I’m speaking at the Aspen Ideas Festival: Health. I’ll be interviewed by Helena Bottemiller Evich of FoodFix from 9:00 to 9:50 a.m.. Topic: “Making sense of nutrition science.”
Last week, the USDA announced its new Framework for Shoring Up the Food Supply Chain and Transforming the Food System to Be Fairer, More Competitive, More Resilient.
The Framework document is long and hard to read. Here’s a summary:
Framework goals:
Framework actions: where the money goes:
Food production
Food processing
Food distribution and aggregation
Food markets & Consumers
Civil Eats has an interview with Secretary Vilsack about all this. Its point:
While it’s billed as a “transformation,” the framework does not change the foundational structures or practices of the American food system. It does, however, emphasize regionalism, support for organic and urban farming, and nutrition in new ways. That’s a significant shift for the agency, which has historically prioritized efficiency over all else.
The White House was also at work last week. It released an Action Plan on Global Water Security.
Summary: FACT SHEET: Vice President Harris Announces Action Plan on Global Water Security and Highlights the Administration’s Work to Build Drought Resilience.
Strategies (Pillars):
Will any of this do real good? Specific initiatives will benefit from the increased funding.
Transforming the food system? Not quite yet.