The Future of Food Policy
Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food, discusses the future of U.S. food policy.
Michael Pollan: A lot of people talk about the elitism of the food movement. And they think about Whole Foods and people shopping at upscale farmers markets. But there is another face to this food movement. There is a real crisis in the inner city with access to fresh produce. And we know, distance from a source of fresh produce is a predictor of health.
Bill Moyers: What do you mean, crisis?
Michael Pollan: Crisis because, West Oakland, a neighborhood sort of like this, is an area that has about 26 convenience stores, liquor stores, that sell processed food, and not a single supermarket. No source of fresh produce. You might get some onions and potatoes in that convenience store, but that is it. Yet, it’s full of fast food outlets. So you have, a fresh food desert, in effect. And that is one of the reasons that people in the inner city have such higher rates of diabetes. There is a demand for fresh and healthier food that’s not being served.
via Seed