The U.S. Grains Council took three ethanol trade teams to three states to learn about the ethanol value chain from the field to the pump ahead of the Ethanol Summit of the Americas last week. The three teams included representatives from 12 countries that explored the U.S. ethanol industry in Missouri, South Dakota and Ohio.

Representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Guatemala and Bolivia traveled to Missouri to visit local farms and ethanol plants and learn more about U.S. ethanol production, retail ethanol sales, rail infrastructure and other topics.

In South Dakota, trade team members from Colombia, Panama, Uruguay, Peru, Paraguay and Costa Rica met with the American Coalition for Ethanol and toured local farms, grain elevator facilities and ethanol plants.

A third delegation, from Mexico, traveled to Ohio to experience corn production from the field to fuel with Ohio farmers and the clean air benefits of ethanol blended fuel with the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest. They also met with contacts knowledgeable about ethanol production, consumer acceptance, logistical concerns and solutions, pump and retailer competition and other topics.

“Huge opportunities exist in Mexico for Mexican ethanol stakeholders, and these tours provide more educational background regarding the development of the U.S. industry,” said Ryan LeGrand, USGC Mexico director, who traveled with the team. “Trade teams like the one this week are part of continued ethanol market development efforts to boost the Hemisphere’s use of ethanol.”