PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 18, 2024
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 in Portland as part of the foundation’s Climate Solutions for Restaurant Survival campaign, being held in cities around the country. Three takeaways:
1. Unpredictable weather patterns are making farming harder and less profitable than ever.
2. Restaurants are struggling to buy local, sustainable products in the face of rising operating costs.
3. Bolstering the state’s fisheries and aquaculture is critical for the state’s future economic viability.