U.S. Rep Chellie Pingree addresses farmers, restaurateurs and chefs gathered for a discussion at Bar Futo Friday on how climate change is affecting Maine’s food industry and food supply chains.
Photo by Michael Amato Restaurateurs, chefs, farmers and aquaculture professionals met with state and federal lawmakers Friday for a roundtable discussion on the economic impact that climate change is having on Maine’s independent restaurants and their supply chains. Organized by the James Beard Foundation, the event was held at Japanese-inspired restaurant Bar Futo on Fore Street as part of the foundation’s Climate Solutions for Restaurant Survival campaign, being held in cities around the country. The talk was meant to provide a forum for policymakers – including U.
S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, and Maine House Majority Leader Maureen Terry, D-Gorham – to learn how extreme weather events are disrupting the food supply chain and threatening the economic viability of local restaurants and farms.
Here are three takeaways from the discussion. 1. Unpredictable weather patterns are making farming harder and less profitable than ever.
Anne McBride, vice president of programs for the James Beard Foundation, noted that 2020 was the driest growing season on record in Maine, while 2023 was the wettest. “Finding solutions in production that work no matter what is happening when there is no consistency makes everything really, really challenging, particularly in a place wher.