Since When Did the USDA Start Promoting ‘Meatless Mondays’?

Jul 26, 2012

Editorial Debacle Leaves USDA Scrabbling

The United States Department of Agriculture prides themselves on providing leadership on food and agriculture has been found to be promoting “Meatless Monday’s” in their newsletter sent out to employees in order to “reduce their environmental impact.”

This shocking discovery was exposed by Kansas Senator Jerry Moran calling out Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on the Senate Floor asking why USDA was discouraging their employees from consuming meat and dairy products.

"American farmers and ranchers deserve a USDA that will pursue supportive policies rather than seek their further harm. With extreme drought conditions plaguing much of the United States, the USDA should be more concerned about helping drought-stricken producers rather than demonizing an industry reeling from the lack of rain,” Moran said in a statement.

The USDA is on the defensive and has said that the newsletter was distributed without proper approval. The newsletter in question has since been removed from the department’s website.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.