The president of the World Bank made an appearance at the World Food Prize symposium Thursday on World Food Day and commented on world production of food and biofuels during a press conference. Robert Zoellick noted that some biofuels are more efficient than others, like sugarcane ethanol in Brazil, and he believes that “biofuels in the future are going to …
World Food Prize Winners on Food and Fuel
The ability of the world to grow enough agricultural crops to produce both food and fuel was a topic of discussion at the World Food Prize symposium in Des Moines on Thursday, which was also World Food Day. This year’s World Food Prize honorees, former Senators George McGovern and Bob Dole, pictured here with 2003 World Food Prize laureate Catherine …
Soy Biodiesel Means Fuel and Protein
Making soybeans into biodiesel is no food versus fuel competition – rather it is food AND fuel. “When you talk about soy biodiesel, you can actually burn the soy and eat it too,” says Jim Hershey, who is executive director for both the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Program and the World Soy Foundation. During a World …
Biotech for Biofuels
Pioneer Hi-Bred International continues to work on increasing agricultural productivity to both feed and fuel the world. Pioneer president Paul Schickler spoke on a panel at the World Food Prize symposium in Des Moines Wednesday and one of his points is that biotechnology can “address both the food availability issue as well as making a meaningful impact on our dependence …
Food and Fuel Production Co-Exist in Brazil
The promise of new science and technology for increasing food and fuel production was part of a conversation panel at the World Food Prize Norman Borlaug Symposium in Des Moines on Wednesday. Among the panelists was Brazil’s former minister of agriculture Roberto Rodrigues, co-chair of the International Biofuels Commission, who talked about the importance of biofuels development for developing nations. …
Biofuels Talk at World Food Prize Event
These days, a dialogue about global food has to include biofuels – the two have become inseparable in recent years. At the World Food Prize Norman Borlaug Symposium this week in Des Moines many speakers are addressing how biofuels fit in the global food outlook. The keynote speaker for the symposium kickoff Wednesday was Sir Gordon Conway, who is chief …
Distillers Grains Conference
A major by-product of ethanol production will be the focus of an international conference next week in Indianapolis. The U.S. Grains Council and USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service are co-sponsoring the International Distillers Grains Conference with approximately 140 major foreign buyers, nutritionists, and feed ingredient importers expected to attend. The meeting will be held October 19-21 at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown. …
Panda Ethanol Restructures
Panda Ethanol has announced the successful restructuring of funding arrangements on a 115-million gallon-per-year, biomass-fueled ethanol refinery in Hereford, Texas. The restructuring was made with the support of the project’s lenders and will allow for the completion of construction and startup of the facility. “The successful restructuring of the Hereford project’s funding arrangements represents a vote of confidence in our …
Ethanol Benefits Outweigh Costs
A senior economist with the nation’s largest general farm organization says the benefits of ethanol outweigh the costs. During the Association of Equipment Manufacturers AgExecutive forum in St. Louis last week, American Farm Bureau senior economist Terry Francl said that the consumer is seeing a benefit from ethanol. “The bottom line on the ethanol side is that although it has …
Cellulosic Ethanol Company Goes Public
A South Dakota-based cellulosic ethanol company has gone public and changed its name. KL Process Design Group is now KL Energy Corp, a move that will help the company generate funding to develop its second commercial scale cellulosic ethanol production facility. Since January of 2008, the KL has been producing cellulosic ethanol using waste wood as feedstock, at a commercial …