Ethanol Production: Economic impact on meat and poultry consumption, value, and jobs

The ongoing debate on "Food vs. Fuel" that has surrounded the implementation of the 2007 corn-based ethanol blending mandates (the RFS) has centered on the increasing cost of feedstuffs. The debate seems to assume that higher feed costs and food prices are simply passed along to consumers. Largely ignored in the debate has been the effect of increased use of corn for ethanol production on production, and consumption, of meat and poultry. The post-2006 record on U.S. meat and poultry consumption reveals that the economic impact of increased ethanol production goes far beyond higher feed costs and meat prices. In fact, the effects on value of lost meat and poultry production may be at least as great as feed cost increases, and has caused harm to the U.S. economy. Read More