by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) DigestConnect hosted a wildly popular webinar in late April with Clariant’s Head of Business Line, Biofuels & Derivatives at Clariant but there were so many fantastic audience questions we didn’t to, that we decided to follow
soil health
Back TO HOMELeading with Soil: Scaling Soil Carbon Storage in Agriculture
(Carbon 180) Soil carbon storage offers significant economic and environmental opportunities for farmers and ranchers. Agricultural practices that store carbon in the soil can help fight climate change at a low cost. Those same practices can also improve overall soil
May 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Congresswoman Pingree Introduces the Agriculture Resilience Act to Promote Farmer-Driven Climate Solutions Legislation Sets Goal of Reaching Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions in U.S. Agriculture by 2040
(Office of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine)) Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today introduced the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA), comprehensive legislation that sets a bold vision of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. agriculture by the year 2040. “Farming has always been a
March 04, 2020 Read Full Article
USDA: Ag Innovation Agenda Will Benefit Biofuels, Bioenergy
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA unveiled its Agriculture Innovation Agenda on Feb. 20. The initiative, in part, aims to support renewable fuels, including ethanol, biodiesel and biomass. This includes a goal to achieve market-driven blend rates of E30
February 23, 2020 Read Full Article
Farmers Join Forces for Sustainability and Responsible Climate Policy
(American Farm Bureau Federation) Twenty-one farm and ranch groups representing millions of U.S. farmers and ranchers are launching Farmers for a Sustainable Future (FSF), a coalition committed to environmental and economic sustainability. This coalition will serve as a primary resource
February 20, 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
Farmers Are Poised to Tackle Climate Change With Technology and Innovation
by Jamey Mulligan and Moira McDonald (Morning Consult/World Resources Institute/Walton Family Foundation) American farmers know all too well the effects of our changing climate. If it’s not flooding, it’s drought, then flooding again. But American farmers — whether they know it
February 01, 2020 Read Full Article
More than Biomass: Purposefully Grown for Ecosystem Services
Cristina Negri, John Quinn, Jules Cacho, Colleen Zumpf, Shruti Khadka Mishra, and Patty Campbell (Argonne National Laboratory/CAAFI) ... Responsible innovation: “taking care of the future through collective stewardship of science and innovation in the present”* ( *Stilgoe, Owen, and MacNaghten.
January 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Grassley: New WOTUS Coming This Week, Trump Got No Applause on Ethanol
(Hagstrom Report/Fence Post) ... In a call to rural reporters, Grassley (Senator Charles Grassley R-IA) noted that he continues to warn the Trump administration that farmers are watching the management of the Renewable Fuel Standard and that he had heard
January 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Payments for Ecosystem Services Key to Enabling Agricultural Solutions to Sustainable Development Goals, Ag Renaissance
(Solutions from the Land) As discussions on climate change, clean water, hunger, poverty and biodiversity grow both on the domestic and global stages, the role of agriculture in addressing these mega-challenges is filling a growing role at the policy table. Statewide
January 16, 2020 Read Full Article
Five Reasons Midwestern States Need a Clean Fuel Standard
by Jeremy Martin (Union of Concerned Scientists) ... Here are five reasons now is the time for Midwestern States to get started on a clean fuel standard. Accelerating Electric Vehicles: Electric vehicles are growing in the Midwest, but need a boost.
January 10, 2020 Read Full Article
Predicting How Microbial Neighbors Influence Each Other
(U.S. Department of Energy) A new microbial network inference method reliably predicts interactions that depend on neighboring organisms. -- The Science Microbes in the soil form networks, which in turn make up larger communities. As the environment changes, so do the microbes
December 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Agriculture's Role is Growing in the Effort to Stem a Changing Climate
(Solutions from the Land) The global climate negotiating sessions in Madrid come to a close this week, and producer advocates remain gratified that delegates to the talks have demonstrated a growing acceptance of the agricultural sector's role in addressing the
December 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Gaesser, Shea Share Growth of Climate Smart Ag During Panel at COP 25
(Solutions from the Land) ... SfL Steering Committee member Ray Gaesser, an Iowa corn and soybean producer, and SfL President Ernie Shea appeared on the panel, which focused on climate change and the agriculture sector. They spoke of the role
December 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Deep Dive: Climate Change and U.S. Farmers
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) A meeting last June in Newburg, Md., represented a change for U.S. farmers, Pro's Helena Bottemiller Evich reports . The event was hosted by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, a group made up
December 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Global Alliance of Agriculture and Biofuels Partners Highlights Role of Ethanol as Immediate and Cost-Effective Climate Action Measure for Transport
(Solutions from the Land/Ethanol Europe) In the light of alarming oil industry forecasts[1] of continued growth in the world's fleet of gasoline and diesel road vehicles to 2040 and beyond (to upwards of two billion vehicles from 1.2 billion today), ethanol sector
December 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Soil Carbon Science for Policy and Practice
by Mark A. Bradford, Chelsea J. Carey, Lesley Atwood, Deborah Bossio, Eli P. Fenichel, Sasha Gennet, Joseph Fargione, Jonathan R. B. Fisher, Emma Fuller, Daniel A. Kane, Johannes Lehmann, Emily E. Oldfield, Elsa M. Ordway, Joseph Rudek, Jonathan Sanderman &
December 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Argonne Collaboration Shows Benefits of Better Corn Residue Management Strategies
(U.S. Department of Energy) As the global population swells, boosting the demand for both food and energy, land management has never been more important. Now, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory are conducting pivotal research that
December 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Bioenergy DevCo to Purchase Compost Facility, Build AD Plant
(Bioenergy DevCo/Biomass Magazine) Bioenergy DevCo (BDC), a leading global developer of anaerobic digestion facilities that create renewable energy and healthy soil products from organic material, announced Nov. 21 that it has entered a 20-year partnership with Perdue Farms for the supply
November 25, 2019 Read Full Article
UP Govt to Set up Biofuel Plants to Address Issue of Stubble Burning
by Virendra Singh Rawat (Business Standard) Will set up 1-2 biofuel plants in all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh -- With the Supreme Court recently directing Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to prevent their farmers from stubble burning owing to the severe dip
November 13, 2019 Read Full Article
A Roadmap to Make the Land Sector Carbon Neutral by 2040
(Environmental News Network/International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis) ... IIASA researchers contributed to the development of a new roadmap outlining actions on deforestation, restoration, and carbon cuts that could lead to the land sector becoming carbon neutral by 2040 and
October 24, 2019 Read Full Article
OP-ED: Achieving Carbon Emission Reductions with Biofuels
by Pat Gruber (GEVO/American Energy Society) It’s a gaping hole in most conversations about fuel: what do we do about liquid transportation fuels? No matter how quickly we try to electrify our transportation sector, gasoline isn’t going away. Diesel isn’t going away. Jet
October 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Core Leaf-Bound Microbes Identified for Two Key Bioenergy Crops
by Mark E. Griffin (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits make up the biggest chunk of potential living space for microbes in the environment, but ecologists still don’t know a lot about how the microorganisms that reside
October 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Undergraduates Participate in Bioenergy Research at GLBRC
(Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Each year, the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) hosts a group of undergraduate students to participate in the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, designed to immerse students in research. This summer, 11 undergraduate
October 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Get with the Program: Biogas Producers Struggling to Generate Revenue from Their Digestate
by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine) Biogas producers struggling to generate revenue from their digestate may find an opportunity to turn this around through the American Biogas Council’s Digestate Standard Testing and Certification Program. -- ... Exeter Agri-Energy was formed to
September 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Achieving NET ZERO -- Farming’s 2040 Goal
(National Farmers Union) The NFU has set the ambitious goal of reaching net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the whole of agriculture in England and Wales by 2040. This is our contribution to the UK’s ambition of net zero by
September 12, 2019 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Announces $64 Million for Research on Plants and Microbes: Genomics-Based Research Will Help Develop Crops for Bioenergy
(U.S. Department of Energy) oday, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $64 million in funding for 25 university-led genomics research projects on plants and microbes for bioenergy and bioproducts. The plant research—12 projects totaling $29 million over three years—focuses on expanding knowledge of
August 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Election Campaigns Can Boost Role of Agriculture in Combating a Changing Climate
(Solutions from the Land) Rural America drew a considerable amount of attention in the last presidential election. President Trump won the White House in large part due to the support he received from voters in this nation's vast non-metropolitan areas.
August 28, 2019 Read Full Article
It’s Time to Rebuild: Farmland as Critical Infrastructure
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
August 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Florida Ag Producers, Foresters Share Ideas to Deal with Climate Change
(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
August 14, 2019 Read Full Article
Pete Buttigieg: To Tackle Challenges Like Climate Change, Unlock the Potential of Rural America
by Pete Buttigieg (Des Moines Register) ... To empower farmers to confront climate disruption, we will dramatically increase agricultural R&D. As president, I will double these investments over four years, dedicating nearly $50 billion over a decade. With scientists indicating
August 14, 2019 Read Full Article
“I Am Not Charcoal.” – Sincerely, Biochar: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Biochar
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) On a recent Digest webinar, we heard all about biochar. The science. The markets. The technology. The results. The needs. And much more. If you missed The Digest’s webinar then check out the slides that cover
August 05, 2019 Read Full Article
South Dakota Farmers Union Meets with EPA Director to Discuss E30
(South Dakota Farmers Union/Farm Forum) South Dakota Farmers Union, together with leaders from 13 South Dakota agriculture organizations, sat down with Gregory Sopkin, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regional administrator for District Eight to discuss challenges facing South Dakota farmers and
August 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Positive Climate Perspective: Iowans Educate Democrats on Solutions Farmers, Biofuels Offer on Climate Change
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) As Democratic presidential candidates traipse through Iowa talking about their plans to address climate change, a mixed group of farmers and biofuel advocates are stressing the role agriculture can play as a solution. Matt Russell, executive
July 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Norfolk Farmer Diversifies Income and Boosts Soil Health with Miscanthus
(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
July 29, 2019 Read Full Article
These Candidates See Farming as a Climate Solution. Here’s What They're Proposing.
by Georgina Gustin (Inside Climate Change) ... Sen. Michael Bennet, like Biden, writes about voluntary markets to support better soil carbon practices. South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg talked at the first debate about climate change and farming's role, and how "the right kind of soil management and
July 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Firm Launches Plan to Cut One Trillion Tons of CO2 From Atmosphere
(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
July 09, 2019 Read Full Article
NACSAA Pushes Science-Based Decision Making, Other Principles, in Bonn
(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
July 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Carinata Cover Cropping: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Agrisoma
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
July 05, 2019 Read Full Article
NACSAA Delegates to Global Climate Talks Stress Climate Smart Agriculture in Face of Severe Weather Events
(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
June 19, 2019 Read Full Article
NACSAA Representatives in Bonn for World Climate Talks on Agriculture
(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
June 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Ag Leaders Shaping Global Climate Strategies... Who Would Have Thought?
(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
June 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Nebraska Corn Farmers Position Their Operations for the Next Generation
(Omaha World-Herald) When Taylor Nelson of Jackson, Nebraska, graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2012, the farm economy was on fire. Rents and land values were increasing at an unprecedented rate, and farmers were snapping up every opportunity they could. The
May 15, 2019 Read Full Article
The Plan to Grab the World's Carbon with Supercharged Plants
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
May 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Farmers, the Unsung Heroes of Earth Day
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
April 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Earth Day 2019 – A Look at Carbon Negative and Carbon Capture Technologies, Advancements, and Possibilities
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
April 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Where Will All the Feedstock Come From?
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
April 17, 2019 Read Full Article
NFU Says No to Green New Deal: Climate Plan Proposed by Democrats Has Quickly Become Toxic in Rural America
by Jerry Hagstrom and Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Delegates to the National Farmers Union annual convention here on Tuesday maintained the group's commitment to addressing climate change, but they rejected a proposal that it become involved in the Green New
March 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Clover Improves Soil Quality, Feeds Biofuels Crop
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
March 01, 2019 Read Full Article
2019 Soil Health Summit Interviews Available
(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
January 21, 2019 Read Full Article
A Sensible Approach to Climate Change Policy
(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
January 17, 2019 Read Full Article
New Study Touts Agricultural, Environmental Benefits of Biochar
(North Dakota State University/Phys.Org) The many benefits of a biomass-made material called biochar are highlighted in a new publication in which Ghasideh Pourhashem, assistant professor at NDSU's Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials and Center for Sustainable Materials Science, is the
December 21, 2018 Read Full Article
COP24, 2018 Farm Bill Give Agriculture a Voice, Climate Smart Tools
(Solutions from the Land) As 2018 closes out, advocates for the role agriculture can play in facing a changing climate can feel encouraged by developments on the international and domestic stages. Global climate negotiators in Katowice, Poland, came to a final agreement
December 20, 2018 Read Full Article
The FORBIO Project: A Sustainable Alternative for Contaminated and Underutilized Lands
(Global Bioenergy Partnership) The FORBIO (Fostering Sustainable Feedstock Production for Advanced Biofuels on underutilized land in Europe) Project gave stakeholders in Italy, Germany and Ukraine a strategy for the market uptake of sustainable advanced bioenergy value chains. Through a thorough assessment
December 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuels and Environmental Groups Commend New Pilot Environmental Quality and Incentive Program in 2018 Farm Bill Report
(Grain Net) The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), Environmental Entrepreneurs(E2), the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) thank the Farm Bill conferees for including a new pilot Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) in the 2018 Farm Bill Conference Report to promote and
December 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Reforms Must Prepare the UK Countryside for Climate Change and Ensure that Our Use of Land Supports Reduced Emissions
(Committee on Climate Change) The Paris Agreement demands tougher action to remove greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere. We must, at the same time, prepare for the inevitable climate change that is already happening. In this context, current uses of land
November 21, 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
National Corn Growers Association, Environmental Defense Fund Partner to Improve Environment while Growing Profits
(Wallaces Farmer) Environmental Defense Fund and National Corn Growers Association will engage in continuous improvements for water quality while strengthening yields -- The Environmental Defense Fund and the National Corn Growers Association have partnered to improve environmental outcomes while optimizing productivity and
November 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Activating the Right Bacteria: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to 3Bar Biologics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 3Bar Biologics’ Bio-YIELD uses naturally occurring microbes that are precisely matched to specific crops and soil environments. These microbes were discovered and isolated during a 15-year extensive research process by scientists at The Ohio State University.
November 14, 2018 Read Full Article
SfL Report Assesses Challenges Posed by Changing Climatic Conditions in Missouri
(Solutions from the Land) Solutions from the Land (SfL) commends Missouri agriculture and forestry leaders who looked into the future, examined what science is telling them is coming from changing climatic conditions and extreme weather events, and explored opportunities to
October 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Resilience through Regional Partnership: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the SPARC Consortium
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Southeastern Partnership for Advanced Renewables from Carinata (SPARC) is a consortium consisting of the University of Florida (lead), the University of South Florida, the University of Georgia, Auburn University, and other institutions, government agencies, the civil aviation
September 20, 2018 Read Full Article
United States Biochar Initiative 2018 Conference: “The Carbon Link in Watershed Ecosystem Services” Stories from Stockholm to Virginia
by Bill Keba* (Advanced Biofuels USA) My wife checked my fishing gear upon learning that I was attending the Biochar 2018 Conference in Wilmington, Delaware. Why? She thought I made up “biochar” and the conference as a way escape to
September 10, 2018 Read Full Article
Soil Health Policy Resources Now Available: A Catalog of Academic, State Agency and Legislative Policies and Programs to Advance Soil Health
(The Soil Health Institute/Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire) Soil health policies are growing in number and importance across the United States but are widely dispersed across a variety of academic institutions, state agencies and legislative bodies. This catalog brings these policy efforts together to