Biofuels: Starving Guatemalans to Feed Cars  The Sunday New York
Times has a terrific article, "As Biofuel Demand Grows, So Do
Guatemala's Hunger Pangs," detailing the unintended consequences
of U.S. and European Union biofuels subsidies and mandates on
poor people in Guatemala. Some excerpts:     Instead of
"adjusting" mandates, let's just eliminate them entirely. Of
course, Reason has long been opposed to subsidies and mandates
for the production of biofuels. (Reason is, in principle,
against distorting markets by any subsidies, period.)  Back in
2007, i reported in my column, "Feed SUVs and Starve People?,"
that Federal subsidies and mandates were increasing the prices
of grain making it harder for poor people to feed their
families. In particular, bioethanol subsidies and mandates boost
the price corn which is used to feed livestock. In addition,
subsidies and mandates push up the price of other agricultural
products because...  ... farmers choose to plant less of them.
For example, the U.S. Department of