Remarks made by the chairman of Nestle about the use of corn for biofuels production were not only wrong but dangerous, the president of the National Corn Growers Association says.  

At a time of economic struggle for millions of Americans, any proposal that will kill jobs, damage the environment and raise energy prices needs to be opposed vehemently.

“It is scandalous, ludicrous and highly irresponsible for the chairman of a global conglomerate that tripled its profits last year to talk about higher corn prices forcing millions into starvation,” said NCGA President Bart Schott. “Perhaps if Nestle is so concerned about food prices, its board will consider putting more of their $35.7 billion in 2010 profits back into poor communities. Just their profits alone represent more than half the entire farm value of the 2010 U.S. corn crop.”

Schott was reacting to comments by Nestle Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe at a March 22 meeting of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Schott also challenged Brabeck-Letmathe to take the time to study facts and figures before making comments about an industry that he clearly knows little about, nor bothered to study up on. “Mr. Brabeck-Letmathe took a swipe at the comments of the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, when it is Mr. Brabeck-Letmathe’s numbers that are erroneous. The facts support the messages of Mr. Vilsack with respect to biofuels,” said Schott.