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Ethanol Mandates Are Driving up the Cost of Food in the U.S.
American Petroleum Institute/National Turkey Federation ConsumerFeature
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(60 seconds)
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READER SCRIPT
(DOES NOT FULLY MATCH AUDIO)
WITH RISING FOOD-PRICES, SHOPPERS MAY FEEL THE PINCH--AS THEY PICK UP THEIR HOLIDAY-STAPLES AT THE SUPERMARKET, THIS YEAR. STUDIES SHOW THAT THE AVERAGE FAMILY OF FOUR SAW ABOUT A TWO-THOUSAND-DOLLAR INCREASE IN FOOD-COSTS, LAST YEAR--WHICH MEANS THAT FOOD IS BECOMING LESS AFFORDABLE. THAT'S DUE IN PART TO MORE GOVERNMENT-REGULATIONS--ACCORDING TO THE "NATIONAL TURKEY FEDERATION". IT BELIEVES THAT THE MAJOR CAUSE OF U-S FOOD-COST INCREASES, OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, HAS BEEN THE FORCED USE OF CORN IN ETHANOL BY THE GOVERNMENT. THESE "RENEWABLE FUEL STANDARD"-MANDATES FORCE REFINERS TO MIX HIGHER AND HIGHER AMOUNTS OF ETHANOL INTO GASOLINE--WHICH FORCES UP THE PRICE OF FOOD, BY GOBBLING UP OVER 40-PERCENT OF THE NATION'S CORN-CROP, EACH YEAR. IF THEY CONTINUE, THE MANDATES WILL HURT CONSUMERS--BY DRIVING UP THE COST OF GASOLINE BY 30-PERCENT, BY 2015; THAT'S ABOUT A DOLLAR, A GALLON, AT TODAY'S PRICES. THE FEDERATION BELIEVES THAT CONGRESS NEEDS TO END THE MANDATES NOW--OR THEY COULD SEVERELY HARM CONSUMERS AND THE ECONOMY ALIKE--AND COULD DISRUPT THE NATION'S FUEL-SUPPLY. TO LEARN MORE, VISIT "FILL-UP-ON-FACTS"-DOT-COM.
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