On Monday, March 9, 2009, the International Biofuels Commission invited representatives of prominent US biofuels industry organizations for a conversation in Washington, D.C. with one of its founding Co-Chairs, former Agriculture Minister of Brazil, Roberto Rodrigues. Included among them were: the American Soybean Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Biodiesel Board, National Corngrowers Association, Natural Resource Solutions (25X25), Renewable Fuels Association, US Soybean Board and US Soybean Export Council. Obviously, relations between them and their counterparts in Latin America have often been competitive in nature. But, through respectful dialogue, the hope was to direct attention toward uncovering common ground that unites all agricultural interests of the Western Hemisphere at the present crucial juncture in world affairs.

Minister Rodrigues’ initial remarks focused upon the truly enormous opportunities that have emerged because of a confluence of irresistible forces over recent decades. Global security, continued development for both rich and poor countries and environmental considerations all now make imperative a much greater role for biofuels in powering the planet. And large strides forward are now possible that will “transform geo-economics and geo-politics – to its benefit and that of its present and future inhabitants”. Philip Bradshaw, of the US Soybean Board, agreed with Minister Rodrigues and highlighted the special responsibilities of the world’s farming community – especially those in an ever-more integrated Western Hemisphere – to think and act in creative ways to take full advantage of those opportunities. “While remaining competitors with respect to particular commodities in particular markets,” he averred, “they also could and should become the most powerful partners in feeding and fueling the world of the future”.
Indeed, during the subsequent general discussion, there proved to be wide-spread sentiment in favor of an effort to leave differences of interest and perspective to one side and engage in an effort to identify shared challenges and opportunities. The broadest potential for common action was clearly seen to be rest on a now-urgent need for better education of publics and policymakers around the globe on the merits of increased biofuels use. Limiting – and, if possible, reducing – consumption of fossil fuels has become imperative from a number of crucial standpoints. And biofuels currently comprise the only realistic alternative – especially in the transportation sector. Steadily and significantly increasing their use would clearly help stabilize the world economy, enhance national security for both developed and developing democracies, contribute to alleviation of poverty and benefit the environment. Yet there is insufficiently general appreciation of these obvious facts. And, indeed, a number of pernicious myths have emerged that hinder the development of biofuels production to its true capacity.

All those involved in the biofuels industry around the globe obviously possess a common interest in projecting a positive image for biofuels and refuting negative untruths – so as to ensure that the size of the global market for their products expands to the maximum extent feasible. Thus, some coordination of messages and enhanced, more synchronized efforts to deliver them – on the parts of all Western Hemisphere producers – comprises one significant realm for possible cooperation. Logical targets for this effort would include the mass and specialized media, public fora where experts and policymakers gather and direct representations to officials of all concerned governments and international organizations. Fresh, new approaches to message development and delivery might also be considered. Perhaps, some joint statement of basic “Biofuels Principles” could be developed by all their advocates, world-wide. And venues to begin collaboration of this nature might include such upcoming events as: the Hemispheric Energy Summit, to be held in Trinidad April 17-19 2009; the CCAA’s 2nd Annual Central American Energy Supply Security Form to be held in Guatemala City May 6-7; the Brazilian government’s Ethanol Summit scheduled for Sao Paulo, June 1-3; the Governor of Florida’s Climate Change Forum, June 10-12; the Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum to be held in Jamaica October 15-16 and the rapidly approaching Copenhagen Review of the Kyoto Treaty.

Another area for potential collaboration identified during the discussion was the potential for joint market development – and, indeed, partnership in building new biofuels production capacity in countries that have yet to enter the field. The US-Brazilian Memorandum of Understanding signed last year already envisages helping other hemispheric nations to get started along this path, at least with respect to their domestic markets. And this could be just the beginning – both geographically and with respect to ultimate objectives – creating vast new opportunities for private sector groups with demonstrated biofuels production capabilities (providing, of course, that they can also encourage parallel expansion of markets, especially within already industrialized nations). Some participants also expressed the view that ongoing consultation among all private sector producers on such technical issues as global standards for their products and the concept of indirect land-use might help to ensure that national governments and international accords/institutions ultimately get definition of them done correctly.

This event was obviously only an initial and exploratory one. Subsequent contact – informally and on some semi-institutionalized basis – seemed agreeable to a majority of the organizations in attendance. And, therefore, a second meeting of this kind – but with a specific agenda of concrete possibilities for cooperation to be considered – would comprise the next logical step forward for those who are in agreement to proceed.