Dear Editor:

I have always been a supporter of ethanol production.

It’s obvious to me that ethanol, when combined with wind and solar power, has substantially reduced our dependence on foreign oil. Compared to past years, the reduction in gas prices at our local pumps is good evidence for the value of ethanol wind and solar power.

Yet, there are those who don’t understand this value. For example, I recently overheard a conversation that was critical of ethanol because it supposedly took food away from starving children. These statements were obviously based on emotional perception rather than facts. These statements were not based on common sense.

So, let’s look at this issue using common sense and facts as we know them. Experts in marketing tell us that normal carryover for corn crop is 6% to 12%. Carryover from the 2016 corn crop was about 15%. This fact tells me that there was ample corn to use for food production. If there had been no carryover, there might be some substance that ethanol production was taking food away from starving children.

Generally, in Minnesota, the price of gas with ethanol is lower than the price of gas without ethanol. For example, today, the price of gas with ethanol is 50 cents per gallon below the price of gas without ethanol. This means that those who use ethanol have more disposable income to spend on other necessities, such as food. It’s my opinion that ethanol is certainly not taking food from starving children. Instead, any decrease in disposable income can be attributed to the purchase of alcohol and/or street drugs.

Let’s not forget the value of DDGs — a byproduct of ethanol production used as animal feed. This product contributes substantially to food production. Some of the hamburger that we eat can be attributed to the use of DDGs as an animal feed. This is a positive but little-recognized benefit of ethanol production.

Farmers should be proud of the fact that by producing corn for ethanol production, they are reducing our dependence on foreign oil and contributing to more efficiency in food production.

George Rehm,
Cannon Falls, Minn.