Relationships between food industry lobbyists, nutrition guidelines, Big Agriculture affect not only our food system’s structure, but the messages we are exposed to about our food.
Written by Andy Bellatti, MS, RD/N
A significant part of this conversation touches on my thoughts about the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), formerly known as the American Dietetic Association (ADA). This professional organization represents over 70,000 Registered Dietitians in this country, and yet I find that its potential is severely limited by its ties with the food industry. I encourage you to read the details of my experience at the Academy’s annual conference in Philadelphia last year, as it lays out much of what worries me about my organization’s co-optation by the likes of PepsiCo and The National Dairy Council.
In this podcast, I also discuss the organic industry, one that has expanded substantially over the past two decades, but also faces some important dilemmas now that Walmart has jumped on-board. Sustainability goes far beyond organics, which is why Frances and I also spend some time talking about the importance of local food systems and farm workers’ rights in order to create a just food system.
If these two podcasts have piqued your interest, I also mention important mentors and role models who have shaped my career and from whom I have learned an incredible amount.
Andy Bellatti, MS, RD
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