For months, corn growers across the country have been under attack for rising food costs as some economists are blaming corn to ethanol production as a leading culprit. We have released and posted several resources that address the key issues. We are also gearing up for some intense education and fact sharing on this issue that affects all of our members. Here is just a sample of the “truths” we are sharing:

Sample Letters to Editor

Food and Fuel Talking Points

• KyCGA Web Version - PDF Version

• Renewable Fuels Now - PDF

Fact Sheets

• Gas Prices and Oil Consumption Would Increase Without Biofuels (2008) - USDOE

• The U.S. Farmer is Under Attack. What Can You Do? (2008) - NCGA

• Ethanol Helps Rural Economies (2008) - NCGA

• More Than Biofuels (2008) - NCGA

• Big Oil Making Big Profit (2008) - NCGA
• A Tale of Two Corns: Field and Sweet (2008) - NCGA
• Using Technology to Feed and Fuel the World (2008) - NCGA
• Ethanol Helps Lower Fuel Prices (2008) - NCGA
• Get the Facts on Food and Fuel (2007) - NCGA
• Top Ten Myths Corn & Ethanol (2007) - NCGA
• Food AND Fuel Talking Points (2007) - NCGA

External Reports and Studies

• Meat vs Fuel: Grain Use in the U.S. and China, 1995-2008 (Biofuels Digest, April 2008)
• Impact of Ethanol on U.S. and Regional Gasoline Prices and on the Profitability of the U.S. Oil Refinery Industry (Iowa State University Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, April 2008)
• Effects of Ethanol on Texas Food and Feed (Texas A&M University Agricultural and Food Policy Center, April 2008)
• Impact of Ethanol on Retail Gasoline Prices in Missouri (LECG, April 2008)
• Corn Prices Near Record High, But What About Food Costs? (USDA Amber Waves, February 2008)
• Contribution of the Ethanol Industry to the United States Economy (LECG, February 2008)
• What is Driving Food Price Inflation? (Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, January 2008)
• Analysis of Potential Causes of Food Price Inflation (Informa Economics, November 2007)
• The Relative Impact of Corn and Energy Prices in the Grocery Aisle (LECG, June 2007)

Other sources for food and fuel information:

Here are a number web sites that tackle the issue responsibly and with the facts:
www.renewablefuelsnow.org
www.epicinfo.org
www.ncga.com
www.ethanolrfa.org
www.foodandfuelamerica.com
www.farmingandyou.org

For Some, Money Trumps Research

The Houston Chronicle ran a front-page story July 2 on Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s request for a waiver of the renewable fuels standard, and how his request followed within days a $100,000 contribution that Bo Pilgrim of Pilgrim’s Pride made to the Republican Governors Association, chaired by Perry. Pilgrim has been one of the most vocal opponents of corn-based ethanol over the past few months.