Michael Pollan’s Interview at Gristmill
Posted on | January 13, 2009 |
Photo by Steve Rhodes
The sage of Berkeley recently gave an interview to the crunchy-yet-cool environmentalists at Gristmill on three major reforms to food policy that probably won’t happen but need to. They also cooked him a potluck lunch!
More than anything, this is what Pollan says is needed to get real change -
1. Make the House Agricultural Committee Exclusive - In Washington-speak, an exclusive committee is required to have a diverse membership instead of, as Pollan says, “packed with representatives of Big Ag.” It’s unclear to me how, or even if this could happen in Congress - [UPDATE: Gristmill posted a response to this exact question] - my guess is likely no, but it does stand to reason that food will become more important to non-farming districts in the future. It’s already clear that more citizens are seeing how they are stakeholders in food policy even if they do not grow food in their backyards. They see how poor nutrition in schools contributes to childhood health risks, and that urban areas like New York recognize the medical and financial cost of poor nutrition in low-income neighborhoods by banning certain foods like trans-fats and requiring nutritional facts to be prominently displayed at restaurants. Immigration issues and labor concerns also intersect with food policy - it’s not difficult to see congressmen with a high % of Hispanic constituents to take a greater interest in labor and safety laws in food production since that community has an interest in migrant labor, mostly employed on farms. In my opinion, this change will likely have to pass through the standard political processes though, and not as many progressives would like, come all at once.
2. Restructure the Farm Bill - Specifically, separate the subsidy legislation from the nutritional legislation, of which food stamps are the critical piece in the wheeling and dealing for votes. Doing just this would put much more pressure on reducing government subsidies that suppress the market’s effect on commodity prices and keep processed food so cheap. With the Farm Bill now thrust into the public eye, this idea might eventually have potential, especially in the new world of government spending for economic stimulus in the coming administration. It’s difficult to imagine a world where a Democratic Congress in a time of severe economic recession would cut funding to food stamps and other aid programs that feed people, so why would proponents of those programs need to bundle them with the Farm Bill to get them passed? They wouldn’t.
3. Stop Worrying about GMOs and start worrying about Monocrops - Pollan says that GMOs are a minor problem compared with the lack of crop diversity. This is an issue, of course, related to crop subsidies, but my guess is the sheer demand of the processed food industry will keep monocrops a reality unless the government encourages crop diversity. Pollan doesn’t expressly state how we should address this issue in his interview, but all you have to do is look back to his Open Letter to the Next Farmer in Chief for the answer. He says, “Federal policies could do much to encourage … diversified sun farming. Begin with the subsidies: payment levels should reflect the number of different crops farmers grow or the number of days of the year their fields are green — that is, taking advantage of photosynthesis, whether to grow food, replenish the soil or control erosion.” Sounds good to me, what do you think Congress needs to do in the next Farm Bill?
Read the full interview with Pollan on Gristmill: Eat Food. WIth Michael Pollan. Talk Shop.
- Ben
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Food isn’t just food anymore, it’s a lightning rod at the center of business, wellness, politics, and labor with hungry people like you and me caught in the middle. Stumbling Epicures covers the intellectually delicious news and events of eating in the 21st Century.
