USDA

Omaha, Neb., May 2008 – The following is a statement by Toni Nuernberg, executive director of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC):

"The total global increase in corn-based ethanol production accounts for only 3 percent of the recent increase in global food prices. This according to a statement from Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer in which he noted ethanol is not having a “major” impact on food prices.

After the hype, hysteria and spin of the ongoing “food and fuel” debate, these facts from the Council of Economic Advisors provide further proof the ethanol industry has been made a scapegoat for global issues beyond our control.