from National Farmers Union
Demonstrating the environmental benefits brought about by the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a report released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) concludes that corn ethanol provides a considerable reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to conventional gasoline.
The study found that in 2014, the use of corn ethanol provided a 43 percent reduction in lifecycle GHG emissions compared to use of conventional gasoline.
“NFU has long touted the rural economic development, energy security improvement, and environmental benefits of the RFS,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “We are pleased to see the results of this report provide further evidence that the RFS is working to reduce GHG emissions and minimize the carbon footprint of our transportation sector.”
The data also show that when farmers employ a variety of conservations practices including no-till, cover crops, nitrogen inhibitors, and precision fertilizer applications, corn ethanol can reduce GHG emissions by up to 76 percent when compared to gasoline.
“The findings of this study demonstrate the clear environmental advantages of ethanol, particularly when coupled with conservation practices,” said Johnson.
“Family farmers and ranchers have the potential to provide substantial benefits for our nation’s environmental and carbon emissions reduction goals when provided adequate incentives to do so. NFU supports the RFS as the tool to secure the agriculture community’s involvement in mitigating climate change,” he concluded.
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