Over the weekend, the NY Times published an open letter to the Presidential candidates by Michael Pollan on the issue of feeding the nation. In it, he illustrates that food is a national security, health care, energy and climate change issue. He tells us that food production is the #2 consumer of petroleum in the U.S. — second only to our automobiles. He discusses how this topic hasn’t been an issue for presidents in several decades but how it is going to become an issue we can no longer ignore very soon. I encourage you to read the article, if not Pollan’s books on the subject of food:
Regular readers of this blog know I advocate for growing your own food and supporting local agriculture. Michael Pollan’s writings, discussions with local farmers and ranchers, as well as growing up farming have all been big influences in my perspective. I’m not 100% local. I do give into a potato chip, a cocktail with imported vodka, equal-traded-sustainably-grown coffee, and other not-so-sustainable food (and foodish) items occassionally. But, I strive to educate clients about food — from our international food system to local buying opportunities to simply growing a radish in their own soil.
Should feeding the world be a campaign issue? I think it is, whether we talk about it explicitly or not. Hey, we’ve all got to eat.
