Food vs. Fuel
Politics vs. the Environment
The United Nations is looking at these debates with concern as increasing amounts of corn is being diverted from the food chain to be processed into ethanol. The extra production of corn for ethanol use is driving up its price. The higher prices are causing concern for farmers who need the corn to feed their animals. In turn, the price of meat and poultry goes up because of it. We all lose, or do we?
This boom in corn commodities market means more famines for the United Nations and the World bank to deal with, but investors are the ones who are finding a gold mine amidst human misery. Farmers are switching their production from wheat for human foods to corn for ethanol. Governments are having to make the choice of feeding their people or helping the environment. In countries where famines are not looming, politicians are making the choice.
Investors are searching for places to grow more and more of the gasoline-like producing crop. One problem they are finding is that infrastructures are not available in remote areas to transport the products. Add to the that, the fact that sprawling cities are gobbling up good farmland and the recipe spells disaster for the poorest of the world’s poor. Where will the needed crops be farmed? How will farmers be able to produce enough to satisfy hungry people and greedy gas guzzlers?
Who WILL the winners of the new gas wars be?
Will our governments be there to save us all or just be there for those with the largest campaign contributions or lobbyists? Or will it end up being people vs. commodities and money?
via: forbes.com
