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Follow on Google News | Enquirica Research – Biofuels and Agriculture PricesThe amount of grain needed to fill the tank of an SUV with ethanol just once can feed one person for an entire year.
By: Enquirica The amount of grain needed to fill the tank of an SUV with ethanol just once can feed one person for an entire year. The average income of the owners of the world’s 940 million automobiles is at least ten times larger than that of the world’s 2 billion hungriest people. In the competition between cars and hungry people for the world’s harvest, the car is destined to win. In March 2008, a report commissioned by the Coalition for Balanced Food and Fuel Policy estimated that the bio-fuels mandates passed by Congress cost the U.S. economy more than $100 billion from 2006 to 2009. The report declared that “The policy favoring ethanol and other bio-fuels over food uses of grains and other crops acts as a regressive tax on the poor.” A 2008 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (O.E.C.D.) issued its report on bio-fuels that concluded: “Further development and expansion of the bio-fuels sector will contribute to higher food prices over the medium term and to food insecurity for the most vulnerable population groups in developing countries.” These forecasts are coming to fruition today. Mark W. Rosegrant of the International Food Policy Research Institute, testified before the U.S. Senate on bio-fuels and grain prices. Rosegrant said that the ethanol scam has caused the price of corn to increase by 29 percent, rice to increase by 21 percent and wheat by 22 percent. Rosegrant estimated that if the global bio-fuels mandates were eliminated altogether, corn prices would drop by 20 percent, while sugar and wheat prices would drop by 11 percent and 8 percent, respectively, by 2010. Rosegrant said that “If the current bio-fuel expansion continues, calorie availability in developing countries is expected to grow more slowly; and the number of malnourished children is projected to increase.” He continued, saying “It is therefore important to find ways to keep bio-fuels from worsening the food-price crisis. In the short run, removal of ethanol blending mandates and subsidies and ethanol import tariffs, in the United States—together with removal of policies in Europe promoting bio-fuels—would contribute to lower food prices.” “Our current ethanol production represents only 3.5 percent of our gasoline consumption — yet it consumes twenty percent of the entire U.S. corn crop, causing the price of corn to double in the last two years and raising the threat of hunger in the Third World.” – Jeff Goodell Enquirica Research is a Calgary based firm focussing on the analysis of alternative asset classes and investments, primarily in western Canada. For copies of Enquirica research register at www.enquirica.com. DISCLAIMER: The opinions, estimates, projections and other information which is contained herein and derived from or attributable to persons other than ENQUIRICA is neither endorsed nor adopted by ENQUIRICA – it is presented for informational purposes only. Further, the opinions, estimates, projections and other information contained herein are not intended and are not to be construed as an offer to sell, or a solicitation to buy any securities, including any exempt market securities, nor shall such opinions, estimates, projections and other information be considered as investment advice or as a recommendation to enter into any transaction or engage an investment advisor or exempt market dealer. Readers must contact their registered investment adviser or exempt market dealer for information that is tailored to their specific needs. FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: # # # Enquirica Research is a Calgary based firm focusing on the analysis of alternative asset classes and investments, primarily in western Canada. For copies of Enquirica research register at www.enquirica.com. End
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