Dear Obamas: Let’s Move … On Food Policy Reform

Michelle Obama recently celebrated the first anniversary of her Let's Move campaign to inspire healthier eating. But as the popular face of the Obama administration's advocacy for healthy, nutritious food, the first lady has conveniently side...

February 11, 2011 | Source: Grist | by Wenonah Hauter

For related articles
and more information, please visit OCA’s Breaking the Chains page , All About Organics page, Genetic Engineering page, and
our Farm Issues page.

Michelle Obama recently celebrated the first anniversary of her Let’s Move campaign to inspire healthier eating. But as the popular face of the Obama administration’s advocacy for healthy, nutritious food, the first lady has conveniently side-stepped several critical consumer food issues like organics, genetically engineered food, fair markets for farmers and ranchers, and local and regional food economies. While Mrs. Obama has remained silent on these topics, the actions of the agencies that regulate our food under President Obama speak volumes. And progressives don’t like what they are hearing.

Last year, the FDA began paving the way for approval of genetically engineered (GE) salmon. The agency pressed on despite the lack of independent research to determine what the health or environmental impacts of such a product would be, and despite concerns from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about the FDA’s process to “fast track” GE salmon’s approval. The first transgenic animal approved for human consumption, GE salmon would open the floodgates for GE cows and pigs, which biotech companies are waiting in the wings to finally commercialize after years of research and development.

But Americans don’t want it: A 2009 Consumer Reports poll revealed that the majority of consumers would not eat genetically engineered food, while a poll we conducted with Lake Research Partners last year showed that 78 percent of Americans were against the approval of a GE salmon for human consumption.

Now, the USDA has approved the unrestricted growing of GE alfalfa, which could destroy the organic dairy industry and block farmers from the export market since many countries won’t accept GE-contaminated crops. The USDA has also “partially deregulated” GE sugar beets. Soon, many candy bars in America could be produced from sugar grown with Monsanto’s dangerous Roundup Ready herbicide.