Mission & Objectives


The mission of the Legal Research Chair in Food Diversity and Security (DDSA Chair) aims to carry out a critical analysis of the existing national and international legal instruments with regard to the objective of protecting and promoting agricultural and food diversity for better sustainable world food security. The Chair will also serve as a forum for meaningful ongoing reflection with all stakeholders on the development of agri-food legislation that is more coherent with this objective. It promotes legal research on sustainable food security and ensures the transfer of knowledge to interested parties. The training of a new generation of jurists in a field where knowledge are in high demand are the core of it mission.

The Legal Research Chair in Food Diversity and Security is a strategic unit affiliated with the Faculty of Law.

Key objectives include:

  • Contribute to a continuous and coherent reflection in the field of agrifood law in Quebec, Canada, and internationally, with the participation of various stakeholder ;
  • Federate academic research and international collaborations in the field of law and food security ;
  • Support the training of students in areas of law related to the diversity of products, agricultural and food production modes and food security ;
  • Ensure the transfer of knowledge developed, in particular by adding legal expertise to partners’ field projects.

Find below the sheet for the second edition of the DDSA Chair (2020-2024).

Fiche Legal Chair DDSA

Lines of research


The research program under the aegis of the DDSA Chair focuses on local, national, regional and international law, knowing that it is difficult, not to say impossible from now on, to establish a clear boundary between these major areas of law, each of them continuously nourishing and influencing the others in a multidirectional way.

The research program carries out legal aspects of the sustainable global food security concept. More specifically, it focuses on legal instruments for the promotion and protection of agricultural and food diversity, aiming to achieve greater coherence in agri-food law.

The lines of research are as follows :

  • Analysis of legal tools useful for the enhancement of agricultural and food diversity, products and modes of production;
  • Analysis of the legal tools allowing to strengthen the links between food security, consumption and health;
  • Legal analysis of the promotion and protection of food diversity and food security in international law.

Partners


As part of a unique research and innovation partnership, the DDSA Chair continues its activities with the financial contribution of:

image

Steering Committee


The DDSA Chair has a steering committee whose mandate is to advise the Chairholder on the planning of activities and the follow-up of objectives, to evaluate the evolution of the Chair, to suggest improvements or new  orientations, and help to highlight the results of the research carried out under the Chair. The Committee also receives the Annual Report and reviews the description of the budget and activities planned for the current year.

The Steering Committee is composed of:

  • Mr. Martin Caron, President of Union des producteurs agricoles du Québec
  • Mr. Bernard Denault, Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie
  • Mr. François Dumontier, Representative of Mouvement pour la gestion de l’offre
  • Mr. Emmanuel Destryker, Canadian supply-managed productions
  • Mr. Jean-Louis Rastoin, Representative of UNESCO Chair – World Food Systems, Montpellier SupAgro, France
  • Mr. Maurice Doyon, Professor, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Laval University
  • Ms. Kaouther Bessrour, Vice-Rectorate for Research and Creation, Laval University
  • Ms. Anne-Marie Laflamme, Deanery, Faculty of Law, Laval University

Scientific Board


For the second edition of the DDSA Chair, the scientific board is composed of :

  • Mr. Luc Bodiguel, Chargé de Recherche with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), France
  • Ms. Marine Friant-Perrot, maître de conférences HDR, Faculty of Law, University of Nantes, France
  • Ms Charlaine Bouchard, Notary and full professor, Faculty of Law, Laval University

Activity Reports

.