Start of international biofuel conference

Several USDA agencies–the Agricultural Research Service, the Foreign
Agricultural Service, and Rural Development–and the University of Minnesota are
sponsoring the conference.

“Our goal in this conference, where we have
brought together key experts and decision-makers from biofuel producing and
consuming countries, is to gain perspective on the next steps in biofuel
development and to improve opportunities for future collaboration, especially in
the area of research,” said USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education and
Economics Gale Buchanan, who opened the conference.

“Expanding America’s
renewable energy sources will have far-reaching economic opportunities for rural
and agricultural communities,” said USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development
Thomas C. Dorr, who is also chairman of the USDA Energy Council. “USDA is
committed to the development and financing of new energy sources and energy
efficiencies that support President Bush’s goal of greater energy
independence.”

“As global markets for biofuels continue to grow in
importance, our goal is to bring together key international technical experts
from government and public institutions to raise issues, exchange information,
share best practices and provide a global platform to highlight and promote
agricultural biofuels,” said Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Michael
Yost.

Countries from a diverse range of developed and developing
economies are participating in the conference, including Japan, India, Kenya,
Russia, Dominican Republic, the United Kingdom, the People’s Republic of China,
Norway and Brazil. Other speakers at the conference include Steve E. Koonin,
chief scientist, British Petroleum; Richard Flavell, chief scientific officer,
Ceres, Inc., United States; Kepler Euclides Filho, executive director of the
Bioenergy Program of Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Brazil; and
Yue Guojun, assistant president of COFCO, Ltd., in the People’s Republic of
China.

Related folder:
Dossier AllAbout Bio Energy

Related website:
Conference
website