WASHINGTON, DC – Growth Energy, the coalition of U.S. ethanol supporters, today issued a statement in response to a Bloomberg news article that erroneously defines the “food-versus-fuel” myth as fact, despite evidence since disproving it.
“Today’s story accepts as fact a disproven myth that ethanol somehow drives up food prices — the goal of a carefully coordinated propaganda campaign that is not based on truth,” said Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis.
“The latest crop forecasts indicate that our farmers can produce more than enough grain to satisfy all the demand for food, fuel and feed in this country, and study after study has proven that ethanol can help clean our environment, strengthen our national security and create jobs, all without any impact on the cost of our food. We have more than 2 billion bushels of corn left unused from last year’s record crop – a record planted on seven million fewer acres than the previous record. And we are on the cusp of what the USDA is predicting to be another record corn harvest.”
“Finally, the article fails to acknowledge that ethanol production leaves all the protein, oil and fiber to be used in a highly-nutritious livestock feed. Ethanol only uses the starch from the corn kernel so we’re getting both feed and fuel from the same bushel of corn – a fact that dispels any notion that ethanol increases feed costs,” Buis added.
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About Growth Energy
Growth Energy is a group committed to the promise of agriculture and growing America’s economy through cleaner, greener energy. Growth Energy members recognize America needs a new ethanol approach. Through smart policy reform and a proactive grassroots campaign, Growth energy promotes reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expanding the use of ethanol in gasoline, decreasing our dependence on foreign oil, and creating American jobs at home. More information can be found at GrowthEnergy.org.