On October 19, 2022, the Catholic Law faculty convened for its monthly Faculty Research Colloquium event. Hosted by Professor Lucia Silecchia, Director of Faculty Research, this month’s program featured a presentation from Catholic Law Professor Robert Destro on the topic of the geopolitics of food insecurity. Destro’s expertise is in the areas of International Human Rights; Freedom of Religion, Speech, and Association; and Bioethics.

Professor Destro’s work-in-progress paper, “A Human Rights Perspective on the Geopolitics of Food Insecurity,” outlines supply and demand perspectives of food insecurity, provides lessons from history as well as the current war in Ukraine, and explores the role of climate change on food resources. The paper argues that war, environment, and political mismanagement all play a significant role in the trends seen in regional, national, and global food markets. Part of a much longer series in which he is exploring the "Human Dimension of Human Rights," this paper examines the human rights issues on the "demand side" of the food chain: "Is there a right to food?" The second installment examines the human rights concepts and legal frameworks that guarantee the rights of those who are on the "supply side" of the food chain: i.e. those who grow, process, and transport the abundant food supplies to which we have become accustomed. Professor Destro's published Congressional testimony on these topics can be found at the following links: Climate Change & Human Rights; Migration & Food Security; and Conflict & Killings in Nigeria's Middle Belt.

The Faculty Research Colloquium series will continue through the academic year as faculty members present their works in progress to colleagues for feedback and discussion. Please check back on the News and Events page for updates regarding upcoming events.