San Francisco chef’s big win for climate change
Myint of Mission Chinese honored for helping restaurants reduce their carbon footprint
A San Francisco chef has become the first American to win the Basque Culinary World Prize — an award that honors contributions beyond the kitchen.
Anthony Myint, known originally for his role with the city’s Mission Chinese restaurant, was honored for his trailblazing project called ZeroFoodprint and the Perennial Farming Initiative.
“Instead of contributing to the problem of climate change, gastronomy can be part of the solution,” Joan Roca, head of the prize jury, said in a statement. “More than raising awareness, Anthony Myint calls for action by providing concrete tools for our industry to reduce its impact on the environment and to be an active part of the collective efforts that are required to fix this universal problem, rallying us to be part of the change.”
Myint’s project advises food businesses on ways to reduce their carbon footprint, and even go carbon-neutral, through changes in operational efficiency, ingredients and carbon offsets. Among the global restaurants he has influenced on the sustainability front are two top names: Noma in Denmark and Benu in San Francisco. Dozens of other S.F. restaurants have joined the project, and it’s expanding both worldwide and locally.
The honor comes with a prize of 100,000 euro (about $112,000) to expand ZeroFoodprint’s work.