Civil Eats

California’s unfolding drought now three years running may prove to be the worst in its recorded history. Unprecedented action emerging from effective leadership is needed. This crisis will further rock the nation’s staggering economy and food supply. Farms have begun to fail, communities to crumble, food prices to rise, and more people are losing jobs and going hungry. Like the south’s hurricane Katrina, this drought provides a dry run for combined national and local response to global climate change. Read More

It’s going to be a crowded field for those facing issues in the science of food, farming, ecology, and nutrition in the new administration. As Angie Tagtow points out, the incoming Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, and the new Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Daschle, are going to be forced to work closely together to form important policy for the years ahead.

But they are not alone – a handful of other high-profile thinkers will also be creating important policy decisions that will have implications for food, and it will be anyone’s guess how Obama will manage this diverse stable of talent. Read More