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As a food politics commenter, I get paid to have strong opinions on the issues of the day.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>This ass will be eating grass?racineur via FlickrBut this one’s got me flummoxed. First, fast-food giant Wendy’s rolls out its new “pasture on a bun” burger, made with “100% grass-fed beef.”<\/a> That sort of thing always leaves me cold. Of course, I want mega-corporations like Wendy’s to make more responsible buying decisions. But what I really want to see are new food economies that retain food dollars within communities, and don’t siphon them to distant shareholders.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do we really want thirty years of food-system activism to amount to just another profit opportunity for Wendy’s? On the other hand, how can I lash out at a massive buyer for making a sourcing choice that could spark a stampede of cattle from feedlots to farm fields?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Then this news really gave me whiplash: Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan, the movement’s leading thinkers, have inked a deal to promote the “pasture on a bun.”<\/a> They’ll be filming a series of commercials for Wendy’s—and appearing at a string of events nationwide.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The authors of Fast Food Nation and The Omnivore’s Dilemma want us to hop in our cars and head to the nearest Wendy’s drive-through? Does not compute! I’m stuck on this one, and seeking reader guidance. Please comment below.<\/p>\n Related Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n McDonald’s responds to April Fools’ story (via Twitter)<\/a><\/p>\n Obama’s mountaintop-removal crackdown could mean more than offshore drilling<\/a><\/p>\n Rachel Maddow takes on denial-funding Koch Industries<\/a><\/p>\n