Speakers
Can a menu at a fancy restaurant be a map for solving the climate challenge? A handful of prominent San Francisco chefs are using their high-end restaurants to illustrate how innovative grazing and growing practices can cut carbon pollution. They want chefs and their clients to know the foodprint of their choices and consider the impacts. But they are not preachy vegans who think cows are evil. Rather Anthony Myint, whose Commonwealth restaurant received a Michelin star, thinks putting compost on grasslands used to graze cattle can be a big lever for healing the climate and regenerating soils.
Not all chefs are convinced. Dominique Crenn, the first woman chef in the United States to receive two Michelin stars, refuses to serve beef at her restaurants "because I don't want to be part of that industry. The beef industry is the worst," she says. Crenn, who grew up on a farm, thinks many restauranteurs only pay lip service to responsibly sourcing their food. She serves seafood and is working with her fish monger to understand the complex ecosystems and supply chains.
San Francisco’s restaurants will be showcasing their climate-friendly dishes during the Global Climate Action Summit September 12-14. Can restaurants be platforms for changing the food system?
