American Farmers Can Help the World Produce Food and Fuel

Cindy Zimmerman

World Food Prize Ed SchaferThe answer to feeding a growing world population lies with building on the success of the American farmer, according to Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer, who addressed the World Food Prize breakfast Friday morning in Des Moines.

“Our focus should be on sharing our technology, equipment and know-how, processes and procedures to help farmers all over the world boost the productivity of their land,” Schafer said. “Just in the last 15 years, our corn yields have increased from an average of 100 bushels per acre to 150 bushels per acre, a 50 percent increase in yield in 15 years.”

“Gains of this kind have allowed the United States producers to meet the rising demand for food and feed and fuel, while maintaining record level exports and strong food aid donations,” Schafer added.

Listen to Schafer’s address to the World Food Prize here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/world-food/wfp-08-schafer.mp3]

You can also download the audio with this link:
Ed Schafer at World Food Prize (mp3)

See photos of the World Food Prize event here.

Audio, food and fuel

Biodiesel Sustainability

Cindy Zimmerman

Next to productivity, sustainability is the word being used most often at the World Food Prize symposium this week to talk about what is needed in global production of both food and biofuels.

Victoria CarterThe National Biodiesel Board formed a sustainability task force earlier this year, and one of the members of that task force is Victoria Carver with the Iowa Soybean Association. She says they are in the process of developing an advisory committee of experts and will be holding a symposium next month on the issue.

Carver attended many of the sessions at the World Food Prize symposium and was pleased with the overall emphasis on biotech crops, which can help increase production while not increasing land use. However, she did challenge a speaker during one session who said that biofuels were responsible were increasing food prices. “Food prices in real terms have come down dramatically in real terms, adjusted for inflation,” she said. “Do we really want to create a paradigm where farmers actually lose value in their product over time? And it’s especially important here at the World Food Prize because they are addressing issues of agriculture in developing countries which is a great economic opportunity there.”

In addition, Carver noted that biofuels have helped keep energy prices lower than they would be otherwise. “We know in this country that the increase in biofuels that’s been stimulated by the Renewable Fuels Standard has resulted in less of an increase in fuel prices than we would have had without it, by 40 cents a gallon,” she said. “I think it’s important that we think critically about the assumption that biofuels are kind of a culprit.”

Listen to an interview with Victoria here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/world-food/wfp-08-victoria.mp3]

You can also download the audio with this link:
Victoria Carver interview (mp3)

See photos of the World Food Prize event here.

Biodiesel, International

More on Schafer at Farm Foundation

John Davis

As promised, I’ve got some more material for you from Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer, who addressed attendees of the Farm Foundation’s Transition to a Bioeconomy: Environmental and Rural Impacts Conference in St. Louis, Mo.

Schafer praised Farm Foundation’s long commitment to promoting the free-form type of discussion and debate we saw at this just-concluded conference of state and federal government officials, academics and representatives of the private industry. He says this is where real solutions to the challenges that face Rural America will be found.

“I’m really pleased that USDA can play a strong part and [be] a strong collaborator in this important work.”

Schafer says we must ask the tough questions, such as how are we going to grow the feedstocks of the future, what are they going to be, where we going to grow them… and how we get those feedstocks into the biofuel supply chain.

“The science that is critical to for the trans to a new bioeconomy also demands a strong partnership as we move forward on the research arena… the federal, the land grant and the private sector research coming together for this important mission.” Schafer adds that as we make the transition, corn ethanol is the bridge to cellulosic ethanol using the infrastructure and industry established by the corn ethanol industry.

Listen to Schafer’s address to the Farm Foundation here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/farm-foundation/Schaferaddress.mp3]

Download audio file here.

Farm Foundation, Government

World Bank President on Biofuels

Cindy Zimmerman

World Food Prize Bob ZoellickThe 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 be a critical component of a larger energy mix.” He also acknowledged the importance of creating the marketing framework which he says is “partly what some of the oilseeds-based and corn-based biofuels are about.”

He urges policy makers in the U.S. to consider some ways to change the structure of tariffs and subsidies for ethanol, such as having some “safety-valves” that would allow for the reduction of subsidies when prices reach certain levels.

Listen to Zoellick’s comments here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/world-food/wfp-08-zoellick-biofuels.mp3]

You can also download the audio with this link: Zoellick on Food and Fuel (mp3)

See photos of the World Food Prize event here.

Audio, Biodiesel, Ethanol, International

World Food Prize Winners on Food and Fuel

Cindy Zimmerman

World Food Prize Laureates McGovern Bertinin DoleThe 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 Bertini, were asked what they thought about whether food and fuel production can co-exist.

“I think there is a moral challenge in utilizing food for fuel at a time when there’s so many hungry people in the world,” McGovern said. “On the other hand, if it’s kept within reasonable bounds, I think it can be good for both agriculture and nutrition.” He stressed the need for the development of non-food sources for fuel.

Dole noted the importance of new energy sources in the presidential election and he thinks the answer lies in having a number of alternatives. “There’s switchgrass and other biofuels, and there’s nuclear energy and drilling off-shore,” Dole said. “We gotta do everything we can, it’s not all going to be ethanol.”

Listen to McGovern’s and Dole’s comments here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/world-food/wfp-08-winners-biofuels.mp3]

You can also download the audio with this link: World Food Prize Winners on Food and Fuel (mp3)

See photos of the World Food Prize event here.

Audio, Biodiesel, Ethanol, International

Soy Biodiesel Means Fuel and Protein

Cindy Zimmerman

World Food PrizeMaking 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 Food Prize luncheon sponsored by the soybean industry on Thursday, Hershey said that when you take the oil to use as a fuel, you’re still left with every bit of protein from the soybean. “By raising more soy for biodiesel, we actually raise more protein and that’s what the world needs,” Hershey said.

Hershey says they have calculated that of the 100 million gallons of soy biodiesel produced in Iowa last year, “the protein that came from those beans would feed 30 billion rations of soy” based on 25 grams per day.

Listen to an interview with Hershey here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/world-food/wfp-08-hershey.mp3]

You can also download the audio with this link: Jim Hershey at World Food Prize (mp3)

See photos of the World Food Prize event here.

Biodiesel, food and fuel, International

E85 Grand Opening in Pueblo, CO

Western Convenience at 3201 Lake Avenue in Pueblo, Colorado will hold a grand opening event to celebrate their offering of E85 on Wednesday, October 29. The event will allow consumers to receive promotional pricing on E85 plus learn more about the fuel.

The celebration will began at 11 a.m. and will include a live radio remote, hot dogs, refreshments and the fuel special of E85 for 85 cents per gallon until 2 p.m.

Sponsoring this event are: the Colorado Corn Growers Association, the Governor’s Biofuels Coalition, Southern Colorado Clean Cities and Western Convenience.

There are now four E85 fueling facilities in the city of Pueblo to fuel their just over 2,200 registered flexible fuel vehicles.

corn, E85, Ethanol, Facilities, News

Credit Crisis Hot Topic at Farm Foundation Conference

John Davis

The recent credit crisis in the country was certainly a hot topic of conversation at today’s Farm Foundation Transition to a Bioeconomy: Environmental and Rural Development Impacts Conference here in St. Louis, Mo.

Cole Gustafson, a biofuels economist with North Dakota State University, says the current credit issues is going to make financing any venture a challenge, but he says the existing ethanol and biodiesel plants are in pretty good shape as far as financing goes.

He says any new ventures will have to make sure they have solid financial fundamentals before they’ll be approved for any loan.

“Wall Street is nervous in general,” he says. And any one interested in getting financing for a new biofuels project will have to make sure they have their financial basics in good order and might need to diversify.

Listen to my conversation with Gustafson here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/farm-foundation/Gustafson.mp3]

Audio, Biodiesel, Ethanol, Farm Foundation, Government, News

Schafer Tells Farm Foundation to Get Ready for Breakthroughs

John Davis

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer has just finished addressing the folks attending the latest Farm Foundation’s Transition to a Bioeconomy Conference going on in St. Louis, Mo.

Schafer reminded the crowd how hard the current administration has worked to promote the biofuels field in this country, and thus, how hard it had worked to help the farmers who are either directly or indirectly tied to this change to a bioeconomy.

He said that now, more than ever, we need to keep exploring new technologies and new ideas to secure our energy independence and in turn, our national security. Schafer added that ethanol and biodiesel, as well as other renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, will be key to that energy security and independence.

I’ll have some more audio from Schafer’s address to the Farm Foundation, but for now, let me give you a little bit of what he told reporters who caught him for just a few minutes before he had to head out.

I asked him about the importance of a meeting such as this, where diverse opinions are brought together to come up with a consensus as to what might be the best direction to go.

“These conferences are very important because what you get is that diverse viewpoint. And when you’re challenging one another, you end up picking up the good pieces and forging good public policy and direction.”

He added that this isn’t solely a price issue or an environmental issue or an economics issue… all must be looked at for a biofuel policy for America.

Listen to Schafer’s comment here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/farm-foundation/Schafer1.mp3]

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Farm Foundation, Government, News

Biotech for Biofuels

Cindy Zimmerman

Pioneer Hi-Bred International continues to work on increasing agricultural productivity to both feed and fuel the world.

World Food Prize Paul SchicklerPioneer 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 on petroleum based products.”

“We can do that through a number of sciences in the market today and additional generations will be on the market in the years ahead,” Schickler said.

Listen to Schickler biofuels comment here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/world-food/wfp-08-schickler-biofuels.mp3]

You can also download the audio with this link: Paul Schickler on biofuels (mp3)

Schickler also took the first question to the panel, which was “How optimistic are you that the world can reduce hunger by half by 2015?”

Schickler stated that he was very confident that goal could be reached, simply on the basis of increased food production, using hybrid corn as an example. “If you look back throughout the development of hybrid corn, productivity has improved at about one and a half percent per year,” he said. “As we look to the future, we think we can double that, and that has already started to show up in the last 8-10 years through the use of biotechnology, plant genetics and improved agronomic practices.”

Listen to Schickler’s answer to that question here:
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/world-food/wfp-08-schickler.MP3]

You can also download the audio with this link: Paul Schickler at World Food Prize (mp3)

See photos of the World Food Prize event here.

Agribusiness, Audio, Biodiesel, corn