What’s in store for food reform in Obama’s second term?

Tom Laskawy | Grist | November 13, 2012

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When Obama was first elected, food reformers dreamt big. As Michael Pollan wrote just after the 2008 election in his “open letter to the next Farmer-in-Chief,” Obama had an opportunity to make agriculture less fossil-fuel dependent, re-localize food systems, and rebuild America’s food culture. But those pleasant dreams dissolved in January 2009’s cold winter light. Fast forward to today — November 2012. Daley resigned from the White House almost a year ago and re-election is no longer on the presidential to-do list. How much will things change?

In her latest column, Maureen Dowd observed that in 2008 “Obama lifted up the base with his message of hope and change.” This time, she added, “the base lifted up Obama, with the hope he will change.” The President has a pile of food-related rules, regulations and initiatives that have spent the last year sitting on desks awaiting action. As I see it, it won’t take long for him to show us whether he will.