The CEO of Burger King thinks the recession will help his business. "If you look in the fast-food hamburger space," he says, "it is unfortunate for the greater economy as a whole, but we benefit from the pressure people feel from a disposable-income standpoint. People who cannot afford to go to Applebee's, cannot afford to go to Chili's, we are the beneficiaries of that squeeze." On the other hand, the foodie elite, like Michael Pollan and Alice Waters, think the underlying dynamics of the recession will help their vision. They argue that the recession is, in part, the product of rocketing fuel prices and rising commodity prices. And as oil and internationally-traded staples grow pricier, foods that rely heavily on transportation and commodities -- think corn, farm-raised beef, Coca-Cola, etc -- will follow suit. Conversely, fresh fruits and vegetables that are locally grown (and thus don't need much oil for transport) will become relatively better deals, farmers markets and produce aisles will hold some impressive bargains, and consumers will find that their self-interest is suddenly enlightened, and vegetables are actually delicious. Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure Dean Baker is betting that most of Wall Street will spend the next few years eating crow, and he's been right about basically everything else in the past few years, so I think we should wait and see how that affects dietary patterns before making any grand pronouncements.
