Agri sector's gains from green energy up for talks at Agrilink

Renewable or “green” sources of energy can be profitably propagated by the agricultural sector without affecting food supply.

The key is in the use of non-food feedstock like jatropha (tuba-tuba), or plants with multiple purposes like malunggay whose seeds can produce biodiesel while its leaves serve as a popular green food.

Thus, green energy can provide additional incomes to farmers while creating new agribusiness and agro-industrial enterprises involved in plant-based fuel and power production.

But how to cash in on its emerging business opportunities and access its technologies and markets is the challenge, which is among the many issues on renewable energy that P2 Petro managing director Patricio Lopez will discuss at the forthcoming Agrilink, Foodlink and Aqualink, the country’s biggest and most prestigious annual international trade show on agribusiness, food and aquaculture.

The triple events, slated at the World Trade Center Metro Manila on Oct. 9-11, includes various seminars, one of which will have Lopez speaking on the various aspects of renewable energy.

Lopez shares the mounting bias for alternative fuels as crude oil supply cannot cope with increasing demand.

“By 2040, the world’s crude oil deposits will reach critical levels. It is near the halfway mark as we speak,” Lopez said.

But the skyrocketing fuel prices and the inevitable depletion of the world’s crude oil supply are not the only problems. Also confronting the world today is the worsening level of pollution from carbon emissions emanating from the use of fossil fuel. The result is global warming, which melts the glaciers, raises sea levels, causes unprecedented flooding, and affects agricultural production.

Aware of this grim reality and of an even grimmer eventuality, the government encourages research and development of renewable sources of energy, supports technology transfer and provides fiscal incentives for private sector investments in this field.

“The growing popularity of renewable types of energy is very timely as these answer our problems of rising costs of living and global warming,” Lopez said.

Renewable energy pertains to power that can be generated on a sustainable basis. These include solar, wind, hydro and geothermal energy, and alternative fuels derived from biological materials.

 Alternative fuels in use today include methanol, denatured ethanol, and other alcohols blended with gasoline, diesel or other fuels. Those that act as substitutes to petroleum — such as natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, hydrogen, coal-derived liquid fuels and electricity — are also considered as alternative fuels.

On the other hand, biofuels are made from biomass and primarily used for motive, thermal and power generation, with quality specifications in accordance with the Philippine National Standards (PNS).

Biofuels are expected, not only to increase farm incomes, but also to reduce production costs since these offer cheaper alternatives to fossil fuel while minimizing harmful and costly effects on nature and the environment.

Designed to provide the legal framework for the development and use of biofuels is Senate Bill 2226. This Biofuels Bill is geared to be a milestone in harnessing renewable energy, a topic that Lopez will tackle extensively during Agrilink, Foodlink and Aqualink 2008.

Co-organized by the Foundation for Resource Linkage and Development (FRLD) with 20 national trade organizations, Agrilink/Foodlink/Aqualink 2008 is supported by the Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural and Fishery Council, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the French Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (Le Club), with ABS-CBN as media partner.

Inquiries and/or booth reservations can be made with FRLD (tel. 8384549, 8384852, fax 8384573 or email [email protected]).