In our current issue, we interview Michael Pollan, the man of the moment in liberal food policy. One way to get people to eat better, he says, is to team up with allies whose economic interests happen to line up with healthier eating:
MJ: Does WIC [the Women, Infants, and Children program] still specify that you buy dairy?
MP: Yes. We had a huge fight to get a little more produce in the WIC basket, which is heavy on cheese and milk because the dairy lobby is very powerful. So they fought and they fought and they fought, and they got a bunch of carrots in there. [Laughs.]
MJ: Specifically? Who knew: the carrot lobby?
MP: Specifically carrots. The next big lobby. But there is also money in this farm bill for fresh produce in school lunch. The price of getting the subsidies was getting the California delegation on board, and their price was $2 billon for what are called specialty crops — fresh fruit and produce grown largely in California.
Hooray for California! But the reality is, this is how things get done. Read the rest of the interview for more interesting food stuff.
