corn

The Department of Ag Wants Your Opinion

scleaver — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

This week, the Department of Agriculture is starting to make it easier to grow corn that’s genetically engineered to be used for ethanol, but safety advocates are concerned that some of that genetically engineered corn might end up in the food we eat as well as in gas tanks. The corn (developed by Syngenta Seeds, Inc) would be designed to produce an enzyme that makes it easier to convert into ethanol.

On one hand, the Department of Ag insists that there won’t be any environmental, food, or human safety concern with the corn. On the other, the Center for Food Safety argues that the gene in the corn could impact allergies in humans. “This is the first crop proposed for industrial use,” Bill Freese, science policy analyst for the Center for Food Safety, told the Associated Press, “and in a widely used food crop, we need to be extremely cautious.”

The good news, by 2009, the U.S. will be using at least 9 billion gallons of alternative fuel, thanks to new federal mandates. And, already, 30 percent of U.S. corn goes to producing ethanol.

As the The Detroit News and the AP reported, before it makes a final decision, the Department of Ag is asking for public comment. (Here’s more information from The Department of Agriculture about the request for comment.) Leave your comments before January 20, 2009 at Regulations.gov.

Image from the World Community Cookbook.

Try Plastic Cups Made from Corn -- Totally Sustainable

scleaver — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:00:00 -0400

Just in time for picnic season, CupDepot.com introduces biodegradable cups made from corn. The company’s new Karat Earth brand line of products includes biodegradable cups, utensils, straws, and more and they’re all made from corn. After you’re done with them, the plastics will decompose in your typical landfill in 45 to 60 days. Right now on the site, you can get bundles of straws, plastic cups, and lids; paper cups and utensils are coming soon. The only problem, ordering-wise, is that the company sells cups and straws by the bushel, $140 for 10,000 straws, or $105 for 1,000 cups. So, the best way to get them, unless you’re stocking up on plastic cups or straws for years to come, is to ask about it when ordering—they do custom cup orders, though, so perhaps your next company picnic could include corn cups.Photo from CupDepot.com.

See The Silent Tsunami

scleaver — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The food crisis hit hard this month. The price of wheat and rice has doubled; corn is up by one-third, in some areas, according to the U.N. In some areas, the price of food has increased by 80 percent. People have died in riots in Egypt and Haiti. And it’s all predicted to get worse.

To show us what this really looks like, Newsweek Magazine posted a slide show with photos from a protest in India, a devastating harvest in Zimbabwe, and images of all the ways people are searching to meet their basic need for food or are fighting back against a global food market that isn’t working for them. View the slideshow HERE.

Then, learn why your milk prices are increasing by watching “The Crunch: Got Milk?” video at the Newsweek Magazine Home Page.

Photo from the World Food Programme.

Biofuels And Grocery Bills

scleaver — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In case you’re wondering exactly why and how food prices are going up (and, having just come back from the grocery store, I certainly am), The Agricultural Advocate posted an extensive blog about the what and why behind food prices using graphs, charts, and analysis of USDA data. The bottom line: biofuels and energy do matter. Not only are farmers growing more corn for biofuel, but they’re also planting fewer acres of other crops to make room for corn. Energy pops up throughout the Agricultural Advocate’s analysis, but it’s not the only factor.

So, next time you’re at the grocery store, here’s what you should know heading to the register:

The Bread Aisle

Wheat has doubled in price in the last few years, and the cost of bread has risen from $1.02 in 2001 to $1.32 in February 2008. But that 30-cent increase in price isn’t only about wheat prices (according to the Agricultural Advocate’s calculation, only six-cents can be attributed to wheat prices). The other 26-cents comes from the increase in the price of fuel when it comes to processing, packaging, and shipping the wheat to retailers. The message: buy local bread when you can to cut d own on some of those fuel costs.

The Meat Counter

In 2007, The Washington Post blamed the meat price ($10 per 100 pounds in a year) increase on corn (read the full article at The Ag Advocate post). But, farmers aren’t making bank on their meat products, according to the USDA monthly retail meat price tracking, nor are increased corn prices having a substantial impact on the cost of meat—most of the cost increase comes after the meat leaves the farm. Again, the increasing price of energy to move product from farm to processing plant, to store, and a vote for eating local meat.

The Dairy Case

The increase in milk prices prompts another economic lesson—supply and demand. As more people in developing countries rise into the middle class, they demand more milk. According to the International Herald Tribune, the average Chinese citizen drank two gallons of milk in 2000, now they drink more than six gallons each year. Add to that a decrease in supply because of a drought in Australia and other factors, and it’s a double whammy for milk prices.

So, it may not be biofuels that’s causing all of those high prices at your local Kroger, but one thing we can agree with is that increased food prices are here to stay. (Photo from the Europe food blog http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/fischer-boel/.)

Corn-Based Ethanol Is Causing Hunger Around the World

scleaver — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0400

If you've noticed that food prices are rising every time you go to the grocery, you are not alone. It's happening around the world, resulting in serious shortages and social unrest. And some poeple are pointing the finger at something we heoped would solve some of our energy problems -- corn-based ethanol.

The Wall Street Journal just reported on this inflation of food prices (Food Inflation, Riots Spark Worries for World Leaders by Bob Davis and Douglas Belkin). Robert Zoellick, president of the World Bank, said that 33 countries are at risk of social unrest and upheaval because of the rising price of food staples like rice and beans. Already, there have been protests over rising food prices in Haiti, Cameroon, and Sengal, among other countries.

And people aren’t rioting over a small increase: according to the Journal, food prices have increased 83% in the last three years. Why are food prices rising so fast? U.S. policies emphasize and encourage corn-based ethanol and other biofuels and are using what could be food into energy instead.

It costs more to transport food and pay for energy overall. Countries that are developing rapidly (China) have ever higher demands for food (and, I’m sure, there’s no reduction in the demand for food from countries that are already highly developed, like the U.S.).

So far, there’s no consensus about how to approach the problem. Zoellick asked rich countries to add more money to the UN World Food Program, but so far has only received commitments for half of the $500 million that he wanted.

Some other possible solutions:

1. Working together: The U.S., Britain, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, and Japan got together last week to discuss the food problem and possible solutions, including trade, technology, and short-term aid for poorer countries.

2. Import and export policies: Fifty eight countries have adjusted their own trade policies (reducing food import tariffs whileincreasing export tariffs) to try and move to self sufficiency.The problem: export barriers increase food prices even more.

3. Cutting deals: Countries are cutting deals with other countries to share land or maximize exports. So far, China is working with New Zealand, Ukraine with Libya, Brazil with Egypt, and Uganda is working with India.

4. More, better subsidies: Zoellick wants to target food subsidies to better provide food for those in need, like giving food in exchange for work, or targeting school programs so kids can bring food home with them.

5. Develop new biofuels that use grass or agricultural waste, not corn or food, to produce energy. Whatever the causes or solutions, this issue isn’t going away, so get in on the discussion at the WSJ poll: Are you surprised by the prices you're paying for food lately?Photo credit: the Farm Policy Blog where you can learn more about corn policy.

Impending Corn Crisis

scleaver — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0400

Spring is here, and with it, planting season. It’s not news that the price of corn is higher than ever (thanks to ethanol, feeding tons of corn to cows in CAFOs, etcetera). As we head into the 2008 growing season, the Associated Press discussed how farmers planting decisions could affect our wallets. (Read the article, “Farmers’ Crop Choices May Affect Consumers” as printed in the Detroit News, HERE.)Last year was a good year; farmers planted fields and fields of corn, weather was good, and the harvest produced record amounts of corn. This year, farmers and industry experts alike don’t expect a repeat. The economic lesson in a nutshell: if farmers plant as much corn as they can, prices may stabilize (for reference, they’re currently at $5 a bushel, a record high). But, if farmers plant soybeans (a good thing—they’re rotating crops which helps the soil) or if we have a bad season, the price for corn could go even higher. Corn has a ripple effect on the economy. Three-quarters of the operating costs for poulty, beef, and pork companies is corn feed. The one constant: land. (And that bad weather or a bummer crop is bound to happen eventually, and then what?)So, the question going into the 2008 season: how high can corn prices go? And, are we getting too dependent on the little yellow kernel? (Grass fed beef anyone?)

Photo from It's a Green, Green World blog’s rant about corn.

Biofuel Is Rubbish!

khallgeisler — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:59:33 -0400

A report released March 17 says that the solution to a home-grown biofuel industry in the Pacific Northwest may not rely on corn, oil-seed crops, or even timber waste. The solution may be in the trash bin.

The report, which has the sexy title, "Biofuels in Oregon and Washington: A Business Case Analysis of Opportunities and Challengies," made the front page of the Oregonian's Metro section Monday. According to the article, the biomass needed to create the cleaner-burning fuel, such as corn, isn't grown in the Northwest. Trucking it in would reduce the overall positive impact of making biofuel in the first place.

In order to keep the process local from start to finish, the report recommends looking into "non-traditional feedstocks, such as municipal waste," as well as investigatin new conversion tehcnologies that are currently being tested in Germany.

The article quotes Dennis Stiles, the report's lead author, as saying a commercial market for the fuel could be ten years off. This is just another example, along with EVs, hydrogen fuel cells, and hybrids, of the massive transportation paradigm shift that will take place in the next decade.

Photo by OldSarge.