联合国（UN）呼吁美国立即暂停政府指令的乙醇生产，这将加大美国总统巴拉克·奥巴马（Barack Obama）面临的压力，要求他在大选前应对有争议的“食品还是燃料”辩论。
支持和反对玉米乙醇的争论，让爱荷华等农业州（它们受益于玉米价格上涨，其中一些州可能在大选中起到关键作用）与德克萨斯等畜牧业州（认为乙醇正推高其投入成本）形成对立。
一些州的州长、国会议员以及肉制品和牲畜行业将抓住联合国的这一表态做文章，他们对玉米价格不断飙升提出警告。一些20国集团（G20）成员国，包括法国、印度和中国，已表达了对美国乙醇政策的担忧。
联合国粮农组织（Food and Agriculture Organisation）总干事若泽·格拉济阿诺·达席尔瓦（José Graziano da Silva）警告称，尽管至少半个世纪以来的最严重干旱对玉米产量造成了“巨大破坏”，但由于美国国会颁布的指令，美国将把约40%的玉米收成用于乙醇生产。
他在今日英国《金融时报》撰文称：“立即暂停（乙醇）指令，将让市场获得一些喘息的空间，并让更多玉米用于食品和饲料用途。”
然而，一些分析师表示，暂停指令对食品价格的影响可能不及预期。即便不考虑这一指令，美国炼油商仍需要数十亿加仑的乙醇，来满足汽油的环保规格要求。另外，乙醇现在是全球能源供应的一个重要组成部分，暂停指令可能会推升油价。
在人们担忧今年晚些时候出现食品短缺之际，格拉济阿诺·达席尔瓦表示，形势是“危险”的，但还算不上一场危机。他补充称，“风险很高，对目前形势的错误回应可能会制造”危机。
自今年6月以来，玉米、大豆和小麦价格飙升50%至30%，此前美国经历了自117年前气温记录开始以来的最炎热的7月。美国中西部农业区也几乎数月滴雨未下。
玉米价格昨日飙升至接近历史纪录的水平。美国玉米出口占全球总量的近一半，因此美国供应的变化将对全球农产品市场造成巨大影响。
上月，一个牛肉、猪肉、鸡肉和奶制品生产商联盟请求美国国家环境保护局（US EPA）暂缓乙醇指令，以回应玉米价格不断上涨。
美国参众两院的一些国会议员也向环保局进行了游说，其中很多议员代表拥有大规模家禽和畜牧业务的州。
The UN has called for an immediate suspension of government-mandated US ethanol production, adding to pressure on President Barack Obama to address the controversial food-versus-fuel debate in the run-up to presidential elections.
Arguments for and against ethanol made from corn pit farming states such as Iowa – which benefit from higher corn prices and some of which are swing states – against livestock-rearing states such as Texas that see ethanol driving up their input costs.
The UN intervention will be seized on by state governors, lawmakers and the meat and livestock industry, who have expressed alarm at surging prices for corn. Group of 20 countries, including France, India and China, have already expressed concern about the US ethanol policy.
The US is set to divert about 40 per cent of its corn into ethanol due to the Congress-enacted mandate in spite of “huge damage” to the crop because of the worst drought in at least half a century, José Graziano da Silva, director-general of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, warned.
“An immediate, temporary suspension of that [ethanol] mandate would give some respite to the market and allow more of the crop to be channelled towards food and feed uses,” he writes in today’s Financial Times.
However, some analysts say such a suspension could have a lower-than-expected impact on food prices. Even disregarding the mandate, US refiners need billions of gallons of ethanol to meet environmental specifications for their gasoline. Moreover, ethanol is now a huge component of global energy supplies, and the suspension of the mandate could push up oil prices.
Amid worries about a food shortage later this year, Mr Graziano da Silva said the situation was “precarious”, but it was not yet a crisis. He added that “risks are high and the wrong responses to the current situation could create” a crisis.
Corn, soyabean and wheat prices have surged between 50 and 30 per cent since June after the US endured the hottest July since temperature records began 117 years ago. The US Midwest farm-belt has also seen little rain for months.
Corn prices surged within striking distance yesterday of their all-time record. As the US exports nearly half the world’s corn, changes in US supply have a substantial impact on global agricultural markets.
Last month, a coalition of beef, pork, chicken and dairy producers petitioned the US Environmental Protection Agency to waive the ethanol mandate in response to rising corn prices.
US lawmakers in the House and Senate, many representing states with large poultry and livestock operations, have also lobbied the EPA.
