Fracking and the Affect on Food

Last week Mario Batali and Bill Telepan submitted an Op-Ed piece to the New York Daily News on the topic of fracking. You may recall an article we did last year breaking down the topic of hydrofracking, which is a controversial process for removing natural gas from the Earth.

As legislators are debating the topic of fracking in New York state, the two chefs are taking time to voice their opinion–both to the public and to Governor Cuomo–on how fracking will affect our food supply. Both restauranteurs dedicated to serving economically sourced ingredients, often from upstate New York, they share their concern with how it may negatively affect the agricultural system–citing a study that found cattle in Pennsylvania, where fracking is taking place, is on the decline.

We couldn’t have put it better when they said: “Those of us who believe that the risks are not worth the much-hyped economic benefits must speak loudly, because we’ll never get back what we lose.”

This is a great reminder to take some time to do your research, understand the implications of fracking and contact your local representative to make your voice heard on the topic.