Mi brother in law, that holds an Ag degree, tells me that there are over 200 known corn varieties. Yes, my friends, over 200.
The corn for tortillas is not the same for corn-on-the-cob, not the same for livestock feed, not the same for popcorn, not the one used to brew Corona, and certainly not the same optimized for ethanol.

However, for future's traders, corn is only the next hot commodity. And ethanol is the excuse to create the required speculative frenzy to create the next bubble.

The unfortunate end result is that corn, which is a staple food for most of South America and Africa, is caught up in that speculation and thus its price is increasing.
It shouldn't be...its all pure speculation.

The U.S. has reached a point “where the priorities of Congress could become so distorted by politics” that it would turn its back on the next great global industry, clean power — Rhone Resch