Will the New Administration Reform the Food System?

Caption: Hopefully this isn't a sign of Obama's food policy

The US food system is fueling the obesity epidemic. As a country, we are producing unprecedented amounts of junk food that costs less and less to consumers. At the same time fresh, healthy food production is lagging, and the cost of fresh foods is skyrocketing. These trends are no mistake: they are the direct result of US Farm policies, many of which are contained in the federal Farm Bill.

In the past year, we've posted on a couple of topics related to US farm policy, including:
-Why salads cost more than Big Macs (i.e., the stark contrast between what we recommend people eat and what we encourage producers to grow through subsidies)
-The history of food prices and the Farm Bill

As the nation prepares for a new administration and a new congress while struggling with some of the tightest economic times in our lives, we're left wondering if our nation will be stuck eating junk foods for the next four years, or if the Obama team and the new congress will follow through with their promises to invest in a healthy America.

Caption: Author Michael Pollan is down with carrots

Before the November election, Michael Pollan, food guru and author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, wrote a widely-read public letter to the next President urging him to be a Farmer-in-Chief who focuses on making low-cost, healthy foods available to all Americans. It's excellent:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12policy-t.html

And Grist just published an article urging the new government to invest part of the economic stimulus package to reform our food system. Check it out here:
http://grist.org/comments/food/2009/01/09/

Happy reading. And don't forget to tell us what you think--post a comment, friends.