The Greening of Black America Initiative
Our company has commercialized an innovative torrefaction technology, which converts plant and wood material into a renewable alternative to coal, and a feedstock from which liquid fuels, biochars and lighter, stronger and greener plastics can be made. In addition to industrial-scale processing operations, which would be located in large industrial parks and supplied by large farms and large forestry operations, ATP intends to benefit poor rural communities of color and black farmers by developing community-scale operations in targeted areas, like South Carolina's I-95 Corridor.
This approach will help to create jobs and promote revitalization in distressed communities in the Southeast and later, West Africa, where we can also make a green cooking fuel, to reduce deforestation.
Tentang Anda
Tentang Anda
Nama Depan
Joe
Nama Belakang
James
Facebook Profile
Tentang Organisasi
Nama Organisasi
Agri-Tech Producers, LLC
Situs Web
Negara Organisasi
United States, SC, Richland County
Negara tempat organisasi ini menciptakan dampak sosial
United States, SC, Richland County
Apakah organisasi Anda adalah:
Bisnis
Berapa lama organisasi Anda telah beroperasi?
Beroperasi selama 1-5 tahun
Informasi yang Anda berikan di sini akan digunakan untuk mengisi bagian mana pun dari profil Anda yang masih kosong, seperti minat, informasi organisasi, dan situs web. Tidak ada informasi kontak yang akan ditampilkan untuk publik. Hapus centang di sini jika Anda tidak menghendakinya..
Inovasi
Beri nama entri Anda
The Greening of Black America Initiative
What change do you want to bring to the world?
Our company has commercialized an innovative torrefaction technology, which converts plant and wood material into a renewable alternative to coal, and a feedstock from which liquid fuels, biochars and lighter, stronger and greener plastics can be made. In addition to industrial-scale processing operations, which would be located in large industrial parks and supplied by large farms and large forestry operations, ATP intends to benefit poor rural communities of color and black farmers by developing community-scale operations in targeted areas, like South Carolina's I-95 Corridor.
This approach will help to create jobs and promote revitalization in distressed communities in the Southeast and later, West Africa, where we can also make a green cooking fuel, to reduce deforestation.
What are the primary activities of your project?
Our primary activities will be to inform and organize black farmers, help them plant test plots of bio-crops, secure sites for initial processing plants, secure financing and begin operations. Once initial operations have proved to be successful, we will expand the project, as described below.
What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?
The innovations of our poverty-reduction project include using innovative technology, scaling down operations to accommodate a community-scale production model and making a variety of new bio-based products tied to the land around our target communities. Unlike trying to traditionally chase smokestacks to bring jobs to a community, we are using techniques to add value to existing agricultural and forestry assets.
What stage is your project in?
Beroperasi selama 1-5 tahun
Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.
South Carolina's 1-95 Corridor, a heavily rural, heavily minority, 17-county area, running north and south along the heart of the state's coastal plain, is often called the "Corridor of Shame," because this area suffers from chronic poverty and unemployment, although it has substantial agricultural and forestry resources. ATP's affiliate, the Corporation for Economic Opportunity (CEO) is seeking to develop a proposed Clean-Tech Zone, in an area consisting of the 13 most distressed of these 17 counties. They are Bamberg, Calhoun, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Hampton, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Sumter, and Williamsburg Counties. The distress factors for the region (An unemployment rate of 14.85% and incomes of63.25% of the national average) are staggering.
Until recently, the area lacked strong political leadership to encourage the state and federal government to target resources, as needed. Congressman Jim Clyburn is making a difference and has been supportive of our efforts to use biomass as an economic development tool.
Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project
ATP and CEO's founder, Joe James, was inspired by the death of Dr. King to abandon his love for science to explore ways to improve the economic condition of people of color. Mr. James has had an impressive 37-year career as an economic development professional, working as a department head in several locations around the country. In many cases, he has been
heavily involved in technology-led development.
In 2004, he left his senior position in the South Carolina Department of Commerce, frustrated at the lack of interest or progress in overcoming rural poverty, especially in communities of color. He had helped the state secure a grant from the Department of Energy to determine the state's biomass potential. Upon leaving government, the State Energy Office hired him to manage that grant. In doing so, he helped establish the South Carolina Biomass Council and secure legislative approval of new programs and incentives to expand the state's renewable energy sector. He also formed CEO and began to explore how the processing of agricultural and forest biomass could be an economic development tool. He helped CEO become one of the nation's first grantees under the US Forest Service's Woody Biomass Utilization Program, which led him to torrefaction.
He is a member of the Southeast Agriculture and Forestry Energy Resources Alliance(SAFER). He has been a Governor's appointee on the South Carolina Climate, Energy and Commerce Advisory Committee. Mr. James is also one of the founding members of the South Carolina Biomass Council and has served on its Executive Committee.
Dampak Sosial
This Entry is about (Issues)
Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured
ATP/CEO have been laying the groundwork for this project over the last two years, by hosting meetings with black farmers and providing them with bio-crop seeds and plantlets, for test plots. ATP/CEO has also prepared and submitted several grant applications in support of this initiative, garnering as much as $700,000 in matching fund commitments from key public and private partners. Letters of support are available. The Idaho National Labs (INL), one of DOE's key research centers with great expertise in the harvesting and processing of biomass, along with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the research arm of North America's utilities, have agreed to help ATP implement its I-95 Corridor Project.
Berapa banyak orang yang telah merasakan manfaat proyek Anda?
Kurang dari 100
Berikutnya, berapa banyak orang yang dapat merasakan manfaatnya dalam tiga tahun mendatang?
101- 1,000
How will your project evolve over the next three years?
In the first year, we will expand the number of farmers involved in growing test plots of bio-crops. We will also select the site for our first project processing plant and conduct final tests of our commercial torrefaction unit with EPRI/INL. We will also raise additional project funding. In year two, we will begin full implementation and start producing and selling products made using the torrefaction process. In year three, we will expand the number of processing plants in the I-95 Corridor and begin planning for our first West African operation.
Keberlanjutan
What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?
The current limiting factor is the lack of a national Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), requring utilities to burn more renewable fuels. Fortunately, the EU has such a requirement, so there is plenty of demand for torrefied fuels there and the I-95 Corridor is close to ports from which product can be exported. It is also a challenge raising capital, however ATP is encouraged by what it has already raised and interest from both banks and angel fund operators. Also, ATP has or is developing strategic partnerships with key members of the biomass value chain, who may provide financing, as well as with its manufacturing partner.
Ceritakan tentang kemitraan Anda:
ATP has developed several partnerships: The Kusters Zima Corporation (KZC) is its manufacturing partner and has agreed to provide $400,000 in financing of the costs associated with engineering and designing ATP's equipment; EPRI has provided some funding and agreed to work with INL to subject our first commercial unit to a series of tests ATP could never afford on its own; DOE has provided a $100,000 SBIR grant: the SC Research Authority and USDA's Rural Development Agency have all provided funding. ATP has a business partner, which can make a superior ethanol alternative from torrefied feedstock and another, which can make greener, stronger and lighter plastics using torrefied material. Both companies are interested in co-locating at ATP processing sites. ATP has also worked closely with Clemson University and two local HBCu's. Lastly, the US Endowment for Forestry & Communities has provided ATP with $250,000 in low-interest financing.
Current annual budget of project, in US dollars
$10.001 sampai $50.000
Explain your selections
The first source of capital and sweat equity is generally friends and family and we have been well supported. And, as mentioned above, we have received help from all of the other sources.
How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?
We plan to strengthen our project by demonstrating how bio-crops can be grown, showing market interest in our products, developing long-term purchase agreements and assisting farmers in ramping up production. Most importantly, we will be earning and sharing revenues, which is one of the most important ways to sustain an enterprise, especially a socially-motivated enterprise.
Challenges
Which barriers to employment does your innovation address?
Please select up to three in order of relevancy to your project.
PRIMARY
Underemployment
SECONDARY
Lack of visibility and investment
TERTIARY
Restricted access to new markets
Please describe how your innovation specifically tackles the barriers listed above.
Our technology allows residents of poor rural communities to convert the agricultural and forestry material all around them into higher-value products, which are in increasing demand in the global marketplace, thereby creating jobs.
Are you trying to scale your organization or initiative?
If yes, please check up to three potential pathways in order of relevancy to you.
PRIMARY
Leveraged technology
SECONDARY
Grown geographic reach: Within host country
TERTIARY
Grown geographic reach: Global
Please describe which of your growth activities are current or planned for the immediate future.
As mentioned earlier, we will start with and spend a few years in South Carolina's I-95 Corridor, and later get involved in neighboring states and then West Africa.
Do you collaborate with any of the following: (Check all that apply)
Entitas pemerintah , Technology providers, NGOs/Nonprofits, For profit companies, Academia/universities.
If yes, how have these collaborations helped your innovation to succeed?
As we have stated earlier, we have secured our technology from NC State University, received funding from government, are collaborating with other corporate technology providers, have received support from other non-profits and for-profit companies and continue to collaborate with academia.
| Attachment | Ukuran |
|---|---|
| jjj_pic.jpg | 23.06 KB |
