Food Systems Law and Policy University of Antwerp

Overview

The Food Systems Law and Policy course from University of Antwerp will contribute to students’ capacity for critical analysis of the complex and multidimensional concept of ‘food systems’ (considering the interactions among the different phases and actors involved in food provisioning), and of the equally complex phenomenon of ‘food systems law and governance’ (reflecting on the range of decisions, actions and factors that influence food-related choices and decision-making at multiple levels).   

Learning outcome:

• Students increase their knowledge of law and policy areas that are key to the functioning of contemporary global food systems and the law and policy challenges that arise from them.
• Students learn how to think systemically about law, policy and food.
• Students increase their knowledge of food systems policies and governance, and the different visions and narratives behind the concept of ‘food system transformation’.
• Students familiarize themselves with the work of the UN Rome-based agencies dealing with food and agriculture, such as FAO, IFAD and WFP.
• Students increase their understanding of what is involved when concepts and theories are put into practice in the form of policy negotiations and field programmes, and the formal and informal rules applied to negotiations.
• Students learn about multilateral forums where global food law and policies are discussed, and familiarize themselves with the strong and weak points of intergovernmental multilateralism as practices in the UN system and to confront it with the concept and practice of multistakeholderism.
• Students learn about the most recent international tools and guidelines related to land, agroecology, inequality in food systems, gender, markets and biodiversity and the logic behind them.
• Students strengthen their capacity to work in group and present joint outputs.
•  Students reinforce their ability in orally presenting complex and systemic problems.
• Students consolidate their ability to think about concrete and feasible legal and policy interventions based on international human rights law, environmental and climate law, and other relevant frameworks.