The E-Xchange — Brazil
What ILUC? Amazon Deforestation Rates Hit Lowest Point Since at Least 1988
Geoff Cooper responds to US ethanol causing "indirect land use change" and the continuous annual reduction in deforestation rates resulting in the lowest point since 1988.
Posted in Agriculture, Corn, Brazil, Ethanol, Energy, Environment, Land Use
Expanding Trade Opportunities in South Korea and Japan
Kelly Davis recounts her trip to northeast Asia as part of a trade mission to discuss U.S. ethanol policy, import and export capabilities, trends in corn co-products, and other important issues.
March Exports/Imports: “Ethanol Shuffle” with Brazil Alive and Well
The U.S. remained a net exporter in March by a slim margin. March exports of ethanol totaled 58.8 million gallons, up 38% from February. Canada was again the leading destination.
August Ethanol Exports
U.S. ethanol exports in August fell to their lowest level in 22 months, according to government data released yesterday. August exports totaled 50.2 million gallons (mg), down 21% from July and the lowest since November 2010. Exports of denatured ethanol for fuel use totaled 33.2 mg, while undenatured ethanol for fuel use tallied 12.1 mg. Exports of distillers grains also dropped to their lowest volume of the year in August, with 541,639 metric tons (mt) being exported.
U.S. Ethanol Exports Strong in January; Brazil is Top Market
Government data released today showed the U.S. exported 76.3 million gallons (mg) of ethanol (denatured and undenatured, non-beverage) in January. This marks the highest total ever for the first month of the year, which is typically a slow month for U.S. ethanol exports.
2011 Ethanol Exports Total 1.19 Billion Gallons; Brazil Accounts for One-Third of Shipments
2011 was a huge year for ethanol exports. According to government data released this morning, the year ended with record monthly ethanol exports of 172.7 million gallons (mg) in December. More than 40% of December exports went to Brazil.
Understanding California Court Decision and the LCFS
A federal court in California has ruled that the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard violates the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. This is a significant development for all U.S. ethanol producers. In the following post, the RFA explains the ruling and why it truly matters.
The Ethanol Shuffle
There’s a hot new craze called the “Ethanol Shuffle” that’s sweeping seaports from Sao Paulo to Los Angeles and Houston to Maceio. It’s not a new dance for longshoremen and ship captains; no, this is a shuffle of an entirely different sort. This shuffle is all about the confounded realignment of the global ethanol trade.
Senators McCain and Barrasso Just Don’t Get Ethanol Trade Policy
According to reports, during a meeting with officials in Brazil, former presidential candidate, Senator John McCain (R-AZ), and his colleague Senator John Barrasso (R-WY)made bold claims about the legality of U.S. ethanol policy under World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations. Such claims are simply unjustified.
Posted in Brazil, Ethanol, Production, VEETC
If a Tree Doesn’t Fall in the Forest, Will ENGOs and Regulators Notice?
Environmental lawyer Timothy Searchinger’s ILUC hypothesis, already reeling, took another crippling blow today when Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced that deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has fallen to its lowest rate since the government began collecting data in 1988. Data from the Brazilian government clearly show that Amazon deforestation rates in Brazil have been plunging for the last seven years, and the 2010 rate is less than one-quarter of the rate experienced in 2004 when deforestation reached more than 10,700 square miles. All of this has occurred while U.S. biofuels production has increased dramatically (nearly 300% since 2004), proving once again that there is no correlation between U.S. ethanol output and deforestation. Will the ENGOs and regulators notice?
Posted in Brazil, Ethanol, Environment, Land Use, Production
The Thin Line Between Academics and Advocacy
Anti-ethanol special interests will leave no stone unturned in their efforts to denigrate American farmers and ethanol producers in a desperate attempt to return to the good ol’ days when corn was $2/bushel and oil was the only game in town. The most recent salvo is the exploitation of an Iowa State University professor that has previously taken money from Brazilian sugar plantations to question American ethanol production. It reads as though it might have been written in the boardroom of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, not in a classroom in Ames, Iowa. (As an Iowa State Alum, I can attest to the generally high quality of the academic experience). As was the case then, his most current arguments still don’t seem based on likely real world scenarios.
ILUC: Real World Results Vs. Economic Theory
Since a polemic paper from environmental attorney Tim Searchinger was released in February 2008, a false notion that American ethanol production from grain was leading to Brazilian rainforest destruction has permeated discussions around ethanol's environmental contributions. Now, a team of researchers from the Department of Energy have analyzed real world data from the period of greatest American ethanol expansion and found this notion to be without merit.
Posted in Agriculture, Brazil, Ethanol, Environment, Land Use, Renewable Fuels, Research, U.S Dept. of Energy
Brazil’s Government Funded, Government Nurtured Ethanol Industry
Those who live in glass house ought not throw stones. It is quite brazenly disingenuous for UNICA to lecture Americans on our national ethanol policy. The Brazilian government has had a far heavier hand in growing the ethanol industry in that country than this post would lead you to believe.
UNICA’s sweeteralternative.com: A wolf in blog’s clothing
Every week or so, Joel Velasco of UNICA posts a new entry to UNICA's new Sweeter Alternative “blog”. This "blog" appears to more of a non-blog as readers don’t have any opportunity to express their views or respond to the slanted opinions served up by UNICA. In a June 28 post, RFA was accused of "cherry picking" data for a recent presentation to the House Ag Committee that shows Brazil’s increased ethanol output over the past decade has come primarily through expansion of the land area dedicated to growing sugarcane. Since there’s no opportunity for the public to comment on UNICA’s web site, I will address the "cherry picking" allegations here.
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