06/13/06 organic elitism

By virtue of taking on industrial agriculture and the fast food industry Michael Pollan has found himself the point guard of the organic movement. He should be benched! In a recent NY Times Magazine Michael agonizes about the direction organic is taking now that Wal-Mart's is onboard. He tries to convince readers the organic movement is not elitist, while bemoaning the fact that Wal- Mart plans to bring organic products to the masses by taking only a 10 percent mark-up. Wall-Mart's version of cheap organic food doesn't jive with Michael's bucolic vision of sustainalbity. You can't have it both ways. To create awareness, and passion for the environment, teach sustainalbity and wean an obese nation from convenience foods the public must have access and it must be affordable. If organic has become mainstream it is because of individuals like Michael Pollen have made millions championing it's cause to an infatuated public. The irony is that Wal-Mart is simply responding to a consumer demand he helped to create.