* Tariffs on sugar increase demand for corn.

* Subsidies for ethanol increases the cost of all food, including corn.

* Subsidies for corn for lots of other things[0][1] decrease the direct price of corn to consumers and food manufacturers.

As a single data point, I come from Kansas, from a family of farmers. It used to be known as the "Breadbasket of America" because of all the wheat that they grew. Its number one crop is now corn[2].

[0] https://farm.ewg.org/progdetail.php?fips=00000&progcode=corn

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricultural_subsidy#United_St...

[2] https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Kansas/Publica...

That chart shows around 7 billion for corn. The text later says:

> US corn ethanol subsidies are between $5.5 billion and $7.3 billion per year.

Doesn't that mean most non-ethanol uses of corn aren't really subsidized too much?

It does also list: "Feed grains, mostly corn 2,841" (million)

Am I right that that is just $9 subsidy per citizen, and lots of it is going to feed farm animals?

The numbers are all from different years so there could have been some major changes.

Subsidies for corn have been in place, depressing prices (relative to high-tariff sugar) long enough, that food manufacturers have incorporated corn products into almost everything you can buy at the supermarket. Once the supply chain is in place, even if corn prices rise marginally, it's going to take a large effort to eliminate it from the typical American diet.