Environmental Lecture Series: "Got Milk?" Environmental Impacts of Food Advertising
"Got Milk?" Nutritional and Environmental Impacts of Federal Food Advertising
Parke E. Wilde, Assistant Professor at Tufts University, will speak at the fourth and final Spring 2007 Environmental Lecture Series focused on Food Systems and the Environment.
Abstract
Many people recognize the advertising slogans: "Beef. It's what's for dinner," "Pork. The other white meat," and "Got Milk?" Fewer people may know that these advertisements are sponsored by the federal government's commodity promotion programs known as "checkoff" programs. These programs are established by Congress, approved by a majority of the commodity's producers, managed jointly by a producer board and the U.S.Department of Agriculture, and funded through more than $600 million in mandatory assessments on producers. The purpose of the checkoff programs is to increase consumer demand for the selected commodities, predominantly beef, pork, and dairy products. In contrast with the checkoff promotions, several compelling nutrition and environmental arguments have been advanced for promoting a diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Modern animal agriculture has been linked to problems with chronic disease, food safety, soil quality, and pollution of water and air. This presentation focuses especially on checkoff campaigns with nutritional implications (such as encouraging low carb diets) and environmental implications (such as discrediting environmental concerns about animal production). The presentation reviews economic arguments that have been advanced to support the checkoff programs and explores tensions between federal goals for supporting farmers, promoting nutrition, and addressing environmental concerns.
Reception follows talk. Free and open to all.
