The federal authorities would be entrusted with regulating maize-based ethanol in case of food emergencies, yield fluctuations or other phenomena that could lead to maize shortages or stockpiling, periodically reviewing the grain’s supply. ”It’s madness whose sole purpose is to enrich the big farmers,” said Suárez. ”We are in the middle of this foolishness, and with 20 percent of the Mexican population living in extreme poverty and with 45 percent of the food imported, we enter into this scheme of wanting to produce ethanol using a staple food,” he said. ”Furthermore, without subsidies, ethanol is not economically profitable.”