Latest from Food Politics: RIP Wendell Berry, 1934 - 2026

Alas, we must now mourn the death of one of the great heroes of food politics, the honorable and immensely inspiring Wendell Berry. His very existence was enough for hope that a decent food system might some day be possible in the United States. When I ...

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By Marion Nestle September 02 2026 RIP Wendell Berry, 1934 – 2026 Alas, we must now mourn the death of one of the great heroes of food politics, the honorable and immensely inspiring Wendell Berry. His very existence was enough for hope that a decent food system might some day be possible in the United States. When I think of his writings—his many books, essays, and poems—the words “decency” and “values” leap to mind. He believed so deeply in the inherent worth of agrarian life—the idea that small-scale, sustainable, organic, regenerative agriculture, plant and animal, is the bedrock of a healthy, moral, and ethical life.  He lived that life. He also believed that agrarian values are fundamental to healthy, moral, and ethical societies.  Ethics.  Imagine that. I was honored to meet him for the first time at his home in Port Royal, Kentucky in 2007.  I have had this photo on the wall of my NYU office ever since. He was a constant source of inspiration. What a loss. I’ve collected a few memorial items recently posted. The obituary in the New York Times Berry’s 1981 Schumacher lecture: “People, Land, and Community.” His Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front.  It ends: Go with your love to the fields. Lie down in the shade. Rest your head in her lap. Swear allegiance to what is nighest your thoughts. As soon as the generals and the politicos can predict the motions of your mind, lose it. Leave it as a sign to mark the false trail, the way you didn’t go. Be like the fox who makes more tracks than necessary, some in the wrong direction. Practice resurrection. The Peace of Wild Things (from Instagram, his reading, illustrated) When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free. Another verse The fragment of the earth that is now me is only on its way through me. It is on its way from having been a tree, a school of fish, a terrapin, a flock of birds. It will pass through all those forms again. The post RIP Wendell Berry, 1934 – 2026 appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle      Related Posts RIP Carlo Petrini: a huge loss to the food world and to humanity   Now Available: What to Eat Now My new book, What to Eat Now, is officially out! It's both a field guide to food shopping in America and a reflection on how to eat well—and deliciously. For more information and to order, click here. You can explore the full archive of this (almost) daily blog at foodpolitics.com, where you'll also find information about my books, articles, media interviews, upcoming lectures, favorite resources, and FAQs. Visit the Site » ​​​​​​​ Marion Nestle Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, Emerita © Marion Nestle. You're receiving this email because you've signed up to receive updates from us. If you'd prefer not to receive updates, you can unsubscribe. Safely Unsubscribe • Archives • Preferences • Contact • Subscribe • Privacy

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Latest from Food Politics: SNAP waivers are associated with short-term decreases in soda purchases

MAHA has announced a big win. A study of purchase data from states with SNAP food restriction waivers, “Short-Run Impacts of SNAP Restriction Waivers on Beverage Purchases, ” finds a 13% decrease in soda purchases within the first two months, with ...

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By Marion Nestle September 01 2026 SNAP waivers are associated with short-term decreases in soda purchases MAHA has announced a big win. A study of purchase data from states with SNAP food restriction waivers, “Short-Run Impacts of SNAP Restriction Waivers on Beverage Purchases,” finds a 13% decrease in soda purchases within the first two months, with even larger decreases in the poorest households (18.5%).  Yes, 13%, not 12% as the MAHA win poster says. The study: Frisvold DE, Rojas FL.  Short-run impacts of SNAP restriction waivers on beverage purchases.  National Bureau of Economic Research, August 2026.  doi: 10.3386/w35613. Background: Just published USDA data from 2023 show households participating in SNAP to consume more sugar-sweetened beverages than non-participating households.  A USDA study in 2016 showed similar results. Attempts to restrict sodas on SNAP have been rejected by the USDA for years, but under the Trump administration, it has approved SNAP food restriction waivers for 23 states.  At the moment, 8 states have banned sugary drinks, 10 are in the process of implementing bans, and the policy in 5 states is under litigation. Some economists have argued that SNAP participants would just use their own money to buy sugary drinks.  This study found that they did not. According to the New York Times, Fetch, a rewards app, found similar results in its data. Fetch users upload grocery and other receipts to receive coupons, allowing the company to track payment methods, including SNAP. In the company’s sample, SNAP households spent about 12 percent less on soda in the first three months of 2026 compared with the same period the year before. Water, coffee and juice purchases did not decline. But some analysts say SNAP Food Restrictions May Help or Hurt—But We Will Probably Never Know.  They are particularly concerned about the lack of appropriate data sources for evaluation of the policy, and the potentially negative impacts of the policies—especially a decline in SNAP participation. The Trump administration’s tightened rules for SNAP eligibility has already resulted in 5.6 million fewer enrollees compared with last year. Declines in enrollment can be tracked here and here. Comment I’ve long supported restrictions on sugary beverages on SNAP, something intended from the time the program first started by blocked by the soda industry and retailers (the principal beneficiaries of SNAP).  But I wanted USDA waivers to come with rigorous evaluations plans that included not only purchase data, but also how participants felt about the bans and dealt with them. The current waivers appear to me to be punitive, in line with the Trump administration’s other efforts to reduce SNAP enrollment—something it is achieving quite well. So here’s another MAHA win: a big decline in SNAP enrollment.  They aren’t boasting about that one though, at least not publicly. The post SNAP waivers are associated with short-term decreases in soda purchases appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle      Related Posts A national scandal: millions of U.S. workers rely on Medicaid and SNAP Closing the GRAS loophole? It’s about time, but is that all? MAHA’s one achievement so far: voluntary elimination of artificial food colors   Now Available: What to Eat Now My new book, What to Eat Now, is officially out! It's both a field guide to food shopping in America and a reflection on how to eat well—and deliciously. For more information and to order, click here. You can explore the full archive of this (almost) daily blog at foodpolitics.com, where you'll also find information about my books, articles, media interviews, upcoming lectures, favorite resources, and FAQs. Visit the Site » ​​​​​​​ Marion Nestle Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, Emerita © Marion Nestle. You're receiving this email because you've signed up to receive updates from us. If you'd prefer not to receive updates, you can unsubscribe. Safely Unsubscribe • Archives • Preferences • Contact • Subscribe • Privacy

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