Doug Berven joined POET in March of 2003 and has served the organization in several key roles since then. In his current role as Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Doug promotes the corporate objectives of POET, the importance of agriculture, and the benefits of biofuels domestically and internationally. Doug currently sits on the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance Executive Committee and Board, the Fuels Institute Advisory Board, is a Senior Advisor to Solutions from the Land, is the Executive Director of the South Dakota Ethanol Producers Association, is team leader on the U.S. Grains Council Ethanol Advisory Team, and serves on several other industry associated work groups, committees, and associations. He also manages strategic corporate relations for POET, promotes state, national, and international policy objectives for the industry, and is a recognized authority on biofuels, renewable energy, and agriculture.

Today, we get to hear from that wealth of experience and expertise on a topic that can be controversial in the biofuels world, food versus fuel. We are going to explore the growth of bioethanol in the US and how it has shaped rural economies over the past four decades and impacted our food systems. And then we are going to pivot to the global south and explore the challenges of food insecurity and how bioethanol could actually improve those dynamics rather than threaten the food supply. We discussed the innovative technology, regulatory environment, and supply chain dynamics that could help shape the future of the global south and see a huge shift in agriculture, allowing many countries to successfully produce their own food and fuel.