Does using ethanol for fuel reduce the amount of corn available for food?
The United States has typically accounted for 60-70% of world corn exports. With the expansion of fuel ethanol and higher corn prices, the U.S. share of global corn trade drops to 55-60%. Global adjustments to higher corn prices include reduced foreign demand and increased foreign production. In the years 2005 and 2006 12% of US corn harvested was used for food, seed and industrial ethanol; 55% was used for livestock feed. Corn yields have grown from 126.5 bushels per acre in 1996 to an estimate of 153.5 in 2006. Biotechnology is helping seed companies develop improved corn varieties. Such improvements include higher-oil yield; high fermentable starch; drought-tolerant seeds and plants; a reduced the need for herbicides and pesticides and better nutrient uptake.
