"A Conversation With Michael Pollan" (Part 5 of 9) at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Michael Pollan in conversation with two leading figures from the US food industry - Gary Smith, Monfort Endowed Chair in meat science at Colorado State University, and Myra Goodman, co-founder of Earthbound Farm.

This was a free public event held at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center on October 15, 2009.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Michael Pollan
• food
• food security
• sustainability
• agriculture
• organic agriculture
• farming
• San Luis Obispo
• Cal Poly

[alphacause]

(continued from previous post) I gather that his is the reason why Europe, or at least the countries in Europe whose food production system have not become too Americanized, has more expensive food, but at the same time, has a healthier population. Since socialized medicine is common in many European nations, much of the subsidies that produce cheap and poor quality food in this country are not allowed in Europe. For example, I believe Denmark outlaws High Fructose Corn Syrup

[alphacause]

Pollan makes an excellent point in the advocacy of government's increased involvement in our healthcare. The health insurance agencies are disconnected from the idea of diet related methods for preventing degenerative diseases. If health insurance becomes an increasingly government run responsibility, they will have an incentive to use the FDA to ensure more healthy products reach the market and they will provide disincentives for processed foods by removing their subsidies (continued).