Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Reports brawl over impact of crops for fuel

 

BIOFUELS: Do the fuels harm the food supply —and fuel prices — or don’t they?

 

Days after an Ontario study declared the debate on farm crops for fuel finally over, UN researchers are warning of dire consequences for the world's poor from the growing practice.

And another analysis, this one released by the Canadian Trucking Alliance, says federal government requirements to include fuel derived from crops in diesel fuel will push up transportation costs and consumer prices.

The debate over ethanol and biodiesel has become intense as the use of corn for fuel has soared to the point where four out of every 10 bushels of corn grown in North America this year will be used for fuel -- not food.

 

Read the rest of the article here:

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2011/06/20/18310371.html  

 

What do you think??

Views: 120

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joann on June 22, 2011 at 5:08am

It would appear there is more than enough food to feed the world's population but the distribution and the associated costs are the real barriers.

 

Derivative speculations of agricultural commodities on Wall Street is proving to impact food costs, I believe, at a greater extent than the processing of the commodities.

 

Some studies are also speculating that " about 40 percent of all the food produced in the U.S. is thrown out".

 

That translates to "85 million gallons of water a day" wasted and "300 million barrels of oil per year". .....1400 calories of equivalent food waste/day or 150 trillion calories/year. Those are numbers for just one country alone.

 

I find the current ethanol/food debate to be a distraction from real global food problems. The distribution (manipulation) of wealth appears to be at the root of the problem.


http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0007940

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Ag Priorities Pile Up in Congress

Congress has multiple priorities to help farmers — year-round E15, a full farm bill, and $15 billion in direct aid — but lawmakers still lack a clear path to pass any of it despite bipartisan support and backing from key leaders. Members of the North American Agricultural Journalists (NAAJ) organization met on Tuesday with the chair and ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, along with two senior members of the House Agriculture Committee. The four lawmakers’ comments reflected strong bipartisan support for aiding farmers but little consensus on how to move key legislative priorities forward. The lion’s share of the commodity title, funding for conservation and crop insurance were cleared in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last summer. At the same time, the credit title, rural development and other USDA programs are operating on the latest extension passed by Congress. Credit, in particular, is seen as an area ripe for expansion to help farmers manage financial stress,

Operating farm equipment in Nova Scotia

14-year-olds can operate equipment with a Class 8 license

Province moves to exempt farmland from stormwater fees, addressing long-standing concern for farmers

 Ontario’s farmers are welcoming a regulatory change by the provincial government that will limit how municipalities apply stormwater fees, ensuring farms are not charged for services they do not use.

Ag included in new Canada-U.S. economic committee

Multiple members have ties to Canadian ag

Operating farm equipment in Quebec

If the equipment travels on public roads, a license is required

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service