Headline: "Ethanol v. food debate growing":

Before milk prices started spiraling, before gas prices passed $3.50 and before food riots broke out in several countries, ethanol was the darling of energy alternatives. It gave jobs to rural communities and offered an alternative to foreign oil.

Now, ethanol is a source of bitter controversy, as rising consumer prices have led to new questions about whether corn can serve as both food and fuel without dramatically upsetting the foundations of America's economy.

Echoing across the world this week is a significant, emotional debate about the future of food as fuel, with corporate leaders, farmers, the White House and the United Nations acknowledging the consequences of record food prices, a phenomenon that follows the diversion of corn into ethanol.

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