Oil fell more than a dollar to below $44 on Thursday as a record drop in euro zone economic performance heightened expectations that fuel consumption would shrink further.

The Brazilian ethanol export market is rapidly expanding because of sky-high oil prices. While American corn ethanol is widely regarded as a boondoggle, existing solely because of government subsidies, Brazilian ethanol has proven beneficial for the environment and for business.

A month ago, I wrote an article here in the A-Letter detailing the global food crisis. According to data from the World Bank, global food prices have soared 83% in the past three years alone.