AID specific support grant no. DAN-1406-G-SS-9065-00 to the Agribusiness Council, Inc. in support of a government/industry workshop on the agro-industrial revolution - a new relationship with petrochemicals

to hold a conference on opportunities overseas for U.S. agribusinesses, particularly those involving commercial exploitation of the emerging relationship between agro-technology and petro-technology. The conference will develop an agenda for research, development, and commercialization of new technologies and public-private partnerships (including universities) in agro-industrial products. It will also strengthen awareness of the link between U.S. agricultural exports and economic growth in the developing world. The conference will address such topics as: (1) gasoline and diesel fuel additives or substitutes (ethanol, methanol, or vegetable oil substitutes); (2) vegetable and other boiler fuels; (3) conversion of biomass residues into energy through combustion; (4) fermentation of plant starches, proteins, etc. into biodegradable plastics and other finished industrial goods; (5) plant sources for industrial feed stocks; (6) plant-derived specialty chemicals (including pharmaceuticals); (7) use of plant-derived fibers as paper substitutes and petroleum-derived synthetic fibers; and (8) future biotechnology research using plants.