PUBLIC-PRIVATE EFFORTS AT U.N. TO DEVELOP BIO-FUELS IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND BEYOND: 17/05/2009 (MaximsNews Network)
UNITED NATIONS - / MaximsNews Network / 17 May 2009 - The Public-Private Alliance Foundation (PPAF) held its Third Annual "Partners Against Poverty" event at the UN with 45 high-level participants and observers representing five countries (Brazil, Dominican Republic, USA, Honduras and Haiti) to discuss business innovations in the development and production of bio-fuels, especially in the Dominican Republic.
“Green energy in the Dominican Republic has great potential in economic, environmental and social terms,” said Dr. David Stillman, one of the event's organizers. “With direct access to major markets such as the US and Europe, ethanol production from local feedstock offers significant investment opportunities.”
The event was organized by David Stillman, Ph.D, PPAF Executive Director and ResearchPAYS®, Inc. President Tom Kadala, MBA. The UN Office for Partnerships sponsored the meetings that were held at the United Nations on 7 May 2009.
Aristides Fernandez-Zucco, Minister of State and President of the Dominican National Energy Commission, greeted participants and offered introductory remarks.
Distinguished participants representing the Dominican Republic included Felipe Vicini and several senior staff of Grupo Vicini and CAEI, Francis Lorenzo, Deputy Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations, and Jorge Selman, the New York representative for the Center for Export and Investment of the Dominican Republic (CEI-DR).
Institutions and companies represented included the US State Department, the UN Foundation, Cornell University, the Inter-American Development Bank, Verenium Corporation, Masada Resource Group, International Sugar Organization, International Ethanol Trade Association, Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association, SIMACT, several investors and several units of the United Nations.
“After two-hours of an invigorating exchange, the group arrived to a number of exciting discoveries and next steps,” explains Kadala, the group’s discussion facilitator. “Group participants got a chance to interact with their peers, compare points of view, and jointly evaluate important industry issues.”
The group emphasized that bio-fuel development in the Dominican Republic can make an important contribution to reduce dependence on imported petroleum, expand sugar cane productivity and create jobs for people in the agricultural and related sectors.
Production of jatropha and other biodiesel feedstock on marginal land, such as that on the frontier with Haiti could also improve living standards on both sides of the border.
Participants felt that low-cost and effective distribution of product and access to capital are critical issues. The development of the sector requires long-term capital, while the financial environment favors short-term periods and projects.
Popularly held views focus on issues of food versus fuel and indirect land use issues, but the discussants felt these were not relevant in the Dominican Republic where sugar cane production has declined in recent years, fields lie fallow and farmers are out of work.
Many participants in the meeting expressed their desire to engage in further discussions leading to action.
Follow-up meetings will take place at the United Nations in June prior to an Renewable Sources of Energy conference and in the Dominican Republic later in the summer.
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