PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 4, 2021
As supporters celebrate Maine’s passage of the nation’s first “right to food” constitutional amendment, opponents worry that its ambiguous language will trigger a torrent of costly litigation over a wide range of personal choices related to food production and consumption. Jail inmates might use the amendment to seek more personalized food options, opponents say. Suburban homeowners who want to raise livestock in their backyards could use it to challenge municipal zoning regulations. Farmers and landscapers might use it to skirt laws regulating certain pesticides or invasive species. “Those are real possibilities that didn’t exist before, but they exist now,” said Rebecca Graham, of the Maine Municipal Association.