U.S. grain and soybean associations and IICA trained Latin American and Caribbean technical specialists on biofuel to foster a sustainable energy matrix in the region

San Jose, 20 April 2021 (IICA) – Two courses delivered by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), under the sponsorship of the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), enabled nearly 130 policymakers, technical government officials and private sector representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean to enhance their knowledge of biofuel, with a view to driving the transition from fossil fuels to biofuel.

Among the participants were officials from the ministries of the environment, energy, economy and agriculture; representatives of technical standard-setting institutions and regulation agencies in the region; as well as workers from national oil companies.

The first course, “Liquid Biofuel in the Americas: Current Situation and Development Potential”, enabled 47 specialists from Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala to learn about the potential of biofuels, the regional context in this topic, job creation and the development of rural territories, among other aspects. Specialists from the Dominican Republic are currently participating in the training process.

“The goal is to provide technical specialists and public policymakers from the various countries with the knowledge and tools they require to develop and implement public policies and regulatory frameworks related to biofuel”, explained Hugo Chavarría, Manager of IICA’s Bioeconomy and Production Development Program.

According to USGC specialists Carlos Suárez and Juan Díaz, building these capacities is crucial in order to reap the benefits of biofuel in the region, especially as each country transitions towards a diversified energy matrix.

The second initiative was a virtual workshop entitled “Capacity Building on Biofuel for Policymakers and Regulators”, which provided training for 85 government officials and decision-makers interested in analyzing the potential of biofuel in the Americas.

The panelists underscored the need for Latin America and the Caribbean to transition towards a much more sustainable energy matrix that makes rational use of the vast amount of biological resources in the region, where most countries are net importers of hydrocarbons.

“We must follow the example of countries that are concerned about the environment, agriculture and energy security, in order to guarantee the sustainable development of the biofuel industry”, remarked Leonardo Chapula, Regional Oils Manager for USSEC.

More information:

Institutional Communication Division

comunicacion.institucional@iica.int