This Week In Ag 0040 - Michele Simon - Food justice and what those in agriculture should know.

Show notes

Conversation with Michele Simon about food justice and what those in agriculture should know.

• Michele, you wrote a book titled Appetite for Profit: How the food industry undermines our health and how to fight back. Can you share what your goal was in writing this book?
• One of you main ideas is that large food companies, through lobbying and political influence, aim to "provide any distraction, misdirection, or obfuscation possible to avoid talking about corporate accountability". What do you mean by corporate accountability, in the context of avoidance?
• Independent of whether or not corporations like McDonalds, Pepsi, or Yum! Brands will do it, what specific actions would you like to see them execute?
• Most governments have policies, regulation, and guidelines on what / how agricultural food products are produced. In the context of agriculture and food, what policy / legislative changes do you recommend be enacted or changed to provide "an environment more conducive to making healthier food choices"?
• James McWilliams, history professor and contributor to the popular Freakonomics blog, wrote in Dec 2010 "the problem with taxing sodas alone is that the tax only works to lower obesity rates if consumers decrease overall caloric intake, not just of soda." Some might consider the tax too narrow a target, because people can go elsewhere for the taste/food/etc. How would you respond to Prof. McWilliams?
• Marketing and design are core components of selling food. Bunnies (Trix), "Heart Healthy" slogans, etc. What would you like to see to balance marketing vs the labels vs. the reality, for consumers?

Where can we find you?

• Michele Simon is on Twitter at @Appetite4Profit
• John Blue is on Twitter at @TruffleMedia