By Adam Allington, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Former Iowa Governor and recent presidential candidate Tom Vilsack addressed biofuel executives in St. Louis Friday.
Vilsack says despite recent criticism of biofuels, the industry has a key role to play in the energy future of America.
Vilsack says higher food prices have more to do with high oil prices than biofuel crops displacing food.
He cautioned that if biofuel companies don't address these criticisms they will lose public support.
"If you basically allow folks to say today, 'biofuels are responsible for six percent increases at the grocery store, this year, next year and for the foreseeable future. And they're responsible for not really dealing with the climate change issue because they're not very efficient.' If you allow that to be the message, you will loose government support for research," Vilsack said.
The former governor also talked at length about climate change and the need for a cap and trade system on carbon to incentive-ize industry to move away from petroleum.