English
Afrikaans
Albanian
Amharic
Arabic
Armenian
Azerbaijani
Basque
Belarusian
Bengali
Bosnian
Bulgarian
Catalan
Cebuano
Chichewa
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Corsican
Croatian
Czech
Danish
Dutch
Esperanto
Estonian
Filipino
Finnish
French
Frisian
Galician
Georgian
German
Greek
Gujarati
Haitian Creole
Hausa
Hawaiian
Hebrew
Hindi
Hmong
Hungarian
Icelandic
Igbo
Indonesian
Irish
Italian
Japanese
Javanese
Kannada
Kazakh
Khmer
Korean
Kurdish (Kurmanji)
Kyrgyz
Lao
Latin
Latvian
Lithuanian
Luxembourgish
Macedonian
Malagasy
Malay
Malayalam
Maltese
Maori
Marathi
Mongolian
Myanmar (Burmese)
Nepali
Norwegian
Pashto
Persian
Polish
Portuguese
Punjabi
Romanian
Russian
Samoan
Scottish Gaelic
Serbian
Sesotho
Shona
Sindhi
Sinhala
Slovak
Slovenian
Somali
Spanish
Sudanese
Swahili
Swedish
Tajik
Tamil
Telugu
Thai
Turkish
Ukrainian
Urdu
Uzbek
Vietnamese
Welsh
Xhosa
Yiddish
Yoruba
Zulu
by Michael A. Fatigati (Vantaggio Renewables/Biofuels Digest) … We believe that one of our nation’s important natural resources, while protected in some ways, is being neglected to our peril and should be re-classified as infrastructure. This segment of infrastructure supplies 95% of the food requirements of our nation. This segment
Farming/Growing
(North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) A NACSAA webinar held last month on what transpired at the June climate talks in Bonn (SB50) underscored the limited approaches to climate smart agriculture under discussion by global representatives. The global conversation about the need to transform agriculture and the food system to
August 19, 2019
Read Full Article
In Iowa, Candidates Are Talking About Farming’s Climate Change Connections Like No Previous Election
by Georgina Gustin (Inside Climate News) About half the candidates have policy proposals or statements addressing climate change impacts on agriculture or farming’s potential as a climate solution. … They also brought an unprecedented focus on agriculture‘s connections with climate change—an issue that’s getting more traction among rural Midwestern voters and farmers in
August 16, 2019
Read Full Article
(Solutions from the Land) Florida Rep. Kathy Castor told a group of farmers, ranchers and timber producers in her state Monday that responding to a changing climate must be a collaborative effort, drawing together producers, government agencies and academics to develop the steps needed for the agriculture sector to adapt
August 14, 2019
Read Full Article
by Sarita Reed and Vinicius Fontana (China Dialogue) Adding ethanol to Chinese petrol will decrease emissions but could worsen Brazil’s deforestation — There are 332 million cars on the road in China, more than anywhere in the world. Most run on pure petrol, but from next year Chinese fuel companies
August 14, 2019
Read Full Article
by Katherine Durrell (Food Ingredients First) Scientists across Europe are calling for a rethink on the restriction of genome editing technology by the newly-elected European Parliament and European Commission. The open statement is signed by 126 research institutes and comes exactly one year after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled
August 6, 2019
Read Full Article
(Agence-France Presse/FirstPost) The overlapping crises of climate change, mass species extinction, and an unsustainable global food system are on a collision course towards what might best be called an ecological land grab. Coping with each of these problems will require a different way of using of Earth’s lands, and as
August 6, 2019
Read Full Article
(Geva/Globe Newswire) Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO) announced today (August 5, 2019) it has achieved its International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) under the ISCC PLUS scheme for Food, Feed, Industrial Applications, Energy, Biofuels outside Europe. In obtaining ISCC certification, Gevo continues to prove its dedication to meeting the highest industry
August 6, 2019
Read Full Article
(Science Daily/U.S. Department of Energy Los Alamos Laboratory) New DNA analysis has revealed surprising genetic diversity in a bacterium that poses a persistent threat to the algae biofuels industry. With the evocative name Vampirovibrio chlorellavorus, the predatory pest sucks out the contents of the algae cells (thus the vampire reference) and
August 2, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Oceans are the largest untapped growth opportunity for biomass and that macroalgae is the quintessential ocean crop, according to ARPA-E. But, it says that with the current state of technology, it will never scale to meet energy and CO2 capture demands. So what to do? That’s
August 2, 2019
Read Full Article
by Douglas L. Faulkner (The Cleantech Conservative/Leatherstocking LLC/ Biofuels Digest) … (W)e first addressed bio-based plastic research needs; second, we reviewed government regulations preventing the growth of advanced biofuels, a controversial action; then we launched an effort for 2019 for an intensive look at forests of the future and their opportunities for woody
August 1, 2019
Read Full Article
by Tom Philpott (Mother Jones) In a mesmerizing recent article, Mother Jones’ Tim Murphy recounts the surprising backstory of one of corporate marketing’s greatest flops: Coca-Cola’s quickly aborted 1985 effort to tweak its formula and convince consumers to accept “New Coke.” … Coca-Cola had already started adding high-fructose corn syrup to the mix five
July 30, 2019
Read Full Article
by Philip Blenkinsop, Sybille de la Hamaide and Bernadette Christina Munthe (Reuters) The European Commission has proposed duties ranging from 8% to 18% on imports of biodiesel from Indonesia to counter what it says are unfair subsidies, the latest twist in a case that has lasted seven years. The subsidies would
July 29, 2019
Read Full Article
(Terravesta) Norfolk farmer, Adam Brewer, is planning for the future by diversifying his income and looking after his soils with Miscanthus. Farmers wanting to learn more about the many environmental and financial benefits presented by the crop are invited to attend a Miscanthus farm walk hosted by Adam and Miscanthus specialist, Terravesta on
July 29, 2019
Read Full Article
(Xinhua) A Chinese firm on Wednesday launched an ethanol processing plant in central Zambia, which the government says will go a long way in helping the country tackle fuel problems and reduce poverty. The 9-million U.S. dollars plant of Zhongkai International Company will result in the creation of about 200 direct
July 26, 2019
Read Full Article
(American Coalitin for Ethanol/Market Screener) American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings highlighted the important role corn ethanol could have in further reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions if properly valued under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler today, informing the agency of
July 26, 2019
Read Full Article
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … A $118 million pie in new investment money for this Tennessee-based biomass company. The financing was anchored by an equity investment from WindSail Capital Group, which partnered with investors Coppermine Capital and Stairway Capital in the Genera financing. The money will be used for
July 26, 2019
Read Full Article
(Green Car Congress) Commercially viable cellulosic ethanol plants has proven devilishly difficult to bring to fruition. The primary outlier from the list of efforts that have shut down over the past few years is POET/DSM’s Project Liberty (earlier post). In an editorial in the journal Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining, two POET team
July 22, 2019
Read Full Article
(Renewable Fuels Association) Two new academic studies released this week provide further evidence that grain-based ethanol is significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and call into question the reliability of recent “land use change” analyses based on flawed satellite imagery-based methodologies. These studies add to a large body of existing literature that
July 17, 2019
Read Full Article
by Kelley Christensen (Michigan Technological University) … Forest biomass is expected to be one of the key energy sources, but many people have wondered how to feed biofuel plants the materials they need without destroying forest resources. Whole-tree aspen logging promotes renewable biomass energy from tops and branches, parts of the tree
July 16, 2019
Read Full Article
by Ian Heath (Jersey Evening Post) But now experts are claiming that the annual ‘plague’ of slimy green sea lettuce in St Aubin’s Bay could actually become a blessing in disguise – in the form of a source of renewable energy for Jersey. A government report published today on seaweed harvesting
July 10, 2019
Read Full Article
(Solutions from the Land) A company that says it is “dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet,” announced last month the launch of The Terraton Initiative™, a project designed to accelerate carbon sequestration at an unprecedented scale. … Among the steps cited by Indigo are regenerative farming practices
July 9, 2019
Read Full Article
(Solutions from the Land) Science-based decision making and putting farmers at the center of all discussions were among the guiding principles touted by representatives of NACSAA and many of its member organizations in a workshop held by United Nation’s facilitators in Bonn, Germany, on the development of an agricultural work program
July 9, 2019
Read Full Article
(University of Tsukuba/EurekAlert!) University of Tsukuba researchers developed a new, highly efficient system for removing water from algae biomass with reusable nanostructured graphene, which can greatly increase the yield of ecofriendly biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and fertilizers — A team at the University of Tsukuba introduced a new procedure of harvesting energy and organic
July 9, 2019
Read Full Article
(Iowa State University Extension and Outreach) Iowa and Midwest agriculture has started to change in recent years. One visible change is the interest to grow crops for biofuel and bioproducts (referred to as “energy crops”). Fossil fuel usage contributes to the growing problem with greenhouse gases. Alternative energy options from plant
July 5, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Agrisoma Biosciences, Inc. has the world’s largest collection of Carinata and an extensive modern crop improvement program that allows them to select high yielding varieties ideally suited for production across a broad range of geographies. Agrisoma has commercialized Carinata in North and South America, working with
July 5, 2019
Read Full Article
(Total) Total has started up production at the La Mède biorefinery in southeastern France, with the first batches of biofuel coming off the line. It is the final step in converting a former oil refinery into a new energies complex. Launched in 2015, the project represents a capital expenditure of
July 5, 2019
Read Full Article
(Xinhua) The German government is expecting global palm oil production to grow and is calling for “globally coordinated measures to implement deforestation-free cultivation”, according to a response to a parliamentary inquiry first reported on by the German press agency (dpa) on Tuesday. “Due to the almost unrivalled yields, interest in the
July 3, 2019
Read Full Article
by Hualong Wang, Fru Azinwi Nche-Fambo, Zhigang Yu, Feng Chen (ResearchGate/HY-TEK Bio) Certain species of microalgae are capable of growing under high concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2), and these microalgae have potential to be used for sequestering CO2 released as industrial pollutants using phototrophic carbon fixation system. While some CO2-tolerant algal species have been identified
July 1, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington state, there’s a new mill near the city of Dayton that is the first to use waste straw to make pulp for paper products, and biopolymers; and, a new project near Granger turning dairy waste into pipeline-quality renewable natural gas; also, a proposed
June 27, 2019
Read Full Article
by J.Richard Hess (Idaho National Laboratory/U.S. Department of Energy) A new techno-economic analysis by Idaho National Laboratory (INL) demonstrated that, by using integrated landscape management (ILM) techniques, bioenergy stakeholders could produce biomass at costs 20% lower than previous assumptions.1 The efficiencies gained using ILM practices could generate a new revenue
June 26, 2019
Read Full Article
by Alayna DeMartini (Ohio State University College of Engineering) Although the stalks and leaves of a corn plant can be turned into ethanol, the high cost of collecting, storing, and transporting the material has limited its use in producing the fuel. Ajay Shah, an agricultural engineer at The Ohio State University, is
June 24, 2019
Read Full Article
by Lauren Crothers (South Africa Today) -Norway saw drop in palm oil consumption following new regulations limiting sales in response to concerns about deforestation for plantations. -The decrease has been lauded by a Norwegian rainforest advocacy group, which called it a “big win for rainforests.” -Indonesia and Malaysia, the world’s
June 24, 2019
Read Full Article
(IEA Bioenergy) Several systems to define and monitor performance and progress towards sustainability of bioenergy have been developed for implementation at different scales, including operations, landscapes or jurisdictions. Some are formalised systems (e.g. GBEP 2011; RSB 2016; ISO 2015; ASTM 2016; SBP 2019) while others are inputs made through the scientific
June 24, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The University of Hawai’i is on top of the latest research on Hawaii’s tropical agriculture, its hot zone and tropical feedstocks for the bioeconomy. Peter Matlock, Strategic Advisor for Aviation Fuels and Special Projects for Joint BioEnergy Institute and who is developing the Institute for Tropical
June 24, 2019
Read Full Article
by Marcelo Teixeir (Reuters) Brazil’s Sao Martinho SA , one of the country’s largest sugar and ethanol producers, plans to build a facility to produce ethanol from corn in the state of Goiás, the company said in a securities filing. Sao Martinho is the latest in a growing number of companies
June 21, 2019
Read Full Article
(Solutions from the Land) North American Climate Smart Agriculture (NACSAA) leaders are once again on the global stage, talking this week with representatives from nations around the world meeting in Bonn, Germany, promoting the role of farmers, ranchers and woodland owners in addressing climate change challenges. NACSAA Chairman Fred Yoder, Steering
June 19, 2019
Read Full Article
(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
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Specifically, in the past month, Gevo also executed an agreement with Praj to develop jet fuel and isooctane from rice straw and other feedstocks. Gruber noted that “we believe this second-generation technology combination has great potential to address India’s rice straw burning problem and related
June 19, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) MicroBio Engineering works on facility designs, algae equipment, R&D, engineering consulting, techno-economic analyses, LCAs and wastewater treatment. Their focus on algaculture, specifically microalgae cultivation, is what the focus of this presentation is on. John Benemann, CEO and Tryg Lundquist, CTO, both of MicroBio Engineering, gave this
June 18, 2019
Read Full Article
(North America Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) North America Climate Smart Agriculture (NACSAA) representatives will be at UN talks in Bonn, Germany, next week to push the message that agriculture is a major solution platform for achieving global climate stability and sustainable development goals (SDGs). Attending the talks will be NACSAA Chairman Fred Yoder,
June 13, 2019
Read Full Article
by Laura Reiley (Washington Post) It sounds like an idea plucked from science fiction, but the reality is that trees and plants already do it. — … Boston-based Indigo AG, now wants to transform farming practices so that agriculture becomes quite the opposite of what it is today — a major source
June 13, 2019
Read Full Article
by Marta Gomez San Juan, Anne Bogdanski and Olivier Dubois (Food and Agricultural Organization) … )T)his report offers lessons from 26 case studies of sustainable bioeconomy interventions from around the world and from a range of different sectors. The overall aim of the report is to use these case studies to expand the general understanding of
June 11, 2019
Read Full Article
by Femi Ibirogba (The Guardian) … Mr Rajavelu Rajasekar is a Director (Agro), Allied-Atlantic Distilleries, Agbara, Ogun State, where 250 metric tonnes of raw cassava roots are processed into ethanol. He revealed, in this interview with Head, Agro-Economy Desk, FEMI IBIROGBA, why cassava production fluctuates between scarcity and gluts; why more
June 10, 2019
Read Full Article
by Josette Lewis and Jessica Rudnick (Frontiers Media) Climate smart agriculture (CSA) provides a framework for balancing multiple dimensions of agriculture and food systems in an era of climate change: addressing agricultural contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions, vulnerabilities to climate change impacts, and the relationship between agricultural productivity, incomes and
June 7, 2019
Read Full Article
(Solutions from the Land) One of Solution from the Land’s (SfL) primary missions over the past decade has been to help and inspire agricultural and forestry sector leaders to become powerful voices in the broader discussion of climate change, including adaptation and mitigation. Towards this end, SfL has been building state,
June 4, 2019
Read Full Article
(Solutions from the Land) Solutions from the Land takes great pride in supporting the North American Climate Smart Action Alliance (NACSAA) as it continues its important work in putting farmers, ranchers and foresters in a central position to develop the steps needed to adapt to changing climate conditions, sequester carbon,
June 4, 2019
Read Full Article
(AZO Cleantech) Seaweed can be broadly termed as marine macroalgae, and belongs to one of the many groups of multicellular red, green and brown algae. Seaweed is widely used to produce vitamin supplements, cosmetics, plastics and animal feed in many parts of the world. The importance of seaweed has skyrocketed ever
June 4, 2019
Read Full Article
Glaucia Mendes Souza, Rubens Maciel Filho, Luís Cassinelli, Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz and Renato D. Godinho (IEA Bioenergy Task 39) … Brazil has an energy matrix with substantial renewable content, with renewables (including hydropower) accounting for 42.9% of the total domestic energy supply (Brazilian Energy Balance 2018). … Even with an energy matrix
June 3, 2019
Read Full Article
(Argonne National Laboratory) Critical updates to WATER tool help the bioenergy industry manage resources. — The U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory recently released an updated version of an online computer model meant to help bioenergy developers preserve critical resources. The model, called Water Analysis Tool for Energy Resources or WATER, has users from more
June 2, 2019
Read Full Article
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) … The latest planting progress report tells the story for worsening ethanol margins. An estimated 58% of U.S. corn was planted as of last Sunday, the slowest progress since at least 1980. Corn planting was up 9 percentage points from 49% the previous week, but was
May 31, 2019
Read Full Article
(Solutions from the Land) Solutions from the Land (SfL) Co-Chair A.G. Kawamura recently issued a challenge to a diverse group of California agricultural stakeholders, cautioning that in these often turbulent political times, those who work the land must come together and assert their role in combatting climate change and other threats
May 29, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jon Cartwright (Physics World) Between 2008 and 2012 expansion of cropland in the US released carbon each year equivalent to the running of 36 coal-fired power plants, according to scientists in the US. “Folks can easily see and understand how tropical deforestation removes carbon from the landscape and emits it to the
May 29, 2019
Read Full Article
(Sime Darby) Sime Darby Plantation Berhad (SDP) today launches ‘Crosscheck’, an open access online tool that allows everyone to trace sources of SDP’s palm oil supply down to the mill level. This latest effort by SDP represents a major step forward for the Company in its journey to create a deforestation-free
May 29, 2019
Read Full Article
(BASF) Sustainability project in Lampung, Indonesia launched; Program to encompass 1,000 independent Indonesian smallholder farmers — BASF, The Estée Lauder Companies and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) are partnering with the civil society organization Solidaridad to promote sustainable palm oil and palm derivatives production in the district of Waykanan, Lampung, Indonesia.
May 29, 2019
Read Full Article
(U.S. Department of Energy) American small businesses got nearly a $22 million boost from the Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. Small businesses are receiving Phase I Release 2 grants (from each EERE office) that demonstrate technical feasibility for innovations during
May 28, 2019
Read Full Article
(American Coalition for Ethanol) ACE CEO Brian Jennings sends Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) data on the positive impact agriculture and low carbon fuels like corn ethanol can have as a hearing takes up the policy debate between farming and climate change. American Coalition for Ethanol
May 24, 2019
Read Full Article
by Neha Arora (Science Trends) … Biofuels, particularly bioethanol and biodiesel, have been touted as one of the most propitious and greener alternatives since the beginning of the millennium. In this regard, algal-derived biofuels have the potential to become the savior of our dwindling fossil fuel reserves. … The energy-rich compounds,
May 21, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jitendra (Down to Earth) The sugar industry engages around 50 farmers and two million mill workers. If there is one crop that affects India’s economy, water supply and promotes nepotism, it is sugarcane. India was the first country in the world where sugarcane farming — and the first refined sugar — was
May 21, 2019
Read Full Article
Marcelo Teixeira (Reuters) …(T)there was a general assumption that it was more expensive to produce ethanol from corn than from sugarcane. Five years on, the group has doubled capacity in the initial plant, built a second unit and announced plans for three more, as Brazilian farmers ramp up corn production. Two
May 21, 2019
Read Full Article
(Green Car Congress) The California Energy Commission approved nearly $11 million for clean energy demonstration projects, including biofuels, renewable gas, and microgrids. The Energy Commission approved a $2-million grant to Technology & Investment Solutions to demonstrate a more sustainable and cost-effective process of creating biomethane from food waste at an existing anaerobic
May 17, 2019
Read Full Article
(European Science Communication Institute/Phys.org) A New Mobile Refinery Is Travelling Across The West Of Ireland To Turn Grass Into Sustainable Materials — Along the windy west coast of Ireland a biorefinery on wheels is turning grass into a series of different green products that could give farmers a more diversified source
May 16, 2019
Read Full Article
(The Guardian) Produces about six per cent of national need; Cassava can fill the gap with good policies Despite the abundance of cassava roots as essential raw materials for production of ethanol and the government’s import substitution policies, Nigeria produces about six percent of the national need and imports between 300
May 15, 2019
Read Full Article
by David Wagman (Engineering 360) … However, growing cyanobacteria at an industrial scale requires a lot of water and nutrients. The Idaho researchers decided to grow cyanobacteria at a wastewater treatment facility, producing algae to grow biofuels and also reducing blooms downstream. The researchers worked with the Drake Water Reclamation Facility
May 10, 2019
Read Full Article
(World Wide Fund for Nature) Agricultural ministers need all the facts for their climate discussion on 14 May. — WWF has submitted a Freedom of Information request for a crucial assessment of EU farming policy’s impact on the climate. The assessment, carried out by external consultants, has been delivered to the European
May 7, 2019
Read Full Article
by Emily Dreyfuss (Wired) … Plant biologist Joanne Chory thinks plants can do more. She has studied the genetics of plants at the Salk Institute in San Diego for more than 30 years, and she and the rest of the five-person Harnessing Plants Initiative team are convinced that photosynthesis itself can
May 4, 2019
Read Full Article
(U.S. Department of Energy) From March 4–8, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, hosted the 2019 Project Peer Review in Denver, Colorado. This was the largest Peer Review in BETO history—almost 600 people attended the event! Bioenergy researchers
May 3, 2019
Read Full Article
by Sanjoy Sanyal and Esther Kahinga (World Resources Institute) … While irrigation systems could help provide a more stable source of water, they currently cover only six to eight percent of Kenya’s land. Some farmers, though, are gaining access to them through a novel source of power—biodiesel made from crushed cotton seeds. Biodiesel
May 2, 2019
Read Full Article
by Chris Lo (Power Technology) The green technology sector has fallen out of love with algae as a feedstock for biofuel production, but there is hope yet for algae-derived fuel in the long-term. What are the recent advances that are refining the production processes that could see algal biofuel compete with
April 30, 2019
Read Full Article
by Vincent “Zippy” Duvall (American Farm Bureau Federation) … But consumers need to know how much the folks who grow and raise their food are doing to protect our planet. 1. Farmers are conserving resources and protecting the soil. As the population booms, farmers and ranchers face higher production demands than ever
April 29, 2019
Read Full Article
by Yiswaree Palansamy (Malay Mail) Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said the ministry is planning to produce biofuel using palm oil for the aviation industry, in a bid to boost palm oil sales and to reduce carbon emissions. In a special media interview on Thursday, Kok said the move fulfils Malaysia’s
April 29, 2019
Read Full Article
(ACT News) A promising new partnership demonstrates how dairy farms can realize the many benefits of capturing and selling biomethane as fuel. Quantum Fuel Systems just announced that Quantitative BioSciences, Inc. is partnering with and purchasing the company’s newest 10-foot Virtual Pipeline trailers to be used in a California dairy biogas
April 26, 2019
Read Full Article
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has become the first biofuels organization to join Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, a leading multi-stakeholder initiative working to unite the agricultural supply chain in defining, measuring and advancing the sustainability of food, fiber and fuel production in the United States. As
April 26, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sandia National Laboratories shares a famous acronym with Saturday Night Live but the work they have done is key to the future of the bioeconomy, having delivered essential science and technology to resolve the nation’s most challenging security issues for over 60 years. One piece of
April 26, 2019
Read Full Article
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … What was a nationwide celebration and peaceful demonstrations for environmental reform in the U.S. by some estimated 20 million Americans, Earth Day events have now expanded to over 193 countries and more than a billion people every year. … The top 5 CO2 producing countries in the
April 23, 2019
Read Full Article
(Solutions from the Land) Last week marks the fifth anniversary of Solutions from the Land (SfL), a nonprofit organization that places farmers, ranchers and foresters at the forefront of resolving food system, energy, environmental and climate challenges and achieving global sustainable development goals. It is an important milestone that marks a
April 23, 2019
Read Full Article
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) As a new wave of large-scale biomass-based diesel projects develops, experts suggest market forces are ready to deliver the necessary fats, oils and greases. — …Many of these new biomass-based diesel projects intend to produce renewable diesel at a much larger scale than even the largest biodiesel
April 17, 2019
Read Full Article
by Eillie Anzilotti (Fast Company) … Bob and Kelly King founded Pacific Biodiesel in Hawaii in 1995 in response to a concerning issue: the volume of used cooking oil that was being dumped into a landfill in Maui. Bob, who at the time owned the company that ran the landfill’s generators, proposed recycling the used
April 16, 2019
Read Full Article
(The Messenger) … The United States Department of Agriculture has just released the findings of a USDA study about the environmental impact of the corn-ethanol industry. The conclusions are superb news — ethanol has significant greenhouse gas benefits when compared to gasoline. The most important conclusion of an extensive research project,
April 9, 2019
Read Full Article
(Purdue University/Phys.org) Gen3Bio has designed mobile 15-gallon enzymolysis pilot plants to be placed in wastewater treatment facilities to transform algae into specialty bio-based chemicals, such as biofuels or bioplastics. — A startup is advancing a unique way to transform algae used to purify municipal wastewater into specialty bio-based chemicals such as
April 8, 2019
Read Full Article
(BBC News) The palm oil industry originated in West Africa but is now dominated by massive plantations in South-East Asia. The BBC’s Tamasin Ford reports that Ivory Coast, and other African countries, are trying to take the lucrative business back home to tap into its profits. An hour’s drive to the
April 5, 2019
Read Full Article
(Solutions from the Land) Smart Agriculture: Solutions from the Land (OSA:SfL), A Call to Action for Ohio’s Food System and Agricultural Economy,” Solutions from the Land‘s (SfL) integrated, land management model was validated by a diverse range of stakeholders from around the state who forged consensus on a mid-century vision and action
April 3, 2019
Read Full Article
by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) … Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former HUD Secretary Julian Castro, former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan all took questions at the Heartland Forum in consecutive order on stage. … Former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, also
April 2, 2019
Read Full Article
(University of Minnesota/EurekAlert!) New paper presents how researchers have estimated for the first time the health damages caused by corn production — A new study establishes that environmental damage caused by corn production results in 4,300 premature deaths annually in the United States, representing a monetized cost of $39 billion. The paper,
April 2, 2019
Read Full Article
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Emissions Reduction Alberta recently announced funding to support several projects through its Partnership Intake Program, including a biorefinery that will produce ethanol and biogas and a technology that will utilize biomass waste materials in the production of wood biomass. On March 18, ERA announced it has
April 2, 2019
Read Full Article
(Scion Research) Crown research institute Scion congratulates the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment on his report Farms, forests and fossil fuels: The next great landscape transformation released today. Scion CEO Dr Julian Elder says the report’s proposal to take a “landscape approach” to managing our country’s climate and environmental issues is
April 2, 2019
Read Full Article
(Algae Biomass Organization) This month the federal Biomass Research and Development (BR&D) Board unveiled a multi-agency strategy to accelerate innovative biomass technologies for affordable biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower. Algae cultivation is prominently featured among the suite of technologies the effort is harnessing. The B&RD Board is an interagency collaborative which is
March 29, 2019
Read Full Article
(History.com) History will premiere the docu-series “The American Farm” from BoBCat, the multi-platform production company founded by Thom Beers, Jeff Conroy and Sarah Bernard, on Thursday, April 4 at 10pm ET. The eight-part series is an honest tale of risk, reward, hard work, and innovation, centered on the lives of five
March 28, 2019
Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine/Chinese Academy of Sciences) … However, the high concentration of carbon dioxide in flue gases generally inhibits the growth of industrial microalgae. Therefore, reducing the so-called “CO2 poisoning effect,” i.e., improving tolerance to high levels of CO2, has become a priority in the development of super microalgae for carbon fixation.
March 27, 2019
Read Full Article
(TerViva/MarketWatch/PR NewsWire) Led by Ag Family Offices and Climate-Smart Investors, Funding Round Brings Ag-Tech Firm to $40 Million Raised for High-Yielding, Sustainable Plant Protein Product Development — TerViva, an agriculture technology firm commercializing resilient pongamia trees that produce as much as ten times the beans per acre as soy for the supply
March 27, 2019
Read Full Article
by Rebecca White (iWi (Qualitas Health, Inc.)/Biofuels Digest) This Wednesday marks a major milestone in the history of the American algae industry: the first meeting in which the Biomass R&D Board Technical Advisory Committee officials will discuss algae as an agricultural crop. Up until now, the vast majority of governmental funding and support
March 27, 2019
Read Full Article
by Leonardo Garrido, Sonny Mumbunan and Delger Erdenesanaa (World Resources Institute) … A new report from the Indonesian government’s Low Carbon Development Initiative found that less carbon-intensive, more efficient energy systems can deliver an average of 6 percent GDP growth per year until 2045—even more economic growth than the business-as-usual path, with continued
March 26, 2019
Read Full Article
by Azis Kurmala (Antara News) … Biofuels are an important element of the EU’s renewable energy policy. However, rules are needed to ensure the production of feedstock for biofuels is sustainable and does not cause deforestation through indirect land use change (ILUC), (Ambassador of the EU to Indonesia Vincent) remarked.
March 25, 2019
Read Full Article
by Sean Fleming (World Economic Forum) … Rogelio Sosa López, is a farmer and tortilla producer from Zitácuaro. Like many farmers, he was always open to the idea of finding new ways to keep operating costs down. Working with a colleague, Antonio Rodríguez, Señor López began pulping the flesh of
March 25, 2019
Read Full Article
(Los Angeles Times) Soy producers in eastern Bolivia’s Santa Cruz region welcome the government’s decision to allow cultivation of genetically modified soy, albeit only for the purpose of producing biodiesel. President Evo Morales ‘ administration, which has been skeptical about GM crops, said Monday that it would authorize farmers to
March 22, 2019
Read Full Article
(Clariant) Opportunity for significant extra revenues for farmers in Oltenia by selling straw residue to the cellulosic ethanol plant built by Clariant in Romania — Clariant, a focused and innovative specialty chemical company, provides farmers in Oltenia with the opportunity to transform straw into an additional source of income. As part of
March 20, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) International Energy Agencyis an autonomous organization that works to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for its 30 member countries and beyond. Professor Mark Brown, Director of Forest Industries Research Centre – USC, IEA Bioenergy Exco Rep for Australia, and Task Leader for the IEA Bioenergy Task
March 20, 2019
Read Full Article
(Biofuels International) A wheat-based biofuels facility in Alberta, Canada has received CAD$5 million in funding from Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) in an effort to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the province, ERA has announced. Known as Project Wheatland, the CAD$285 million biofuels plant is being developed by Carbon Clean Energy
March 19, 2019
Read Full Article
by Marcelo Teixeira (Reuters) United States ethanol exporters are likely to face increased competition in one of the few foreign markets where they have been able to deliver large volumes in recent years, the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, an industry association chief said. Ironically, that competition would come in the
March 15, 2019
Read Full Article
by Ewa Krukowska (Bloomberg Quint) The European Union set new criteria for the use of palm oil in biofuels in a balancing act to try to avert a trade war with producers in Asia while appeasing climate protagonists at home. The measure approved by the European Commission on Wednesday spells out the
March 14, 2019
Read Full Article
(Public News Service) A new report says the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, created to spur ethanol production and cut air pollution, is responsible for a number of negative environmental impacts, including reduced water supplies in Texas and other drought-prone areas. Producing a single gallon of ethanol can require up to two thousand
March 9, 2019
Read Full Article
(Saint Mary’s University/Canadian Biomass Magazine) Research into how poor-quality, marginal land can be used to produce biomass as a potential revenue stream for farmers underway at Saint Mary’s University received $1.2 million in funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s AgriScience program and the Nova Scotia Innovation Hub Fund. … Led by
March 8, 2019
Read Full Article
(Malaysia Ministry of Primary Industries) 1. The Ministry of Primary Industries led by the Secretary General, YBhg. Dato’ Dr. Tan Yew Chong is currently in Brussels, Belgium to participate in the Stakeholder Meeting On High And Low Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) Risk Biofuels Under The Recast Of The Renewable Energy
March 8, 2019
Read Full Article
by Mo Barnes (RollingOut) The burgeoning business of cannabis and hemp cultivation may be able to save the Black farmer. Industrial hemp is now becoming big money for food packaging. Black people who own land can make some serious money with innovative Black-owned companies like Atlanta-based Cultiv8. Rolling out spoke with Steven
March 5, 2019
Read Full Article
by Christie Delfanian (South Dakota State University/Phys.Org) A four-leaf clover might bring good luck, but a stand of Kura clover can produce healthier soil—in the long run, according to a South Dakota State University study. Planting Kura clover, a pasture legume, with prairie cordgrass can improve microbial activity in the soil, thus reducing
March 1, 2019
Read Full Article
(BioEnergy International) More than half of the carbon sink in the world’s forests is in areas where the trees are relatively young – under 140 years old – rather than in tropical rainforests. These trees have typically ‘regrown’ on land previously used for agriculture, or cleared by fire or harvest and
February 26, 2019
Read Full Article
by Basten Gokkon (Mongabay/Eco-Business) Environmental activists have criticised Indonesia’s two presidential candidates, Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto, for not addressing the negative aspects of palm oil production, which both are pushing as a feedstock for biodiesel. Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his challenger in this year’s election, Prabowo Subianto, have both vowed
February 25, 2019
Read Full Article
by Sharath S. Srivatsa (The Hindu) After successfully flying its transport aircraft AN-32 with Jatropha-blended ATF (aviation turbine fuel), the Indian Air Force is now looking to test its entire fleet of helicopters, transport aircraft and fighter jets to fly on biofuel-blended ATF over the next two years. To secure a constant
February 22, 2019
Read Full Article
(Solutions from the Land) Since its inception nearly a decade ago, Solutions from the Land (SfL) has gathered farmers, ranchers and forestland owners, as well as those who serve in their supply chain, in an ongoing conversation on how to meet society’s increasing appetite for food, feed, fiber, energy and environmental quality. This
February 21, 2019
Read Full Article
by Gerardo Fortuna (EurActiv) In an eagerly-awaited decision, the European Commission last week categorised palm oil as a high-emitting biofuel crop but provided some controversial exemptions for smallholders and spared soybeans from the delegated act’s provisions. The Commission act defining the sustainability criteria for crop-based biofuels was released on Friday night (8
February 18, 2019
Read Full Article
by Maria Church (Canadian Biomass Magazine) The federal government is investing of up to $7 million in a biomass research cluster led by the BioFuelNet Canada Network. Funding for the research cluster will include an additional $3.1 million in contributions from industry, for a total investment of $10.1 million. The cluster’s
February 13, 2019
Read Full Article
(The Hindu) In a bid to tackle stubble burning and boost the renewable energy sector, the Punjab government on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Delhi-based Virgo Corporation for a ₹630 crore biofuel project. An official statement said that the technology for the project will be provided by the U.S. giant Honeywell.
February 12, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Glenn Farris, of Farris Advisory Services and a member of Lee Enterprises Consulting offers this illuminating prediction of the future of ag waste and purpose grown crops, challenges to growing and using these feedstocks, and more. Lee Enterprises Consulting is the world’s largest bioeconomy consulting group with
February 11, 2019
Read Full Article
by Tim Theiss (Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Department of Energy) Over the past two years, researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have been modeling to understand the costs and benefits of thinning forests and the potential for improving habitat, yielding benefits
February 7, 2019
Read Full Article
by Rodrigo de Oliveira Andrade (SciDev.net) Ethanol sugarcane by-products serve to feed cattle with highly nourishing forage; Requires adapting US system; Recovery strategies for deforested areas also required — By integrating the cultivation of sugarcane for ethanol with beef cattle breeding on the same land, Brazil could increase food and sustainable fuel production without
February 6, 2019
Read Full Article
(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
(University of California – Santa Barbara/Science Daily) In efforts to curb our use of greenhouse gas-generating fossil fuels, plant-based biofuels are among the top contenders as alternative liquid energy sources for transportation. However, strategies to produce high yields of biomass for fuels are not a one-size-fits-all proposition, according to a new
February 5, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, the California Energy Commission has issued a Notice of Proposed Award (NOPA) for a $5 million grant to the Aemetis Riverbank cellulosic ethanol biorefinery, and $5 million for West Coast Waste Co., to assist in the development of its innovative commercial-scale, low-carbon biorefinery, known
February 5, 2019
Read Full Article
(AgriMarketing/University of Illinois) For farmers, Miscanthus represents a big up-front investment. The large perennial grass must be established from vegetative pieces at great cost to farmers, but it promises a decade or more of massive biomass yields, starting in year two or three. If a cold winter happens to strike in
February 3, 2019
Read Full Article
(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
by Ashish Roy (Times of India) Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari recently launched a website www.indiaforethanol.net to create awareness about ethanol prodution especially among farmers. At present the website provides information in Hindi but work is going on to translate the matter into 34 regional languages also. A helpline for those interested
January 31, 2019
Read Full Article
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy recently awarded nearly $6 million to four projects under its OPEN+ program for the Sensors for Bioenergy and Agriculture cohort team. According to ARPA-E, the team will develop ultra-low energy distributed sensors to improve production efficiency
January 31, 2019
Read Full Article
(Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative ) SAJF Deployment Projects Florida, Alabama, Georgia Several developments in Alabama and Florida will enhance opportunities for the Southeast Partnership for Advance Renewables from Carinata (SPARC), a USDA Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP). The Alabama Department of Economic Development and Community Affairs (ADECA) has issued an RFP
January 29, 2019
Read Full Article
(Agriculture & Applied Ecoomics Association/CISION/PR Web) AAEA Members release research that finds corn ethanol production and crop price changes had negligible impact on cropland — Since 2007 corn ethanol production has doubled and there was also a sharp upturn in corn prices between 2008 and 2012. However, a newly released article in
January 29, 2019
Read Full Article
by David Hitchcock (Atlantic Council) … However, the importance of powering the aviation sector (both military and commercial) through sustainable fuels cannot be overstated. David Hitchcock’s paper, “Ready for Takeoff? Aviation Biofuels Past, Present, and Future,” provides a keen look at the history of biofuels, current uses of biofuel, and investments
January 26, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jeff McMahon (Forbes) … “We really need to focus on the feedstocks that are cheapest and most abundant,” said Jeff Skeer, a senior program officer for the International Renewable Energy Agency. “And I think there’s a lot out there, not just from the carbon waste streams and woody waste streams but even also
January 26, 2019
Read Full Article
by Stephen Gardner (Bloomberg) European Union must propose rule on biofuel crops that cause deforestation or other land-use change by Feb. 1; Palm oil would be phased out as biofuel feedstock in EU, U.S. soybean farmers could benefit — U.S. soybean companies could be the big winners if an upcoming European Union rule on
January 24, 2019
Read Full Article
(Algae Industry Magazine) Environmental engineers at the University of Arkansas have discovered that Chlorella vulgaris, a single-celled fresh water algae species, effectively removes pollutants from wastewater even at fluctuating levels, making it an effective tool for wastewater treatment. The study, published recently in Water Environment Research, indicates that Chlorella vulgaris continues to remove harmful elements
January 23, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Global Algae Innovations was founded in 2013 and focuses on algae for commodities with initial technology development nearly complete. Dave Hazlebeck from Global Algae Innovations gave this illuminating overview of how the algae industry can provide a solution to the protein crisis, algae production process, and
January 23, 2019
Read Full Article
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
(Soil Health Partnership/AgNewsWire) A Project to make agriculture more productive and sustainable through improved soil health. The Soil Health Partnership is a farmer-led initiative that fosters transformation in agriculture through improved soil health, benefiting farmer profitability, a stable food supply, and the environment. READ MORE includes AUDIO
January 21, 2019
Read Full Article
by Cécile Barbière (EURACTIV.fr |translated by Rob Kirby) In a rare revolt against the government, the French National Assembly has passed a bill explicitly saying palm oil “is not a biofuel” and won’t be eligible for tax breaks as of 1 January 2020. In Europe, a decision is expected in the
January 18, 2019
Read Full Article
(U.S. Grains Council) New information about global market development efforts for U.S. ethanol and the benefits of the biofuel to global customers is now available online at www.grains.org. The United States is the world’s low-cost ethanol producer and captured more than 65 percent of global ethanol trade in the 2017/2018
January 18, 2019
Read Full Article
(Solutions from the Land) … That opening now allows for the presentation and consideration of a more centered and pragmatic approach like that promoted by Solutions from the Land (SfL) and the other members of the North America Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance (NACSAA). NACSAA is a producer-led alliance focused on utilizing climate-smart
January 17, 2019
Read Full Article
(Etihad Airways/Aviation Pros) The Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC), a non-profit entity established by Masdar Institute that is part of Khalifa University of Science and Technology, announced the world’s first commercial flight using locally produced sustainable fuel on an Etihad Airways Boeing 787 powered by GE’s GEnx-1B engines. The flight from
January 17, 2019
Read Full Article
(ANSA Med) From castor oil plants, experimentation in Gafsa, Tunisia — ENI has launched a biofuel pilot project in Gafsa, Tunisia, using castor oil plants, which will be used in the ENI biorefinery in Venice and subsequently in the biorefinery in Gela on the island of Sicily. The experimental project aims to
January 16, 2019
Read Full Article
by Amanda Barry (U.S. Department of Energy) … In a recent project funded by the Advanced Algal Systems (AAS) Program, researchers from LANL and the New Mexico Consortium are exploring the biofuel candidate Chlorella sorokiniana, developing genetic engineering tools in order to introduce novel traits that would allow the algae to grow faster and accumulate
January 15, 2019
Read Full Article
by Vincent A. Yusuf (Daily Trust) Nigeria will in the first quarter of 2019 begin the production of ethanol and glucose syrup from sweet sorghum for industrial use. In this interview, the Director General of Raw Materials Research Council (RMRDC), Dr. Ibrahim Hussaini Doko, explained the journey so far and the
January 15, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) EFC Systems recently bought AgSolver which helps farmers maximize profit on every acre via tools that give them the power to analyze their fields’ financial performance. David Muth from EFC Systems gave this illuminating presentation on integrated bioenergy crops to improve profitability and environmental outcomes at
January 15, 2019
Read Full Article
by Anuradha Raghu (Bloomberg) Certified variety costs more and buyers won’t pay premium; Only half of the sustainable output is actually being sold — The world’s biggest growers of palm oil say they’re stepping up efforts to produce the contentious commodity more sustainably, but consumers are unwilling to pay more for environmentally friendly
January 14, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ecostrat has over 20 years experience sourcing and supplying over 5 million tons of wood fiber and organic feedstock in markets across North America. They offer biomass feedstock supply and analytics to understand and minimize supply chain risk. Jordan Solomon, Managing Director & CEO of Ecostrat
January 14, 2019
Read Full Article
(Neste) Biofuel Watch published a report “Neste: The Finnish company preparing to put palm oil in aircraft fuel tanks” on 9 January 2019. The report suggests that Neste is looking to palm oil as a key raw material for the expansion of its aviation fuel production, and that the firm cannot
January 11, 2019
Read Full Article
(Illinois Farmer Today) Faster conversion of land into agricultural production in recent years has raised the region’s carbon cost of producing grains, according to recently published research from an Iowa State University scientist. The study, published in the academic journal Environmental Research Letters, shows that increases in crop production due
January 8, 2019
Read Full Article
(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) 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
(African Centre for Crop Improvement) A breakthrough by the African Centre for Crop Improvement in the breeding of sorghum could have far-reaching implications for the biofuel and bioplastic industries in South Africa. For the last decade, ACCI director Professor Mark Laing has been working on developing sorghum and sugar beet varieties,
January 2, 2019
Read Full Article
(Zambia Daily Mail Limited) Over 1,000 jobs are expected to be created from the US$800 million ethanol project by Sunbird Bio-Energy that has started in Kawambwa with the planting of cassava to be used as feedstock. The project, situated on the Luena farm block, was commissioned by President Edgar Lungu in
January 2, 2019
Read Full Article
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) IEA Bioenergy conducted research on various approaches to creating trust in sustainability of bioenergy through effective governance. Inge Stupak and Tat Smith, IEA Bioenergy researchers gave this illuminating overview of ways to increase legitimacy and gain trust in bioenergy at ABLC Global 2018 in San Francisco –
December 31, 2018
Read Full Article
Our Sponsors
FREE Subscription! Advanced Biofuels USA events calendar; policy and actions; education newsletters
