Out of Favor

Over the last decade the ethanol industry has gone from being the favored child of politicians and consumers to the often undeserved scapegoat for everything from high food costs to environmental problems. In the beginning the development of ethanol was viewed as a much needed clean burning replacement fuel for crude oil and a way to free ourselves from foreign oil. Plus the production of ethanol from corn grown here in the United States created much needed jobs and boosted the rural economy, giving corn farmers near record farm incomes in 2010. So why the turnabout in public opinion of ethanol? Not everyone sees higher corn prices as a good thing, even some in the ag industry itself have voiced concerns over higher corn prices which has lead to higher feed costs and a lower profit margin for livestock producers. Then there is the “food versus fuel” debate revolving around the controversial and sometimes irrational blaming of ethanol producers for rising consumer food costs and world hunger. The ethanol industry has more than lived up to the goals it set forth in the beginning. So just what will it have to do to regain favor?