[Red Badger]

Corn sweetener may not qualify as a “real” food, but corn is used for much more than that. Chicken feeds, cattle feeds, and pork are all in the mix. Anything that is related to corn thru them is also, cooking oils, milk, cheese, butter, eggs, bread and on down the line. The grocery prices are higher than I’ve ever seen them, and it’s not all due to higher oil prices.

[stefanbatory]

Also, on higher food prices:

Wheat is at a very high price currently due to acres being sown in corn for ethanol rather than in their usual wheat for well...wheaty uses...bread, doughnuts, cookies, Wheaties, etc ad nauseum

[Mr. Lucky]

Ethanol removes only the starch from the corn. All other nutrients, as well as the oil, remain. Either wet or dried distillers grain make an excellent high protein livestock feed.

[Free Vulcan]

It still is in the form of DDG’s. Net-net, being 50% of corn is used as feed anyway we’re not losing that vector.

I do think we should separate that oil and protein prior to fermenting though, by low heat methods if possible to preserve the nutrient value.

Where ethanol does hurt is the corn sweetener and starch market, which is used in food products to enhance their desired qualities and of course soda pop and other drinks. That I can’t argue with.

I can’t deny ethanol’s impact on that or the crowding out effect of other land uses raising food prices, but that will happen if supply or demand spikes prices in any of the main commodities - corn, wheat, soybeans - whether it’s due to ethanol or not.

Although if we can use other crops, that does open up land non suitable for corn and lessens irrigation and fertilization on substandard corn base, which very well needs to be done.

Not that I’m a big fan of ethanol. I think we need to move to batteries and ester fuels and higher alchols (biodiesel, butanol etc.) for transportation, not only because of their qualities but because they get better mileage. Ethanol has it’s use as oxygenatein that picture, and in the right proportions will raise gas mileage, but it is not a solution to oil whatsoever.

No argument on the subsidy issue. The ethanol subsidy is working against us moving to something better IMO. We need to make radical changes in the way we do ethanol and the whole alt. fuel industry.