Food Politics

Bill Clinton: Uh, Maybe We Shouldn’t Turn All of Our Corn Into Car Fuel After All

Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Image

The 42nd President was in Arlington, Virginia, yesterday, speaking at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual outlook conference. He told attendees, “We have to become energy independent. We don’t want to do it at the expense of food riots.” Clinton’s concern? Ethanol. If we keep turning all of our corn into gas, there won’t really be all that much left to eat! In fact, in 2011–2012, more than one-third of the corn grown in the U.S. will be turned into ethanol. Hey, Marcus Samuelsson agrees. [Des Moines Register, WSJ]

Bill Clinton: Uh, Maybe We Shouldn’t Turn All of Our Corn Into Car Fuel