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The implications of biofuel production on intensive livestock production in the United States

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2017

JW Comerford*
Affiliation:
Penn State University, University Park, PA, United States
*
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Extract

The United States (US) produces 13.3 billion bushels of corn and 3.2 billion bushels of soybeans annually. Sixty percent of total corn is used in livestock production, with 31% used in beef production, 27% in poultry, 24% in pork, and 15% in dairy. Current US policy dictates that 25% of fossil fuel requirements will be replaced by biofuels by 2025. The entire US corn crop used for ethanol production would replace only 12.3% of the current US fossil fuel demand. Fundamentally, the use of US grain crops will not have a significant impact on total fuel use in the near future. Alternative energy sources-cellulosic fermentation products, cropland conversion to sugar cane, increased use of wind, geothermal, or other energy power, or a significant reduction in prices for crude oil will diminish the demand for alternative fuels.

Type
Invited Papers
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2008

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