While viewing a documentary recently on bio fuel, farmers, based mainly in the US, were being categorized as the future oil barons.

Now while the future for farmers may seem a prosperous one indeed, could it be at the expense of our basic foods.

The show mainly focussed on corn, which made me think, well, corn, sold in it's pure form, on the cob, has to look the part, otherwise it will be rejected.

On the other hand, if it were grown for bio fuel, one would assume that the appearance would not matter.

Of cause the risk in this is that farmers are more likely to opt for the less compliant option,that being bio fuel, so won't this place preasure on an already stressed food production chain.

Are we cutting off our nose to spite our face?

If cars could run on sausages the price paid and profits made would be the ruling factor.
Ethanol, has been used for a very long time, but to use much much more as proposed will take a balance.
Food or fuel, some vegetation is not food but can be fuel,
Even then using land once to grow food, now to grow fuel?
I doubt as of yet we have answers.

Coal seam gas and fracking is also a threat to food security.Our Govts have reduced the water to our farmers but let miners pollute and take as much as they want.

Arjay the water drawn from CSG is not the same water used by farmers.

I am not opposed to CSG, although I do think prime farm land should be exempt.

Belly, farming is also a small business and,given the crap one has to,deal with these days,as a SB owner, they will most likely take the easier option with less hassles.

This may well mean we go hungry.

i will add my thoughts

in the light of gmo corn..and its gross govt subsidies
and its uselessness as a food stuff...[as it by the 3 rd generation renders breders fed on it sterile]

also the demand for corn..
has seen the price of all corn double

bio fuel is a big scam
to suck up govt funding
noting so many have 'started then closed down'..[to rebuild the same plant..at another location..using new govts funding]

the greens are so concerned that they got 12 billion to direct action
[ie giove gifts to those wanting to acces the green slushy funding]

cause tonies 'direct action plan'..is half that cost

and thats a lot of free govt handouts
for greenie neo capitalists..exploiters to let go of

Bio fuel will come from whatever is in excess at certain times of year. Fruit peelings, sugar cain, wine grapes, a bad batch of beer, corn trash, anything with a sugar content. What ever it is it will have to be cheap. I can-not see it effecting farmers growing for a certain market. It may well be a help, ruined crops as a result of bad weather.