CHINA SAVES CORN FOR FOOD

Finally, a government willing to stand up and say the Emperor with no clothes is going to be without food, too, if he keeps trying to use his corn for ethanol.

China may stop ethanol production from corn – Xinhua
June 10, 2007 (Reuters)

WHO
Xinhua, the Chinese state-owned news agency, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Xu Dingming, vice director, Office of the National Energy Leading Group
anything with cellulose works (click to enlarge)

WHAT
NDRC suggested government leaders intend to shift China’s 4 fuel-ethanol plants from corn to non-food raw materials.

WHEN
Report came June 10.

WHERE
Report made in Beijing.
click to enlarge
WHY
- Chinese corn prices are rising due to increased demand competition between food and fuel markets, despite a record large crop in 2006.
- Government leaders in Beijing already stopped approving new corn-ethanol plants but did not yet cut subsidies to the existing ones.
- China is 3rd in the world among fuel ethanol producers (#1, US, & #2, Brazil) and aggressively promotes biofuel development to reduce use of imported oil

QUOTES
Xu Dingming: "Food-based ethanol fuel will not be the direction for China…"