Since the United Nations Food Systems Summit held in September 2021, the international community has agreed on the need to encourage food system transitions. This commitment rests to a great extent on a strong consensus between many international organizations, scientists and researchers coming from different disciplines, who have emphasized that the transition towards sustainable, resilient and equitable food systems is the best way to achieve both human and global health, as well as the goal of universally accessible and affordable healthy diets.
This presentation aims to highlight the functions and purposes of Law in this transition at every levels, i.e. international, regional, national and sub-national, including by local and indigenous authorities. Through its binding character, Law is a powerful tool to trigger the transition towards sustainable food systems, favourable food environments fighting food insecurity, malnutrition and related human health and environmental problems.
Geneviève Parent is a full professor at the Faculty of Law at Laval University, where she holds the Legal Research Chair in Food Diversity and Security. Member of the Académie d’agriculture de France since 2019 and a part time member of the Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal since 2017. She also contributes to the Scientific council of the World Farmers’ Organisation. She holds a PhD in International law and her main areas of interest include food security as well as national and international agri-food law. Ms. Parent has been active in research over the past 20 years and has been focusing on national and international legal instruments ensuring food diversity and sustainable global food security. Ms. Parent has published numerous scientific papers and is frequently invited to speak at various national and international meetings dealing with food security issues.