Some of the U.S. states that have adopted laws requiring ethanol be integrated into gasoline are having second thoughts now that the impact on the global food supply is coming to light. A Missouri law that requires gasoline to contain 10 per cent ethanol went into effect at the beginning of this year, however as food prices continue to rise that state is moving away from their support of the fuel alternative.

"There certainly are some questions on the ethanol issue that I believe we didn't delve into deep enough," said Neal St. Onge, a Republican Missouri state representative who chairs the house transportation committee.

Missouri isn't the only state expressing concern; the governor of Texas has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to waive half of the planned grain-based ethanol production and was backed by two major food companies who said the "unprecedented increases for corn and soybean meal" would hit the food industry with an increase of billions of dollars.

Ethanol production is being blamed for rapidly increasing food prices as the amount of corn required to produce ethanol has diminished the supply needed for food and animal feed. The demand has caused prices to rise and the inevitable backlash from consumers.

On the other hand, corn producers and the Agriculture Secretary are saying that the production of ethanol is a marginal factor in the rising food prices and instead blame increasing energy costs, greater consumption on a global scale and weather-related issues such as drought. The White House is also downplaying the role of ethanol is the higher prices, with White House Press Secretary Dana Perino indicating consumers are just going to have to get used to it.

"While it might have some impact, it's not a huge impact. And it is something that we are all going to have to take into consideration as we move to economies that can run on alternative or renewable fuels," Perino said.

Apparently Perino is choosing to ignore mounting evidence that not only are biofuels largely responsible for rising food costs (has she conveniently forgotten that the world is experiencing a major wheat shortage thanks to an overabundance of corn production), but it appears the government won't be admitting that the production of fuel alternatives such as ethanol are actually harming the environment more than traditional fossil fuels. If the government is in denial and won't even admit that changes to biofuel policies are necessary, there seems to be little hope that the world will see a solution to the food crisis anytime soon.

» Reuters Environment