Focus on ethanol may have contributed to world hunger

The AC-T reported that The World Food Program is short by nearly half the necessary resources (“UN agency needs money to help battle world hunger,” Jan. 18). The World Bank predicts another food crisis in the offing if food prices continue rising.

World grain prices have been rising in part because of population growth. But a significant factor in rising prices in recent years has been the ill-conceived policies to produce ethanol as an alternate fuel for vehicles. Ill-conceived because ethanol is a less efficient fuel, and its impact on world grain prices hurts billions who depend on grains for sustenance.

The Earth Policy Institute has stated that “We are witnessing the beginning of one of the great tragedies of history. The United States, in a misguided effort to reduce its oil insecurity by converting grain into fuel for cars, is generating global food insecurity on a scale never seen before.” What are we thinking?