The Illinois Corn Growers (ICG) commissioned the study to test an unproven theory that rising production levels of corn-based ethanol results in conversion of unused farmland into corn cultivation.
``This is the most thorough and far-reaching study on land use impact done to date," says Rod Weinzierl, executive director of ICG. ``It demonstrates that the often cited link between new ethanol plants and the conversion of non agricultural land to corn is highly questionable.
