Valeria Paganizza

Associate Professor of Agricultural and Food Law (GIUR-03/B) at the University of Parma, Department of Law, Political and International Studies, since October 1st, 2024.

After obtaining her Bachelor's degree in Juridical Sciences and her Master's degree in Law (2005) from the University of Ferrara (2008), both with a grade of 110L/110, she earned a PhD in European Union Law at the same institution, defending her thesis on the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), in March 2013. She subsequently worked as a research fellow at the University of Eastern Piedmont (2014-2015) and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (2016-2017; 2019-2020). She was a researcher at the University of Padua, Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture, and Forestry (TESAF), from 2021 to 2024.

In addition to teaching at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (in both Italian and English), the University of Padua (in both Italian and English), and the Bologna Business School (in English), she taught courses in the Netherlands as a temporary lecturer (Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences, Apeldoorn) and guest lecturer (Wageningen University), in Australia (Monash University) and Germany (Justus Liebig University Giessen) through the Erasmus+ program. Since August 01st 2025, she is adjunct professor at Universitas Diponegoro, in Semarang (Indonesia).

Since 2014, she has been involved as a lecturer in training courses for the public and private sectors, advanced training programs, and post-graduate Master's programs in food law.

She is the author of two monographs: Bugs in law. Insetti e regole dai campi alla tavola, WKI, 2019 and Il sistema di allarme rapido per gli alimenti e i mangimi (RASFF). Comunicazione e collaborazione per la gesione del rischio, WKI-CEDAM, 2023, and co-author of Compendio di Diritto alimentare (2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2025 editions). She collaborated with Professors L. Costato and F. Albisinni in the direction of the Trattato breve di diritto agrario italiano e dell'Unione europea. Agricoltura, pesca, alimentazione e ambiente, CEDAM-WKI, 2023. She has authored publications in national and international journals and contributed to book chapters in the food law area.

Her research covers the entire field of food law, with particular focus on issues of innovation and sustainability, from field to table.

- The Regulatory Framework for Biocontrol in the Agri-Food Sector. This research topic stems from the collaboration, concluded in 2024, with the activities of Spoke 2, WP2, task 2.2.3 of the Agritech project, but continues due to its current relevance. - Botanicals (BEETROOT). A line of research is linked to the PRIN PNRR 2022 Project Building a comprehensive regulatory framework for plants with healing properties and botanicals, used as food, to boost public health (BEETROOT). The project title itself describes the goal of the research. The activities aim to overcome regulatory issues that may limit the sector of plants with beneficial properties and their compounds, from primary production to the marketing of final products, paying due attention to consumer information. Starting from definitions (medicinal plants, botanicals, superfoods…), the study will progressively include other regulatory aspects that contribute to outlining the value chain and governance of the sector (novel food and claims for plants and botanicals, the qualification of processed products derived from plants with healing properties, and the operators involved in these activities). In other words, BEETROOT aims to have a positive impact on the following aspects: a. Health and consumers: A clear regulatory framework and broader knowledge could boost products with beneficial properties, allowing consumers to make the best choices for their health. b. Operators: Clearer regulations can open new market opportunities while avoiding non-compliance. c. Academic research, involved researchers, and universities: The project could lead to further research opportunities, career advancements, and the strengthening of relationships. d. Biodiversity and agrobiodiversity: The conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants and botanical varieties are prerequisites for the development of the value chain. A clear regulatory framework that enables a vital and sustainable economic sector can also have positive effects on biodiversity. Food and Innovation. Among the topics of ongoing research and updates, regulatory aspects related to innovation in the food sector such as novel foods, the application of artificial intelligence, and the metaverse are inverstigated.