Recent articles and related correspondence regarding biofuels show a lot of ignorance about this topic. First of all, when ethanol is manufactured, it is virtually only the corn syrup that is pressed out and used as fuel. The remainder, containing proteins and carbohydrates, is used for cattle feed. Second, Brazil has been producing ethanol from sugar cane successfully for many years without affecting the price of sugar. Recent price rises have much more to do with the increase in the price of oil.
Ethanol companies are well aware of the often unfair criticism they attract, especially from Big Oil and from well-meaning but ignorant, mush-brained tree-hugging Granola crunchers. This should not be allowed to hide the fact that they are in the business of producing RENEWABLE energy resources and not finite ones. They are in fact working on how to make ethanol from grasses which, when successful, will allow the use of a great deal of marginal land as a source of renewable energy. Seaweed and algae are other possible energy sources for the future.
In the meantime, I see that certain foodstuffs are now on sale billed as having no or reduced sugar -- and not before time. Sugar has been added to far too many products, even canned beans and peas, with the resulting deplorable increase in obesity seen in some countries.