Dear Editor,

With people across the country confined to their homes, fewer drivers are on the roads. That has caused a massive plunge in biofuels demand, and it’s sparking a major crisis for rural communities across the Corn Belt. Ethanol biorefineries are cutting production, grain prices are down, and family farms are struggling to survive. The result is economic devastation for local communities and hardship for the roughly 29,000 Wisconsin families that the biofuels industry supports.

We need our leaders in Washington to treat the biofuels industry fairly and give us a shot at success. The United States Department of Agriculture neglected the industry in its initial relief package, but several Midwestern governors pushed back by calling for additional support, and I hope that our leaders hear them. We need immediate relief, expanded markets for biofuels, and a removal of regulatory barriers that are keeping new sources of demand out of reach. It’s time for Washington to stand with biofuels workers and the small communities they support - before it’s too late.

Logan Frei,

Janesville