Our Alumni
Featured Alumni Michael Richardson, LLM Global Food Law, 2014 Ontario Ministry of AgricultureQ: What/who initially attracted you to the food law programs at MSU?
“I started taking courses through the MSU Institute for Food Laws and Regulation (IFLR) back in 2010. I found it to be a great way to become more familiar with the many diverse aspects of the policy and legal frameworks that apply to the production of agricultural commodities and the processing, marketing and labeling of food products in the United States and in other countries. I continued with the Global Food Law program when it was launched in 2012 and took advantage of the many new opportunities to build on my past work through the IFLR.”
Q: In your opinion, how do food industry professionals benefit from programs such as the ones at MSU?
The food law programs at MSU offer an opportunity to interact with a diverse range of professionals in the food industry, with students located in many parts of the world. The broad range of subject matter challenges the student to look at problems from a unique perspective and to critically examine and apply the wide range of available resources that can be found on-line and through traditional sources. After having participated in a course, you are left with a greater level of familiarity with the wide range of reference materials that exist and how to access and apply them in your everyday work.
Q: What about the world of food law initially attracted you to your field of work?
I work in the public sector. Policy issues involving food continue to figure prominently in the media and in political discourse. How we produce food and foster economic growth are, more so than ever, becoming tasks that must be undertaken in a complex regulatory environment where important issues such as environmental protection, sustainability, consumer protection, food safety, trade and the use of modern biotechnology are competing for public attention and demanding full consideration by industry and government. Food law represents an opportunity to work in a dynamic and challenging area of practice, where the environment is in a constant state of flux.
Q: How would you describe the MSU food law programs to a friend or colleague?
The food law programs at Michigan State University offer a great opportunity to broaden your knowledge about how food is regulated and how agri-food policy is developed. The on-line format offers students the ability to work on the material from home or from the office, with interactive forums that encourage thoughtful engagement with the course material and with fellow students.
Alumni Quotes:
Food law represents an opportunity to work in a dynamic and challenging area of practice, where the environment is in a constant state of flux.
The Michigan State programs offer the working food safety professional the opportunity to build on their experience. There are multiple options to meet an individual’s needs/goals and the hectic schedules of the work place.