Last week, the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) and North Dakota Corn welcomed stakeholders from Ghana, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Mozambique and Nigeria for an ethanol procurement course designed to help importers acquire U.S. ethanol in their markets.
“Strengthening buyers’ understanding of how ethanol is produced, traded and integrated into domestic and international fuel markets is an important step in broadening inroads for U.S. ethanol in international markets,” said Alicia Koch, USGBC director for global ethanol export development.
“Improving participants’ technical capacity and decision-making skills related to ethanol sourcing, risk management and market evaluation streamlines the process of exporting U.S. ethanol and benefits customers globally by reducing costs and harmful emissions.”
The program kicked off at the Northern Crops Institute (NCI) in Fargo, where farmers and industry experts including North Dakota Corn Growers Association (NDCGA) Executive Director Brenda Elmer and North Dakota Corn Utilization Council Chairman Carson Klosterman provided an overview of U.S. corn and ethanol production.
Later that day, NDCGA Vice President and USGBC Trade Policy Advisory Team Leader Ben Bakko welcomed the team to his farm, and a tour of an ethanol plant offered hands-on reinforcement of the morning’s discussions and established trust in the U.S. ethanol value chain.
The rest of the week’s agenda took place back at NCI and covered vital sections of the global biofuel economy, starting with shipping logistics and international ethanol policies affecting market capacities.
The sustainability benefits of ethanol were also a key topic, with speakers highlighting its effectiveness in carbon reduction and applications in aviation fuel and marine fuel that can further amplify ethanol’s positive impact on environmental and human health.
The final component of the course was a deeper dive into the economics of ethanol, understanding pricing and market dynamics as well as co-products like distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) that have separate uses.
“This course was beneficial for customers from varied regions at different stages of ethanol capacity and integration, building on U.S. ethanol’s reputation as a reliable, high-quality energy source for developing and developed markets alike,” Koch said.
“Including producers and USGBC membership in trade team agendas also greatly improves participants’ understanding and trust by connecting them directly to the growers and logistics involved in delivering U.S. ethanol to destinations around the world.”
Learn more about the Council’s work in ethanol on the organization’s website.