The American farmer -- and agricultural states such as Wisconsin -- are now the chief targets of some organizations searching for scapegoats.

It just goes to show how dangerously wrong people can be when armed with only half the facts -- or less.

The case against farmers goes something like this: First, livestock, especially all those cows in Wisconsin, are chief contributors to global warming because of the methane they emit, from one end and the other.

Second, all the corn that American farmers are growing for ethanol leaves less corn available for food. As a result of short supplies, world food prices have skyrocketed. Poorer nations are threatened with starvation.

It's an alarming scenario -- until you consider the facts the alarmists overlook.

Here are six reasons you shouldn't blame farmers:

1. In the United States, all agricultural sources account for only 7 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. In contrast, the transportation sector produces 25 percent of greenhouse gases. 2. A promising way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation is to replace petroleum fuels with biofuels, from farm-grown sources. 3. If you 're looking to fix blame for higher food prices, check the rising cost of oil, which is increasing production and transportation costs. 4. Corn prices are considered high -- $6 a bushel -- only because farmers have faced low prices for the past 20 years. In inflation adjusted terms, corn would have to be $6.87 a bushel to equal the price of 1981, and $14.60 a bushel to equal the price of 1974. 5. Higher corn prices are saving taxpayers money. Improved farm prices overall contributed to savings of $8 billion on agricultural subsidies in 2006. Subsidies will go down further when 2007 figures are available. 6. To blame U.S. farmers for the world shortage of food is to ignore a complex of other factors. Rice reserves are down 50 percent because of drought and other weather and water problems. Political mismanagement and ethnic clashes have held back farming in many poor countries. Are there ways to improve U.S. livestock farming and ethanol production? Absolutely.

But farmers -- including livestock and corn producers -- are part of the solution to global warming and food shortages, not part of the problem.

Let's treat them that way.

A Wisconsin State Journal editorial April 24, 2008

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