Master of Food and Agriculture Law and Policy (MFALP)

The Master of Food and Agriculture Law and Policy (MFALP) degree program is designed to educate future leaders in food and agricultural law and policy. Through intensive study and practical training, students learn to effectively engage the institutions and individuals that influence food and agriculture law and policy and formulate law and policy solutions.

MFALP students can choose from an array of over 50 residential and distance learning courses taught by world-renowned faculty, including those in our renowned Summer Session, as well as optional clinical training in one of the nation's first food and agriculture law clinics. The MFALP trains students in public advocacy and writing for a legal policy audience, offers opportunities for independent research with support from faculty, and opens doors to externships at organizations around the country and the world.

Our unique and comprehensive curriculum, developed by the faculty of VLGS's Center for Agriculture and Food Systems, develops students' advocacy skills in the growing and dynamic area of food and agriculture policy.

Most students complete the 30-credit MFALP program in 12 months, but students have up to five years to obtain their degree. The MFALP is also offered as a joint degree with Vermont Law and Graduate School's JD and is open to students enrolled at other law schools who wish to combine it with their JD. Our online courses, Summer Sessions, and experiential learning opportunities offer flexibility to students pursuing these joint options.

At a glance

• Program Center: Center for Agriculture and Food Systems
• Location: Online, on-campus, or a hybrid of both
• Credit Requirements: 30 credits

• Legal Literacy: Graduates will be able to evaluate food and agriculture laws and policies.
• Legal Institutions: Graduates will be able to effectively engage the institutions and individuals that influence food and agriculture law and policy.
• Historical Context: Graduates will be able to apply historical context knowledge to address current issues in agriculture law and policy.
• Social, Economic, and Ecological Influences: Graduates will be able to differentiate the social, economic, and ecological impacts of food and agriculture law and policy, domestically and internationally.
• Problem Solving: Using systems thinking and other frameworks, graduates will be able to formulate solutions to food and agriculture law and policy issues.
• Professionalism: Graduates will be able to work effectively in a professional work environment within and across diverse groups of people with varying backgrounds and perspectives in the food and agriculture sector.
• Communications, Advocacy, and Leadership: Graduates will be able to communicate effectively as advocates, leaders, and problem-solvers.

Vermont Law and Graduate School master's graduates are the leaders, policymakers, and professionals our communities and our world most desperately need. Master’s alumni careers include:

• Max De Faria MFALP’22 was appointed to the Congressional Hunger Center’s Alumni Council. Additionally, Max is a 2022 summer intern at Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic.
• Emily Hickey MFALP’22 was selected to the Congressional Hunger Center’s internship program.
• Carrie Pezzuti MFALP’21 was recently hired by the Environmental Working Group to be their business development associate.
• Lauren Wustenberg JD/MFALP’21 was an intern for the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and has been hired by US Senator Debbie Stabenow’s office as staff counsel.
• Margaret Rossano MFALP’21 was hired by California Land Link as their new Senior Program Associate.
• Suhasini Ghosh JD’21 was hired by Conservation Law Foundation as the Charlotte E. Ray Fellow.
• Esther Akwii LLM’20 is the Clinical Teaching Fellow at Harvard Law School.
• Johanna Doren MFALP’20 is the Local Food Access Coordinator at NOFA-VT.
• Alyssa Hartman MFALP’19 is the Executive Director of Artisan Grain Collaborative.
• Jesse Womack MFALP’19 is a Policy Specialist at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
• Emma Newton MFALP’18 is an Agriculture and Food Systems Consultant at State Innovation Exchange.
• Shannon Rodeffer MFALP’17 is an Agricultural Economist. Dairy Marketing Specialist at the USDA Agricultural Marketing Services.
• Carrie Scrufari LLM’16 is the Associate General Counsel at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
• Eva Moss MFALP’16 is the Farmer and Partner Development Manager at Farm Commons.
• McKenna Hayes MFALP’16 is the Director of Food Connects.

Degree Requirements

Required courses are subject to change.

30 credits

Required Courses

All of the following courses:

• ENV5108 Introduction to Agriculture and Food Law and Policy 3
• REQ7186 Legislation and Regulation Survey 3
• ENV5122 Communications, Advocacy, and Leadership 3

Food and Agriculture Elective Courses

At least nine (9) credits from the following list of food and agriculture courses:

• ENV5380 Food Regulation and Policy 3
• ENV5381 Local Farm and Food Law in Practice 3
• ENV5383 Food Justice and Sustainability 2
• ENV5385 Global Food Security 2
• ENV5401 Agriculture and the Environment 3
• ENV5408 Law of Animals in Agriculture 3
• ENV5410 The Farm Bill 2
• ENV5411 Federal Regulation of Food and Agriculture 3
• ENV5478 Global Food Security and Social Justice 3
• ENV5479 Law and Policy of Local Food Systems 3
• ENV5540 Public Health and Food and Agriculture Policy 2

General Elective Courses

At least three (3) credits from the following list of general elective courses:

• ENV5105 Administrative Law 3
• ENV5115 Environmental Law 3
• ENV5125 Land Use Regulation 3

Project/Writing Requirement

Must take a minimum of 2 credits from the following courses:

• Independent Research Project or AWR (JD students only) on a food/agriculture topic 2-6
• Master's externship in food/agriculture law and policy 4–10
• Semester in Practice working on food/agriculture law and policy 13
• Center for Agriculture and Food Systems research associate program 2
• CLI9428 Food and Agriculture Clinic 4

The remaining electives may be chosen from the courses and experiential options listed above and from the following list of approved courses.

Elective Courses

• ADR6405 Arbitration 2
• ADR6410 Alternative Dispute Resolution 3
• ADR6412 Mediation 2
• ADR6415 Environmental Dispute Resolution 3
• ADR6420 Negotiation 2
• ADR6450 Advanced Dispute Resolution Writing Seminar 2
• BUS6262 Social Enterprise Law 2
• BUS6305 Non-Profit Organizations 3
• BUS6350 Non-Profit Management 2
• CLI9302 Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic (JD or LLM students only) 6
• CLI9326 Advanced Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic (JD or LLM only) 6
• CLI9405 Dispute Resolution Clinic I 4
• CLI9427 Energy Clinic 4
• CLI9428 Food and Agriculture Clinic 4
• CLI9437 Advanced Energy Clinic 4
• CLI9450 Land Use Clinic (JD or LLM students only) 6
• DIV7620 Native Americans and the Law 3
• DIV7628 Indian Tribes as Government Stewards of the Environment 2
• ENV5105 Administrative Law 3
• ENV5108 Introduction to Agriculture and Food Law and Policy 3
• ENV5110 Ecology of Food and Agriculture 3
• ENV5112 Science for Environmental Law 3
• ENV5115 Environmental Law 3
• ENV5125 Land Use Regulation 3
• ENV5205 Air Pollution Law and Policy 3
• ENV5209 The Law of Toxics and Hazardous Substances 3
• ENV5210 CERCLA Liability and Cleanup 3
• ENV5212 Climate Change and the Law 3
• ENV5220 Environmental Economics and Markets 3
• ENV5223 Environmental Governance in the Developing World 2
• ENV5226 Energy Law and Policy in a Carbon-Constrained World 3
• ENV5228 Energy Regulation, Markets and the Environment 3
• ENV5229 Environmental Issues in Business 3
• ENV5230 Global Energy Law and Policy 2
• ENV5235 Natural Resources Law 3
• ENV5239 Land Transactions and Finance 3
• ENV5245 Water Resources Management 3
• ENV5246 Water Quality 3
• ENV5250 Watershed Management and Protection 3
• ENV5303 Advanced Energy Writing Seminar 2
• ENV5305 Environmental Ethics 2
• ENV5306 Comparative Environmental Law Research 2
• ENV5310 Environmental Health Law 2
• ENV5335 Extinction and Climate Change 2
• ENV5336 Climate Change, Extinction and Adaptation 2
• ENV5342 Legal Adaptations to Global Warming 2
• ENV5343 Climate Change Adaptation in Human Systems 2
• ENV5344 Alternative Fuels and Renewable Energy 2
• ENV5346 New Frontiers in Environmental Policies 2
• ENV5349 Regulating the Marine Environment 2
• ENV5350 Risk Assessment 2
• ENV5356 Scientific Controversies 2
• ENV5365 Climate Change: the Power of Taxes 2
• ENV5375 Global Energy Justice 2
• ENV5381 Local Farm and Food Law in Practice 3
• ENV5401 Agriculture and the Environment 3
• ENV5405 Ecosystem Conservation Strategies 2
• ENV5406 Animal Rights Jurisprudence 2
• ENV5408 The Law of Animals in Agriculture 2
• ENV5410 The Farm Bill 2
• ENV5411 Federal Regulation of Food and Agriculture 2
• ENV5423 Ocean and Coastal Law 3
• ENV5430 Ecology 3
• ENV5446 Environmental Justice 2
• ENV5449 Environmental Litigation Workshop 2
• ENV5462 Public Lands Management: Montana Field Study 3
• ENV5468 Oil and Gas Production and the Environment 2
• ENV5474 Land Conservation Law 2
• ENV5478 Global Food Security and Social Justice 2
• ENV5479 Law and Policy of Local Food Systems 2
• ENV5500 Environmental Aspects of Business Transactions 2
• ENV5510 Essentials of the Electric Grid: Engineering 1
• ENV5521 Earth Law 2
• ENV5540 Public Health Implications of U.S. Ag and Food Policy 2
• ENV5561 Environmental Enforcement and Compliance 2
• ENV5564 Peace, War and the Environment 2
• ENV5561 Environmental Enforcement and Compliance 2
• ENV Representing Farmers and Food Producers
• GPP7819 Environmental Issues in Business Transactions (JD students only) 2
• INT7412 Law of the European Union 2
• INT7414 European Union Law Trento 2
• INT7421 International Environmental Law and Policy 3
• INT7440 Comparative U.S.-China Environmental Law 2
• INT7445 European Community Environmental Law 2
• INT7446 International Trade and the Environment 2
• INT7450 International Investment Arbitration and the Environment 2
• JUR7307 Culture and the Environment 2
• JUR7330 Moral Philosophy for Professionals 2
• JUR7333 Animal Law and Ethics 3
• PUB7510 Legislation 3
• PUB7525 Legislative Clinic 6
• WRI7380 Advanced Environmental Legal Research 1