Illinois agriculture is facing a moment of uncertainty. In October, Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued an executive order declaring an “agricultural trade crisis,” acknowledging what farmers across the state already know: the markets we’ve relied on for decades are shifting beneath our feet.
China is buying less of our grain. Global competition is rising. And new pressures — including climate change, water scarcity and herbicide-resistant weeds — are reshaping what’s possible on the land.
In moments like this, it’s tempting to grab on to the next big promise. Today, that promise is sustainable aviation fuel. The idea is straightforward: turn corn and soybeans into jet fuel, creating another outlet for surplus crops, and claiming climate progress along the way.
But Illinois must not fall for schemes involving corn- and soy-based sustainable aviation fuel. Ethanol was sold as a climate solution too. It failed. And we’re paying the price in polluted water, depleted soils, disappearing wetlands, higher food prices and billions in subsidies to keep the system afloat.
This new fuel would double down on that same losing model, distracting us from the real work of building a resilient farm economy.
At COP30 in Brazil this month, world leaders are wrestling with the same dilemma. Brazil is touting a global biofuel boom, insisting crop-based fuels are essential for a just transition. But sustainable aviation fuel is often just a repackaging of conventional ethanol systems that don’t deliver meaningful climate benefits.
As one expert warned: “Countries believe they are cutting emissions because biofuel emissions are counted as zero. In reality, they shift the pressure onto land and food systems.”
Illinois already suffers the consequences of an agricultural system built to maximize low-value corn and soybean commodities rather than food. Fertilizer runoff fuels toxic algae, contaminates drinking water and drives the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone.
We’ve lost millions of acres of wetlands, prairie and wildlife habitat. Rural wells are increasingly at risk of contamination. Soil washes into our streams and blows onto highways. And despite all this sacrifice, the climate benefits of corn- and soy-based fuels are marginal at best.
Expanding production of this new fuel would intensify these pressures. The aviation industry wants it to supply 65 percent of jet fuel by 2050, but current production is less than 1 percent. Meeting those targets would require a massive expansion of crop production — far beyond what farmland can support without displacing food or destroying what natural areas remain.
Advocates of sustainable aviation fuel say we can grow it on “marginal land.” But those lands are usually grasslands, wetlands and forests — the very ecosystems that store carbon, support biodiversity and protect communities from floods. Turning them into biofuel plantations would worsen climate and ecological loss.
Illinois should not repeat the mistakes of the past by sacrificing water, wildlife and soil for another round of biofuel-driven land use.
Yes, Illinois needs reliable domestic markets. But the answer isn’t tying farmers’ livelihoods to yet another volatile, subsidy-dependent energy sector. The answer is growing food. Building diversified markets. Supporting farmers who want to plant small grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables and perennial crops. Restoring wetlands and prairies that protect water.
We should absolutely support farmers. But there’s a difference between a safety net and a system that shields farmers from every market signal that might drive real change.
The governor is right that Illinois agriculture is in crisis. But the solution will not come from chasing another biofuel boom. It will come from using our extraordinary soils to grow real food, restore healthy ecosystems and build a farm economy that can withstand the next century.
Illinois can lead — but only if we choose a future rooted in resilience, not repetition.
Robert Hirschfeld is the director of water policy at Prairie Rivers Network. He lives and works in Champaign.
