The Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna and the Institute of Law, Politics and Sustainability are pleased to announce the First Edition of the International Colloquium on Current Issues in Agricultural Law in a Global Perspective. The Colloquium is intended to be an opportunity for Post Docs and Ph.D Candidates to present and discuss their research results and methodological approaches in a supportive environment. The topic of the colloquium is inspired by the wish to share on-going analysis, questions and exploration fields in agricultural law from a global perspective. The aim is to build a community of early career researchers interested in agricultural law and its intersections with other legal areas.

Topics
We welcome both theoretical and empirical papers as well as studies on issues at the local, regional and international levels.

Natural Resources and Environmental Protection at the cross-roads with Agricultural Law. Every agricultural activity begins with the resources provided by nature: land, water, air, genetic resources and biodiversity. The interaction of these elements in ecosystems represents the preliminary basis for agricultural production, while the availability and quality of these resources, together with climate-friendly agricultural practices, are the conditio sine qua non for its prosecution. Traditionally regulated by national governments, natural resources and environmental protection are increasingly the object of international governance, which is likely to influence the future of the entire agricultural sector.

Agricultural models and People’s Rights. Agriculture is still the principal occupational sector, employing roughly 40% of the world's population, and for a great number of people, it is also the primary source of subsistence. As new models of agriculture are developed and other sectors become more important, the fundamental role of agricultural activities for the primary needs of people emerges. Topics such as small scale and large scale agriculture, urban and peri-urban agriculture, sustainable intensification, food and non-food production, food security, the right to food and the rights of peasants are becoming burning issues for policy-makers.

Agri-Food Production: Tradition and Technologies. The scope of most agricultural activities is the production of food. Today, the food production chain is witnessing a remarkable extension and it is being enriched and transformed by an increasing number of topics, such as technological development, interaction between ‘public’ and ‘private’ standards within the food chain, bio-engineering, medicine and markets. As agri-food production evolves and become multifaceted, so the law must become responsive to these developments.

International Trade Agreements, Investment Law and Agriculture. In the new millennium, the actors in the field of agriculture and food production are increasingly diversified. From smallholder farmers to multinational corporations, the diversity of subjects in the primary sector is increasing the complexity of investments, deals and trade agreements. Consequently, there is the need for new regulation, which must be sensible to social and environmental aspects.

Those interested should submit a short CV and 400 word abstract to colloquium@sssup.it no later than April 3, 2015. Upon acceptance, the author must submit a paper draft (maximum 12000 words, footnotes included) no later than July 3, 2015. The final paper will be eligible for publication in an edited book.
There is no registration fee, although 50 euros for coffee breaks and dinner is requested. Further details regarding the schedule, events, lodging, and transportation will be posted on the website as soon as they are available.
For more information or questions, please contact Colloquium Organisers (M. Alabrese, M. Brunori, S. Rolandi, A. Saba) at colloquium@sssup.it or visit http://www.cdg-lab.dirpolis.sssup.it/event/colloquiumaglaw/ ‎