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Increased fertilizer runoff is just another unintended consequence of the Renewable Fuel Standard that’s doing more harm to the environment that good. As the level of ethanol mandated grows each year, more land acreage is devoted to grow corn to make it.

Approximately 40 percent of American corn crops are blended in ethanol. For poultry and livestock farmers, this creates a serious problem: the market price of corn – the necessary staple in animals’ feed – experiences unpredictability due to changes in the crops supply and price due to the mandate.

The Hill: Consumers don’t want ethanol

The scientific and economic reality is that ethanol is much more costly to produce than gasoline, while providing 27 percent lower fuel economy than gasoline on an energy equivalent basis. Hence consumers have to purchase more fuel to drive the same distances.

Ethanol may help keep corn demand and prices high to support our farmers, but there are a number of downsides to corn ethanol. It supports a system that over-relies on corn, drives up food prices and it contains less energy per volume than gasoline.

Since RFS’ inception, corn demand has continued to increase as fuel producers are forced to adhere to the policy. And as fuel and food producers vie for corn supply—even amid drought conditions—grain costs have risen an astronomical 275 percent since the policy was implemented.