Food for fuel-Gov. Rick Perry's request to curb ethanol mandate is the right response to soaring agricultural costs.

EDITORIAL

April 28, 2008, 7:39PM

Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Using a global staple such as corn for biofuel rather than food seemed to make sense when there was a surplus of cheap grain and worsening U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

The federal government was quick to boost the new industry with escalating mandates that require 8 billion gallons of renewable fuel be blended with gas sold at the pump this year. As a result, more than 30 percent of the nation's corn harvest goes to fill our tanks instead of our stomachs. Now the world's stomachs are starting to growl.

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