Obama can bring REAL change by making Pollan Ag Secretary
Last month was an historic election in American history for a variety of reasons–some obvious, some not so much. But one thing about our incoming president is this central theme of his entire campaign over the past couple of years–CHANGE! President-Elect Barack Obama constantly talked about making changes, emphasized his belief that fundamental changes needed to happen in government, and that he would be the one to make these changes a reality under his administration.
With his appointments to fill various key Cabinet positions drawing universal praise from those who supported him and even those who didn’t, Obama has a golden opportunity here to make one of his most crucial decisions yet to fill an important but often overlooked Cabinet seat–Secretary of Agriculture. That’s right, this is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) who helps set the tone for food policy in this country.
Taking nothing away from past Ag Secretary officeholders, I’m sure they’ve done as good a job as they can within the political confines of holding such a position. With heavy-handed special interest lobby groups supporting industries like grain and sugar, their proverbial hands were tied to keep promoting such foods as part of a healthy lifestyle through government dietary recommendations made through the nutritionally inept U.S. Food Pyramid. It’s disgusting that we keep talking about this year after year and yet nothing really changes.
For example, just last month I blogged about the new 2010 Dietary Guidelines panel that consists of mostly researchers and so-called health “experts” who haven’t got a clue about the positive health impact of carbohydrate restriction. There was ample opportunity for some low-carb researchers and practitioners to appear on this 13-member panel because several big names were nominated. But in the end it was the Bush administration’s Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt and the Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer who whittled the list of candidates to the ones they wanted. THIS IS WHY THE PEOPLE PUT IN THESE GOVERNMENTAL POSITIONS IS IMPORTANT!
Obama has already chosen former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to head the Department of Health and Human Services, but no name has been floated around for who will become the next Agriculture Secretary. This is a perfect time for you and I to express our hopes and desires to the President-Elect that we’d like to see someone who will buck the trend of his predecessors and reject the special interest lobbies who have kept grains and sugar shield from public scrutiny. In other words, we need REAL CHANGE for a change!
To that end, a grassroots campaign is underway to place investigative journalist and bestselling author Michael Pollan in the position of Secretary of Agriculture in the Obama administration. The organizers have even set up a web site promoting Pollan to explain why he would be the perfect choice for the incoming president to consider. Pollan has gained notoriety for himself over the past couple of years with two critically-acclaimed food and health books, including The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food extolling the virtues of consuming real, whole organic foods as opposed to the genetically-modified and processed garbage that passes for “food” in our society these days. If you’ve read either or both of these books, then you already know why Michael Pollan would make an excellent Ag Secretary.
This petition is targeting Obama and the 111th Congress by encouraging people to begin contacting the Congressmen and Senators being sworn in on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2009.
“It’s time to make our Lawmakers aware of our movement,” the petition web site exclaims.
The only question about this movement is whether Pollan himself would accept the position if Obama were to make him his Secretary of Agriculture. Describing him as a “reluctant leader,” the organizers say Pollan “is fully aware of this movement” and that they are staying “in regular contact” with him about the progress of it.
“He’s had an opportunity to preview this material and is impressed with the enthusiasm the petition has garnered,” the web site petition continues.
Citing Pollan’s op-ed piece in the October 12, 2008 of The New York Times Magazine entitled “Farmer in Chief,” the organizers of the Pollan petition believe now is the time to “hone our argument and forge a coalition dedicated to transforming the way the USDA does business.” They zero in on four specific issues that Pollan sensibly addresses, including Energy Independence (less fossil fuels), the Economy (lower health care costs), Healthcare (eliminating chronic diseases linked to diet), and National Security (food safety).
As with most online grassroots campaigns like this, a Facebook page has been created encouraging others to join the movement to convince President-Elect Barack Obama to name Michael Pollan to lead the United States Department of Agriculture. It’s my understanding that Obama is a fan of Pollan’s writings, so he’s already aware of the message. Furthermore, Obama seems to be genuinely concerned about health issues, fitness, and diet personally, so it would stand to reason that would extend to his policy philosophy as well. I guess we’ll know soon enough.
Join the cause and SIGN THE PETITION if you’re ready for change in Washington, DC that could make a difference in the years to come. For the sake of future Dietary Recommendation panels in 2015 and 2020, for example, this could be a moment of truth for those of us who care about the promotion of real food in America again. This is worth fighting for and I urge you to join me in promoting Michael Pollan to become the next Secretary of Agriculture.
12-16-08 UPDATE: Well, so much for “change” at the USDA from Obama–it looks like he’s chosen former Iowa governor Tom Vilsak to lead the Agriculture department. The sad thing is Vilsak is a strong supporter of ethanol meaning he’ll likely use his power position more for energy production than necessarily improving the quality of the food supply. But let’s see what he does.
As for Pollan and the petition movement, further action is still going to be taken…so stay tuned! I’ll share any new developments with you when they arise.
It’s so important that the current food pyramid be turned upside down! As Gary Taubes’s book presents it, the current diet guidelines are all wrong. The nutrition “science” seems to be less “science” than faith. It’s impossible to have double-blind diet trials, given that the participants who are eating real food, not nutrient cocktails, will always know what they’re eating, so scientific “proof” of the benefits of low-carb may be impossible. I don’t know that Michael Pollan is the one to do this, but he’s better than the alternatives!
I can tell you this, Paula…Pollan will at least give low-carb researchers and practitioners an opportunity to have their voice heard in this debate unlike the current Secretary of Agriculture!
–Jimmy
Amen brother! This is a fantastic post and you better believe that I signed the petition!
Thanks for sharing it with us!
All the Best,
Andrew R
As totally difficult as it is to get the world to see that the food pyramid is upside down and that we are destroying our health as a result of this fact, and can we imagine such a travesty as being an absolute fact. — The fact that sugar and hybrid carbohydrates are both stimulant drugs that make us “high” (like speed) and have profound effects on our emotions and thinking process, is an even more difficult thing to get the world to see! — What to do..
Jimmy,
You might like this NYT op-ed piece. The author suggests replacing the secretary in charge of agriculture with one in charge of FOOD.
The dept. of agriculture was created as a different time in America’s history when it had a different set of problems – namely there was a shortage of food for the rapidly growing population.
That is not the problem today.
Now this is VERY interesting, DR. I think a Secretary of FOOD would be an outstanding idea, although in general I’m not a fan of more government. This may be an exception if it’s done right. THANKS for sharing!
–Jimmy
The only THING Obama seems to be doing is taking the old Clinton adminstration and recirculating them into HIS cabinet.
Some kind of Change HUH ?
No comment.
–Jimmy
Hold on to your hats!
Uh, Jimmy, I don’t think the most dangerously radical left-wing politician ever elected to the presidency is going to do much in the way of dietary common sense. I think we are going to see a lot more of the same politically-correct status quo nutrtional jargon being force-fed to us. I see no hope for America whatsoever for quite a few years to come, thanks to the inability of 52% of the people to see through Obama.
Again, no comment.
–Jimmy