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lurkette · 07-11-2007, 07:02 AM

I agree that ethanol is not a viable solution to our energy crisis. It's a renewable resource, but this is not a very efficient use of corn.

I just heard a report on NPR (sponsored by Nabisco or something) that predicted food prices would rise by 50% in the next 10 years, in part because of ethanol but also because of increased demand driven by population increases in China and India.

I'm curious - this is kind of a threadjack, but what effect could we expect on prices worldwide if industrialized countries dropped their domestic agribusiness subsidies? Conventional wisdom is that developing nations could then afford to compete on the global commodities market. Theoretically that would drive prices down, as there would be more free-market competition globally. Would we see a decrease in food prices even without the subsidization our suppliers are getting from our government?

07-11-2007, 07:02 AM	#2 (permalink)
lurkette My future is coming on Moderator Emeritus Location: east of the sun and west of the moon	I agree that ethanol is not a viable solution to our energy crisis. It's a renewable resource, but this is not a very efficient use of corn. I just heard a report on NPR (sponsored by Nabisco or something) that predicted food prices would rise by 50% in the next 10 years, in part because of ethanol but also because of increased demand driven by population increases in China and India. I'm curious - this is kind of a threadjack, but what effect could we expect on prices worldwide if industrialized countries dropped their domestic agribusiness subsidies? Conventional wisdom is that developing nations could then afford to compete on the global commodities market. Theoretically that would drive prices down, as there would be more free-market competition globally. Would we see a decrease in food prices even without the subsidization our suppliers are getting from our government? __________________ "If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing." - Anatole France