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News and Trends
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=75104 The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) has responded to the position of Jean Ziegler (UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food), on his grave concerns on the possible negative impacts of biofuels production from food-feedstocks (such as corn and wheat). In his report to the UN General Assembly, Ziegler warns of disastrous consequences related to the “ill conceived rush” to convert food into biofuels. He called for a 5-year moratorium on all “food-to-fuel” initiatives, during which steps can be taken to fully examine its social/environmental impacts, and establish “regulatory structures” that can minimize the negative impacts. In a press briefing, Ziegler was also quoted as saying, “It is a crime against humanity to convert agriculturally productive soil into soil which produces foodstuffs that will be burned into biofuel” (IRIN news, URL above). As reported by the Biopact website, the FAO responded, saying, “We regret the report of the Special Rapporteur [which] has taken a very complex issue, with many positive dimensions as well as negative ones, and characterised it as a 'crime against humanity'”. FAO strongly feels that food security and environmental considerations must be fully addressed before making investments or policy decisions, and we are actively working to ensure that this should happen.” A moratorium would ignore “the potential of biofuels to support rural development and assist the economies of developing countries; it would not be a “constructive approach” to the issue, FAO further said. Related information on UN Special Rapporteur Jean Ziegler’s Report : http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N07/487/05/PDF/N0748705.pdf?OpenElement
http://allafrica.com/stories/11061101.html An economic opportunity for some 905 small farmers from the semi-arid area in Kibwezi, Kenya, has been opened, as they learn to cultivate Jatropha curcas, under the “Trees for Clean Energy” program. Jatropha produces a non-edible oilseed which has been identified as a potential feedstock for future biodiesel production. Jatropha can be used in marginally productive lands (like in arid/semi-arid zones) due to its drought resistance, and it does not have negative impacts on the food chain. The program has been initiated by Kenyan agricultural scientist, Zaglon Waballa, in an effort to improve income of small farmers while tackling the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions..
http://biofuelsdigest.com/blog2//11/07/toyota-racing-series-in-new-zealand-converts-to-e85/ The Toyota Racing Series (TRS) is a car racing event independently organized by Motorsport New Zealand, with technical support and backing by Toyota New Zealand Limited. Recently, Motorsport New Zealand allowed the adoption of “E85” (a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% of 95 octane petrol) as racing fuel. It is said to be a world's first. Other racing series have also begun to explore the potential of biofuels for motorsport, but none so far have been said to commit to E85, at least until after 2009. According to the New Zealand News Herald, “The move [by Motorsport New Zealand] follows months of laboratory and dynamometer testing, engine performance tuning and a comprehensive re-development of the TRS cars with new fuel system components to enable the cars to use a biofuel”. The Biofuels Digest website also reports that under racing conditions, officials have noted that “the E85 blends are showing reduced emissions, increased power and torque over conventional fuels”. Although the biofuel initiative is specific to motorsport, it offers a good test environment to see how production cars (running on E85 biofuels) would perform under extreme conditions. Related information on the Toyota Racing Series: http://www.toyotaracing.co.nz/Default.aspx?pageid=11
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/764984/ Leading food seasoning company, Ajinomoto, has switched to rice hulls as direct biomass fuel in its Northern Thailand plants. Rice hull is an abundant resource in Northern Thailand, with no market value, and is just being burned by farmers as a disposal method. Ajinomoto has considered harnessing this resource, (through purchase from farmers), to power the steam generation needs of their fermentation plants in Northern Thailand. A reduction of about 100,000 tons in carbon dioxide emissions (or about 5% of the group’s annual total) has been estimated. Application for registering the project under the United Nations Clean Development Mechanism is underway.. Energy Crops and Feedstocks for Biofuels Production
http://www.chevron.com/news/press/release/?id=-10-31 After their first joint research effort on biofuels production from “Bio Oil Reforming Technology”, the United States National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and American Energy Company, Chevron, have announced a second research collaboration for algae-based biofuels development. The joint research effort (to be funded by Chevron) will focus on the identification and development of algal strains “that can be economically harvested and processed into finished transportation fuels”. Among the advantages in the use of algae as biofuel feedstock are: (1) high extractable oil content that can be processed into biodiesel, and (2) relative abundance with fast growth rates. NREL has research experience in improving the yield and productivity of key algal species from its previous efforts in the Aquatic Species Program for the Department of Energy in the 1980’s. Chevron, on the other hand, has the expertise in “transforming algal lipids into cost-competitive fuels”..
http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/42/5/1200/ (Abstract Only, full access may require paid subscription) Sweet potato is a carbohydrate-rich crop (in the form of starch) which can have food and biofuel applications. In contrast to other starchy crops, sweet potato has an image of being a “marginal food” and an “underrated” crop with respect to research. In order to get insights into these underlying issues, Keith Fuglie, of the Resources and Rural Economics Division of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), surveyed 36 knowledgeable scientists from 21 developing countries to get their perspectives on the constraints/priorities of small sweet potato growers in their respective countries. Survey results showed that major sweet potato growing regions have both common and region-specific priorities. Among the common priorities are: control of viruses, improvement in availability/quality of planting material, and development of small enterprises for sweet potato processing. Region specific priorities include the development of high starch-yielding cultivars for China, and control of sweet potato weevil for sub-Saharan Africa. The study also highlighted the greater need for postharvest utilization of sweet potato. In a related development on sweet potato research for biofuel applications, scientists from the North Carolina State University are developing high starch-containing sweet potatoes with an enzymatic “self-processing” ability to transform itself into a bioethanol-fermentation-ready material. These potatoes contain genes from deep sea bacteria which produce thermally stable starch hydolyzing enzymes. All that one has to do is to heat the potatoes, and the built in enzymes convert the starch to sugars ready for ethanol fermentation. Related information Biofuels Processinghttp://biopact.com//11/french-research-consortium-in-biomass.html The Biopact website reports that a consortium of French research agencies, are collaborating on a project which aims to develop a “Biomass-to-Liquids” (BTL) technology that can convert any type of lignocellulosic biomass into liquid “synthetic biofuels” for transport applications. The project, named “GASPAR”, is funded by the French Agency for Environment and Energy Management, and includes scientists from research agencies like the “Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement” (CIRAD), and the Institut Français du Pétrole (IFP), among others. “Synthetic biofuels” are fuels derived from the thermochemical processing of biomass. In the Biomass-To-Liquids (BTL) conversion technology, synthetic biofuels production usually proceeds in two stages. In the first stage (the “gasification stage”), the ground (pulverized) biomass is allowed to react (at high temperature) with a gasifying agent (like oxygen, sometimes with steam), to produce a gaseous mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. This gas mixture (also called “synthesis gas” or “syngas”), enters the second stage (usually known as “Fischer Tropsch synthesis”), where it is converted thermochemically, into a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons (the synthetic biofuel). The main focus of the research is said to be on the gasification stage, since the Fischer Tropsch step is already “well developed”. The GASPAR project will test different gasification strategies in its pilot programs in order to obtain the most cost effective one. The consortium estimates that BTL fuels can competitively replace about 15% of France’s liquid fuel consumption. A leading global energy company, Shell, and a leading solutions provider for clean biocatalytic chemical processes, Codexis have expanded their collaboration to develop a new generation of powerful enzymes which will convert a range of non-food feedstocks into high performance biofuels. The expanded research collaboration is an offshoot of the research success by Codexis in its previous research collaboration with Shell, twhich started in November 2006. Under this new collaboration, covering a period of five years, Shell will make an equity investment in Codexis, and will take a seat in its board. According to Dr. Graeme Sweeney, Shell Executive Vice President Future Fuels and C02, the “exciting research work into new powerful enzymes for more efficient conversion and better biofuels” would accelerate the drive for making the next-generation biofuels a commercial reality.” Relates information Biofuels Policy and Economics
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/137029.html Many African countries are waking up to the potential of harnessing their resources for biofuels production and development, with the aim of reducing dependence on costly fossil fuels. Other benefits like improvement in farm incomes are also possible. Mozambique has identified several million hectares of unused land which can be used for biofuel cultivation. The country has received requests to open 5 million hectares for plantation of biodiesel feedstocks like coconut, sunflower and jatropha. About US$ 700 million is being committed to biofuel production. Senegal’s President Abdoulaye Wade, has plans for a “biofuel revolution” and has set fuel crops “at the heart of agricultural renewal” for small farmers. South Africa is also set to put-in huge investments in biofuels; construction is underway for the first of eight maize-to-ethanol refineries. Drought prone African counries like, Swaziland, Zambia, Madagascar, Mali and Mozambique, are considering the use of drought-resistant jatropha as biodiesel food stock, to prevent negative impacts on the food supply chain.. |
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