International Symposium on Renewable Feedstock for Biofuel and Bio-based Products held in Austin, USA on 11-13 August 2010

An International Symposium on Renewable Feedstock for Biofuel and Bio-based Products - the roles of non-food fibre crops: kenaf, jute, hemp, flax, and allied was held on 11-13 August 2010 at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Centre of the University of Texas at Austin, USA.  The symposium was organised by the CCG International Inc. in collaboration with the School of Human Ecology in the University of Texas at Austin and supported by the Centre for Biorefining, University of Minnesota.  International Jute Study Group (IJSG) was the Golden Fibre Sponsor of the programme.

Mr. Sudripta Roy, Secretary General, IJSG was the member of the Technical Advisory Committee and made an initial remarks at the opening session of the symposium. Mr. Roy also presented a paper on Application of Natural Fibre (Jute) Products while another paper on Role of IJSG in Promoting Jute as a Natural Fibre was presented by Mr. Dewan Sayeedul Hassan, Media and Information Officer of the IJSG. Mr. Md. Faruque Hossain also made a poster presentation on the same subject matter.  

The use of renewable feedstock for biofuels and bio-based products has become imminent and has drawn public attentions and industrial investments to a large extent. With favourable national energy policies to develop a green industry and protect the environment, plant-based biomass becomes a centre of thoughts on the production of value-added and environmentally-friendly bio-based products, including biofuels.

The Symposium focused on non-food feedstock which has high biomass productivity, less production inputs, and no competition with food crops, including but not limited to kenaf, jute, hemp, flax, ramie, switch grass, willow, crop residues, wood chips, etc. which mostly covered: applications of plant fibers in textile, paper pulp, biofuel, auto-mobile, construction, packaging, animal feed and environmental cleaning, etc.; new technologies for converting bast fibres into value-added products, such as processing techniques, pretreatments for fibre extraction, evaluation tools for fibre quality, and improved production technologies; production and supply of feedstock for biofuels and bio-based products, including cultivation practice, harvesting and processing, mechanisation, storage, new variety and biotechnology; marketing, supply chain, and quality control of fibres; networking with producers, end users, experts, business developers, investors, governmental officials, and international agencies around the world; exploring investment opportunities, international collaborations, and new project development; promoting environmentally-friendly products and policy and improve regional economy through poverty alleviation.

Researchers, producers, end users, business developers, investors and policy makers from around the world attended the symposium to delve into the values of non-food fibre crops in contributing a better environment and the bioeconomy.

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IJSG Secretary General meets the representatives of the potential member countries to UN in New York on 17 August 2010

A meeting was held between the Secretary General of the IJSG and the Ambassadors/Representatives of the potential member countries to UN in New York on      17 August 2010. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce IJSG, its role and research activities for the development of Jute, Kenaf and other Allied Fibres. The meeting also focused on important issues of jute and jute economy, environmental and poverty alleviation aspects vis a vis the issue of membership of the Group.

The IJSG Council at its different Sessions emphasised on persuasion of the potential countries through appropriate diplomatic channels and appealing to them to join the Group as member. Therefore, the IJSG Secretariat requested the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations H.E. Hardeep Singh Puri to organise the meeting as the IJSG’s member country.

At the outset, H.E. Hardeep Singh Puri explained the background and the importance of the meeting. He proposed IJSG to participate in ECOSOC meeting at UNHQ in 2012 or before the year IJSG renegotiation to be held at UNCTAD in Geneva and display their research activities and products which he thought to be effective in persuading the potential member countries to become members to IJSG. Thereafter Mr. Sudripta Roy, the IJSG Secretary General explained the mandate of the Group, current scenario and prospects of the natural fibres in the world market and detailed down the importance of joining IJSG as full members. He also mentioned that the goal of the IJSG clearly matches with Millennium Development Goals (MDG) of the UN regarding sustainable development, reversing the loss of environmental resources, empowerment of women etc.  Subsequently views were exchanged and most of the representatives participated in the discussion. They showed keen interest in the activities of the IJSG and agreed to take up the issue of the membership to their respective governments.

The meeting was attended by the delegates of the Permanent Representatives from Australia, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, New Zealand, Russian Federation, Serbia, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and USA which included Ambassadors of Bhutan, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam as well as member countries representatives like Ambassadors – PR and Deputy PR of India, Permanent Representatives of EU and Switzerland together with representatives from Austria, Bangladesh, France, Italy, Netherlands and Spain .

For further information mail us at : info@jute.org