US drought renews debate on biofuel
<p><span word="American">American</span> <span word="officials">officials</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="sharply">sharply</span> <span word="reduced">reduced</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="expectations">expectations</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="year">year</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="corn">corn</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="soybean">soybean</span> <span word="crops">crops</span>. <span word="Farmers">Farmers</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Midwest">Midwest</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="struggling">struggling</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="record">record</span> <span word="heat">heat</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="worst">worst</span> <span word="drought">drought</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="years">years</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="largest">largest</span> <span word="producer">producer</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="corn">corn</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="soybeans">soybeans</span>. <span word="Last">Last</span> <span word="Friday">Friday</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Agriculture">Agriculture</span> <span word="Department">Department</span> <span word="predicted">predicted</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="corn">corn</span> <span word="production">production</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="total">total</span> 10.8 <span word="billion">billion</span> <span word="bushels">bushels</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="year">year</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="seventeen">seventeen</span> <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="prediction">prediction</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="month">month</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="thirteen">thirteen</span> <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="year">year</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="level">level</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="average">average</span> <span word="yield">yield</span> <span word="per">per</span> <span word="hectare">hectare</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lowest">lowest</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="seventeen">seventeen</span> <span word="years">years</span>.</p><p><span word="At">At</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="predicted">predicted</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="soybean">soybean</span> <span word="production">production</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="twelve">twelve</span> <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="lower">lower</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="year">year</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="maize">maize</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="Americans">Americans</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="corn">corn</span>, <span word="has">has</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="record">record</span> <span word="levels">levels</span>. <span word="Corn">Corn</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="major">major</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="animal">animal</span> <span word="feed">feed</span>, <span word="so">so</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="meat">meat</span>, <span word="milk">milk</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="eggs">eggs</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="climb">climb</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="Nations">Nations</span> <span word="Food">Food</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Agriculture">Agriculture</span> <span word="Organization">Organization</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="average">average</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="prices">prices</span> <span word="worldwide">worldwide</span> <span word="rose">rose</span> <span word="six">six</span> <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="July">July</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="drought">drought</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="reason">reason</span>. <span word="Gawain">Gawain</span> <span word="Kripke">Kripke</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="expert">expert</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="anti">anti</span>-<span word="hunger">hunger</span> <span word="group">group</span> <span word="Oxfam">Oxfam</span> <span word="America">America</span>.</p><p><span word="GAWAIN">GAWAIN</span> <span word="KRIPKE">KRIPKE</span>: "<span word="Because">Because</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="U">U</span>.<span word="S">S</span>. <span word="is">is</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="massive">massive</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="producer">producer</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="exporter">exporter</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="impacts">impacts</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="drought">drought</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="likely">likely</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="trickle">trickle</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="around">around</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>."</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="situation">situation</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="renewed">renewed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fight">fight</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="fuel">fuel</span>. <span word="About">About</span> <span word="forty">forty</span> <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nation">nation</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="corn">corn</span> <span word="crop">crop</span> <span word="goes">goes</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="making">making</span> <span word="ethanol">ethanol</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="production">production</span> <span word="process">process</span> <span word="leaves">leaves</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="form">form</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="fed">fed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="animals">animals</span>. <span word="Still">Still</span>, <span word="at">at</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="one">one</span>-<span word="fourth">fourth</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="corn">corn</span> <span word="crop">crop</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="fuel">fuel</span>.</p>
页:
[1]