EROEI would have something to say about that - where's the power used in harvesting and refining the sugar vs. refining crude oil?

BioFuels, unless you're talking about biodiesel which was generally using waste byproduct, are a losing proposition.

Solar, Nuclear, Wind all provide a much higher total output than biofuels.

[1] http://www.roperld.com/science/minerals/EROEIFossilFuels.htm

The point is whether it would be better than eating the sugar, hence why I posted the nytimes link.

The point is not to invest in sugar or corn creation in the first place simply to have it turn into fuel or sweeteners.