Former Democratic U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun describes herself as a “recovering politician.” But Tuesday she proved she has not lost her knack for campaigning.
About 200 people attended this year’s first Institute for Global Enterprise lecture at the Victory Theatre, where Moseley Braun advocated organic foods—food produced without man-made additives in an environmentally-conscious way.
Organic foods are key to agricultural sustainability, she said, as they are able to meet the needs of present consumers without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
Moseley Braun said biotech food, or “Frankenfood,” as opponents call it, does not promote sustainability. She said the long-term cost was greater than any immediate benefit.
“I maintain that just because science can do something doesn’t mean that it should do something,” she said.
The former senator painted a grim picture of the dangers of a future world dependent on genetically modified foods—increased allergies, decreased resistance to disease, pollution, patented seeds and even an increased drug trade.
“Any plant that kills butterflies cannot be good for your stomach,” she said.
On the other hand, she described organic food as biodynamic—that is, working within the framework of the environment. She characterized local production and distribution as a related benefit to the local community.
“The public intuitively embraces the concept of eating locally-produced food,” she said.
Moseley Braun said the future of organic food is in the hands of individual consumers who must choose whether to embrace biotech or organic foods.
She encouraged a grassroots effort to choose the latter, likening consumer choice of organic foods to a vote for policy change.
“The tipping point for whether we embrace organic food is close at hand,” she said.
Business trends are promising for the organic food industry. Growth in the sector exceeds 20 percent per year, and today the industry is worth $16 billion, she said.
But financial success is not the sole aim of the organic food industry. As chairwoman of the board and CEO of Ambassador Organics, Moseley Braun also promotes environmental protection and a living wage for workers.
During a question-and-answer session following the lecture, she applauded Wal-Mart’s decision to offer organic produce.
“Wal-Mart is being a responsible global citizen in that regard,” she said.
She also defended farm subsidies, a policy she supported as a senator. She said they are not unfair to the global economy, as all governments subsidize their agriculture, but wishes they were not necessary.
“If we could wean ourselves off subsidies, it would be a good thing,” she said.
And when asked about a possible presidential candidacy bid by New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Moseley Braun responded with ambiguous support.
“I think women should step up into this arena,” she said.
