Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor submitted the following letter to the editor in response to an opinion piece in the New York Times by David-Wallace-Wells:
To the Editor:
An otherwise insightful opinion column from David Wallace-Wells on hunger sparked by war in Ukraine included an offhand – and false – suggestion that biofuel production “eats up” food supplies. Critics of renewable fuels promote that theory, but history shows that steady demand for biofuels enables farmers to invest in making more efficient use of existing cropland, allowing them to supply more food and energy than ever before. In reality, the true fuel driver of food prices is the cost of crude oil. Bioethanol production only draws on the starch in each kernel, while the rest of the fat, fiber, and protein goes into animal feed in the form of distillers grains. Far from consuming nutrients, bioethanol plants concentrate them into one of America’s largest sources of animal feed. That’s why plant-based biofuels remain one of America’s best tools to deliver immediate carbon reductions, greater energy security, and more stable food prices.
Emily Skor
CEO
Growth Energy
American Ethanol Supporters