When it Comes to Food, How Does Your Lawmaker Stack Up?

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from Civil Eats:


When it Comes to Food, How Does Your Lawmaker Stack Up?

October 25th, 2012
By Tom Laskawy


Will the food movement ever really turn political? This question has been much discussed of late, thanks in part to Michael Pollan’s recent New York Times Magazine op-ed on California’s GMO labeling referendum (which I discussed here).

And yes, as Pollan argued recently, whether or not California’s Prop 37 passes will be one sign that the movement has come of age (i.e. eaters “voting with votes, not just forks”). But winning one election in one state, however large and trend-setting, would be just the beginning. Every good political movement identifies its allies and its enemies in an attempt to breed more of the former and weed out the latter.

Now we’re seeing signs that the food movement may in fact be starting to grow up. And like learning how to balance a checkbook or making sure bills get paid on time, some of the most crucial rites of passage can seem more like chores than privileges.

........(snip)........

The legislators who come up short receive the shameful label of “Food Policy Failure,” like Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) (0 percent), Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) (8 percent), and Sen. Roy Blount (R-Mont.) (6 percent). You’d think it would be helpful to highlight “Food Policy Heroes” as well (you know what they say about carrots vs. sticks). But it’s not hard to find folks with good scorecards on the site. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), for instance, earned 100 percent, according to the scorecard methodology (as did about 40 other Democrats, although it’s worth noting that legislators don’t seem to get penalized for skipping a food-related vote, so 100 doesn’t mean a “yea” vote on every food-related bill or amendment). .................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://civileats.com/2012/10/25/when-it-comes-to-food-how-does-your-lawmaker-stack-up/

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Thanks.

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2. Du rec. Nt