Thirst for Corn

A research paper by the World Resources Institute that examines the environmental impacts of the rapid expansion of the U.S. corn ethanol industry following the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and proposes specific farm policy recommendations to mitigate these effects.

• The corn ethanol industry in the United States is experiencing unprecedented growth driven by the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) from the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The USDA projected a 15% increase in U.S. corn acreage, totaling 12 million additional acres, for the 2007 planting season to satisfy ethanol and other demands.
• The document proposes several farm policy measures to improve environmental and energy security, including increasing funding for conservation programs (CSP and EQIP), promoting conservation tillage, and requiring federal projects to analyze the soil, water, and GHG implications of crop yield improvements.
• Specific regulatory recommendations include extending 'sodbuster' compliance to all production acreage, establishing a joint USDA/EPA pilot TMDL project for the Chesapeake Bay, and creating a new Farm Bill program for riparian buffers.

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} }