Chinese Should Stick to Rice, Says Sen. Ethanol (R-Iowa)

Some stories just speak for themselves. From the Des Moines Register:

"If part of our problem is that the Chinese are going to eat meat and you've got to have corn and soybeans to feed the Chinese their meat, then why isn't it just as legitimate for the Chinese to go back and eat rice as it is for us to change our policy on corn to ethanol?" [Sen. Charles] Grassley asked in a conference call with reporters.

The Register adds:

Critics, including the World Bank, say that the rise of biofuel production is contributing to the soaring price of food around the world.

Almost all of the increase in global corn production from 2004 to 2007 went to ethanol production in the United States, depleting supplies for other uses, the World Bank said in a recent report. Rising food prices may in turn undermine recent income gains in poor countries, the report said.

Whole Register story here.

Kudos to Alex Avery.