(Biofuels International)  A general ban on palm oil in biofuels in Europe punishes the wrong producers while having little impact on reducing deforestation, according to Jaboury Ghazoul, a professor of ecosystem management at ETH Zurich. He …

by Trey Mewes (Mankato Free Press)  As federal officials back off of the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, U.S. Sen. Al Franken believes there’s going to be more work to do to ensure farmers and rural communities …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  On Sept. 28, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a hearing on the 2018 Farm Bill focused on rural development and energy programs. The committee has …

by Tamar Haspel (The Washington Post)  The food movement has a problem: It’s right about what’s wrong with our system, but wrong about how to fix it.  But what is the “food movement?” I hear you …

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine)  On Sept. 19, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry held a hearing on the nomination of Stephen Censky at deputy secretary of agriculture and Ted McKinney as …

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest)  In Nigeria, the National Sugar Development Council wants the country to develop an E10 blending mandate in line with China’s in an effort to boost the agricultural economy and reduce dependence on …

by Roger Johnson (National Farmers Union/AgriNews)  … The U.S. must implement federal-level policies that encourage expanded markets for these energy sources and remove regulatory barriers that inhibit their growth.
To that end, National Farmers Union, in conjunction with …

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com)  Senator Al Franken (D-MN), together with Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) have introduced the Agricultural Energy Programs Reauthorization Act of 2017, to reauthorize Title IX programs and funding through …

by Cornelius Essen (The Guardian/All Africa)  Experts have condemned an alleged move by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, (IITA) and Zurich, Switzerland-based ETHZ Laboratories to carry out confined field trial of genetically modified cassava in …

(European Environment Agency)  Only a decade ago, biofuel production from plants was hailed as an ecological alternative to fossil fuels. Recently, it has come to be seen as competing with food production and not always …

by Keith Loria  (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The 2014 Farm Bill—otherwise known as the Agricultural Act of 2014—places a larger emphasis on energy than past farm bills have. It includes the most recent version of the …

by Liz Morales (Columbus Telegram)  Agriculture was a main topic of discussion Wednesday during U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer’s listening session in Albion.  Fischer said she expects a big fight when the 2018 farm bill is …

by M. P. Reynolds, et al. (Science Magazine) In recent decades, the scientific, development, and farm communities have contributed to substantial gains in crop productivity, including in many less developed countries (LDCs) (1), yet current yield …

(Bioenergy Insight) The Almond Alliance of California has called for increased funding from the Farm Bill in order to help develop bioenergy outlets for almond biomass and byproducts in the state.
Kelly Covello, president of the Almond …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  In late July, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., introduced legislation that aims to repeal bioenergy programs contained under Title IX of the 2014 Farm Bill.
The bill, titled “Farewell to Unnecessary Energy …

by Senator Al Franken (D-MN) (The Globe) … That’s why I pushed back hard when President Trump recently proposed more than $230 billion in Farm Bill cuts, including $29 billion in cuts to the crop insurance …

by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer)  … The House Agriculture Committee has its road trip, labeled “Conversations in the Field,” which included a field hearing in Texas on Monday and another one at Farmfest in …

by Carl Zulauf, Gary Schnitkey, David Orden (FarmDocDaily)   Thirteen agricultural economists put together short papers describing issues that will surface during the writing of the next farm bill. For each issue, the author describes the “policy …

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest)  In Nebraska, the governor has competition for the Republican primary election next year in a young woman who is putting the focus on strengthening agriculture with a platform that heavily supports hemp …

by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  On Thursday, July 20, Senate Appropriators reported several spending bills for FY2018 out of committee, including budget proposals for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the …

by Anthony Adranga (Politico’s Morning Energy) The Union of Concerned Scientists says Trump’s pick of non-scientist (and former campaign co-chair) Sam Clovis to be USDA’s top scientist is illegal, Helena Bottemiller Evich reports. The group argues …

By Johnathan Hettinger and Robert Holly with additional reporting by Jelter Meers (Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting)  In 2013, the Chinese firm Shuanghui received wide public attention when it purchased U.S. pork producer Smithfield Foods …

by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  On June 29, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee approved a spending bill for FY2018 providing $144.0 billion to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), $876 million lower …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, the draft House Appropriations Committee’s FY2018 Agriculture Appropriations bill was released, and cut the Rural Energy for America Program from $50 million to $9 million, cut the Section 9003 …

by Jim Harris (Natural Resource Report)  Please stand with me and ask our Oregon representatives in Washington, D.C. to protect the partnership between fuel and agricultural by preserving the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) as is, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  t took a long time, but France in the past year published a national bioeconomy strategy and its national government has approved it. It’s here in full form.
We’re publishing a …

by Amy Mayer (High Plains Public Radio)  A leading research center focused on local farmers and environmental conservation is hanging on by a thread, even as the movement to diversify agriculture, which it helped launch, …

by Graham Abbott (Ganjapreneur)  Shortly after the close of South Carolina’s legislative session earlier this month, Gov. Henry McMaster signed a bill legalizing the cultivation and sale of industrial hemp, according to a report by …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Rural Business Service to shut down; BCAP, REAP, loan guarantees gone; food stamps, crop insurance slashed. Want to understand what USDA is targeting, cutting, growing or eliminating — but don’t have …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Former Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack put it best: “The bioeconomy is a catalyst for economic development in rural America, creating new jobs and providing new markets for farmers and ranchers. Investing …

by Rick Santorum (Washington Times/Americans for Energy Security and Innovation) …  With all the publicity around fracking, it’s easy to assume that America’s own domestic oil production is more than enough to fuel a growing …

by John Duff (Ethanol Producer Magazine/National Sorghum Producers)  A drastically changed farm economy means the next bill will likely be very different than past ones. …   —  It is hard to believe the current …

(US Department of Agriculture/Federal Register)  A Notice by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on 05/18/2017 
We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is hosting a series of public …

by  Sarantis Michalopoulos (EurActiv)  The conflict between second and first generation biofuels – depicted as good and bad for the environment – only exists in Brussels. In fact, it’s the brainchild of the European Commission, …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  On May 11, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue released a plan to reorganize the USDA that creates an undersecretary for trade and agricultural affairs and eliminates the undersecretary for rural …

(KTIC)  Today, Governor Pete Ricketts designated the month of May as Renewable Fuels Month in Nebraska during a proclamation ceremony at the State Capitol.
“The biofuels industry has been a key part of growing Nebraska agriculture,” …

by  Spencer Chase and Ben Nuelle  (Agri-Pulse)  … Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue highlighted the benefits of renewable energy and the need for export markets in a Friday speech to Iowa producers.
The speech was billed as Perdue’s …

by Brian Jennings (The Hill/American Coalition for Ethanol)   … By every measure, increasing the production and use of homegrown renewable fuels has spurred economic growth for U.S. farmers and supported high-skill, high-wage jobs in rural …

by Tom Vilsack (The Hill/U.S. Dairy Export Council)  This Earth Day, hundreds of thousands of people marched to “defend the vital role science plays in our health, safety, economies, and governments.” The March for Science …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, the Trump Administration released its “Presidential Executive Order on Promoting Agriculture and Rural Prosperity in America” — and a report from the Interagency Task Force, something this order …

(U.S. Department of Agriculture)  Sonny Perdue was sworn in as the 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture by fellow Georgian and Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Clarence Thomas in a brief ceremony today at …

by Bartholomew D. Sullivan (USA TODAY/Des Moines Register)   Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey took the opportunity presented at a White House roundtable with President Donald Trump Tuesday afternoon to talk ethanol and said he …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Florida, state legislators are looking to ease restrictions on industrial hemp research.  According to the Florida State Senate, house bill 1217 that “authorizes specified universities in state to engage …

by Ashwin Raman (Duluth News Tribune/Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association)  I believe the March 21 story, “Habitat loss highest near ethanol plants,” did a disservice to readers because it cited a study that contains dubious and inaccurate conclusions.

The …

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest)  In Australia, the federal government’s economic advisor—The Productivity Commission—has called on New South Wales, Queensland and commonwealth governments to drop biofuel blending, saying the polices unnecessarily increase fuel prices for …

(Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture)  Projects Mark Return of Hemp to PA following Gov. Wolf’s Signing of Act 92  —  After decades of being gone from the landscape of Pennsylvania, a promising and versatile crop with …

by Brad Plumer (Vox)  … They start with the big picture: To hit the Paris climate goals without geoengineering, the world has to do three broad (and incredibly ambitious) things:
1) Global CO2 emissions from energy and …

(Bloomberg/Washington Post)  When Sonny Perdue III appears before a Senate panel Thursday for his confirmation hearing to become U.S. secretary of agriculture, lawmakers and farm groups will likely have few concerns about whether the former …

by Douglas L. Faulkner (Biofuels Digest)  Robert McNally, the author of the new, critically-acclaimed book, “Crude Volatility: The History and the Future of Boom-Bust Oil Prices”, believes that global oil markets are entering an epic, structural …

(The Sun) From Uche Usim, Abuja  —  When the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, assumed office in 2015, one of the programmes he highlighted the Muhammadu Buhari administration would face headlong was …

by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer)  … Now, representatives of two ag groups previously at odds over the RFS say they have moved on. The reason, they say, is that the 5 billion bushels of …

by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  The Farm Bill’s Energy Title provides loans and grants to farmers, ranchers and small businesses to encourage investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and the production of …

by Jerry Hagstrom (DTN Progressive Farmer)  About two-thirds of a bipartisan group of around 50 lobbyists said this week they expect Congress not to finish the farm bill until 2019 and think that it will …

by  Ilari Kauppila (Biofuels International)  US President Donald Trump has selected former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to serve as the Secretary of Agriculture. Perdue previously ran a grains and fertiliser company, and said he was chosen …

by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  EESI will take periodic looks at the ongoing debate surrounding the anticipated 2018 Farm Bill. This article is the first in the series.  — …  Amidst a backdrop …

by Chuck McCutcheon (Scientific American)  Despite concerns over Scott Pruitt’s record of opposing ethanol, experts say the renewable-fuel program is on safe ground  —  … Ethanol advocates, however, do not seem to worry that Pruitt will …

(NFU Online) The NFU has met with ministers to urge the Department for Transport to keep biofuel markets as open as possible for UK farmers to remain competitive with their European neighbours.
NFU North East combinable …

(The New Indian Express)  There is a need to increase the minimum support price (MSP) of crops and bringing down the farming input cost, said Union Petroleum Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan.  …  “For development, long term …

by Dick Roche (EurActiv/Pannonia Ethanol)   A response delivered by Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete in the European Parliament last week demonstrates just how dangerously out of touch with reality the executive is on a policy that …

by Rebecca Chillrud (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  “Agricultural research must shift from measuring farm ‘performance’ by single indicators such as yield and profit, to evaluating success using a multidimensional approach that incorporates the three …

by Jon Soltz (VoteVets.org)  … (A)s a veteran who has worked to elect progressive leaders from across the country, let me offer one step that Democrats could take immediately to demonstrate their commitment to economic …

by Jane Wells (CNBC)  … This even as the oil industry — suffering from its own low prices — could push the Trump administration to reduce support for ethanol. “I think some people would still like …

by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer)  … “Democrats need to talk to rural voters. That’s the first thing that has to happen. They can’t write ’em off,” Vilsack told his former adviser, David Axelrod, in a …

by Douglas L. Faulkner (“The Cleantech Conservative”/Biofuels Digest)  … Yes, the GOP is in control of the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate.  But, who’s in control of the Republicans and will they – …

by Lloyd Ritter (The Hill/Agriculture Energy Coalition)  … Rural energy’s potential is strong. Farmers, ranchers, farm coops and businesses want to minimize costs or generate new income through energy. They can do this by investing in …

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine)  The White House has published a mid-century strategy on decarbonization that addresses biofuels and bioenergy. On Nov. 16, the report was filed with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate …

(The Hindu)  Union Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday announced a new plant to produce ethanol to be set up in Bathinda with an outlay of Rs 500 crore.
…
Mr Pradhan, while addressing gathering in Ludhiana, …

(U.S. Department of Agriculture) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini today announced that $1.5 million will be available in fiscal year 2017 for farmers and foresters who harvest and deliver …

by Tom Philpott (Mother Jones)  Cue the pandering to King Corn. —  …  And while winning Iowa is far from enough to push Trump to national victory, he absolutely needs to win the state to …

(Bangkok Post)  Benefits to the nation bestowed by His Majesty’s Sufficiency Economy Philosophy  —  … Throughout his 70 years on the throne, King Bhumibol Adulyadej initiated more than 4,500 royal development projects, all of which were …

by Sara Wyant (Farm Forum)  As some of you know, Agri-Pulse made a significant commitment to track the presidential candidates, starting in 2015. We followed each one during the primaries, to the nominating conventions and …

by Philip Brasher  (Agri-Pulse)  Production of biofuels and biobased products such as plant-derived plastics already support 4.2 million jobs, but the industry’s future growth rate depends in part on oil prices and the availability of new …

(WHOTV.com)  The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, last week released a sweeping critique of U.S. agriculture policy.
In a 148 page report, the foundation called for Congress to revamp crop insurance and food standards.
It also …

by Keith Norman (The Jamestown Sun)  … Kasey Bitz was one of 44 farmers participating in the North Dakota Farmers Union legislative fly-in that returned from Washington, D.C., on Sept. 14. Members of the group met …

by Gary Schaff  (Billings Gazette)  … My target is consumer issues. Ethanol is high octane (115) and is used to take low-octane gasoline and make it higher (value enhanced). Thus, it is an octane enhancer. It …

by Keith L. Kline, Siwa Msangi, Virginia H. Dale, Jeremy Woods, Glaucia M. Souza, Patricia Osseweijer, Joy S. Clancy, Jorge A. Hilbert, Francis X. Johnson, Patrick C. McDonnell, Harriet K. Mugera (Global Change Biology Bioenergy)  Understanding the complex interactions among food security, bioenergy sustainability, and …

by Jay Douthit  (Kent County Farm Bureau/My Eastern Shore) To the editor: The Kent County Farm Bureau stands with the Maryland Farm Bureau in support of the National Corn Growers Association’s opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed …

by Peter Egwuatu  (Vanguard)  Delta State Government has agreed to provide enabling environment for the Union Dicon Salt Plc to cultivate 10,000 hectares of cassava production and as well as to sep up a processing …

(WNAX) A new study from the National Academy of Sciences says the expansion of corn and soybean acres to supply feed stock for biofuels is hampering habitat for bees. Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen says …

(CNBC MoneyControl)  Despite low prices globally, India at present is incurring a massive Rs 4.5 lakh crore on crude imports which was earlier Rs 7.5 lakh crore, Gadkari said addressing a conference on methanol economy …

by Barbara Grady (Green Biz)  … Letting the fields temporarily dry has reduced the methane released from that rice field by 50 percent, compared to an adjacent field that was flooded all through the growing season, according …

by Bob Krause (Storm Lake Times Letter to Editor)  Only 35 years after the 1980s farm crisis, another storm seems to be brewing. Corn production is forecast by USDA to be up 11% from last …

by  Sara Wyant and Philip Brasher (Agri-Pulse)  Donald Trump’s campaign has set up a geographically diverse team of agricultural leaders that includes congressmen, governors, state agriculture commissioners, trade association leaders and producers of grain, livestock, …

The European Union is the world’s biggest producer of beet sugar and the principal importer of raw cane sugar for refining. The EU sugar market is regulated by production quotas, a minimum beet price and …

by Todd Epp (KELO)  Senator Mike Rounds has been traveling all over the state during the summer break. The issues he says he’s hearing most about are low commodity prices and the ag economy. He says one …

(Mankato Free Press)  Why It Matters: Ethanol as a clean energy has come under criticism but the pollution caused by fossil fuels remains the reality.  —  The politics of green energy have evolved over the …

by Joanna Schroeder (Energy.AgWired.com)  Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Is the Trump-Pence Republican ticket good for agriculture, energy?”
During his campaigning Trump has been supporter of biofuels and has repeatedly said he could “be a …

(FirstPost.com)  The Centre would soon initiate measures to make ethanol out of biomass that would create “tremendous demand for farm waste”, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said.
A Cabinet note on making ethanol out of biomass like wheat, …

by Lais Thomaz* and Dan Quadros** (Advanced Biofuels USA) With diverse and dynamic programming involving agribusiness, food safety, nutrition, sustainability and bioenergy, the 2016 GAF achieved its mission to gather producers, companies and academia to discuss …

(American Biogas Council/Biomass Magazine)  Last week, Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Pat Robert, R-Kan., introduced new bipartisan legislation, the Agriculture Environmental Stewardship Act (S 3248). This latest bill is a companion to identical House legislation …

by Amy Mayer  (Iowa Public Radio)  U.S. Agriculture Secretary and former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack may be on Hillary Clinton’s short-list for a vice presidential running mate. Several national media outlets have reported that while …

by Ajay Jha (Indian Cooperative)  Believing that ethanol is a game changer, a group of ministers sat this weekend to deliberate on the production of second generation of ethanol. The meeting was attended by Road …

by Spencer Chase (Agri Pulse)  … On the Renewable Fuel Standard, a policy that Trump supports, Pence voted in favor of the original 2005 legislation that created the program, but voted against the 2007 bill that created the current version …

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine)  The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers has completed a standard that establishes a framework for charting progress toward sustainable agriculture production.
According to ASABE, the standard is intended for …

by Kelly Marshall (Precision.AgWired.com)  This morning three Nobel Laureates presented at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. to call on Greenpeace, the United Nations and governments around the world to support GMOs. They are …

by Collin O’Mara  (Fox News/National Wildlife Federation)  … The worst part is that none of this was supposed to happen. In the law, Congress defined acceptable biofuels under the mandate as those coming from crops grown on …

(US Department of Agriculture)  Insurance Changes Expand Farm Safety Net for Double Cropping  —  Acting Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse today announced that the federal crop insurance program will provide additional flexibility to farmers. …

(WXII)  North Carolina lawmakers are pushing a proposal to authorize the cultivation of industrial hemp with the goal of allowing researchers to begin planting next spring.
The House Agriculture Committee approved a bill Thursday allowing for …

by Art Cullen (Storm Lake Times) … So how can we produce ethanol sustainably — that is, a scheme under which farmers can make money without releasing nitrate to the river and help power America while …

(North American Climate Smart Agricultural Alliance)  Solutions from the Land (SfL) is taking an active role in the Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture (GACSA) summit underway this week in Rome, pressing business, government, NGO …

by Senator Timothy Wirth and C. Boyden Gray (Yale Environment 360)  The criticism of ethanol by environmentalists is misguided and just plain wrong. In fact, thanks to improvements in farming techniques, increasing the amount of …

by Pallab Ghosh (BBC)  The ban on GM crops by European countries should be reassessed, the president of UK science body the Royal Society says.  —  Prof Venki Ramakrishnan said the science of genetic modification had …

(National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine)  Distinction Between Genetic Engineering and Conventional Plant Breeding Becoming Less Clear, Says New Report on GE Crops  —  An extensive study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, …

by Kelly Marshall (Precision Ag Wired)  The National Academy of Sciences has released (yet another) reportreaffirming the safety and benefits of GMO crops.  Not surprisingly this report has lead to a flurry of reactions across multiple …

by Isaac Orr (Quad City Times/The Heartland Institute)  …  Many of the agriculture-related policy discussions taking place in the nation’s capital focus on how corn farmers will be hurt by the biofuel mandate because RFS …

(Jamaica Observer)  ‘We are yet to see that,’ says economist as he outlines vision for sugar sector  —  Jamaica is still not producing ethanol for the E10 mix of petrol which the Government introduced into …

(African News Agency/Engineering News)  American and Chinese companies are set to invest R940-million in Limpopo to pursue renewable energy and ethanol profits, government and investors have announced. The United States’ Bio-Processing Innovation and the Beijing …

(U.S. Department of Agriculture)  Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack shared the first results of USDA’s Building Blocks for Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry, one year after he unveiled the plan at Michigan State University. In …

by Leif Magnusson (CLAAS Global Sales America Inc./Association of Equipment Manufacturers/Morning Consult)  We have heard a lot about the importance of manufacturers during this election season, and as the head of a manufacturing business in …

by John Andersen (Townsville Bulletin)  …  The Pentland Bio-Energy Project has been sidelined by the State Government’s draconian new Vegetation Management Reinstatement Legislation Bill. Land clearing around the State has been stopped pending a vote on …

by Steven Savage (Forbes)  Last week the governor of Iowa, Terry Branstad, signed a bill which came to him with bipartisan support from the legislature. The measure institutes tax incentives designed to accelerate the growth …

by Tom Thoma (Globe Gazette)  Alan Guebert’s recent column (“The ethanol trap”) asks, “Where would the nation, its farmers, livestock growers, and rural America be today had ethanol not been given … a role in …

by Niu Shuping and David Stanway (Reuters/AgWeek)  China’s plan to let the market set corn prices is bad news for international grain exporters, but should boost the country’s struggling corn processors that use the grain …

by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Biofuels Digest)  … Congress changed mandatory funding for two key bioenergy programs – despite their tangible successes – through its Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) Omnibus spending bill. USDA’s Section 9003 Loan …

by Timothy P. Carney (Washington Examiner)  Rick Bertrand, a state senator from Sioux City, Iowa, has announced a primary challenge against GOP Rep. Steve King. What did King do to earn the challenge? In the …

by Margaret M. Zeigler (The Hill/Global Harvest Initiative)  … Held each year since 1973, National AG Day helps consumers, the administration and Congress understand how farmers grow safe and affordable food, and underscores the essential role of …

by Chris Clayton (DTN/Progressive Farmer/KTIC Radio)  …  Kelly Nieuwenhuis, a farmer from Primghar, Iowa, said his take on the election is that “it’s mindboggling who is in the lead in the presidential campaign.” Nieuwenhuis supported …

(Industrial Biotechnology)  … My current assessment is that there exists an unlimited sense of opportunity in the biobased products and bioenergy sector. I look at the work being done at the USDA, which is extensive and …

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine)  On Feb. 24, the House Committee on Agriculture held a hearing on the state of the rural economy. Biofuels and bioenergy were among the topics discussed during the nearly three-hour …

(Agence Tunis Afrique Presse)  A contract on the implementation of a project of cane cultivation to extract and export bio-ethanol was signed Friday in Tunis by the Ministry of Development and International Co-operation and the …

by Earl Lane (Science Magazine)  From a childhood fascination with cactus plants, to fieldwork in Brazil tracing the wild progenitor of the cassava plant, to learning the subtleties of rice cultivation from an expert farmer …

by Brent Erickson (Biofuels Digest/Biotechnology Innovation Organization)  … The challenge our industry faces right now is to continue building investment in the biobased economy. That can be accomplished with both policy and non-policy activities.
…
On the policy …

by Ajoy K Das (ICIS News)  India’s Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) is keen to venture into sugar production, making it the first among the country’s oil refiner-marketer to seek captive ethanol capacity through acquisition, a …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the goal of the BioPreferred program is to increase the purchase and use of biobased products. The BioPreferred program was created by the 2002 …

by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com)  The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) hosted an Ag Executive Outlook panel during the opening day of the 2016 National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville this week and one of the top …

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, the USDA has highlighted the economic impacts on rural communities bioenergy investments have made in a new report looking at the $1.1 billion granted for renewable energy through …

by Prerna Sharma (Nikkei Asian Review)  Global commodity markets are going through one of their worst phases, thanks to sluggish demand and supply gluts. Most agricultural commodities have touched all-time price lows — down 40% …

by Robert E. Kozak* (Advanced Biofuels USA) On January 7th, the Florida Treasure Coast Education, Research and Development Authority (TCERDA) held a Kickoff Meeting in Ft. Pierce for their Farm-to-Fly Aviation Biofuel feasibility study. This …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The Department of Agriculture needs no introduction, but within USDA Rural Development is the Energy Division takes a leading role on biorefinery loan guarantees.
How does the process work, what are the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  $1 biodiesel tax credit extended through 2016, and much more.
In Washington, lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate passed legislation for retroactive reinstatement of the $1 per gallon biodiesel mixture …

by Evan Halper (Los Angeles Times)  … Now that fuel, corn-based ethanol, finds itself threatened with a defection that was once unthinkable: Iowa voters.
The electorate here in the early voting state often defined by its …

by Ghasideh Pourhashem (Forbes)  …  Originally, along with energy security targets and diversifying U.S. fuel mix, the RFS was designed to lower the lifecycle GHG emissions and combustion-related smog from fossil fuel use. In recent …

by Andy Balaskovitz (MiBiz)  … “Any reduction in the statutory amount is a roadblock to biofuels like ethanol,” said Jim Zook, executive director of the Michigan Corn Growers Association. “By failing to set (blend) levels at the …

by Scott Canon (Kansas City Star)  … The discussion of ethanol policy puts conservatives in an awkward spot —  …Yet even in Iowa this year, Grain Belt concerns now draw less attention than in the past. …

by Seth W Snyder (Editor, Contributor), James H Clark (Editor), George Kraus (Series Editor), Gene Peterson (Contributor), Beth Calabotta (Contributor), Stephen Hughes (Contributor), Robert E. Kozak (Contributor) & 14 more (Royal Society of Chemistry) Biobased …

by Mackenzie Ryan (Des Moines Register)  …  After Republican rival Ted Cruz took aim at sugar subsidies during last week’s GOP debate, Iowa agriculture and biofuel leaders began questioning how Rubio’s support for that industry compares with his stance …

by John Kirkwood (Faegre Baker Daniels LLP/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  A few changes have been implemented in the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program, writes John Kirkwood. …  In June, an interim final …

by Ryan Fitzpatrick (Third Way)  Although relatively obscure by Washington standards, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) carries a unique level of importance and visibility in many rural states. The fact that the RFS invariably becomes …

by Jonathan H Harsch (Agri-Pulse) When President George W. Bush signed the law creating the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in 2005 to support biofuels production, he explained that “Using ethanol and biodiesel will leave our air cleaner. …

by Lew Fulton (International Energy Agency (IEA)/ OECD Observer)  Can biofuels truly compete with petrol? Recent projections suggest that ethanol could represent up to 5% of the world’s transport fuel by 2010. That figure may seem …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … In Canada, the Liberal party, under the leadership of 43-year old Justin Trudeau, swept to victory in the Canadian federal elections. … Incoming Prime Minister Trudeau has pledged that his government …

by Ben Barnett (Yorkshire Post)  East Yorkshire bio-refinery Vivergo is leading calls for the Government to support initiatives that will give farmers an alternative market for their wheat.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has reported it …

by Boyd Webb (IOL News)  Once home to millions of displaced black South Africans, former homelands are expected to become the heart of the country’s biofuels production.
Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs Lulama Xingwana said …

(Food and Agriculture Organization/Ag Professional)   All countries should strive to ensure an ambitious agreement to tackle climate change, putting food security and agriculture at the centre of debates on the issue, say FAO Director General …

(Stockholm Environment Institute)  This brief draws together SEI research done between 2011 and 2014 on agribusiness developments – especially of oil palm – in Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
The brief presents overarching insights from …

(Tennessee Department of Agriculture)  The next great business idea just may come from rural Tennessee. USDA Rural Development and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture today announced $220,000 in combined seed funding for a new initiative …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  As America’s farmers hit retirement age and technology options explode, what comes next?
… The average age of the US farmer reached 58.3 years in the USDA’s 2012 Census of Agriculture. …

by Jose Graziano da Silva (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization/Project Syndicate) … But this is a false dichotomy. The choice cannot be between food and fuel. We can make good use of both. Given the right conditions, biofuels …

by Megan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, nearly half of the US Senate has written to the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Energy and the EPA administrator strongly urging the agencies to streamline support of …

(Agriculture Energy Coalition/BusinessWire) The House Appropriations Committee’s Fiscal Year 2016 Agriculture Appropriations Bill would reduce mandatory spending levels for important Energy Title programs, including the Renewable Energy for America Program, Biomass Crop Assistance Program, and the …