TORONTO, Ont. (Saturday, Oct 20, 2012) – Better consumer protection was the subject of a recent workshop hosted by the University Waterloo and Université du Québec à Montréal in which scholars from diverse areas such as law, economics, technology, agriculture and marketing shared their expertise.

More than 30 distinguished scholars from across Canada, together with experts from business, the public sector, and consumer advocacy organizations, met recently to discuss the need for better networks and closer collaboration. They agreed that multidisciplinary research holds important promise for understanding the social, economic, and psychological incentives that affect consumer behaviour.  In addition, better understanding of these factors would help public policy makers design effective instruments to inform, engage and protect Canadian consumers.

"There is so much rich research talent in Canada in areas that could have a positive influence on public policy on consumer issues," said Professor Robert Kerton. He is the former Dean of Arts at Waterloo, former president of the American Council on Consumer Interests, and co-organizer of the conference. "The steps we are taking to create a network where experts and policymakers can combine efforts and share knowledge represent an important move towards greater consumer protection in the areas of product safety, fraud prevention and food safety.  Without doubt, the application of this research can help firms succeed in Canada and abroad.”

The conference was possible due to a Connection Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Industry Canada provided additional support. The event was organized by the University of Waterloo and Groupe de recherche en droit international et comparé de la consommation (GREDICC), at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM).  

“Consumer-interest researchers provide the evidence base that public policy needs to make sure that our laws both protect consumers and provide the incentives needed for innovation and competition among firms," said Professor Thierry Bourgoignie of GREDICC, and a former President of the International Association of Consumer Law.

Workshop participants saw the potential value of improved networking in consumer interest research, noting that better collaboration can lead to gains for Canadian consumers and researchers alike.  First steps are being taken to build a research network, and a number of promising measures will be explored in the coming months.

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