Many researchers have attempted to estimate the impact of biofuels expansion on
recent increases in food prices, and some have looked specifically at U.S. expansion of
corn-based ethanol. A recent report published by the National Academy of Sciences
synthesizes the conclusions of eleven studies that examined the 2007 food price spikes,
finding a range of 20-40% percent increase in commodity prices as attributable to
biofuels expansion internationally (National Research Council 2011). This seems a good
characterization of the literature, including studies that incorporate data from more recent
years.