Believe it or not, at one time the primary consumer
use of baking soda was…baking. Today, many people first think
of baking soda as a refrigerator deodorizer, tooth whitener or mild
cleanser. Times changed—and the baking soda industry was challenged
to rethink itself. The fundamental product stayed the same, but
now enjoys additional value through dozens of diverse and important
uses.
Sounds like corn. Corn producers
are continually rethinking the role of their product in the world.
Redefining its potential. And researching new ways that corn can
help meet the challenges of a growing world population, environmental
stewardship and national security.
Producers are rethinking the very business of growing
corn by matching the corn they grow to the customers who want it.
High-starch corn for ethanol production. High-oil corn for the food
industry. White corn for a growing ethnic market at home and abroad.
Global competitors, many of whom are strategically
located to serve key international markets, are causing U.S. producers
to reevaluate their participation in commodity export markets—and
focus greater attention on value-added products and technology that
other nations cannot provide to a world hungry for food, industrial
development and environmentally friendly products.
Corn producers are rethinking their role in rural
communities. The corn they grow helps stimulate their local economy
and provides opportunities for livestock producers, grower-owned
ethanol production and economic development through entrepreneurship,
niche marketing and food processing. Corn is more than a
commodity. It’s commerce.
Corn checkoff investments have allowed corn producers
to create incredible new markets that were only imagined a few years
ago—and we’re already catching exciting glimpses of
what’s over the horizon.
Corn is becoming a major player in the world’s
energy complex. An environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum-based
plastics. The currency of choice in a carbohydrate economy. A catalyst
for the revitalization of rural communities.
As you read the 2005 edition of “World of
Corn”, you will discover that corn is reshaping our world
in many positive ways. And when you’re finished, we expect
that you, too, will find yourself rethinking the role of corn in
the world—and in your everyday life.
