In November 2023, the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute announced a new USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Irrigation and Mechanization Systems (ILIMS). ILIMS enhances global food security by generating research-based solutions to support the growth of vibrant irrigation and mechanization markets; develops strong institutions and local capacity for their sustainability; and fosters opportunities for equitable access for …
Ethanol Report on California and E15
It has been nearly 15 years since the Environmental Protection Agency approved the sale of 15% ethanol blended fuel (E15) for 2001 model year cars and older, and nearly every state in the nation now sells it, often at a discount to regular gasoline. The only state that bans the sale of E15 is California, despite the fact that the …
DWFI Podcast 36 – Impacts of Drought on Human Health
Drought is a prolonged dry period that can occur anywhere in the world and results in a water shortage. Unlike some other disasters, drought has a slow onset and a prolonged impact on health, agriculture, economies, energy and the environment. An estimated 55 million people globally are affected by droughts every year and as many as 700 million people are …
Ethanol Report on EV Push Back
The Renewable Fuels Association and National Farmers Union have joined in a lawsuit challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s light- and medium-duty vehicle emissions standards, which they say essentially mandate battery electric vehicles while ignoring other technologies such as low-carbon ethanol and flex fuel vehicles. In this edition of the Ethanol Report, RFA president and CEO Geoff Cooper discusses the lawsuit …
Ethanol Report on Days of Summer
When it’s summertime, the driving is easier with ethanol. As millions of Americans are looking ahead to summer vacations and family road trips, high fuel prices may be a concern, but ethanol is helping to keep prices lower than they might be otherwise, and the Renewable Fuels Association notes that higher ethanol blends like E15 and E85 offer even lower …
Ethanol Report on 40B SAF Tax Credit and Beyond
The 40B tax credit guidance and modified GREET model released April 30 by U.S. Treasury lays the groundwork for U.S. ethanol producers and farmers to participate in the emerging market for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). But since 40B expires at the end of this year, all the attention will now turn to implementing the 45Z credit to start next year, …
ZimmCast 730 – AWIS and Nitrogen Pulse
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. AWIS Weather Services started nearly 30 years ago as Agricultural Weather Information Services to serve Florida citrus growers who needed Ag Forecast Products. Staying true to their roots, AWIS continues to offer Ag Weather tools no one else has. Each state has a section for Animal Management, Field Crops, Fruit/Nut Crops, Irrigation Management, Nursery …
DWFI Podcast 35 – Nebraska’s Agtech Innovation Ecosystem
Farmers are the original agtech innovators. As the population grows, and water resources become scarcer, there is a need for continued innovation in agricultural technologies, and a ready network to foster and accelerate them. The 2024 Nebraska Agtech Innovation Ecosystem Map, jointly published by Water for Food and The Combine AgTech Incubator by Invest Nebraska, outlines the ecosystem for entrepreneurs …
Ethanol Report on EPA E15 Waiver
The emergency fuel waiver issued by the Environmental Protection Agency to allow sales of E15 this summer will help American consumers save money at the pump, while also cutting greenhouse gas emissions and harmful tailpipe pollution, but the Renewable Fuels Association says a permanent legislative solution is still necessary. The emergency waiver issued Friday follows a concerted effort by RFA …
ZimmCast 728 – Global Center for AgComm
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I started in a career of agricultural communications back in 1983 and in all these years it is amazing how much has changed. Technology has played a major role and that includes the ability today to easily communicate about agriculture everywhere in the world. Having said this I’m going to have a conversation with …
Ethanol Report on GREET Model Delay
GREET is the word that has still not been heard from the Biden Administration as the ethanol industry anxiously awaits a decision on a modified lifecycle analysis model that will be used to assess the eligibility of feedstocks for new tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) recently joined two dozen other biofuel and farm …
DWFI Podcast 34 – Impacts of Climate Change in the US
The Fifth National Climate Assessment is federally mandated by Congress and released every four years to serve as the foremost review of research on the current and future impacts of climate change in the United States. In this episode of the Water for Food Podcast, DWFI Director of Communications and Public Relations Frances Hayes discusses key findings of the report …
ZimmCast 726 – Clean and Renewable Fuels
The push for everything to be more carbon neutral and sustainable has never been stronger, and that continues to increase the demand for clean and renewable fuels. Clean Fuels Alliance America and the Renewable Fuels Association have both held their annual conferences this year to focus on the challenges and opportunities for the U.S. biofuels industry. The Clean Fuels Conference …
Ethanol Report on 29th NEC
The 29th National Ethanol Conference held in San Diego California last week may go down as one of the best and most timely industry meetings ever, setting the stage for major decisions that hang in the balance this year, including year-round availability of E15 and a revised GREET model that will determine ethanol’s role in sustainable aviation fuel. The Renewable …
DWFI Podcast 33 – Economic Cost of Drought
Aakanksha Melkani, a postdoctoral research associate at the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI), researches the economic implications of drought in the United States, specifically on agricultural sectors. In this edition of the Water for Food Podcast, we are sharing an episode of Nebraska on Tap, a podcast produced by the Middle Republican Natural Resources District in Nebraska. Host …