To ensure that there's enough corn to fuel humans as well as vehicles, scientists are urging more research into boosting corn yields and improving ethanol production.
Many key issues related to expanding the nation's ethanol industry aren't being studied under current government programs, said Kenneth G. Cassman, director of the Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
"It's the core issue to ensuring that we don't come up short in food supply, and don't have high consumer prices, and can still maintain expansion of the ethanol industry," he said.
This is an issue I am really concerned about. With the thoughts of growing our own energy via ethanol and biodiesel, what's going to happen to food production? Right now that thought is taking second place in most people's minds as they run around making energy of our food supply.
In a way, the cattle industry is on the fore front of this concern, which explains my concern, since such a large part of our production hinges on corn feed in the feedlots of the midwest. Price of corn goes up, cost of feeding cattle goes up, and the feeder needs more money to break even which causes the prices in the meat case for consumers to go up. This puts food further out of reach of poor people and causes more hunger. This is a concern for me. They claim the by product, distillers grain, of ethanol makes good cattle feed and will take up some of the slack for the loss of corn to ethanol. Fine, I buy this argument, but what's it going to do to the cattle industry as a whole in the long run with so much corn going to ethanol instead of feeding?
I've read quite a few articles on just this subject through out the summer and they all say the same thing, don't worry. The cattle feeding industry will be just fine with the addition of the distillers grains to feed formulas, don't raise a ruckus. I kind of question this, it seems like ostriches sticking their heads in the ground and not wanting to look the situation over. Talking to my banker, cattle buyer, and other professionals, they're like me, they have absolutely no idea how the cattle industry is going to be affected by the ethanol boom and they are concerned. So, in the long run for the cattle industry we get to sit and watch the roller coaster ride of ethanol and see were we are going to end up when it's done. How it will affect food prices for the consumer has yet to be seen.
A bigger picture shot than just corn and the cattle industry also includes considering how crops will be affected by ethanol and biodiesel. The more cropland that is taken out of production for food and put into production for energy is going to affect the prices that consumers pay for food at the store. In the long run, the money the United States might save consumers with the growing our own energy campaign, might be offset by the extra costs the same consumers to feed their families because of the higher prices for food. The only advantage would be the money is staying in the US instead of going over seas.
Looking at my whole rant here, you might think I am against growing our own energy. I'm not, just concerned how this technology is going to affect feeding the consumer.
My Darling Wife one time went on a spiel about how we, her and I, were unimportant in the world and that we didn't make a difference. I looked at her and told her that we make a big difference in the world. A human being has three basic needs to survive in this world, food, water, and shelter. Everything else done in this world for humans is an add on product that is important, but maybe not vital, to human existence. We provide one of the basic things that humans need, food. I am very proud that I raise food to feed people. It is a very important and necessary so to say we don't matter is false. We provide a vital service to humanity and should be proud.
When I say I am concerned about the price of food for the consumers, this is where I am coming from. Feeding people is important to me and to have some of the food supply siphoned off for another reason concerns me. As long as we have enough food to feed people at a reasonable cost then I have no problems with the diversions. We are stepping off into unknown territory here diverting our food supply to energy. We need to watch were we go so that it doesn't go to far and cause people to starve. I think it's a valid concern.
Corn is the leading food and feed crop of the United States in geographic range of production, acreage, and quantity of product. The vital importance of a large acreage of this crop, properly cared for, therefore, is obvious. David F. Houston
If you look back beef was a grass produced product, during (and shortly after)WW2 the US discovered how important food production was to protect our country, this was also the time of the industrial revolution. Farming practices were drastically changed with the advent of modern machinery and better genetic manipulation of our crops and livestock.
The result was a glut of corn on the market, thus the advent of feedlots and corn fed cattle. Corn Gluten does make good feed, but it is expensive to haul, so you better be near a ethanol plant if you plan to feed it to livestock.
Unfortunatly, most of todays "modern" livestock must be fed grain in order to be palitable to the consumer. I believe the livestock industry has cut its own throat by producing bigger and bigger livestock which are less efficient when fed a strictly grass diet. The govt also plays a big part in this program with the farm subsidy programs.
Those of us who still have grass genetic cattle will be in the drivers seat in the near future.
I am very concerned that the US govt will soon have the US population relying on other nations to provide our basic food needs
You have a interesting blog, keep up the good work.
It's not going to be as simple an easy transition as you hope. I see it will be fraught with danger for food security in our nation.