India’s ethanol blending: The food-versus-fuel debate is asking the wrong question

India achieved 20% ethanol blending in 2025, five years ahead of the target set by its National Policy on Biofuels, but the push for E85 and E100 has brought the “food versus fuel” debate back into focus. The author points out that in March 2026, the Indian government held 73.9 million tonnes of rice stocks, more than five times the 21-million-tonne buffer norm, and argues that India is not a food-insecure country diverting its harvest to fuel. From 2014 to May 2026, the ethanol blending program paid farmers more than 1.6 trillion rupees directly and saved India more than 1.9 trillion rupees in foreign exchange.