Land and Food System Scholar Series

 

Invited scholar: Dr. Sarah Berger Richardson

 

Hosted by:  Jennifer Black & Hannah Wittman, Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems

 

Title: Barn fire prevention and disaster management in the agricultural sector: can insurance law improve industry practices?

 

Abstract: In the agricultural sector, a barn fire is a devastating disaster that can destroy one’s livelihood in minutes. While barn fires can be traumatic for farmers, farmworkers, first responders and their communities, they are even more tragic when animal lives are lost. Common causes of barn fires are electrical malfunctions or improperly placed or faulty heating devices as well as combustibles. Many farm buildings also lack adequate fire detection systems and suppression methods. Although national model codes establish some fire prevention requirements, they are inadequate and unevenly applied to farm buildings in the agricultural sector. While animal rights advocates have rightly been calling on all levels of government to introduce laws and regulations to prevent barn fires and their associated financial and moral costs, insurance companies also have a role to play. This presentation will provide an overview of barn fire prevention requirements in Canada and explore the advantages and disadvantages of addressing existing regulatory gaps through private systems of governance.

 

Biography: Dr. Sarah Berger Richardson is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law (Civil Law Section) of the University of Ottawa where she teaches food law and policy, administrative law, and civil liability. She is President and co-founder of the Canadian Association of Food Law and Policy as well as a member of the Law Society of Ontario. Her research focuses on the regulation of the agri-food sector, with a particular emphasis on animal agriculture and meat processing. She holds a Doctor of Civil Law from McGill University and completed her Masters of Law (LL.M) at Tel Aviv University, where she was a research fellow at the Manna Center in Food Safety and Security. In 2018-2019, she was a visiting teaching fellow at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. Previously, she served as a law clerk at the Supreme Court of Israel and the Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal.

 

Join in person or via Zoom:

Date: March 16, 2023

Time: 4:00-5:30 PM PDT

Location: In-person at MSL 101, or via Zoom

Meet and greet before the presentation: 3:00 – 4:00 PM, please register here by March 13.