11/22/07 Do Americans blame ethanol for higher food costs?

Farm and Ranch November 22, 2007 Critics of ethanol pin the blame for rising food prices on the growth of the ethanol industry. Food processing giant Hormel claims that when "prompted" in an Internet survey, 60 percent of Americans blamed ethanol for the increase in consumer food prices. That is quite the opposite of what a poll commissioned by the Renewable Fuels Association found. RFA President Bob Dinneen discusses some the findings of the poll conducted by the Mellman Group. Dinneen: "This poll showed that Americans are pretty darn smart. And despite all of the misinformation that has been out there, that the real cause for rising consumer food prices is something other than ethanol. Indeed 84% of Americans believe that something other than ethanol is the major factor in rising consumer food prices. Indeed 46% blame higher oil prices. Fifteen percent cite rising global demand for food. Fourteen percent are looking at drought and other weather conditions and only 7% believe that ethanol is the primary cause." Dinneen says that poll also showed Americans want renewable fuels now. Dinneen: "Seventy-four % of Americans think that we need to be using more ethanol. Eighty-seven-seven percent want the government to actively support the development of renewable fuels in this country. Those are powerful numbers." I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.