<< Return to Press Releases
Contact:
THE IMPACT OF BIOFUELS ON THE POULTRY INDUSTRY IS AMONG THE TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED AT THE 2007 JOINT ANNUAL MEETING OF ANIMAL, DAIRY AND POULTRY SCIENTISTS
SAVOY, IL (April 18, 2007) – The growing use of corn for the production of ethanol – and the impact this is having on the global poultry industry – will be the focus of a key paper to be delivered this summer at The 2007 Joint Annual Meeting of the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA), Poultry Science Association (PSA), Asociación Mexicana de Producción Animal (AMPA), and the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS), according to PSA.
The meeting will be held July 7-12, 2007 in San Antonio, Texas, and is expected to attract over 3,500 animal and poultry scientists from around the globe. Scheduled symposia include: an exploration of new methodologies in animal well-being analysis; ethics of food animal production; proteomic applications in and functional components of milk; utilization of forages and diet selection; and cell signaling and protein metabolism in growth. There will also be a symposium highlighting the connection of growth biology and immunology.
A total of 45 symposia are scheduled, including several specific to poultry. (See details below.)
Economist to Assess Impact on Poultry Prices of Rising Demand for Ethanol
Paul Aho, Ph.D., a poultry economist and a member of PSA, will analyze for meeting attendees the impact that soaring demand for ethanol is having on chicken production costs, which have risen significantly over the last year.
The talk, entitled “Impact on the World Poultry Industry of the Global Shift to Biofuels,” will, according to Dr. Aho, seek to clarify some of the issues and arguments.
“It’s important that we get past the rhetoric on both sides and seek clarity about what’s happening, so that people can make up their own minds about policy issues. For example, a central argument for the move to ethanol is based on the desire to be less dependent on imported oil, and eventually, on oil in general. Ethanol does make us less dependent on imported oil. However, that reduced dependence comes at a cost. Feed grain prices are significantly higher,” said Dr. Aho.
Dr. Aho also notes that, although corn is generally associated with ethanol production in the United States, it is more efficient to manufacture ethanol with sugar cane, an approach already being taken in Brazil.
“Given the efficiency advantage in making ethanol from sugar cane, it doesn’t make sense for the U.S. to use only domestic corn-based ethanol to the exclusion of all other sources of ethanol, including imported, sugar cane based ethanol from Latin America” he noted.
Poultry Symposia at the 2007 Joint Annual Meeting
Several symposia at this summer’s meeting will center on topics in poultry science (and related areas), nutrition, bioethics and education. There will also be a joint national extension workshop on accountability issues in extension.
- Informal Nutrition Symposium: The Impact of Imprinting on Biological and Economic Performance of Animals
- Bioethics: The Ethics of Food Animal Production, Processing and Marketing
- Bioethics: The Ethics of Food
- Joint ASAS/ADSA/PSA Extension Workshop: Accountability Issues in Extension: Identifying, Measuring and Reporting Impacts
- Joint ASAS/ADSA/PSA Extension Workshop: Changing the Future of Food Animal Production
- Poultry-Breeding and Hatchery: Semen Evaluation and Fertility Determination in Poultry
- Enhancing the Undergraduate Learning Experience in Animal Agriculture Through the Integration of Teaching and Research
Further Information
For additional information about the 2007 Joint Annual Meeting, go to http://adsa.psa.ampa.asas.org/meetings/2007/index.asp.
To arrange a conversation with Dr. Aho, please contact Nathan May at (212) 399-4036 or nathan@nathanmaycommunications.com.
About PSA
The Poultry Science Association (PSA) is a global scientific society dedicated to the discovery and dissemination of knowledge generated by poultry research – knowledge that enhances human and animal health and well-being and provides for the ethical, sustainable, and economical production of food. Founded in 1908, PSA has a global membership of about 3,500. For more information, go to www.poultryscience.org.
printable version
email link