Pollan Disappointed in Ag Choice
Thursday, 18 December 2008
The author of Omnivores Dilemma, Michael Pollan, described former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack’s appointment as Secretary of Agriculture as "a good day for corn. Less good for eaters." Pollan said he was particularly disappointed that neither Vilsack nor Obama used the words "food" or "eaters" in their press conference concerning the appointment. He said Vilsack does not have the record of a reformer and supported the expansion of confinement animal agriculture by gutting local control measures. Vilsack was also named "Biotech Governor of the Year" by the biotech industry but has supported local food systems. "The fact is, real change is never easy and always comes from below," Pollan said. "Now it’s up to us to push him, and Obama, in the right direction. This is just the beginning."