Michael Pollan is at it again

Michael Pollan had to throw his two cents, again, on food politics. After his book “The Omnivore’s dilemma” became a best-seller, he’s become the de facto spokesperson for a loosely-tied movement we may call “political foodies.”

This time he wrote an op-ed letter in the New York Times outlining his vision for the United State’s agricultural policy in years to come.

Some of the proposals are sound and sensible. They include a revamp of school lunches, subsidies that encourage farmers to rely less on oil-based fertilizers, an organic garden at the white house, support for regional food markets, etc.

He missed one point though that is huge. I’d be surprised if he wasn’t aware of it, but Americans need to scale back their consumption. No matter what type of agricultural system, the fact remains that Americans eat a bigger of world resources than they would be proportionally allocated. His solution is to promote local slaughter houses and foods that don’t travel 1,500 miles to get to your plate (the average for the US), but at heart this country needs to scale back its consumption of animal protein dramatically.