Bioeconomy Community Conversation: Food, Feed & Fuel

More than 800 community leaders from across Iowa participated in the second round of discussions about what the emerging Bioeconomy means for the future of the state and its residents. The objectives were to present the facts, relating to the food, feed and fuel issue, and to seek community leader's opinions as we shape Iowa’s future together.

NEW: A two-page executive summary (.pdf file) of the findings reported from these discussions is now available.

Participants in Community Conversations II heard from a variety of Iowa State University experts on topics related to the issue. Videos of their presentations are provided below:

Bioeconomy Community Conversations II: Food, Feed and Fuel (Overview) [Time: 12:56]
Jack Payne, Vice President for Extension and Outreach
Iowa's Position in Global Agriculture and Bioenergy [Time 13:35]
Chad Hart, Department of Economics
Renewable Energy's Place in the High Energy Cost Picture [Time 16:22]
Dan Otto, Department of Economics
Food and Fuel: Enough Grain but Not Enough Processing [Time 14:30]
Charles R. Hurburgh, Jr., Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Factors that Determine the Cost of Food [Time 16:55]
John Lawrence, Department of Economics
Rising Energy and Food Prices: Effects on Families [Time 13:05]
Cynthia Needles Fletcher, Department of Human Development and Family Studies
From Vulnerability to Resiliency: Iowa Agriculture in the Age of Biorenewables [Time 23:36]
J. Arbuckle, Department of Sociology

The following White Papers were discussed:

Bringing Communities Together for Bioeconomy Discussion (Overview)

Iowa's Position in Global Agriculture and Bioenergy, Chad Hart

Renewable Energy's Place in the High Energy Cost Picture, Dan Otto

Food and Fuel: Enough Grain but Not Enough Processing, Charles Hurburgh and John Lawrence

Factors that Determine the Cost of Food, Chad Hart and John Lawrence

Rising Energy and Food Prices: Effects on Families, Cynthia Needles Fletcher

From Vulnerability to Resiliency: Iowa Agriculture in the Age of Biorenewables, J. Gordon Arbuckle, Matt Helmers, Matt Liebman, Lisa Schulte

The discussion group for Clay County was held on Thursday, November 20, 2009 at the Clay County Extension Office. Participants joined in the conversations and provided input relating to bioeconomy topics.

Author: K. Rice Date: 3/19/2009