Michael Pollan
Pollan is the author of the book, and is also the "nutrition detective: representing the reader. He embarks upon an investigative adventure in an attempt to decipher the mixed messages that we are given every day by the food industry. He wants to eat in the most healthy way possible, but comes to the conclusion that it is not sustainable to feed the entire population by traveling to many different production facilities and farms. He has a perception of what eating organic food means, but is surprised and in many ways disillusioned to discover that his perception is different from the reality of the food industry. He becomes more cynical about big business food production as the research continues,
Pollan is willing to eat whatever needs to be eaten in pursuit of finding out the most sustainable way to feed the nation. He is an omnivore himself - in other words, eats meat and plant based foods - and so has the most food options available, but even after eating one meal in each "section" is able to tell the difference between the way the food is produced. The more sustainable and natural the food is, and the fewer processes it has gone through, the better it tastes, and the better Pollan feels. Pollan also wants to learn from experts and so goes out of his way to talk to leading food scientists, executives and farmers in search of the definitive answer about the best way to feed the nation sustainably with good, healthful food.
Joel Salatin
Salatin is an independent farmer who not only talks the talk, in terms of obeying government guidelines about the production of organic foods, but walks the walk as well, going the extra mile in order to conform to his own strict ethics about farming. He has a tendency to appear disdainful and often seems to be sneering at what he calls Big Business Organic, which he considers to be as bad as commercially produced food, just in a different way. He manages to explain that we are being sold our perception of organic food, rather than truly organic food. He is committed to adhering to the true spirit of the original organic farmers. He is a grass farmer, which means that he replenishes the earth rather than starving and destroying it. He is loyal to the planet and clearly respects it. He is determined to stick to his principles in farming even if they are financially expensive, and prohibit him from expanding over the years.
