Fuel tanks versus people's lives

With global grain prices surging, corn ethanol looking dumber than ever

And right on the heels of Russia’s wheat shortage, the USDA has just released a surprisingly frank report documenting that the current U.S. corn stocks are shockingly low, in fact the lowest in 15 years. The reason? I’ll let the Washington Post explain:


The U.S. Agriculture Department’s latest forecast said corn supplies are expected to total 675 million bushels as of late August when this year’s harvest begins. That would be the lowest surplus level since 1996.


The government said supplies have dwindled over the past month because of improving demand, largely from ethanol producers.


Ah, ethanol. How we do love you.


All eyes are now on the 2011 corn harvest. As one analyst said, to avoid a price spike, it needs to be “huge.” And it’s still early, but here’s hoping that the vicious winter weather out in the corn belt doesn’t presage a wild and wacky spring. That could really spell trouble in the global south, where even more upward pressure on grain prices would be devastating.


The good news is that the fuel vs. food debate is for sissies. I know because Monsanto told me.

Fuel versus food? Which would you choose? Seems like an easy choice – so why are we making the wrong one so many times?

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