By Jeff Stier, Esq.
Posted: Friday, June 19, 2009

NEWSLETTER
Publication Date: June 19, 2009

This letter appeared on June 19, 2009 on Politico.com:

It is so emblematic of Marian Burros' "reporting" ("Grapes of Wrath?" June 17) for her to rely for info on a comedy show that’s known for using fancy editing to make things funny -- and she didn't even call me to correct the record.

Burros quotes verbatim off-air what she should know is an already-edited interview, making it sound as if I predict both obesity and starvation will be caused by Michelle Obama's one tiny White House garden.

The simpler -- and more linear -- point that both The Daily Show and Burros may have missed but which I stated clearly in the full interview is that organic food is more expensive, and consumers (especially the poor) react to prices.

In the unlikely event that humanity tried to eat "entirely" locally grown food, I said, we'd starve. These are, after all, the ancient agricultural methods that kept humanity teetering on the brink of famine for millenniums -- and there's no way to keep 7 billion of us alive that way. By contrast, if we simply switch a huge portion of fruits and vegetables toward organic, their price will rise, driving the poor away from fruits and vegetables toward generally more-fattening alternatives.

I also want to point out that like countless nonprofits, yes, we accept corporate donations but will also happily accept donations from anyone -- even Burros -- concerned about combating junk science, as long as no strings are attached to our conclusions.

In my nonwork hours, I am a gardener and an avid visitor to pick-your-own farms -- which means I appreciate the great benefits of wisely applied chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Don't let Burros scare you, kids (and parents) -- even organic vegetables are made of chemicals.


Jeff Stier is the associate director of the American Council on Science and Health.