Ethanol as alternative fuel has a future

Much has been made of the drawbacks of ethanol as an alternative fuel. Critics argue that converting corn to ethanol is inefficient, contributes to higher food costs, and does not offer a complete solution for this country's dependence on foreign-supplied oil.

Yet when compared to the benefits this alternative fuel offers, the continued development of ethanol and other biofuels makes a great deal of sense.

Ethanol and biofuel production is literally in its infancy. In 1979, the U.S. produced a mere 10 million gallons of fuel ethanol. Production has been growing about 12 percent annually ever since, reaching the 4 billion gallon benchmark last year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. While that volume represents less than 15 percent of this country's oil imports, the continued development of this process is a significant step toward energy independence for America.

Food prices have been increasing well beyond the increased cost of corn, and do not reflect a future choice of food, or fuel. Statistics offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that 80-percent of your food dollar is the direct result of packaging, transportation, and marketing costs, while just 20-percent is related to the actual cost of grain. As any truck driver will tell you, diesel fuel has jumped 40-percent since February, while the price for a bushel of corn has hovered around the $5 to $6 mark for that same period.

Beyond the immediate issue of ethanol as a viable alternative fuel there is a bright future that will continue to push American farmers to produce more, while technology makes biofuels more efficient. The agriculture industry has continued to represent the very best that this country has to offer through its innovation and hard work. Farmers who were proud of gathering 90 bushels from an acre of land in 1980, now expect 150 bushels from the same acre. The same math applies to ethanol production, which has increased from two gallons for every bushel of corn ten years ago, to three gallons from a bushel today.

Ethanol may not be the complete answer to the energy question at this juncture, but its future is promising and our investment in that industry certainly makes good sense.