Let's Ask Marion: Should We Be Merry About Merrigan?

by: Living Liberally

Fri Feb 27, 2009 at 16:30

(In this recurring feature, with a click of her mouse EatingLiberally's kat corners Dr. Marion Nestle, NYU professor of nutrition and author of Pet Food Politics, What to Eat and Food Politics:)

Kat: A near-collective cheer rose up from the progressive foodie blogosphere
on Monday (here, here, here, here, and here) at the news that President Obama has nominated Kathleen Merrigan, one of Food Democracy Now's "Sustainable Dozen," to serve as Deputy Secretary at the USDA. Obama Foodorama weighed in with a somewhat more cautiously optimistic post expressing the hope that Merrigan's appointment might mark the dawn of an enlightened, post-racial, post-gender USDA. Change we can believe in?

Dr. Nestle: Let's score this as a win for Food Democracy Now, which worked hard to collect over 87,000 signatures from people who want the USDA to start paying attention to sustainable agriculture.  Let's also give points to USDA Secretary Vilsack for listening to Food Democracy Now on this issue.  Kathleen Merrigan has a long track record of promoting organics and plenty of experience in making things work in government.  I'm keeping fingers crossed that she will be able to make some progress on issues that matter so much to so many of us.