Cornucopia’s Take: With the public increasingly concerned with food quality, sustainability, and food safety, these issues don’t grab much attention from elected officials (outside of GMO labeling and ethanol). But food politics cuts across political lines and may yet provoke more attention from lawmakers.
When Will Food Issues Be on Politicians’ Plates?
The New York Times
by Kim Severson
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CLEVELAND — After a long day at the Republican National Convention, protesters, delegates and reporters shuffled past the entrance to Mabel’s BBQ, Michael Symon’s restaurant in the heart of downtown.
Inside, another celebrity chef was just getting started. Tom Colicchio, the politically focused New York culinary personality, picked up a microphone and began speaking to a crowd of about 100 people who seemed to be at the party as much for the free brisket and strawberry brambles as for the discussion.
One was Congressman Lamar Smith, the conservative from Texas. As Mr. Colicchio linked the plight of farmers to immigration, the environment, health care costs and the national security threat posed by overweight soldiers, Mr. Smith added another piece of smoked turkey breast to his plate and sneaked upstairs to eat.
