IDFA joined more than 50 other food and agriculture organizations in asking Congress to act now to reform the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which determines the amount of ethanol and biofuels refiners must blend into the nation’s fuel supply. The groups placed an ad this week in Roll Call, a Capitol Hill publication providing congressional news and analysis, with a simple message: “Everyone knows the RFS is broken. It’s time for Congress to ACT!”

The fuel mandate is proposed every year by the Environmental Protection Agency. According to The Hagstrom Report, the Office of Management and Budget is reviewing the latest standards, which are scheduled to be released by EPA on November 30.

Impact on Dairy

Livestock farmers who rely on corn to feed their animals are struggling to find sufficient corn feedstock, and some dairy farmers are looking to reduce their herd size, which would limit the available supply of farm milk. Also, higher feed costs can drive the retail price of milk higher and make dairy products less competitive in the market.

IDFA President and CEO Connie Tipton also urged changes to the RFS earlier this year in her address to attendees at the Dairy Forum 2015.

“We need policy changes that favor production of crops for food over production for fuel – changes like repeal and reform of ethanol and biodiesel mandates in the renewable fuel standard that would make more corn available and less costly for food uses,” said Tipton. “We need to feed people, not cars.”

• View the ad here.

For more information, contact Chelsee Woodey, IDFA director of legislative affairs, at cwoodey@idfa.org.