NCGA
President Addresses Potential for a Biobased Economy at BIO Conference
(4-26-05)
National Corn
Growers Association (NCGA) President Leon Corzine joined government
officials, academics and leaders from the biotechnology, chemical
and agricultural sectors last week to discuss the future of the
bioprocessing industry at the World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology
and Bioprocessing. The event, held in Orlando, Fla., was sponsored
by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the American Chemical
Society, and the National Agricultural Biotechnology Council.
During a presentation
on transitioning to a biobased economy, Corzine said U.S. demand
for crude oil shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. With
oil demand projected to be about 25 to 30 percent higher by 2020,
the corn industry and all of agriculture are in a position to provide
a solution for this demand, he said.
“Americans
must commit significant resources to shift the U.S. energy supply
from one that is dependant on oil to one that utilizes renewable
domestic sources of energy,” said Corzine. “Corn and
other agricultural crops will play an important role in shifting
our society from dependence on foreign oil to a plant-based paradigm.”
Corzine told
the group NCGA has been active in leading the development of a biobased
economy by working with agriculture partners to promote new and
future uses of corn, as well as pushing for legislation that would
increase the country’s use of renewable fuels such as ethanol.
He cited NCGA’s recent report on the future structure of agriculture
as one NCGA effort to help corn producers participate in the added
value of their products bringing more income back to family farms.
The illustrates how the industry can accelerate the transition into
a biobased economy.
“This
was a great event and exciting for me as a corn farmer and representative
of NCGA to see how the research community is building on the ethanol
industry we have developed,” Corzine said. “They are
working with new technologies to make our renewable products even
more efficient as we work to make the United States less dependent
on foreign sources of energy. It’s exciting to see ethanol
as the pathway to the future.”
He added that
moving to a biobased economy gives his family farm and the next
generation of growers many more opportunities for their operations
and ensures the corn industry is viable in the future.
Corzine also
noted that although significant progress has been made to advance
corn as the feedstock of the future for fuel, fiber, food, livestock
feed and consumer items, there is still much work to be done in
research and marketing. “We have the means to address the
mounting energy crisis right here within our own boarders,”
he said. “Corn and agriculture as a whole are part of the
long-term solution to our energy needs.”
Noting the versatility
of corn and other commodity crops, Corzine said, “We are in
a scenario today where if you can make it from petroleum, you can
make it from corn. From fuel to polymers, we have the technology
to effectively replace petroleum-based products.”
However, Corzine
said corn alone as a feedstock will not be enough to meet the growing
use of bioenergy. “All producers must cooperate and have the
common interest in improving our nation’s environmental quality,
making our nation more self-reliant for energy and improving the
U.S. economy while offering high-quality, affordable products to
consumers,” he said.
Corzine concluded
with three ways NCGA believes the nation can move toward a bio-based
future. “We must continue to increase legislative and consumer
acceptance of agriculture and ethanol; we must support research
on biomass production, collection and conversion; and we must increase
outreach to the public to help everyone understand the importance
of implementing new technologies for continued economic and environmental
security.”
The conference also included remarks from Iowa Gov. Thomas J. Vilsack;
Paul Roberts, author of the “The End of Oil: On the Edge of
a Perilous New World”; and Richard Worzel, a futurist, strategic
planner, and author of “The Next 20 Years of Your Life.”