WASHINGTON, DC – Growth Energy, the leading voice for ethanol supporters and producers, today responded to some distortions that came out of a panel at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in New York yesterday.
During a panel about corporate social responsibility, Nestlé Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe claimed that the United States’ biofuels policy is causing starvation—a statement that flies directly in the face of the facts. Not one kernel of food fit for humans goes to ethanol production. The corn used to make ethanol in this country is field corn. In fact, a co-product of ethanol production are the Dried Distiller’s Grains which go right back into the food chain in the form of one of the highest-quality livestock feeds on the market.
Mr. Brabeck-Letmathe’s comments come on the heels of recent reports showing that major food companies like General Mills, Tyson Foods, Kraft and Nestlé recorded substantially higher than normal profits this year.
In response, Todd Becker- CEO of Green Plains Renewable Energy released the following statement:
“This is not the first time we have seen grocery manufacturers trying to confuse the public on ethanol while preserving record profits at their companies. The real costs of putting food on the shelf are transportation, marketing and the energy for running the plants – all costs driven by oil. As other food executives have rightly said, grains are a fraction of the total costs for food-makers. The audience for these misleading remarks deserves to know the truth, and the truth is that the grains used in ethanol go back into the food supply in the form of a highly-value livestock feed at cheaper prices than corn. It actually helps keep food and fuel costs low. We once again have a food company executive trying to take profits from the U.S. Farmer in order to protect their own bottom line. ”
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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.