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NCGA Continues to Increase Use of Renewables with Ag Vision 2020 (7-05-01)
The National Corn
Growers Association (NCGA), in cooperation with the Department of Energy
(DOE), continues to focus on the Plant/Crop-Based Renewable Resources
Vision 2020. Ag Vision 2020, funded in part by farmers who contribute
to 20 nation-wide checkoff funds, is a broad-based partnership of agricultural,
forestry and chemical industry experts working to create plant-based,
renewable products that would replace petroleum-based consumer products
as fossil-fuel supplies dwindle.
The U.S. currently
imports more than half of its petroleum and that number is expected
to grow to over 65% by 2020. Since there is a finite supply of fossil
fuels, it only makes sense to make a transition to crop-based resources,
which can be renewed in a short period of time.
The vision, said
NCGA Corn Action Team Chairman Vic Miller, a farmer fromOelwein, Iowa,
targets a five-fold increase in today's tiny market shares of these
basic renewable chemical components by the year 2020.
"If corn were
the feedstock for 10 percent of this market today," said Miller,
"it would increase farm income by more than five billion dollars
per year. That is the equivalent to a 50-cent increase in the price
of corn."
A "technology
roadmap" has been put in place to identify performance goals for
AgVision. It also establishes a focused research and development agenda
for developing the technologies needed to make the industry vision a
reality. There are four research categories identified in the roadmap.
They are:
- Plant Science
- Production
- Processing
- Utilization
Miller said the
ultimate goal for Ag Vision 2020 is to increase the market share of
renewable chemical building blocks to 10% by 2020, up from the current
2%, and up to 50% by the year 2050.
The DOE AgVision
is the only program concentrating on increasing the use of renewable
resources for chemicals to be used for bioproducts. To date, $15 million
has been set aside to address priorities outlined in the four roadmap
categories. The Bush Administration has placed a high priority on AgVision
by not proposing a reduction in funding.
Last
reviewed July 5, 2001
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