When the title of the story is called “It’s the End of the World As We Know It” (the song which we will have permanently stuck in our heads thankyouverymuch), it’s probably not a good sign as to where we’re going.
Medium has a new excerpt of Michael Pollan’s article for the “Apocalypse” issue of Lucky Peach, in which he disparages cheap fossil fuel, meat, sugar, white flour, capitalism, and just about everything else dear to Americans’ hearts. What’s a guy or gal to do if we’re just destroying the planet one cheeseburger at a time? Pollan wonders out loud if we will ever invent a food technology that actually benefits the world, not harms it.
But, he says, there is some hope after all — people suddenly care about agricultural policy, and that’s a good thing. But we (he’s looking at us) have to get involved in that policy-making, he says:
The food movement needs strong leadership. There are too many writers and chefs and not enough smart politicians. We don’t yet have the skills we need to organize and force change in Washington. That said, I do think that chefs are playing a really constructive role. They have the cultural microphone right now, and they’re using it to promote good farming and careful thought about food. Part of what we need and what chefs are promoting is the cultural re-evaluation of food: recognizing that food is important both to your health and to your culture and that it’s worth spending a little money on it if you can.
The whole thing is worth your long read of the day — if you’re willing to feel just slightly discouraged about the state of food and what not.
[Medium]
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