# Is it ethical to use food as fuel sources?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-use-food-as-fuel-sources/420866>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [September 28, 2007, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-use-food-as-fuel-sources/420866 "2007-09-28T20:51:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2007, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ethical-to-use-food-as-fuel-sources/420866/21 "2007-10-11T03:49:05Z")

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[QUOTE=Enola Straight]  
I think we can make more fuel crops than food crops for the simple fact that fuel can be made from food unfit for human consumption.

Crops grown in contaminated soil, poisoned with too much pesticides or something, stale or rotting or rancid, your car or truck won’t care.

Unless the contaminants survives the biofuel processing and fouls your O2 sensor or catalytic converter, toxic foodstuffs won’t make your car sick.  
[/QUOTE]

People have considered using plants to bioaccumulate toxins for cleanup, and the success has been very marginal. I think it’s a good idea, but I’ve not seen any study that shows it’s economical in practice.

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