75% Worldwide Increase in Food Prices Due to Biofuels

The report contradicts US policy statements that the increase due to biofuel cultivation was 3% and that increased demand from China and India was the real culprit.

he report argues that production of biofuels has distorted food markets in three main ways:

* It has diverted grain away from food for fuel, with over a third of US corn now used to produce ethanol and about half of vegetable oils in the EU going towards the production of biodiesel.

* Farmers have been encouraged to set land aside for biofuel production.

* It has sparked financial speculation in grains, driving prices up higher.

Using food to make fuel is an idea so dumb that only congrass could think of it.


When this happens its like no duh!

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

If I understand correctly, we don't eat algae.

Just another reason to support algae for biofuels.
Algae for Biodiesel

__________________
Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys

We may have to learn to like algae if thats all we can afford!

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1959 Gravely LI, 1963 Gravely L8, 1973 Gravely C12
1982 380SL
1978 450 SEL 6.9 euro restoration at 63% and climbing
1987 300 D
2005 CDI European Delivery
2006 CDI Handed down to daughter
2007 GL CDI. Wifes

Spirulina - algae that you can eat (not that it tastes like much).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirulina_(dietary_supplement)

__________________
It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

What about Soylent Green?

Control the population by making people into fuel ... interesting.

__________________
Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys

.

I drink spirulina and blue green algae.

Pretty good mixed with wheat grass and some fruits n veggies.

Think I will go have some now.

Good Stuff.

Dam good for ya to.

--

Thinking about growing algae for fuel.
Then me and my car will share two foods.
Veggies and algae.



RichC

.

__________________

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.
Jimi Hendrix

Bulls**t.

__________________
1984 300TD

Explain to me why rock phosphate is going up in price so rapidly

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/i-wfp021908.php

__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Sure. From your link:

Reasons include new demands for food crops, especially corn (or maize), for ethanol and other biofuels, increased energy and freight prices, higher demand for grain-fed meat in the emerging economies of China, India, and Brazil, and increased use of natural gas as liquefied natural gas (LNG)


Farmers in industrialized countries are applying high levels of fertilizers to maximize harvests of grain at the highest prices ever

Prices of phosphate fertilizers rose more steeply than the price of nitrogen-based urea because production sources are more limited,” Bumb says. Most of the world’s phosphate fertilizers are produced in the United States, Morocco, and along the Baltic Sea. Canada produces 70% of the world’s muriate of potash. But plants to manufacture urea, for which natural gas is the main raw material resource, are dispersed worldwide.



What I'd like to understand is this:

In the United States, 70% of corn production has traditionally been used as animal feed, Humphres says. But 18% to 20% of the 2007 U.S. corn crop was used for ethanol, driving corn prices up by 70%.

U.S. corn production in 2007 was 13.1 billion bushels (333 million tons) according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)—24% more than in 2006 and the largest U.S. corn harvest since 1933.




If production increased 24%, and 18-20% of it was used for ethanol, resulting in a net gain over 06 of 4% more corn to eat, why should corn go up 70% solely on ethanol use?

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1984 300TD

Just about everything is going up in price, not just food. Things like iron, copper and other metals, not to mention oil. 1st generation biofuels certainly play some role in the food price increase, but I think the main reason is the economic boom in China and India and the rising obesity there, though they still have a long way to go to reach our obesity level. Fat people are just bad for the environment, period.

__________________
2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

It's fuzzy maff.

Well, then you should favor the increased use of corn-fed Tahoes. I'll get my jollies driving around in my SUV, and as people slowly starve and thin out, you'll get yours.

I love the symmetry.

What do you base your conclusion, which is at odds with the conclusion of the economic study, on?