Comments on: Obama Gives Thoughts on Michael Pollan’s Times Magazine Letter

By: Sweet victory « Vert-à-Go

Sweet victory « Vert-à-Go — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:09:01 +0000

[...] Much speculation has been made over the fact that Obama both read and responded to Michael Pollan’s open letter in the New York Times to the …. [...]

By: Book recommendations for President Obama : Historiann : History and sexual politics, 1492 to the present

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:34:50 +0000

[...] has been tireless in his self-promotion and attempts to reach the ear of the President lately (some of which have been successful), but that doesn’t mean he isn’t right. This manifesto argues against the fake [...]

By: Foodie Wars « Geranium Kisses

Foodie Wars « Geranium Kisses — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:31:23 +0000

[...] fighting terrorism, those 29 of us that pay attention to these things wondered when Obama (who has commented approvingly of Pollan) would show his hand. And in appointing Gov. Vilsack to Secretary of Agriculture, [...]

By: Michael Pollan: my hero

Michael Pollan: my hero — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 06:49:44 +0000

[...] administration. Pollan responded by saying that he has seen some encouraging signs—most notably, Obama’s mention of Pollan’s recent New York Times Magazine article—but that he suspects that Obama doesn’t feel like there’s enough popular support for [...]

By: ClaraP

ClaraP — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:18:40 +0000

Amazing to hear Obama comment so extensively on Pollan’s piece – whether he read it or his advisors furnished the summary – at least it’s on his radar. I’m watching here from the UK with great interest … P.Price – agree that the Eat the View campaign / the White House Organic Farm Project are clever … our new mayor in London, Boris Johnson, is endorsing a project called Capital Growth – 2,012 new food growing spaces to be created and turning out produce for London by 2012 – I hope between your side of the pond and ours there is a renewed commitment to local growing – http://www.capitalgrowth.org/.

By: Tokya Dammond

Tokya Dammond — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:25:37 +0000

I agree with what Obama has said, as it is supported by science. Historically, governments have had agricultural policies designed to lower the costs of food for their supporters. Feed your supporters and you shall lead – kind of captures the policy. We then tried to make food less and less expensive – which led to the subsidy (yes – taxes given to the farmers that would produce the most) – which lowered the price of food on the supermarket shelf (but which we pay out of our taxes anyway). One of the problems is that we subsidize things with our taxes that are not necessarily good for our health – like corn (the stuff we feed our beef cattle), sugar, and wheat (rich in carbs). That ends up being the less expensive food – so we eat too much of it – so we get unhealthy (not a balanced diet at all). The other major problem is that the science behind increasing farm production is based on adding fertilizers and pesticides that are made with petrochemicals (natural gas, oil). We use so much non-solar energy, that our food system is now a huge consumer of energy. So, if we want energy independence, we should reduce our need of petrochemical based supplies and return to the Sun as our source. We can do it..it has been proven that we can produce more nutrients (as measured not by pound, but by nutrients per food unit (nutrients in an orange, loaf of bread, glass of milk) if we use a sun based system (read organic food) rather than a petrochemical based system. When you remove the Ag Policy part (the tax subsidy to our food producers) and let the economics work, organic has a better return on investment as measured by cost of producing nutrients we need to stay healthy.

By: And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I’m voting Obama! « Dark side of the mom

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:40:57 +0000

[...] And Obama actually READ THE ARTICLE. And COMMENTED ON IT! [...]

By: What do you think….Michael Pollan for President?? « LOCAL CHOICES

What do you think….Michael Pollan for President?? « LOCAL CHOICES — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:08:51 +0000

[...] continue reading go to http://www.nytimes.com and http://www.civileats.com to read this candidate’s [...]

By: Kurt Friese

Kurt Friese — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:28:56 +0000

That he is talking about food at all is the breakthrough here. The subsidies issue could use a strong voice from the White House, but ultimately that decision rests in the hands of the Ag Committee members. To get the kind of change that’s needed there will require a revolution in membership of the committees – populating them with a majority of urban legislators.

When modern American ag policy was first developed in the 1930s, 50% of the population lived and worked on farms. Now that number is 2%. It is illogical and unfair to have 2% of the population make the decisions about the food supply for the other 98%.

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:45:45 +0000

I would like to see Obama comment on the outrageous farm subsides provided to commodity crop growers, as they are the true root of the problem. Given his ties to the agriculture industry, I’m doubtful (but hopeful) he will tackle this side of the issue.