Maize is an air purifier and much more efficient than forestland, the time-honoured “green lung”. Maize produces a great deal of oxygen, absorbs large quantities of carbon gas and scavenges carbon from carbon gas in the soil, stopping air pollution having a negative impact on the greenhouse effect. As maize grows, it absorbs substantial quantities of nitrates absorbed from the soil. Maize is a key player in “green chemistry”. Corn starch is a natural, renewable and biodegradable product; it can be used as a substitute for chemical ingredients in many widely used products, e.g. pharmaceuticals, paper, plastic, glue, paint, building materials and detergents. Ethanol, which can be made from maize, is a renewable fuel, unlike petroleum, and can produce “clean fuel”, generating less pollution than conventional petrol. Maize also adds shape and charm to the countryside, providing distinctive and attractive patches of green on land yellowed by the Summer sun. Whether during the growth period, after harvest or when processed, maize is clearly an asset for the environment, for both air and soil.
Maize, Purifying the Air
One hectare of maize provides four times more oxygen than a hectare of forestland. At the same time it absorbs four times more carbon gas, i.e. between 20 and 30 tonnes per hectare. Even after the plant has “died” and decomposes after harvest, it still has a positive effect, keeping the carbon captive in the soil. Maize is another green lung for our planet, and an invaluable ally in the fight against the greenhouse effect. One final point in favour of maize: when grown in Summer, the plant plays a role recycling effluents from animal farms, as liquid and solid manure provide sources of nitrogen for the plant. The “country smell” is not pollution, but the sign that maize is having a beneficial effect on the environment!
A Champion in Green Chemistry
Maize is an invaluable ingredient in what is now referred to as “green chemistry”, i.e. alternatives to petroleum products.
Biofuels Ethanol was recently introduced as an ingredient to blend in “super” grade petrol; it is a green fuel made by fermenting or distilling the starch in plants such as maize. As ethanol contains oxygen, it can be used to reduce both carbon gas emissions and the incombustible elements in the fuel. It raises the octane index of fuel and replaces the lead and can therefore be used to produce low-pollution petrol, i.e. more ecologically sound fuel. Another key point to the credit of ethanol is that it is a renewable hydrocarbon and will never be depleted. It can be used to replace petroleum and other non-renewable fossil raw materials which, one day, will be totally depleted. Maize is not the only plant producing ethanol, but it has a record yield: one tonne of maize produces 3.7 hectolitres of ethanol, as opposed to only 1 hectolitre for a tonne of potato or sugar beet. Per hectare, maize even produces more ethanol than wheat.
While there have been ongoing delays and obstacles from governments and tax authorities, the question of encouraging ethanol production as a biofuel for the future is definitely becoming topical. The European Commission recently made a statement along these lines and the tax regulations in France have been modified so that slightly more ethanol can be added to petrol. But there is still a long way to go.
Maize is Everywhere Biodegradable, renewable corn starch can be found in around one-quarter of ordinary, everyday products where it can replace chemicals; for example, paper, cardboard, glue, pharmaceuticals, detergents, paint, building materials, cat litter and toys.
An Environmentally-Friendly Plant
Maize farming fits into the framework of best environmentally-friendly practices: limited and targeted plant treatments, restricted nitrogen input and rational water management.
Maize, Purifying the Air 