Iowa Farm Bureau Federation statement on congressional efforts to eliminate combustion engine
Author
Published
10/29/2020
The following statement may be attributed to Iowa Farm Bureau Federation President Craig Hill:
"Last week, a group of U.S. senators introduced the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act of 2020, a truly disastrous proposition for Iowa farmers. Under this plan, by 2025 half of all new car sales must be zero emission vehicles and all vehicles would need to be zero emission by 2035. This legislation would spell disaster for Iowa farmers, the Iowa biofuels industry, rural Iowans and their communities. A recent study conducted by the University of Tennessee and released by the Agricultural Retailers Association found banning combustion vehicle sales by 2035 would devastate grain markets, pushing prices down to $1.74 a bushel for corn and $4.92 a bushel for soybeans. The study estimated America’s farm income would fall more than $27 billion if these non-market driven policies are adopted and would send shockwaves through Iowa communities whose livelihoods depend upon a strong ag economy.
"Biofuels are an essential part of a climate-focused, sustainable solution to the world’s fuel needs that have helped America become energy independent. The use of ethanol and biodiesel have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 71 million metric tons in 2018 alone. That’s the equivalent of taking 17 million cars off the road. Biofuels support Iowa’s agricultural industry and are a major economic driver providing thousands of good, high-wage jobs in the rural areas of our state. Proposals like this threaten a critical industry in our state and would deal a crushing blow to farm families; these proposals underscore the need for Iowa farm families to aggressively push back against legislation that threaten our markets and livelihoods."
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