The ethanol industry, weary of being beaten up over the food versus fuel debate, has fired back by noting that ethanol plants produce enough grain byproducts to feed enough cattle to make 50 billion quarter-pounders!
“Too often, discussions of the ethanol industry’s impact on global grain use forget to recognize the fact that the grain ethanol process results in renewable fuel and highly nutritious animal feed,” ethanol trade group Renewable Fuels Association reports.
“In modern ethanol production processes, one-third of every bushel of corn used is returned to the livestock feed market. Ethanol production requires only the starch portion of a corn kernel. The remaining protein, fat, fiber, and other nutrients are returned to livestock feeders.”
For the 2010-2011 marketing year, the ethanol industry produced 39 million metric tons of cattle feed. That feed would, the RFA says, be the fourth largest grain crop in the world.
The 39 million metric tons would be enough feed to produce 50 billion quarter-pound hamburgers – seven patties for each person on the planet.
The feed byproduct would be enough to produce one chicken breast for every American every day for a year.
Go to the website of the Renewable Fuels Association for a link to the press release and the full report.