Thirst for Corn

The document addresses the environmental risks associated with the unprecedented expansion of the U.S. corn ethanol industry following the Energy Policy Act of 2005. It argues that policy focus should shift from industry expansion to an evolution that prioritizes energy security and environmental benefits, offering specific farm policy recommendations to manage soil, water, and greenhouse gas impacts.

• The U.S. corn ethanol industry is growing rapidly due to the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) from the Energy Policy Act of 2005, with the USDA projecting a 15% increase in corn acreage (12 million acres) during the 2007 planting season to meet ethanol and other demands.
• To mitigate environmental impacts, the author recommends several farm policy changes, including resisting 'early outs' from CRP contracts, increasing funding for CSP and EQIP, extending 'sodbuster' compliance to all production acreage, and promoting conservation tillage and precision nitrogen management.
• The document proposes specific regulatory and research actions, such as creating a joint USDA/EPA pilot TMDL project for the Chesapeake Bay, requiring federal projects to address the soil, water, and GHG implications of crop yield improvements, and tasking the USDA with a consistent methodology for calculating biofuel feedstock environmental impacts.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Thirst for Corn. https://www.wri.org/research/thirst-corn

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Thirst for Corn. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/thirst-corn.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Thirst for Corn |url=https://www.wri.org/research/thirst-corn |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendthirst, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Thirst for Corn}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/thirst-corn}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }