Latest from Food Politics: R.I.P. Ray Goldberg, "the father of agribusiness"

Ray Goldberg died last week at the age of 99.   He was still going pretty strong the last time I saw him last fall at the annual meeting of PAPSAC (Private and Public Scientific, Academic and Consumer Food Policy Group) at Harvard’s Kennedy School. ...

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By Marion Nestle February 25 2026 R.I.P. Ray Goldberg, “the father of agribusiness” Ray Goldberg died last week at the age of 99.  He was still going pretty strong the last time I saw him last fall at the annual meeting of PAPSAC (Private and Public Scientific, Academic and Consumer Food Policy Group) at Harvard’s Kennedy School. Edmund O’Keeffe, photo We were an unlikely pair to know each other for so long and to care about each other so deeply. When I first met him in the early 1990s, Ray was professor of agribusiness (a term he coined) at the Harvard Business School, as representative of Big Ag as anyone could be.  When he invited me to participate in the newly formed PAPSAC, I could not imagine why he would want me there or why I should go. Contrary to Ray’s recollection, I did not attend the first meeting. I would have had to pay my own expenses, which seemed outrageous given that so many of the participants were CEOs of multi-billion dollar companies and flew to Boston via private jet. The second year, Ray said they would pay for my travel and persuaded me that the meeting would be worth attending.  Its purpose, he explained, was to bring food business leaders and consumer activists together to share views and to reach mutual understanding. My interpretation: Ray thought that if we saw how caring the CEOs of agribusiness firms were about feeding the world, we would not object so much to what they did.  That never worked, but he kept on trying.  And I kept on attending, for more than 25 years. My rationale: Ray was impossible to say no to. I could learn how agribusiness leaders thought about what they were doing. I could say what I thought in a presentation pretty much every year. Two highlights: I witnessed the CEOs of Pioneer Hi-Bred and other agbiotech companies scream at the CEO of Monsanto for alienating the public about genetically modified crops and ruining their businesses. I attended the session when Ray had the bright idea of showing the film Food, Inc to the group (he thought they ought to see it).  This did not go over well, and I joined its director, Robby Kenner, in fielding audience attacks. Despite what I consider to be a total contradiction between the profit goals of agribusiness and the goals of public healthl, Ray continued to insist that we all needed to listen to each other. His sunny view of humanity is best illustrated by his book  Food Citizenship, which I wrote about in 2018 when it first came out. The book consists of Ray’s interviews with dozens of PAPSAC participants, beginning with his interview with me.  [The interviews were videotaped and are  available at the Oxford University Press website.  The video of Ray’s interview with me is posted here.] I always felt like a total outsider at this meeting, and was surprised to find myself at the core of Ray’s attempts to achieve mutual understanding among participants. We could all use more of that. As is clear from our interview and Ray’s response to my responses to his questions, we viewed the world of agribusiness very differently. But I loved him, and will miss him. The post R.I.P. Ray Goldberg, “the father of agribusiness” appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle      Related Posts Weekend reading: The Spinach King RIP Dr. Jerome Lowenstein: a remembrance What’s going on with soybeans? Farm Action to the rescue   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: 60 Minutes: RFK Jr on non-regulation of ultra-processed food

On February 15, CBS News’ Bill Whitaker interviewed RFK Jr, former FDA Commissioner David Kessler, and journalist Michael Pollan about ultra-processed foods and what to do about them. Transcript of the entire program Michael Pollan clip As far as I am ...

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By Marion Nestle February 24 2026 60 Minutes: RFK Jr on non-regulation of ultra-processed food On February 15, CBS News’ Bill Whitaker interviewed RFK Jr, former FDA Commissioner David Kessler, and journalist Michael Pollan about ultra-processed foods and what to do about them. Transcript of the entire program Michael Pollan clip As far as I am concerned, this is the money quote: This is classic RFK Jr: put everything on personal responsibility, never mind how hard it is for people to resist eating unhealthfully in today’s food environment. As I explained last August, David Kessler gave RFK Jr a gift.  He sent him a letter presenting a  Citizen’s Petition arguing that if the FDA wanted to help people reduce consumption of ultra-processed foods, all it had to do was to define ultra-processed foods as Not GRAS. The FDA is required to respond to citizens’ petitions within 180 days. During the 60 Minutes program, RFK Jr said: We will act on– on David Kessler’s petition. And the questions that he’s asking are questions that FDA should’ve been asking a long, long time ago. “Act on?”  What does this mean? Will the FDA act to regulate ultra-processed foods? I will believe it when I see it. Food Industry Comments (thanks to the invaluable Hagstrom Report) Consumer Brands Association and American Farm Bureau Federation statements to “60 Minutes” Corn Refiners Association — Letter to CBS News The post 60 Minutes: RFK Jr on non-regulation of ultra-processed food appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle      Related Posts MAHA hypocrisy in action: glyphosate The Super Bowl ads: Processed food kills My latest publication: BMJ editorial on the dietary guidelines   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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