[Peakoil] Food before fuel

[Antony Barry]

PRC OP/ED: Food before fuel

Source: Asia Times

"Current hikes in both grain and pork prices are blamed on the  
ethanol industry, whose explosive growth has been gobbling up a  
growing share of PRC's maize harvest traditionally preserved for food  
and animal feed. Having promoted the production of the  
environmentally friendly gasoline additive for years, Chinese  
economic planners now fear the sector has grown too much and too  
quickly, presenting them with an uncomfortable dilemma of choosing  
between the country's green agenda and its national food security.

Fearing that the explosive growth of the ethanol industry was making  
a serious dent in the country's grain reserves, the central  
government stopped approving new corn-based ethanol plants in  
December. This month it took another step, announcing that it would  
stop the production of ethanol from corn altogether."

Full article: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China_Business/IF16Cb02.html

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