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Abstract
Corn and soybeans are key inputs in animal agriculture’s processing of grain into human food. For most of the 1990s and
early 2000s, supplies of both crops were ample and low-priced as the markets reacted to policies that were intended to increase
use and prevent a build-up of carryover stocks. Extremely rapid growth in the use of corn for biofuels transformed
corn from primarily a food and feed crop to a food, feed and fuel crop. Soybeans also became an energy crop through
rapid growth in biodiesel production. This report outlines recent and probable future changes in the biofuels and crops
sectors of U.S. and global agriculture. Developments in the biofuels and crops sectors are linked to recent changes in patterns
of livestock and poultry production, and potential future directions for the animal agriculture and feed industries.
Key requirements for future expansion and competitiveness are identified.