ABSTRACT
In the early-2000s, bio fuel production, particularly corn-based ethanol, looked extremely attractive to the farm communities in the Midwest (United States). Environmental goals of greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction, desire for independence from foreign sources of petroleum, and consumer interest in green products such as renewable energy had contributed to a national commitment to subsidize bio fuels. The result was a rapid expansion of corn grown for ethanol and a burgeoning of small ethanol plants. Tariffs on ethanol imports as well as a subsidy that did not shrink as oil prices rose made the domestic bio fuels industry look even more attractive. The price of corn more than doubled between 2004 and 2007, and corn growers flourished.
