With the support of IICA, agriculture and bioenergy industry associations of the Americas create the Pan-American liquid biofuels coalition

IICA release

San Jose, 31 March 2023 (IICA). The main business and industry associations of the Americas involved in the production and processing of sugar, alcohol, corn, sorghum, soybeans, vegetable oil and grains, among other agricultural products, created the Pan-American Liquid Biofuels Coalition (CPBIO) to coordinate the sustainable production, promotion and consumption of these clean energies throughout the hemisphere.

The coalition was established during the Pan-American Liquid Biofuels Summit, organized in San Jose by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), which will serve as the coalition’s Technical Secretariat.

The 25 organizations that established the CPBIO, which represent many countries of the Americas, signed a declaration in which they call for a more robust institutional framework and greater coordination to promote biofuels.

“In today’s international context, coordinating experiences and knowledge is key to achieving sustainable objectives that will have an impact on the environment in the future. For this reason, IICA assumes its role as Technical Secretariat of the Coalition with a sense of great responsibility. In this capacity, it will catalyze the working group’s actions and support the implementation of the proposed roadmap”, said Manuel Otero, Director General of IICA.

“The Americas is a region where a large amount of bioenergy and biofuels are sustainably produced. However, these initiatives are neither formalized nor institutionalized, which prevents the smooth and assertive dissemination of information. This innovative coalition will enable the sector to face future challenges in supplying the world with low-carbon energy”, explained Evandro Gussi, President of the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA), one of the founders of CPBIO.

Gussi added that IICA’s support will be crucial to develop the coalition and its work objectives. “In implementing its proposals and agreements, the sector will have at its disposal  all the experience that IICA has provided to the Americas over several decades”. 

According to Edgar Herrera, Executive Director of the Sugar Cane Industry Association (LAICA) of Costa Rica, another founder of the coalition, “Discussing the benefits of biofuels and renewable energies on the environment is a matter of energy security—a State issue, as is food security. Without a doubt, the missing piece was a hemispheric perspective, which is what an institution like IICA is able to offer”.

The declaration through which the CPBIO was established refers to an increasingly troublesome climate crisis, but notes there is still time to avoid greater catastrophes. It highlights the fact that biofuels, and liquid biofuels in particular, will play a key role in decarbonizing transportation. 

According to the coalition, biofuels improve air quality and the health of the population, as well as contribute to agricultural and economic development. Their production diversifies the productive supply, adds value, protects soils through crop rotation, creates sustainable jobs and guarantees a stable demand over time for farmers.

Furthermore, biofuel production reduces the vulnerability associated with a single energy source.

“Public policies play a key role in the development of clean energies in general and biofuels in particular. In this regard, countries of the Americas are in a privileged position, because they possess biomass that can be industrialized in a sustainable manner to produce biofuels, which allows for decarbonizing the economy and protecting the health of people, animals and plants”, remarked Agustín Torroba, International Biofuels Specialist at IICA.

The member hemispheric organizations of the Pan-American Liquid Biofuels Coalition (CPBIO) are:

• Sugar Association of El Salvador
• Renewable Fuels Association of Guatemala (ACR) 
• Argentine Soybean Chain Association (ACSOJA) 
• Sugar Producers of the Central American Isthmus (AICA) 
• Alcohols of Uruguay (ALUR) 
• Association of Alcohol Producers of Guatemala (APAG) 
• Local Alcohol Productive Arrangement (APLA) of Brazil 
• Association of Biofuel Producers of Brazil (APROBIO) 
• Sugar and Alcohol Association of Panama (AZUCALPA) 
• Paraguayan Chamber of Biofuels and Renewable Energies (BIOCAP) 
• Argentine Sugar Center (CAA) 
• Paraguayan Sugar and Alcohol Center (CAAP) 
• Corn Bioethanol Chamber (BIOMAIZ) of Argentina 
• Argentine Biofuel Chamber (CARBIO) 
• Oil Industry Chamber of Argentina-Cereal Exporters Center (CIARA-CEC) 
• National Chamber of the Sugar and Alcohol Industry (CNIAA) of Mexico 
• National Committee of Sugar Producers of Nicaragua (CNPA) 
• National Federation of Biofuels of Colombia (FEDECOMBUSTIBLES) 
• Sugar Cane Industry Association (LAICA) of Costa Rica 
• Argentine Corn and Sorghum Association (MAIZAR) 
• Peruvian Association of Agro-industrial Companies of Sugar and Related Products (PERUCAÑA) 
• Association of Latin American Sugar Producers (UNALA) 
• National Corn Ethanol Union (UNEM) 
• Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) 
• U.S. Grains Council