Where did all the barley go

I’ve been reading more about the increasing shortage of barley, largely due to the turn towards biofuels. I’ve long wondered whether this whole ethanol nonsense makes sense, particularly given that we’ve made very little effort to reduce consumption. That said, this article from der Spiegel (sort of the German version of Time) suggests that brewers’ own efforts to keep prices low may also be to blame.

Aside from the politics of it, I can only hope that the increase in prices (said to be up to 25%) doesn’t slow the growth of quality beer.