Conversations with History - Michael Pollan

"The Politics of Food"

Michael Pollan, Knight Professor of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes writer Michael Pollan for a discussion of the agricultural industrial complex that dominates consumer choices about what to eat. He explores the origins, evolution and consequences of this system for the nation's health and environment. He highlights the role of science, journalism, and politics in the development of a diet that emphasizes nutrition over food. Pollan also sketches a reform agenda and speculates on how a movement might change America's eating habits. He also talks about science writing, the rewards of gardening, and how students might prepare for the future.

Recorded December 16, 2008

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/iis/Kreisler.html
http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/conversations/

Category:

Education

Tags:

• UC
• Berkeley
• ucberkeley
• event
• Agriculture
• Food
• Literature
• Environment
• Michael
• Pollan
• Harry
• Kreisler
• yt:quality=high

[AnonymousCthulhu]

Pollan says that he progressively learns while writing books and that puts him not much far ahead of his readers, making the read not as "daunting" and confusing. This is absolutely true. Pollan has been the only author to write books that I can thoroughly enjoy and read through willingly, not just to finish. I loved the Botany of Desire. :)

[Jefferdaughter]

Sadly, American has never really practiced true capitalism...

Many of the people of American share your concerns.

[futsal1958]

Love Pollan, but it's shocking how he excuses mainstream journalism from covering stories that aren't given the blessing by the Republocrats. He *is* a professor of Journalism, no? Very disappointing.

[missnaturalfibers]

Grain eating is still seasonal at best in free roaming bovines. Autumn is a natural time to bulk up, but otherwise it's unhealthy.

There is a big difference between wild grass and alfalfa and corn as well. Wild grasses make a diverse mix of nutrients and species unlike the monocultures, which is far better for bees as well as herbivores. Monocultures need a horrid amount of pesticides to sustain and make eaters sick.

Beeflots far outnumber natural wetlands, so being concerned is a little daft.

[Jefferdaughter]

BandanaMama - balance IS key, isn't it? Natural model agriculture with plants and animals in balance IS sustainable, and will increase the fertility of the earth.

Check the data, and you may be surprised to find that there are no more domestic cattle now than there were buffalo, wild cattle in Europe & Asia, and other ruminants.

Eating buffalo & elk is another option, if done sustainably. Raising cattle & other livestock naturally is another great idea - and is being done by some.

[Jefferdaughter]

missnaturalfibers - Yes, since WWII, most beef cattle are finished on grain. Dairy cows may be fed grains to supplement the protein and/or energy of forage based diets. Most eat corn silage - the entire corn plant fermented, and/or alfalfa forage.

When wild grasses ripen, buffalo eat the seeds: aka grain!

The shift from sustainable ag to chemical-based, industrial ag practices was pushed by petro/chemical corps., and the gov't.

What about wetland methane production?

[satiricon78]

They mention subsidization of food. Whats irritates me is that America is the country that praise and emprise capitalism, but you still subsidize the aquaculture. To dump huge quantities of heavily subsidized corn, actually sold below the cost of production, over the world, thats not laissez-faire capitalism. The capitalistic thought is that if high fructose corn syrup is a good product it can sell itself without subsidizations.

[MopDMTBARTL]

The Vatican-Pope-Jesuits-illuminat­i-NAZIS-CFR run the world. they have all the judges, attorneys, doctors, major corporations, etc. all in their back pocket. bought & paid for, etc. our country is no longer free -we live in tyranny! truth an obscure thing, Oppression & lie is the norm. Were all slaves- our masters, the elite, r at least 50 years ahead of us in knowledge, technology, info., secrets & r using all of it against us!

Go here:

truthknowledge. com

Spread it! Time is running out!

[1888junkteam]

excellent work!