Can we help some farmers by having more corn and soy grown for fuel use?

Question

It is well published about the use of ethanol and soy/vegetable oil as alternative or, at least, additive fuel use. Of course, there is the issue of expense. However, is it feasible for struggling farmers to grow these products on unused land? The government has been known to subsidize farms so they won't grow produce, but here is a chance they can actually grow something we can use and if enough is grown, volume can keep the cost down.

Does this make sense? This gives farmers a leg up and provides products useful for alternative fuel and fuel additives. Am I mistaken in my estimation?

Answer 1

coming from a farming background in southern Ontario at present none of my family or surrounding farms have unused land all the farm property needs to be in use one way or another to make things work.At present the best thing that can happen in farming is CO OP growing were people in communities purchase "stocks" in the farmer at the beginning of the season ,the farmer grows a variety of products brings them to a central pick up spot weekly to the investors and the stocks are paid back to the investors in food this is a much better system to help local farmers

Answer 2

I actually learned that ethenol takes up more energy to produce than it does to pump fossil fuels...

so its not even a safer way.. weird huh?

Answer 3

This is very controversial at the moment. They are thinking of removing the grants for 'set aside' land, not least because the wheat mountain seems to have disappeared.

Environmental groups have concerns that the loss of set aside land will affect wildlife, also biofuels, despite the green name, may actually create more C02 emissions than petrol. The other problem is that the grants now available to farmers to grow biofuels may mean that wheat prices remain high. This will affect farmers that raise livestock. The pig farmers especially have been hit hard by the high feed prices.