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Pollan called food the “Shadow Issue” as it influences our health, climate change, energy security and environmental pollution.
We tend to only think of food in an isolated way. 

You can watch the two-part interview here. 

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Sign the petition from Eat the View to replace part of the White Lawn with an organic veggie garden… really fresh Arugula and more.

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The proposition passed (63% in favor) enacting the “Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act”

What does the law prohibit?
Simply it prohibits confining farm animals in a way that does not allow them to freely turn around, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs. (My cats do most of that to me when I sleep… but then I’m not a farm animal )

Basically this outlaws “veal crates”, “battery cages” and “sow gestation crates”.

The law becomes effective on 1.January.2015 so farmers using these methods have 6 years to change.

The folks who put the proposition on the ballot want to end what they consider cruel practices. They also contend that these practices allow more disease and encourage greater use of anti-biotics.

The folks opposed to the proposition cite that it will dramatically increase the price of food.

Those in favor do not deny that it will increase the cost of certain food (eggs, veal, pork products). Tho, how much of an increase is debatable.

My sense was that most people understood voting yes would increase their food costs. And they still voted yes. It could be they were convinced by the couple of commercials that showed some of the conditions.

What about the rest of our “cheap” food. Those “efficient” farm practices that put cheap food on the grocery store shelves require heavy doses of pesticides and insecticides… not good for the person eating it, or for the environment being polluted by it, or for the workers on the front line with it.

So the question is: are we willing to spend more for more “humanely” farmed food?

It’s doubtful you could create an advertising campaign featuring an in-humanely treated bunch or broccoli to “gross us out” into to voting against the current factory farming practices. So what kind of campaign would it take to convince us to adapt more humane crop farming practices?

What other states and countries have done

There were bills in 2004 and 2007 to curb some of the cruel animal farming methods that never got through the California Senate.

In 2002 Florida passed a state Constitutional Amendment (Amendment 10) banning pig gestation crates.

In 2006 Arizona passed Proposition 2004 banning veal crates and pig gestation crates.

In 2007 Oregon Governor Kulongoski signed a measure prohibiting pig gestation crates.

In 2008 Colorado Governor Ritter signed a State law phasing out veal crates and pig gestation crates.

Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, and Austria have all banned battery cages for egg-laying hens.

The entire European Union is phasing out battery cages by 2012.

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Will the nation’s food policy change?

Most of the campaign talk circled around the economy, health care and homeland security. In reality, our relationship with the food we eat is intertwined with all three of those areas.

With the commoditization of much of our food, we do spend less as a percentage of household income. Even with less expensive food, the rising costs this year has forced more people into a position where they can’t afford the weekly grocery bill.

A few generations ago before agri-biz was big biz and food was commoditized, we were closer to our food source and we valued the nutrition it provided. What we now eat – on average – is not as nutritious. The cost of that: poorer health, higher health care costs.

The food supply chain controlled by fewer and larger corporations. Food travels farther. Food security is more vulnerable.

Commodity or source of life

Obama has spoken out against the dominance of agribusiness. He has recognized that we need to develop and train a new generation of farmers. And he has also promised to boost support for organic farming.
But will he dig up part of the White House lawn and plant a garden?

Michael Pollan laid out some food policy suggestion in an open letter to the Farmer in Chief published in the New York Times.

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