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Michele Simon, What’s Happened to the Plant-Based Food Movement?
Michele Simon is a public health attorney, food policy expert, author, and thought leader in the plant-based foods industry. In 2016, she founded the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), the nation’s only membership association promoting the interests of plant-based food companies. For five years as PBFA’s executive director, Simon grew the association to over 300 members, leading a team of policy and retail experts. Through her strategic efforts, PBFA fought off the powerful meat and dairy lobbies, and forged new marketplace opportunities for the plant-based foods industry.
Simon has written extensively on the politics of food and alcohol. Her first book, Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines Our Health and How to Fight Back, was published by Nation Books in 2006. NYU Professor Marion Nestle (who calls the book “brilliant”) made it required reading for her nutrition students. In 2010, she founded her own consulting firm, Eat Drink Politics, and has written countless articles and reports while becoming a sought-after media pundit.
Simon also offers legal advice on federal regulatory compliance for labeling and marketing, among other legal and policy services. She is admitted to practice law in California, working “of counsel” to Handel Food Law. Simon has a master’s degree in public health from Yale University and received her law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.
I’ve been checking Dan Buettner out a bit. Did some great long distance cycling as I have and hope to again. This just popped up today on The Happy Pear podcast/Dan -Blue Zones et all:
“If you are overweight in America and possibly Ireland it is probably not your fault. If you go back to the 1980s, in this country about a third as many people were obese and about a seventh as many people were suffering from type 2 diabetes. Back in the 80’s they didn’t have better diets or better discipline. What’s changed is there are about 20 times more fast-food chains now, we drive about 60% more instead of being on our feet, a full 40% of all retail outlets, pharmacies and gas stations… all have junk food. We are genetically hardwired to eat fat and sugar and take rests whenever we can, and that’s okay when you live in an environment of hardship and scarcity like we have for 99% of human existence but now you throw that same genetic makeup into a cesspool of burgers, fries, pizzas, and package snacks, your genetics are going to win out all day long!”
Wow!!!
So much to unpack. Trying to catch my breath!!!
Two wonderful and brilliant women!!!
I think I’m converting to becoming an antelope. Things seem to be so much less complicated!!!
It’s really quite simple: Like GBOMBS!!! Why? WHY!!!?? So much green washing, plant based washing, co-opting, obfuscation….good golly. Makes you appreciate the founding of Christianity…; and America/generally….
Marketing, cultures (and their ingrained similarities), biotechism, lobbying, Greens vs Starch/and SOS within the movement per se.
Amazing all that y’all have done over the decades and how much is yet to be done. So much opportunity lost in the COVID era de: immunity and comorbidities!!!
Thanks for all your efforts!!!
Still trying to get a handle on how to persuade people to make needed changes/ala Melanie Joy and Caryn’s Making Vegans…..
Let’s become a blue zone!!!!