No More Iowa Nice: Biofuels Leaders Push for Year-Round E15 [Video]

By Cami Koons

ALTOONA — Monte Shaw, executive director of Iowa Renewable Fuels Association urged industry leaders and farmers at the association’s summit Tuesday to pursue expanding markets and to be wary of “looking in the rearview mirror.”  

Leaders in ethanol, biofuels, and associated markets from across the country gathered at the Prairie Meadows Event Center in Altoona for the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association annual summit, this year with a theme of “fuels of opportunity.” 

Shaw, in an opening session, shared his observation of a divide he sees in Iowa. 

“It’s a divide between people who think everything is fine, and people who think that the foundations of our rural economy are a little bit shaky,” Shaw said, admitting he finds himself in the second camp. 

Shaw pointed to figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showing a $90 billion decline in net farm income forecasts from 2023 and 2024. 

That’s worse than the declines, by percentage points, in the 1980s, Shaw said.

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