> the odd thing is that there is little dirigisme for healthy foods like broccoli and spinach but a lot for mass carbohydrates You can't run a nation on brocco

> the odd thing is that there is little dirigisme for healthy foods like broccoli and spinach but a lot for mass carbohydrates You can't run a nation on broccoli and spinach (unless your population consists of Popeye-clones) while you can run it on starchy foods like wheat, corn and potatoes. They may not be the most healthy alternatives but they'll keep you - and your army - alive to live and fight another day. If a nation can not get any broccoli or spinach they'll just get some other green vegetables or do without. If the nation can not get any bulk starch products it is in dire straits. The high status of green vegetables is more of a symptom of overabundance than of their capacity to feed a nation. They certainly make for a healthy addition to a diet but they lack a number of essential things - proteins and fat as well as some vitamins, B-12 being the hardest to find in plant-based foods.