What to make of the Pollan/Schlosser agreement with Wendy’s?

UPDATE: Happy April Fools’ Day!

As a food politics commenter, I get paid to have strong opinions on the issues of the day.

This ass will be eating grass?racineur via FlickrBut this one’s got me flummoxed. First, fast-food giant Wendy’s rolls out its new “pasture on a bun” burger, made with “100% grass-fed beef.” That sort of thing always leaves me cold. Of course, I want mega-corporations like Wendy’s to make more responsible buying decisions. But what I really want to see are new food economies that retain food dollars within communities, and don’t siphon them to distant shareholders.

Do we really want thirty years of food-system activism to amount to just another profit opportunity for Wendy’s? On the other hand, how can I lash out at a massive buyer for making a sourcing choice that could spark a stampede of cattle from feedlots to farm fields?

Then this news really gave me whiplash: Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan, the movement’s leading thinkers, have inked a deal to promote the “pasture on a bun.” They’ll be filming a series of commercials for Wendy’s — and appearing at a string of events nationwide.

The authors of Fast Food Nation and The Omnivore’s Dilemma want us to hop in our cars and head to the nearest Wendy’s drive-through? Does not compute! I’m stuck on this one, and seeking reader guidance. Please comment below.