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Got a Grudge Against Corn?

by Ben Murane · March 17th, 2007
Leftovers

I grew up for the majority of my childhood in the MidWest with corn, but little did I wonder why there was so damn much of it. Back in college economics courses, corn was touted as a solution to the world’s poverty problems. But it’s an interesting twist that now that corn turns out to be the devil in disguise. Produced in too large quantities by farm subsidies, at falling prices, it’s our desperation to use up the surplus that leads us to convert it into biofuels, plastics and other goods. Alas, eco-gourmets have it out against corn, and here’s why, via Grist.com:

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2 Responses to “Got a Grudge Against Corn?”

  1. Eric Schulmiller Says:
    March 18th, 2007 at 10:32 pm

    At the first planning meeting of Arthur Waskow’s Beyond Oil campaign, I said to the rest of the attendees that I hoped we wouldn’t have to be back in five years sitting around the same table planning a Beyond Corn campaign. Michael Pollan’s writing really turned me on to the evils of the Husked One - from diabetes to the oil industry and back again.

  2. Aliza Says:
    March 19th, 2007 at 9:53 am

    eric,

    that’s a good point. i think it’s sometimes silly to target one specific thing and not consider other components of the system. i had suggested to someone involved with that campaign that it ought to include issues like food distancing, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides(the largest user of nitrogen AND petrochemicals in our ag system), but they seem to be more narrowly focused at the time. often narrow focus is necessary for effectiveness, though. beyond corn! starting with kosher for passover soda!

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