President Obama was interviewed yesterday by Yankton, South Dakota's WNAX Farm Director Michelle Rook, speaking about the Administration's "Rural Tour" which kicks off July 1. In the interview, the President spoke at length about biofuels and their role in the future of American agriculture.
When asked how big of a role he thought renewable fuels would play in the long-term profitability of American agriculture, President Obama replied, "I think it's going to be critical. I think there's huge potential around biofuels... Ethanol has been a big boon to a lot of rural communities, really making the difference between profitability and not making a profit for a lot of farmers."
The President noted that next-generation biofuels will be important: "What we also are recognizing is that the key for us is going to be moving into the next generation of biofuels. How can we use wood chips, refuse, switchgrass, and the whole other set of biofuels standards, and how can we improve the efficiency of first generation biofuels. And farmers are going to be critical to that entire process."
President Obama also cited the example of Brazil, which uses ethanol extensively to fuel its automobile fleet. "If Brazil can do it, there's no reason we can't do it," the President said.
Listen to the radio interview in its entirety here.
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