Ethanol has come to the forefront in both local and national politics. And so, big agribiz, ever-eager to expand, has brought up the argument that increased ethanol production will put such a strain on American corn production that new lands, even those earmarked for conservation efforts, must be put into production to make up for the demand for both ethanol, and human and livestock needs.
This argument is flawed for several reasons. First, cows and other ruminants are biologically engineered to live on grass. That’s right, plain ol’ grass. Not the corn and ground up animal bits (including other cows) that provide the bulk of conventionally raise cows’ feed. The very same feed that spread Mad Cow disease (through ground up bits of brain and spinal cord from infected cattle being fed to other cows). Grass-fed beef doesn’t get Mad Cow because it doesn’t come in contact with the infected brain matter of other cows. Grass-fed beef is also lower fat. Beef began to be corn-fed to increase bulk and fat content, desireable traits at the turns of the last two centuries. But our increasingly health-conscious and modernized society no longer has the need for such calories and grass-fed beef is an obvious solution.
Ranchers who raise grass-fed beef are also fundamentally different from conventional ranchers in one way: their first priority is caring for the land and the grass it grows. Once that is healthy and taken care of, the cattle will thrive. Another benefit of raising grass-fed cattle.
As for human corn consumption, this is primarily through corn-based sweetners like high-fructose corn syrup. These sweetners have pervaded almost every sector of processed food, everything from bread to candy to fruit juices and even canned vegetables, because they’re cheap (from the corn surplus and artificially low prices) and uber-sweet. Unfortunately, they’re also very unhealthy for people. More so even than refined sugar or honey. So, the obvious solution is to rely more on cane and sugarbeet sugar and honey. And I doubt human consumption of fresh cobbed corn, or frozen or canned corn is so great that it would influence ethanol production.
Increased use of honey would also help the flagging U.S. honeybee sector, plagued by destructive mites and low prices due to cheaper imported honey. This in turn has worried farmers across the country, who rely on all bees, honey-producing or not, to pollinate their crops.
That being said, I’m still not an ethanol convert, especially not of corn-based ethanol. But I think it’s a start. And I’d be all for breaking the American addiction to high-fructose corn syrup and stopping Mad Cow disease in its tracks. Wouldn’t you?
