Learning objectives
The course aims to offer students an in-depth knowledge of the various international legal regimes relevant to food security and sustainability.
In particular, at the end of the course, the students will have developed the ability to critically evaluate the initiatives adopted at an international level in the field of food security and sustainability; correctly frame the main legal issues posed by the intersection between conflicts, climate change and food insecurity; apply the knowledge acquired to practical cases; formulate relevant legal arguments using adequate terminology.
Prerequisites
Students having no previous knowledge of International Law should contact the instructor in advance.
Course unit content
The course explores the different international legal regimes relevant to food security and sustainability. The course is divided into two parts. Part I (18 hours) analyzes the link between global food (in)security, conflicts and climate change through a series of thematic focuses concerning, among other things, food insecurity as a threat to international peace and security, the effects of sanctions on food security, the impact of climate change on the right to food. In this context,
particular attention is paid to the initiatives adopted within the United Nations Organization in order to combat food crises, their causes and consequences.
Part II (18 hours) dwells upon the possibility to achieve food security through an integrated approach to existing legal instruments relating to the international protection of human rights, sustainable development, and investments, which favors more inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems.
Full programme
- - -
Bibliography
- S. Zappalà, Conflict-Related Hunger, ‘Starvation Crimes’ and UN Security Council Resolution 2417(2018), in Journal of International Criminal Justice, 2019, pp. 881-906.
- H. Elver, Food Security, in R. Geib, N. Melzer (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of the International Law of Global Security, Oxford, 2021, pp. 484-502.
- A. Mistura, Reconciling Agricultural Production and Environmental Sustainability for Food Security: An Integrated Approach to Land Use through International Legal Instruments, in Rivista di Diritto internazionale, 2022, pp. 85-118.
Additional reading materials will be uploaded on Elly on a weekly basis.
Teaching methods
The course alternates lectures and seminars. The theoretical illustration of the issues covered by the course is integrated with constant reference to practice and the analysis and critical discussion of relevant documents and case-studies. Finally, the use of innovative teaching techniques, such as, but not limited to, moot negotiations or moot courts, is emphasised.
Assessment methods and criteria
Attending students (attendance required for at least 70% of lessons): written exam. The test, lasting two hours, consists of five multiple choice questions (two points for each correct answer), two open-ended questions (up to six points for each correct answer) and the resolution of a practical case (up to eight points).
Non-attending students: oral exam, divided into three questions, on the topics covered both in the recommended teaching materials and uploaded on Elly. The first two questions cover fundamental notions regarding international legal regimes relevant to food security and sustainability. The third question focuses on the discussion of a document or on the analysis of a concrete case.
In both cases (attending and non-attending students), the exam is aimed at ascertaining the effective knowledge of the relevant international legal norms, the ability to apply the notions acquired in concrete cases, and the ability to communicate using appropriate terminology.
Other information
External experts may be invited to share their professional experience with the students.
