Web exclusive posted Nov. 20, 2008 at 2:41 p.m. CST 
 
 Members of the Food Before Fuel coalition held a mock 30th birthday party, complete with cake, for the ethanol industry Nov. 18 in Washington D.C. as part of the group's latest attempt to target ethanol for high corn prices and recent slumps experienced in their respective industries. The conference was organized with the intent of convincing members of the U.S. Congress and President-elect Barack Obama's future administration to repeal ethanol subsidies and the ethanol import tariff, and to lower production mandates as required in the renewable fuels standard.
 
 "It's time to cut the umbilical cord," Joel Brandenberger, president of the National Turkey Federation, said of the infant ethanol industry. He asserted that subsidies and mandates will mean more corn will continue to be used for ethanol and will therefore drive up the price of corn, forcing poultry producers and other industrial food producers out of business. "Realistically I don't think we're ever going to see corn go all back [to the early 2008 high prices]," he admitted. Brandenberger made no mention as to the role that bad spring weather in the Midwest played in high corn prices or whether some of the poultry producers who are now facing layoffs are a result of poor speculation and hedging practices, similar to what is being experienced in the ethanol industry.
 
 Duane Parde, president of the National Taxpayers Union, compared the ethanol industry to a 30-year-old unemployed child. "It is time for all of us to march into that basement and say ‘Happy 30th birthday ethanol. Now grow up and get out of our house,'" he said. Parde said taxpayers should be concerned because they are paying for ethanol subsidies whether they realized it or not. "President-elect Obama and the 111th Congress have an opportunity to protect taxpayers and end business as usual," Parde continued. "We have spent 30 years and billions of taxpayer dollars subsidizing the production of ethanol with little to show for it." 
 
 Members of the Food Before Fuel coalition include the National Turkey Federation, the American Meat Institute, the National Chicken Council, the National Restaurant Association and the Environmental Working Group. 
 
 The conference was organized by the Glover Park Group, the Washington D.C.-based marketing firm credited for organizing the anti-ethanol campaign earlier this year on behalf of the Grocery Manufacturers Association. In addition to Brandenberger and Parde, conference speakers included Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group and Jason Clay, senior vice president for market transformation at the World Wildlife Fund. 
 

 Members of the coalition produced a recent survey which they claimed provided proof that the majority of the American public feels that ethanol subsidies should be removed. The details of the study, however, don't exactly provide compelling evidence to support their claim. According to the study, 89 percent of the 1,000 people aged 18 and over surveyed said they are concerned about the rising cost of food. Initially, 55 percent of those surveyed support policies that aid the production of corn-based ethanol and 21 percent strongly support such policies. When told that corn-based ethanol production policies have contributed 10 percent to the rise in food prices, 49 percent of the survey participants said they would be less likely to support those policies. However, an almost equal number of participants, 41 percent, said they would be more likely to support ethanol policies. The complete survey can be viewed at <a href="http://www.ipsos-na.com/news/">www.ipsos-na.com/news/</a>. 
 
 To date, there has been no indication that President-elect Obama or Congress intend to repeal ethanol subsidies or attempt to modify the renewable fuels standard to lower fuel production requirements.

Food Before Fuel coalition: Repeal ethanol subsidies

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Upcoming Events

National Carbon Capture Conference & Expo

2024 International Biomass Conference & Expo

2024 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo

Biodiesel Summit: Sustainable Aviation Fuel & Renewable Diesel

Carbon Capture & Storage Summit

Food Before Fuel coalition: Repeal ethanol subsidies