by Marc Heller (Politico Pro Climatewire) An important element of a forthcoming clean energy tax credit is advancing as the Biden administration runs against the clock. -- A key part of the Biden administration’s plan to connect biofuel policy to climate-smart farming
precision farming/agriculture
Back TO HOMEUSDA Highlights Success of Historic Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Initiative
(US Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today celebrated the ongoing success of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, a historic and innovative funding opportunity that expands markets for commodities produced using climate-smart production methods. This effort is helping farmers,
October 21, 2024 Read Full Article
How to Earn Passive Income with Sustainability Programs
by Darryl Matthews (AgWeb) There are a number of practices that can create passive income on your operation, but the level of effort and investment to implement them varies. -- ... Creating these payments requires effort and sometimes capital investments (no different
October 17, 2024 Read Full Article
BASF Launches xarvio BIOENERGY in the US to Help Lower the CI of Corn Grown for Ethanol Production
(BASF/Ethanol Producer Magazine) BASF has launched xarvio BIOENERGY, an innovative low carbon intensity crops program that lowers, tracks and documents CI levels in corn grown for ethanol biofuel production in the U.S. Xarvio BIOENERGY offers the biofuel production supply chain - growers, retail agronomists
October 04, 2024 Read Full Article
Can Agricultural Waste Be Transformed into Biofuels for Sustainability?
by Subramani Ra Mancombu, Amitha Rajkumar, and Rowan Barnett (The Hindu Business Line) The investment landscape continues to be promising but somewhat underfunded, particularly for early-stage technologies that are core to climate and sustainability solutions, .... -- In this episode of the
August 30, 2024 Read Full Article
RFA Urges California to Adopt E15, Drop Unneeded LCFS Feedstock Tracking Requirements --- Hearing Scheduled for November 8, 2024
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association late yesterday called on California to allow the lower-cost, lower-carbon E15 fuel blend, containing 15 percent ethanol, as part of its efforts to enhance the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. “E15 is a critical near-term
August 28, 2024 Read Full Article
Gov. Jim Pillen: $307 Million EPA Emissions Grant Will 'Turbocharge' State Ag Industry
by Henry J. Cordes (Omaha World-Herald/Kearney Hub) ... Federal and state officials detailed the plans and potential impact of the recent $307 million climate pollution reduction grant the EPA awarded to Nebraska — the largest grant the federal agency has ever
August 09, 2024 Read Full Article
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $4.3 Billion in Grants for Community-Driven Solutions to Cut Climate Pollution Across America
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Funded by President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, EPA announces 25 selected applications through competitive Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program to tackle climate change, improve air quality, and advance environmental justice -- When estimates provided by all selected
July 22, 2024 Read Full Article
ARPA-E Announces $36 Million to Develop Technologies to Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ethanol Production, Reduce Operating Costs for American Farmers
(U.S. Department of Energy) ARPA-E Unveils New Technologies to Emend and Obviate SYnthetic Nitrogen’s Toll on Emissions (TEOSYNTE) Program -- Today (July 11, 2024), the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) announced up to $36 million in funding to develop technologies to lower
July 16, 2024 Read Full Article
'Climate Smart' Label Spells Trouble for Farm Bill
by Marc Heller (E&E News) Lawmakers are at odds over how to define climate-friendly farming. -- Lawmakers looking to use the 2024 farm bill to fight climate change are running into another complication: Not everyone agrees on what makes agriculture "climate smart." Shifting
July 09, 2024 Read Full Article
Clean Fuels Welcomes USDA Request for Information on Climate Smart Ag DEADLINE July 25, 2024
(Clean Fuels Alliance America) Today, Clean Fuels welcomed the Hon. Tom Vilsack, U.S. Agriculture Secretary, as he announced a Request for Information regarding climate smart ag practices for biofuel feedstocks. These practices can further lower the lifecycle carbon scores of advanced biofuels like
June 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Maximizing the Climate Benefits of Agriculture: RCPP Expansion to 10-state Region, Multi-Grainshed RCPP Expansion
(American Coalition for Ethanol) The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) recently approved a $25 million investment in the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE)-led Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) expansion that builds on the successful South
June 12, 2024 Read Full Article
Groups Call for Farm to Fly in Energy Title
by Nicole Heslip (Brownfield Ag News) A National Corn Growers Association board member says including the Farm to Fly Act in the farm bill would help USDA recognize the science-based emissions reduction efforts of the sustainable aviation fuel supply chain. Ohio farmer John
May 01, 2024 Read Full Article
RFA Welcomes 40B Sustainable Aviation Fuel Guidance, But Says Additional Work Needed
(Renewable Fuels Association) The 40B tax credit guidance and modified GREET model released today by U.S. Treasury begin to unlock the door for U.S. ethanol producers and farmers to participate in the emerging market for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). However, more work
April 30, 2024 Read Full Article
RFA to NASS: County-Level Data Critical to Climate-Smart Ag, Biofuel Programs
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association today (April 15, 2024) urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service to reconsider its plan to stop reporting farm acreage, yield and production estimates at the county level. “With the rapid emergence of state and federal
April 16, 2024 Read Full Article
Exclusive: Biden Administration's Initial SAF Subsidy Model to Raise Climate Hurdle for Ethanol
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The Biden administration will release a preliminary climate model for its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) subsidy program in the coming weeks that is more restrictive than what the corn-based ethanol industry had expected, two sources familiar with
April 06, 2024 Read Full Article
ACAM Executive Q&A: Katherine Rogers, Product Marketing Manager, Agriculture Sustainability Solutions, Trimble
by Jamie Sears Rawlings (Trust in Food) Trust In Food research has found that farmers are not quite ready to enter into the carbon marketplace. Trimble is leveraging their role as data provider for farmers to cultivate a carbon market that
March 21, 2024 Read Full Article
Making Farmer-Centered Innovation Common Practice
(Farm Journal/Trust in Food) Farm Journal was named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies list for Trust In Food’s™ work on “cultivating a changemaking relationship with farmers" on the pathway to regenerative agriculture. The honor is thrilling, especially as we were an outlier
March 21, 2024 Read Full Article
Want Farm-Level Data? Answer These Three Questions First, Experts Say
by Kristin Leigh Lore (Trust in Food) Understanding farmers’ perspectives, motivations and values can help accelerate the data sharing needed to quantify and scale climate-smart agriculture in the U.S. -- As more points in the value chain seek production data, it’s still
March 06, 2024 Read Full Article
How Much Carbon Can Farmers Store in Their Soil? Nobody’s Sure.
by Max Graham (Grist) Advocates say the long-awaited farm bill could help fix that. -- ... If America’s growers and herders made sure the carbon on their land stayed underneath their crops and their cows’ hooves, then some scientists say the planet
February 13, 2024 Read Full Article
Purpose-Grown Energy Crops: What Drives Feedstock Innovation
by Glenn Farris (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Diges) In the drive towards a clean energy future and a low-carbon energy environment, purpose-grown energy crops will play a major role. At this time and for many years, researchers associated with universities, national
February 12, 2024 Read Full Article
Brief: ‘Low ROI’ Still the Top Reason Farmers Won’t Engage in Carbon Projects, Says Purdue Survey
by Jennifer Marston (Ag Funder News) - Nearly 10% of farm producers have engaged in talks about carbon capture, says the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer report. -The percentage of producers discussing carbon contracts in 2024 is consistent with survey
February 09, 2024 Read Full Article
Have You Heard of Scope 3? It Offers Opportunity for Agriculture
by Heather Gieseke (AgWeb/Pinion) You might have heard the term Scope 3 thrown around. It’s all the buzz lately in the world of sustainability. But what does it mean? A company’s emissions are broken down into Scopes 1, 2 and 3. This
February 09, 2024 Read Full Article
Biofuels Drive Canola Demand
by Don Norman (Manitoba Co-operator) The Canola Council of Canada is seeking ways to increase yields to meet the rising demand for biofuels. “Biofuels seem to be taking the front-and-centre space for the oilseed sector, at least in Western Canada,” said Curtis Rempel, vice-president of crop
November 16, 2023 Read Full Article
SfL Envoy Goes to Rome to Share Farmer Perspectives on Ag Data
(Solutions from the Land) Kyle Bridgeforth had never considered Rome an agricultural focal point until he found himself there, speaking to leaders from around the world at the 51st Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS). Most international leaders brought
November 09, 2023 Read Full Article
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Needs Sustainable Agriculture, and SusAg Is Accelerating
by y Mike Sticklen (Lee Enterprise Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... Corn-ethanol’s current average carbon intensity is 50 gCO2e/MJ ethanol which is one-half of gasoline carbon intensity of 100 gCO2e/MJ gasoline. The ethanol industry has committed to net-zero carbon intensity by 2040 and a
October 16, 2023 Read Full Article
Can Push for Carbon Capture Pipelines Also Mean Billions for Conservation-Minded Farming?
by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) Builders of carbon capture pipelines stand to reap billions in tax credits. Will farmers also get a share?; Advocates say incentives to adopt less carbon-intensive farming practices also could be part of the equation; Whether
September 21, 2023 Read Full Article
American Vanguard Releases 2023 Corporate Sustainability Report: New Detailed Report Reemphasizes Company’s Commitment to Sustainable Agriculture
(American Vanguard) American Vanguard Corporation (NYSE: AVD) is pleased to announce the release of its 2023 Corporate Sustainability Report, a detailed update of the Company’s commitment to the principles of Sustainable Agriculture, which is at the center of its Environmental, Social
September 19, 2023 Read Full Article
Circular Bioeconomy Conversations in Nebraska, Around the World
(Solutions from the Land) The circles of life are catching on, in and beyond agriculture. Ray Gaesser has been talking about the circles of life on his farm in Iowa for years, and circular agricultural systems were the main focus of the recent Iowa Smart Agriculture Forum. But
July 12, 2023 Read Full Article
Crop Science Innovation Summit 2023: Bayer Sees More than Doubling of Accessible Markets and Potential to Shape Regenerative Agriculture on More than 400 Million Acres
(Bayer/PR Newswire) • Expectation to tap into more than 100 billion euros of value in accessible and ag-adjacent markets Unparalleled pipeline with estimated peak sales potential of more than 30 billion euros to promote regenerative agricultural practices and enable farmers to support both global food security
July 12, 2023 Read Full Article
Iowa Farmers Talk Cattle, Other Innovative Approaches for Farm Country’s Future
(Solutions from the Land) ... Blair, co-chair of Iowa Smart Agriculture, along with fellow Iowa farmer co-chair Ray Gaesser, shared their journeys of change and improvement as well as their vision for the future during the Iowa Smart Agriculture Forum: Circles of
June 08, 2023 Read Full Article
Bayer Carbon
by Chelsea Dinterman (Successful Farming) Part of its ForGround platform, Bayer’s carbon program aims to connect growers to benefits and opportunities. About the program: Eligible practice changes include strip-till, no-till, and cover crops Minimum field size: 10 acres with no maximum Practice-based payments 10-year contract
June 02, 2023 Read Full Article
The Pathways to Biofuels: A Survey of Why We Should Stop Fretting
byMichael Barnard (CleanTechnica) We have enough waste biomass feedstock to fulfill all of our transportation needs, and the market and a bunch of bright people will figure out which ones are cheapest and lowest impact. ... And in this future world of
May 24, 2023 Read Full Article
Planting for the Future: Ag Outlook 2023
by Allen Schaeffer (Diesel Technology Forum) ... Precision Farming is the Future: But the most significant boost to farm productivity in this generation likely won’t be as much about more horsepower or size of the machine or implement, but the
April 05, 2023 Read Full Article
Playing and Painting to Promote Science: Board Games and Art Teach Conservation
by Grace Marie Finnell-Gudwien (Planet Forward) It’s board game night. You’re sitting around a table with some of your friends, ready to play the colorful board game laid out in front of you. You all pick your characters and deal out
April 05, 2023 Read Full Article
Powering America’s Farms into the Future
(Diesel Technology Forum) The Diesel Technology Forum issued the following statement in recognition of the 50th anniversary of National Ag Day which is celebrated in communities and classrooms across the country. One day is not enough to recognize the importance of America’s Farmers to our
March 21, 2023 Read Full Article
Is Deere Pushing Electric Tractors? An Exclusive Interview with John Deere's CTO
by Tyne Morgan (Farm Journal/AgWeb) ... Rumors have been circulating about the direction of Deere’s technology investments, and Farm Journal had the chance to sit down with John Deere’s Chief Technology Officer, Jahmy Hindman, to set the record straight and uncover
January 18, 2023 Read Full Article
5 Things Silicon Valley Gets Wrong about Agriculture
by Michael Gilbert (Entrepreneur) Fail fast, fail often doesn't work for farmers. Here are five agricultural realities funders and innovators need to understand. -- "Betting the farm" isn't just a saying. It's something farmers do every year. When a farmer invests
December 23, 2022 Read Full Article
Eni and BF Reach an Agreement on the National Territory to Develop an Agro-Industrial Supply Chain for Energy Use
(Eni) Based on the results obtained under the agreement, the partners will be able to evaluate the industrial scalability of the project on large areas -- Eni and BF have signed a collaboration agreement to evaluate the development of crops for
November 30, 2022 Read Full Article
Watch Farmers Speak at COP27: International Climate Change Conversations
(Solutions from the Land) ... Solutions from the Land was especially pleased to have been selected by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization to co-host the opening event at their pavilion on Agriculture Day, which focused on issues related to adaptation,
November 29, 2022 Read Full Article
See What Producers Are Saying about The Carbon Ecosystem and ‘Ag Carbon Markets and U.S. Farmers’ Report
by Cara Urban (Trust in Food) Trust In Food’s latest report, Ready or Not? Agricultural Carbon Markets and U.S. Farmers, is meant as a showcase of how research and data can suggest solutions to help scale carbon market participation—and how those insights,
November 02, 2022 Read Full Article
Lithos, a Seattle Agtech Startup that Uses Basalt Rocks to Help Farmers Remove Carbon, Lands $6.3M
by Lisa Stiffler (Geek Wire) Lithos, a Seattle startup applying carbon capture technology in an agricultural setting, announced Thursday that it raised a $6.29 million seed funding round. Lithos provides a permanent carbon removal strategy by spreading the dust of crushed basalt
October 25, 2022 Read Full Article
Canola Sector Eyes More Acres as Yields Stall
by Sean Pratt (Western Producer Magazine) The Canola Council of Canada is encouraging acreage expansion in the brown soil zone of Saskatchewan. However, council president Jim Everson says that does not represent a pivot in the council’s strategy for growing the crop. “We
September 23, 2022 Read Full Article
Touring the Roots of Ethanol Sustainability in Iowa
by Mikayla McKenna (Renewable Fuels Association) ... Each year, the tour gives farmers, ethanol producers, and renewable fuels advocates like me an excellent opportunity to show policymakers and regulators who we are and what we do. Staffers from around the country,
September 01, 2022 Read Full Article
LCFC Recommends the California Air Resources Board to Recognize Relevance of Climate Smart Agriculture
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, the Low Carbon Fuels Coalition sent a letter to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to recommend the body to recognize farming practices and other methods of climate smart agriculture (CSA) into the Low
August 15, 2022 Read Full Article
U.S. Farmers Receive $1.2 Million in Carbon Farming Payments through CarbonNOW® Program
(Locus Agricultural Solutions) Payments were made to farmers in Locus Agricultural Solutions’ CarbonNOW® carbon farming program, through funding from Anew Climate, LLC (previously Bluesource) and Green Star Royalties; Compensation was received within 8 months of enrollment in CarbonNOW—making them the
August 10, 2022 Read Full Article
(Not) Plowing to Net Zero Carbon Emissions
by Jerry Perkins (Successful Farming) As a farmer and ethanol services director at EcoEngineers in Des Moines, Iowa, Mark Heckman expects that farmers who can show that they are lowering the carbon footprint of producing corn for ethanol will soon
August 09, 2022 Read Full Article
Sustainability Takes Center Stage for Trusted Advisers at 2022 InfoAg Conference
by Nate Birt (Trust in Food) ... Sustainability took center stage at this year’s event, starting with the opening keynote by Jeff Blair, CEO and president of GreenPoint Ag Holdings. Blair encouraged audience members to think about carbon markets in the context
July 27, 2022 Read Full Article
Coastal Effect: Comparable to California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, Pro-Biofuel Policies in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia Offer a Vast Region of Opportunity for Reduced-CI Ethanol on the Pacific Coast.
by Melissa Anderson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Eleven years ago, California led the way with the implementation of its Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which continues to be a guiding force for clean fuel policy on the West Coast and beyond. Since
July 25, 2022 Read Full Article
Climate Change- Collective Action or Collective Suicide?
(Solutions from the Land) In a virtual address delivered at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin earlier this week, UN Secretary General António Guterres delivered a sobering message to the delegates and those watching across the world. He said “We
July 20, 2022 Read Full Article
Forget Saudi Arabia — Biden Should Have Gone to South Dakota: Letters to the Editor for July 17
by Doug Sombke (South Dakota Farmers Union/Argus Leader/Governors' Biofuels Coalition) President Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia to beg for more oil seems unnecessary to us — he could have saved himself a long trip by coming to see what is being
July 19, 2022 Read Full Article
New Data Shows Ag’s Climate Footprint is Shrinking
by Jenna Hoffman (AgWeb) The Biden administration’s initiatives to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 are well underway. New year-over-year data shows ag is playing its climate smart part in multiple ways. According to the USDA, 2020 farming activities in the
July 14, 2022 Read Full Article
House Democrats Unveil "Lower Food and Fuels Costs" Bill
by Chuck Abbott (Successful Farming) The House could vote as early as next week on an omnibus bill that would allow summertime sale of E15, create a special investigator’s office at the USDA to enforce fair-play laws in meatpacking, and
June 10, 2022 Read Full Article
Truterra Carbon Program Pays $4 Million to Farmers for 200,000 Metric Tons of Carbon Stored in First Year; 2022 Program Now Open
(Truterra) In 2022, Truterra will offer two approaches, one to reward recent adopters for their investment in carbon-sequestering practices and one to engage and support farmers through the process of implementing new practices Through Truterra, companies and others looking to buy carbon
December 06, 2021 Read Full Article
Farmers Have Been Burned by Agtech Too Often. Here’s How to Win Back Their Trust
by Michael Gilbert (Semios/Ag Funder News) ... There are a number of reasons why farmers have been leery when it comes to tech companies with big promises. But the biggest one is the most obvious: they’ve been burned before. Some of this
December 03, 2021 Read Full Article
ACE Supports Policies to Credit Ag, Biofuels for Net-Zero GHGs
(American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) During its Nov. 10 meeting, the American Coalition for Ethanol board of directors voted to support new policies that credit farmers and ethanol producers for activities helping ethanol reach net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by
November 17, 2021 Read Full Article
America’s Native Grasslands Are Disappearing
by Katharine Gammon (The Guardian) The Great Plains are being torn up at a ferocious rate – with frightening implications for biodiversity and carbon storage. -- ... (Patrick)Lendrum led a research team that released a report in September showing that from 2018
November 05, 2021 Read Full Article
The Voice of Conservatives Is Important in Renewable Energy Policy Discussions
(Solutions from the Land) ... Those who advocate for no- and low-carbon fuels and other energy solutions come from across political parties – Democrats and Republicans – and from all along the spectrum of partisan views – from liberals to conservatives. The
October 02, 2021 Read Full Article
Nebraska Senator Promotes Precision Ag Loan Bill
(AgNewsWire) U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have introduced bipartisan legislation to create a program within USDA to provide loan financing to farmers and ranchers interested in purchasing precision agriculture equipment. Sen. Fischer spoke on the Senate floor Monday about the
September 29, 2021 Read Full Article
IFC and Cocal Team to Drive Renewable Energy and Improve Energy Efficiency in Brazil
(International Finance Corporation (Google Translation)) The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is supporting a new project in Brazil to strengthen the diversification of the country's energy matrix. The US$ 70 million (about R$ 350 million) financing for the Cocal Group will expand
August 31, 2021 Read Full Article
Corn Farmers Captured, Stored Carbon before It Was Cool, Industry Learder Says: Farmers and Ethanol Plants Can Benefit from Reducing Carbon Use.
by Jerry Perkins (Successful Farming) ... After years of research into the data about farming’s contribution to carbon emissions, that’s the conclusion reached by Ron Alverson, a South Dakota corn farmer and ethanol plant director, who spoke Wednesday at the Fuel
July 16, 2021 Read Full Article
U.S. Farmers and UN SDGs: A Market Access Opportunity – Part 1
by Jay Vroom (Trust In Food/America’s Conservation Ag Movement) ... Today’s farm and food sustainability is different—and it is real and lasting this time. It might be hard to see because almost every agribusiness and food company–along with a massive cross-section
April 20, 2021 Read Full Article
America’s Cultivation Corridor: Inspiring Ingenuity among International Innovators
by Mark Laurenzo (Iowa Economic Development Authority/Biofuels Digest) ... Coupled with homegrown advancements in precision agriculture that continue to revolutionize the industry, Iowa stands as not only a premier destination for agribusiness but a center of agrarian knowledge that informs
March 30, 2021 Read Full Article
IEDA Board Approves Projects from Seven Established and Three Startup Companies in Iowa
(Iowa Economic Development) Today, the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board approved awards for seven established companies, which will assist in the creation of 179 jobs and result in almost $105 million in new capital investment for the state. These projects
March 22, 2021 Read Full Article
Biofuels Can Contribute Now to a Cleaner Energy Future
by Tom Daschle (Roll Call/The Daschle Group) Smart agriculture policy that has a role for ethanol can help advance Biden’s agenda on all fronts -- Growing up in South Dakota, agriculture has always been in my blood. For nearly three decades, I
February 26, 2021 Read Full Article
Building the Evidence on Corn Ethanol’s Greenhouse Gas Profile
by Jan Lewandrowski (US Department of Agriculture) Over the past two decades, the demand for renewable fuels — including corn-based ethanol — has helped drive a strong domestic market for corn, and supported rural America by generating jobs (PDF, 1.5 MB). New research
February 15, 2021 Read Full Article
Can This Unlikely Duo Revive Rural America and Help the Planet? Joe Biden and Tom Vilsack Plan to Take Swift Action on Climate Change Proposals.
by Art Cullen (Storm Lake Times/New York Times) ... Few took carbon sequestration seriously during his previous tenure, a time when “resilient agriculture” had not yet entered the vernacular. But the fundamental conversation in the corridors of power and along
January 28, 2021 Read Full Article
Planting Crops — and Carbon, Too
by Gabriel Popkin (Washington Post) President Biden says farmers can adopt agricultural methods that help fight climate change. Maryland farmer Trey Hill has been trying. ... As the winter cover crops grow, they will feed microbes and improve the soil’s health, which
January 22, 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
January 15, 2021 Read Full Article
12 Key Technologies to Watch in 2021: The Digest’s 2021 Multi-Slide Guide to Lux Research’s Foresight
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Now is the time to look to the future and see what 2021 might hold for us and here to help with that is Lux Research’s top 12 emerging technologies to watch in 2021
January 01, 2021 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
November 06, 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
October 20, 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
September 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Phenotyping and Trait Predictions: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Sorghum as Energy Crop
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Take genotype + environment + management practices and you’ve got phenotyping, a measurable characteristic or trait of a plant. In this case, we look at sorghum from Purdue University’s Dr. Melba Crawford and how they are
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
August 29, 2020 Read Full Article
5 Ways to Reduce Costs in Integrated Biorefineries: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Enabling Lower-Cost Biofuels
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) just released a new report that outlines five specific, yet broadly applicable, areas of focus to reduce costs in an integrated biorefinery. This analysis builds upon ongoing R&D strategies to lower
July 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Smart Farms of the Future: Making Bioenergy Crops More Environmentally Friendly
by Julie Chao (Joint BioEnergy Institute) Farmers have enough worries – between bad weather, rising costs, and shifting market demands – without having to stress about the carbon footprint of their operations. But now a new set of projects by scientists at
June 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Solutions from the Land's Letter to Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis
(Solutions from the Land) In response to a call for input from the Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis for input on tools, programs, and support useful to address the impacts of severe weather and climate change on
June 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Climate Mitigation Potential of Agricultural Conservation Practices Is Significant!
(Solutions from the Land) A blog posted on the World Resources Institute (WRI) website last month dismissed the potential for regenerative agriculture and related systems to contribute to large-scale emissions reduction and carbon dioxide (CO2) removal - cuts that will
June 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Natural Climate Solution Policies For Rural America
(BioCycle Magazine) A new report from Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions examines effective strategies to engage America’s farmers, ranchers and forestry stakeholders who are vital to solving climate change. “Rural Investment: Building a Natural Climate Solutions Policy Agenda
June 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Rural Climate Action in the U.S. and China
(Wilson Center) In China and the United States--the top two emitters of greenhouse gasses--most climate policies and civil society campaigns have focused on reducing fossil fuels.. At this China Environment Forum (CEF) meeting, speakers will instead shine a light on the
March 06, 2020 Read Full Article
OSU Receives $3.1 Million Research Grant to Improve Sorghum Data and Savings
(Oklahoma State University) Forage sorghum is being grown in Chickasha as part of the bio-energy research center work on using sorghum in the production of Cellulosic ethanol. Oklahoma received a $3.1 million grant to improve field-level data collection. -- A recent
February 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Report: U.S. Biofuels Help Drive Environmental Progress
(Growth Energy) Growth Energy, the nation’s largest association of biofuel producers, released a new report examining the potential impact of a growing role for U.S. biofuels in America’s clean energy future. The report was authored by Ramboll, a global research and management firm
September 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Gevo Receives ISCC Plus Certification
(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
August 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Farm Carbon and Biofuels: Focus of Carbon Sequestration and Farming More Practical Than Global Climate Talks
by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Ohio corn farmer Fred Yoder returned late Friday from a frustrating week in Poland listening to foreign ministers and others talk about what they think farmers globally must do to address climate change. As chairman
December 11, 2018 Read Full Article
Part of the Answer to Climate Change May Be America’s Trees and Dirt, Scientists Say
by Brad Plumer (New York Times) ... A new study published on Wednesday, however, found that better management of forests, grasslands and soils in the United States could offset as much as 21 percent of the country’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. At
November 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Just in from ABLC: The Digest's 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Hot Technologies and Their Examples
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Each year at ABLC, we have had the great fortune to have in our opening panel a tremendous sector overview from Roger Wyse, the Co-CEO of Spruce Capital and one of the foremost venture capitalists in
November 12, 2018 Read Full Article
The Bioeconomy 2019: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Advanced Bioeconomy Development Priorities
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What’s next in the biobased revolution? After fuels, chemicals, say many. What’s the role of incentives, the size of the opportunity and the potential rewards for a region? The Iowa Economic Development Authority took a look at
November 09, 2018 Read Full Article
The 40 Hottest Technologies in the Advanced Bioeconomy 2018
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Impossible Foods took the #1 spot in the 2018 “40 Hottest Technologies in the Advanced Bioeconomy” rankings, published today in The Digest, the world’s most widely-read bioeconomy daily. The announcement was made live at
November 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Lightfast Polyurethane; YPF Adds Biofuels; Mars, BH Improve Cacao, Chocolate; 20 New Food Waste Start-Ups; Fossil-Free Ocean Freight: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of October 24th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of October 24th. ... #2 Oil and gas giant YPF to start producing biofuels In Argentina, Miguel Gutiérrez, President of
October 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Living Interactive Surfaces, Color-Changing Biomaterials, California’s Climate Satellite; iPhones Add Bioplastic; Hemp Manufacturing, Amino Acids from Wood The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of September 27th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of September 27th. In today’s Digest, a new engineered surface with living interactive properties; motion-activated, color-changing biomaterials;
September 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Conservation Helps the Ag Economy, but Farmers Bear All of the Costs
by Scott Henry (Des Moines Register) ... A study from Environmental Defense Fund and managerial accounting firm K·Coe Isom AgKnowledge finds that conservation can boost farm profitability. The analysis includes detailed financial case studies of three Midwestern corn, soy and wheat farmers
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
GAF 2018: From Precision Farming to Fuel Cell Challenges
by Laís F. Thomaz*(Advanced Biofuels USA) The Global Agribusiness Forum event took place on July 23 and 24 2018 at the Sheraton WTC in São Paulo, Brazil, and brought together leaders from more than 60 countries. [caption id="attachment_100204" align="alignleft" width="300"] Ambassadors
August 08, 2018 Read Full Article
National FFA Organization and Microsoft Announce Initiative to Bring Transformational Innovation to over 650,000 Students Bationwide
(Microsoft) The National FFA Organization and Microsoft Corp., on Thursday announced their collaboration to bring innovative technology, science, research and entrepreneurship to the classrooms of the more than 650,000 FFA student members nationwide through an initiative known as Blue 365. FFA members
August 01, 2018 Read Full Article
The Hog’s a Hot Dog: N-Sense, Gen3Bio, Nebullam, PowerPollen, TeselaGen Takin’ Biotech to the Next Level
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) For a number of years we have been pointing to Iowa’s intriguing combination of feedstock, infrastructure and political consensus on renewables as a potent force in bioeconomy deployment. But these days, toss in some serious innovation
April 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Facebook and Google’s Surprising, Rising Prospects along Agriculture’s Revolutionary Road
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) If you haven’t been to Ankeny, Iowa in recent years — situated between Des Moines and Ames, which is to say between the political and financial capital of the state and Iowa State University and its
March 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Developing Climate-Smart Ag Farm Groups Meet to Examine Role of Agriculture in Building Climate Resiliency
by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Farm organizations are beginning to talk about the evolution of climate-smart agriculture and the need to ensure the U.S. remains at the table as the United Nations begins developing an agricultural framework for climate
January 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Why Small, Local, Organic Farms Aren’t the Key to Fixing Our Food System
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 asking. For these purposes, we’ll
September 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Meeting Needs, Maximizing Benefits
by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Farmers continuously implement new environmentally friendly techniques to raise their crops. -- Corn farmers—and with them, the ethanol industry—are growing more sustainable. Farmers in corn states are embracing a variety of sustainable agriculture production practices,
June 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Innova Announces $31M Close of Ag Innovation Fund IV
(Innova) Memphis-based Venture Capital Firm Innova Announces Close of Ag Innovation Fund IV to Support AgTech Startup Activity -- Innova Memphis, an early-stage venture capital firm, has announced the close of its latest fund, Innova Ag Innovation Fund IV. As part
May 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Advancements in Agriculture, Good for People and the Planet
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 echoed in communities around the
April 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Energy Cane in GAF Talks: "Agriculture of the Future: New Ways of Technology"
Laís F. Thomaz* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The GAF Talk was held last month, in Sao Paulo, to present some agriculture trends and to promote a debate on the new technologies that will surely be on the agenda of the 2018
April 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Farmers Can Help Clean up the Chesapeake
by Chip Bowling (U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance/Washington Post) I consider myself an environmentalist, a conservationist and a farmer. This is an identity I share with many farmers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which spans more than 64,000 square miles
December 30, 2016 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Precision Hawk
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) for agricultural uses. What can you use Aerial Data Analysis for? Says Precision Hawk's Ally Ferguson, quite a lot. Crop health indices, Plant height, Canopy cover, Weed detection, Season monitoring, Environmental
September 19, 2016 Read Full Article
CNH Industrial Brands Reveal Concept Autonomous Tractor Development: Driverless Technology to Boost Precision and Productivity
(CNH/Case IH/New Holland/PR Newswire) Better use of labor, integration into current machinery fleets, plus the flexibility to work unmanned around the clock with real time data monitoring – and, in the future, the ability to automatically respond to weather events.