You’re Invited! “Match Making” in the Biofuels Value Chain at USDA
On March 30th, the Department of Agriculture, is hosting a “match making day” at USDA, to promote connections between agricultural producers of energy feedstocks (and their related businesses) with biorefiners seeking to produce biofuels for commercial sale and consumption. Officials from the U.S. Department of Navy, U.S. Department of Energy, and the Federal Aviation Administration will attend, make presentations and answer questions.
As we move forward as a nation, identifying and implementing an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy, there are key relationships that will determine our success in the effort to develop and deploy aviation biofuels. The objectives of this match making session will be to improve awareness and increase understanding of the biofuels supply-chain links between those involved in feedstock production and the processors of that feedstock into biofuels. This includes logistical challenges, potential roles of service providers, and potential pitfalls.
At this meeting, federal officials will provide a short profile of each section of the supply chain and representatives from the participating stakeholders will respond with brief presentations that outline their experiences in their respective supply chain sector, barriers encountered and lessons learned. They will outline potential growth and opportunities.
Short presentations will be made at the top of each hour leaving time for table discussion, at which a representative from each of the sectors of the biofuels supply chain should be seated, as well as one or more government officials.
The event will be held on Friday, March 30th at USDA Headquarters (Whitten Building Patio) 1400 Independence Ave, SW, Washington, D.C. from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. It’s free but you must register.
TO REGISTER, please e-mail: OSEC-RESupplyChain@osec.usda.gov
with following information:
Company Name:
Names and Titles of Attendees:
Address:
Phone:
E-mail:
Website:
Please Describe Your Position on the Biofuels Production Value Chain: (feedstock seed developer or provider, feedstock grower or harvester, feedstock processor, feedstock transporter, feedstock storer, bio-refiner, feedstock machinery manufacturer/provider, other).
If you need more information, please dial 202-401-0461.
We look forward to seeing you here at USDA.
I believe the department is missing the point. This is a great goal but how does the department expect me, as a small producer in the state of Kansas, to attend a session in DC? So then this becomes an exercise in the interest of large agribusiness corporations and excludes the small producers from the dialog.
Your point about not being in Washington DC to take advantage of the Biofuels Matchmaking event is well taken. Technology may help. You can visit USDA’s energy website and use the matrix tool, http://www.usda.gov/energy/matrix/Home, or the renewable energy tool, http://www.usda.gov/energy/maps/html/energytool.htm, both of which provide information on production, research, development and distribution of renewable energy. The matrix is USDA’s one-stop shop designed to serve the public and private sectors, and the government. Depending on the success of the March 30 Matchmaking event, we may hold similar events in states or regions. We will continue to develop information, resources and tools to meet renewable energy needs nationwide.