Thanks To Grassley: Bad Day For GMA’s Scott Faber

FPT Blogger — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:47:14 +0000

Yesterday, U.S. Senator Charles Grassley sent a letter to C. Manly Molpus, Scott Faber’s boss at GMA, demanding that food companies lower their prices in response to falling commodities. Grassley took issue with some of Faber’s comments, especially his public admission that anti-ethanol campaign was launched by GMA to “protect the bottom line of grocery manufacturers and processors.”

It’s not too often that US Senators call out lobbyists (to their new bosses), by name, especially for saying something so ill-advised.

Grassley Fires Off Letter To GMA On Food Prices

FPT Blogger — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:26:00 +0000

Today, Sen. Grassley fired off an letter to GMA head C. Manly Molpus asking if food companies will lower their prices in response to falling commodities. To see the letter, click here.

Consumerist Keeps Up Pressure On Food Companies

FPT Blogger — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:23:41 +0000

Click here to read this Consumerist.com post about food prices.

FPT.org Spokesman Brooke Coleman Hits Airwaves Promoting Missing Cookie Campaign

FPT Blogger — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:20:42 +0000

The Missing Cookie Campaign has been a huge success. Brooke Coleman has done interviews with: Fox Business News and radio interviews with: The Young Turks on XM Satellite Radio, KDWN, KTRH, KPNW, WTDY, WRUF, AgriTalk, Clear Channel in Omaha, KPAM and the CBS Radio Network.

Algae As Jet fuel

FPT Blogger — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:20:39 +0000

More and more, experts on the subject are viewing algae as a likely source for jet fuel in the future.

DuPont Making Progress Towards Progressive Biofuels

FPT Blogger — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:14:08 +0000

DuPont is moving right along.

Unilever Opposes Biofuels

FPT Blogger — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:12:24 +0000

Here is a new story about Unilever opposing biofuels.

We’ve said it time and again, oil prices are what is driving commodity costs — not biofuels. In fact, biofuels keep gasoline prices down.

Nestle CEO Misses Point

FPT Blogger — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:41:17 +0000

Nestle Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe says that rising oil prices force farmers to grow more corn for biofuels, which raises commodity prices. But he won’t admit that rising oil prices are responsible for making nearly every other aspect of producing food products more expensive. The Chairman said:

“Most important, of course, is the oil price, because through oil you have an impact” on agricultural producers,” Brabeck said.

Too bad food companies won’t be honest with Americans about why their food costs more. Rising oil prices, not biofuels.

Common Lake Pest Good For Biofuels?

FPT Blogger — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:03:05 +0000

Here is an compelling story out of Washington State, where one concerned citizen is taking steps to see if she can take an environmental plight on Washington lakes, known as the plant milfoil, and make that pest into biofuels. Good luck Alanna Mitchell.

DOE Official Tells Farmweek: Ethanol Benefit “Not Insignificant”

FPT Blogger — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:55:22 +0000

Farmweek interviewsJohn Mizroch, the Department of Energy’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Key quote:

“The current ethanol industry has grown remarkably fast, and has done well in offering ethanol as (a gasoline) oxygenate, as an alternative to fuel itself,” Mizroch told FarmWeek. “I don’t personally believe it has added significantly to the price of food commodities. I think our industry could sustain up to the limits of the RFS.”