Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM), the nation’s largest ethanol producer, could begin shifting much of its biofuels operation to Brazil, as corn-based ethanol attracts continued political scrutiny in the United States.

Biotech is no longer just a drugs game.

Soaring oil prices have led to such a boom for solar power that the industry could operate without subsidies in just a few years.

According to The Guardian newspaper, there’s growing confidence that so-called “grid parity”, the holy grail of the industry — whereby solar power can be produced as cheaply as it bought from the grid — is close at hand.

“The [US]  government recently incentivized production of ethanol, biofuel, and solar technology,” says Charles Delvalle in Investor’s Daily Edge.

Has there been a better time to consider alternative energy investments? Today, crude oil prices jumped $6 to reach $134 after the Israeli transport minister said an attack on Iranian nuclear sites looked “unavoidable.”

Thomson Reuters reports that, according to the National Venture Capital Association, the alternative energy investments sector boasts the highest growth in venture capital investments in the last five years.

Big bucks are also flowing in from US pension funds into an array of alternative energy investments, stoking concerns of a possible bubble.

The risk of owning Brazilian government bonds fell to its lowest level since May 9, as ratings agency Fitch raised the emerging market’s credit rating to investment grade. This from Bloomberg:

Fitch raised Brazil’s foreign-currency debt rating to BBB-, the lowest investment-grade level, from BB+, matching a move made by S&P on April 30. The increase will give the South American country better access to capital markets because some institutional investors can only buy securities issued by countries with at least two investment-grade ratings.

Interesting how certain threads come together… I read recently that copper producers are complaining about the skyrocketing costs of sulfuric acid.

The European Commission is backing a complaint over US biofuel subsidies launched by the European Biodiesel Board.This from the Britain’s The Guardian newspaper:

Washington will be asked this week to answer allegations that subsidies amounting to 11p a litre on B99 [biodiesel with up to 1% petroleum added] exports from the US, plus “splash-and-dash” operations being conducted through the US, represent unfair competition.

Agricultural commodities won’t drop back to pre-crisis levels for at least ten years, according to a report by the OECD and the UN. This from the Financial Times:

Food prices have undergone a paradigm shift and will not drop back to pre-crisis levels for at least the next 10 years, putting long-term pressure on governments facing the food crisis, according to a forthcoming report.

What countries are truly the have and have nots of the world? Good friend and business partner Niels Jensen of Absolute Return Partners suggests we look at the old equation in a new way? Food and energy resources may be at least part of the definition in the future.

On a personal level, it was more of a food crunch than a credit crunch…