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Q&A with Sam Kass, former food policy adviser to President Obama

Sam Kass

As a young private chef working in Chicago, Sam Kass never envisioned that he would become one of the most visible and influential leaders in US food policy. But when the Obamas tapped him to become assistant White House chef in 2009 and then senior policy adviser for food, that all changed. “Ten years ago, if you told me we could accomplish transformation of school foods, banning of trans fats, a whole generation of new companies starting, I would have told you no way. We kicked a bunch of butt, more than we realized,” Kass says of his policy work, often with first lady Michelle Obama.

Since leaving the White House in 2014, Kass has continued to focus on changing the food system as an entrepreneur and partner in a venture capital firm. In October, Kass visited Cambridge to host a dinner and lecture called “The Last Supper” at Café ArtScience. Described as “a meal your kids and grandkids won’t be able to eat,” it was designed by the restaurant’s chef de cuisine Carolina Curtin and included foods that are under threat from climate change: coffee, oysters, chocolate, and honey, among them. Kass spoke from his home in New York.

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Q. What did you take away from your White House experience?

A. I took a lot away. Change is hard, but change is possible. That there’s a very clear role for government and for policy. But in addition, the forces that govern food are much more embedded in our culture first before our policy. Focusing on creating a culture that values more healthy and sustainable food is the underpinning of being able to both change policy and build businesses that are going to actually bring those aspirations to life.

Q. I’ve heard you say that there isn’t a food movement yet in the United States. Could you explain?

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A. There has been transformational cultural change, and I think you’re seeing that reflected in the beliefs of young people. You’re seeing it in a totally new generation of food companies and businesses. You’re starting to see that in academia. But, when you say “movement,” you mean a political movement where there’s an organized constituency that is focused on achieving a certain set of goals and has the infrastructure to do that. That, quite frankly, doesn’t really exist. We just happened to have a first lady come into office that was interested in these issues, but it’s not because there was an organized constituency there voting representatives in or out of offices based on their stance. Words matter, and I think we have to be careful not to give ourselves too much credit that we built this big movement that we just haven’t.

Q. What are you working on now?

A. We’re investing in the next generation of companies that are really trying to solve the problems of climate change and health and food. I think one of the things that we forget is that the government doesn’t really feed that many people. Ultimately if we want to change how people are eating, we have to change the businesses that are producing the food or create new ones. Food and [agriculture] are the number two producers of greenhouse gas emissions globally. It will take over energy as the number one. If you want to solve climate change, you have to adjust the food system.

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Q. Why is an event like “The Last Supper” important to you?

A. We need to find ways to communicate what’s at stake and what’s happening and actions people can take that have an impact in language that people understand. I think food is really the key to that. [We are] talking about foods that our kids and grandkids may not know because of climate change. We’re talking coffee, chocolate, wine, and champagne. Those are pretty important products. But there’s also shellfish. Nuts, pistachios, and almonds are also under threat. Some of these products will be completely extinct and others will be incredibly expensive and a luxury that the average person can’t afford. That’s scary. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Q. What are the actions people should be taking?

A. The way we’re producing protein, especially beef, is taking a disproportionate toll on the environment. We’re going to have to reduce our beef consumption for sure and produce it in a more sustainable way. I think the simplest thing is eating more of a plant-based diet. Eating a little less. Use the protein source as a side dish instead of a giant portion. I think if we did that, we’d go a long way to mitigate the toll on the climate. But there’s no question that we have to get more vision and more visionary if we’re going to make big changes. There has to be a pragmatic approach for sure. But we can be pragmatic to our detriment.

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Michael Floreak can be reached at Michael.Floreak@gmail.com.