Renewed Hope for U.S. Food Policy Reform

Tom Laskawy reviews the Obama administration's track record on food and farm policy as opportunities, and hope, for much needed reform fell by the wayside. "As Obama's first term wore on – despite First Lady Michelle Obama's aggressive initial push on her Let's Move anti-obesity campaign - it became far more "business as usual" in food and farm policy than reformers had hoped."

Disappointing decisions for reformers included White House intervention on genetically modified alfalfa, meat industry reform that was "stopped in its tracks," watered down junk-food marketing restrictions and delayed implementation of the Food Safety Reform Act.

So is there reason to believe things will change in a second Obama administration? "With the corporate Sword of Damocles no longer dangling above it, my guess is the administration will return to a more reform-minded position," posits Laskawy. "I've also heard rumors the administration will renew its push for junk-food marketing restrictions."

"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."