India, Jan. 29 -- India's ethanol blending program, crucial for energy security, is reshaping crop priorities, with farmers favoring maize over pulses and oilseeds, risking food security. The Economic Survey 2025-26 warns of increased dependence on edible oil imports and food price volatility, highlighting a conflict between energy and food self-reliance.

India's ethanol blending programme, though important for the country's energy security, is raising risks for food security by reshaping cropping patterns, with farmers increasingly shifting land towards maize and away from pulses and oilseeds, the Economic Survey 2025-26 has pointed out.

Maize has rapidly emerged as a primary, yet controversial, feedstock for India's ethanol program. B...