Technical Session Descriptions Session 1: Biomass crops & residues (food and water use; biodiversity and ecosystem implications)    This session invites abstracts on comprehensive studies at the intersection of bioenergy, water, and food systems.  Large-scale bioenergy production will affect the hydrologic cycle in multiple ways, including changes in canopy interception, evapotranspiration, infiltration, and the quantity and quality of surface runoff and ground recharge.  This session focuses Pan American biofuel and bioenergy development and invites research abstracts on water footprint analyses, water quality, integrated water-energy analyses, watershed scale studies linked to biofuel and bioenergy development, and other related topics, including case studies in which bioenergy and food are produced from the same landscapes.    Session 2: Innovative biomass conversion technologies and implications on sustainability This session invites abstracts on innovative research and demonstration projects in the conversion of biomass in its various possible forms into biofuels, bioenergy, and value added products.   The conversion processes involved in the production of biofuels, bioenergy, and associated value-added products will have a large role to play in economic viability and sustainability. Session 3: Foundations: A key partner in climate mitigation and biofuel sustainability Foundations, non-governmental agencies, and other stakeholder groups will play a key role in addressing biofuels and bioenergy sustainability issues in an interdisciplinary, international context. Organizations of this nature can act as key sources of local stakeholder perspectives, sources of long term financial support, and as a neutrally-affiliated advocate of research priorities and programs. This session invites representatives from foundations and other organizations with an interest in biofuels and bioenergy sustainability to share their experiences in facilitating research, education, and outreach  in specific contexts or their approaches to dealing with the issues at a larger scale.    Session 4: Integrated biomass/bioenergy supply logistics. This session invites abstracts on integrated analyses of biomass supply chains for biofuels and bioenergy production utilizing diverse types of biomass and from many different locations in the Pan American region. Biomass supply chains that are economically feasible, energy efficient, and compatible with environmental and social goals are a requirement for sustainable biofuels and bioenergy development. Session 5: Socioeconomic issues and energy policy after COP 21 in Paris This session welcomes abstracts covering analyses of biofuel and bioenergy policies and social impacts in different Pan American countries. Although many national governments throughout the Americas continue to incentivize growth of the biofuels industry through policy, one key challenge for sustainability has been concern about its social impacts within the contexts of geography, historical patterns of land tenure, policy frameworks, and relations between the national states and civil society. Session 6: Large scale production case studies; nutrients and carbon (biogeochemical aspects) This session invites abstracts in topics such as the effects of biomass removal on soil organic matter and macro- and micro-nutrients, cation exchange capacity, pH, soil structure and compaction, long-term soil productivity and crop growth, effects of biomass management systems on greenhouse gas emissions, implications on other soil ecosystem services (e.g., contaminant degradation, water purification), and sustainability indicators of soil productivity and their application in land management. Rapid expansion in biomass production for biofuels and bioenergy in the Pan America region is increasing demands on ecosystem resources required to sustain it. This rapid expansion has outpaced scientific knowledge of biogeochemical processes related to ecosystem sustainability. Session 7: The future of the bioenergy industry: Challenges and opportunities This session invites abstracts from industry and government organizations with interests in growing the biofuel and bioenergy sectors to address challenges and opportunities in the near-term and long-term future developments. Session 8: Environmental life cycle assessments  & energy balances of biofuel pathways This session invites abstracts on biofuel and bioenergy life cycle assessments in the Pan American region.  Results from case studies in different Pan American locations, with specific biomass production, harvesting, and transportation chains, and with various conversion technologies are particularly relevant.  Studies on how assumptions affect study results, and importance of biofuel and bioenergy policy on LCA methodology are also of interest. Poster Session: Pan American Biofuels and Bioenergy Sustainability This session will include all relevant topics pertaining to the sustainability of biofuels and bioenergy development in Pan America.  Abstracts are welcome from academia, industry, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations.