Chuck Conner, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, is one of several speakers participating in a Bioeconomy Symposium and Panel Discussion on Nov. 14 as part of the Annual Meetings of the American Society of Agronomy-Crop Science Society of America-Soil Science Society of America in Indianapolis. At the conclusion of Conner's presentation, five speakers representing academia, industry, and government will present information and participate in a panel discussion, reporting on the opportunities and roadblocks for developing agriculture as a bio-based energy source.
EVENT: The New Bioeconomy: Opportunities and Roadblocks Symposium and Panel Discussion
DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006
TIME: 9:10 am to Noon
PLACE: Sagamore 3, Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis
Using agriculture to produce bioenergy is receiving great attention throughout the U.S., especially as fuel prices soar. Production of bioenergy has the potential to provide growers with an additional source of income, reduce farm subsidies, expand the rural industrial base, and reduce reliance on increasingly scarce fossil fuels. Many agree that agriculture has a role in addressing the nation's projected energy problems, but it's not without its own set of issues. The agricultural and forestry sectors will be tapped for its resources, but questions arise regarding the production capacities of these sectors given existing food, feed, fiber, and export demands. The symposium and panel discussion seeks to also answer questions related to the economic and environmental impacts of producing bioenergy on a large scale. According to symposium organizer Victor Lechtenberg, Vice Provost for Engagement, Purdue University, innovative tools and management practices from the academic and industry sectors working together are needed to support and guide the future direction of developing agriculture as a significant source for the new bioeconomy.
One of the panelists, Dr. Stephen
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Contact: Sara Uttech
suttech@agronomy.org
608-268-4948
American Society of Agronomy
3-Nov-2006