Maverick,
You could use virtually any product that contains sugar, or starch/carbs that can be converted to sugar. Anything from tree sap, corn squeezings, whole grain, sugar beets, Sugar Cane, potatoes, the list goes on & on.
Barley runs 2.25 $ a bushel, that much barley made into malt could easily produce 10 - 20 gallons of mash. Using a good yeast figure 20% alcohol production.
In a good year in my area Barley will run from 60 to 75 bushels per acre. Barley prices have not really changed in over 50 years. My dad got the same price for the last bushel of barley that he raised as he did for the first.
Granted it takes some time, to brew good hootch. But you don't need to worry about the farmers.
If you could buy a plastic film like Saran Wrap that would seperate Alcohol from water they'd make their own juice!
We don't need to reinvent the wheel.
But yes we could invent a few things that would seriously help.
BTW just in case your wondering where I'm coming from, ask how the beer manufacturers make light beer.
They "filter" the excess alcohol out of it.
As to maintaining the economy at its current level. Quote me where I said we
need to switch over tommorow?
Alternatives are just that, alternatives.
Something to work towards. If we had a true alternative that was 100% fuelproof, and cost effecient you think you'd still be burning gas? I know I wouldn't be.
As to the plastics side, Every gallon of gas that we do NOT make, leaves more oil for those materials that we can not live without. Like Plastics.
Although a lot of stuff is being made out of soybean meal, cornstarch, & other similar products.