So in last week's blog I wrote about attempts in Israel to adhere to religious laws about agriculture which sort of contradict the nation's need to feed itself.  I propsed that societies need to promote new food-based orthodoxies (like updated versions of "Kosher") in order to face over-population and evironmental challenges.  It was the feel-good blog of the century.

But no fewer than two people (and, come to think of it, no MORE than two people) wrote to me and propsed that, "Ian, isn't ORGANIC the new Kosher?"  Hmm.  Now that's pretty interesting- maybe my assumption that the world needs new orthodoxies is already moot- perhaps the orgnaic revolution is a reaction to just his kind of worry.

It's a really bad time for food policy- the past few years have seen a roll-back of government intervention when it comes to food.  For instance, 10 years ago the US had almost 3,000 federal food inspectors.  Now we have 198.  That means that anything coming off a boat in china is likely scantly scrutinized, and when a South Carolinan pork supply is tainted with Ghiardia, we only find out AFTER thousand of people have lost 25 pounds courtesy of dissentary.

Maybe Organic is a way of reacting to that caveat emptor approach, and maybe it's not such a bad way- perhaps mass-diarhea will finally make people pay attention to the ingredients on a "Hot-Pocket".  I mean, the flashy packaging should be MORE than enough to educate consumers as to the repulsive ingredients within, but somehow those things still sell like hot-cakes.