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Legal Research Chair in Food Diversity and Security

Chaires de recherche en partenariat

Domain(s):

  • Sciences de l’éducation, de l’économie, sociales et humaines
Geneviève Parent

Geneviève Parent

Full Professor

Faculté of Law

Her areas of interest include food security, national and international agri-food legislation, and public international law. Her researches focus on national and international legal instruments to reinforce food diversity, to analyze the impacts of international law on the federal and provincial agri-food legislation and to achieve a better coherence between the international economic law and other dimensions of public international law in order to reach sustainable food security. She has also contributed to a number of scientific publications and she is frequently invited as a speaker in national and international events.

Chair holder’s Areas of expertise

Food security
National and international agri-food legislation
Public international law

Objectives

  • Exploring ways to secure national and international recognition of food diversity issues
  • Studying national and international legal systems;
  • Developing new national and international legal instruments;
  • Furthering meaningful ongoing reflection in the field of agri-food law in Quebec, Canada, and abroad
  • Coalescing university research and international partnerships in the field
  • Ensure the transfer of knowledge developed by adding legal expertise to partners’ projects in the field
  • Inspiring and inviting key players from civil society to join in
  • Support activities of agri-food law specialists
  • Promoting students’ education in fields related to the diversity of farm and food products and production methods
  • Sharing information with the media, public, farmers, food processors, decision makers, and the academic community.

The research program under the aegis of the Legal Research Chair in Food Diversity and Security examines the legal means to promote and protect the diversity of food products and production and farming methods through the attainment of greater consistency in national, regional and international law. The purpose of the program is to develop national and international legal tools and analyze existing tools in order to protect and promote food and agricultural diversity in a consistent manner and contribute to the development of national and world governance in agriculture and food.

Creation of the chair is a natural next step in Université Laval’s efforts to cultivate cutting edge expertise in food security in recent years. It will provide a structure for building the next generation’s skills in a high-demand field and generating knowledge to be shared openly with specialists and the public.

To ensure sustainable food security worldwide, it is necessary to reflect upon the legal means to promote and protect the diversity of food products and production and farming methods.

Mission

  • Develop legal tools to promote and protect the diversity of farm and food products and production methods
  • Analyze existing tools in order to protect and promote food and agricultural diversity in a consistent manner and contribute to the development of national and world governance in agriculture and food.

Research impacts 

The Legal Research Chair in Food Diversity and Security will encourage dialogue between the academic community, the agri-food industry, and government.

The chair will:

  • Expand knowledge in the field of national and international agri-food law from a sustainable food security perspective
  • Be a national and international leader in developing a legal framework for food security
  • Educate the next generation in a field where highly qualified personnel are in high demand

Legal Research Chair in Food Diversity and Security

Pavillon Charles-De Koninck, bureau 4249
Université Laval
1030, avenue des Sciences-Humaines
Québec (Québec) G1V 0A6

418 656-2131, poste 8039