Growing demand for corn as biofuel feedstock will transform the agricultural landscape as regional cropping patterns adjust and
production practices adapt.
While the most recent runup in commodity prices is similar in many ways to those in the 1970s and 1990s, rising demand for grains and oilseeds for biofuels adds a new dimension of complexity.
by
Wen-yuan Huang, William McBride, and Utpal Vasavada
Farms that grow fertilizer-intensive crops and have a limited ability to switch to other crops or inputs may be especially vulnerable to fluctuating fertilizer and commodity prices.