Associated Researcher

Mpoi Leuta Hilpert is a lawyer and researcher specialising in Public International Law and EU law, with a particular focus on food law, novel food regulation, sustainability, and human rights. She studied law in Lesotho, South Africa, and Switzerland, gaining a broad comparative perspective on legal systems and regulatory approaches. She also completed an interdisciplinary master’s degree in European Integration, focusing on law, economics, and political science. During her doctoral studies, she served as a Research and Teaching Assistant at the Institute for European Global Studies at the University of Basel.

Her doctoral research, completed at the University of Basel, examined the regulation of novel foods in the European Union and Switzerland. In this context, she developed the “Three Ss” theory, which situates novel foods within the framework of food safety, security and sustainability. Her findings highlight the significant potential of novel foods to contribute to sustainable food systems and indicate that regulatory frameworks should carefully balance consumer protection with the promotion of innovation and the realisation of these societal benefits.

Her current research continues to explore the intersection of law, innovation and sustainability in the agri-food sector, with a focus on developing forward-looking regulatory approaches.