Obama to Appoint Monsanto Exec to Food Safety Post?!

mattindy77's flickr photostream/ Creative Commons

The Obama administration may appoint former Monsanto executive Michael Taylor and irradiation proponent Dr. Michael Osterholm to top food safety spots today, according to a Food Democracy Now email blast. And I must agree with them—these appointments would be a mistake. This is not the forward-thinking kind of science I was talking about earlier.  According to Food Democracy Now:

Michael Taylor, a former Monsanto executive, whose career literally fits the definition of the revolving door between government, lobbying and corporate interests. Before serving on the Obama ag transition team, Taylor made a name for himself rotating in and out of law firms, Monsanto, the USDA and FDA. While at the FDA he helped write the rules to allow rBGH into the American food system and our children's milk.

Taylor is one of the last people I would want keeping watch over the safety of our food.  Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack also plans to name Michael Osterholm as the under secretary for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the USDA.  While Dr. Osterholm is supposedly a "food safety expert," his support of potentially harmful irridation as a cure-all for food contamination, and ties to numerous nefarious corporations, indicate to me that he is more interested in protecting the bottom line, than someone interested in improving the safety of our food supply.

I'm really dumbfounded that the Obama administration would put their support behind these two suspect nominations, but it goes to show how corporate interests remain intertwined with public safety.  So much needs to be improved about our food system, and these appointments would only set us back.

takepart with Food and Water Watch by telling Secretary Vilsack that we don't want Dr. Osterholm overseeing food safety. You can also takepart by learning more about our upcoming film, Food, Inc. And use the form letter below to tell him we don't want Michael Taylor around our food either.

Email to: AgSec@usda.gov

Dear Secretary Vilsack,

I ask that you take the lead in helping America protect the safety of its food supply by appointing a real reformer at the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) position and advising President Obama not to name Michael Taylor to any position in the administration.

Please appoint someone other than Michael Osterholm, who has proven to be too biased in favor of a single technology that has been ineffective in stopping food safety outbreaks and is something that most American consumers don't want.

I took the President at his word when he said he would close the revolving door in this new administration and I know that you want to lead a new era at the USDA.

Please appoint true reformers to positions within the USDA to help you transform America's food and farm system for the 21st century.

Thanks for your consideration.

Sincerely,

[Your name here]