National Farmers Union and the American Farm Bureau Federation are part of a coalition of agriculture, renewable energy and national security organizations urging the U.S. Senate Subcommittee for Defense Appropriations to support Department of Defense funding for accelerated production of domestically produced, advanced, drop-in biofuels for military use. A letter to Subcommittee Chair Daniel Inouye (in-oh-way) of Hawaii and Ranking Member Thad Cochran of Mississippi points to the Memorandum of Understanding entered by the Department of Defense with USDA and the Department of Energy last year. The MOU pledged a federal investment of more than 500-million dollars in partnership with the private sector – 170-million dollars from each participating agency. According to the coalition’s letter – the purpose of the MOU is consistent with history. They state the U.S. military has worked with Congress to develop and deploy innovative technologies that have improved national security and strengthened American military superiority at sea, in the skies and on the battlefield.

The letter goes on to note that adopting advanced, drop-in biofuels will help the Defense Department and the nation achieve broader national security objectives – as continued reliance on foreign oil puts U.S. troops at risk of supply disruptions during military or humanitarian missions.