Armed with power points and statistics, officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture held a press conference in Washington DC Monday to discuss the case for producing both food and fuel in the United States. “We think the time has come for USDA to join in the public conversation about the relationship between food prices and biofuels,” said Agriculture Secretary …
Ethanol Smear Campaign Exposed
Ethanol proponents from the halls of Congress to the corn fields of the Midwest are expressing outrage at documentation that major food corporations may have supported a high-dollar public relations campaign to blame farmers and ethanol for rising food prices. In a prepared floor statement on Thursday, Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa told his colleagues that “this anti-ethanol campaign is …
Defending the Renewable Fuels Standard
Higher food prices have led to increasing calls for changes in the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) that was implemented as part the Energy bill just signed into law last December, which calls for 36 billion gallons of annual renewable fuel use by 2022. In this DomesticFuel Cast, we hear from several of the witnesses who testified in support of the …
Report on Role of Ethanol in Food Prices
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) held a press conference last week at the National Press Club in Washington DC to counter claims that ethanol production is causing higher food prices. RFA’s “Ethanol Report” podcast features comments from the four agriculture and ethanol industry leaders who participated in the press conference. Featured are former Agriculture Secretary John Block, National Corn Growers …
Opposition to Ethanol Waiver Demand
Two dozen Republican Senators, including presidential candidate John McCain, are urging the Environmental Protection Agency to waive the Renewable Fuels Standard they just passed as part of the energy bill in December in an effort to cut food prices. Other senators disagree. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin of Iowa says the request would cut short the promise of biofuels …
EPIC Speaks Out Against Ethanol Scapegoating
The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council has gathered data from multiple sources that debunk claims that America’s renewable fuels are a large player in soaring food prices. Toni Nuernberg, the Executive Director of EPIC wants to spread the word that changing the nation’s renewable fuels standard is not the answer to driving down global food costs. Recent calls to reduce …
Ethanol Closer to Little Bo Peep
Is ethanol Little Bo Peep or the Ax Murderer? That’s the question National Corn Growers CEO Rick Tolman presented to the media during a press conference in Washington DC on Wednesday, pointing to the front page article on ethanol and corn prices in the Washington Post as being the latest example of making ethanol out to be the ax murderer. …
Biofuels Digest Diverts Blame to China
China, not biofuels, are to blame for rising food costs. At least, that’s what The Biofuels Digest suggests. The online publication says their study finds that for every bushel of grain used to make U.S. ethanol, six are used to support Chinese meat demand. A change in Chinese meat consumption habits since 1995 is diverting eight billion bushels of grain …
Food Price Increase Facts – Updated
Updated with recorded video Hello from Washington, DC and the National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual Washington Watch program. I’m covering their conference on our sister site, AgWired. Today at 1pm eastern time, I’ll be attending a press conference at the National Press Club being hosted by the Renewable Fuels Association. In attendance will be: The Honorable John Block, former …
President Talks Ethanol in Press Briefing
President Bush talked about the farm bill, higher food and energy costs, expanding domestic oil production, ethanol and other alternative energy sources during a press briefing on Tuesday morning. The president was critical of Congress blocking efforts to explore in ANWR and to expand capacity and build more refineries, as well as a “massive, bloated farm bill that would do …