International Food Law and Governance

Since food law and policy were first taught in the United States in 2004, this emerging field has continued to develop and move beyond its early stages. In this context, it has become clear that the full scope of food law, both as an academic discipline and as a legal practice, must include international food law, in both conceptual and practical terms. The growing field of international food law plays a crucial role in revealing the underlying structures of the global food system. The idea that a global food system exists relies on the interconnectedness of activities related to food, as explained by a group of scientists at a UN Food Systems Summit, where it was observed that this system involves a wide range of actors and their interconnected value-adding activities involved in the production, aggregation, processing, distribution, consumption, and disposal of food products.

This international food law seminar will explore the overarching tension that emerges when analyzing the global food system: which model will prevail – the current neo-liberal food regime based on free trade and market dependency, or another model that is difficult to define but incorporates concepts from legal frameworks concerning food security, human rights, and sovereignty. Amid the complexities of this tension, several legal and policy issues arise, including developing global governance strategies, protecting food cultures, utilizing international organizations, employing international legal instruments, and establishing governance frameworks related to food trade, food safety, nutrition, labeling and certification, environment and climate change, technology and science, animal welfare, food security, and human rights.

Students will engage in lively discussions on various issues and examine the legal and policy tools used in responses. In a final paper, students will explore a particular international food law and policy issue of their choice. They will be given specific topics related to the Resnick Center's current work, from which they can select for their paper or project. After consulting with the instructor, students may choose their own topic for the paper.