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Interesting comments from Michael Pollan who thinks focus should be on food and not the people who eat it. I am against factory farming and it has expanded under Vilsack in Iowa. Pollan sees a possible clash between Steven Chu, Energy Secretary, who is against corn-based ethanol and Vilsack who along with Obama supported it in the past. Hopefully, Chu will set them on the right path.
Clip:
"I was very disappointed in that news conference," he said, "not to hear Vilsack use the word 'food' — or 'eaters.' And the interests of everybody except eaters was discussed: farmers, ranchers, people concerned about the land."
And so, he said, it's difficult not to see Vilsack's selection as "agribusiness as usual." Michael Pollan On Vilsack, Agriculture — And Food : NPR
Vilsack has repeatedly demonstrated a preference for large industrial farms and genetically modified crops;[16] as Iowa state governor, he originated the seed pre-emption bill in 2005, effectively blocking local communities from regulating where genetically engineered crops would be grown; additionally, Vilsack was the founder and former chair of the Governor's Biotechnology Partnership, and was named Governor of the Year by the Biotechnology Industry Organization, an industry lobbying group.[17] Vilsack has also been known to travel in the Monsanto jet.
I have my doubts about him too. For the most part, I've liked Obama's picks, but the jury is still out with this one, he'll have to prove that he isn't just another midwestern agribusiness guy. Also, I hate the idea of corn based ethanol, and Vilsack seems to support it.
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