Farming/Growing – Advanced BioFuels USA

Govt Notifies Modified Scheme to Produce 1G Ethanol

(Indian Express News Service) “To increase production of fuel grade ethanol, Govt. is also encouraging distilleries to produce ethanol from maize; & rice available with Food Corporation of India,” the statement said. — The government on Thursday notified the modified scheme for extending financial assistance for producing “1st generation” (1G) ethanol

January 15, 2021 Read Full Article

Dozens of Ethanol Plants Remain Idle in Early 2021

by Jerry Perkins (Successful Farming) Weaker demand is the main factor now, the $5 corn market could delay the industry’s recovery. — Higher corn prices are roiling the U.S. ethanol industry, but the full impact of the corn price spike might not be felt for weeks. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA)

January 15, 2021 Read Full Article

Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning in Bioeconomy: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Idaho National Laboratory

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Barriers abound in the bioeconomy, but this slide guide from Idaho National Lab shows how artificial intelligence and machine learning will lower the barriers to growing a bioeconomy. From biomass supply and logistics to preprocessing and conversion, AI and ML has many applications that can

January 15, 2021 Read Full Article

Gevo Announces Net-Zero Project Concept

(Gevo) Gevo, Inc. (“Gevo”) (NASDAQ: GEVO), announces the concept of Net-Zero Projects for the production of energy dense liquid hydrocarbons using renewable energy and Gevo’s proprietary technology. The concept of a Net-Zero Project is to convert renewable energy (photosynthetic, wind, renewable natural gas, biogas) from a variety of sources into energy

January 12, 2021 Read Full Article

Regenerative Ag: The No. 1 Food Trend of 2020

by Tom Karst (Farm Journal Ag Web) … More global produce marketers and retailers are taking measures to become regenerative companies. In a post on the chain’s website, Whole Foods called regenerative agriculture the number one food trend of 2020. “Farmers, producers, academics, government agencies, retailers and more are taking a closer

January 12, 2021 Read Full Article

Energy Sorghum May Combine Best of Annual, Perennial Bioenergy Crops

by Julie Wurth (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment) … A study by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) found that energy sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) behaves more like miscanthus in the way it efficiently captures light and uses

January 8, 2021 Read Full Article

AI for the Bioeconomy: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Artificial Intelligence

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) UC Berkeley’s Dr. James Bentley Brown shared this illuminating slide guide at ABLC Digital on pattern discovery, the multi-scale analytical requirements of the bioeconomy, examples from a biotic field trial in corn, how artificial intelligence is enabling the engineering of agronomic systems, and more. READ

January 6, 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

Rising Salt Water Claiming American’s Coastal Farms

(Our Daily Planet) Salty soil is a death sentence for crops, and for areas of coastal farmland, an increasing threat due to climate change. Known as saltwater intrusion, this occurs when storm surges or high tides overtop areas low in elevation. It also occurs when saltwater infiltrates freshwater aquifers and raises the

January 5, 2021 Read Full Article

EU Forests Regulation Public Consultation – Indonesia Responds

(Indonesia Palm Oil Facts) Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) has made its submission to the EU Forests Regulation public consultation on reducing deforestation and forest degradation. As background, the European Commission is proposing a Due Diligence regulation to tackle deforestation / forest degradation with the aim to prevent European imports and consumption ‘causing’ deforestation, particularly from tropical

December 28, 2020 Read Full Article

Carinata for Biofuels, High Protein Feed, Cover Crop: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Nuseed

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Nuseed (which acquired Agrisoma last year) has four focus crops – carinata, sorghum, canola and sunflower – sound more like a cooking ingredient list but they are in fact fantastic feedstocks for a range of things including biofuels, non-GMO high protein meal, and great cover

December 28, 2020 Read Full Article

UFOP Welcomes Agreement between Federal Ministries on the further Development of the GHG Quota

(Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants e.V. (UFOP) ) … German government agreed last Friday on key points for the national implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II). In addition to the gradual increase of the GHG quota to 22 percent in 2030, it includes the setting

December 27, 2020 Read Full Article

Crop Trial a Forerunner to $1 Billion Renewable Fuel Trial

(LaTrobe University) A cropping trial is now in the ground at Katunga as a forerunner to a $1 billion renewable fuel development. Investment company, AgBioEn, is planning a massive biofuel plant on a 40 ha former dairy farm, which will use agricultural waste. The company is looking for ways of generating the bio-mass as

December 23, 2020 Read Full Article

Microalgae for Recycling Water and Nutrients: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to MicroBio Engineering

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Wastewater treatment is a huge problem with about 30 billion gallons per day in the U.S. You’ve got pathogens in the water that could reach drinking water supplies. You’ve got nutrients causing excess algae growth. You’ve got organic matter causing low dissolved oxygen. But MicroBio

December 23, 2020 Read Full Article

The Big, Big Package: What’s under the Christmas Tree for the Bioeconomy, in the $1.4T New Spending Bill?

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The $1.4 trillion spending package includes appropriation for Fiscal Year 2021, the COVID stimulus package, extensions of popular tax credits that otherwise expired on December 31st, and the Energy Act of 2020, a $35B version of a larger energy bill that has been drifting around

December 23, 2020 Read Full Article

What’s Kool about Kula Bio? Transforming the Economics and Sustainability of Soil, for Starters.

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Today, let’s look at an alternative to carpet-bombing Midwestern corn fields with around 150 pounds per acre of nitrogen fertilizer, in hopes that the plants will take up about half of that, en route to a big corn yield. Leaving aside the debate over what happens

December 22, 2020 Read Full Article

UPM Joins the BIKE Project Promoting Sustainable Biomass Value Chains for Biofuels

(UPM Biofuels) UPM Biofuels has joined the BIKE project that promotes low-ILUC risk biofuels production for European Bioeconomy. The project brings together companies and research organisations who believe that novel, safe and reliable biomass value chains can be deployed to produce food, feed, biofuels and biomaterials with a low risk of

December 21, 2020 Read Full Article

Application of LCA on Innovative Biorefinery Concepts – REWOFUEL Webinar

by Lena Nordgren (SEKAB) The second webinar by the EU project REWOFUEL – REsidual soft WOod conversion to high characteristics drop-in bioFUELs, was held in the beginning of December. The specific topic of the webinar was to address the sustainability aspects in the value chain focusing on “Application of LCA on innovative biorefinery concepts –

December 18, 2020 Read Full Article

What Makes Sustainable Aviation Fuel Sustainable?: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to CORSIA in the RSB System

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There’s greenwashing and then there’s proof of sustainability. So what’s the difference? Check out RSB’s slide guide on how they help ensure sustainable aviation fuel or SAF is actually sustainable. From their involvement in the aviation sector to examples of biobased and recycled carbon feedstocks

December 16, 2020 Read Full Article

Canada Unveils Its New Clean Fuels Standard, Carbon Price, and $2.25B in New Sector Investment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Canada, the federal Department of Environment and Climate Change Canada has focused its new Clean Fuel Standard on liquid fossil fuels. released its updated climate and clean growth plan, A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy. The government said, “This is a progression in the design of

December 16, 2020 Read Full Article

Stop Arguing over GMO Crops

by Sarah Garland (Scientific American) The vast majority of the scientific community agrees on both their safety and their potential to help feed the world sustainably — … In order for global agriculture to rapidly become more sustainable and climate resilient, we must have the power to responsibly use every tool

December 15, 2020 Read Full Article

Future of Farming: Chase to Capture Carbon as Another Revenue Stream

by Tyne Morgan (Farm Journal AgWeb) As a possible policy shift may put sustainable farming practices in the spotlight, companies are already paying farmers to shift to more “climate smart farming” like utilizing no-till as a production method. — … “Tom Vilsack will be integral to President-Elect Biden on climate change,

December 14, 2020 Read Full Article

FarmLab Thinks It Can Get 1m Farmers to Sequester 1bn Tonnes of CO2 by 2025. Here’s How

by Jack Ellis (Ag Funder News) … He (FarmLab co-founder and CEO Sam Duncan) started FarmLab with co-founder and chief technology officer Shahriar Jamshidi in 2016 with the aim of making sampling on farms more efficient and wallet-friendly. Back then, it was still a largely paper-based process, requiring agronomists to trek

December 11, 2020 Read Full Article

QUOTE OF THE WEEK — P.J. Griekspoor

“The time is right for ethanol advocates to make sure the right message gets to the right ears. What ethanol can provide is a high-octane additive that reduces the carbon footprint of not just the fuel burned in automobiles, but at the refinery level by replacing the energy-intensive aromatics that are

December 10, 2020 Read Full Article

ADB to Help Improve Advanced Biofuel Production in India

(Asian Development Bank) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $2.5 million technical assistance (TA) to support advanced biofuel development in India. The grant is funded from the Asia Clean Energy Fund, financed by the Government of Japan under the Clean Energy Financing Partnership Facility, and the Republic of Korea’s

December 8, 2020 Read Full Article

Engineer Aims to Have Biodiesel Plants across Australia within a Decade

by Vernon Graham (Farm Online National) A Toowoomba engineer aims to have all Australia farmers switched to biodiesel within 10 years. Johnny Wapstra has founded a start-up, Seed 2 Diesel, and hopes to have a state-of-the-art biodiesel plant somewhere between Toowoomba and Warwick ready for scaling and replication across Australia in two

December 4, 2020 Read Full Article

French Guiana Soy Biofuel Power Plants Risk Massive Amazon Deforestation

by Justin Catanoso (Mongabay) The French government, with the support of President Emmanuel Macron, appears eager to approve legislation that would bypass French environmental law banning large scale deforestation to build several soy-fired biofuel power plants in French Guiana — a French overseas department on the northeast coast of South

December 4, 2020 Read Full Article

Researchers Aim to ‘Upcycle’ Nutrient Waste on Farms Using Duckweed

by Tim Schley (Penn State News) New approach to nutrient management could make money for farmers and land managers; Best management practices for reducing runoff and other nutrient losses in agriculture have been difficult to implement, according to Penn State researchers. The team is hoping that duckweed could help make

December 3, 2020 Read Full Article

Mastering the Science of Producing Algae: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to iWi

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To go along with our “green” holiday theme today, check out this slide guide on how iWi’s Omega-3 made from algae can go a long way in making us healthier in a much greener way. iWi skips the fish and krill and goes directly to

December 1, 2020 Read Full Article

Joint Policy Proposal to Accelerate the Deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuels in Europe – A Clean Skies for Tomorrow Publication

(World Economic Forum) What is the World Economic Forum doing to help aviation meet net zero goals? Through the Forum’s Clean Skies for Tomorrow coalition, stakeholders across the European aviation value-chain have aligned on key policy proposals to inform the EU’s RefuelEU initiative and the UK Government. Taken together, this industry-backed

November 30, 2020 Read Full Article

Okeechobee: From Blooms to Biocrude

by Mary Ann Showalter (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) PNNL’s hydrothermal liquefaction shows promise for turning harmful algal blooms into biocrude — … Algal blooms can also raise treatment costs for drinking water suppliers, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center (ERDC)

November 25, 2020 Read Full Article

$2.5 Million DOE Grant to Help MSU Researchers Measure Benefits of Growing Trees for Biofuel

(Mississippi State University) A $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy will benefit Mississippi State researchers in the university’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center studying the economic and ecological benefits of growing trees for biofuel production. The DOE funding will help MSU scientists study how to produce better, hardier

November 25, 2020 Read Full Article

3-D Printed Corals, New Bioreactors to Boost Microalgae Production for Biofuels

by Fintan Burke (Horizon Magazine/Phys.Org) Using light as an energy source, photosynthetic microalgae can be used to produce products like biofuels and cosmetics. But algae grown in a reactor block out the light on which they feed. New reactor designs could solve this problem and help the industry move forward. Photosynthetic

November 24, 2020 Read Full Article

Grant to Help U. of Tennessee Ag Institute Develop SAF Feedstock Supply Chains

(Biobased Diesel Daily) Researchers at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture have been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to evaluate regional biomass supply chains with regard to their potential for supplying feedstock for domestic fuel production as well as rural economic development―a potential game changer for

November 24, 2020 Read Full Article

Solutions from the Land Unveils Video Showing the Solutions Farmers Can Offer to Meet Global Challenges

(Solutions from the Land) A 20-minute video presentation in which Solutions from the Land farmer leaders offer a vision of solutions that farming operations can deliver to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promoted by UN member nations is now available on YouTube. This presentation, Solutions from the Land: Enabling Farmers

November 20, 2020 Read Full Article

Optimising Miscanthus for a Sustainable Bioeconomy

(Terravesta) The growing global bioeconomy has an indispensable role in tackling the climate crisis, and key to delivering a low carbon economy is securing enough supply of sustainable raw materials and linking them with a near-industrial scale of various bio-based products and end-markets. Miscanthus is a perennial energy crop with a

November 20, 2020 Read Full Article

Study Confirms Contribution of Bioenergy to Climate Change Mitigation

by Elton Alisson (Agência FAPESP) … Some argue, for example, that biofuels are not sustainable because the conversion of non-agricultural land to grow energy crops could lead to a significant initial decrease in carbon storage, creating what is known as a “biofuel carbon debt”. A study by a cross-border group of

November 19, 2020 Read Full Article

Policymakers Urged to Support Biofuels to Meet Transport’s Green Goals

by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EURACTIV.com) Governments around the world need to urgently address this year’s 11.6% drop in biofuel output, caused by the pandemic, in order to meet transport’s decarbonisation goals, the head of the renewable energy division at the International Energy Agency (IEA) told EURACTIV in an interview. Paolo Frankl said

November 17, 2020 Read Full Article

Wyden Introduces Legislation to Improve Soil Health, Crop Resilience and Address the Climate Crisis

(Office of Senator Ron Wyden, D-OR) U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. introduced legislation to help address the climate crisis by encouraging farming practices that improve soil health and crop resilience and lower the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. “In 2020 alone, the climate crisis has delivered devastating wildfires, severe droughts and floods

November 16, 2020 Read Full Article

Poll Shows Americans’ Unwavering Trust in Farmers and Approval of Sustainability Practices

(AgriMarketing/American Farm Bureau Federation) A majority of U.S. adults have a positive view of farmers’ sustainability practices, and an overwhelming majority trust farmers, according to a new national public opinion poll from the American Farm Bureau Federation. The survey of 2,200 U.S. adults found that more than half (58%) rate the sustainability

November 13, 2020 Read Full Article

Bugs, Biology, Biodiversity: Industrial Hemp Production (Part II) on Integrated Pest Management and Implications for Wildlife

by Susan P. Rupp (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) Because of the challenges of registering it (hemp) as an agricultural crop, federal agencies have not yet provided clear direction on the use of agrochemicals (i.e., herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides) on hemp, and regulatory decisions have subsequently devolved to the states. However, the

November 11, 2020 Read Full Article

Neste Takes Allegations on Sustainability Violations Seriously – Credible Allegations on Suppliers’ Sustainability Violations Always Investigated

(Neste) A study report produced by Profundo, commissioned by Milieudefensie, has been published on 5 November 2020. The report claims that Neste’s raw material suppliers have been involved in serious sustainability violations, such as deforestation, fires, peat destruction, community and labor rights violations. Neste welcomes all efforts to monitor its raw

November 10, 2020 Read Full Article

Lowering Tech Barriers to Grow Bioeconomy: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Biofuels

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There are major barriers in growing a bioeconomy, but Idaho National Laboratory is tackling some of those by applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve the supply of sustainable biomass feedstock for conversion to biofuels and high-value coproducts, which also can lower technical and

November 6, 2020 Read Full Article

Exxon’s Climate Fix Is Algae. Experts Say It Won’t Work

by Benjamin Storrow (E&E News) … “Algae. A renewable source of energy. ExxonMobil is researching it. To revolutionize biofuels. For more energy. And fewer emissions.” Biofuels represent one of Exxon Mobil’s primary answers to climate change. In television ads and presentations to investors, the company showcases it as an example of

November 3, 2020 Read Full Article

CABBI Researchers Collaborate on Oilcane Pilot Project

by Jenna Kurtzweil (Brookhaven National Laboratory/Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation) From southeastern Florida to northern Mississippi to the Midwestern Corn Belt, CABBI scientists have struck sustainable oil with sugarcane. But the crop’s potential value to the renewable energy sector earns this particular variety a more appropriate designation: oilcane.

November 3, 2020 Read Full Article

Industrial Hemp Production (Part I): Cultivation and Management

by Susan Rupp (Land & Natural Resource Section at Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) … However, producers continue to face challenges in production and marketing of products because of constantly morphing state and federal regulations, typically revolving around total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels within the plant, that affect both how crops are

November 3, 2020 Read Full Article

Is Seaweed the Future of Fuel?

by Rebecca Pool (Engineering and Technology) A growing band of scientists and engineers wants to feed and fuel the world with seaweed. –… The last decade has seen a surge in seaweed aquaculture, driven by a rising interest in using the aquatic plant as a biofuel. It’s easy to see

October 31, 2020 Read Full Article

TerraSync Algae Micro Cover Crop: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Accelergy

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Mark P. Allen, Vice President of Integrated Carbon Solutions at Accelergy, shared this illuminating slide guide on how Accelergy’s TerraSync is cost competitive, has soil health benefits, gobbles up CO2 better than any other green goblin, and more. READ MORE

October 30, 2020 Read Full Article

European Commission Confirms Sustainability of European Biofuels, Yet Sends Mixed Messages on Their Future

(ePURE) A new report from the European Commission underlines the importance and sustainability of renewable ethanol, but also reveals yet again the Commission’s strangely contradictory stance wanting to minimise the role of biofuels in achieving the EU Green Deal. Published on 14 October, the Commission’s Renewable Energy Progress Report includes an assessment of

October 29, 2020 Read Full Article

India Can Stop Palm Oil Deforestation in Southeast Asia

by Tammy Klein (Future Fuel Strategies) … India is the largest consumer of palm oil. It is an extremely versatile ingredient that is firmly a part of our daily lives. According to WWF, palm oil is present in close to 50% of the packaged goods we regularly buy from supermarkets or online

October 29, 2020 Read Full Article

Combining Agricultural Emissions Reduction Policies to Balance Biodiversity Conservation and Food Security

(CIRAD) Sharing efforts between biofuel production, the transition to reduced-meat diets and the reforestation of pastures would be a far better option for tomorrow’s agriculture than focusing on just one of these strategies. This mix would simultaneously address the goals of food security, biodiversity conservation and emissions reductions, according to a

October 28, 2020 Read Full Article

All Along the Watchtower: Projects, R&D, Partnerships of the Month for October 2020

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Partnership Watch: Lummus Technology, New Hope Technologies In Texas, Lummus Technology and New Hope Technologies today announced that the companies have entered into a cooperation agreement for the marketing and further development of a leading plastic waste conversion technology based on thermal pyrolysis. The

October 27, 2020 Read Full Article

Sustainable Bioeconomy Vital for Freshwater Resources

(Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research/Phys.Org) In the future, the world may increasingly rely on renewable biomass resources for the provision of food, fodder, fiber and fuel. How this transition to a bioeconomy will affect Nordic water resources, is something BIOWATER, a Nordic Centre of Excellence, is currently looking into. In a

October 23, 2020 Read Full Article

Plants Rule! Harnessing the Sun for a Negative-Carbon Bio-economy

(Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Association) … Among the Carbon-negative (and climate positive) solutions, those based on photosynthesis are by far the cheapest and most scalable options now, and likely for many decades to come. Properly implemented, these solutions can also provide many other benefits, including clean water, bio-diverse landscapes, healthy soil

October 23, 2020 Read Full Article

Use of Switchgrass Growing in Popularity for Ag Conservation

by Ad Crable (Bay Journal) Will switchgrass, a tall, resilient and fast-growing native plant once familiar to pioneers, become the next cash crop for farmers in states in the Chesapeake Bay drainage? In a convergence of promising developments, a new study gives switchgrass lofty environmental grades and assures skeptics that it would

October 23, 2020 Read Full Article

Reducing Carbon Emissions in Agriculture: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Commodity Plus Carbon

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At ABLC Digital this summer, there was lots of talk about carbon. In this slide guide, GIC takes us on a learning journey about commodity plus carbon and how it monetizes carbon. What is CPC? What are the advantages? What is the methodology? How does

October 20, 2020 Read Full Article

What Ag Needs: Accelerating Technology to Secure The Future

by Jim Collins (Corteva Agriscience) … “How can we increase investment in technology and innovation for high-impact, evidence-based solutions?” It made me think about the farmers we serve and how they – as stewards of the land – have a long history of innovation and investment as they feed, preserve and protect

October 20, 2020 Read Full Article

Hemp Industry Presents Risky Business

(AgWeb) The stakes are high, business is tricky, but hemp still has a positive outlook for farmers interested in growing. The hemp industry is planting big roots in the world of row crop farmers. The stakes are high and the rewards can be high too, if you know how to

October 15, 2020 Read Full Article

New Star-Studded Netflix Doc Suggests Regenerative Agriculture Will Solve the Climate Crisis — Exclusive

by Sophie Hirsch (Green Matters) To significantly mitigate the climate crisis, there are a lot of problems humans need to solve — and as the new Netflix documentary Kiss the Ground suggests, one of the biggest problems is right under your feet: the soil. Narrated by Woody Harrelson and featuring music from

October 15, 2020 Read Full Article

Gradable™ to Present Grain Carbon Scoring Program to California Air Resources Board

(Yahoo! News/Business Wire) First-of-its-kind model provides unique win-win for farmers, grain buyers, consumers, and environment — Gradable™, the leading technology and services provider for scoring, sourcing, and pricing Low-Carbon Grain from farm to fork, today announced it’s been invited by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to demonstrate how its program

October 15, 2020 Read Full Article

From Farm to Product: How Agricultural Improvements Have Cross Sectoral Benefits

(BioChannel TV) This panel will discuss how a national clean fuel standard can directly incentivize innovative agricultural practices like biostimulants, alternative fertilizers, and crop enhancements to create a more sustainable supply chain not only for fuels, but also the wide variety of biobased products that rely on the same supply

October 13, 2020 Read Full Article

NexGen Food & Agriculture

(Petri’s The Dish/Biochannel TV) The use of genetic engineering and modification in traditional agriculture. With new lab-grown materials what’s the value proposition for large apparel brands? What’s the role of big companies in partnering with early-stage sustainable technologies? With Harvard’s Pam Silver, MIT’s Chris Voigt, Beyond Meats’ Bernhard van Lengerich

October 13, 2020 Read Full Article

Q&A: How Regenerative Ag Benefits Farmers in General Mills’ Key Sourcing Regions

by Nate Birt (Farm Journal Ag Web) Over the past year, a wave of global food companies have transitioned their focus from sustainable to regenerative agriculture. General Mills—maker of Cheerios cereal, Yoplait yogurt, Nature Valley granola bars and Pillsbury desserts, among its more than 100 brands—has been doing that for years.

October 13, 2020 Read Full Article

The Killer Cactus

(KTN News) Laikipia residents decry of Opuntia Cactus that is slowly chocking livelihood. At 20:00 using destructive cactus to make biogas. WATCH VIDEO

October 12, 2020 Read Full Article

New Report Reveals EPA Reform on Biogenic Crops Ruling Could Add Hundreds of Millions in Wages, Thousands of Jobs to U.S. Economy

(Biogenic CO2 Coalition) Scientifically Backed Change in Status of Carbon Emissions from Ag Feedstocks Could Provide Massive Boost to Struggling U.S. Economy — The Biogenic CO2 Coalition, a working group of leading trade associations that support American agriculture, today released a new economic impact analysis in support of its petition for a U.S. Environmental

October 6, 2020 Read Full Article

U.S. Oil Refiners Press on Renewable Diesel for Canadian Market: Few Such Projects Seen Moving forward within Canada

by Laura Sanicola, Rod Nickel (AgCanada/Glacier Farm Media/Reuters) U.S. oil refineries are moving aggressively to produce renewable diesel, partly to cash in on Canada’s greener fuel standard before Canadian refiners modify their own plants. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government intends to present its Clean Fuel Standard this year, aiming to

October 6, 2020 Read Full Article

The Use of Forest Biomass for Climate Change Mitigation: Dispelling Some Misconceptions

(EIA Bioenergy) Articles and statements in the media have raised concerns over the climate effects of bioenergy from managed forests1. As some of these statements seem to reflect misconceptions about forest bioenergy, IEA Bioenergy has prepared a brief document presenting key facts about the use of forest biomass for climate change

October 5, 2020 Read Full Article

Yield10 Bioscience Announces Completion of Harvesting for 2020 Field Test Program to Evaluate Novel Yield and Compositional Traits in Camelina and Canola

(Yield10 Bioscience) Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. (Nasdaq:YTEN), an agricultural bioscience company, today announced it has completed the harvest for its 2020 Field Test Program for Camelina and canola trials conducted in the United States and Canada. Yield10’s 2020 Field Test Program is designed to evaluate several novel traits in Camelina and canola, and the Company expects to begin

October 5, 2020 Read Full Article

Carbon Farming, Algae Biofertilizer: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Accelergy

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Just look at those melons and what a difference algae can make! And that’s just part of the story that shows us that, yes, CO2 emissions CAN be used to grow algae and that algae CAN be used to grow crops. Get the latest on Accelergy’s carbon

October 2, 2020 Read Full Article

Powerful Pennycress: Dr. Sedbrook’s Research Team Is Transforming a Weed into a Crop

(Illinois State University) Though farmers consider pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) nothing more than a weed, Illinois State Professor of Genetics Dr. John Sedbrook is working to change their perspective—and the plant itself. Sedbrook and his student researchers in the School of Biological Sciences are genetically modifying pennycress as part of a

September 29, 2020 Read Full Article

Switching to Switchgrass – Will DOE and USDA Funding Turn Switchgrass into a Rockstar Biofuel Feedstock?

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … So as we look for better biofuel feedstocks, we look at switchgrass because of new U.S. Department of Energy AND U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to study it for biofuels. Could it be the next biofuel feedstock Rockstar? Or will it be a

September 28, 2020 Read Full Article

RFA’s Virtual Heartland Tour Gives Congressional and Agency Staff an Inside Look at Ethanol Industry

(Renewable Fuels Association) Congressional staff and other federal and state decisionmakers got an up-close virtual look at the U.S. ethanol industry last week as part of the Renewable Fuels Association’s Virtual Heartland Tour. The event included a series of educational videos on timely topics and Q&As with farmers, ethanol producers and

September 24, 2020 Read Full Article

Intensive Monoculture Is Putting Water Systems in Peril

(University of Birmingham) The global spread of vast forest plantations and agricultural monocultures are turning once diverse landscapes into areas of land supporting single plant species, with profound implications for our terrestrial water cycle, according to new research. A new paper published in Nature Geoscience, and written by a global collaboration of

September 24, 2020 Read Full Article

Researchers Working to Grow Algae for Biofuels in the Dark Using Solar Energy

by Jeff Kart (Forbes) …The researchers working on this are from University of California, Riverside (UCR) and it’s part of a two-year project. Those involved are being tight-lipped about the methods they’ll be using (pending the upcoming publication of research on a closely related project). What’s been announced so far: The work

September 23, 2020 Read Full Article

Clean Fuels Standard Misses the Mark on Biofuels

(Grain Farmers of Ontario/Globe Newswire) Grain Farmers of Ontario opposed to land use restrictions, and seek transparency on certification criteria — Grain Farmers of Ontario, the province’s largest commodity organization, representing Ontario’s 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean and wheat farmers today has deep concerns about the current Clean Fuels Standard (CFS) proposed

September 22, 2020 Read Full Article

The Protection Election, in a Year of Choices: Trump v Biden, Law-and-Order v Defund-the-Police, Border Walls v Bridges, and Even Crop Protection Care of FMC, Zymergen

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … In the world of biotechnology, it’s the same, which is to say that everyone wants protection, but no one agrees on ‘protection against what?’ Some people want to be protected against famine, disease, resource depletion — via the blessings of genetic engineering. Others want

September 22, 2020 Read Full Article

Greener Flights from Greener Fields – Using Aviation Biofuel

(European Commission) Jet fuel from renewable sources holds the key to significantly reducing the environmental impact of aviation. EU-funded researchers have set out to boost Europe’s production capacity, and are also developing a process that would leverage the growing of feedstock to rehabilitate land at risk of desertification. To fully

September 14, 2020 Read Full Article

Alliance BioEnergy Establishes Giant King Grass Test Plot

(Alliance BioEnergy Plus Inc.) Alliance BioEnergy Plus Inc., (“Alliance”) announces it has leased 18 acres of land in Southwest Florida to establish a test plot to optimize the production of Giant King Grass as a renewable cellulosic feedstock. Giant King Grass grows year-round, up to 20 feet in height, and

September 8, 2020 Read Full Article

DOE Awards $1.3 Million Grant to Study Beneficial Links Between Biofuel Sorghum and Fungus

(AZO Cleantech) For years, researchers have been trying to harness the crop-growing benefits of the symbiotic relationship between plants and fungi. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), for example, can deliver water and nutrients to the roots of plants like sorghum, a grain used to produce biofuels. The US Department of Energy (DOE)

September 4, 2020 Read Full Article

Farmers Business Network to Spin Out New Venture to Track Carbon Footprints of Crops And Help Farmers Make More for Low-Carbon Ones

by Amy Feldman (Forbes) Agtech unicorn Farmers Business Network is spinning out a new sustainable farming company, called GRO Network, that will track and score the carbon footprint of specific crops down to the bushel and allow farmers to make more for their crops that have lower carbon footprints. In a

September 4, 2020 Read Full Article

SUNY ESF Receives USDA Grant: Biomass Products Will Reinvigorate Abandoned Land

(SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry) SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), as a member of a mid-Atlantic consortium, has received $630,000 over five years from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop biomass systems and products with the potential to put abandoned lands and people

September 4, 2020 Read Full Article

ARPA-E Announces $16.5 Million for Technologies Supporting the Biofuels Supply Chain

(U.S. Department of Energy/ARPA-E) Today, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy announced $16.5 million in funding for six projects as part of the Systems for Monitoring and Analytics for Renewable Transportation Fuels from Agricultural Resources and Management (SMARTFARM) program. These projects will develop technologies that bridge the data gap in the biofuel

September 4, 2020 Read Full Article

Enhanced Biodiesel Programme, New Markets Help Boost Palm Price, Says Deputy Minister

(Malay Mail/Bernama) The biodiesel improvement programme and initiatives in the country as well as opening of new markets have contributed to the increase in palm oil price currently, said Plantation Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister Willie Mongin. … “We are optimistic and confident of at least maintaining the price at

September 4, 2020 Read Full Article

The Use of Forest Biomass for Climate Change Mitigation: Dispelling Some Misconceptions

(IEA Bioenergy) Articles and statements in the media have raised concerns over the climate effects of bioenergy from managed forests2. As some of these statements seem to reflect misconceptions about forest bioenergy, IEA Bioenergy has prepared a brief document presenting key facts about the use of forest biomass for climate

September 1, 2020 Read Full Article

WIU School of Agriculture Part of Second Pennycress Research Grant

(Western Illinois University) Just 12 months after Western Illinois University Agriculture Professor Win Phippen announced the award of a $10 million federal grant to investigate the use of Pennycress as a commercial cash crop, a second grant has been awarded that dovetails into the initial grant and helps ensure a

September 1, 2020 Read Full Article

Hemp Farm in Ohio Shows Possible New Source of Low Cost, Easily Processed Biomass

by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) “They seem to be serious,” said Atlantic Biomass’ Bob Kozak reflecting on a tour of a hemp farm in central Ohio. He noted, “They are going all-in, putting their own money into this—no grants and planting 26 acres the first year.” Kozak was there

September 1, 2020 Read Full Article

World-Leading New Law to Protect Rainforests and Clean up Supply Chains DEADLINE October 5, 2020

(U.K. Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) Legislation would make it illegal for larger businesses to use products unless they comply with local laws to protect natural areas. — Plans to clamp down on illegal deforestation and protect rainforests have been published by the government today (25 August) as it

August 31, 2020 Read Full Article

Regenerative Farming: Let’s Look Forward, Not Backward

by John Fargher (AgFunderNews/AgriWebb) Regenerative farming has often been a controversial topic – largely due to confusion regarding its true definition. Some believe that it involves a return to pre-industrial farming techniques, and fear it’s about pursuing sustainability instead of profits. This is simply untrue. In fact, the term was popularized

August 29, 2020 Read Full Article

UB Engineer Joins DOE-Funded Project to Purify Water and Produce Fuel

by Peter Murphy (University at Buffalo) UB engineering professor Ian Bradley and his research group are collaborators on a $2 million project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy that will study the use of algae to purify wastewater while simultaneously producing biomass for fuel production. The project is led by

August 28, 2020 Read Full Article

Daimler: Jatropha Plant Opens up New Prospects

(Auto123.com/Daimler) The seedlings for the first 100 hectares (250 acres) have been planted. Daimler AG has started a new project for the cultivation of the biodiesel raw material jatropha in the south of India. The company is supporting several village communities in the state of Tamil Nadu with funds and expertise from its already

August 28, 2020 Read Full Article

Low Carbon Cash Cover Crop: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to CoverCress

The Digest recently reported on CoverCress and why the U.S. Department of Energy’s $13 million grant for new high-value feedstock, pennycress, is so key. For an in-depth visual guide on how CoverCress is delivering new farm income and low carbon intensity feedstocks while producing cover crop benefits, how it fits between

August 28, 2020 Read Full Article

Advanced Biofuels Show Real Promise for Replacing Some Fossil Fuels

(Colorado State University/Science Daily) A new study predicted significant climate benefits stemming from the use of advanced biofuel technologies. — Biofuel and bioenergy systems are integral to scenarios for displacing fossil fuel use and producing negative emissions through carbon capture and storage. But the net greenhouse gas mitigation benefit of these

August 26, 2020 Read Full Article

Captain Canola – Yield10 Biosciences One Step Closer to Canola Feedstock Superhero

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) News just in from Yield10 Bioscience, Inc., a Massachusetts-based agricultural bioscience company, that they have obtained a positive response from USDA-APHIS’s Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS) for its CRISPR genome-edited trait C3007 in canola plant lines developed for increased oil content and now have plans for

August 24, 2020 Read Full Article

New Soil Models May Ease Atmospheric CO2, Climate Change

(North America Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) … In an article published in Nature Geoscience, Cornell University’s Johannes Lehmann and others wrote that scientists should develop new models that more accurately reflect the carbon-storage processes beneath our feet in order to effectively draw down atmospheric carbon dioxide. Carbon’s journey into the soil

August 21, 2020 Read Full Article

IEA Plan Looks to Biofuels to Help Rebuild Post-COVID World

(Solutions from the Land) As dire as the COVID-19 pandemic appears today, there are many who are looking beyond the crisis, exploring ways not only to recover from this tragedy, but to rebuild our capabilities to an even higher level beyond what they were before the outbreak. The International Energy Agency’s

August 21, 2020 Read Full Article

Showcase Bioeconomy: Research Wants to Combine Species Protection and Palm Oil Production

(University of Hohenheim) In Sumatra, smallholders in particular have a key function, according to a study on the conversion of rainforests into monocultures and their effects — Oil palm plantations as far as the eye can see. In addition to a dramatic decline in many animal and plant species, such plantations often lead

August 17, 2020 Read Full Article

Terravesta Launches New Video Touting Miscanthus as Biofuel Feedstock

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In the United Kingdom, Terravesta launched a new animation video to spread the word about building a bio-based future with Terravesta Performance Hybrids, and miscanthus grown from seed rather than the usual rhizomes, allowing it to be upscaled 200 times faster. Terravesta is reducing the world’s

August 17, 2020 Read Full Article

Green Fuels and INOCASs Team on Macaúba Project in Minas Gerais

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Brazil, Green Fuels and INOCAS announced an agreement to engage in the development of a sustainable fuels value chain in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Using macaúba in novel intercropping and agrosilvopastoral techniques, the partners intend to ensure future sustainable fuel production for distributed energy and land, marine and air transport sectors, as signatories of the Zona da Mata Biokerosene and Renewables Platform (an integrated

August 12, 2020 Read Full Article

Indonesia Picks Up Allies In WTO Palm Fight

(Palm Oil Monitor) Indonesia has picked up a number of allies in its battle with the EU over the bloc’s ban of palm oil in its renewable energy scheme. An additional 18 countries have reserved their rights to participate in the proceedings as third parties. These include palm producers Malaysia, Thailand, Guatemala,

August 11, 2020 Read Full Article

Exploring the Sustainability of the Indian Sugar Industry

(Standford University/EurekAlert!) Generations of political support for sugar cultivation have helped India become the second-largest producer of sugar worldwide. Now, the country’s commitment to renewable energy could create additional benefits, like conserving natural resources and providing better nutrition to the poor. Stanford researchers conducted the first comprehensive analysis of India’s sugar

August 6, 2020 Read Full Article

Biomass Alliance for Logistics Efficiency and Specifications: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to BALES Bioenergy Feedstock Analysis

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bale analysis, probes, core samples – measuring and analysis of bioenergy feedstocks is key. In this illuminating slide guide from ABLC Digital, the Idaho National Laboratory, Antares Group, ASDI, and B Hames Consulting share how bale probes are a novel sensor for in-field, real-time analysis of

August 5, 2020 Read Full Article

Biofuels Project Led by John Sedbrook Awarded $13 Million from DOE

by Rachel Hatch (News Illinois State University) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded a $13 million grant to a nationwide project led by Illinois State University. Professor of Genetics John Sedbrook will head up the project aimed to genetically strengthen a plant for use in sustainable energy efforts. “We’re

August 4, 2020 Read Full Article

Exelon Foundation and Exelon Corp. Name First Round Startups of the $20 Million Climate Change Investment Initiative

(Exelon) The year two application process is now open for startup projects addressing climate change in Atlantic City, NJ, Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, DE — The Exelon Foundation and Exelon Corporation (Nasdaq: EXC), the nation’s largest generator of carbon-free energy and the largest energy service provider by customer

July 29, 2020 Read Full Article

Black Gold: Iowa’s Soils Can Be a Fort Knox for Carbon Storage

by Zhichao Wang and Jim Ramm (EcoEngineers) Iowa’s fertile farmland could be a soil-based Fort Knox that — instead of gold — stores a wealth of carbon within its underground vaults. How farmers can tap into the potential riches of carbon capture and sequestration and how biofuels producers can benefit from forming

July 29, 2020 Read Full Article

Department of Energy to Provide $68 Million for Bioenergy Crop Research

(Department of Energy) Studies Will Focus on Improving Crop Productivity and Resiliencen — Today (July 28, 2020) the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $68 million in funding over five years for basic research aimed at making bioenergy feedstock crops more productive and resilient. “One key requirement for sustainable bioenergy

July 29, 2020 Read Full Article

Farmers, Researchers Agree: COVID-19, Climate Change Revealed Holes in Agriculture System

by Sarah Spicer (Wichita Eagle) To preserve the environment, mitigate climate change and stabilize the U.S. food system, Midwest farmers should diversify their crops and move away from raising corn and soybeans, researchers say. The current crop system, which was founded after the 1930s Dust Bowl, is causing environmental and economic

July 29, 2020 Read Full Article

How to Tackle Climate Change, Food Security and Land Degradation

(North America Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance News) Some lesser-known options, such as integrated water management and increasing the organic content of soil, have fewer trade-offs than many well-known options, such as planting trees, according to a Rutgers-led study in the journal Global Change Biology. “We argue that if we want to have

July 28, 2020 Read Full Article

Pivotal Research Discovers Practices, Technologies Key to Sustainable Farming

by Anna Marie Tomczyk (Argonne National Laboratory/Phys.Org) … The practices that grain farmers use to produce their crops—managing fertility, tillage practice and crop rotations—influence the overall carbon footprint of U.S. agriculture. By using sustainable practices, farmers could substantially reduce their carbon footprint and become a vital partner to the biofuel