| | Because of its tightly-packed kernels, corn [i.e., maize] is generally incapable of reproducing without human aid and that it did not occur in the wild. But recent research shows that it existed by at least the 1500s in northern and southern Europe, and [[Aztec]] Indians felt it came from [[God]]. | | Because of its tightly-packed kernels, corn [i.e., maize] is generally incapable of reproducing without human aid and that it did not occur in the wild. But recent research shows that it existed by at least the 1500s in northern and southern Europe, and [[Aztec]] Indians felt it came from [[God]]. |
| − | It can be grown for both a cash crop and nourishment for people and livestock. It is relatively high in protein and low in carbohydrates and fat, in part because corn is actually a grain rather than a vegetable.<ref name="H">https://theindianmed.com/10-health-benefits-of-corn-maize-nutrition-facts/</ref> Corn is also high in fiber, and rich "in potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium";<ref name="H"/> corn further provides some vitamins A (in the form of beta carotene), C, and E, and folate.<ref name="H"/> Corn is also relatively free of pesticides compared with other foods.<ref>https://blog.fitbit.com/why-corn-is-a-smart-carb/</ref> | + | It can be grown for both a cash crop and nourishment for people and livestock. It is relatively high in protein and low in carbohydrates and fat, in part because corn is actually a grain rather than a vegetable.<ref name="H">https://theindianmed.com/10-health-benefits-of-corn-maize-nutrition-facts/</ref> Corn is also high in fiber, and rich "in potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium";<ref name="H"/> corn further provides some vitamins A (in the form of beta carotene), C, and E, and folate.<ref name="H"/> Corn is relatively free of pesticides compared with other foods.<ref>https://blog.fitbit.com/why-corn-is-a-smart-carb/</ref> |
| | In the United States, in the 2000-2007 period there was a boom in the use of corn to produce [[ethanol]] as automotive fuel. The result has been a rise in the price of corn, affecting its use for food for humans and livestock.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/weekinreview/11egan.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=weekinreview&pagewanted=print ''The New York Times,'' February 2, 2007]</ref> By 2009 the ethanol [[economic bubble|bubble]] had burst. It is not economical and the environmental advantage is small, because adding together the natural gas in the fertilizer, the fossil fuels it takes to make the pesticides, power the tractor and other machinery needed to dry, harvest and transport corn, every bushel of field corn needs about a quarter to a third of a gallon to grow it, around fifty gallons per acre. It therefore takes more than a calorie of fossil fuel energy to produce a calorie of food. It is not clear how sustainable the growing of corn for biofuel would be.<ref>, Michael Pollan, ''The Omnivore's Dilemma'' (2006) pp 45-46,</ref> | | In the United States, in the 2000-2007 period there was a boom in the use of corn to produce [[ethanol]] as automotive fuel. The result has been a rise in the price of corn, affecting its use for food for humans and livestock.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/weekinreview/11egan.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=weekinreview&pagewanted=print ''The New York Times,'' February 2, 2007]</ref> By 2009 the ethanol [[economic bubble|bubble]] had burst. It is not economical and the environmental advantage is small, because adding together the natural gas in the fertilizer, the fossil fuels it takes to make the pesticides, power the tractor and other machinery needed to dry, harvest and transport corn, every bushel of field corn needs about a quarter to a third of a gallon to grow it, around fifty gallons per acre. It therefore takes more than a calorie of fossil fuel energy to produce a calorie of food. It is not clear how sustainable the growing of corn for biofuel would be.<ref>, Michael Pollan, ''The Omnivore's Dilemma'' (2006) pp 45-46,</ref> |