EESI Releases 2007 Farm Bill Recommendations

On May 11, 2007, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute released, The 2007 Farm Bill: Policy Recommendations for Integrated Renewable Energy Production, this is an update to their 2001 farm bill recommendations, The 2002 Farm Bill: Revitalizing the Farm Economy Through Renewable Energy Development.

The report focuses on how renewable energy must be woven together with core initiatives including production of safe quality food and feed, conservation, rural economic development, and sustainability to see true results and benefits. It takes into consideration major challenges to the reauthorization including significant budget constraints, pressures to encourage free trade, high commodity prices, and a difficult balancing act of regional and constituent priorities.

EESI believes agriculture-based renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, wind, small scale hydro and solar, has the potential to respond to security, climate change and economic development which will boost farmer income, create jobs in rural communities, diversify the nation’s energy markets, and protect the environment. 

Recommendations cover the following areas:

* Education and Outreach
* Research on sustainable production, social/economic impacts/benefits and technologies
* Rural Economic Development through building human capacity and ownership
* Feedstock Production and Diversification
* Biorefinery Development
* Biobased Products
* Non-Farm Bill related energy provisions