The Politics of Food
When one hears the Farm Bill mentioned, what comes to mind? What comes to my mind is legislation that helps keep our agricultural heritage alive as well as the flow of natural products that feed and nourish us. We do after all depend on farmers to supply us with not only fresh produce but also the products such as wheat, corn, and soybeans that go into other food items.
When one hears the Farm Bill mentioned, what comes to mind? What comes to my mind is legislation that helps keep our agricultural heritage alive as well as the flow of natural products that feed and nourish us. We do after all depend on farmers to supply us with not only fresh produce but also the products such as wheat, corn, and soybeans that go into other food items.
This is all true. But what if we were to dissect the Bill a little further? Could it be true that the Farm Bill is a contributing factor in the national epidemic of obesity and diabetes? Are we as taxpayers subsidizing the fast food industry? Michael Pollan, author of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” maintains that now is the time to reexamine the Farm Bill and expose its inadequacies. Pollan looks at the bill in terms of its trickledown effect regarding its impact on public health, the environment, and global poverty.
Check out Pollan’s interview, The Politics of Food, with Robin Young on WBUR’s Here and Now. The Farm Bill is up for reexamination in September. Now is the time to become fully educated on its impact and consider what we can do to move it in the right direction.