The New York Times, 10.12.08
Food policy is not something American presidents
have had to give much thought to, at least since the Nixon administration — the last time high food prices
presented a serious political peril. Since then, federal policies to promote maximum production of the commodity crops (corn, soybeans, wheat and rice) from which most of our supermarket foods are derived have succeeded impressively in keeping prices low and food more or less off the national political agenda.
But with a suddenness that has taken us all by surprise, the era of cheap and abundant food appears to be drawing to a close. What this means is that that the health of a nation’s food system is a critical issue of national security.
Food policy is not something American presidents
have had to give much thought to, at least since the Nixon administration — the last time high food prices
presented a serious political peril. Since then, federal policies to promote maximum production of the commodity crops (corn, soybeans, wheat and rice) from which most of our supermarket foods are derived have succeeded impressively in keeping prices low and food more or less off the national political agenda.
But with a suddenness that has taken us all by surprise, the era of cheap and abundant food appears to be drawing to a close. What this means is that that the health of a nation’s food system is a critical issue of national security.