Why the farm bill needs a robust energy title

{mosads}By marrying biotech innovation with agriculture we are in the process of creating a biobased economy in the U.S. Producing advanced biofuels and growing and harvesting sustainable biomass can create as many as 800,000 new jobs and as much as $37 billion in economic activity over the next decade. This sizeable new market for agricultural products means farmers will rely less on the Federal government safety net. It also can help keep valuable farmland in production.

Advanced biofuel companies also have made considerable progress in bringing to market fuels made from agricultural and forest residues, new purpose-grown energy crops and additional sustainable biomass resources. There are more than 50 projects across the country that have been built, planned or are under construction to demonstrate advanced biofuel and biorefining technology. The first commercial-scale advanced biofuel projects have broken ground. These efforts are already producing good paying jobs for scientists and engineers. We have the know-how and resources to meet our ever-growing demand for energy, if only we can maintain the political will.

But new biofuels are only a part of the renewable energy and sustainable biomass picture. There are more than 900 biobased product companies employing approximately 54,000 people across the United States, according to a survey from Iowa State University. Continued development of biorefineries producing renewable chemicals and biobased products can generate new jobs and economic growth in rural areas where economic development is greatly needed. Renewable bioproducts also cut down on our dependence on imported oil.

There are additional opportunities for farmers and rural communities to invest in wind, solar, biogas and other renewable energy technologies as well as energy efficiency. Wind power, for instance, could produce enough power for 25 million homes yearly by 2020. The reality is that every state has rural areas rich in renewable resources.

Some of the energy programs in the 2008 Farm Bill are only now beginning to pay dividends. The good news is that projects are underway in every state and more are coming. These projects can create hundreds of thousands of jobs in rural America, contribute to U.S. energy security, and improve environmental quality. 

Congress can help farmers and others in rural America become more energy efficient, and thereby more profitable, while expanding markets for agricultural and forestry producers and even developing the world’s first dedicated energy crops by providing a robust energy title in the next Farm Bill. These are goals worth achieving in tough economic times.

Greenwood
is President & CEO
Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and Johnson is President of the National Farmers Union.