Corn farmers are committed to growing their crop in ways that protect and preserve the environment. The advent of biotechnology in corn hybrids has helped farmers grow more corn on less land using fewer chemicals and pesticides—further reducing the environmental impact of agriculture while increasing the corn supply for food, fuel and fiber. In fact, the use of biotech hybrids now reduces the use of crop protection products by more than 20 million pounds annually.

Strict management protocols employed by farmers help ensure that these biotech corn genetics fulfill their promise without adversely affecting the ecosystem.

At the same time, corn itself is being used to improve our environment in many ways.

Other nations are well ahead of the United States in the use of bioplastics—with some, such as Japan, even requiring their use. The high price of oil, combined with increased production efficiencies, improved technology and greater interest in environmentally friendly materials, has helped corn-based plastics turn the corner in terms of economic feasibility. Retailers large and small are incorporating packaging, containers, gift cards and other items made from polylactic acid (PLA), a corn-derived polymer with significant benefits in terms of biodegradability and petroleum replacement.

High-performance ethanol has a proven track record of reducing toxic exhaust emissions and improving air quality in major cities. Additionally, demand for 3 environmentally safe ethanol has been spurred by the elimination of MTBE, a petroleum-based gasoline additive that pollutes groundwater.

Ethanol production is squeezing even more out of a kernel of corn. Dramatic advances in technology have led to the ability to produce nearly three gallons of ethanol from a bushel of corn—up from 2.5 gallons just a few years ago.

Numerous reliable studies have shown that we get up to 1.67 times more energy from ethanol than the energy it takes to produce it—including the energy required to plant, grow, harvest and transport the corn. Additionally, ethanol plants recycle most of the water used in the production process.