Global Ethanol Summit Brings Together 55 Countries, Leads To Sales

Using Agricultural Trade Promotion (ATP) program funds, the U.S Grains Council hosted the first-ever Global Ethanol Summit in 2019, with 450 ministerial-level officials and senior-level industry leaders, ethanol producers and refiners from more than 55 countries attending to discuss the benefits of creating or expanding ethanol policies with a role for trade.

The goal of the event was to provide a single, clear message on the benefits of ethanol use around the world to achieve environmental, human health, and economic benefits. The Summit laid the foundation for future collaborations in target markets and provided a platform for various countries at different stages of the implementation process to learn from each other’s successes and mistakes.

Capitalizing on the successes of the regionally-focused 2017 Ethanol Summit of the Americas and 2018 Ethanol Summit of the Asia-Pacific, the Global Ethanol Summit sought to build upon new, potential and existing markets as global demand for higher-level biofuel policies increases. The Council also used the platform to address constraints for ethanol use in various countries around the world.

Countries shared their experiences with the implementation of existing biofuel policies and discussed how best to support the development of new biofuels policies. The conference was also a medium for experts to share views and analysis on the global ethanol outlook and changing policies for mature markets such as Brazil and Canada, including their impacts on demand.

Experts educated participants and industry stakeholders on the importance of policy formation, and its role as the fundamental basis for the creation of a successful ethanol program. The need for immediate decarbonization of fuel around the world was highlighted as a necessary process to reap the immense environmental and human health benefits ethanol brings. The value proposition of blending ethanol in various economies was explored to provide an outlook for countries at different stages of the implementation process.

The U.S. Grains Council hosted nine pre- and post- Summit tours so participants could experience the ethanol production and value chain firsthand. Post tours were held in Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Overall, $18 million in sales have been attributed to the Global Ethanol Summit. During the event, $9 million of direct sales were made and, based on contacts established over the course of the Summit and associated business-to-business meetings, an additional $9 million in sales were made following the event. Based solely on these sales – excluding non-monetary benefits or future sales – this accounts for a return on investment of the Summit of 9:1.