Blog
Archer Daniels Midland, better known as simply ADM, is the single largest ethanol producer in the nation and a significant biodiesel producer as well - in addition to producing feed and food products from both corn and soybeans. According to the company’s international website, they are one of the world’s largest agricultural processors of soybeans, corn, wheat and cocoa. We work with farmers across the world to turn these crops into soymeal and oil, corn sweeteners, flour, cocoa and chocolate, ethanol and biodiesel, as well as a wide portfolio of other value-added food ingredients, animal nutrition and industrial products. 
Chuck talked to ADM’s Greg Webb this week when he was at the Ag Media Summit in Portland, Oregon and specifically asked him about the “Food vs. Fuel” issue.
Webb says they expect to see more industrial usage of agricultural crops in the future and ADM’s answer to food vs. fuel is: “We are in the business to produce feed and fuel and food for the market place and we believe that modern agriculture will have the capacity to address that challenge and will produce to meet that opportunity.”
Listen to Chuck’s interview with Greg here 
Greg Webb Interview (5 min MP3)
Read more on 
July 29th, 2006 at 7:40 pm
{HYPERLINK “http://www.energybulletin.net/16544.html” }
“A food vs. fuel debate has already broken out between Cargill and Archer, Daniel, Midlands (ADM), the two giants of the US agribusiness. While addressing a group of business writers, the CEO of Cargill said he saw the production of food as the most important task of agriculture. He pointed out that if the entire US corn crop were used for fuel, it would only replace 20 percent of US gasoline consumption.”
To be fair, shouldn’t you also report on Cargill’s side of the argument? Both ADM and Cargill are credible agribusiness companies. It would be educational to learn why they have such diverging views on the same issue.
When are you going to interview someone from Cargill?
July 30th, 2006 at 4:02 pm
Hey Corky, we’d report on it if it existed. I don’t believe it does. Check out this link to see how committed Cargill is to ethanol production: http://www.cargill.com/products/industrial/ps_ethanol.htm
There is no basis for a food vs. fuel debate in terms of production at this point. I’m sure some livestock producers don’t want to see their feed costs rise but ask a corn grower if he’d like to get more for corn which is still selling for about the same per bushel price as it did half a century ago!
I look forward to interviewing someone from Cargill. Count on it happening. The we’ll see if they really do have a divergent view.
July 30th, 2006 at 9:02 pm
…but ask a corn grower if he’d like to get more for corn which is still selling for about the same per bushel price as it did half a century ago!
Of course we would. But believe it or not, the road to getting higher prices for corn is to not raise so much of it.
The policies of President Nixon and Ag Secretary Earl Butz led to the glut of corn that has driven down corn prices for the last three decades.
…..blah, blah, blah….
About the only good thing one can say about corn ethanol is that it is creating another market for all that corn, even though not a particularly efficient way of turning the resources used to grow corn into fuel.
July 31st, 2006 at 6:06 am
The link referenced by Corky dates back to May and the quotes by Cargill and ADM execs showed no “debate” as the headline reads. They both stated perfectly legitimate and not contradictory facts that the writer of this opinion piece wanted to use to twist into some controversy.
The Cargill CEO is exactly correct - food is the primary task of agriculture and corn could only replace 20 percent of the gasoline. So, what? Cargill is still producing ethanol - and food and feed.
July 31st, 2006 at 6:15 am
Ray -
I edited your comments because they were just too long and just blah, blah, blah.
We produce a lot of corn. So we are finding new uses for it - ethanol is just one of them.
August 1st, 2006 at 4:55 am
Why do we insist on running an ethanol and gas mixture? That requires 200 proof (100%)ethanol, or the water in the alcohol will separate out when mixed with gas. I have seen gasoline engines in vehicles run on just legally made “moonshine” right out of a still, which is around 190 proof, if memory serves, so it contains some water, but can easily be made in a person’s back yard with relatively low temperatures. Water boils at a higher temperature than alcohol, 212 degrees farenheit, so the temp is held below that level to evaporate just the alcohol out of the water. Let’s go to straight “moonshine” in vehicles.
August 7th, 2006 at 3:24 pm
I look forward to interviewing someone from Cargill.
Waiting.
Are you going to seek them out? Or just wait for them to contact you?
August 7th, 2006 at 6:04 pm
We are just really busy right now. This is only one of many things we do. So, answer would be - we will interview someone with Cargill when the opportunity presents itself. Maybe someone will be at the ACE conference this week …
cz