THE ECONOMIC PAMPHLETEER: Common sense in a time of uncertainty

First paragraphs: We are in a time of change, but not the kind of change that is constant in life. Some might call it a time of crisis, when our decisions today will fundamentally reshape the future, for better or worse. Others might say we are “living in interesting times,” a phrase claimed to be a Chinese curse by a 19th-century English diplomat. A more accurate description might be a time of unpredict¬able uncertainty when it is impossible even to esti¬mate the probability of what might happen next. Many in the sustainable/local food movement have suffered “economic whiplash” from changes in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s farm and food policies from one administration to the next (Held, 2025). Support for industrial com­modity producers has been consistent across administrations. However, support for organic farming, farming by minorities and women, local foods, environmental protection, and food assistance programs has shifted dramatically with each change in administration. Programs address­ing climate change and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) were hallmarks of changes during the Biden administration. The new Trump admin­istration has prom­ised to eliminate all programs related to climate change and DEI programs, including those administered by the USDA. . . .