[matthew fuller]

"Corn no longer is cheap, as it’s being subsidized for ethanol production! "

I agree with that, and in addition to that, the scarcity is possibly causing increases in the prices of other basic foods.

[garandgal]

Another little article from Mr. Ian Cheney; I’ll look for the other guy in a second:

http://www.yalealumnimagazine.com/issues/01_07/comment.html

I’d like to ask Ian if he sold his corn crop by the “pound”...what an idiot.

[Nathan Zachary]

""Corn no longer is cheap, as it’s being subsidized for ethanol production! "

I agree with that, and in addition to that, the scarcity is possibly causing increases in the prices of other basic foods.

Then you'd be wrong. Two different types of corn are used for ethanol and human foods.

The corn used for ethanol is an animal feed type, which is indigestible for humans. The starch removed from that corn is then converted to sugars which are then used for ethanol. The rest of the corn goes on to be used for animal feed, so if anything, increased ethanol production also results in increased animal feed production.

The human variety of corn is an entirely different type of corn, and only represents less than 1% of corn grown in the USA. THAT corn is and continues to be the corn used to make corn syrop and other goods for human consumption.

While increased ethanol production MAY result in commodity price increases, the main factor in commodity price increases to date are the increased fuel and fertilizer costs. Fuel has doubled and fertilizer has tripled in costs over last year.

As far as commodity prices go, those minor increases have LITTLE effect on food prices. Take wheat prices for example. Wheat has gone from 4 - to about 8$ a bushel. One bushel of wheat makes about 90 loafs of bread. That's about 10 cents a loaf. Gee, something ELSE must be driving up the costs of bread.

In the 60's wheat sold for closer to 14 dollars a bushel. Yet bread only cost the consumer about 10 cents a loaf. Why is that? Must be something else that effects food prices, like the high costs of GASOLINE perhaps?

[garandgal]

Actually, the only articles I found on the other guy who wrote that article (and produced the documentary) are not particularly offensive; he doesn't appear to be an eco-freak...more just a locally sourced food promoter (I have no problems with that).

Frankly, I have no problem with folks questioning the use of HFCS; I do have a problem with the opinions of a little Yale "greenie" being given any type of serious consideration.

The idea that they grew 10,000 pounds (LOL) of corn, and are considered "experts" is simply offensive.