On 12/10/2013 3:54 PM, Pete C. wrote:
>
> "Pearl F. Buck" wrote:
>>
>> On 12/10/2013 2:34 PM, sf wrote:
>>> On Tue, 10 Dec 2013 16:00:23 -0500, "Pete C." >
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> Susan wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> But that doesn't change the
>>>>> fact that this information should drive changes in how we manage our
>>>>> food supply,
>>>>
>>>> I think it provides yet another study pointing out that we need to
>>>> reduce the corn and corn by-products both directly in our food as well
>>>> as in the feed for our food animals. On the plus side that means more
>>>> corn available for uses like ethanol.
>>>
>>> I'd like do eliminate ethanol too.
>>>
>> Ditto that, a waste of good corn and water intensive as well.
>
> The point is that corn really isn't that good, so we should be getting
> it out of much of our foods.

That depends.

I prefer choice, but corn by-products are something we have no choice in
any more.

In Mejico, however, it is a staple, and there are complaints that
ethanol use spiked their tortilla prices.

Whether that is really true, well?

http://www.actionaidusa.org/press/us...r-fuels-hunger

The report finds that rising corn ethanol production in the United
States, fueled by a deadly cocktail of subsidies, mandates, and rising
oil prices, has increased Mexico’s food import bill. As a result, prices
for staple foods like corn tortillas are increasing, accelerating hunger.

Key findings include:

• The rising price of US corn (fueled by diversion of corn corps for
ethanol) combined with the increase in Mexico’s corn imports, has
directly impacted Mexican consumers. Between 2005 and 2011, tortilla
prices increased by 69 percent, and the cost of the basic food basket
that a Mexican family more than doubled. In 2011, 56% of Mexicans
suffered some period of food insecurity, and five million children
suffered from hunger.

• Since 2005, US ethanol expansion cost Mexico between $1.5-$3.2 billion
in higher corn prices- or on average between $250-$500 million per year.
This represents 10-20 times the amount that Mexico spends annually on
its support program for small maize and wheat farmers.

• That same $250 million could be redirected to help farmers in Mexico
to produce an additional to 700,000 metric tons of corn. These yields
would cut the country's corn trade deficit by 10% in just one year.

• Corn ethanol trends are expected to push corn prices 12% higher in
2017, and this will result in an increase in meat and dairy rates.