Bookmark and Share February 2, 2011 - Dave Mulder

Mark Bittman’s food manifesto

Globalized, industrialized food production has created numerous social problems in America as well as abroad. Though local movements for healthier eating have made progress over the last decade, there’s a long way to go.

Mark Bittman, author of How to Cook Everything, published an opinion piece in the New York Times with a few simple actions the United States can take to keep moving toward healthy eating.

Here are Bittman’s main points:

  • End government subsidies on corn, soybeans, and other crops which primarily serve as raw material for processed foods.
  • Begin subsidizing small farms and markets which sell food for direct consumption.
  • Break up the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) regulatory power, which has a conflict of interest between expanding agricultural markets and providing nutrition education.
  • Empower the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure the safety of our food supply.
  • Outlaw concentrated animal feed operations (CAFOs).
  • Encourage and subsidize home cooking.
  • Tax the sale of unhealthy foods.
  • Reduce waste and encourage recycling.
  • Mandate truth in labeling.
  • Invest in sustainable agriculture research.

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