Farmers in America’s southern Plains are once again thinking about canola because a major player is retrofitting an oilseed plant in Kansas to crush both soybeans and canola. | File photo

Southern U.S. Plains hope for canola comeback

Plans to retrofit an oilseed plant in Kansas to crush both soybeans and canola raise optimism for the winter crop

WINNIPEG — The resurrection of canola in Oklahoma and Kansas may begin this fall. Farmers in America’s southern Plains are once again thinking about canola because a major player is retrofitting an oilseed plant in Kansas to crush both soybeans and canola. Scoular, an agribusiness with headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska, and annual revenues of about […] Read more

JBS said 1.2 million tonnes of beef tallow and pork lard from its units in the United States, Canada and Australia have been directed to the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other renewable fuels in the last two years. | Screencap via jbs.com.br

JBS taps SAF sector

SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) — Brazilian meat packer JBS is supplying animal waste from its operations abroad for the production of renewable aviation fuels and is studying a similar initiative in Brazil through the Friboi brand. The company said 1.2 million tonnes of beef tallow and pork lard from its units in the United States, […] Read more

"There is potential for there to be a bump in demand for wheat driven by these regulatory policies," said Shannon Sereda, director of government relations, policy and markets with Alberta Grains. "As much attention as canola gets, there's definitely opportunities within the wheat ethanol market."  |  File photo

Wheat sector sees upside to clean fuel program

While American wheat growers say similar regulations threaten their crop, the Canadian industry is more optimistic

SASKATOON — Most of the talk about Canada’s new Clean Fuel Regulations has been about the opportunity it represents for canola, but there is another crop that could benefit. “There is potential for there to be a bump in demand for wheat driven by these regulatory policies,” said Shannon Sereda, director of government relations, policy […] Read more


China is expected to soon unveil its policy on sustainable aviation fuel use for 2030, which could spur billions of dollars of investment.  |  Getty Images

China backs ‘green’ jet fuel

SINGAPORE (Reuters) — Biofuel firms are pouring more than $1 billion into building China’s first plants to turn waste cooking oil into aviation fuel for export and to meet domestic demand once Beijing mandates the fuel’s use on airplanes to cut emissions. China, which is he world’s second-largest aviation market with about 11 per cent […] Read more

Recent changes to how ethanol can quality for sustainable aviation fuel subsidies in the United States could hinder the government’s goal of producing 30 billion gallons by 2030.  |  Getty Images

Little ethanol to qualify for aviation fuel credit

U.S. program will require that feedstock be grown using three practices, which many farmers won’t be able to follow

REUTERS — Little to no ethanol will qualify for U.S. sustainable aviation fuel subsidies under a new pilot program by president Joe Biden’s administration, according to a Reuters review of government data and people familiar with the matter. The pilot program toughened climate requirements at the last minute and could hurt the biofuel industry, which […] Read more


U.S. flax growers say production has become so small that existing food and industrial uses are considered sufficient, making it unnecessary to pursue biofuel markets.  |  File photo

Flax misses biofuel party

SASKATOON — It seems like every oilseed crop is vying to be a biofuel feedstock, with one notable exception. “Flax is kind of the odd man out,” said Dale Leftwich, policy manager for the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission. He doesn’t know why that is the case. “I’m not sure what all of the reasons would […] Read more

The good news is that canola-based SAF qualifies for the base blender's credit of US$1.25 per gallon because it was previously approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an eligible feedstock. The bad news is that it does not qualify for the additional 50 cent per gallon blender's credit that is up for grabs. | File photo

Canola feels there is room for improvement in U.S. SAF tax credit

The industry plans to continue lobbying the U.S. government for better access to the sustainable aviation fuel program

SASKATOON — Canada’s canola industry had a mixed reaction to new sustainable aviation fuel tax credit guidelines coming out of the United States. The good news is that canola-based SAF qualifies for the base blender’s credit of US$1.25 per gallon because it was previously approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an eligible feedstock. […] Read more

Just adding green-sounding farm practices such as no-till, while stirring in carbon credits from controversial technologies like carbon pipelines and methane-making manure digesters, won’t make ethanol green or SAF sustainable, environmental experts point out. | Reuters photo

Critics question U.S. gov’t focus on sustainable aviation fuel

Federal policymakers and their Big Ag friends have a problem: their hope to make corn and soybeans the feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel hit a wall when the aviation industry ruled that biofuel from either crop did not meet its “sustainable” guidelines. As such, there would be no corn- or soy-based SAF. That’s not the […] Read more


Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) will be the biggest driver of the biofuel market over the next two decades, Joao Morciani, agriculture and biofuels analyst with Fastmarkets, said during a recent webinar. | Getty Images

Vegetable oil hits aviation turbulence

Sustainable aviation fuel was seen as major new market for vegetable oil, but stiffer competition may dash those hopes

SASKATOON — The biofuel market for vegetable oil might not be as massive as once envisioned, according to a commodity price reporting agency. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will be the biggest driver of the biofuel market over the next two decades, Joao Morciani, agriculture and biofuel analyst with Fastmarkets, said during a recent webinar. Related […] Read more

Proponents hope the jet biofuel market will reach three billion gallons a year by 2030 and 35 billion gallons annually by 2050. | Reuters photo

U.S. rigs the game to allow sustainable aviation fuel to play

The easiest way to win any game is to rig the rules. That’s what Big Ag and its loyal boosters at the U.S. Department of Agriculture appear to be doing to make sure their new project, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), flies despite market gravity and basic science. Proponents hope the jet biofuel market will reach […] Read more