U.S. to scale back aid

From MSN.com:

Soaring food prices imperil U.S. emergency aid
Government to scale back donations, reduce number of recipient nations

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government's humanitarian relief agency will significantly scale back emergency food aid to some of the world's poorest countries this year because of soaring global food prices, and the U.S. Agency for International Development is drafting plans to reduce the number of recipient nations, the amount of food provided to them, or both, officials at the agency said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23418142/?GT1=43001

How does this relate to the increased use of corn for biofuels?

As the demand for biofuels goes up, the demand and price for corn that is used to make ethanol for the biofuel also goes up. I have read a few news stories that corn--a staple of Mexican peasants for tortillas--is now beyond many of Mexico's poor's ability to pay for it. For the US, it makes those wanting biofuels more expensive, but not out of reach.

Corn for ethanol is a dubious project but, alas, when I go back to my home state of Iowa people of all political stripes sing its praises. The corn lobby is so entrenched in institutions and in people's minds that it's more than an economic or environmental issue: it's also cultural. It's identity. So there's a really complicated challenge...

Other types of biofuels (e.g., switchgrass) might have more promise, but it's going to be a long slog.

streamsong - I've been concerned about this consequence since the start of the biofuel craze. It makes me heartsick. What is wrong with America? We've gone from feeding the world to taking food out of their mouths to burn in our automobiles? (or so it would feel to a hungry peasant, no doubt).

pandababy--yup and now that the price of the grains has gone up from biofuel demand, the US is saying it can't afford to feed poor countries because it costs too much.

Thanks for the link Irisheyz77. It's very eye-opening.

The irony is that industrial corn as a crop is so dependent on fossil fuels that basically we are using oil to make corn that is then made into fuel to replace oil .... Not to mention all the so-called "food" ingredients derived from corn: high-fructose corn syrup and many of those unfamiliar chemicals you always see in the ingredients list on processed foods.

I've heard that farmers are concerned about the soil because material they would normally plow back into the land is taken away. So add that to the consequences.

I also read that if you add in the carbon footprint for making the fertilizer that goes on the crop, the fuel for the tractors and harvesters, the fuel to process corn into biofuel, and the fact that biofuel is burned so much less efficiently than gas, then we are actually going backwards in terms of conserving oil. (umm, I think that is what you just said, FionaCat. I do get carried away...)

Bottom line: we need to invent some truly revolutionary ways to drive our mechanized, industrial society, but first - meanwhile - I'm going to get even more strict with our household about energy uses - whether driving the car, heating the bathwater, or the garbage that costs fuel to merge into the landfill...

I think if America decided to conserve fuel as if our lives depended on it - we could do a very good job of it.

I can't give up my hot baths yet, but I am getting more prudent about use of car and more careful about filling the land fill. I so appreciate our "garbage co." - they actually have started taking kitchen waste and composting it with yard waste. Our biggest "garbage bin" is for organics - meat and fish scraps included with grass, celery, etc. The main landfill stuff now is the crazy packaging I have to pry off of some things I buy. Hummmmm, there's another possibility - avoid those stupid clam packages.

Can I first say again, how awesome I think the discussions coming out of this group are? You guys just rock!

I have heard a lot about the downsides of biofuels and it's a shame that they are only now being scrutinized when on their first release they were lauded as the Great Green Alternative. It just gets harder and harder these days to "do the right thing".

I'm all about public transportation, but I know that for some people that's not an option (and even a bus needs gasoline...). So where do we turn? Yes, we need to reduce our dependence on oil - No, biofuels are not going to solve the problem and they can actually make things worse. Are hybrids the answer?

It doesn't get us any closer to feeding the hungry though. Even if corn is skyrocketing in price why aren't there other options to providing aid? Rice? Soy? I'm a little ignorant in how relief provisions are determined but it seems like higher prices means that there will only be more people who need food and that our aid should increase not decrease. It's all so frustrating!

elbakerone, I so agree with you. I practice a fair amount of denial these days, I try to focus on small things I can do which will not drive me crazy and then I try not to let the big things drive me crazy. But it is truly pretty crazy making.

It's not just the US. The UN issued a report of some kind a while back about the same thing, saying rising corn prices is making them scale back their aid as well.

>10 elbakerone: elbakerone

Even if corn is skyrocketing in price why aren't there other options to providing aid? Rice? Soy?

The problem is, with skyrocketing prices for corn (some driven by speculation rather than actual demand), American farmers would rather grow that.

After all the recent trade agreements, local farmers in third world countries couldn't compete with the subsidized prices from US Big Ag, so many gave up farming and head for the cities.

Thanks oregon. That does make sense but it's still frustrating.