The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) and North Dakota Corn recently welcomed ethanol importers from Ghana, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Mozambique, and Nigeria for a weeklong ethanol procurement course designed to strengthen their understanding of U.S. ethanol markets.
The program began at the Northern Crops Institute (NCI) in Fargo, where participants received an overview of U.S. corn and ethanol production from industry leaders including Brenda Elmer, executive director of the North Dakota Corn Growers Association, and Carson Klosterman, chairman of the North Dakota Corn Utilization Council. Attendees toured an ethanol plant and visited a local farm to gain firsthand experience of the ethanol value chain.
Sessions covered global biofuel logistics, international ethanol policies, and the sustainability advantages of ethanol, including its role in reducing carbon emissions and potential applications in aviation and marine fuels. The course concluded with a detailed look at ethanol economics and co-products such as distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS).
Alicia Koch, USGBC director for global ethanol export development, said the course helped improve participants’ technical skills and decision-making, facilitating smoother ethanol sourcing and benefiting customers worldwide. She emphasized the value of connecting buyers directly with producers to build trust and deepen understanding of the U.S. ethanol supply chain.
