I know somebody who knows somebody.

And this Somebody Dos was telling President Obama about the flaws in the American food system.

I wasn’t there, but I think he mentioned:

  • The government pays subsidies to farmers to grow primarily corn and soybeans.  For real cheap.
  • The cheap corn becomes feed for cattle (not their natural diet, by the way) and the basis for high-fructose corn syrup that gives fake flavor to things we’ve taken to calling food.
  • This processed food has no nourishment in it, so we eat more and more of it to fill up.  Here I imagine that Somebody Dos leaned in and said, “Really?  An epidemic of obesity?  We’re going to allow for that?”
  • To make ends meet with the cheap crop sales to agribusiness, farmers use pesticides to get the highest yield possible.  The pesticides may work for awhile, but with time, the insects and diseases fight back and introduce resistant populations.
  • The pesticides make our people and our land sick.

You know what Obama said?  May I paraphrase since – you know – I wasn’t there?

The President said, “On a personal note, I completely agree with you.  But you have to show me the movement.”

So, now we’re all here.  You talk to your friends and I’ll talk to mine.