Sept. 14 conference at U of M to explore biofuels and land use

The nation’s leading thinkers on the issues of land use, climate change and biofuel sustainability will meet in St. Paul Sept. 14 to discuss the longstanding debate on indirect land use change -- known as ILUC -- and set the stage for ensuring the sustainability of the next generation of biofuels.

The one-day ILUC conference, sponsored by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) in collaboration with the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment, will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the university’s St. Paul Student Center, Northstar Ball Room, 2017 Buford Ave., St. Paul.

“This conference will be different from other ILUC discussions,” said Jim Kleinschmit, director of IATP’s Rural Communities Program. “With the policy debate around ILUC at a relative lull, we want this conference to be reflective, innovative and forward-thinking. We’ll ask participants to take off their expert hats and affiliations and think broadly across disciplines and perspectives. This will be an opportunity for critical reflection on the work so far, and will serve to inform the debate as it moves forward.”