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Wherever we live in America, sea to shining sea, we owe a debt to the farmers who feed us, fuel us and help clothe us. There is no question: Our nation’s farms and ranches are a big part of what makes this country great, and farmers deserve our unwavering support.
One way we should demonstrate this support is by ensuring that domestic demand for the crops they grow remains strong.
Ethanol made from American corn has been part of this country’s energy mix for decades—today, year-round, the gas in most of our cars is up to 10% ethanol, or E10. A modest 5% increase in this blend rate—that is, moving to E15 year-round—could grow domestic demand by as much as 6.9 billion gallons of ethanol, or roughly 2.4 billion bushels of American corn every year.
In addition to supporting the economic viability of our nation’s farms—and protecting them from geopolitical volatility—this move would also put money back in the pockets of everyday Americans, who would see prices at the pump go down about 18%, according to the American Farm Bureau.
However, federal regulations prevent E15 from being sold during summer months, despite the fact that it offers both emissions and cost savings. To be fair, some states do allow year-round E15, and for the past two years, the U.S. EPA has granted temporary waivers allowing E15 sales in all states through the summer. These are the right steps, but navigating a patchwork of rules and regulations and asking for federal permission every year is no way to run a business—or a farm.
A permanent year-round E15 policy would benefit everyday Americans and strengthen markets by providing predictable demand. This, in turn, would help farmers make informed planting and investment decisions, stabilizing rural economies and strengthening our national agricultural supply chain. The impact on food prices would also be negligible, if there’s any at all, since technological advances have allowed this country to produce more corn than it consumes.
Moving to year-round E15 would also see American energy policy catch up to policy in other countries: Brazil mandates a 27%-30% ethanol blend in gasoline and widely uses flex-fuel vehicles, and India plans to implement a 20% ethanol blend. If we’re serious about national energy security, America should help our farmers contribute to it.
Happily, expanding access to E15 enjoys broad bipartisan support, both in Congress and in our states, so this one important move should be easy to get across the line. That’s why we are calling on Congress to pass legislation allowing E15 sales year-round. By one estimate, this could add as much as $26 billion annually to America’s gross domestic product, supporting more than 128,000 jobs and generating more than $10 billion in revenue.
Most of this would flow straight to America’s heartland, in industries ranging from farming and manufacturing to construction and transportation. At a time when 80% of communities with persistent poverty are found in rural America, this move would result in real and important opportunities for millions of Americans.
Our country this year is celebrating 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. As we do so, let’s remember that since the founding of this country, agriculture has been indispensable to our way of life. Americans are fortunate that, thanks to the hard work of our farmers, we have the ability to feed everyone who calls this country home. We have an opportunity today to accomplish something similar in transportation fuel—grown in America, used in America—and support our farmers and rural communities in the process.
Passing year-round E15 is a common-sense action Congress can take, right now, to support American farmers, lower prices at the pump and create a brighter future for this country—including the small towns and communities so many of us call home. We encourage our nation’s policymakers to act on this bipartisan priority.•
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Magro is CEO of Corteva. Duvall is president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.
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