Michael Pollan Quotes

A collection of quotes by Michael Pollan.

Michael Pollan is a renowned American author, journalist, and professor known for his extensive research and writings on food, agriculture, and the relationship between humans and nature. Born on February 6, 1955, in Long Island, New York, Pollan developed a deep curiosity about the cultural, social, and political aspects of food from a young age.

Pollan obtained his Bachelor's degree from Bennington College in Vermont and went on to earn a Master's degree in English from Columbia University. He began his career as a writer and editor for various publications, including Harper's Magazine and The New York Times Magazine, where he gained recognition for his insightful and thought-provoking articles.

With a passion for investigating the food industry and its impact on society, Pollan authored several critically acclaimed books, including "The Omnivore's Dilemma," "In Defense of Food," and "Food Rules." These works proved instrumental in sparking a national conversation about the importance of sustainable food systems, the ethics of eating, and the need for healthy diets. His writing style combines meticulous research, personal narratives, and a deep understanding of science and ecology.

In addition to his writing career, Pollan has taught at the University of California, Berkeley, where he holds the position of the John S. and James L. Knight Professor of Journalism. He has also appeared in numerous documentaries and lectures worldwide, elevating public awareness about the impacts of industrial agriculture and advocating for a more balanced and sustainable food culture.

At home I serve the kind of food I know the story behind.

At home I serve the kind of food I know the story behind.

Food

But that's the challenge -- to change the system more than i

But that's the challenge -- to change the system more than it changes you.

Change Inspirational Challenge

Nutrition science is where surgery was in about 1650, you kn

Nutrition science is where surgery was in about 1650, you know, really interesting and promising, but would you want to have them operate on you yet? I don't think so.

Science

High-quality food is better for your health.

High-quality food is better for your health.

Diet

You may not think you eat a lot of corn and soybeans, but yo

You may not think you eat a lot of corn and soybeans, but you do: 75 percent of the vegetable oils in your diet come from soy (representing 20 percent of your daily calories) and more than half of the sweeteners you consume come from corn (representing around 10 perecent of daily calories).

Science

Fairness forces you - even when you're writing a piece highl

Fairness forces you - even when you're writing a piece highly critical of, say, genetically modified food, as I have done - to make sure you represent the other side as extensively and as accurately as you possibly can.

Food

Perhaps more than any other, the food industry is very sensi

Perhaps more than any other, the food industry is very sensitive to consumer demand.

Food

Corn is an efficient way to get energy calories off the land

Corn is an efficient way to get energy calories off the land and soybeans are an efficient way of getting protein off the land, so we've designed a food system that produces a lot of cheap corn and soybeans resulting in a lot of cheap fast food.

Food

I mean, we're really making a quantum change in our relation

I mean, we're really making a quantum change in our relationship to the plant world with genetic modification.

Relationship

Every major food company now has an organic division. There'

Every major food company now has an organic division. There's more capital going into organic agriculture than ever before.

Food

The garden suggests there might be a place where we can meet

The garden suggests there might be a place where we can meet nature halfway.

Gardening

In addition to contributing to erosion, pollution, food pois

In addition to contributing to erosion, pollution, food poisoning, and the dead zone, corn requires huge amounts of fossil fuel - it takes a half gallon of fossil fuel to produce a bushel of corn.

Food

For at the same time many people seem eager to extend the ci

For at the same time many people seem eager to extend the circle of our moral consideration to animals, in our factory farms and laboratories we are inflicting more suffering on more animals than at any time in history.

History

People in Slow Food understand that food is an environmental

People in Slow Food understand that food is an environmental issue.

Environmental

Plus, I love comic writing. Nothing satisfies me more than f

Plus, I love comic writing. Nothing satisfies me more than finding a funny way to phrase something.

Funny

In general, science journalism concerns itself with what has

In general, science journalism concerns itself with what has been published in a handful of peer-reviewed journals - Nature, Cell, The New England Journal of Medicine - which set the agenda.

Science

The big journals and Nobel laureates are the equivalent of C

The big journals and Nobel laureates are the equivalent of Congressional leaders in science journalism.

Science

In corn, I think I've found the key to the American food cha

In corn, I think I've found the key to the American food chain. If you look at a fast-food meal, a McDonald's meal, virtually all the carbon in it - and what we eat is mostly carbon - comes from corn.

Food

The larger meaning here is that mainstream journalists simpl

The larger meaning here is that mainstream journalists simply cannot talk about things that the two parties agree on this is the black hole of American politics.

Politics

My work has also motivated me to put a lot of time into seek

My work has also motivated me to put a lot of time into seeking out good food and to spend more money on it.

Food