The world's largest grain exporter is feeding increasing amounts of its crop to cars rather than people, according to figures released by the US Department of Agriculture.
In 2009, 26.6 per cent of the previous year's grain harvest in the US was used to produce fuel ethanol compared to just 14.8 per cent in 2006.
According to analysis from the environmental think tank the Earth Policy Institute (EPI), the 107 million tons of grain, mostly maize, that went to US ethanol distilleries in 2009 was enough to feed 330 million people for one year at average world consumption levels.
Government policy
The EPI, based in Washington, says the sharp rise in the quantity of grain converted to ethanol is being driven, in part, by government policy to increase amounts of biofuels.
Following the passage of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 a new renewable fuel programme was implemented requiring the volume of ethanol blended into the US fuel supplies to increase from 9 billion gallons in 2008 to 36 billion gallons by 2022.
EPI founder Lester Brown said the high price of oil was also making fuel ethanol production profitable.
'As the price of oil climbs, it becomes increasingly profitable to convert farm commodities into automotive fuel, either ethanol or biodiesel. In effect, the price of oil becomes the support price for food commodities. Whenever the food value of a commodity drops below its fuel value, the market will convert it into fuel.' he said.
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Earth Policy Institute
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