for Establishment of Commercial Chains Branches in Governorates

by Shaimaa Al-Aees (Daily News Eqypt) … The ministry is working on developing the production of the Egyptian Sugar and Integrated Industries Company (ESIIC) through the establishment of a trademark. This trademark is currently being negotiated with private sector companies. ESIIC’s stock did not exceed 180,000 tonnes in the past

January 20, 2016 0 comment Read Full Article

Biodiesel Opportunities Abroad

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Several U.S. producers, including Genuine Bio-Fuel, Hero BX and the now-defunct Promethean Biofuels, in addition to Miami-based biodiesel exporter and hopeful technology provider Lagosur, sketch out overviews of international developments. … “Taxation, regulation, cost of production, market access, distribution, and feedstock procurement are all more

January 13, 2016 Read Full Article

14 More Answers for your Burning Questions about Biofuels, Renewable Chemicals, the New Agriculture, and Biobased Products

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Q. How have the US elections and the regulatory situation in the US impacted development of biofuels for other countries, particularly Latin America? … Not much impact from the 2014 US elections, so far — too soon to tell. There’s far more impact from the

December 28, 2015 Read Full Article

Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform: From Rhetoric to Reality

by Shelagh Whitley and Laurie van der Burg (New Climate Economy) The research underpinning this New Climate Economy Working Paper was a major input into the 2015 New Climate Economy report and articulates the practical steps that policymakers can take to phase out fossil fuel subsidies. The paper reinforces the recommendations

December 22, 2015 Read Full Article

How Renewable Ethanol Can Be Produced Sustainably

(ePURE) … At ePURE, the association representing European ethanol producers, we believe that renewable ethanol can play an important role in decarbonising transport. Because ethanol can be blended with petrol to run in existing engines, it is one of the ways we can immediately begin reducing emissions from transport and cut

December 17, 2015 Read Full Article

New Biobased Projects Around the World

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Who’s building what, where, now. 29 projects in construction or in commissioning in Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and the Americas Despite low oil prices, first-gen biofuels and advanced biofuels continue to develop, and especially in the developing world. In this report, we

November 18, 2015 Read Full Article

U.S. Oil Refiners Look Abroad for Crude Supplies as North Dakota Boom Fades

by Jarrett Renshaw and Catherine Ngai (Reuters) … North Dakota’s Bakken production peaked at 1.153 million barrels per day in June, and had fallen to 1.13 million barrels per day by August, according to state data. The supply restraint has made Bakken crude relatively more expensive after transport costs than oil

November 4, 2015 Read Full Article

In Search of 100 Million (Truly?) Clean Cookstoves

by Marc Gunther (Nonprofit Chronicles) … “Why exactly are we ahead with 100 million more wood burning stoves in the world? It’s an output metric and not an impact metric,” says Kevin Starr of Mulago, who wrote a pointed 2014 essay about cookstoves called Getting Beyond Hype in the Stanford Social

November 3, 2015 Read Full Article

The African Development Bank and Partners Host Energy Week in Abidjan

(African Development Bank Group) The African Development Bank (AfDB) is hosting and co-organizing Energy Week, a series of events, including high-level discussions and partnerships focusing on lighting up and powering Africa, and unlocking the continent’s huge energy potential. Energy Week runs from Monday, September 14 to Friday, September 18 in

September 15, 2015 0 comment Read Full Article

Cooking with Ethanol: Benefits, Key Challenges and Lessons Learned

(Partnership for Clean Indoor Air) Over the last ten years, organizations like Project Gaia Inc. and its partners have been promoting clean cookstoves that are powered by ethanol, and have worked to help communities become energy independent by establishing locally-owned microdistilleries and sustainable commercial models. On July 7, 2015 Winrock

August 7, 2015 Read Full Article

Technology No Silver Bullet for Africa’s Farming Challenges, Says Entrepreneur

by Dinfin Mulupi (How We Made It in Africa) Africa is seeing a surge in mobile phone-based solutions promising to revolutionise the agricultural industry. Technology entrepreneurs have developed mobile platforms offering a variety of solutions, including online livestock and produce exchanges, weather forecasts, market prices data, and access to insurance,

August 4, 2015 Read Full Article

Understanding Global Agriculture in 15 Minutes

by By Tom Schenk (Agriculture 2.0) Over the past ten years, scores of articles have been written about the merits of investing in farmland as well as the challenges of producing enough food to feed a population that is growing at the rate of about 80 million per year at the

July 17, 2015 Read Full Article

THE CASE FOR BIOFUEL: The Magic Bullet for Energy Security and Rural Development in Africa

by Olatomiwa Bifarin* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Around 770,000 BC, it was fire, at some point – wood, dung and coal, to the now-ominous fossil fuels. This is the evolution of energy, and today the evolution must be accelerated to save our prized planet from imminent destruction – among several other

July 16, 2015 0 comment Read Full Article

Grazing Land Has Scope for Biofuel Surge

(SciDev.net) At least 500 million hectares are available for growing biofuel crops; This is after considering rising food demand and growing urbanisation; Only up to 200 million hectares would be needed to slash fossil fuel use Converting grazing land into fields to grow crops for biofuels could provide up to 30 per

July 2, 2015 Read Full Article

Biofuel Crops Will Feel Effects of Slumping Oil Prices, Research Shows

Eric Atkins (The Globe and Mail) The crash in oil prices will be felt at the farm gate as demand and prices moderate for biofuel crops corn and soybean, says a new report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United

July 1, 2015 Read Full Article

Stoves that Save: Poet Partners to Fight Pollution and Deforestation in Haiti with Ethanol Cookstoves

by Janna Farley (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Deforestation and pollution have distressed the country’s environment and beauty. The chronic effects of disease, economic instability and social unrest, coupled with the infrastructure devastation from the 2010 earthquake, have positioned Haiti among the poorest countries in the world. The extreme poverty makes life

June 29, 2015 Read Full Article

Wasting the Savanna

By Tim Searchinger and Lyndon Estes (The Washington Post/Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School for Public and International Affairs) In recent years, as governments have begun to protect tropical forests because of the carbon they store, other vast tropical ecosystems have come under increasing threat. These are the wet savannas, which

May 11, 2015 Read Full Article

Chromatin Sorghum Hybrids Produce Fivefold Yield Increase in East Africa

(Chromatin, Inc.) Chromatin, Inc., an agriculture technology company, announced today that its newly introduced hybrid sorghum seed products have achieved unprecedented yields in East Africa. Chromatin introduced the new hybrids at a grain sorghum workshop it hosted in Kampala, Uganda. To promote and support local growers, Chromatin’s workshop brought together

March 23, 2015 Read Full Article

Food vs. Food and Fuel

By Hilary Landfried (Project Gaia) … We rarely think of it here in the West, hooked up to electric and gas grids as we are, but nearly half of the world’s population still cooks on biomass fuels such as wood, charcoal, and coal. In some nations, domestic energy needs—primarily cooking and lighting—account

March 13, 2015 0 comment Read Full Article

Tough Characters: Looking for Biofuel Plants that Can Survive Drought and Other Harsh Conditions

by Chris Woolston (Bioenergy Connection) With its crown of pink blossoms, the humble seashore mallow may look unassuming, even delicate. But when it comes to brutal environments, this seaside shrub is no pushover. Seashore Mallow can survive one drought after another. It’s a perennial. And it feels right at home

February 16, 2015 Read Full Article

Ethanol Expands Global Reach, RFA Releases New 2014 Export/Import Publication

(Renewable Fuels Association) U.S. ethanol exports reached near-record levels in 2014, sending 836 million gallons of ethanol worth $2.1 billion to international markets, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) explained today in its new publication “2014 U.S. Ethanol Exports and Imports: Statistical Summary.” The publication offers a succinct overview of the

February 8, 2015 Read Full Article

Beyond Boats To China

by Tom Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) After halting distillers grains imports late last year, the world’s top DDGS buyer is poised to resume business, but on what terms? The prospect of China reissuing distillers grains import permits bodes well for the product’s American exporters, but Randy Ives isn’t ready to

January 19, 2015 Read Full Article

Imposing Carbon Price Would Spur Bioenergy, Slash Emissions — MIT Study

by Amanda Peterka (E&E Publishing / Greenwire) Bioenergy production would boom and spur steep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions if a global price is slapped on carbon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers say in a report released today. Examining bioenergy production under a $15-per-metric-ton carbon price that would rise steadily

January 16, 2015 Read Full Article

Meghan Sapp, Secretary General, PANGEA, and Senior Editor, The Digest

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) PANGEA is a leader in the promotion of technology transfer and investment into Africa’s growing bioeconomy, … . PANGEA in 2015 is breaking out beyond its traditional policy-oriented focus, away from Europe, and looking more toward supporting project development and implementation on the ground. With

December 15, 2014 Read Full Article

Biofuels Remain an Important and Growing Sector for Developing Countries, New UNCTAD Report Says

(United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) The report entitled: “The State of the Biofuels Market: Regulatory, Trade and Development Perspectives” offers a comprehensive snapshot of today’s biofuels market and how it contributes to enhancing access to renewable energy sources sustainably and improving the livelihoods of people in developing countries.

November 5, 2014 Read Full Article

Biofuels Help Boost Sustainable Transport and Support Rural Development in Africa: GRFA

(Renewable Fuels Association) Today, as the first African Sustainable Transport Forum gets under way in Nairobi, Kenya, the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) called on forum attendees to adopt biofuels friendly policies and regulations that would kick-start the increased use of sustainable biofuels in Africa’s transport sector. “This Forum is

October 29, 2014 Read Full Article

Is the Next “Green Revolution” Right Around the Corner?

by Caitlin Kennedy (Biotech NOW) National Geographic’s October issue contains an in-depth article, “The Next Green Revolution” on how plant biotechnology will be one part of a multifaceted solution to feeding a rapidly growing population in the face of climate change. Climate change and population growth will make life increasingly precarious for small farmers

October 17, 2014 Read Full Article

Africa, ME, Asia to Drive Global Biofuels Demand to 115 mn Tonnes by 2018

(Business Standard) Growth in 2013-18 period likely to be moderate compared to 2008-13 period as demand from the US stagnates, says the Freedonia Group report. Asia-Pacific region, Central and South America, and the Africa/Mideast region are expected to drive the global biofuels demand to reach 115 million metric tons in 2018 from

September 9, 2014 Read Full Article

New Council of International Biotech Associations Formed

(Biotechnology Industry Organization) An international confederation of biotechnology trade associations announced today the ratification of bylaws creating the International Council of Biotechnology Associations (ICBA), with the expressed purpose of advocating for public policies that support the growth of the innovative biotechnology industry worldwide. Jim Greenwood, BIO’s President and Chief Executive

July 22, 2014 Read Full Article

Summary of World Bioenergy Association Global Bioenergy Statistics 2014

by Milsa Vijayadharan (Advanced Biofuels USA) Bioenergy is considered to be an important source of energy for the next decades for several reasons. Most important reasons are: bioenergy can contribute to the reduction of CO2, and therefore decrease the greenhouse-effect; bioenergy can reduce dependency on foreign sources of energy–in a

June 27, 2014 Read Full Article

Boeing, South African Airways Explore Ways for Farmers to Grow More Sustainable Biofuel Crops

(Boeing) Collaboration with Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials supports greater market access for “smallhold” farms Boeing [NYSE:BA] is launching an initiative with South African Airways (SAA) and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) to expand opportunities for “smallhold” farmers in Southern Africa to grow crops that produce sustainable fuels. The program builds

March 6, 2014 Read Full Article

Biofuels Mandates Around the World: 2014

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, the Digest today releases its annual review of biofuels mandates and targets around the world, looking at the state of biofuels mandates in 62 countries. The bulk of mandates continue to come from the EU-27, where the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) specified a

January 2, 2014 Read Full Article

China New Energy Limited Agreement to Provide Specialist 2nd Cellulosic Generation Biofuel Technology

(China New Energy) The Board of CNE (AIM:CNEL), the AIM quoted engineering and technology solutions provider to the bioenergy sector, is pleased to announce that it has entered into an contract with Jilin Province New Tian Long Alcohol Co., Ltd.(“NTLA”) to provide specialist technology and services to assist in building

December 17, 2013 Read Full Article

Leave the Oil in the Soil; Leave the Coal in the Hole

Excerpts from a November 10, 2013, letter from 74 African organizations to US President Barack Obama. Dear President Obama, We are African organizations working for the realization of a healthy and just environment for the people of our countries. We believe that every person has the right to a dignified

November 22, 2013 Read Full Article

Argentine Biodiesel Exports Seen Increasing on Demand From U.S.

by Whitney McFerron (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) Argentina, the world’s biggest biodiesel exporter, is increasing shipments of the fuel on stronger U.S. demand, Oil World said. Argentine exports of biodiesel made from soybean oil will climb to 450,000 metric tons in the three months through December, more than double the year-earlier 221,000 tons,

November 19, 2013 Read Full Article

Dust Unto Dust

by Mary C. Scholes, Robert J. Scholes (Science Magazine) In the past, great civilizations have fallen because they failed to prevent the degradation of the soils on which they were founded (1). The modern world could suffer the same fate at a global scale. The inherent productivity of many lands has been

November 7, 2013 Read Full Article

Energy Crops Could Cover Energy Demand in Surplus Agricultural Lands

(BioenergyCrops.com) A brand new study (2013) found that the projected energy demand (2035) in developing countries, can be covered with energy crops in surplus agricultural lands, then not competing with food production. The study, from the Department of Energy Technology, at Aalto University School of Engineering (Finland) was accepted by the sound

September 27, 2013 Read Full Article

One-Sided Report on Biofuels Cost is Wrong

by Rob Vierhout (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) … The “accountancy-model” IISD used was one-sided, looking only at government expenditure but leaving out of the picture the revenues the industry is generating for government and society. A well-respected company, Ecofys Consultancy, analyzed the report and spotted similar errors we spotted and indicated. As

September 25, 2013 Read Full Article

Project on Bioenergy in Africa Successfully Completed

(Netzwerk Biotriebstoffe) The ERA-ARD project “Bioenergy in Africa: Opportunities and Risks of Jatropha and Related Crops” was officially closed at the end of March 2013. Within this project the coordinator published 5 Policy Briefs with the results of the project and the most important publications: 1. Jatropha growth and oilseed

September 19, 2013 Read Full Article

7 Hot Energy Crops for Advanced Biofuels: What’s Happening?

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Miscanthus, sorghum, switchgrass, jatropha, camelina, carinata, and arundo. Who’s doing what to bring these crops to scale — and who are the potential big winners? … Just when you start feeling great about bagasse or stover, you realize that supply is limited by global demand for

August 8, 2013 Read Full Article

Alternative Biofuel Crops to Fuel the Future of the Poor

(EurekAlert/World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)) The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have launched the IFAD-ICRAF Programme for the Development of Alternative Biofuel Crops, an initiative focused on providing clean energy for rural communities, enhancing local food security and increasing subsistence farmers’ resilience to climate

July 24, 2013 Read Full Article

Africa: Securing Africa's Land for Shared Prosperity

by Makhtar Diop (AllAfrica) Few development challenges in Africa are as pressing and controversial as land ownership and its persistent gap between rich and poor communities. With a profound demographic shift in Africa from rural areas to the cities where half of all Africans will live by 2050, these gaps

July 22, 2013 Read Full Article

Africa: Algae Biofuels Deemed Unsuitable for Developing Nations

by Joel Winston (AllAfrica) Significant uncertainties about the development of algae biofuels and a lack of research and development capabilities make this potential energy source an unsuitable option for developing countries, according to researchers from the UN University in Japan. The favourable growing temperatures and vast areas of undeveloped land

July 22, 2013 Read Full Article

How Biobased Energy, Consumer Goods Will Become the Biggest Vertical in Cleantech

by Richard Herbert (Biofuels Digest) Portfolios may be littered with the bones of first generation biofuels startups, but for strategic investors, the biofuels industry as a whole is far from cold in the grave. In fact, if you ask experts like John May, managing director of the investment banking firm Stern

July 22, 2013 Read Full Article

Walking Away from Biofuels Will Not Solve Concerns about Them

by Carlo Hamelinck (Euractiv.com/Ecofys) …By effectively decreasing the ambition on biofuels, as it is currently debated in the European Parliament and the Council, we walk away from concerns without solving them. There are a few key issues in the debate that could use some more nuance. Even though we and

July 5, 2013 Read Full Article

Biofuel Project in Kenya Ignites Land, Environmental Disputes

by Robyn Dixon (Los Angeles Times) Foreign firms seeking land in Africa for biofuel crops run into opposition from communities and environmental activists despite promising jobs and development. With its leaf-thatched mud huts, bad roads, chronic unemployment, crushing poverty and vast tracts of “underutilized” land, the Tana River Delta in

June 25, 2013 Read Full Article

Scientists Alarmed by Rapid Spread of Brown Streak Disease in Cassava

(EurekAlert!) World’s cassava experts to wage war against cassava viruses; introduction into Nigeria, the largest cassava producer in the world, could result in drastic food shortages in this part of Africa Cassava experts are reporting new outbreaks and the increased spread of Cassava Brown Streak Disease or CBSD, warning that

May 13, 2013 Read Full Article

Who’s Fooling Whom? The Real Drivers in Africa’s Food Crisis

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Belgium, PANGEA (Partners for Euro-African Green Energy) launched an update to its report “Who’s Fooling Whom? The Real Drivers Behind the 2010/11 Food Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa”. The report demonstrates an important conclusion: the degree of price transmission from international to local markets has

April 24, 2013 Read Full Article

Versalis Invests $20M in Genomatica, Launches JV for Bio-based Butadiene

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Italy, Versalis and Genomatica announced the establishment of a technology joint venture for bio-based butadiene from non-food biomass. The resulting process will be licensed across Europe, Asia and Africa by the newly-created joint venture. Versalis — the chemical subsidiary of Eni — aims at being

April 11, 2013 Read Full Article

SG Biofuels Sees Deal in Southeast Asia or Africa in Six Months

by Louise Downing (Bloomberg) SG Biofuels Inc., the green fuel biotech company working with Airbus SAS, is seeking a partner in Southeast Asia or Africa and expects to complete a cooperation deal within 180 days to expand its business into new markets. …The company is already working with Bharat Petroleum Corp. to grow

April 5, 2013 Read Full Article

WBA: Enough Land for More Food, Feed, Biofuels

by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) There is enough land available to produce more food, more feed and more biofuels, which are not the cause of global malnutrition problems, according to the World Bioenergy Association. WBA makes this declaration in a recently released, fourth publication of a series of documents intended

March 29, 2013 Read Full Article

SGB Confirms Genetic Diversity of Jatropha Is Comparable to Corn

(SG Biofuels/Biodiesel Magazine) …Through the use of new genetic technologies, SGB’s scientists have revealed that the company’s germplasm collection can be divided into a number of distinct heterotic clades, or genetically related groupings of plants. In contrast to previous studies, these findings confirm significant genetic diversity in jatropha while enabling SGB

March 20, 2013 Read Full Article

Ethanol Surplus May Lift Gas Prices

by Matthew L. Wald (New York Times) A glut of ethanol in the gasoline supply is threatening to push up prices at the pump and may have exacerbated the growing cost gap between regular gasoline and premium, some oil experts say. Refiners have been trading so-called ethanol credits furiously in an

March 18, 2013 Read Full Article

BP Biofuels: Time for “The Really Hard Yards” in Biofuels Commercialization

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At World Biofuels Markets, BP CEO Phil New delivered a keynote speech which attempted to turn the industry’s attention towards “the hard yards” of operational excellence, saying that “it is arguable that the time to talk of game-changing inventions in biofuels is largely behind us –

March 14, 2013 Read Full Article

Myths and Facts about Bioenergy in Africa

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the Netherlands, PANGEA (Partners for Euro African Green Energy) is launching today a booklet outlining Myths and Facts about Bioenergy in Africa. The brochure is intended to demystify the manipulated data and misinformation that is often used to describe bioenergy in sub-Saharan Africa. The

March 12, 2013 Read Full Article

Addax Bioenergy Earns First African Certification by Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB)

(RSB Services) The RSB Services Foundation, the implementing entity of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) which has developed a global sustainability standard and certification system for biofuel production, is pleased to announce that Addax Bioenergy Sierra Leone (SL) Limited has earned the RSB sustainability certification, the first for any

February 28, 2013 Read Full Article

Corporations, Investors ‘Grabbing’ Land and Water Overseas

by By Brian Bienkowsk (Environmental Health News) As a growing population stresses the world’s food and water supplies, corporations and investors in wealthy countries are buying up foreign farmland and the freshwater perks that come with it. From Sudan to Indonesia, most of the land lies in poverty-stricken regions, so experts

February 19, 2013 Read Full Article

VayuGrid Signs Agreement for Biofuel Zones in Zambia

(VayuGrid/PR NewsWire) EEP-SEA Selects VayuSap™ Among 168 Other Projects for a Grant of Over $1 Million India-based VayuGrid and Zambia-based BetterWorld Energy have inked an agreement to partner on VayuSap™ biofuel development zones in Zambia. The development zones, based on Elite VayuSap™ trees, will produce sustainable energy, local jobs, and reforest and rehabilitate

February 15, 2013 Read Full Article

EU Biofuels Policy Still Driving the Second Scramble for Africa

(ActionAid) At a seminar on biofuels in Dublin yesterday, David Barissa, a leading expert on food security and land rights from ActionAid Kenya spoke of the litany of broken promises, rights violations and destruction which have faced poor communities in Kenya as part of the second scramble for Africa. …Against

February 15, 2013 Read Full Article

That Darn Devil, Them Dang Details: What’s Really Driving Food Prices?

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the new USDA long-term forecasts, rising global meat consumption stands out as a driver of rising food prices, exports. …But you might ask yourself — in a world where you can find hyperbole linking hunger and biofuels about as easily as you can find

February 15, 2013 0 comment Read Full Article

Workshop on Sustainable Biomass Production in South-East Africa March 19-21, 2013 Maputo, Mozambique

The workshop is organised by NL Agency with the support of WIP Renewable Energies. The objective is to discuss and share experiences on current initiatives for the development of sound frameworks for bioenergy in African countries. Results of recent and on-going projects funded through the Global Sustainable Biomass Programme and

January 25, 2013 Read Full Article

Sahara Forest Project Launched

by Mohammad Shoeb (The Peninsula Qatar) Qatar has launched a novel pilot project, ‘Sahara Forest’ in collaboration with a Norwegian company, which will help produce food crops (such as tomatoes, cucumber, melon), fodder crops, freshwater, clean energy, salt, algae (for biofuel) and re-vegetation of desert areas using solar power and

December 18, 2012 Read Full Article

Despite Urban Migration, Scale Elusive for MSW-to-Fuels

by Mackinnon Lawrence (Biofuels Digest/Pike Research) There are few topics that get the clean technology sector excited less than trash. Meanwhile, the news is littered with stories discussing municipal areas from Zimbabwe to Los Angeles and Mumbai to Moscow struggling to implement long-term strategies for dealing with municipal solid waste (MSW).

December 5, 2012 Read Full Article

SGB's Jatropha Vision: Jet Fuel Grown from Seeds

by Jennifer Alsever (CNN Money) … While most of its rivals raced to commercialize the fuel, San Diego-based SG Biofuels took a different path: It hired plant geneticists. They hunkered down in the laboratory to come up with the best genetic variations of jatropha — ones that would be more consistent, easier

December 3, 2012 Read Full Article

The GM Tree Plantations Bred to Satisfy the World's Energy Needs

by John Vidal (The Guardian) Israeli biotech firm says its modified eucalyptus trees can displace the fossil fuel industry It’s a timber company’s dream but a horrific industrial vision for others: massive plantations of densely planted GM eucalyptus trees stretching across Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia and China, engineered to grow 40% faster for

November 16, 2012 Read Full Article

3rd Commercial Farm Africa March 19-20, 2013 Accra, Ghana

“Into Africa- Building Local Markets, Improving Farm Productivity & Increasing ROI” “ Key highlights Climate change and the impact on global agriculture market Investment opportunities & land utilization in Ghana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Liberia & etc Experience sharing by farm operators in Africa Focus on: Sugar,

November 2, 2012 Read Full Article

In a World Hungry for Biofuels, Food Security Must Come First

by Olivier De Schutter (The Guardian) …The new starting point should be to put food security first. Globally, 25% of land is already degraded, and the remaining productive areas are subject to ever-greater competition from industrial and urban uses. This is exacerbated by the growth of international trade and investment –

October 26, 2012 Read Full Article

Insight: U.S. and Brazil – At Last, Friends on Ethanol

by Brian Winter (Reuters/Chicago Tribune) After years at each other’s throats, Brazil and the United States are working together to promote the use of ethanol in a collaboration that could revolutionize global markets and the makeup of the biofuel itself. The breakthrough came in January when Washington allowed a three-decade-old subsidy for

September 17, 2012 Read Full Article

Food Crises and Technological Phobia

by Drew Kershen (BioFortified) …I do not write to enter the debate focused on fuel standards, markets and commodity speculators. I acknowledge that other factors also contribute to food crises, particularly in developing nations – e.g., underfunded agricultural research and extension, inadequate infrastructure, and insecure land tenure. However, I write

September 7, 2012 Read Full Article

International Cooperation to Develop Global Bioenergy Capacity: US and Brazil Bilateral Collaboration on Biofuels

Presentation by Helena Chum (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) US led by its State Department, and Brazil led by Department of Energy of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, have entered into an MOU to advance cooperation of Biofuels. Sharing best practices include biomass characterization, techno-economic and life cycle analyses, and biofuel

August 27, 2012 Read Full Article

Africa's Water-Bioenergy Nexus Ensuring Sustainable Water Management in Africa's Biofuel Sector

(Pangea) Partners for Euro-African Green Energy (PANGEA) published a new report, Africa’s Water-Bioenergy Nexus. Ensuring Sustainable Water Management in Africa’s Biofuel Sector. The report describes ways to ensure a low water footprint in the African bioenergy development by using methods that reduce water use in bioenergy production from crops that

August 24, 2012 Read Full Article