# India’s ethanol policy risks water, land and food security 2026-08-07T17:34:20+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Hindustan Times reports that India's ethanol blending target, brought forward to 2025, is driving a rapid expansion of sugarcane cultivation, with serious consequences for water and land. The government sets sugarcane prices at Rs 355 per quintal, more than double the estimated production cost, and provides subsidised electricity for irrigation. A 2020 study cited by the outlet estimates that meeting the 20% target through molasses would require an additional 348 billion cubic metres of water and 19 million hectares of land, roughly four times the 2010-2018 levels. The shift to grain-based ethanol, such as maize, would not solve these problems, as maize also demands land and water. The policy mirrors the American corn ethanol model, which a 2022 study found may have higher greenhouse gas emissions when land-use change is factored in. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Tags: biofuels, ethanol, food security, government policy, sugarcane, water scarcity Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/indias-ethanol-policy-risks-water-land-and-food-security/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/indias-ethanol-policy-risks-water-land-and-food-security/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.