Sustainable jet fuel could create opportunities for Indiana corn growers

Sustainable aviation fuels could create a new market for Indiana farmers. And that opportunity can’t come soon enough.

Indiana farmers have seen record-high corn yields the past two years — sometimes more than what they can sell for ethanol and cattle feed. That can drive down the price of corn.

Though experts from the Roads to Removal symposium said ethanol will be valuable as the country transitions to electric vehicles, the push to electrify transportation could eventually phase out the use of ethanol for cars and trucks.

Indiana University Indianapolis professor Jerome Dumortier researches the effect of climate change and economic factors on agriculture.

“Sustainable aviation fuels are one possibility to actually offset that decline in corn demand. But there are two problems: we don’t really know when this is coming and also corn is not necessarily the only feedstock you can use,” he said.

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Right now, making corn into sustainable aviation fuel is expensive and can even pollute more than gasoline — because it requires more land to be converted for that purpose.

But experts said the corn stalks, leaves and husks are a more efficient biofuel and would still allow farmers to sell their corn in other markets.

Rebecca is our energy and environment reporter. Contact her at rthiele@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @beckythiele.