University Cancels Pollan Talk To Placate Agribusiness Investors
Michael Pollan is frightening agribusiness everywhere. They're so worried about his EVIL influence ("Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants") that they pressured a California school to demand a speech by Pollan be cancelled. "I find it unacceptable that the university would provide Michael Pollan an unchallenged forum to promote his stand against conventional agricultural practices,'' wrote David E. Wood, chairman of the Harris Ranch Beef Co., in a letter to the Cal Poly president. The threat was that donations that agribusiness makes to the school would be withdrawn were Pollan allowed to talk.
Pollan won't be permitted to slaughter the sacred cow of big ag on this occasion — though it's hard to understand what one talk would do apart from allow various people to express their opinions and debate the facts. The LA Times played devil's advocate in an op piece: "The more sustainable methods preached by Pollan and other anti-agribusiness scholars might improve our health, but they might also raise the cost of food," and outlining other various objections. But they come to the same conclusion any rational person would: "The university's attempt to dilute [Pollan's] message in order to placate a donor is a shameful breach of academic freedom."
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