As part of our ongoing interest in issues around food loss and waste, the IICA Delegation in Canada, in collaboration with the University of Laval’s Legal Research Chair in Food Diversity and Security, has hired a summer Research Intern to conduct a study on food loss and waste in Canada. Specifically, the objective of the internship is to undertake a policy analysis aimed at uncovering the impacts of federal food safety requirements and industry-led voluntary guidelines on food loss and waste (FLW) in Canada, with a focus on the fresh produce industry.
We are very excited to welcome Camille to the IICA Canada team, and look forward to the results of this important research project!
In her own words….
I am a recent graduate of the Honours Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology option, from the University of Ottawa. As a part of my university degree, I completed four internships within the federal public service, at Statistics Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and most recently, two internships at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. At the CFIA, I analyzed data on bacterial contamination from the Agency’s regular microbiological monitoring programs, as well as on various research projects to inform policy decisions in the wake of foodborne illness outbreaks. My love for lab-based science over recent years has evolved into a love for seeing the “real world” applications of science, which includes seeing how science-based policy can be used to improve lives and health outcomes. In my spare time, I am a volunteer researcher at Ottawa’s Bridge Engagement Centre, where I perform community-based research aimed at improving health outcomes for Ottawa’s homeless, low-income and vulnerably-housed populations.
At IICA, I will be performing literature research, interviews and a policy analysis to determine the impacts of federal food safety requirements and industry-led voluntary guidelines on food loss and waste in Canada, with a focus on the fresh fruit and vegetable sector. This internship has come at a perfect time in my professional life, as I transition out of student employment and into a career as, hopefully, a scientist within the federal public service. I believe in the value of looking at problems from various angles, and as someone with experience in food safety science, I look forward to learning more about the role of food safety policy in food loss and waste, and learning first-hand about the work that IICA does internationally.
For more information:
Camille Levesque
camille.levesque@iica.int
