Is there a constitutional right to food? Mainers to decide

By PATRICK WHITTLE
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Members of Maine’s farming community are divided over the possibility of a first-in-the-nation right-to-food amendment. Supporters say the constitutional amendment is about ensuring the right to grow vegetables and raise livestock in an era when corporatization threatens local ownership of the food supply. Opponents and skeptics say the potential amendment represents a dire threat to food safety and animal welfare. They warn it could empower residents to raise cows in their backyards in cities like Portland and Bangor. The state’s voters will have the final say about the proposed amendment in this November’s election.