| | Corn is a very efficient crop in its use of scarce [[water]], requiring significantly less water than rice, wheat, cotton, soybean, and sugarcane.<ref>https://www.agremo.com/water-usage-in-agriculture/#:~:text=Water%20use%20by%20crop%20type,and%20sunflower%20require%20less%20water.</ref> In addition, the many uses of corn are incredible. "On average in the US, about 45 percent of corn [i.e., maize] is used for animal feed, 44 percent is turned into [[ethanol]], and only 10 percent is eaten. In fact, over one half of all the calories that we eat in the US come from corn ...."<ref>https://3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2022/11/the-mysterious-origin-of-corn.html</ref> Today "maize is likely to be found in over 1,000 products in a well-stocked U.S. supermarket."<ref>https://www.encyclopedia.com/food/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/natural-history-maize</ref> | | Corn is a very efficient crop in its use of scarce [[water]], requiring significantly less water than rice, wheat, cotton, soybean, and sugarcane.<ref>https://www.agremo.com/water-usage-in-agriculture/#:~:text=Water%20use%20by%20crop%20type,and%20sunflower%20require%20less%20water.</ref> In addition, the many uses of corn are incredible. "On average in the US, about 45 percent of corn [i.e., maize] is used for animal feed, 44 percent is turned into [[ethanol]], and only 10 percent is eaten. In fact, over one half of all the calories that we eat in the US come from corn ...."<ref>https://3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2022/11/the-mysterious-origin-of-corn.html</ref> Today "maize is likely to be found in over 1,000 products in a well-stocked U.S. supermarket."<ref>https://www.encyclopedia.com/food/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/natural-history-maize</ref> |
| − | 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 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> |