Projects
Transition to a Bioeconomy Conference Series
The Transition to A Bioeconomy Conference Series
The nation’s rapid transition to a bioeconomy has significant implications for agriculture, the food system, rural communities and the global economy. This series of conferences was designed to inventory current knowledge, highlight lessons learned to date, identify future possibilities and determine future information needs.
These conferences and the products produced provide government, industry, academic and community leaders with objective information and analysis they can use to make more informed decisions related to the evolving bioeconomy.
The first conference in the series was Transition to a Bioeconomy: Integration of Agriculture and Energy Systems (February 2008). Participants examined the impacts of a bioeconomy on farming systems, cropping patterns, by- and co-product markets and animal agriculture. Also discussed were the farming and energy systems that will be needed to support the cellulosic industry when that technolog becomes commercially viable.
The second conference, Transition to a Bioeconomy: Risk, Infrastructure and Industry Evolution, addressed such topics as financial issues, business environment, business models, and transportation needs. This conference was in June 2008.
The third conference in October 2008 focused on Environmental and Rural Development Impacts. Conference speakers examined how the emerging bioeconomy may impact domestic and global land use, water quality, jobs and local economies. Other sessions focused on how the emerging bioeconomy may be shaped by green technologies, public policies or public attitudes.
Global Trade and Policy Issues was the subject of the fourth conference March 30-31, 2009, in Washington D.C. This conference examined global energy markets; global impacts of biofuels policies; industry perspectives on the future of energy and public policies; and global energy production options.
The conference series concluded in The Role of Extension in Energy. This June 30-July 1, 2009, conference in Little Rock, Ark., was targeted to Extension educators.
Farm Foundation has been a catalyst on bioenergy issues since June 2004, when it led the conference Agriculture as a Consumer and Producer of Energy.
Other conferences include:
Biofuels, Food and Feed Tradeoffs April 2007
Energy in Agriculture: Managing the Risk June 2006
Energy from Agriculture: New Technologies, Innovations and Success Stories, December 2005