Mais- und Zuckerpreise: Die Auswirkungen auf die Ethanolproduktion

The world is facing another energy and fuel crisis as oil prices rise to new highs. Alternative fuels are being promoted worldwide as rising gasoline prices trigger inflation. Staple foods are among the goods affected by this inflation. This book analyzes whether higher corn and sugar prices impact the expanding ethanol production. It focuses on the two main plant raw materials for ethanol production: corn (in the USA) and sugarcane (in Brazil). Econometric tests were conducted using cross-sectional data to determine the elasticities of the variables. Crop prices were tested against ethanol output using a log-linear model in several regressions to find a relationship. Additionally, the output levels of the crops were tested using the same method. It was found that corn prices and output influence ethanol production. Sugarcane prices do not have a significant impact on ethanol production, while sugarcane production shows a small but significant relationship with ethanol. Consequently, the increase in ethanol in the fuel market may be more attributable to increased corn usage rather than sugar.