Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA)
Room: Somerset Room
A CDC official said that PFAS in our food system presents “one of the most seminal public health challenges for the next decades.” PFAS contamination can be found throughout the country and needs an urgent national solution. Maine is the first state to take a comprehensive approach to investigating PFAS contamination on farms and in our food system, and to enact state policy change to support impacted farmers, advance research, and prevent future contamination. What Maine has learned and how our communities have responded could inform how other states and the federal government address PFAS contamination throughout the country. This session is designed to educate our community broadly about the PFAS crisis and its multilateral implications and effects on the food system and public health — and how community members, nonprofits, and funders can help advance the path forward toward justice and protection.
Speakers:
- Sarah Alexander, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA)
- Jonah Fertig-Burd, Elmina B. Sewall Foundation
- Ellen Griswold, Maine Farmland Trust
- Adam Nordell, Defend Our Health and PFAS-Impacted Farmer