College of Agriculture
Energy Information
Biofuels in Kentucky
Frequently Asked Questions
General
Biofuel Questions Will biofuels production affect the nation’s food supply?
The great bulk of U.S. ethanol is made from field corn, the
United States’ largest agricultural crop (sweet corn for
direct human consumption is a minor crop) and one that
typically has enough surplus to require price supports.
Most field corn is used for animal feed, a lesser amount
for food processing. The 7% currently used for ethanol
production has little or no impact on the nation’s food
supply. Ethanol production is credited with modestly
increasing corn prices—which is of course welcome by the
agricultural community and saves the government money by
reducing price support payments—but has minimal impact
on consumer food prices.
U.S. biodiesel production is based
mostly upon soybean oil and recycled restaurant cooking oil. Currently
both are available in surplus and biodiesel production uses a
minor amount of each. Although soybean oil is used for
cooking oil and various food products, it is also used
in a wide range of industrial products. Its use for
biodiesel has little impact on food supply.
Source:
www.eere.energy.gov/state_energy/technology_faqs.cfm?techid=8
Is the United States the leader in biofuels use?
The United States is second to Brazil, which produces
ethanol from the sugar in sugar cane, in both production
and use of fuel ethanol. In both production and use of
biodiesel, the United States is second to Europe, which
makes biodiesel from rapeseed oil.
Source:
www.eere.energy.gov/state_energy/technology_faqs.cfm?techid=8