Why a Salad Costs More Than a Big Mac

Here’s an illuminating graphic, courtesy of the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (via Tara Lohan at AlterNet.org):

The pyramid on the right is the iconic USDA nutritional guidelines symbol, with which we’re all familiar.  I imagine everyone’s aware that we should be eating more grains, fruits and vegetables than we currently do.  Yet the pyramid on the left shows our agricultural subsidies continued to be poured into meat and dairy production during the decade measured – 1995 to 2005.  The most recent multi-year farm bill, signed into law the summer of 2008, continues this longstanding trend -  our next opportunity to redirect federal ag subsidies won’t come until the end of Obama’s first term.

For more information on the implications of this graphic, check out AlterNet Senior Editor Tara Lohan’s piece at alternet.org.

original urls:

http://www.alternet.org/food/146013/why_a_big_mac_costs_less_than_a_salad

http://www.pcrm.org/magazine/gm07autumn/health_pork.html