Technical Program

Day 1 - July 23, 2014

Morning theme sessions

Four (4) parallel sessions, each featuring: 

Invited speaker, 5 technical talks, and panel-led discussion. 

Socioeconomic Sustainability Dimensions of Biofuels in the Americas

Chair: Theresa Selfa, Co-Chair: Sam Sweitz

Although many Pan American governments continue to incentivize the growth of the biofuels industry, one of the key challenges for biofuels sustainability has been concern about its social impacts and implications.  This session focuses on the Pan American region and invites research abstracts on the social implications of future biofuel and bioenergy expansion.  Examples of relevant topics include food security, land and resources rights, and related topics.  Case study presentations are also welcomed.

Pan American Bioenergy Development and Integrated Water Resources Management

Chair: David Watkins, Co-Chair: Márcia M.G.A. Moraes

Large-scale bioenergy production will affect the hydrologic cycle in multiple ways, including changes in canopy interception, evapotranspiration, infiltration, and the quantity and quality of surface runoff and ground recharge.  This session focuses Pan American biofuel and bioenergy development and invites research abstracts on water footprint analyses, water quality, integrated water-energy analyses, watershed scale studies linked to biofuel and bioenergy development, and other related topics, including case studies. 

Bioenergy and Biodiversity: Key Lessons and Research Priorities in the Pan America Region

Chair: Audrey Mayer, Co-Chair: Leandro Baumgarten

Understanding how large-scale bioenergy production can affect biodiversity is important if society is to meet current and future sustainable development goals. This session invites abstracts of research on biodiversity and ecosystem impacts of biofuel and bioenergy production systems in the Pan America region.   

Policies for the Sustainable Development of Biofuels in Pan America

Chair: Barry Solomon, Co-Chair: Alberto Acevedo

Rapid growth of biofuel production in the United States and Brazil over the past decade has increased interest in replicating this development in other nations of the Pan American region.  A key biofuel policy research question is “are national biofuel policies achieving their goals?” This session welcomes abstracts covering analyses of biofuel and bioenergy policies in different Pan American countries.  Abstracts addressing alternative international governance regimes for biofuel sustainability are also welcomed.    

Afternoon cross-disciplinary sessions

Four (4) parallel sessions, each featuring: 

Invited speaker, 5 technical talks, and panel-led discussion. 

Biogeochemical Research Priorities for Sustainable Biofuels and Bioenergy Feedstock Development in the Pan America Region

Chair: Hero Gollany, Co-Chair: Brian Titus

Rapid expansion in biomass production for biofuels and bioenergy in the Pan America region is increasing demands on ecosystem resources required to sustain it.  This rapid expansion has outpaced scientific knowledge of biogeochemical processes related to ecosystem sustainability.  Abstracts are sought in topics such as the effects of biomass removal on soil organic matter and macro- and micro-nutrients, cation exchange capacity, pH, soil structure and compaction, long-term soil productivity and crop growth, effects of biomass management systems on greenhouse gas emissions, implications on other soil ecosystem services (e.g., contaminant degradation, water purification), and sustainability indicators of soil productivity and their application in land management. 

Standardization of Environmental Life Cycle Assessments of Biofuels in the Pan America Region

Chair: David Shonnard, Co-Chair: Julio Sacramento-Rivero

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) provides a comprehensive analysis of potential environmental effects across the entire production and utilization chain, yet there are many challenges and a wide variability in methodology such as data quality, impact indicators, scale of production, system boundaries, co-product allocation, and other study features.  This session seeks abstracts addressing the standardization of biofuel and bioenergy life cycle assessments in the Pan American region, how study assumptions affect study results, and importance of biofuel and bioenergy policy on LCA methodology.

Opportunities and Challenges for Biomass Supply Chains in the Pan-American Region

Chair: Pasi Lautala, Co-Chair: TBD

Biomass supply chains that are economically feasible, energy efficient, and compatible with environmental and social goals are a requirement for sustainable biofuels and bioenergy development.  This session seeks integrated analyses of biomass supply chains for biofuels and  bioenergy production utilizing diverse types of biomass and from many different locations in the Pan American region. 

Poster Session

Poster Session: Pan American Biofuel and Bioenergy Sustainability

Chair: David Shonnard, Co-Chair: Bethany Klemetsrud

This session will include all relevant topics pertaining to the sustainability of biofuels and bioenergy development in Pan America.  Abstracts are welcome from academia, industry, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations. 

Dinner and Keynote Presentation

Day 2 - July 24, 2014 

Morning cross-disciplinary sessions

Four (4) parallel sessions, each featuring: 

Invited speaker, 4 technical talks, and panel-led discussion. 

• Technological Innovation
• Ecosystem Impacts: Incorporating Science and Indigenous Knowledge
• Bioenergy and Social Justice
• Sustainability Issues in Biofuel and Bioenergy Industries

Lunch

Biorefinery Tour

Evening cross-sector sessions

Four (4) parallel sessions, each featuring: 

Invited speaker, 4 technical talks, and panel-led discussion. 

• NGO-Government Perspectives
• Brazilian Biofuel Sustainability Issues
• Industry-Government Perspectives
• Industry-Academic Perspectives 

Day 3 - July 25, 2014

Morning session

Synthesis presentations and discussion

Lunch and End of General Conference

Afternoon Private Session (RCN and by invite)