Program
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2025
Espace Innova, Learning Crossroads Pavilion, 100 Louis-Pasteur Private
Workshop
Academic Works-in-Progress Workshop
8:30am - 2:15pm
Closed workshop, by invitation only
Student Panel
Sponsored by Gowling WLG
Emerging Voices in Food Law and Policy
2:30pm - 3:45pm
Gowling WLG - Joel Taller Prize for Emerging Voices in Food Law
The Gowling WLG – Joel Taller Prize for Emerging Voices in Food Law will be awarded to the JD student or recent law school graduate with the best presentation in the area of food law and policy at the Canadian Food Law and Policy Conference.
The Gowling WLG – Joel Taller Prize for Emerging Voices in Food Law is in memory of Joel Taller, who passed away on May 13, 2017. Joel Taller was a pioneer and a well-known expert in the area food law in Canada. Joel practiced for 34 years in the Ottawa office of Gowling WLG, working with companies of all sizes. Joel was well respected by both industry and government for his legal expertise and sound judgment. He was instrumental in developing the Food & Beverage group at Gowling WLG, a significant team of lawyers and scientists who support companies doing business in Canada, Europe and other jurisdictions around the world.
Speakers
Ashoke Mohanraj - Schulich School of Law
Adam Wexler - McGill Faculty of Law
Wei Zhang - University of Ottawa Faculty of Law
Moderator
Nadia Lambek - Western Faculty of Law
Film Screening
Les Incendies Dans les Bâtiments Agricoles
4:00pm - 5:30pm
Espace Innova, Learning Crossroads Pavilion, 100 Louis-Pasteur Private
Free and open to the public
Roundtable discussion following the film with:
Hon. Pierre J. Dalphond, Senator, Québec - De Lorimier
Christie McLeod, DVM, Central Canada Veterinary Association
Vincent Caron, Full Professor, Section de droit civil, University of Ottawa
Opening Reception
5:30pm - 7:00pm
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2025
Room 4101 Desmarais Hall, 55 Laurier Avenue East
Welcome and Opening Remarks
8:30am – 9:00am
Plenary
Eating Local :
Regulating the Movement of Goods and Workers in Canada
9:00am - 10:30am
Moderator:
Katrina Coughlin – Partner, Gowling WLG LLP
Speakers:
Jay Holmes – Senior Director, Food Risk Management Division, CFIA
Lauren Martin – Senior Director, Public Affairs & Corporate Counsel, Canadian Meat Council
Myriam Dumont Robillard – Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, Université de Montréal
Plenary
“Elbows Up” :
Trade, Tariffs and Cross-Border Food Fights
10:50am - 12:20pm
Moderator:
Elaine Feldman – Senior Fellow, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa
Speakers:
Marjolaine Mondon & Jocelyn Roy – Conseil des appellations réservées et des termes valorisants du Québec
Mathew Smith – Chief Agriculture Negotiator and Director General, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Mark FeDuke – Director of Trade Compliance & Policy, Ardo VLM Foods Inc.
Sponsored by Gowling WLG
Lunch
12:20pm - 1:30pm
Plenary
From Field to Cloud:
Navigating Data Governance in Canadian Agriculture
1:30pm - 2:45pm
Moderator:
Kelly Bronson – Canada Research Chair in Science and Society, University of Ottawa
Speakers:
Adam Deochand, Policy Analyst - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Sarah Marquis – Outreach Strategist, National Farmers’ Union
Plenary
Sponsored by McCarthy Tétrault
Updates in Canadian Food Law and Policy
2:45pm - 4:00pm
Moderator:
Elizabeth Yu, Associate, McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Speakers:
Jeremy De Beer – Canada Research Chair in Innovation and Intellectual Property Law, University of Ottawa
Regulations Amending the Plant Breeders' Rights Regulations
Laura Bowman – Legal counsel, Whitelaw Twining
Friends of the Earth Canada v. Canada (Attorney General), 2025 FC 300
Jenna Khoury Hanna – Associate, Kinch Eddie Litigation
Mariposa Woods Inc. et al v. Kawartha Lakes (City), OLT-24-000868
Amélie Gouin – Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Overview of 2024–2025 class actions on food labeling
David McLauchlan - Associate, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Developments in the plant-based and cellular agriculture sectors
Jennifer Quaid, Full Professor, University of Ottawa
Greenwashing and the Competition Act: Understanding the 2024 Amendments and 2025 Enforcement Guidelines
Closing Reception
4:00pm - 5:30pm