Lecture: Food, Policy and Behavioral Economics: Why Choice Matters and Why it Doesn’t

David R. Just will present a lecture, "Food, Policy and Behavioral Economics: Why Choice Matters and Why it Doesn’t," 6:00 pm Monday, September 29, 2014, at  the the University Club of Michigan State University.

David R. Just is Director, Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs, and Professor, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, at Cornell University.

Regulating Lifestyle Risks: The EU, Alcohol, Tobacco and Unhealthy Diets

IFLR instructor Alberto Alemanno has produced another important book in the field, Regulating Lifestyle Risks: The EU, Alcohol, Tobacco and Unhealthy Diets. 

2014 Food Law and Policy Career Guide

The Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic and the Harvard Food Law Society 2014 Food Law and Policy Career Guide is now available. The guide provides examples of career opportunities for lawyers at universities, government, non-governmental organizations (both domestic and international), law firms, consulting firms, as well as listservs for folks interested in learning more about food law and policy. 

MSU will host the Center for Research on Ingredient Safety

The Center for Research on Ingredient Safety (CRIS) is an independent, academic science-based center. CRIS will serve as a reliable and unbiased source for information, research, training and analysis on the safe use of chemical ingredients in consumer packaged goods including foods, beverages, cosmetics, and household consumer products. 

"Michigan State University has what may be the largest and most diverse cohort of faculty in the nation working directly on food and consumer product safety issues, and the university has great strength in the discipline of toxicology," said Fred Poston, dean of MSU's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "It is natural that a national center devoted to food and consumer product ingredient safety will be located at MSU."

To learn more click here.

Student Agriculture Law and Food Law Paper Contest

The Agricultural Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan is proud to present the first  Student Agricultural Law Symposium Symposium Date: November 7, 2014, beginning at 9:00 a.m. (lunch included) Location: Michigan State University College of Law, 648 N. Shaw Lane, East Lansing, Michigan 48824  Submission Deadline: Postmarked/emailed on or before September 30, 2014 Paper Topic: Agricultural or Food Law Issue Awards: First Place: $500 Second Place: $250 Third Place: $100 Eligibility: Current law students and recent graduates (graduated Spring 2013 or later) from law schools in Michigan. Students attending any of Michigan’s law schools are welcome to submit a paper.

Symposium Purpose: To encourage student contribution to the field of agricultural and food law by providing a forum for students to present papers to professionals in the agricultural and food law community. Symposium Format: Students who submitted the top papers will be chosen to present at the symposium. 15-minute presentation to a panel of judges made up of professionals in Michigan's agricultural and food law community; 5-minute question/answer session. Judges will choose a first, second and third place winner. Submission Guidelines: Students are invited to submit a paper 20/30 pages in length (minimum 5000 words) on an agricultural or food law topic. Students may submit a paper written for a law school seminar or directed research. A review committee will review and select the best papers evidencing relevancy to Michigan agriculture and food industry, quality of research and writing clarity. Students who submitted the top papers will be invited to present at the symposium. Students are to submit papers to Sarah Harwood. Students should not put their name on their paper but should instead include the last four digits of their phone number on each page. Submit a cover sheet that contains name and contact information, including telephone number. If submitting electronically, include this information in your email. Submissions: Sarah Harwood Abbott, Nicholson, Quilter, Esshaki & Youngblood, P.C. 300 River Place, Suite 3000 Detroit, MI 48207-4225 SLHarwood@abbottnicholson.com

Questions: Please contact Kristiana Coutu, State Bar of Michigan Agricultural Law Section Chair kmcoutu@varnumlaw.com or Brad Deacon, Adjunct Professor (Agriculture Law), Michigan State University College of Law bradleyndeacon@yahoo.com. Symposium Registration: Symposium is free and open to all. Details can also be found on the Agricultural Law Section Website http://www.michbar.org/aglaw.

FDA ONLDS Director Opening

The FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) is seeking interested candidates for the Director, Office of Nutrition, Labeling and Dietary Supplements (ONLDS). More information is available here.

Visiting Scholar, John Bowman, USAID

On April 9, Dr. John Bowman of USAID's Bureau of Food Security will give a lecture at 4 pm in 1135 Anthony, titled: "A career in international agriculture and food security: From the fields to industry to USAID."

Food Fight: An Examination of Recent Trends in Food Litigation

Registration for conference, “Food Fight: An Examination of Recent Trends in Food Litigation and Where We Go From Here,” is now open.  The conference will take place at UCLA on Friday, April 11^th, 2014. 

Registration includes entrance into the conference, light breakfast, lunch, and a networking reception. UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider and this activity qualifies for 6.25 hours of general MCLE credit. Neal Fortin, Director or the MSU Institute for Food Laws and Regulations, is one of the speakers.

For the most up-to-date information, please visit the website at www.law.ucla.edu/foodlawconference.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact: resnickprogram@law.ucla.edu. 

TRENTO LAWTECH COMPARATIVE FOOD LAW SEMINAR 2014

The International and Comparative Dimension of Food Law

Date: Friday, February 21th, 2014

Time: 9.30-12.30

PROGRAM

Introduction
Umberto Izzo, Matteo Ferrari (University of Trento)

Speakers

Neal Fortin (Professor and Director, Institute for Food Laws & Regulations, Michigan State University)
The Perils of Comparative Food Law:  The United States and the European Union

Martin Holle (Professor for Food Law and Administrative Law at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences)
The Consumer Paradigm in Food Law: Time for a Change?

Francesco Planchenstainer (PhD, Cattolica University of Piacenza, Lawtech Trento)
Legal Responses to Food Safety Emergencies and Crises: A Comparative Assessment of U.S. and E.U. Law  

For more information, visit here. 

Save the Date: Summer Academy in Global Food Law and Policy in Spain

The Summer Academy in Global Food Law and Policy is a one-week summer program that brings together practitioners, policymakers, industry representatives, and leading academics working in the field of food law and policy. It offers intensive training on the most innovative developments in global food regulation and provides a unique opportunity for professional development and networking in an informal and interdisciplinary setting. By talking, studying, and interacting with food experts from all over the world, participants are able to gain new perspectives into both their own sectors and international regulatory issues. This is achieved by combining traditional classroom instruction with experiential learning opportunities offered by dedicated and distinguished international experts.

The 6th edition of the Academy will take place from Monday, 21 July, to Friday, 25 July, 2014, in Bilbao, Spain. The choice of this vibrant city will enable participants to benefit from the 
geographical location between the Atlantic sea and the Rioja region, as well as its distinctive architectural landscapes (with the Guggenheim Museum, Norman Foster's Underground, the towers by Arata Isozaki and César Pelli). For more information, please visit here.

The Summer Academy may be taken as a 3 credit, graduate-level course from Michigan State University.  Contact IFLR@msu.edu if you are interested in enrolling for graduate credit. If you wish only to attend as a seminar, enroll here.

Lecture: Social Network Models of Food Safety Standards Worldwide, and Impacts on Trade and Health

"A Tangled Web:  Social Network Models of Food Safety Standards Worldwide, and Impacts on Trade and Health" Felicia Wu, PhD Hannah Professor, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Michigan State University October 10, 2013 Patenge, C102 East Fee Hall, 4:00 p.m. When nations make decisions about setting food safety standards, the impacts go far beyond the public health impacts of the nations' populations.  These standards have effects on a nation's main trading partners, as well as on the entire global network of nations trading particular commodities.  There are also effects on the distribution of more contaminated vs. less contaminated foods worldwide.  Two case studies, which involve social network models of global food trade, are presented in this lecture.  The first is on maize trade and the impact of aflatoxin regulations. Aflatoxin, produced by the fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, is a potent carcinogen found most commonly in maize and nuts.  We find that like attracts like: nations trade maize with other nations that have identical or very similar standards, and rarely do pairs of nations' trade maize if their total aflatoxin standards are different by more than 5 ng/g.  The second is on pistachio trade.  We find that differential aflatoxin standards force market segregation on a global scale, with stricter nations importing primarily from one nation and less strict nations importing primarily from another.  Potential economic and global health effects associated with these regulations are described.  In the end is a story of hope: an epidemiological study conducted in Qidong, China, of the decrease in liver cancer mortality over a 30-year timeframe due to reduced aflatoxin exposure through switching from maize consumption to rice consumption in the population.

 

Understanding Europe: Why It Matters and What It Can Offer You

Alberto Alemanno is teaching a free online course, “Understanding Europe: Why It Matters and What It Can Offer You.” Learn about the European Union, how it works, why it matters and what it can offer you. Regardless of where you live, the EU not only affects your life but may also transform it. This course aims at empowering you, your family, business and community in Europe and beyond and will enable you to discover jobs you were not aware of.

To learn more about the course and to register, visit the Coursera site here.

Food Law and Policy Summer Student Position

The Resnick Program for Food Law and Policy at UCLA has just created a new summer position for a law student interested in working on food law issues. The summer associate will divide his or her time equally between independent research on a food law topic and assistance with the program's ongoing projects. Those projects may include academic research projects and collaboration with program partners. The specific projects will be tailored to the summer associate's interests and the program's needs.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate has strong academic credentials and writing skills. A strong interest in food law and policy is mandatory; a background in the area is preferred but not required.

Details:

The position runs from June –August 2014. Specific dates are flexible. There will be a small stipend, amount to be determined. To apply, send a cover letter, resume, unofficial transcript, list of two references, and a writing sample to Kusumi@law.ucla.edu. Applications are due Nov. 15, 2013.

Food Fraud Exercise on June 18, 2013 in East Lansing, Michigan

On June 18, 2013 the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) and Michigan State University (MSU) will host a table-top exercise that will promote awareness of food fraud.  Food fraud is a collective term used to encompass the deliberate and intentional substitution, addition, tampering, or misrepresentation of food for economic gain. 

Registration is required.  There will be no cost to participants and lunch is included. 

With an Innovative Food Defense Grant from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a tabletop training exercise has been developed that promotes awareness of food fraud. Food fraud threatens both the public's health and the food and agriculture economy. With successful piloting in Michigan, the exercise will be available nationally as a supplement to the FDA's Food Related Emergency Exercise Boxed (FREE-B) set.   The tabletop training exercise will feature participants' interaction surrounding an emerging Food Fraud scenario. This exercise will demonstrate how different agencies and authorities interact at the local, state and federal level and with the private sector.  Participants will also learn about other types of Food Fraud to heighten awareness among authorities and better protect the public's health.  

Training participants will include public health officials, food inspectors, various regulatory authorities and the private sector. Awareness of the public health threat from food fraud is a key tactic in thwarting this growing concern.

The registration link for the Food Fraud Exercise on June 18, 2013 in East Lansing is: zttps://www.foodshield.org/index.cfm/discover-tools-links/mi-tabletop/

Please let Deb Merrill at MDARD know if you have any questions 517-335-4576 or  merrilld@michigan.gov

UCLA School of Law Establishes Resnick Program for Food Law and Policy

UCLA School of Law has received a $4 million gift from the Resnick Family Foundation to establish the Resnick Program for Food Law and Policy. The gift provides for as much as another $3 million in matching endowment funds. The new program will explore ways to hasten improvements in the modern food system. In addressing questions of food safety, distribution and access, the Resnick Program will focus on reforming food law and policy for the benefit of the consumer. 

As part of this effort, the law school will collaborate with UCLA's world-class medical, public health, public policy and sustainability programs to provide an interdisciplinary approach to developing effective, consumer-oriented food law and policy, such as increasing educational efforts to assist consumers in understanding the central issues relating to food; improving the clarity and accuracy of food labeling; ensuring food safety and wider access to healthy food for all segments of the population; and monitoring the effect of food production on our natural resources. 

For the rest of the press release, visit here.

Law job at the Rudd Center

The Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity has posted a job announcement for a "Coordinator of Legal Initiatives."  They envision hiring a junior person to focus on the law and food marketing. Please visit this link to apply or find out more.

The first LLM in Global Food Law graduates this Friday. Congratulations!

And thank you to all who made this a great program.

Last Chance to Register - Summer Academy in Global Food Law and Policy

The Summer Academy in Global Food Law and Policy is an established one-week summer program that brings together practitioners, policymakers, industry representatives, and leading academics working in the field of food law and policy. It offers intensive training on the most innovative developments in global food regulation and provides a unique opportunity for professional development and networking in an informal and interdisciplinary setting. By talking, studying, and interacting with food experts from all over the world, participants are able to gain new perspectives into both their own sectors and international regulatory issues. This is achieved by combining traditional classroom instruction with experiential learning opportunities offered by dedicated and distinguished international experts.

The 5th edition of the Academy will take place from Monday, 22 July, to Friday, 26 July, 2013 in Granada, Spain. The choice of this vibrant city will enable participants to benefit from the distinctive beauty of the town’s Unesco World Heritage environment and its privileged geographical location adjacent to the Sierra Nevada. For more information, please visit here.

The Summer Academy may be taken as a 2 or 3 credit, graduate-level course from Michigan State University.  Contact IFLR@msu.edu if you are interested in enrolling for graduate credit. If you wish only to attend as a seminar, enroll here.

Brody Distinguished Lecture on the Pew Food Additive Safety Initiative

The 7th Annual Brody Distinguished Lecture in Food Packaging featuring Thomas Neltner - April 30, 2013 | School of Packaging is being presented by Tom Neltner from the Pew Charitable Trusts. Tom will discuss the Pew Food Additive Safety Initiative. This initiative has analyzed several thousand indirect and direct food additives for toxicological activity and looked at how FDA regulates these substances.  The largest category of compounds in foods results from the migration of packaging components.

This seminar is being co-sponsored by:

• Center for Integrative Toxicology
• Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition
• Food, Society and Sustainability
• Institute for Food Laws & Regulations 

The seminar will be held at 3:30 p.m.  in room 100 Packaging Building, Tuesday, April 30.  You are invited to a reception in the Packaging atrium at 3:00 p.m.

Symposium on Poultry Confinement, April 4

The MSU College of Law's Journal of Animal and Natural Resource Law is hosting symposium, titled "Chicken Farming in the 21st Century: A Look at the Legal, Ethical, & Environmental Concerns Associated with Poultry Confinement."

It is scheduled to take place this Thursday, April 4, from 4-8 p.m. in the Castle Boardroom on the 3rd floor of the law college. This is a free event, but attendees must register in advance using this link: http://www.law.msu.edu/chicken/register.php.  

More information about the symposium can be found here.